Chapter 76: Untraceable Illusory Lotus

Zu An was momentarily stunned, wondering what cultivation rank this guy truly possessed. Judging by the boastful tone in his voice, he must be quite high-ranked.

However, the most pressing matter was still his "little brother's" issue. Struggling, he climbed out of bed and rummaged through the nearby wardrobe. From the very bottom, concealed beneath various garments, he retrieved a silk肚兜 (traditional Chinese bodice). He had "borrowed" it from Xue'er's room when he sneaked in that night. Since that girl had caused him such severe injuries, he didn't mind her clothing falling into the hands of this lecherous divine physician.

Seeing Zu An able to get out of bed, Physician Ji, who was standing by, couldn't help but exclaim, "Your physique is truly special. You've sustained such severe injuries, yet you can still move on your own. It seems you've managed to fool the entire Chu family."

Zu An rolled his eyes. Wasn't that obvious? When the happiness of his entire latter half of life was at stake, he had to try his best to move, even if he couldn't.

"Here, I've got the item for you. Now, you should treat me, right?"

Physician Ji subconsciously took it. After seeing it clearly, he was stunned. "Whose is this?"

"Qin Wanru's," Zu An replied. He reasoned that Physician Ji wasn't stupid. He had no connection with the Shang Liuyu and Qiu Honglei he had mentioned, so getting their personal clothing would be impossible. Qin Wanru's seemed more plausible. Mother-in-law, I'm sorry. For the happiness of your daughter's latter half of life, I'll have to trouble you a bit.

Physician Ji's eyes were filled with suspicion, and he paused. "You didn't just buy a random one to fool me, did you?"

Zu An's heart sank a little, but he showed no sign of it on his face. Bravely, he said, "Take a look at the fabric yourself. Is the workmanship of items sold outside so exquisite? Is the material so good?"

Physician Ji examined it carefully, turning it over and over. "That's true. Both the texture and workmanship are top-notch, and it genuinely comes from the Chu Manor."

Zu An was dumbfounded. This guy could even tell it was from the Chu family? What a pervert! How much had he stolen from the Chu family over the years to develop such sharp eyes?

"I've done what you asked. What about you?" Zu An looked at him expectantly, knowing that the issue with his "little brother" was his top concern now.

Physician Ji swiftly tucked the肚兜 into his embrace. Only then did he say, "I've found a way to undo your seal, but I'm still missing a main ingredient."

Zu An's face darkened instantly. "Are you messing with me?! I got you the item, and now you tell me you're still missing a main ingredient?"

Physician Ji looked sheepish. "Do you think it's easy to undo the Grand Yin-Yang Meridian Severing Hand? I've scoured hundreds of ancient texts and combined it with my years of experience to find a reliable method and formulate the Spirit Root Unsealing Pill. This prescription requires eighty-one precious medicinal ingredients. I've already prepared eighty of them for you, but one is still missing, and I don't have it either."

In truth, he was exaggerating somewhat. Many of those herbs were quite common; the most crucial part was his prescription, which perfectly blended these ordinary herbs to produce a miraculous effect. He hadn't expected Zu An to complete the task so quickly, which was why he spoke this way, caught off guard. Of course, he wasn't lying about needing a main ingredient.

Spirit Root Unsealing Pill? Zu An's eyelid twitched. This name was quite straightforward. "What exactly is this main ingredient? How much does it cost? I can buy it!" With 7.5 million taels in IOUs and 150,000 taels in silver notes, he felt quite wealthy.

To his surprise, Physician Ji shook his head. "That item cannot be bought with money."

"What is it called? I don't believe money truly can't make the world go round." The other party's slow explanation made Zu An anxious.

"This herb is called the Traceless Illusory Lotus. Legend says it blooms only once every thousand years. It's rumored that a single petal can raise one's cultivation by a minor realm. Do you think something like that can be measured with money?" Physician Ji said, looking at him with disdain, as if at a nouveau riche.

"That amazing?" Zu An was instantly stunned. A single petal can raise one's cultivation by a minor realm? "That's unreasonable. The amount of primal qi needed to advance a minor realm at a high cultivation level is vastly different from that needed at a low cultivation level, isn't it?"

"That's precisely its marvel," Physician Ji sighed. "It's as if it operates by a rule, not a medicinal effect we can comprehend. Whether high-ranked or low-ranked, one petal can advance you by a minor realm."

"For something like this, wouldn't it naturally be more effective for higher-ranked cultivators to consume it? Who would be foolish enough to consume it at a low rank and waste it?" Zu An couldn't help but ask.

"That's true in principle, but where in this world do things always go as planned?" Physician Ji snorted. "Many people perish before they can reach higher cultivation. Wouldn't this item then just benefit someone else? This world is quite dangerous. You'll encounter many difficulties and many enemies during cultivation. The most important thing is the present; swiftly improving your strength is paramount."

Zu An was taken aback. Is this world really that dangerous?

Physician Ji continued, "The key is that this item only blooms for a few short hours. If you miss the window, it will wither and lose its magical properties. Therefore, anyone who obtains it immediately consumes it; they would never save it for later."

