Chapter 3

After a while, the sound of footsteps could be heard. Li Yue followed a plump, round old man, his face full of smiles, looking very fawning.

Meng Qinglin, the venerated elder of the Hundred Herbs Hall, a Sixth Rank Guard.

His round face and small eyes widened when he saw the black spots, and he shouted, "Still not stopping?"

Chu Li put down the thin grass stick and bowed, "Elder Meng."

"Xiao Chu, what are you doing!" Meng Qinglin rushed over, glaring fiercely at him.

He approached a snow orchid with black spots, looked at it, sniffed it, crouched down to smell it, and then tasted a handful of soil.

"It's not rust disease!" Meng Qinglin frowned, spitting out the mud.

Li Yue wisely offered a cup of tea, still smiling.

Meng Qinglin rinsed his mouth fiercely, his brows tightly furrowed. Rust disease is a common ailment of snow orchids, with many variations. These black spots looked like rust disease at first glance, very deceptive.

Meng Qinglin's small eyes glared at Chu Li, "Xiao Chu, you didn't treat it as rust disease, did you?"

Chu Li said, "It's the dew-eating bug."

"Dew-eating bug?" Meng Qinglin blinked his small eyes, a bit familiar, and snorted, "Are you sure?"

"Sixty percent sure."

"You little brat, what a big risk!" Meng Qinglin handed over the teacup and snorted, "If you really kill it, your life is over!"

Chu Li smiled and took the teacup.

Seeing Chu Li's confidence, Meng Qinglin snorted, "How many days will it take to show results?"

"Four days is enough."

"Alright, let's wait and see. If you really kill it, don't think about staying here anymore!"

Meng Qinglin turned and walked away, Li Yue following with a smile. Chu Li bowed and put down the teacup, continuing to apply the grass juice.

——

Chu Li stayed in the snow orchid garden day and night. For the severely diseased ones, he moved his breath to them. Li Yue brought food and drink, noticing something unusual.

The snow orchids, which were drooping and in poor condition, became vibrant after Chu Li touched them, as if they had taken a vitality pill.

He curiously asked Chu Li, who said it was a natural ability and told him to keep it a secret. Li Yue excitedly promised.

Though the East Garden was carefree, it also had great responsibilities. If there were problems, severe penalties would be imposed. So when he saw the flowers sick, he was very anxious, unable to eat or sleep.

Now it's good. With Chu Li's ability, he could finally sleep soundly!

After three days, the black spots disappeared, and the snow orchids recovered their crystal clarity, showing no signs of illness.

Li Yue invited Meng Qinglin over. Meng Qinglin, after checking the dew-eating bugs and seeing Chu Li's success, praised him greatly and said he would strive for his promotion.

Guards can be promoted through seniority or by meritorious service. A great achievement can lead to a promotion.

This time, the Duke's Mansion suffered significant damage to its snow orchids. If Chu Li's method cured them, it would be a great achievement, enough for a promotion.

——

After lunch, the sun was bright, and people were feeling lazy. Chu Li was about to take a nap when the jade chime sounded, indicating someone had entered the island. Chu Li and Li Yue hurried to the shore to see.

Meng Qinglin got off the boat with a smile, his face flushed.

Chu Li and Li Yue greeted him.

"Good, good!" Meng Qinglin patted Chu Li's shoulder affectionately, "Xiao Chu, thanks to you, our East Garden has gained face."

The Hundred Herbs Hall manages all the flowers and herbs in the mansion. The East Garden belongs to the third miss, Xiao Qi, while the West Garden belongs to the eldest son, Xiao Tieying. The two factions compete fiercely in the Hundred Herbs Hall, and Meng Qinglin is from the East Garden.

"All cured?" Chu Li smiled.

Meng Qinglin laughed heartily, "A total of three hundred snow orchids!"

Li Yue quickly asked, "Elder Meng, can Brother Chu be promoted?"

"Starting today, Xiao Chu, you are a Ninth Rank Guard, and Xiao Li, you are an Eighth Rank Guard!" Meng Qinglin smiled and took out two silver bills, "Ten thousand taels for Xiao Chu, and one thousand taels for Xiao Li. This money is the reward from our Hundred Herbs Hall."

Chu Li took the silver and bowed, "Thank you, Elder Meng!"

To receive such a heavy reward, Meng Qinglin must have put in a lot of effort.

"Good job, Xiao Chu, a promising talent!" Meng Qinglin was delighted, "Finally, we've outdone Gu Liting!"

Li Yue asked in surprise, "Gu Liting didn't find a cure this time? He's a genius!"

Gu Liting has been in the mansion for three years, an Eighth Rank Guard, and has achieved two great feats, introducing two rare flowers, with a bright future.

Meng Qinglin waved his plump hand, "He's not interested in this."

Chu Li said, "Elder Meng, I have a small request."

"Speak!"

"I want to visit the herb garden."

"Wow, quite ambitious, want to enter the herb garden?"

"Long heard of it, very curious."

"Hmm..." Meng Qinglin thought for a moment and smiled, "Alright, you can only enter the Ninth Rank herb garden!"

"Thank you, Elder Meng!"

"The herb garden isn't as beautiful as you imagine, let's go!"

Meng Qinglin led the two onto the boat, directing from the bow while Li Yue rowed. After half an hour, they landed on a small island.

