"Impossible!" the old man stated resolutely, "Where the Huangquan flower grows, for ten miles around, nothing grows, nor are there any living creatures. How could anything counter its potent poison!"
"What kind of environment does the Huangquan flower grow in?"
"Naturally, in fertile low-lying areas."
Xiao Man's smile remained unchanged, "And what is in those low-lying areas?"
"Nothing but mud..." The old man's expression shifted slightly. "You mean to say, the mud where the Huangquan flower grows is the antidote to the Huangquan flower?"
"Mm-hmm, smearing the mud all over one's body will prevent the toxins from entering the body through the skin and causing poisoning. As for harvesting, it cannot be done with ordinary methods. It requires a Xuanbing box to excavate it, root and all, preserving the soil. This is to prevent the Huangquan flower's poison from rapidly dispersing once it leaves the soil."
"Can you truly save him?" the old man asked again.
"I only have a thirty percent chance of success. The probability of failure is very high," Xiao Man said calmly. She could not guarantee she could save Shui Lü one hundred percent.
"I will bring back the Huangquan flower in the shortest possible time. You may use any of the herbs in this courtyard as you please, as long as you save him."
"This junior will do their utmost."
"Xinchou, take this... Ah, I forgot to ask your name."
"My surname is Lan, and my name is Lan Xiao," Xiao Man said without batting an eyelid. Xiao Qin's name could no longer be used; to infiltrate the Jin family, she needed a new identity.
"Xinchou, escort young master Lan to rest. I will speak with Lü'er for a while before setting off."
"Young Master Lan, please."
Xiao Man nodded and followed Xinchou. After a couple of steps, she stopped and threw a bottle of medicine to the old man. "Senior, please take this bottle of medicine for emergencies. Although I don't know if it will help, it's always good to have extra preparation."
"Thank you."
While the old man went to search for the Huangquan flower, Xiao Man stayed in the manor. The most frequent activity she engaged in daily was gathering various herbs to refine medicine.
Shui Lü was very curious about Xiao Man but never disturbed her, merely observing quietly from the side.
"Young master, this young master Lan seems quite formidable," Xinchou said cautiously, seeing Shui Lü constantly watching Xiao Man. "Young master, once master brings back the Huangquan flower, you will be saved."
Shui Lü nodded, his face devoid of emotion. Although Xiao Man had stated a thirty percent chance of success, he held no hope. He had been disappointed too many times over the years, and after too many disappointments, he had learned not to expect anything.
"Young master, why aren't you speaking?"
"Xinchou, do you think she is beautiful?" Shui Lü asked abruptly.
Xinchou was somewhat perplexed by Shui Lü's question. His gaze drifted towards Xiao Man, who was in the herb garden. Xiao Man was very familiar with all the herbs in the courtyard and treated each one with great care, clearly someone who deeply loved medicinal plants.
"She's just average, not particularly beautiful."
"Is that so? I, however, find her very beautiful." Shui Lü's voice was exceptionally gentle, matching his gaze.
"I don't think she's particularly beautiful, but whenever I see her, I feel very relaxed," Xinchou said with a smile. "Young master, I quite like her too. She's the same age as me, yet so capable. She knows exactly how to harvest and refine every herb in this herb garden by heart. She must be an extremely skilled alchemist."
"More skilled than grandfather?"
Xinchou's eyes darted. "If she can cure you, then she's more skilled than master. If she cannot save you, then she's not as skilled as master."
"Is that so?" Shui Lü stood up and walked out, stopping by the edge of the herb garden. "Have you found anything?"
Hearing his voice, Xiao Man looked up. Seeing it was Shui Lü, she noted that he was wearing a blue brocade robe over a white fox fur cloak. In the month of July, such attire was rather peculiar. She immediately beckoned to him. "Come here."
Shui Lü immediately stepped into the herb garden and, mimicking Xiao Man, squatted among the plants. "Is this a Fire Ant?"
"Mm-hmm, this type of Fire Ant is called a spotted Fire Ant. It's very rare and an extremely valuable medicinal material," Xiao Man explained to Shui Lü. "It's also highly venomous. Even a tiger would die on the spot if bitten by a spotted Fire Ant."
"It's truly hard to imagine such a tiny ant being so formidable."
"In life, it's often not the formidable experts who kill us, but the inconspicuous, small figures," Xiao Man said as she placed a plump piece of Nine-Leaf Ganoderma at the entrance of the Fire Ant's nest. The Fire Ants smelled the aroma and immediately crawled out, quickly devouring it.
"They like to eat Nine-Leaf Ganoderma."
"Yes, it's the spotted Fire Ant's favorite food. However, the roots of the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma are their bane, so they cannot chew on it themselves. They require help, and where Nine-Leaf Ganoderma grows, spotted Fire Ants will also be found," Xiao Man explained.
"Who are the spotted Fire Ants' helpers?"
"You'll see who the spotted Fire Ants' helpers are shortly," Xiao Man said with a smile. The two of them squatted in the herb garden, close to each other, appearing remarkably intimate.
Xinchou hid by the doorway, watching them with astonishment. The young master had been acting strangely since meeting this young master Lan. He had always disliked touching others or being touched, yet he had not only asked to touch young master Lan's face but they were also squatting in the herb garden, whispering secrets intimately.
"So, people can change," Xinchou mused. "Does young master want to make friends too?"
They squatted for nearly half an hour. Finally, a black praying mantis rapidly approached, stopped under the Nine-Leaf Ganoderma, brandished its scythe, and sliced off a leaf. The spotted Fire Ants then pushed a mud ball out of their nest, and the black mantis immediately grabbed the mud ball and fled.
Xiao Man used a net she had prepared to capture the black mantis. When the black mantis realized it was caught, it immediately swung its sharp scythe, attempting to tear through the net. However, no matter how it struggled, it could not break free.
"Its front claws are very sharp, why can't it break this net?" Shui Lü asked curiously. The black mantis's claws should be very powerful, so why couldn't it break the net? Did the net have something special about it?
"This net is woven from Jiaoxiao silk. Let alone it, even a treasure artifact couldn't break it," Xiao Man said proudly. "I put a lot of effort into obtaining this."
Shui Lü nodded in realization. "What is that black ball?"
"A medicinal ingredient, one you happen to need," Xiao Man said as she carefully collected the small black ball. She then captured a few spotted Fire Ants and placed them in the cold ice box.