Chapter 5 The Fruit That Can Cure Eyes
Ning Qi sat in the small sedan chair that could only accommodate one person, bouncing up and down, feeling quite dizzy. She could vaguely hear some strange noises outside, like someone speaking in a low voice or like the low chirping of birds.
She peeked around and, seeing no one speak, asked Chu Fengnian, "Aren't we here yet?"
Chu Fengnian wiped his sweat. It was early summer, and walking in the woods was bearable, but the mosquitoes were quite a nuisance.
He waved away the insects circling his head, glanced at the map in his hand, and said, "Princess, we'll arrive in about fifteen more miles."
Ning Qi sighed. Getting into Medicine King Valley was indeed difficult because there was no direct teleportation array leading there, and the nearest one was fifty miles away.
They had been walking for almost an hour.
Fortunately, the valley master only enjoys tea and chess and doesn't like any heavier magical artifacts; otherwise, their trip here would have been even more troublesome.
After crossing the mountain and walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, we finally saw the group of buildings in the valley not far away.
It was nearing noon, and the sun was shining directly into the woods. They quickened their pace and saw a stone archway with the words "Medicine King Valley" written on it.
A young cultivator emerged from inside and asked them, "Who goes there?"
Chu Fengnian immediately introduced himself, and the man used a communication talisman to make contact. He insisted that Ning Qi get out of the sedan chair and walk before letting them in.
"There are so many rules here," Qianyu muttered discontentedly. "They don't even respect the princess."
Ning Xi patted the back of her hand, telling herself that she wasn't fragile and could walk a few steps without any problem.
They followed another cultivator past more than a dozen ancient buildings in the style of the previous dynasty, and then a more majestic wooden building appeared before them, which looked to be three stories high.
"Please come in with us."
The room was well-lit, and in the center stood a wooden seated statue, which looked like an old man with a sage-like demeanor.
The cultivator introduced, "This is our ancestor, who has already entered the Immortal Realm and become a Medicine Immortal."
As the group climbed the stairs, the floorboards creaked slightly, but no other sounds could be heard.
They were led into a room on the third floor.
An old man with a long beard sitting by the window was playing chess, with a chessboard in front of him and a black piece in his hand.
"Valley Master, they have arrived."
The old man nodded, and the cultivator withdrew, leaving only Ning Qi and his group.
"Who wants medicine?" The Valley Master raised his head, his face already full of wrinkles, but his eyes were still piercing.
Ning Qi stepped forward. "It's me."
“I’ve already heard from Feng Nian that you want to find medicine to repair your damaged eyes. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the Immortal Realm to find such a thing.”
"You can't do anything about it either?" Ning Qi didn't believe it. If he really couldn't do anything, he could have just used a communication talisman to tell them directly. Why bother sending them all the way here?
The Valley Master stroked his long beard without saying a word.
Seeing that there was still a chance, Ning Qi immediately ordered the guards to bring up the treasures he had brought and began to introduce them with great enthusiasm, "This is Nanzhu Snow Bud, produced from Nanzhu Mountain, the highest peak in the Great Yan. The annual yield is less than one kilogram, and ordinary people absolutely cannot drink it. The brewed tea soup is fragrant and sweet, with a natural cooling effect, making it perfect for relieving summer heat. And this is a chess piece made of thousand-year-old ice jade. Even in the hottest summer, it is incredibly cool to the touch."
The Valley Master hummed in agreement, seemingly having no complaints about her things.
Ning Qi immediately called Qian Yu over, "I'll brew it for you, please try it first."
The clear tea was poured into a porcelain cup. The Valley Master took a sip, nodded in satisfaction, and said to Ning Qi, "Come and play chess with me for a while. I'll think about it."
Upon hearing that there was hope, Ning Qi sat down with a joyful expression.
The old man was playing Go, which the original owner had studied since childhood and knew a little about. The two played evenly for several dozen moves, and she decided it was time to let him win and end the game.
"For whom are you seeking medicine?" the Valley Master suddenly asked.
