Huangfu Qingjue looked up at the obscure night sky, then silently turned around and glided over in the direction of the small town.
By this time, Ling Chuxi had already returned to her room and had changed out of her blood-stained clothes. What happened earlier lingered before her eyes. Mu Liufeng had done things in such an odd and frivolous manner, making one totally unable to understand or even guess at what he was thinking.
Li Ruihong's death did not seem to be noticed by his followers. Even when Ling Chuxi and the rest checked out the next morning, Li Ruihong's followers still did not seem to realize anything out of the ordinary. It would seem that Li Ruihong was not in the habit of notifying his followers about his whereabouts, hence his disappearance wasn't unusual to them.
Ling Chuxi got into the carriage with Ling Yichen and Fu Chengyu, and it slowly carried them further and further away from the small town, leaving it behind. Ling Chuxi hugged Little White as she leaned against the side of the carriage, closing her eyes to rest. Throughout the journey, no unexpected incidents occurred.
On the day they arrived at the capital, the sky was very clear and bright. Seeing the majestic city walls and the broad bluestone road, Ling Chuxi felt herself feeling quite a bit of relief.
"Miss Chuxi, there is a place to eat called 'Thousand Storey Restaurant' which is very famous here. There is also a street that sells snacks at night. Your appetite will definitely be very satisfied here in the capital," said Fu Chengyu with a smile.
"Really?" asked Ling Chuxi as she stepped off the carriage and looked around in curiosity. Both sides of the street were flanked with various shops and stalls. The whole street looked incredibly dazzling.
"Since there is still some time before school reopens, why don't I play the part of a host and bring you around the capital to taste all the good food it has to offer, Miss Chuxi?" offered Fu Chengyu.
"That would be great," replied Ling Chuxi without bothering to act courteous. Looking at Fu Chengyu's white, handsome face, she suddenly thought of something. "That's right, since the capital is more developed, why don't you check and see if you can get these herbs here-Thousand-Year Stone Lotus, Wu Xie Grass and Thousand Pearl Orchid."
"Do you need these herbs, Miss Chuxi?" asked Fu Chengyu, stunned. Besides the Thousand-Year Stone Lotus, he had never even heard of the other two herbs. The Thousand-Year Stone Lotus was worth as much as a city and it could not simply be obtained through money alone. Seeing as he had never even heard of the other two herbs, he was fearful that they would be even harder to obtain.
"Yup, that's right. To refine medicinal pills," replied Ling Chuxi with a casual nod. " To refine medicinal pills for you, specifically. As long as we can collect all these herbs, you really will be able to live a long life."
"Really? Oh, Chuxi, that's great!" exclaimed Ling Yichen happily from the side before turning over to Fu Chengyu and continuing, "Senior Brother, we need to find a way to obtain these herbs then."
"Try asking all the major medical halls here to see if they have it first," warned Ling Chuxi. She saw that Ling Yichen was so excited over the prospect of Fu Chengyu recovering so she did not wish to give him false hopes should the herbs not be available. These herbs were incredibly rare. To collect them all would definitely take some time.
"All right. Thank you, Miss Chuxi," replied Fu Chengyu as he nodded his head in thanks.
"You're most welcome. Of course, if you wish to express your thanks, I won't reject your kindness either. So, go on. That shop's spiced beef jerky looks pretty good. There are many people queueing up for it. Go get me some," chirped Ling Chuxi as she pointed at a shop across the street.
"You have good judgment, Miss Chuxi. That shop is well known here. There is a daily quota for everything they sell, which is why the queue is very long indeed each day. I will go and get you some now," said Fu Chengyu with a smile before crossing the street.
"And I'll go and take a look around. Don't simply move about, Chuxi. Just stay here and wait for us to return," instructed Ling Yichen before walking away. He felt a little worried somehow.
Ling Chuxi leaned against the carriage, waiting for her companions to return. She yawned lazily in boredom.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves and a young maiden's arrogant voice could be heard from behind her.
"Get lost! Move aside! Don't block the way!" barked a maiden's annoyed voice clearly. It was accompanied by the sound of whipping.
Wait, this voice? Why did it sound so familiar?