Entering Luoyang Mountains
After saying that, without waiting for Qiao Jianmin to ask for details, Zhong Ling simply hung up the phone.
Listening to the busy tone coming from the phone, Qiao Jianmin stood in the office holding the phone with a wry smile on his face.
This Miss Zhong is really free and easy. He rubbed his brows and had to report this situation to his superiors immediately.
Afterwards, Qiao Jianmin picked up the internal encrypted phone and called Zhou Zhenguo's office.
"Old Zhou, I have something to report to you." Qiao Jianmin tried to keep his tone steady, but a hint of anxiety still lingered. "Miss Zhong...she just informed me that she's going on a 'wandering trip' and won't be back for an indefinite time. She's also declined our arrangement to accompany her."
Zhou Zhenguo on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, his voice devoid of emotion: "Where are you going? Did you specify the specific direction?"
"She didn't mention a specific location, just that she wanted to go for a walk." Qiao Jianmin smiled bitterly. "From her tone, it seemed she wouldn't change her decision. I didn't dare ask any more questions."
Zhou Zhenguo pondered and said, "I understand. Since she said so, don't bother her. As for the base, as she requested, if there is anything, please contact Xiao Zhao and pass it on.
In addition, in terms of funds, we must ensure that there is sufficient supply, and any reasonable needs she has will be met immediately."
"Understood," Qiao Jianmin replied. After hanging up the phone, he looked out the window again, silently praying that this big boss wouldn't "relax" and cause any trouble.
By this time, Zhong Ling had already left the compound. Before leaving, she still habitually set up an offensive and defensive formation, a habit she had developed from completing so many missions.
For her, informing Qiao Jianmin was a basic courtesy of cooperation. As for what they thought, she didn't care and had no interest in delving into it.
She didn't choose a plane or high-speed rail, which required identity verification. Instead, she used the power of the mustard seed space to quietly leave the area of Shangjing. After a few space jumps, she appeared thousands of miles away. Her destination was clear: the vast mountain range in northern China.
When she was in the world of cultivation, in addition to practicing combat, one of her biggest hobbies was collecting all kinds of natural treasures, magical herbs and elixirs.
Although the spiritual energy of Blue Star is thin, it has a vast area and diverse ecology. Perhaps we can find some interesting things in those primitive corners that have not been deeply developed by humans.
Even if you can't find any magical medicine, it would be a good idea to collect some high-quality common medicinal herbs.
After a day of traveling, Zhong Ling arrived at a remote town on the outskirts of the Luoyang Mountains. This was already the edge.
The town is not big, the buildings are a bit old, and there are not many pedestrians on the road. When they see a young woman like Zhong Ling who is unfamiliar to them, there is a bit of curiosity and scrutiny in their eyes.
Zhong Ling didn't care and found a relatively clean-looking guesthouse to stay in. The room was simple, but quiet. She packed up quickly and went out for a stroll around town.
She found a medicinal herb purchasing point.
The owner of the purchasing point was a gray-haired, energetic old man who was sitting at the doorway basking in the sun, twirling two walnuts in his hands. Seeing Zhong Ling come in, the old man raised his eyelids.
"Girl, are you buying or selling medicine?"
"Old sir, I'm going into the mountains to pick some medicinal herbs. By the way, are there any special or old medicinal herbs in the nearby mountains?"
The old man looked at her for a few times and found that although she was wearing ordinary casual clothes, she had a good temperament. She did not look like a local, nor like an ordinary traveler.
"There are certainly good things deep in Luoyang. Old mountain ginseng, wild Ganoderma lucidum, well-aged Polygonum multiflorum... But they're all deep in the mountains and forests, and the roads are difficult and dangerous. There are poisonous snakes and beasts, miasma and fog, and it's no joke."
He paused, then continued, "As a girl, it's best not to go too deep into the wilderness. Just wander around the periphery and pick some common bupleurum and polygonatum."
"Thank you for your reminder, old man. I know what's going on now." Zhong Ling smiled and asked some more questions about common poisonous insects in the mountains. The old man answered her patiently.
After leaving the herbal medicine shop, Zhong Ling had a simple dinner at the only small restaurant in town. The food tasted ordinary, but the ingredients were fresh and had a unique flavor of the mountains.
The next morning, just as the sky was getting light, Zhong Ling left the town and headed towards the Luoyang Mountains.
The further you go, the fewer traces of human activity there are, and the more lush the vegetation becomes. Towering ancient trees block out the sun, vines entwine, and the ground is covered with thick fallen leaves, which feel soft to the touch.
The air is moist and fresh, filled with the fragrance of grass and trees and the fishy smell of soil, occasionally mixed with the faint fragrance of unknown wild flowers.
For ordinary people, such a primeval forest is full of dangers, but for Zhong Ling who is in the foundation-building stage, it is very easy.
Her spiritual consciousness had already quietly spread out, like invisible tentacles, covering an area of several miles in radius.
The land under your feet, the surrounding trees, the surrounding environment and all kinds of living things... everything is clearly visible at a glance.
She walked briskly, seemingly casually in the woods, but in fact, every step she took was to precisely avoid obstacles and dangers.
When you encounter plants blocking the way, just brush them away gently, revealing a path.
"Hmm?" Zhong Ling suddenly stopped and looked towards an inconspicuous rock crevice in front of the left.
Her spiritual sense detected a faint energy fluctuation, different from that of ordinary plants.
She walked over, pushing aside the moss and ferns that were covering the ground, and saw a plant growing deep in the crevice. It was completely green and had leaves shaped like small fans. There was a faint flicker of light between the veins of the leaves, emitting a light and cool breath.
"Green Fan Fern?" Zhong Ling recognized the plant. In the world of cultivation, it was a supplementary herb used in refining the Heart-Clearing Pill. Although its quality was not high, it was quite helpful in calming the mind.
I didn't expect to find it here.
She carefully dug out the green fan fern with its roots and soil and put it into the mustard seed space. This was a good start, proving that this primitive mountain forest could indeed give birth to something beyond the ordinary.
With her first discovery, Zhong Ling's interest grew even higher. She continued to delve deeper, her spiritual sense constantly scanning the surrounding environment.
Along the way, she discovered several common spiritual plants, but these spiritual plants were extremely rare medicinal herbs on Blue Star.
For example, there is the "Dragon Tendon Vine" which can invigorate blood circulation and dredge meridians, and the "Chiyuan Fruit", a red berry which can improve physical fitness in small amounts.
Although it is still young and its medicinal power is far inferior to those in the world of cultivation, the special energy it contains far exceeds all kinds of "tonics" on Earth.
These discoveries made Zhong Ling happy. It seemed that this trip would not be too boring.
As she collected, she kept an eye on the changes in her surroundings. As she went deeper, the fog in the forest thickened and the light dimmed.
The surrounding trees grew taller and older, some trunks so thick they required several people to hug. The energy fluctuations in the air also seemed more active than in the surrounding areas.
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