"Couldn't find the deer heart grass." Futian searched through the rubble for a long time but only found a few decades-old blood coagulation roots, while the other herbs were nowhere to be seen.
Even if the house had collapsed, most of the herbs were stored in boxes. Logically, they shouldn't have been impossible to find, yet here they were...
Sikong狂 frowned as he looked at the spot that had once been filled with herbs, wondering how this could have happened. Who had taken them?
The sky remained gray and overcast, with occasional lightning bolts tumbling through the clouds. No one spoke, and the atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive.
Suddenly, a voice gritted out through clenched teeth: "The Holy Land is still as shameless as ever, taking whatever they want from others. Hmph, hypocritical bastards."
Futian sat down beside Yeyu, clutching the few blood coagulation roots, his anger still simmering. "I really don't know what Ye Lanshan was thinking, actually making a deal with Yun Qingfeng."
"Even though her ideas are always so strange, and the things she knows are equally strange, she still saved you from the Holy Land's hands, didn't she?"
Futian was immediately silenced, left to stew in his own frustration.
He knew, deep down, that this was just a temporary measure. If they hadn't sworn a heavenly oath, they would have long been separated by life and death, never to see each other again. But being forced to bow to the Holy Land still grated on him.
"Instead of bickering, why not figure out how to contact Ye Lanshan?" Sikong狂 said darkly, sweeping his gaze over the two arguing.
All he could do now was watch helplessly as Yeyu's face grew paler by the moment.
"Uncle, I'll go bring Ye Lanshan back right now." Yundi had lost all trace of his earlier playfulness. He scanned the area and realized that aside from himself, no one else was fit to go out.
Sigh. It seemed he had to go alone. He had thought, perhaps, someone might try to stop him or offer to go with him, but everyone just looked at him with hopeful eyes. So, resigned, he set off alone for the Ye residence to find Ye Lanshan.
Ye Lanshan had been training since she returned, her eyes never once opening, completely immersed in the world of cultivation.
"How many times do I have to tell you? The head of the Ye family is in seclusion and can't come out right now. What will it take for you to give up?" The guard at the door interrupted him impatiently once again.
He wasn't exactly known for his patience, but since this was the capital, he had to suppress his temper and speak calmly.
"Even if she can't come out, she has to. Please go in and report again. Tell her that Yeyu has been unconscious for a long time. If she doesn't come soon, his life will be in danger."
The guard didn't know who Yeyu was, but hearing that he also bore the surname Ye, he went in to report once more.
"What did you say? Yeyu fainted? How is that possible?" Ye Lanshan rushed out of the Ye residence in a panic, utterly unable to believe that Yeyu had collapsed.
"What happened? How did Yeyu faint?" Ye Lanshan forced herself to calm down as they walked.
"He fainted without any warning. None of us had time to react. Uncle managed to give him some basic treatment in time, but he said the injuries to his meridians had worsened, which caused the collapse."
Yundi quickly explained Yeyu's condition to Ye Lanshan.
"What herbs does he still need?" Ye Lanshan suddenly stopped mid-stride and turned toward a nearby pharmacy.
"Deer heart grass and blood snake vine." Yundi followed her into the shop.
Ye Lanshan went straight to the manager and asked directly, "Do you have deer heart grass and blood snake vine?"
The owner looked displeased at the two dusty travelers and bluntly replied, "No."
Before Ye Lanshan could catch her breath, the shopkeeper spat out those two words with obvious irritation.
Now, Ye Lanshan could only leave the shop with a dejected look and head to the next one.
If that pharmacy had known who they were, they might have regretted not selling them the herbs.
Perhaps because deer heart grass and blood snake vine were too precious, they had to visit several shops before finally finding them.
"Why has Yundi been gone so long? If they don't come back soon, Yeyu might not hold on." Sikong狂 watched anxiously as Yeyu's body gradually grew cold.
Just as they were about to give up, Ye Lanshan arrived. She tossed the deer heart grass and blood snake vine to Sikong狂 and rushed to Yeyu's side to examine him.
"Why is he so cold?" Ye Lanshan touched his corpse-like temperature, and an inexplicable fear surged within her.
Only when she detected a faint pulse did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Sikong狂 had already set up the furnace and begun refining the pill in earnest. No one knew if Yeyu could hold on until the pill was ready.
Ye Lanshan took a bowl of spiritual spring water from her space and fed it to Yeyu drop by drop. Most of it spilled, but at least a little went down.
"What is this?" When Ye Lanshan brought out the water, Yundi sensed it was no ordinary thing. Sure enough, after Yeyu swallowed a trace of it, a hint of color returned to his pale face.
After waiting nearly an hour, Sikong狂 finally finished refining the pill. She immediately took the bottle, pried open Yeyu's mouth, and administered it.
Though the pill had been given to him, he still hadn't woken up, which only deepened everyone's worry.
"Why are you all staring at me? Miss, how are you here?" Yeyu slowly came to, opening his eyes to find everyone watching him.
"You're finally awake. Do you have any idea how many people you scared this time?" Yundi couldn't help but complain now that he was conscious.
"I—" Before Yeyu could say anything, Ye Lanshan cut him off. "Alright, you've just woken up and you're still weak. Don't think about anything now. Just lie down and rest."
"I've already arranged a house for you. Once they finish making a stretcher, I'll take you to see our new courtyard."
"Maybe we should leave first. The Holy Land found us once, and they'll find us again. Staying here will only cause you more trouble."
Futian had been thinking about this ever since Yeyu fainted. After mulling it over, he concluded that only by leaving could they truly be safe.
Their alliance had been an accident from the start, and leaving now was no big deal.
"Leave? Are you sure you want to leave while the Holy Land is conducting such a thorough search? Without me covering for you, can you be certain you'll escape their grasp?"