Four middle-aged guards approached, their eyes sharp like arrows. Meng Qinglin showed his badge, and the guards nodded, stepping back to let them pass.

Li Yue covered his nose, looking miserable, as if about to vomit.

Chu Li shook his head and smiled. The smell on the island was strong, a mix of various scents, neither fragrant nor foul, quite torturous to the nose.

Meng Qinglin smiled at Li Yue, "Xiao Li, if you stay in the herb garden for a long time, this smell will stick to you, and you can't wash it off. How does it smell, ha ha!"

Li Yue looked miserable, "How can I go to the Moonlight Tower then? Which girl can stand this!"

Meng Qinglin laughed, "Do you think the generous bonus is given for nothing?"

The three arrived at a small courtyard.

Chu Li's large round mirror could see a mile around, revealing a series of small courtyards, each a herb field for a specific medicinal plant.

This small courtyard had a field of foxtail grass, which Chu Li recognized as floating grass, one of the top Ninth Rank medicinal plants.

A lean middle-aged man was weeding, being very careful not to touch the floating grass. The hoe was made of jade, small and exquisite.

"Elder Meng!" He turned at the sound of footsteps and bowed.

Meng Qinglin waved, "Xiao Jing, keep working, I'm just showing them around."

"Newcomers?" Jing Zhihai asked with a smile.

Meng Qinglin said, "They've achieved great feats and been promoted. As a reward, I'm showing them the herb garden."

Jing Zhihai's face changed, and he bowed solemnly, "My apologies, please feel free to look around, young brothers."

Promotion by meritorious service is not easy. Such people have a bright future, and any good assignments or positions are first given to them.

"Senior Jing, can I touch it?"

"Of course, just be careful, they are quite delicate."

Chu Li nodded and carefully touched a floating grass, feeling pure energy flow in, circulating through the Small Cleansing Pulse Technique.

Using it to practice the Small Cleansing Pulse Technique takes two years!

This is a Ninth Rank medicinal plant. If it were a First Rank medicinal plant, how much faster it would be!

The essence of medicinal plants is like the essence of grains in humans. Once dead, the essence dissipates. The medicinal power and essence of medicinal plants are two different things.

Internal cultivation converts the essence of grains into internal energy. The essence of grains is limited, but the essence of plants is infinite. Using it to replace the essence of grains, one's cultivation will advance rapidly!

Thinking of this, he felt boundless hope!

"Boy, what are you daydreaming about?" Meng Qinglin interrupted his thoughts.

Chu Li let go and smiled.

"Let's go see other places. Xiao Jing, keep working." Meng Qinglin waved.

Jing Zhihai saw them off at the door.

The three visited five small courtyards, and Chu Li touched each one. The floating grass was the purest, and he needed to hurry and be promoted to come here to cultivate.

On their way back, Li Yue rowed the boat, and Meng Qinglin smiled at Chu Li, "Xiao Chu, do you want to come in?"

Chu Li nodded.

Li Yue quickly said, "Brother, you don't want to stay in the East Garden?"

"Both, I'll do both."

"Xiao Chu, your seniority is too shallow, you'll have to wait a few years."

"Elder Meng, there must be a way."

"There is, achieve a great feat!"

"I hope Elder Meng can guide me!"

"Do you know Gu Liting is researching the moonlight orchid?" Meng Qinglin smiled, "If you can grow it before him, I'll guarantee your entry into the Ninth Rank herb garden!"

"Moonlight orchid..." Chu Li frowned.

Its leaves are curved, and it emits a white light at night, resembling a crescent moon, hence the name moonlight orchid.

It grows on the Moonlight Island overseas and has only a one-month lifespan once it leaves the island, with no exceptions. However, due to its unparalleled beauty, it is highly sought after.

A moonlight orchid costs at least two hundred taels of silver.

Two hundred taels of silver can buy a small house in Chongming City.

Chu Li, a Ninth Rank Guard, earns ten taels of silver a month, a high salary, but he can't afford a moonlight orchid in a year, showing how expensive it is.

Such an expensive moonlight orchid has been studied by many experts trying to extend its life, but no one has succeeded. Gu Liting, with his high ambitions, dared to take on the challenge.

"Scared?" Meng Qinglin's small eyes smiled, staring at him.

Li Yue kept giving Chu Li warning looks.

Chu Li nodded, "Alright, I'll give it a try."

After sending Meng Qinglin back, the two returned to the East Garden. Li Yue rowed the boat, complaining, "Brother, you really dare to say that, about the moonlight orchid!"

Chu Li smiled, facing the wind, "Why not give it a try?"

"If Gu Liting finds out, he'll definitely have something to say!"

Chu Li smiled.

"Ah... your courage..." Li Yue shook his head helplessly.

He admired Chu Li's carefree attitude, as if nothing mattered, and he could let go of anything, but this character easily offends people and causes trouble.

Seeing his concern, Chu Li smiled, "He wouldn't dare to come to the East Garden, right?"

"He wouldn't dare, but he has a narrow mind and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He'll definitely cause you trouble!"

"Then keep it a secret and do it quietly!"

"I have no problem with that!" Li Yue quickly said loudly.

Chu Li shook his head, thinking Li Yue had no tact and couldn't keep secrets.

Li Yue loudly said, "I won't say a word!"

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