He had studied medicine for decades. If he could come up with a cure, he would have done it ages ago. Why would he have to resort to this ancient book in a powerless manner?
The old man sighed and continued. “You can take this book to the Apothecaries’ Association and get them to take a look. Maybe you will have better luck there.”
Zhuo Yun’s eyes landed on the old man’s book. Just as he was about to take it, Min Yu said, “I can’t take it. Old Mr. Pei, since your ancestors handed it down to you, how can you loan it to me?”
Zhuo Yun felt angry and anxious when he heard Min Yu’s words. and blurted out. “But your illness…”
Min Yu raised his hand and interrupted him. “Didn’t Old Mr. Pei say he could temporarily control my illness? That’s good enough for me.”
He appeared calm and warm.
“If we can find the descendants of the legendary Shangguan clan, Young Master Min’s problems can be easily solved,” sighed Old Mr Pei.
He said in a dispirited manner, “But… no one from the clan has ever shown their faces, so we don’t know if they truly exist.”
Zhuo Yun thought about the results of his previous investigation. He clenched his fists and said deeply, “No matter how far I have to dig, I will find them.”
***
Huo Yao shopped for a little longer at the medicine market. She was in luck and found the last medicine which she needed.
After buying all the medicines, she took out the name card that the middle-aged man had given her and located the incense shop.
Due to the low production of old sandalwood, it was rare and fetched high prices. Similarly, there were plenty of fake goods out there.
The incense shop owner assumed Huo Yao was just a clueless young girl and initially used sandalwood with dubious origins to fool her, but she exposed him on the spot. The shop owner realized that she was a connoisseur, so he took out the authentic product.
Huo Yao looked at the old sandalwood. Although its quality was just passable, it was good enough for making incense. She wasted no more time and paid for the old sandalwood. She picked it up without letting the shop owner to even pack it.
The sky outside had turned completely dark and Song Ning had called her a couple of times already. Huo Yao hailed a cab and went home.
It was almost 8:00 pm when she got home.
Song Ning felt gratified for the first time when she saw her daughter coming home with a few shopping bags. She helped Huo Yao with her bags and said, “Girls should shop for some clothes and jewelry…”
But she unintentionally caught sight of the block of wood in the bag and came to an abrupt stop.
Huo Yao changed into her slippers and turned around to see the shock on her mother’s face. She asked her in a tentative voice. “Mom?”
Song Ning raised her head. She opened the bag and said sadly, “Don’t tell me all you bought was this stupid block of wood?”
Everyone else’s daughters bought clothing and jewelry or at least snacks.
But this daughter of hers had shockingly bought a chunk of wood.
How was this ok?
Huo Yao’s lips twitched involuntarily. She corrected her mother in a solemn voice. “It’s sandalwood.”
The sort of sandalwood that cost a bomb.
Song Ning did not care what kind of sandalwood it was. All she cared about was how her daughter’s pretty, adorable, and intelligent image had been ruined by this stupid block of wood.
So Song Ning refused to give up and opened the two other bags and rummaged through them. In an instant, she looked even more hopeless.
First, it was sandalwood, now even the two other bags were filled with strange things.
Song Ning shook her head in acute disappointment.
