Chapter 455: Grass, Wood, Stone
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Han Qingru shook her head, “Pill Master Mo, knowing it would only harm you.”
Mo Wuji said calmly, “I need to know. I implore Manor Lord Han to tell me.”
He did not want to ask these question merely because of gossip. Now that he had killed the Ji brothers and had brought Han Qingru away, he didn’t believe that the other party would spare him. Facing such a huge enemy, he would not be able to sleep well at night if he didn’t even know his enemy’s name.
Han Qingru understood; she promptly said, “He is Manager Lao Cai of Ying Bian City’s He Lian Merchant House and the Ying Bian Twin Assassins were his hired hands. He is so powerful, he could control almost everything in Ying Bian City….”
“Wait wait, Manor Lord Han, a mere manager of a merchant house can control an immortal city within the Immortal Domain?” Mo Wuji interrupted Han Qingru’s words.
Han Qingru looked at Mo Wuji and said, “Drug Master Mo, if you think highly of me, then just call me Senior Sister Qingru. After today, I don’t even want to think about Hundred Flowers Manor, must less talk about it.”
“Doesn’t the Hundred Flowers Manor belong to you? Why do you say that?” After Mo Wuji asked those questions, he knew that he was talking about the wrong topic. He hurriedly said, “Senior Sister Qingru, then you don’t have to call me Drug Master Mo. I’m not some drug refiner.”
“En, then I will call you Junior Brother Mo.” Han Qingru did not explain anything about the Hundred Flowers Manor. Instead, she said, “He Lian Merchant House is actually a branch from the Immortal World’s He Lian Merchant Union. Even the castellan of Ying Bian City has to show face to He Lian Merchant House. And that Lao Cai’s cultivation has even reached the advanced Golden Immortal Stage, and possesses He Lian Merchant House’s regulation talisman.”
The questions that Mo Wuji wanted to ask continued to pile up inside his head, like what’s the difference between Immortal Domain and Immortal World, and what kind of immortal was a Golden Immortal. However, he also knew that he had to ask these questions slowly, and he couldn’t expect to bombard Han Qingru with all these questions.
Han Qingru was unaware that Mo Wuji was completely clueless about everything, as she continued to say, “Because Lao Cai has the regulation talisman, he was able to stay in Ying Bian City, and is even able to go wherever he likes while he is here. Due to some unknown reason, he got wind that the Hundred Flowers Manor has the book, [Grass, Wood, Stone], and he immediately coveted it.
Before he could even act, the Hundred Flower Manor knew that their possession of the [Grass, Wood, Stone] had been leaked. Because the young manor lord of Hundred Flowers Sect had always been obsessed about me, he actually insidiously turned to my step-mother and requested for my hand in marriage, wanting me to marry into the Hundred Flowers Manor. The dowry was the [Grass, Wood, Stone] book.
My step-mother didn’t even think twice as she accepted the Hundred Flowers Manor’s request. On the day of the bride escorting ceremony, a group of cultivators suddenly appeared and charged into Hundred Flowers Manor. This group of cultivators killed almost everyone in Hundred Flowers Manor, only leaving a few slaves behind. When the leader of the cultivators saw my appearance, he wanted to take me away. But then, I said that if he didn’t allow me to defend the manor for three years, I would immediately commit suicide.”
As he listened, Mo Wuji already started to roughly understand the situation. Ying Bian City’s He Lian Merchant House Manager Lao Cai coveted Hundred Flowers Manor’s [Grass, Wood, Stone]. However, before anything could happen, the Hundred Flowers Manor offered [Grass, Wood, Stone] as a dowry to Han Qingru’s step-mother in exchange for Han Qingru’s hand. Perhaps the Hundred Flowers Manor had yet to spread the news that the [Grass, Wood, Stone] had already left their hands, as Lao Cai brought his man to Hundred Flowers Sect and ransacked the place. During that incident, Lao Cai noticed the gorgeous Han Qingru, who incited his attention. At this time, Han Qingru requested that she defended Hundred Flowers Manor for the next three years. Lao Cai probably liked Han Qingru immensely, and he actually accepted Han Qingru’s request. He only dispatched some peoeple to guard over her.
“This year is the third year. Even if you didn’t come, I wouldn’t have married that Lao Cai.”
Mo Wuji knew the meaning behind Han Qingru’s words; she would have rather died. However, Mo Wuji felt that it wouldn’t have been easy for Han Qingru to kill herself. Even her close aide, Ding Ding, was Lao Cai’s subordinate. How could they allow Han Qingru to simply kill herself?
As Han Qingru said this, she sighed. “Ding Ding has always been following me. I never expected that she would have been bribed by Lao Cai.”
“Then has that [Grass, Wood, Stone] been taken away by Lao Cai?” Mo Wuji was most interested in that book.
