Chapter 285 – After coming back from death’s door, encountered more difficulty again
Air Spirit had one hand behind his back, recalling the rumors he heard before as he slowly said.
“There was one year I toured the country of Jiang. I heard the emperor of Jiang country liked to collect famous flowers and precious herbs. And ten years ago, a minister offered him a strange flower for his birthday. This strange flower was stored in an ice cube. At that time, people who saw this flower all thought it was amazing. Because this flower didn’t have leaves, but flowers could actually bloom on its white branch, for a time it became an exotic tale among the common people. But because this flower was never shown in front of people again, everyone had forgotten about it. From the description of this flower from the people present at the scene, it’s sufficient to determine that this flower is the extremely rare Ice Crystal Flower.”
“Then is this Ice Crystal Flower still in the Jiang royal family?” It’s been ten years, Chu Qing-Yan couldn’t determine if this flower still existed. Although her heart was very excited, her mind was still sober.
“If the news I got is definite, it ought to still be there, because the emperor of Jiang country loves flowers to the point of foolishness. If he doesn’t have a serious hard to cure disease, then he wouldn’t lightly use this strange flower. I also heard there was a concubine who wanted to seize an opportunity to ask for this strange flower, but she was sent into the Cold Palace by this emperor of Jiang, the charge was for l.u.s.ting and coveting things she shouldn’t, she was greedy and insatiable.” This matter touched upon his family’s master so when gathering information, he was especially cautious.
Chu Qing-Yan’s brows relaxed. “Knowing the whereabouts of the Ice Crystal Flowers is considered progress.”
Air Spirit nodded. “Although we don’t know how to get that Ice Crystal Flower, but eventually we’ll think of a way.”
“I think it will be very difficult.” Cheng Yan-Luo shook her head. “Since the Emperor of Jiang loves flowers to the point of being foolish, he would not send the flower to you guys unless you guys can give him a condition with which he is satisfied in exchange. But he is already the most n.o.ble emperor of a country, what doesn’t he have? So don’t use such a naive way to think of everything.”
Air Spirit knew Little Yan’s words were targeting him, but he still sunk into deep contemplation because of these words.
Chu Qing-Yan thought what Yan-Luo said was very reasonable, this was the predicament they were going to be facing. “This matter, I think I ought to consult with Earth Spirit’s group.”
Cheng Yan-Luo shrugged her shoulders, she had no objection. In any case, Xiao Xu wasn’t her Highness.
“Older sister Yan-Luo, you should partic.i.p.ate too!” Chu Qing-Yan asked her to stay.
Cheng Yan-Luo thought a bit, although she wasn’t willing to stay in the same room as that person, but if she were to leave just like that, it would look as if she was running away may give. Therefore she had no objection to staying.
As a result, Chu Qing-Yan convened an emergency meeting.
Everyone arrived and Chu Qing-Yan simply explained the matter, then asked for everyone’s opinion.
After Earth Spirit muttered to himself for a short period, he said. “The country Jiang is separated from Western Xuan by the country Jun Lan. Moreover, it’s deepest part is in a basin, surrounded on all sides by a ring of mountains. Basically it’s isolated from the outside world. Therefore the group that gets information isn’t very familiar with this country. Also, Western Xuan doesn’t have deep friendly relationships with this nation. If we were to use the Western Xuan royal family name to request this Ice Crystal Flower, the chances of success will be minute.”
“Why think so much? If the other side won’t agree, then directly steal into the royal palace of Jiang country and take that Ice Crystal Flower. Solve the emergency first, then talk about the rest.” Fire Spirit felt this matter couldn’t be dragged on longer, so he couldn’t help but interrupt to say this.
Earth Spirit shook his head. “Don’t think of this matter so simply, that Jiang country’s royal palace is famous for being difficult to break into. There are strange doors and various matrix methods in every nook and cranny, I’m afraid it’s a place that you can enter but won’t return from.”
“Then what’s to be done? Should we just sit around and wait in vain? Master still needs medicinal herbs to solve his poison!” Fire Spirit grabbed his hair and said somewhat disheartenedly.
Earth Spirit’s gaze landed on the person in front of him who had remained silent. “Then little consort, do you have a way?”
