Chapter 75: The Three Evils and Ten Thousand Fragrances (1)

"Brother, could it be that the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Flower Library desires the Toyangchong to achieve the Three Evils?"

After leaving the Yin Yao Hall and catching his breath for a moment in the afternoon,

Hua Qing asked.

The Toyangchong is now the Crown Prince's share. Given that the Heavenly Flower Library possesses vast knowledge, it is impossible for him not to know about the Three Evils. Thus, the thought naturally arose that his desire for the Toyangchong might be to get closer to the Three Evils.

The Three Evils (三惡) are:

Ying'e Grass, Liujiao Net, and Toyangchong.

However, the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Flower Library only desired the Toyangchong among these, which could mean that he had already secured or absorbed the Ying'e Grass and Liujiao Net.

"I see. He is as inscrutable as ever."

"Yes, he is a strange man."

Hua Qing shared the same thought.

The more one knows about the Crown Prince, the more peculiar he seems. When you think he is shallow, he turns out to be deep; when you think he lacks thought, he is already somewhere you didn't expect, and when you are amazed, he surprises you even more.

At first, he didn't seem special, but now it's different.

It's not just his genius in deciphering documents and solving problems.

His appearance last night was truly shocking.

In front of the Library.

Amidst the tremendous cheers, he smiled while looking at the crowd of the Medicine King Sect, leaving a strong impression that still lingers. I thought he would be flustered, but he was not.

His composure.

In the midst of the vast crowd and the deafening cheers, he stood there like a mountain, or like flowing clouds, firm and natural, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"If it's him, he might have already achieved the Two Evils..."

Hua Yun mentioned the possibility.

"Is that possible?"

"Of course, achieving even one of the Three Evils is as difficult as plucking a star from the sky. Moreover, the Liujiao Net is a spiritual object that even the sect has failed to secure."

The Medicine King Sect possesses only the Toyangchong and Ying'e Grass.

They have tried every possible way to obtain the Liujiao Net but failed, to the point of giving up and thinking it might not even exist.

However, the real challenge with the Three Evils is not the Liujiao Net.

Even if the Liujiao Net is secured, accepting them into one's body is practically impossible.

Anyone can consume them, but no one can assimilate them.

Even with strong willpower, one will vomit, and even if the vomiting is suppressed, the body will reverse the absorption process, causing harm to the meridians. Most people are deterred by the foul smell before they even start.

Throughout the history of the Medicine King Sect, no one has successfully assimilated the Ying'e Grass, and Hua Yun and Hua Qing were among those who failed.

Therefore, the use of the Three Evils' herbs and spiritual objects is limited to adding a small amount to special antidotes or mixing them with other herbs to enhance their effects.

"Brother, if the Crown Prince achieves the Three Evils, could he control the Ten Thousand Fragrances?"

"Yes, if he achieves the Three Evils. Do you want to give the Book of Ten Thousand Fragrances to the Crown Prince?"

Hua Yun smiled, looking at him with surprise.

Hua Qing felt embarrassed.

"It's not that I have a good impression of the Crown Prince... I just want to see the Ten Thousand Fragrances bloom, even if it's just one of the seven."

"One of the seven can bloom. But the Book of Ten Thousand Fragrances is dangerous. It will surely harm him."

"Only a part of it?"

"Yes."

Hua Yun nodded and continued.

"Of the seven fragrances of the Venerable Ten Thousand Fragrances, only one remains. If he achieves the Three Evils and reaches the one, he will likely want to complete all seven. That is human nature. Without a deep understanding of the principles of martial arts, he will inevitably go down the wrong path, and the result will be great harm."

"..."

Hua Qing agreed.

The risk of losing control is not far away. The closer one gets to a great martial art, the more a single wrong decision can lead to a tragic end. His father, known as the Medicine King, suffered greatly from the combination of herbs.

Brother's concern is for the Crown Prince.

If he didn't know, there would be no curiosity or excessive desire.

Hua Yun stood up.

"It's unlikely he has achieved the Three Evils. We might be jumping to conclusions. I will go to meet the Crown Prince immediately. Hua Qing, prepare the Toyangchong."

"Yes."

***

Deputy Sect Leader Long Hua Yun went to the annex alone.

He only went with respect and gratitude.

The annex was unexpectedly quiet, and in the courtyard, a young woman dressed as a maid was tidying up the firewood.

Hua Yun approached and spoke.

"I am the Deputy Sect Leader of the Medicine King Sect. Is everyone inside?"

"Ah! Hello. The Crown Prince is inside, and the members of the Heavenly Gong Hall are currently out."

"Where did they go?"

Hua Yun frowned.

The Heavenly Gong Hall is unpredictable. He was worried they might cause trouble again.

"They went to catch pheasants."

"..."

Hua Yun was speechless.

Pheasants today. They caught wild boars before, and their diligence is truly remarkable.

Then, a voice came from inside.

"Song Hua, invite him in."

"Yes, Crown Prince."

Soon, Hua Yun met the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Flower Library.

A hot teacup was placed between them.

As the steam rose, Hua Yun smiled and spoke.

"The members of the Heavenly Gong Hall are always busy."

"Hehe... Yes, I don't understand why they catch pheasants. It's not just diligence; it's as if they have a disease that makes them restless when idle."

"Haha, that's not possible."

"No, as long as there's no cure, the Heavenly Gong Hall will continue to be busy."

