Chapter 176: Mofan Returns to the Mo Family (Part V)

The Elder looked at the slightly small courtyard. This was originally a patch of land where the uncle used to grow vegetables, and it was now reserved for the Elder to cultivate medicinal herbs. After pulling out all the vegetables, weeding the soil thoroughly, he carefully planted the herbs he had transported with utmost care, watering them over and over again.

East, South, West, and North were busy nearby, and Boss Jin even rolled up his sleeves to help, not looking like a boss at all. The uncle brought them tea and, after settling all this, prepared to go make dinner. Curious about how medicinal herbs were cultivated, he stayed and watched attentively for a long time.

"Are you all sure they've been watered?" The Elder walked around the courtyard, still somewhat uncertain, and asked the crowd once more. Medicinal herbs newly planted in a fresh location would dry out extremely fast and become completely unsuitable for future growth if they did not receive moisture in time.

"Didn't you water them yourself? You don't know? We've watered them several times," Xiaobei said, utterly puzzled. While he knew a fair bit about procuring herbs, he was completely unfamiliar with the taboos of cultivating them.

Seeing that none of them understood, the Elder sat right down on the ground and explained to them one by one: medicinal herbs were traditionally unique plants found deep within remote mountains and dense forests. Transplanting them required a great deal of time and cultivation. They needed to be watered, weeded, and hoed on schedule. Especially on the first day of planting, because they had to adapt to a new environment, extraordinary care was required. Otherwise, even this patch of land would be rendered barren from then on and no longer suitable for growing herbs.

Some herbs could be transplanted, but others of a certain age were unsuitable for re-planting and were instead dried and preserved. Although modern medicine was becoming increasingly advanced, medicinal herbs still quietly maintained their crucial leading role.

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that the world of medicine was profound and vast. Those who knew nothing about it felt that stepping in one foot made it hard to turn back, while taking a further step was fraught with difficulty.

"Those thousand-year-old ganoderma and ginseng certainly cannot be transplanted, right? The soil and climate would also be an issue," Boss Jin felt he had learned something. Although he was not interested in the medical world, he believed that understanding a bit of this knowledge could help him in the future.

The Elder nodded, glanced at the uncle still standing nearby, and said with a smile, "Many thanks to Uncle An for letting us plant our herbs here and helping us through this difficult time. Sorry to have intruded."

The uncle came back to his senses, put down the teacup, stepped forward to look at them, and said with a smile, "Living here all by myself, I always found it rather lonely. Now that you've all come, I'm more than happy. It's no intrusion at all."

Comforting smiles bloomed on everyone's faces, as if this crisis was of no consequence at all. Was this finding joy in bitterness, or were they truly that happy?

Sunlight gradually sprinkled over the medicinal herbs, and the small plants eagerly absorbed the moisture from the soil to strengthen themselves. They swayed continuously, as if striving for the future. The people's smiles gave them great encouragement, helping them steady their forms and reach straight toward the sky.

Molan and the other three returned. Instead of rushing to see Elder Mo, they first went to check how the Elder and the others were doing with their herb cultivation in the new location. Given that they were constantly getting injured, while modern medicine was a great help, medicinal herbs also provided them with a certain sense of safety. Herbs were still of vital importance.

As they walked closer and heard the sound of laughter, a smile appeared on Molan's face as well, and she instantly felt that this ordeal wasn't quite as arduous as it seemed. Just as they had said, everything would pass, and the Mo family would rise again to achieve even greater glory.

Molan looked around at the planted herbs, which were already beginning to sprout slowly. After all, Elder Mo still needed medicinal herbs, and these provisions had to be well protected.

"You're all here! I just remembered, my body is still being controlled. Tie me up!"

Mofan suddenly rushed in, stumbling right up to An Feng. An Feng grabbed Mofan's hand with one hand. Hearing what Mofan shouted, An Feng furrowed his brow once more. When he used his ability again, he indeed sensed someone prying into Mofan's deepest thoughts.

Molan rushed over in a panic and grabbed Mofan's other hand, an indescribable agitation welling up in her heart. She had been prepared to let things go, but the moment Mofan came out and uttered those words, the anxiety in her mind surged back.

"I heard them say there is Sacred Heart Orchid high up outside Yunshan. That herb is extremely rare; it can cure the poison in my body, and it can also cure Grandfather's poison!"

Mofan's eyes flickered between black and red as if he were on the verge of a breakdown, his complexion deathly pale. His words sounded half-true and half-false. He was struggling fiercely, fighting against the entity deep within his mind, and every single word cost him immense effort.

Hearing the name Sacred Heart Orchid, the Elder immediately stepped forward, checked Mofan's pulse, and touched his eyes, finding his entire body burning with a fierce fever. If he didn't fall asleep soon, his mind would likely collapse. The Elder motioned to Molan to knock him out, and Molan immediately complied. Mofan collapsed quietly into An Feng's arms.

A peaceful mood was shattered once again. Everyone relocated to the room where Mofan was staying, and the small room was instantly packed with people. The sunlight from outside streamed through the window onto the person lying on the bed, but even with his eyes closed, his face remained deathly pale and his forehead scorched with fever.

The Elder took his pulse once more and found that it had calmed down considerably. He sighed, turned to face the crowd, and said solemnly, "The Sacred Heart Orchid is both a poison and a tonic. If used improperly, it can kill a person instantly."

Molan's heart tightened once again. Was what Mofan said true or false? If it truly was a poison, then Grandfather and Mofan would die. What should they do?

"However, if you can retrieve it, I will study it thoroughly. It might indeed help their condition. Places like that are generally very dangerous; you must proceed with extreme caution!" The Elder looked out the window and spoke calmly, though his heart was a tempest of conflicting emotions. He hadn't heard that herb's name in many years; it had been removed from the pharmacopeia several decades ago.

The Elder still possessed the illustrated guide of the Sacred Heart Orchid, so he returned to his room to fetch it and handed it to them for inspection, ensuring they recognized the exact herb. Furthermore, they must not touch the roots when harvesting, as the roots were where the poison resided. The Elder gave instructions one by one, then brought over some medicinal herbs and handed them to Xiaobei, telling them to take good care of Mofan.

"We know nothing about medicinal herbs. We might not even find it," Xiaoqi voiced her doubt directly. She was completely ignorant of herbs, yet she would undoubtedly be part of this expedition, so she needed to find a solution.

"Molan, An Feng, Liu Fei, Xiaoqi, the four of you will accompany me. The rest of you stay here to take care of them," the Elder considered this issue as well. After all, even he had never seen this herb with his own eyes. If he sent these young people to search for it only for them to perish, it would be his responsibility.

"No way." East, South, West, North, and Molan all objected in unison. This matter was far too dangerous. How could the Elder, an elderly man, go once again to such a perilous place to harvest such a hazardous herb?

The others kept their heads lowered, at a loss for words. What Mofan had revealed was the fuse; whether they ultimately won or lost depended entirely upon this.