"Are we still going to steal medicine?" Cat Girl asked.
Li Ban stroked his chin. "Let's go see Lady Kui's child."
A human couldn't possibly give birth to a tree-person—right?
But Lady Kui had always looked out for Miaomiao, and she seemed to genuinely treat him as her own.
Yet it was obvious that Lady Hua and Lady Rui were on good terms with her, even entrusting her with crucial matters.
Li Ban was curious. Why had Lady Kui hidden this from the others and approached him for a trade?
Was she afraid the other two might harbor malicious intentions and snatch the seed if they knew he had one?
The two left Thousand Trees Hall, bypassed the painted pleasure boats, and finally arrived at Lady Kui's clinic.
The clinic was still locked, but that couldn't stop Li Ban and Cat Girl.
The courtyard wasn't large, its ground entirely covered by nursery beds of unidentifiable plants.
Two wooden racks were propped up near the window. Herbs lay drying across them, with several potted plants resting on the very top.
At first, Li Ban didn't notice Miaomiao's presence—not until a small wooden stump in one of the pots suddenly stretched lazily.
Li Ban watched in slight astonishment as the small stump finished stretching and let out a massive yawn.
He opened his eyes, pulled his legs—or rather, his small tree roots—out of the soil, rotated a hundred and eighty degrees, shoved his feet back into the dirt, and closed his eyes to continue sunbathing.
The other pots contained either small flowers and grass or bare soil; there was no second wooden stump.
Li Ban pointed out the suspected tree-person Miaomiao to Cat Girl.
Cat Girl whispered, "Wow, are tree-people really this small? He's quite cute. Just thinking about how he'll eventually turn out like Tree-Person A, B, C, or D—tsk tsk, what a pity."
Li Ban also found the little tree-person quite adorable.
Judging by the little guy's energy, he didn't seem to have any problems.
Li Ban's right eye swept over every corner of the little tree-person's body, finally fixing on a small black spot on the stump's cross-section.
"There is a problem. His heartwood is turning black. It's either external mold or an internal issue."
An illness that worried Lady Kui this much definitely wasn't simple mold.
The two vaulted the wall. Their movements were clean and light, leaving the little tree-person on the rack to sunbathe undisturbed.
Since Li Ban had already decided to cooperate with Lady Kui, he naturally wouldn't disrupt her child.
They moved deeper into the courtyard to wait, unwilling to let anyone else witness their transaction.
They stood in a corner of the yard and conversed softly while they waited.
"You don't have an assassin identity anymore, right? How much spiritual rhinoceros do you have left?"
Cat Girl smiled smugly. "After two years in the Death Prison, you think I only kept my Assassin Hall identity? I have another Tier 1 identity somewhere else."
Seeing Li Ban's surprised expression, she lowered her voice. "Wan Chengming prepared it for me. Otherwise, what would I have done if Yan Jiu suddenly revoked my identity while I was assassinating Li Yuan? I would've been fighting with one hand tied behind my back."
"That's good, then." Li Ban had always assumed that without her Assassin Hall identity, Cat Girl couldn't absorb new spiritual rhinoceros.
That would mean once the spiritual rhinoceros in her element was exhausted, she would be unable to use her abilities.
Without her abilities, Cat Girl likely wouldn't be able to suppress her internal injuries, either. If she encountered enemies, her strength would be drastically reduced.
Having an identity, even if it was only Tier 1, guaranteed she could replenish her spiritual rhinoceros.
Not long after, Cat Girl heard footsteps outside the small courtyard. It was only one person.
She told Li Ban, "Lady Kui is back."
Next came the sounds of a lock turning and the door opening.
Lady Kui then walked in from behind the screen wall.
"Lady Kui," Li Ban called out, stepping forward.
Lady Kui was startled to see Li Ban at first. She immediately looked toward the small tree stump on the rack, only breathing a sigh of relief when she saw he was still sleeping peacefully.
Then she quickly understood why Li Ban had come.
Since the two had sneaked in, they naturally didn't want outsiders to know their objective.
And there was only one possible secret transaction between them.
A hopeful smile appeared on Lady Kui's face. "Is Young Master Wen willing to change the treatment method?"
Li Ban nodded. "Could we find a quiet place to discuss the details?"
"Come sit inside. The house is empty."
Lady Kui unlocked the main room as she spoke and led the two inside.
Before closing the door, she took another look at the small stump on the rack. Her eyes held both comfort and a trace of unease.
"Lady Kui, is your child, Miaomiao, the little tree-person outside?" Li Ban confirmed.
"Yes. Miaomiao had originally grown to three chi tall, but he was struck by a sudden, incurable illness and nearly died. Left with no choice, I had to cut out his heartwood and let him regrow. But not long ago, those black spots appeared on his body again."
Lady Kui's face was full of sorrow, but she still remembered to pour tea for Li Ban and Cat Girl. "This is a tea I brewed with some herbs. It calms the mind and smooths the Qi. You two can try some."
She continued, "Miaomiao is too small right now; he can't undergo a second rebirth. I flipped through every medical book and studied countless herbs before finally thinking of the Cyan Silk Algae I'm cultivating."
