Chapter Eighteen: Glazed Heart Grass

Aunt Wu eventually agreed.

Yu Wanqiao stayed there for the time being, but she knew their life was difficult, let alone having one more mouth to feed. Consequently, she gave Aunt Wu some low-grade spirit stones as payment for her stay. Yu Wanqiao did not have many spirit stones herself, as she had spent all of them over the years subsidizing her junior brothers. The mere thought of this made her want to slap herself.

At first, Aunt Wu refused to take them, but Yu Wanqiao simply could not bear to see Wu Ping'an secretly eating rotten vegetable leaves anymore. She had originally intended to tell Aunt Wu the truth, but upon second thought, she realized it might be counterproductive, so she abandoned the idea. Once Yu Wanqiao mentioned Wu Ping'an, Aunt Wu hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the stones.

Yu Wanqiao did not have much time. She had to resolve Aunt Wu's affairs within a week. They were currently in Ruzhou, not far from Xi City. Yu Wanqiao decided to head out, following the hints provided by the scrolling subtitles. The subtitles claimed that a rare herb was located here—a miraculous medicine that could be exchanged for fifty high-grade spirit stones. Yu Wanqiao would naturally not let this opportunity slip by.

This was originally meant to be Bai Chuwei’s destiny. But now that she, Yu Wanqiao, had arrived ahead of time, she would certainly not pass up this chance to make money. After all, she was currently destitute.

"Sister, where are you going?" Wu Ping'an tugged at her clothes, looking nervous and unwilling to let her leave. Yu Wanqiao knew he was worried about her departure, so she patiently explained the situation to him. After a moment of hesitation, Wu Ping'an finally agreed. "Then, Sister, please be careful."

Yu Wanqiao arrived at a mountain not far from Ruzhou. Just as she was about to enter, she was stopped by a white-haired old man. "Little girl, there are wild beasts on this mountain. Are you sure you want to go?"

Yu Wanqiao did not hesitate. Looking at the old man, she explained, "Don't worry, elder; these things are not enough to trouble me."

The old man looked at Yu Wanqiao’s attire and then at the sword on her back. He stroked his beard and chuckled, "It seems I was worrying for nothing."

Ignoring this small interruption, Yu Wanqiao continued on her way. However, several people appeared along the path to try and persuade her to turn back. Yu Wanqiao knew this was the plot trying to stop her again. Without further ado, she took a different route. This path was desolate and uninhabited, ensuring no more inexplicable people would come to hinder her.

This mountain was the perfect habitat for the Glazed Heart Herb. A key feature of the Glazed Heart Herb is its heart-shaped leaves, thin as cicada wings and a clear, cerulean blue like the sky. Under the sunlight, they reflect tiny glimmers, as if hidden starlight lay within the leaves. Yu Wanqiao silently visualized the shape of the herb to ensure she would not forget it.

However, just as she neared the location mentioned by the subtitles, she saw a group of people gathered in the distance. Yu Wanqiao’s expression turned cold, and she hid herself. The attire worn by these people identified them as members of the Nine Nether Sect. What were they doing here?

Yu Wanqiao plucked a leaf, drew a talisman on it, and threw it toward their direction.

"Senior Brother, we’ve been searching for a long time and still haven't found the Glazed Heart Herb. Do you think the Sect Master might have been mistaken?"

"Impossible. The Sect Master’s judgment is divine; there is no way he is wrong this time. Our direction must be off. You—go search over there!"

Xu Shaodeng watched the stone in his hand grow darker in color, showing no hesitation. "The Sect Master is currently severely injured, and this Glazed Heart Herb is exactly what he needs to recover. If we return empty-handed, wouldn't that chill the Sect Master’s heart?"

"Right! The Sect Master treats us so well; we must not let him down!"

...

Yu Wanqiao stopped listening. These people clearly wanted the Glazed Heart Herb as well. Having spent two years at the bottom of a cliff, she was naturally out of touch with much of the news from the outside world.

*“Sigh, why does the supporting female lead’s expression look so strange? After hearing the Nine Nether Sect disciples, her face went cold. Could she want the Glazed Heart Herb too?!”*

*“No! This herb belongs to our heroine! When the heroine finds it, she will hear that the Nine Nether Sect Master is injured and, out of the kindness of her heart, give it to him. That Sect Master is the heroine’s greatest benefactor!”*

So that was it. Qin Piyu, the Sect Master of the Nine Nether Sect, had been ambushed by the Demonic Sect a month ago and was severely injured. Currently, he was suffering from heart demons. The Glazed Heart Herb could help cultivators clear away distracting thoughts, stabilize their minds, and reduce the interference of heart demons during breakthroughs. Furthermore, it could purify the spiritual energy within one’s body to a certain extent, making it a crucial material for refining high-grade soul-nourishing and mind-calming pills. This was the reason the disciples were lingering here.

Yu Wanqiao suddenly found the situation extremely troublesome. The Nine Nether Sect was one of the four major sects in the cultivation world, and its disciples were not to be underestimated. Yet, she truly could not bring herself to hand over the Glazed Heart Herb.

Bai Chuwei could gift the herb to Qin Piyu, but she could not. She had never needed to rely on others; she relied only on herself. Qin Piyu was a stranger to her, and she saw no reason to let go. After all, she was already here.

Yu Wanqiao noticed that the object in Xu Shaodeng’s hand was capable of sensing the location of the Glazed Heart Herb. However, for some reason, they did not know its exact position and had been wandering around. The subtitles did not know the exact location either, as the herb only appeared where the heroine was. Since Bai Chuwei was not in Ruzhou, the herb’s location remained elusive.

Xu Shaodeng and his companions split up to search the surroundings. Yu Wanqiao also quickened her pace to leave the area. She could not let them discover that she was also looking for the herb. However, she did not give up. Instead, she headed in another direction based on what she had overheard. She had a hunch that what she was looking for might be there.

The sky gradually darkened. Yu Wanqiao, like Xu Shaodeng and his men, had found nothing. It was only then that Yu Wanqiao realized how immense the halo of the Daughter of Destiny truly was. Even though the herb was right here, they simply could not find it.

Yu Wanqiao heard the conversation between Xu Shaodeng and his group again. "Senior Brother, we’ve been searching all afternoon. Are you sure the Glazed Heart Herb is really here?"

Xu Shaodeng’s expression darkened. He was already frustrated, and hearing someone question him only made it worse. With a backhand strike, he sent the person who had spoken to the ground, coughing up blood. The others dared not express any complaints.

Xu Shaodeng stared at the stone in his hand, his face grim. "Keep searching! No one leaves until we find it!"