The King of Ji finished his lamentable speech.
But upon hearing of the Fire Spirit Ganoderma, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan both put down their chopsticks.
"Your Highness Ji, has the Fire Spirit Ganoderma on Flame Mountain been picked yet?" Leng Ruoli asked directly.
"Who would dare to pick it? It's as hot as boiling water there. We couldn't stand the heat even halfway up the mountain, and we didn't even see a shadow of the Fire Spirit Ganoderma. Others also turned back because they couldn't stand the heat. Countless people died of heat along the way, and no one could reach the summit, let alone pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma."
Recalling the miserable experience of climbing Flame Mountain in the heat, King Ji frowned and grumbled in his heart, "That Flame Mountain is truly not a place for humans to stay."
After hearing King Ji's words, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that no one had picked it, they still had a chance to go to Flame Mountain to pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma.
Seeing their tense expressions, King Ji suddenly guessed why Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan had come.
"You're not here to pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma on Flame Mountain, are you?" King Ji asked in surprise.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan nodded slightly.
"Oh dear, you shouldn't go to Flame Mountain now. That Fire Spirit Ganoderma is not as easy to pick as you imagine. Even if you reach the summit, you'll need luck to pick it. Flame Mountain is getting hotter every year. According to the elderly locals, there might be an earth tremor there. Please don't risk going up the mountain."
Upon learning that they were indeed going to Flame Mountain to pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma, King Ji sincerely advised them against it, not wanting them to go to their deaths.
"Your Highness Ji, thank you for the reminder. We must go to Flame Mountain."
Leng Ruoli smiled faintly, her smile appearing and disappearing on her lips, like a green lotus blooming in summer, elegant and poetic, pure as water, and fragrantly aromatic.
King Ji was stunned. Upon closer inspection, he found that this Consort Leng truly resembled the benefactor who had saved his life back then. However, the age of Consort Leng did not match that of the benefactor. If that benefactor were still alive, she would be almost forty years old.
Thinking of this, King Ji couldn't help but shake his head. After that benefactor saved him from the assassins chasing him, she had left in a hurry. Later, his uncle and he sent people all over the country but couldn't find that woman.
Twenty years had passed, and his savior was still nowhere to be found.
Then, King Ji sighed and said, "I know I can't change your minds, but I still want to remind you as a friend. If you see that the situation is not right, descend immediately and don't continue to the summit. Otherwise, if the earth dragon erupts from the summit, you will all be in danger."
"Thank you for your kind reminder, King Ji. We will be careful," Leng Ruoli replied with a gentle smile.
Later, King Ji chatted with Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan about various topics. After a while, they all returned to their rooms to rest.
The next morning, Leng Ruoli woke up early, checked the C-section wound of the Consort of Ji, taught the King of Ji how to change the dressing for the Consort of Ji, and explained some modern childcare knowledge to the couple. They listened intently.
After hearing Leng Ruoli's words, the couple realized how much care was involved in looking after a child.
After Leng Ruoli finished instructing the King of Ji on how to care for the Consort of Ji and the infant, she and Jun Mohan immediately set off for Flame Mountain.
As they were leaving, the King of Ji walked to the entrance of the inn and personally saw Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan off to their carriage.
Seeing King Ji's hesitant demeanor, Leng Ruoli pondered for a few seconds and then said to him, "Your Highness Ji, after I return from Flame Mountain, I promise to go to the capital of Nanzhao to treat your uncle's illness."
"Really? Consort Leng... Miss Leng, are you really willing to help my uncle?" King Ji thought he had misheard and wanted to confirm with Leng Ruoli again.
"Yes, Your Highness Ji, but we can only go to treat your uncle after we return from Flame Mountain," Leng Ruoli said with certainty.
"Then, I thank you in advance, Miss Leng." King Ji was overjoyed upon receiving Leng Ruoli's positive affirmation. He stared foolishly at the carriage carrying Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan as it moved away, still reluctant to turn back.
Because his uncle's illness might finally have a chance of recovery.
After Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan's carriage left the inn, they traveled for two hours before reaching the foot of Flame Mountain.
The closer they got to Flame Mountain, the hotter the temperature became. Apart from those who wanted to pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma, there were no residents in the nearby villages. The flowers and trees had all withered from drought, and no crops could be grown. The residents had moved away, leaving behind empty houses.
Leng Ruoli casually took out a thermometer from her system space to measure the temperature. The reading shocked her. The temperature at the foot of the mountain was already 48 degrees Celsius. The temperature on the mountain would be even more astonishing.
However, the allure of the Fire Spirit Ganoderma could not be resisted in such a hot place.
On their way to Flame Mountain, they saw many people who had come to pick the Fire Spirit Ganoderma, as well as some who had given up and were returning.
After Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan arrived at the foot of Flame Mountain, Leng Ruoli asked Yin Yi and Yin Er to find a secluded spot and park the carriage. Then, Leng Ruoli waved her sleeve, and both carriages were stored in the grassy area of her system space. Here, there was fresh, lush grass and a sweet, clear stream. It was much safer to keep the carriages here than outside.
After Leng Ruoli had settled the carriages, she and Jun Mohan immediately began climbing Flame Mountain. As they climbed higher, the temperature became even hotter. Their feet, even with shoes on, felt as if they were not wearing any. After only half an hour, each person had drunk three water skins dry. Along the way, they encountered several people who had died of thirst and starvation due to lack of water.
"Jun Mohan, was it this hot when you came here before?" Leng Ruoli suddenly asked Jun Mohan.
"No, it wasn't this hot when I climbed to the summit of Flame Mountain back then," Jun Mohan replied calmly.
"Then can you tell me about the entire process of how you discovered the Fire Spirit Ganoderma?" After hearing this, Leng Ruoli asked Jun Mohan again.
Jun Mohan fell silent for a moment and then said, "Back then, I was betrayed by a traitor. I engaged in a fierce battle with them, which caused severe depletion of my internal energy, and I was also injured."
"At that time, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to control the wolf poison in my body, and I was afraid of being seen by others in my ugly state when the wolf poison acted up, so I climbed Flame Mountain alone to hide. I discovered that Fire Spirit Ganoderma by chance. It was very small back then, and I felt it would be useless to pick it, so I just took a curious glance and left. I can't remember where it was located now."
"It's fortunate you didn't pick that Fire Spirit Ganoderma back then, otherwise, it would have been ruined. Could all of this be destiny?" Leng Ruoli chuckled playfully and said.