northernbook Chapter 244: Tsubaki in the Courtyard
Chapter 244: Tsubaki in the Courtyard
"How about you reconsider the cooperation proposal I just mentioned?" The seventh prince's eyesight recovered a little. He really didn't dare to look at Chu Yu's eyes that were as calm as an ancient spring. He always felt that this woman was thinking about something that was not good for him, and he had to interrupt her thoughts.
In fact, Chu Yu did go through all the methods in his mind. What would happen if the Seventh Prince could not speak?
What did he mean by using any method to deduct the cost of medicinal materials?
There was no immediate response, so the Seventh Prince gathered his emotions once more and raised his eyes tentatively. Chu Yu looked at him calmly without saying a word, then he heard the Seventh Prince's bewitching voice:
"How about we try a win-win cooperation and exchange one Immortal Fruit for this Purple Rhythm Dragon King Ginseng?"
Ming was behind the Seventh Prince, waiting for him to perform without saying a word, but in fact he was secretly paying attention to Chu Yu's expression.
"You must have other fairy fruits, right?"
"You know, if you lose the Immortal Fruit, you can always find another one, but if you lose the Dragon King Ginseng, there's no way you'll ever get another one. At this Herb Hunting Conference, medicinal herbs are the most important, aren't they? So, you're the one getting the better deal."
"I promise that after Ming recovers, we'll still be partners. We have no idea what's going on with Yue An right now, nor do we know if she's reunited with her people. But that man named A Zhong isn't easy to deal with. Let's team up and kick Yue An out first, and we can talk about the rest later. Until then, we're allies. How about that?"
"Let's each swear a great inner demon oath and deliver the goods at the same time. That way, there's no chance of fraud on either side, and we'll all be people who keep our promises. How do you say that?"
This voice, like the devil's whisper, exudes temptation. If you ignore the invisible seductive thoughts that try to penetrate your brain, the voice is actually pleasant to the ear.
"Okay." Chu Yu smiled nicely and agreed readily.
I don’t know what she just said to Yue Ling in her sea of consciousness, but she immediately agreed to the conditions of the Seventh Prince.
Ming remained silent. He lowered his eyes, seeming to be confused, but also felt that all this was normal.
Everyone outside the venue watched this scene. Some frowned, some were indifferent, some were angry, and some breathed a sigh of relief.
The people on the Fourth Princess' side were so angry that they started cursing and saying that the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Princess had teamed up to deal with the Imperial Sister, disregarding their sisterly love and constantly trying to flatter them in front of the Emperor.
Some people say that this alliance is extremely fragile and they are just waiting to see them fall out.
The Seventh Prince's faction spread the word widely, saying that the Seventh Prince was the son of destiny, and had the luck and talent to reverse the situation, and that he could turn the tide single-handedly. The Imperial Concubine's expression also gradually turned from dark clouds to bright ones.
In comparison with the other three, Yue Ling seemed much more mediocre. Everyone ignored the fact that she was the one making the fastest progress among all, and was about to get the fourth medicinal ingredient. She collected the fourth medicine in less than two days, and was almost halfway through.
……
When the Seventh Prince heard Chu Yu's straightforward agreement, the anxiety that his charm technique had failed instantly dissipated, and he could not wait to say:
"Then you can untie us first. We'll take out the medicine in exchange to show our sincerity. Then we can discuss the follow-up matters..."
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by a man's voice in the distance: "Oh, fairies, you have actually subdued these dirty strangers. God bless our fairy mountain..."
A man in a dark robe came late, leading a group of villagers. These villagers were holding farm tools in their hands. The scene was exactly the same as when they first "welcomed" Chu Yu and the others.
"Where did this weird old fat man come from? Listen carefully, I am not dirty..." The seventh prince retorted angrily.
Yue Ling shook his head and said, "Seventh Brother, you'd better not anger the villagers here."
The Seventh Prince wanted to refute something, but Ming looked at the big tree in the distance that had returned to calm. Despite being suppressed by his whole body, he moved his fingers slightly. The Seventh Prince noticed Ming's movement and immediately stopped talking.
"Hey, you're so arrogant and rude, you're really dirty." The village chief pointed at the Seventh Prince with two fingers and berated him, "I'll definitely take you to Madam Chunling for a proper trial!"
"Hold a trial!" the villagers behind shouted in unison.
"Who is Madam Chunling?" The Seventh Prince was stunned for a moment, and only started to panic when he was lifted up by the villagers and could no longer struggle.
"Hey, ally, Sister Chu, untie me, Xiaojiu, Xiaojiu, A Ling..."