Hua Yun was amused but inwardly surprised. Even his jokes didn't sound like jokes.

'Does he treat everyone as unimportant?'

Jokes often reveal a person's basic emotions. From the Crown Prince's tone, it seemed he treated the Heavenly Gong Hall like disobedient, old subordinates.

The members of the Heavenly Gong Hall are difficult to handle due to their seniority and experience in the martial world, yet he treated them almost like commoners.

Just because he's a genius?

I don't know.

What is certain is that, as revealed by his smile in front of the Library last night, the Crown Prince's perspective is on a different level.

"I came to express my gratitude."

"..."

"After seeing the Moon Earth Device, my father was very pleased. It was only possible because the Crown Prince opened the way. I don't know how to repay this kindness."

"Your words are too kind. I'm sorry if I caused any trouble."

Hua Yun smiled.

It wasn't just any trouble. He had stirred up the Medicine King Sect. But even that was appreciated.

"To be honest, thanks to the Crown Prince and the Heavenly Gong Hall, the sect has come alive. The atmosphere, which had been heavy, has improved greatly."

"I'm glad you see it that way."

Hua Yun felt proud.

That was the intention, and he was satisfied that Hua Yun understood the situation well.

'As expected, Brother Rabbit.'

As the Moon Earth Device suggested.

Hua Qing is more mature and perceptive than Hua Yun.

"Then, all that's left is for the Sect Leader to recover quickly."

"Of course. We are exploring various methods, and a solution will be found soon."

Hou Gong looked at him intently.

"Deputy Sect Leader."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Among the various methods, I would like to offer my help. Is that acceptable?"

"..."

Hua Yun's eyes widened in surprise.

It was an unexpected offer. Hou Gong called Song Hua to bring the already compiled Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen.

"Take a look."

"This... This is..."

Hua Yun opened the book and immediately recognized the diagrams and annotations.

"Is this... a formation?"

"A formation to stabilize broken consciousness and disharmony. It is called the Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen, and it has helped me recover my consciousness."

It is a known fact that the Crown Prince of the Heavenly Flower Library became a cripple due to mental deterioration. Although Hou Gong altered the story, the effectiveness of the formation was undeniable.

Hua Yun was at a loss for words.

"How could you...?"

"The Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen involves the spirit (神) among the three treasures. The essence (精) and energy (氣) can be sufficiently supported by the power of the secret gate, and with the spirit complemented, recovery within half a year is not impossible."

"Ah..."

Hua Yun knew about the three treasures.

The three treasures of a person are essence (精), energy (氣), and spirit (神). Essence is the physical composition, energy is the vital force that cares for the essence, and spirit is the mind, consciousness, and will.

With essence, a person exists in reality.

With energy, they function, and with spirit, they carry the meaning and direction of life in both the conscious and subconscious.

But a question arose.

Despite the gratitude, a sense of doubt emerged.

His gaze fell on the Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen.

'How could he know the sect's situation in advance and bring the optimal formation for my father?'

It was a complete secret, and the outside world only knew that the sect was in seclusion.

Even if the intention was to exchange it for the Toyangchong, the fact that he chose the exact formation needed was too coincidental.

Hou Gong noticed Hua Yun's doubt and understood the situation.

"There's no need to be suspicious. I didn't know in advance, nor did I bring it from the library."

"..."

"I wrote it here over the past few days."

"Wh... What do you mean?"

It was unbelievable. It had only been four days.

Even if he started writing immediately after deciphering the code on the first day, it would be tight.

Moreover, the idea that he memorized all the extensive and detailed formulas and annotations was absurd.

"Do you mean all this content?"

"Deputy Sect Leader, there's no need to be so surprised. I, and even my less intelligent brother, can do this. We can write a few down on the spot. I met the Moxie Gong of the Nanhua Academy, and he also showed extraordinary talent."

"..."

Hua Yun just blinked in amazement.

The flute melody on the first night. He had guessed that it was used to understand the sect's situation.

But the idea that the Crown Prince started writing a formation to help his father from that point was something he never considered.

Yet, there was no other explanation.

Hua Yun looked at him with awe.

The Crown Prince was behind all the situations. It was already astonishing how he handled the Heavenly Gong Hall, but the Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen left him speechless.

Moreover, despite showing such remarkable goodwill, the Crown Prince's attitude was casual, as if it were nothing, which was even more baffling.

But he couldn't just be stunned.

There were still questions.

"Crown Prince, why are you showing such goodwill to our sect?"

Deciphering the code and finding his father's treasure were already grateful acts, but the formation was even more significant.

Deciphering documents and finding the Moon Earth Device wouldn't bring his father back to normal.

But the formation could provide a fundamental solution.

A single formation system is invaluable. This is a formation from the Heavenly Flower Library, dealing with the spirit, and can be considered a great martial art.

This would become a valuable asset for the Medicine King Sect for generations and could be used in various ways. Just as wealth cannot buy martial arts, the same applies to formations. Offering this willingly was both gratifying and perplexing.

Hou Gong smiled.

I cannot say that I am the leader of the martial world alliance, Hou Gong, and that I had a relationship with your father and cherished him.

"Goodwill... It seems you have a major misunderstanding."

The Medicine King Sect is overflowing with medicine.

Moreover, Hou Gong, who knew the value of the Chai Jin Xian Chen Zhen better than anyone, had no intention of giving it away.

It is also considerate to give the other party a chance to repay him.