Chapter 523 - 306: Ambition, Gift

As people walked through the cities, stopping now and then, most would pause to gaze at a certain wooden building within the walls. Inside the mahogany building, rows of tea jars and counters filled with medicinal herbs were on display, with several uniformly dressed Physicians sitting upright behind them. Above the entrance, a prominent plaque displayed three large, gold-stamped characters: "Hundred Herbs Hall."

The scene in the calligraphy painting ended there, yet the grandeur of its Mental Realm made its underlying ambition clear to anyone who saw it. It carried a profound meaning—Hundred Herbs Hall would spread across the Nine State and Three Prefectures of the Great Wei Dynasty!

Wang Ji stared blankly at the scene, completely mesmerized for a moment. This was exactly the future he hoped for—the future of Hundred Herbs Hall. And naturally, it would include his own contributions.

After a long while, Wang Ji snapped back to reality. With a look of excitement, he cupped his hands and said, "Sir... Sir, I, Mr. Wang, thank you for your gift on behalf of Boss Chen!"

Chen Yi gave a nod of acknowledgment. The brush in his hand never stopped as he deliberately mimicked Liu Lang’s handwriting to write a reply. In less than three breaths, he set his brush aside, folded the letter, and waited for the ink on the Hundred Herbs Hall calligraphy painting to dry before handing both to Wang Ji.

"Take this back, and give my regards to Boss Chen."

Wang Ji took the items and was about to nod in compliance when he saw Chen Yi write a few more lines on a brand new sheet of paper:

[General Jinghong is currently in the Prefecture City. She must have noticed your arrival and will likely keep an eye on Hundred Herbs Hall.]

[Pretend you know nothing. Just say that Boss Chen had urgent matters to handle and has already left Shu State.]

Wang Ji’s heart skipped a beat as he read the words. He hurriedly replied, "Please forgive me, sir, but my boss has already left Shu State. Once he returns, I, Mr. Wang, will definitely report this to him."

Chen Yi continued writing as he answered, "Brother Yu is truly an extraordinary man, as elusive as a divine dragon."

Watching the words appear on the paper, Wang Ji responded, "To be honest with you, sir, my boss’s ambition is to treat and diagnose the common people of the world.

"If there are no major events in Shu State, he usually sets off for other places."

"When will he be back?"

"As short as three to five days, or as long as one or two months," Wang Ji said. "Sir, you should know that Hundred Herbs Hall is opening a branch over in Guangyuan."

"Oh," Chen Yi said, his tone carrying a hint of regret. "I wonder when I’ll be able to see him next. I really enjoyed our conversation on the Painted Boat."

"Sir..."

A moment later, they finished acting out this little play. Chen Yi wrote one last reminder: "After you leave here, return to Hundred Herbs Hall, then send someone to Lin Village outside the East City Gate to find Liu Lang. Have him deliver a letter to Zhang Dabao.

"Remember to also inform him that General Jinghong is in the Prefecture City."

Wang Ji nodded heavily and gave a formal bow. "Then I, Mr. Wang, won’t disturb you any longer, sir. I’ll take my leave."

Chen Yi rested his brush on the inkstone. "I’ll see you out."

Wang Ji did not decline.

The two of them exchanged casual remarks as they walked out of Spring Lotus Garden. Chen Yi watched him walk away. His gaze drifted, seemingly by chance, toward the southeast—the direction of Liu Hong’s residence. Even though he hadn’t deactivated the Black Tortoise Concealment Technique, he was absolutely certain that Xiao Jinghong was over there right now.

He knew exactly why she was keeping an eye on Liu Hong. It was nothing more than an attempt to dig up concrete evidence of that old coot’s crimes. However, at this moment, with Lv Jiunan and Du Cang dead and Asutai having fled the Great Wei, the only people left who could prove Liu Hong’s guilt were his closest confidants.

If he were Liu Hong, he definitely wouldn’t make any moves during this period. At the very least, he would wait until it was confirmed that King Landu wouldn’t invade, and until the turmoil within the Shu State Prefecture City had completely settled down.

Under these circumstances, Li Sanyuan of the Ji State Trading Company became especially important. At the very least, he could reveal some information about Liu Hong. But to get him to cooperate obediently, Chen Yi still needed to make some preparations.

"The matter concerning Li Sanyuan is of great importance. Leaving it to Madam is just perfect," Chen Yi thought to himself.

Thinking of this, he stretched lazily, glanced around, and leisurely returned to the guest room to rest. Having a Madam with profound Cultivation standing guard was truly wonderful; he could sleep much more soundly. However, whenever he entertained crooked thoughts or wanted to do some private things, it was a bit inconvenient.

"Ah, whatever. Time to sleep, time to sleep..." he muttered.

The reality was exactly as Chen Yi had guessed.

At this moment, Xiao Jinghong was sitting cross-legged on a bed in a courtyard not far from Liu Hong’s residence. Her aura was completely concealed, kept from leaking out. Even though she hadn’t practiced a Pile Skill like the Black Tortoise Concealment Technique, her level of Cultivation already allowed her to perfectly control her body’s aura.

By doing so, she couldn’t use her True Essence to amplify her senses and eavesdrop on the entire Prefecture City. However, relying solely on her natural hearing, she could act just like Chen Yi had earlier, picking up on all movements within a five-mile radius and hearing a pin drop with crystal clarity.

Naturally, the activities inside Spring Lotus Garden could not be hidden from Xiao Jinghong either. It was just that she couldn’t hear it as clearly as she had during the day at the Governor’s Office. She only knew that Wang Ji had visited to deliver a letter to Chen Yi and request a calligraphy painting for Hundred Herbs Hall. Aside from that, she had also caught wind of the fact that the boss of Hundred Herbs Hall had embarked on another long journey.

Xiao Jinghong frowned slightly, thinking, "That ’Dragon Tiger’ is truly someone who can’t sit still.

"If my eldest sister marries him in the future, even if it extends her lifespan, I’m afraid she won’t be happy.

"Three to five days is fine, and three to five months is acceptable too. But if ’Dragon Tiger’ is away all year round and never returns, wouldn’t my sister be living like a widow?"

After all, Xiao Wan’er wasn’t Chen Yi; she didn’t have such a calm and detached temperament. Xiao Jinghong made up her mind to ask "Dragon Tiger" clearly once she met him. If "Dragon Tiger" still insisted on going his own way, there was absolutely no way she would agree to Xiao Wan’er marrying him.

Thinking up to this point, Xiao Jinghong refocused her attention on her surroundings.

About an hour passed. It was nearing Midnight. There was no movement from Liu Hong’s residence. Instead, someone was sneaking over from the West Market.

Xiao Jinghong listened carefully for a moment before rising silently to peer through a crack in the window.