Yuanlai Mountain.
Sect Leader Mansion.
Xiaoju delivered intelligence to Lin Shanshan.
After Lin Shanshan read the Jade Slip she held, she couldn't help but say disappointedly, "Young Master Ning Zhuo is still in seclusion and hasn't come out yet?"
"Our elder martial brother is really something, a drunkard himself. The first time he met someone, he got them totally plastered."
"I think, maybe Young Master Ning Zhuo drank too vigorously at once, and has been in seclusion to sober up ever since?"
Spiritual Wine is not the same as ordinary wine.
Even for a cultivator, drinking too much Spiritual Wine could cause the effects to linger for months, or even years.
Xiaoju then said, "Miss, you weren't there at the time, you didn't see the scene with your own eyes."
"I feel like Young Master Ning Zhuo himself also enjoys drinking."
Lin Shanshan became somewhat annoyed and pondered with her cheeks in her hands, "Oh dear, why am I grounded. I don't even know what Young Master Ning Zhuo looks like when he's drunk."
"Xiaoju!"
"Speaking of which, I should scold you. Why didn't you use the Jade Slip to record the situation that day?"
Xiaoju replied grievously, "Miss, please don't scold me for this. I already know it was wrong!"
"In these days, you've scolded me no less than a hundred times."
"Not to mention that privately recording someone else's circumstances is an extremely offensive act. I'm just a servant, a maid, how could I capture the elder martial brother's image?"
"Just think about it, even if I did harbor such thoughts that day, wouldn't elder martial brother or Young Master Ning Zhuo have directly seen through me?"
"By then, if I had been driven out, wouldn't there be no one to take care of elder martial brother and Young Master Ning Zhuo?"
Lin Shanshan said annoyed, "Okay okay okay, consider me wrong in scolding you, taking care of the two of them is your merit, alright?"
Xiaoju stepped forward and held Lin Shanshan's arm, "Miss, it can't be considered my merit. It was clearly your command that sent me to help. This is all your merit!"
Lin Shanshan finally showed a slight smile, "That's more like it."
While they were talking, a servant came with a letter.
It was a letter from Ning Jiufan.
Xiaoju was a moment too slow and felt it strange, "Why would the Golden Core Ancestor of the Ning Family send a Flying Message to you, Miss?"
Lin Shanshan's eyes suddenly brightened, "Xiaoju, didn't you hear Young Master Ning Zhuo say last time that he and Ning Jiufan were close? This must be a letter from Young Master Ning Zhuo, just forwarded through Ning Jiufan."
"My father has grounded me and many elder martial brothers are watching over me, not allowing me any contact with Young Master Ning Zhuo and his letters."
"But a letter from the Golden Core Ancestor Ning Jiufan, the elder martial brothers wouldn't dare intercept."
"Hahaha, it's fortunate that Young Master Ning Zhuo thought of this clever method!"
Lin Shanshan took the letter, unfolded it, and was first joyous, then worried.
"Ah, there's a problem with Young Master Ning Zhuo's Spirit Plant. If it can't be saved, it will certainly die."
"What should we do?"
Xiaoju also became anxious.
Though she had only met Ning Zhuo twice, she had developed a fondness for him.
Xiaoju was more worried about Lin Shanshan, "Miss, you are grounded now, how can you help Young Master Ning Zhuo?"
Lin Shanshan looked at the letter, "Young Master Ning Zhuo also said in the letter that he is going to ask our elder martial brother for help. With the elder martial brother's intervention, he will be much more helpful than me."
Xiaoju then breathed a sigh of relief.
Almost simultaneously, Ning Zhuo once again came to the Myriad Demons Cave.
"Brother Linghu!" He carried Cloud Tea and was warmly welcomed by Linghu Jiu.
"Haha, Brother Ning Zhuo, please come in," Linghu Jiu quickly walked out of the cave mouth, took Ning Zhuo's arm, and welcomed him inside.
Ning Zhuo offered the special Cloud Tea, saying that this tea could help comprehend the truths in the clouds.
Linghu Jiu accepted it directly, "Good tea, good tea, even if I don't drink it, I will distribute it to my junior martial brothers and sisters."
Ning Zhuo said, "Brother Linghu, have no worries, since our last shared drink, I and Lao De and other martial siblings from your distinguished Sect have had no grievances."
Linghu Jiu laughed heartily, led Ning Zhuo to his seat, "Speaking of which, drinking alone these days just feels bland. Brother Ning Zhuo's visit today, we will not stop until we're drunk!"
Ning Zhuo was initially delighted, then smiled bitterly and shared his predicament.
Linghu Jiu did not hesitate, took out his Identity Token, and handed it to Ning Zhuo, "The Sect Points here, feel free to use!"
"If it's not enough, just tell me, I can manage to gather some Sect Points among my junior martial siblings with my little influence."
Ning Zhuo just bowed his hands and casually thanked him.
This attitude pleased Linghu Jiu very much, "Excellent, Brother Ning Zhuo, you should indeed be so easy-going. We are drinking buddies, our own people!"
"However, with your Spirit Plant being in such critical condition, can you manage its healing on your own?"
"There are many cultivators in our Sect who are deeply versed in Spirit Plants, my master is the top among them. If feasible, I advise you to ask for a master to help in its healing."