"Cyan Silk Algae has an incredibly tenacious vitality. Its strands can reach hundreds of chi in length, and the thickest ones can be over a chi wide. Even if most of the strands are severed, its main stem and root system can regrow new ones."
"However, when I tried using Cyan Silk Algae sprouts in medicine, I found their vitality wasn't strong enough to eradicate the black rot spots inside Miaomiao. It can only slow the spread of decay. So, I realized I needed a Cyan Silk Algae seed. Most seed Bud Embryos possess extremely potent vitality. If the algae's vitality can truly save Miaomiao, then its Bud Embryo is the perfect medicinal catalyst."
Lady Kui and Cat Girl both looked at Li Ban. He was the only one here who could truly decide on the trade.
Li Ban had listened earnestly to Lady Kui's explanation, and for the time being, he didn't spot any flaws.
Moreover, he had seen Miaomiao's condition himself.
There really were black spots growing from within.
For a plant, internal rot was likely the most terrifying affliction.
"Lady Kui, I'll be honest with you. I do have a Cyan Silk Algae seed on me, but it's been dehydrated for a long time. I can't guarantee it will sprout a Bud Embryo, and I don't even know if it's still alive."
"I'm very interested in your cultivation techniques, and I also want the Flesh on White Bones. But if I give you the seed and your cultivation fails, not only will I lose out on those two things, but I'll also lose a potentially viable seed. Therefore, I have my reservations about this cooperation."
Lady Kui stood up, wringing her hands together. Hope was right in front of her; naturally, she had to fight for it.
"I understand Young Master Wen's concerns. I was pondering this very issue on my way back." She voiced her solution. "I can teach you the method directly. You will cultivate the seed personally, while I monitor its growth from the side."
"This way, before the Bud Embryo forms, you remain the seed's holder, and you won't have to worry about me snatching it and running off. Once the Bud Embryo forms, I will bring the Flesh on White Bones to trade with you."
"As for the risk of failing to cultivate the Bud Embryo... to be completely honest, my method is no secret in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. But my control over the seed during its growth and my judgment of its condition are unparalleled. The Pavilion's botanical skills rank among the best in all the Nine Provinces. And when it comes to cultivating seeds and nursing seedlings, I am second to none here. Otherwise, I couldn't possibly be a nominal Vice Pavilion Master as a mere mid-level physician."
When speaking of her expertise, Lady Kui's eyes shone with radiant confidence.
Even if many others possessed the same cultivation methods, she still had the highest success rate. This was the confidence that allowed her to propose such a trade.
Seeing such a confident Lady Kui, Li Ban hesitated no longer.
He nodded. "Alright. It's just that I heard Hundred Flowers City and Hundred Flowers Pavilion are having some friction right now, and today I heard the City Lord has arrived. Will this affect our cultivation?"
"The conflict between the Pavilion and the City has existed for a long time, spanning two generations of Pavilion Masters, yet it has never erupted into direct armed conflict. Even if something were to happen, Vice Pavilion Masters Lady Hua and Lady Rui would mostly handle it. I usually just stay in my courtyard planting herbs or consulting patients. I don't participate in other affairs."
She then looked at Cat Girl, who had been silent the whole time. "Besides, I now have to perform acupuncture on Miss Miaomiao every other day, so I have a perfectly legitimate reason to visit your courtyard."
"How long will the cultivation take?" Li Ban asked.
Since he had chosen the rapid treatment method, he didn't want to waste another few months.
"Based on my experience cultivating Cyan Silk Algae, it will take as little as three days or as long as half a month."
"Half a month." Li Ban considered the worst-case scenario. "That isn't too long to wait."
It was certainly better than waiting three months followed by a year of recuperation.
Leaving Lady Kui's medicine garden, the two took a shortcut back to their courtyard.
Inside, Shi Ming and Deng Jun had already been waiting for quite a while.
Deng Jun paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. Nervousness made him forget to put on an act.
Shi Ming, on the other hand, was sipping tea, looking as if his mind were wandering beyond the heavens.
"Can you stop pacing in circles in front of me? Just go do whatever it is you want to do."
Deng Jun stopped. "You know what I want to do?"
Shi Ming blew on his tea leaves. "Whatever you end up doing, I'm telling them as soon as they get back."
"You!" Deng Jun glared, wondering if beating Shi Ming up would cause any real trouble.
"Tell us what?" Cat Girl suddenly pushed the door open and walked in.
Deng Jun instantly deflated.
If he was wary of Shi Ming, he was genuinely terrified of Cat Girl.
"Nothing, nothing. I was just a little worried about you."
Cat Girl circled Deng Jun, staring at him until his hair stood on end. "We're going to stay in the Hundred Flowers Garden for a while longer. Stay in the courtyard these next few days. Don't go out."
Shi Ming stood up. "Is there some trouble?"
Cat Girl nodded. "Yeah, I'm afraid you'll drag us down."
Shi Ming slumped back into his seat. "Where is Brother Wen? Didn't he come back with you?"
Having only Cat Girl around was still a bit scary.
"Yeah. He went to tour the garden. I'm going back to sleep first. You two should head back to your rooms if you have nothing to do."
After dismissing the two, Cat Girl returned to the east bedroom, immediately spotting Li Ban, who had already been waiting inside.