Han Qingru replied, “No, the book that Hundred Flowers Manor gave my step-mother was a fake one.”
“How do you know that?” Mo Wuji blurted.
“Because I found the true [Grass, Wood, Stone] in Hundred Flowers Manor. Clearly, Hundred Flowers Manor intentionally wanted to divert Lao Cai’s attention to my step-mother.” Han Qingru sighed once more, almost everything in this world seemed to be a scheme or a ploy.
Mo Wuji really wanted to ask whether he could take a look at the [Grass, Wood, Stone], but when he saw the expression on Han Qingru’s face, he didn’t actually open his mouth.
Without needing for Mo Wuji to say anything, Han Qingru handed an ancient manual over to Mo Wuji, “Junior Brother Mo, you’re rather knowledgeable with drugs and herbs. I will give this genuine [Grass, Wood, Stone] to you then. The [Hundred Flowers Collection] and the [Hundred Grass Collection] that I wrote back in Hundred Flowers Manor was based on the fake [Grass, Wood, Stone], so nobody knows that the real book is with me.”
“Many thanks Senior Sister Qingru. This book is extremely useful to me. After I’m done with it, I will return it to senior sister.” Mo Wuji was not overly courteous; he immediately accepted the [Grass, Wood, Stone].
Han Qingru waved her hand, “I’m not a drug refiner, nor a pill refiner. This book does not mean much to me, so there’s no need for you to return it.”
“What are senior sister’s intentions after today?” Mo Wuji asked, after carefully keeping the [Grass, Wood, Stone].
Han Qingru’s gaze looked empty as she stared outside the cave. After some time, she finally said, “I originally wanted to use the Yong Ying Immortal Domain Grand Alchemy Competition to go to Yong Ying Immortal World and find my father. But now, I don’t know where I should go, or what I should do.”
Mo Wuji finally understood why Han Qingru questioned him about his purification abilities; so it was because of this reason. He couldn’t bear to poke holes at Han Qingru’s aspirations; Han Qingru was not very experienced, so she didn’t know that even if she engaged his help, she wouldn’t be able to take part in the alchemy competition.
“Senior Sister Qingru, you can stay with me temporarily then. I will think of a way to send you to Yong Ying Immortal World.” Mo Wuji resolutely decided that he was going to help Han Qingru go to Yong Ying Immortal World.
Han Qingru nodded, “You would need to condense your immortal lattice before you can enter Yong Ying Immortal World. Otherwise, you would be crushed into blood mist by the Immortal Seeking Staircase.”
When he heard of this, Mo Wuji hurriedly asked, “Senior Sister Qingru, I don’t know anything about the immortal lattice, or the Immortal Seeking Staircase. Isn’t this the Immortal Domain? Why is there a need to climb the Immortal Seeking Staircase?”
Han Qingru stared at Mo Wuji in astonishment. She didn’t understand how an Earthly Immortal like Mo Wuji was completely unaware of such things.
Mo Wuji did not lie to Han Qingru, and he said candidly, “I secretly snuck here from Half Immortal Domain, so I don’t know anything about these.”
“You’re from Half Immortal Domain? You’re not a cultivator from Yong Ying? How were you able to get past the radiant blade array at the edge of the Immortal Chasm?” Han Qingru stared at Mo Wuji in aghast.
Mo Wuji could only say, “I was extremely lucky. If I didn’t meet Dao Friend Wen Lianxi, I would have probably died. Oh right, who was that red robed girl from Hundred Flowers Manor that went to find Wen Lianxi?”
When Han Qingru recalled Mo Wuji’s adroit skill with arrays, she recovered her countenance. She promptly understood Mo Wuji’s question, “She’s a relative of Lao Cai’s. She was actually stationed at Hundred Flowers Sect to monitor me. She isn’t a bad person, and she’s quite a reckless person. Wen Lianxi’s Manager Qian Shan was a friend of my father’s. Eventually, he condensed his immortal lattice and climbed the Immortal Seeking Staircase to enter the Immortal World. The reason why he was able to leave the Immortal World and come here together with Wen Lianxi, was because of Wen Lianxi’s startling clan power. They were actually able to take out a regulation talisman for him to use. I heard that Qian Shan had brought you to Hundred Flowers Manor after meeting you along the road, so I guessed that you weren’t related to Lao Cai.”
“Then why don’t you get Qian Shan to send a message to your father?” Mo Wuji asked.
Han Qingru shook her head and didn’t answer Mo Wuji’s questions. How powerful was the He Lian Merchant Union in the Immortal World? Qian Shan was merely an underling. How long did her father enter the Immortal World? If she got Qian Shan to deliver the message, she would only be harming them. Her intentions were to obtain a placing to the Immortal World through the alchemy competition, then secretly leave to find her father.