Ning Qi recalled what Chu Fengnian had said: although their Valley Master had an eccentric personality, he valued people who were loyal and righteous the most.
She decided to exaggerate a bit, clearing her throat, "To be honest, I did it for my lover."
"Oh?" The Valley Master did not continue speaking.
Ning Qi felt uneasy, wondering if this answer was a bit too much.
After a moment, she deliberately lost the game, not forgetting to praise, "I have long heard of your extraordinary chess skills, and now I see that they are beyond the reach of us juniors."
The Valley Master stroked his beard and laughed heartily twice, "You still need to practice for another ten years."
He clearly appreciated it, which made Ning Qi feel even more at ease.
After a while, the Valley Master said, "In my valley, there is a fruit that can regenerate flesh and blood. It is completely red and looks very much like a human heart. It is called the Human Flesh Fruit. It is not the right treatment for the person you want to cure. Whether the eyeballs can grow back depends on the injured person's fate. Would you like to give it a try?"
Ning Qi nodded immediately, "I'm willing."
"Good, that's good. My fruit won't be wasted." The Valley Master said with a smile.
Successfully passed! It wasn't that difficult after all, Chu Fengnian made it sound so exaggerated.
Ning Qi was still feeling excited when the Valley Master said, "This kind of fruit is extremely rare, only one grows every ten years. It grows on the cliffs on the south side of the valley. I would never tell the location to just anyone, but I like you, so I'll make an exception and tell you today."
Ning Qi's lips twitched. "A cliff? That's probably..."
"What? You're afraid of danger?" The Valley Master's expression suddenly changed, and he slammed his hand on the chessboard. "It seems that person isn't important. You were just lying to me?"
This person was indeed unpredictable. Ning Qi quickly stood up. "Could I go check the location of the human flesh fruit first?"
The Valley Master's claw-like fingers grabbed her wrist, and Ning Qi felt a blur before her eyes, and she found herself on the edge of a cliff.
Such powerful cultivation!
The old man pointed downwards, "That's the bright red one."
The midday sun was dazzling, causing Ning Qi to squint. Not far away, a small tree, about half a person's height, grew on a rock, bearing a blood-red fruit that indeed resembled the shape of a heart.
Actually, the distance wasn't far for a cultivator, but it was just too high up here. She felt dizzy and weak-kneed when she looked down the mountain, and the mountain wind made her goosebumps all over.
Sending her to fetch fruit would be like killing her.
"What, you don't want it anymore?" The Valley Master stared at her.
Ning Qi looked troubled. "Could I ask someone else to pick it for me?"
"Hmph." The Valley Master said with displeasure, "I hate people who want something for nothing. Since you are seeking medicine for your beloved, you should do your best. There is no reason to entrust it to others, not even a princess."
Ning Qi was heartbroken; Chu Fengnian had wronged her! She should have known better than to exaggerate so much.
She glanced at the rough rock face but remained silent.
The system said in her mind: "Don't waste your energy. Whether that fruit will even work is another matter. Do you really need to go to such lengths for a villain you've only just met? He won't even take you seriously. This isn't a villain redemption story."
"Okay, I know." Ning Qi herself started to back down; she was really afraid of heights.
She looked up and asked the Valley Master, "I don't..."
"You don't want it anymore?" The Valley Master's face was stern. "Countless people covet this human flesh fruit of mine. I never tell outsiders its location. Now that I see we are destined to meet, I'm telling you, and you still don't want it? Then leave your guards and maids in my Medicine King Valley. Once the outside world finds out the location of the human flesh fruit, I will kill them."
Ning Qi wiped away her sweat, unaware that she had been carried here.
She gritted her teeth and stamped her foot, saying, "Fine, I'll take it. But my cultivation level is too low to fly over walls and rooftops. I need to prepare some tools. Can I come back to pick them tomorrow?"
The Valley Master snorted coldly, "I'll give you one day."
——
The communication talisman in Ningxi's maid Zhizhi's arms grew warm.
She glanced at the princess and Sister Qianyu, who looked worried under the candlelight, took out a talisman, channeled spiritual energy into it, and handed it to the princess.
