Chapter 181: A Grin Wide Enough to Split the Face

After escaping the Spirit Herb Garden, the group didn’t dare stop to rest. Instead, they pushed forward through the darkness of night at a frantic pace.

It was only after they were well clear of the area that they found a safe secluded spot. They immediately set to work, urgently preparing to dry the spoils of their “hard labor” from the garden.

Among these herbs were many rare treasures of the world, each one possessing immense medicinal value. If the medicinal potency were to be compromised because they weren’t handled properly, this group of Imperial Physicians would likely cry themselves to death.

Under the physicians’ direction, the Secret Guards gathered clean wood and branches to construct several makeshift wooden racks for drying the herbs.

Their faces were splitting with wide, aching grins as the Imperial Physicians organized the materials, muttering incessantly to themselves.

“Merciful heavens! This is a genuine, thousand-year-old Ginseng!”

Before the cries of shock could even fade, another shout erupted nearby.

“There’s even a Millennium Cloud Fungus here!”

The physicians marveled at the exceptional quality and age of the harvest while neatly arranging the herbs on the racks, ensuring they would receive maximum exposure to the light once the sun rose.

Just as everyone was working with fervent intensity, a high-pitched scream rang out.

“Grandmother of the heavens! This Reishi must be at least eighteen hundred years old! This quality, this size… it’s the Reishi of my dreams!”

This particular physician was among the younger of the group. In his excitement, he began to stutter.

Nearby, an older physician who was bent over drying herbs sounded even more ecstatic. “Stop your stuttering! Come look at this! I have a Seven-Star Moon-Companion Vine and a Nine-Leaf Soul-Returning Flower!”

“A Nine-Leaf Soul-Returning Flower? Where? Let me see!” Another physician poked his head over, though his hands didn’t slow down their work for a second.

Before he could even get a good look, a disdainful yet proud voice rang out from a short distance away.

“That’s nothing. I have a Millennium Fleeceflower Root and a Purple Mysterious Ginseng over here.”

“Me too! Don’t forget me! I gathered a Millennium Snow Lotus! I’ve never seen a bloom this massive!”

“I have one here as well…”

Amidst the competitive boasting, a deep, resonant voice spoke up, sounding forced in its attempt to remain calm.

“Ahem… Look at the treasures I found.”

The people nearby only spared a glance before their eyes were completely glued to his haul.

“Crimson Blood Dragon Ginseng! Dragon Blood Reishi! You old dog, when did your luck become so heaven-defying?”

Facing the envious and hateful glares of his peers, the silver-haired physician—who wasn’t actually that old—wore a look of pure smugness.

He had been holding back his excitement until he felt like he would burst. Back in the Spirit Herb Garden, those ignorant Secret Guards had grabbed his Dragon Ginseng and tried to yank it out like they were pulling common radishes. It had nearly given him a heart attack.

He had hurriedly shooed them away to go “scour the earth” elsewhere while he carefully and meticulously excavated these peerless treasures from the soil, bit by bit.

Though it had taken a considerable amount of time, the harvest was equally monumental.

Looking at the perfectly intact roots of his Dragon Ginseng and Dragon Blood Reishi, the physician’s grin grew so wide his face practically hurt.

While the atmosphere here was filled with infinite joy, the carnage back at the Spirit Herb Garden had yet to be discovered.

Ling Yin’s memory had been correct; previously, there had only been guards at the entrance. The hidden sentries inside were a recent addition, stationed there because the higher-ups had sensed a shift in the island’s atmosphere.

These hidden guards usually operated on a two-shift rotation with the entrance guards, changing every morning at dawn.

However, thanks to the swift and lethal efficiency of Luo Wushuang’s Secret Guards, every single hidden sentry had been eliminated. They hadn’t even been given the chance to send a signal before being sent to the afterlife.

Consequently, when the time for the shift change arrived, no one showed up. The leadership hadn’t yet noticed anything amiss.

It wasn’t until someone from the actual research base arrived with their own private stash of potions to trade for herbs that they realized the entire Spirit Herb Garden had “moved away.”

The person stared blankly at the pile of guard corpses before it finally clicked—the garden hadn’t moved; it had been picked clean by thieves.

News of this magnitude was something no one dared to hide.

However, by the time the report moved through the various layers of bureaucracy and the high-ranking officials sent people to investigate, several days had already passed.

By then, Luo Wushuang’s group had already packed up their dried herbs and resumed their journey.

After two days of long-distance travel, they finally arrived at a secluded valley just as dusk fell.

The valley was surrounded by soaring peaks that acted as a natural barrier, sealing off the noise and chaos of the outside world. Inside, the vegetation was lush and green, the air fresh and pleasant. It was like a hidden paradise, perfectly suited for the injured survivors to rest and recover.

After leaving the Li Family members and several Imperial Physicians in the valley, the main group planned their route toward Spirit Spring Valley.

Soon, they returned to the small stream where they had encountered the Li Family a few days prior. Ling Yin pointed toward two diverging paths ahead.

“There are two ways to get to Spirit Spring Valley now,” she explained.

“One is through the Labyrinth. It’s a longer route, and there is a high chance we will be separated into different zones the moment we enter.”

“The other path is to cross this stream and keep moving forward. That will lead us into the Mo Family’s territory.”

When mentioning the Mo Family, Ling Yin’s expression turned solemn. She paused before continuing, “The Mo Family specializes in the Art of Mechanisms. We are likely to encounter a massive number of puppets and wooden automatons.”

Having finished her explanation, Ling Yin looked toward Luo Wushuang and Shangguan Liqian, awaiting their decision.

Luo Wushuang’s gaze instinctively drifted to Shangguan Liqian. “What does Sister think? Which path should we take?”

Shangguan Liqian thought for a moment before looking at Ling Yin with a trace of confusion. “I recall you telling us a few days ago to stay close to you and not look back regardless of what we heard inside the Labyrinth. Why are you saying now that we might be separated?”

Ling Yin sighed and spoke truthfully. “If we really take the Labyrinth path, I can only guarantee that I can lead the two of you out.”

Thinking of the complex terrain and the various uncontrollable factors that could bring danger, Ling Yin frowned. “As for the others, they could try to move in groups of two or three, but I cannot be certain if they will make it out safely.”

Shangguan Liqian’s brow furrowed at those words. That was indeed a difficult situation.

Seeing her sister’s dilemma, Luo Wushuang suggested, “Why don’t we go through the Mo Family’s side instead?”

Shangguan Liqian nodded helplessly. “It seems that is our only option.”

The Mo Family’s Art of Mechanisms was dangerous, but at least the threats were visible. The Labyrinth held too many unknowns and an unpredictable level of risk.

Comparing the two, she also felt the Mo Family route was better.

Once they reached a consensus, the group crossed the stream and headed toward the Mo Family territory.

Luo Wushuang led her people with only one thought in mind: reaching Spirit Spring Valley as quickly as possible. She had no idea how chaotic the Island of Forgotten Sorrows had become.

Once the news that the Spirit Herb Garden had been hollowed out was confirmed, the island’s upper echelon exploded with fury.

Shang Zhantian, Patriarch of the Shang Family; Mo Jinghong, Patriarch of the Mo Family; and Li Ge, Patriarch of the Li Family, were rarely seen together, but now they gathered in a single hall.

Shang Zhantian’s enraged roars filled the air.

“What do you mean ‘picked clean’? They didn’t even leave the front gate behind?! Who has such audacity?! Useless! Incompetent! You are all a bunch of useless fools!”