Hearing this, Chu Qing-Yan started to say. “I have a notion in my heart, that is, to first go to the country of Jiang and see if we can find an opportunity to get the Ice Crystal Flower. Right now, we don’t understand the situation in the country of Jiang, everything now is just idle chit-chat. It would be better if we first go to understand the situation before making plans.”
Earth Spirit and the others felt that what the little consort said made sense, only Wood Spirit had a trace of worry in his heart. “Little Consort, the country of Jiang is very far away. Even if we were to use the fastest horses without stopping along the way, it will take at least a month’s worth of time to get there. Can master’s poison wait until that time?”
Wood Spirit’s question was just what she was worried about. It was also the reason she asked Yan-Luo to remain behind and attend this meeting. She turned to look at the person who had stayed out of the discussion up till now. “Older sister Yan-Luo, how long can you control his highness’s poison?”
Having been pointed out by name, Yan-Luo returned to her senses and saw all their gazes on her. She felt the pressure of a huge mountain and gave a light cough. “Originally based on the medicinal herbs, the poison could be controlled for only seven days. Now that we have found the Red Stone Fruit, it’s not the same. The Red Stone Fruit can be taken first for treatment and ought to control the poison for ninety nine to eighty one days. That is to say close to three months of time.”
One by one, everyone let out a breath of relief. At least they still had time to strive for it.
Chu Qing-Yan’s brows bent, immediately her serious expression met that of Earth Spirit, Fire Spirit and the others as she said. “This three month’s worth of time is very precious, subtracting the time it takes to get to country of Jiang and adding the time needed to get the Ice Crystal Flower, the less than three months time is not enough for us to make a round trip. So while we go get the Ice Crystal Flower, we should also use the time to find the whereabouts of Keeping Pa.s.sion Leaf. Otherwise, lacking one of the three ingredients, we still won’t be able to solve the poison in his highness’s body!”
“Subordinate understands, in a short while, I’ll send the flying pigeons to pa.s.s the news to Water Spirit. Let her mobilize all the manpower in Ge Yu to look for the whereabouts of the Keeping Pa.s.sion Leaf.” Earth Spirit immediately accepted the order.
Fire Spirit and the others also nodded to express they understood.
“Good, Fire Spirit you go prepare the arrangements to leave. Wood Spirit you will dispatch people to bring back Xi Ning, Lu Yi and the others to the medical center. Air Spirit you should observe his highness’s conditions at all times, prepare all the medicinal herbs needed on the journey.” Chu Qing-Yan instructed in a methodical manner.
Everyone nodded accepting their orders, afterwards each went to handle their own tasks.
When the people all left the room, Chu Qing-Yan turned her head around and saw Yan-Luo looking at her with a ghost of a smile. This glance give her the mistaken feeling that she had something on her face. “Older sister Yan-Luo, is there a flower on my face?”
“There isn’t a flower, just that I feel that I was mistaken when I first saw you before.” Cheng Yan-Luo took back her gaze and smiled in a teasing manner.
“Oh, what do you mean?” Chu Qing-Yan walked to stand in front of her and asked curiously.
“The first time we met, I thought you were a little girl that didn’t know the world. The second time we met, I still thought it was like that. Now, I’m afraid this way of thinking is going to be overthrown.” Cheng Yan-Luo laughed softly. “It turned out that you are not a little sheep, you are a little fox. You actually hid so deeply! Caused me to nearly be deceived by your external appearance. No, I ought to say that when you were plotting to have me solve the poison, I ought to have discovered it. Sure enough, I’m still too unsophisticated!” Cheng Yan-Luo’s tone was somewhat regretful.
The corner of Chu Qing-Yan’s mouth twitched. Can she still be called unsophisticated? If it was like that, then everyone else must be dregs okay?
“Older sister Yan-Luo, this is called deeply hiding without revealing anything!” But hearing her praising like this, Chu Qing-Yan still felt a bit happy.
Hearing this, Cheng Yan-Luo laughed. “Give you a bit of color and you really start to open a dye shop?”
Chu Qing-Yan smiled happily, then asked. “That’s right, how should his highness take that Red Stone Fruit?”
She had just finished speaking when she saw Cheng Yan-Luo reveal an expression of harboring ill intentions.
Suddenly, Chu Qing-Yan had a bad premonition.
“That Red Stone Fruit isn’t to be eaten, rather——”