"Consort, why can't we pick it?" Chu Mingxuan asked beside her, full of confusion.
"Because ancient medical books say that immature Fire Ganoderma is highly poisonous. Only mature Fire Ganoderma is not poisonous, so we must wait until it is mature to pick it," Leng Ruo Li explained.
"Then how do we know when the Fire Ganoderma is mature?" Chu Mingxuan asked again, full of suspicion.
"According to the ancient medical books, mature Fire Ganoderma is fiery red, as red as the sunset. Immature Fire Ganoderma is green," Leng Ruo Li replied.
Chu Mingxuan nodded after hearing this.
"Um, Consort, could you let me see that ancient medical book that Doctor Ye gave you? Does it record many rare medicinal herbs?" Chu Mingxuan asked brazenly.
He had been coveting the ancient medical book in Leng Ruo Li's hands all along. Ever since Doctor Ye gave her the original copy, he had been eyeing it.
However, Chu Mingxuan saw Leng Ruo Li reading the book the entire way, and he felt too embarrassed to ask to borrow it.
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li readily replied, "Of course. I happen to have made an extra copy. I'll generously give you one."
Leng Ruo Li glanced at Chu Mingxuan with a calm expression. The corners of her lips curved into a subtle arc that Shi Yi noticed. This guy was a medical fanatic! She hadn't expected him to hold back for so long before daring to ask for the ancient medical book.
Did the actions of Jun Mo Han in the Qingyun Town inn the last time scare him?
As Leng Ruo Li mused, she reached into her sleeve and slowly pulled out an ancient medical book, handing it to Chu Mingxuan.
Chu Mingxuan took the ancient medical book from Leng Ruo Li and immediately opened it, eagerly reading a few pages.
"Consort, this medical book really records many rare medicinal herbs, but there are many ancient characters that I don't recognize. What should I do?" Chu Mingxuan exclaimed with joy, almost jumping up, but then he spoke with a distressed expression.
"Alas, I can't help you with that. You know I was just an idiotic and ugly girl before, and I didn't study for many days. I really can't help you translate these ancient characters," Leng Ruo Li said with a look of regret.
In fact, it wasn't that Leng Ruo Li didn't want to help Chu Mingxuan, but she herself didn't recognize many of the ancient characters in this medical book. She had spent several days reading it along the way, and it was only with the help of Jun Mo Han, who was learned and talented, that she was able to finish it.
"Then how did you finish this ancient medical book?" Chu Mingxuan raised an eyebrow and asked back somewhat incredulously.
However, he turned his head and saw Jun Mo Han beside him, and he immediately thought of something.
"Um, Your Highness, can you help me translate this book?" Chu Mingxuan asked with a cheeky grin.
"We'll talk about it when we get back!" Jun Mo Han glanced at Chu Mingxuan coolly and replied in a faint tone.
After hearing this, Chu Mingxuan dared not speak further.
The group continued to climb towards the mountaintop.
They climbed for about another hour when, inexplicably, someone ignited the dry grass and trees on the mountain. A wildfire raged, quickly spreading to not far from where Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han were.
Leng Ruo Li, Jun Mo Han, and the others fled upwards. After a long run, they managed to escape the wildfire, but some who couldn't run fast enough were engulfed by the sea of flames.
Those on the mountain were powerless to rescue them, only able to watch as they were burned alive by the great fire, then silently shed tears.
Leng Ruo Li looked at the raging inferno not far away. She wanted to save them, but the fire was too large, and the surroundings were rocky. She had no tools, and the fire extinguishers in her system space were limited, making it impossible to put out the blaze.
"Let's go. If we don't leave now, it will spread to us," Jun Mo Han reminded her.
The group then continued their climb. As they walked, the sky gradually darkened.
Leng Ruo Li took out a few flashlights from her sleeve and distributed them to Chu Mingxuan and Yin Chen. Along the way, they had picked up many dry branches, as they wanted to find a suitable place to rest and find something to eat.
Afterward, in the darkness, they searched for about the time it takes an incense stick to burn, using their flashlights, before discovering a cave in a mountain depression of Flame Mountain. They then entered the cave, guided by their flashlights.
Because the temperature on the mountain at night was cooler than during the day, they immediately found a place to sit inside the cave and lit the firewood they had collected.
Then, Leng Ruo Li took out two chickens she had marinated at the inn beforehand from her sleeve and placed them in the fire to roast. She also took out some cold dishes she had prepared at the inn and a large bag of flatbread. Chu Mingxuan and Yin Chen were already accustomed to seeing Leng Ruo Li produce things from her sleeve.
They all instinctively thought that Leng Ruo Li might have a Qiankun bag that could shrink and enlarge. This was Leng Ruo Li's big secret, and neither Chu Mingxuan nor Yin Chen dared to ask or spread it around.
The group stayed in the cave, chatting and laughing, and savoring the cold dishes and flatbread.
However, during the day, they dared not eat meat and vegetables so openly, as it would surely attract unnecessary trouble.
They could only gnaw on the small piece of flatbread they carried with them, accompanied by water from their water pouches.
After they finished the cold dishes and flatbread, their roasted chickens were also ready. The fragrant aroma of roasted chicken immediately filled the entire cave, and even the area near their cave entrance could smell the scent.
This aroma soon attracted a group of people.
Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han were happily dividing the roasted chicken. Just as they took their first few bites, Jun Mo Han heard the sound of a group of people approaching.
They immediately became vigilant but continued to leisurely gnaw on their roasted chicken.
"Boss, boss, there are indeed people in this cave roasting chicken!" a lean man shouted loudly to the group behind him.
With that, a group of people swarmed in, rushing into the cave at their fastest pace.
"Stop eating immediately and hand over all your food and drink! Do you hear me?" the leader, a tall and sturdy one-eyed man, shouted aggressively, brandishing his large saber.
Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han's group completely ignored his words, continuing to eat their fragrant roasted chicken, causing the one-eyed man and his companions to swallow uncontrollably out of desire.
The roasted chicken smelled incredibly delicious. Ever since they had started climbing Flame Mountain a few days ago, they hadn't seen a hint of meat. Having a piece of flatbread and water each day was already considered good fortune, much better than those who had starved or died of thirst along the way. How could they even dream of eating meat?
But these few people not only had flatbread and water to eat but also cold dishes and roasted chicken. How could they not be envious?
"Quickly, put down the roasted chicken in your hands!" The one-eyed leader, seeing that Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han were ignoring his words, directly placed his saber against Leng Ruo Li's neck, who was closest to him.
Leng Ruo Li still paid them no attention and continued to eat her roasted chicken. However, Jun Mo Han and the other men were enraged. Especially Jun Mo Han, who raised his hand and directly threw the chicken bone he had finished eating at the arm of the one-eyed man holding the saber.