“What are you guys up to?” Leng Ruo Li asked, looking at the four stunned individuals.
“Your Highness, Your Consort, we didn’t expect it to be you. Your subordinates thought they were mistaken,” Yin Chen said with a crying face.
“Yes, Consort, you and His Highness have been gone for almost two months, and we haven’t found you. What exactly happened on the mountaintop that day? How could it have instantly caused a volcanic eruption?” Chu Ming Xuan asked, full of confusion.
“Let’s discuss this matter inside the inn,” Leng Ruo Li said with a smile, her beautiful apricot eyes sweeping over the four exhausted people.
Immediately, the four made way for Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han, and the Cold King’s couple led them back to the inn.
A moment later, in the inn room, Leng Ruo Li, Jun Mo Han, and the other four were all seated around a round table.
Chu Ming Xuan impatiently asked, “Consort, did you find the Fire Spirit Ganoderma on the mountaintop?”
“I found it. The eruption of Flame Mountain’s volcano was caused by me digging up the Fire Spirit Ganoderma,” Leng Ruo Li truthfully replied.
“Heavens! Consort, is this true? Did you really find the Fire Spirit Ganoderma?” Yin Chen and Chu Ming Xuan asked excitedly.
Leng Ruo Li nodded at them.
“Consort, can you take out the Fire Spirit Ganoderma for us to see?” Chu Ming Xuan, the medical enthusiast, requested.
Although he had learned about the Fire Spirit Ganoderma in ancient medical texts, he had never seen its appearance. Thus, when Leng Ruo Li said she had found it, he was eager to see it.
“Certainly! But you can only look, no touching,” Leng Ruo Li said, then took out the Fire Spirit Ganoderma from her sleeve pocket.
A Fire Spirit Ganoderma, as red as lava, instantly appeared before everyone.
“Wow! Consort, so the Fire Spirit Ganoderma is fiery red, the same color as lava. No wonder we couldn’t find it; it’s so good at hiding itself,” Chu Ming Xuan exclaimed.
“Yes, with this color, and growing near the volcano’s crater, it was indeed difficult for us to find it,” Yin Yi chuckled and said.
Yin Chen and Yin Er nodded in agreement.
Seeing the fiery red Fire Spirit Ganoderma, all four breathed a sigh of relief. With the Fire Spirit Ganoderma found, there was one more hope to resolve their Prince’s wolf poison. Now, they only lacked the Snow Root Orchid.
Afterward, Leng Ruo Li put the Fire Spirit Ganoderma back into her system space and announced to everyone, “We will rest well in the inn today and depart for Bianjing (the capital of Nanzhao) tomorrow.”
“Okay, Consort!” Yin Chen and the others said in unison.
But at this moment, Yin Chen suddenly remembered something.
“Your Highness, a month ago, your subordinate informed the Emperor of your disappearance by letter. Then, the Emperor instructed us to wait for you both at the inn. Now that Your Highness and Consort have returned safely, should your subordinate write another letter to the capital to report to the Emperor that His Highness and Consort are safe?”
“I will personally write this letter to my father to report our safety,” His Highness said.
“Yes, Your Highness!” Yin Chen said respectfully.
Immediately, Jun Mo Han wrote a letter to be sent back to the capital. He then asked Yin Chen to find a hidden shadow guard he had stationed in Nanzhao and send the letter to the capital.
After an incense stick’s time, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han took Yin Chen and the other three downstairs to order a table of delicious food.
Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han had eaten well and drunk well in Leng Ruo Li’s system space for the past month. However, the four men outside had not eaten or slept well, having been worried sick about finding Jun Mo Han and Leng Ruo Li every day.
Upon seeing Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han return safely today, the four finally realized how hungry they were. Looking at the fragrant dishes on the table, their appetites were greatly stimulated, and each of them ate four large bowls of rice before stopping.
After the meal, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han took the group of men to the streets for a stroll.
The small town they were in was the famous Jade City of Nanchao, known for its production of premium jade.
According to the innkeeper, today was their gambling stone day. This day each year attracted many merchants from outside and from other countries. The streets were very lively, and he suggested they take a walk.
Following the innkeeper’s suggestion, the group strolled down the street. At this moment, both sides of the street were filled with various jade ornaments and strangely shaped stones.
“Hey, look at the small animals carved from jade over there. They’re so cute!”
Leng Ruo Li’s sharp eyes spotted the small animal ornaments being sold by a small old man across the street. She tugged on Jun Mo Han’s sleeve and happily approached the stall.
She carefully observed the old man. His head was covered in white hair, his face was etched with the vicissitudes of life, his back was hunched like a mountain, and he was emaciated. However, his cloudy eyes were as resolute as a mountain, indicating that this old man had a story.
“Boss, did you carve these small animals yourself?” Leng Ruo Li casually picked up a cute jade pendant carved into the shape of a rabbit and asked with a smile.
“Yes, young lady. These small animals are all carved by me, this old man, from jade I found myself. See if there’s anything you like? You’re my first customer today, so if you choose something you like, I can sell it to you cheaper,” the old man said with a chuckle as he looked at Leng Ruo Li.
“Then, Grandpa, how much can you sell them to me for each?” Leng Ruo Li asked with another smile.
“If you buy just one, I’ll sell it to you for five coins. If you buy two or more, I’ll give you one coin off each,” the old man said, smiling with his hunched back. “What do you think, young lady?”
“Not bad, old grandpa. You sell them cheaper than other stalls, and your carving skill is much better than theirs. In fact, your goods could be sold for more,” Leng Ruo Li said after picking up a few jade pendants and examining them carefully.
“Young lady, please don’t say that. How can my jade compare to what masters carve? My stall sells some crude and worthless items; I just sell them to make a living,” the old man said, his face turning pale with fright.
Hearing this, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han immediately frowned. Why was this old man so strange? If other stall owners were praised by customers, they would be overjoyed. Yet, he was frightened and looked ashen.
At this moment, Jun Mo Han and Chu Ming Xuan, who were nearby, also approached the old man’s stall and picked up a carved jade pendant to examine it closely.
“Old grandpa, your jade pendant carving is really not bad. How can a stall owner say their goods are inferior to others?” This made Chu Ming Xuan and the others filled with doubt.