"When a Spirit Plant is critically ill, many normal cultivation and maintenance methods are minimally effective and can even have the opposite effect."
Ning Zhuo nodded and firmly remembered the advice.
Before leaving, he told Linghu Jiu about how, after returning to the Cave Mansion of Little Struggle Peak, he had received teachings from the Five Elements Divine Master.
"At that time, I hadn't consumed any Netherworld Wine, so how could I have received further teachings from the Divine Master?" Ning Zhuo expressed his confusion.
Linghu Jiu also felt puzzled, "This situation is indeed strange, I haven't encountered it either."
"Perhaps, you still had some remnants of the wine's effects in your body, which allowed you to communicate with the predecessors from the Netherworld?"
"After all... it's rare to see someone drink so much Netherworld Wine at once."
Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile and quickly waved his hands, "You're making me blush, Brother Linghu. It's the first time in my life I've drunk so fiercely."
"May I be bold and ask, Brother, could you sell the formula for this Netherworld Wine to me?"
Linghu Jiu furrowed his brows, "If it were mine, why would I sell it? I would just give it to you, my worthy brother. The problem is, this wine formula was specifically retrieved by my master."
"For this, the master even paid a hefty sum to the Black and White Wine Immortal."
"If you're interested in the formula, you can negotiate using the Golden Core Ancestor from the Ning Family, and include this transaction in a cooperation deal between us."
Ning Zhuo nodded and sighed, "I'm just afraid that Sect Leader Lin Bufan will not allow it."
Linghu Jiu scoffed, "I actually think this is feasible. After all, in this sect, the Netherworld Wine suits only me; others have tried it with little to no benefit, virtually none."
"You are special, my brother, so the value of this wine is immense for you."
"If it really doesn't work out..."
"Hey, you can take some wine from me."
"My master regularly provides me with some jars of Netherworld Wine. Don't go yet, I'll scoop out half a jar for you right now."
Linghu Jiu was left with only one jar of Netherworld Wine, but he managed to share half of it with Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo was deeply moved and thanked him again, bidding a reluctant farewell to Linghu Jiu.
With the token from Linghu Jiu, he moved freely on Yuanlai Mountain. First, he visited the Library, read many books, but found no definite solutions.
Although he had gathered many emergency measures for healing spirit plants, he dared not use them recklessly.
Literature and secret texts did record cultivation and healing methods for the Spirit Hidden Willow, but the conditions described in the books and what Ning Zhuo saw were different.
Unable to find the right remedy himself, he consulted several renowned Spiritual Plant Masters from the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect.
These Spiritual Plant Masters, after hearing Ning Zhuo's queries, all shook their heads, saying that it was important to first identify the exact nature of the spirit plant to prescribe the right treatment.
Ning Zhuo thought for a moment, decided to take a risk, and directly set up a scenario with Spirit Hidden Willow included in it.
However, the Spiritual Plant Masters stated that even if the symptoms were identical, the severity varied. Different tactics were necessary, each requiring specific research.
After facing numerous rejections, Ning Zhuo sought out Ning Jiufan.
"Great Ancestor, come quick, I've got something marvelous to show you!" Ning Zhuo called out to Ning Jiufan.
Ning Jiufan, however, became wary, "What mischief are you up to now, lad? What scheme are you hatching?"
"This is a treasure. You'll regret it for life if you don't see it." Saying this, Ning Zhuo unwrapped the Mechanical Dragon tied around his waist.
"Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon? No wonder you've been moving so fast!" exclaimed Ning Jiufan, his interest piqued.
Ning Zhuo disdainfully said, "This Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon is nothing compared to the treasure I'm about to show you!"
This further fueled Ning Jiufan's curiosity.
Immediately, Ning Zhuo led Ning Jiufan into the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
Sometime later.
Inside the Spiritual Plant Cabin.
"This, this, this! Unless I'm seeing things, this must be the Spirit Hidden Willow!"
"The Spirit Hidden Willow with the aura of a Golden Core? Incredible, incredible indeed, it could even elevate someone of my stature."
"But... why is its vitality and aura so weak?"
Ning Zhuo pointed at the Spirit Hidden Willow, "Great Ancestor, you're thinking too small."
"How can you only think of yourself?"
"This is a heritage treasure. If we take it back to our family, it can benefit the whole clan."
"Our Ning Family will flourish and grow stronger!"
Ning Jiufan laughed at this, amused, "You're right, my thinking isn't as grand as yours. So, you lad, you want to release it for the use of the entire clan? Including the main branch?"
Ning Zhuo smiled, "That's not necessarily impossible."
Ning Jiufan was taken aback.
Ning Zhuo added, "As long as Great Ancestor intervenes and revives this Spirit Hidden Willow!"
Ning Jiufan was shocked. "What, it's dying?"
Ning Zhuo spread his hands, "Based on its current aura and condition, it's still alive only because I have gone to great lengths and spent a fortune to barely keep it hanging on."
"Great Ancestor, whether our Ning Family can have another heritage treasure depends on you now!"
Ning Jiufan rubbed his forehead, feeling immense pressure, and couldn't help but curse with a laugh, "You sly lad, so you've been waiting here for me."