"Princess Hexi, where are you now?" Yan Chongyan's polite voice rang out.
Ning Qi found it strange that he had ever cared about her whereabouts. She exchanged a glance with Zhizhi, who was looking excited, and replied, "We're in Medicine King Valley."
After a moment, a voice came through again, "Princess, do you know who bought Junior Brother Xiao at the Yandu auction that day?"
Ah, so it turns out I had something to ask her, not that I was concerned about her activities.
Tsk, I knew it.
"I don't know, I left later too. What, can't you find them now?"
Yan Chongyan said, "It's my fault. The shop owner wouldn't reveal the buyer's identity. But Princess, I clearly remember you going back in there that day. Don't you really know?"
It sounds like he's a little suspicious of her; she can't let him know that she's bought Xiao Sui.
Ning Qi rolled her eyes and smoothly changed the subject, "Brother Yan, don't you want to know what I came to Medicine King Valley for?"
Yan Chongyan didn't want to pry further, so he could only go along with her question: "What are you going to do?"
Ning Qi feigned a shy tone, "I... I heard you were injured, so I came here specifically to ask for medicine."
“My injuries are not serious, you don’t need to go to such lengths.”
"I'm worried about you, and this is all I can do."
The system's voice sounded in his mind, "Ding, Devotion value increased by 5, current world points 1790."
The communication talisman didn't make a sound again, but Ning Qi was still very satisfied. Not only had she successfully changed the subject, but her points had also increased slightly.
However, faced with this table full of ropes and iron claws, she fell into worry again, "These should be sturdy enough, right?"
Qianyu also looked worried. "Princess, you should not take the risk. Leave us all here, or we can force our way out."
Ning Qi patted her shoulder, "It's okay, it's just rock climbing, I should be fine, especially with so many ropes around."
Unable to bear Yan Chongyan's cold attitude towards their princess, Zhizhi took advantage of the princess telling her to go down and rest, and used a communication talisman to contact Young Master Yan again, telling him that the princess was going to climb the cliff and didn't know what dangers she would encounter.
After a moment of silence, Master Yan told her that he would set off immediately.
Zhizhi was very satisfied.
——
The next day, after Ning Qi finished breakfast, he went to find the Valley Master with the sturdy rope he had prepared.
The Valley Master still held her wrist as they reached the cliff.
Ning Qi tightly tied one end of the rope to the thickest tree, and then tied the other end around herself using the safe knotting method taught to her by the system.
"It's nothing serious, I won't die at all," Ning Qi breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked down.
Damn it, my legs are shaking uncontrollably.
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and the light shining on the ground grew stronger and stronger. Waiting any longer would probably make it even more uncomfortable.
Ning Qi bit her lip, grabbed the vine beside her, and began to descend.
At first, it was fine; the width of the rock was enough for her to grip and stand firmly. But the closer she got to the flesh-and-human fruit, the smoother the rock face became, making it impossible to get a foothold.
Ning Qi hesitated in place.
"Princess, don't worry, we'll hold you up." Her guards had arrived and were holding the rope.
Ke Ningxi glanced down and was so frightened that her legs went weak. Her fingers, which were gripping the rocks, were worn raw, but she still didn't dare to move to the next foothold. Her hands and legs began to tremble.
Suddenly the stone beneath her feet loosened, and she slid down hard, her arm scraping against the stone, burning with pain.
"Princess!"
A force pulled the rope, and Ning Qi was pulled in, dangling and swaying in mid-air.
The human flesh fruit was right in front of her. She reached out, grabbed the fruit, and picked it.
She breathed a sigh of relief, looked up, and wanted to ask the guards to pull her up, but to her surprise, she saw Yan Chongyan next to the guards.
Yan Chongyan was furious. "Who told you to do something so dangerous?"
Ning Qi tilted her head and asked the system, "Huh? What's he doing here?"
The system's emotionless, mechanical voice sounded again: "Tasker Ning Qi, Devotion Value increased by 15, Current Score 1805, Progress 90%."
A note from the author:
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