"Why didn't you just say so earlier?" Zu An said with disdain. "So, where can I get this thing? Is there some all-powerful merchant guild or something?" He remembered from reading novels that there were usually some magical merchant guilds where you could get anything as long as you had money. They were powerful, fearing no external pressure.

"There are such merchant guilds," Physician Ji said, first nodding, then shaking his head. "However, the Traceless Illusory Lotus is extremely rare, blooming only once every thousand years. So far, even I have only heard legends of it. A merchant guild naturally wouldn't have it."

Zu An's brows furrowed instantly. "You mean you haven't even seen it? Then how can you use it to formulate some Unsealing Pill? You're not trying to trick me into finding the Traceless Illusory Lotus to boost your own cultivation, are you?"

Physician Ji instantly became angry. "Go ahead and ask around outside! Is Ji Dengtu, with his golden reputation, really someone like that?"

Recalling the lecherous expression on his face while flipping through those picture books, Zu An subconsciously nodded. "Yes, you are!"

Physician Ji's breath hitched. Finally, he huffed dejectedly. "If it weren't for Xiao Xi begging me, do you think I'd be interested in treating you? I don't mind telling you, I formulated this Spirit Root Unsealing Pill by scouring various ancient texts. Although I haven't personally seen the Traceless Illusory Lotus, someone did in the past, and I deduced it based on their notes combined with my own years of medical experience."

"So, it might not work?" Zu An pressed.

Physician Ji was truly annoyed. "You don't trust my medical skills? Then go find someone else."

With that, he turned to leave. Zu An quickly grabbed him and said with a fawning smile, "I was just saying that casually. How could I not trust you? This is a small gift I specially prepared for you. Please calm down, calm down." As he spoke, he slipped a small booklet into his hand.

"What's this?" Physician Ji glanced sideways, looking disdainful. This clearly wasn't a silver note or anything. It looked like a tattered book. What could be so special about it?

Zu An revealed a mysterious smile. "You'll know once you see it." After witnessing Physician Ji being bribed by picture books before, Zu An had returned and prepared this booklet in case of need. It wouldn't hurt to maintain a good relationship with the doctor; after all, the happiness of his entire latter half of life depended on this guy.

Physician Ji opened the booklet with a suspicious look. The opening read, "Everyone has their own misfortunes..." Initially, he was somewhat dismissive, but as he read on, his breathing quickly became a little labored. He hastily tucked the booklet into his embrace, thinking, "Such a good item would be a waste to read during the day. Of course, one should savor it slowly in the dead of night."

"You're quite a talent, kid," Physician Ji said, patting his shoulder with an expression that implied Zu An was a teachable pupil.

Zu An sighed in relief. He thought, "That's all it takes to satisfy you? I still have a pile of alternatives. It just goes to show how profound those 'old drivers' from my previous life were and how impoverished the spiritual lives of people in this world are."

"Where did you get such a good thing?" Physician Ji asked mysteriously.

"I once met a traveling Daoist priest and heard it from him," Zu An replied, not admitting he wrote it himself. After all, for something like this... he needed to save face.

"These Daoists are truly..." Physician Ji gasped, thinking he had underestimated them before. "Heh heh, I thought you wrote this story. I thought, 'Your thing isn't working, yet you can write such a wonderful story,' truly impressive."

Zu An's face darkened. He thought, "If I didn't still need you for treatment, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't wring every last bit of anger value out of you."

"You said this thing is so magical, does that mean I'm out of luck? Where am I supposed to find something this incredible?" Zu An suddenly thought of a problem, and his heart sank.

"You don't need to be so disheartened," Ji Dengtu said, stroking the goatee on his chin with an expression that seemed to say, "Come, behold, a master is here." "Given that this little booklet of yours is quite to my liking, I'll give you a hint or two."

"Oh, please enlighten me, Divine Physician," Zu An said, practically ready to give him a back massage.

"I once received news that there should be a Traceless Illusory Lotus in the Yaoguang Secret Realm," Ji Dengtu replied. "As for whether you can obtain it, that depends on your ability."

"Yaoguang Secret Realm?" Zu An looked utterly bewildered. He knew every single character, but put together, he had no idea what it meant.

Ji Dengtu frowned. "You're from Brightmoon Academy. How could you not know?"

"Should people from Brightmoon Academy know?" Zu An said, looking glum. "I've only been attending for a couple of days."

Only then did Ji Dengtu say, "Although cultivators in this world are powerful and have conquered many places, this world is vast, and there are still too many unknown mysteries. Throughout every prefecture in the world, there exist secret realms. No one knows how these secret realms came to be; it's as if they have existed between heaven and earth since humanity began keeping records," Ji Dengtu said, a hint of longing appearing in his eyes. "One theory is that these secret realms are small worlds created by ancient immortal grand powerhouses. The environments and rules within them are sometimes similar to our world, and sometimes vastly different. They are fraught with danger but also full of opportunities."

Zu An subconsciously nodded, thinking, "Like dungeons." As a gaming enthusiast, he understood such concepts.

Ji Dengtu continued, "However, as time passed, most secret realms fell under the control of the imperial court. They are used to cultivate cultivators loyal to the court. In other words, only the teachers and students of the academies under the Grand Minister have the qualifications to enter these secret realms."