Ming was very embarrassed to be lifted up by a group of villagers who were powerless. He had never been treated like this in his life. He looked at Chu Yu with gloomy eyes:
"Aren't you going to do anything, ally, friend?" He said the last two words with gritted teeth.
Chu Yu looked at the Seventh Prince, who looked like he had never suffered such humiliation before, and fearing that he might be too stubborn, he said, "Village Chief, let's consider them our allies for now."
The village chief looked at Chu Yu doubtfully, then looked at the Seventh Prince and the other two for a long time before saying sternly, "I understand what you mean, Fairy. But please understand that the rule of our fairy mountain is that any outsider who enters must pass Madam Chunling's test, without exception."
What this means is that even if you are the immortal messengers sent by Madam Chunling, what you say does not count. Only what Madam Chunling herself says counts.
Chu Yu could only smile and look at the Seventh Prince helplessly.
"Who exactly is Madam Chunling?" The Seventh Prince felt that Chu Yu had gone crazy along with this group of charlatans, and even Xiaojiu was not normal.
"Madam Chunling is the deity who protects the fairy mountain. You cannot address her disrespectfully." The village chief said sternly.
"Then who are you?" the seventh prince asked the village chief.
"I am Madam Chunling's mouthpiece, the messenger of her divine will, and the village chief of Xianshan." The village chief calmly explained everything and waved his hand decisively: "Take the person away!"
"Put us down."
The Seventh Prince used his charm, but the villagers had no reaction. Chu Yu silently blocked all his moves, and he could only be carried away cursing.
Ming looked at Chu Yu from behind and said, "If you had been willing to help untie us right away..."
"That won't change anything." Chu Yu raised a hint of sarcasm and silently mouthed: "If you are willing to offend that tree now, I will untie you...ally, friend."
Ming understood the lip movements completely. He realized that the Lady Chunling the villagers were talking about was actually the abnormal tree, and felt a little nervous for a moment.
"We may have reached the core area of this small world, Your Highness." Ming whispered behind the Seventh Prince, and the Seventh Prince instantly quieted down: "Your charm is useless, haven't you noticed?"
"How could it be useless? Didn't Chu Yu just cooperate with us obediently?"
"Did she listen to anything else you said?" Ming analyzed.
The Seventh Prince was silent. The existence of this place called Xianshan was indeed unexpected.
"Her agreement to cooperate only means that she really needs the Purple Rhythm Dragon King Ginseng. We just happened to become allies, which is a good thing for now."
Ming analyzed calmly. He was still thinking about the meaning of what Chu Yu said to him and what would happen if he offended Madam Chunling. After thinking it over again and again, he stopped struggling.
"Hmph, although you are right, she could have helped untie us before the villagers arrived." The Seventh Prince was indignant.
The two of them unknowingly came under the Chinese toon tree, but the villagers did not bring them into the yard. Only the village chief went in alone.
All the villagers had extremely pious expressions on their faces, and the surroundings were extremely quiet.
Such a scene made the Seventh Prince feel very uncomfortable.
There seemed to be a barrier inside. No one knew what the village chief was doing in there. No sound could be heard. It was only after two incense sticks of time that he came out.
"Madam Chunling's divine decree has been conveyed to me. She said that you two still need to prove that you are good people before you can be considered guests of the Immortal Mountain."
"If you two are willing to prove yourselves and contribute to protecting the peace and tranquility of our fairy mountain, we can untie you. If not, we can only send you to the land of evil..." The village chief said indifferently.
At this moment, a cold female voice interrupted the conversation from behind:
"How about letting them close the entrance they came in through with their own hands?"
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Chu Yu with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He was extremely eye-catching and could be seen at a glance even in the crowd.
"Good suggestion." After thinking for a long time, the village chief also felt that it was a good idea. This gap that was discovered and entered by the stranger could indeed be closed first.
Before the Seventh Prince and Ming could figure out the reason behind all this, they were clearly arranged like this.
"In that case, please help untie these two, fairy." The village chief came over and said politely.
Chu Yu nodded and lifted the restrictions on the two of them.
Finally regaining his freedom, the Seventh Prince did not feel relieved. He spoke in a serious tone and went straight to the point:
"Exchange the fairy fruit for medicine, Miss Chu, you should be a person who does what you say."
"We can wait until you close the entrance." Chu Yu refused at first.
"I want it now. There's no room for negotiation." The Seventh Prince said firmly, "If you get the medicine sooner, you'll feel more at ease, right?"
Chu Yu smiled and said, "Then, Seventh Prince, tell me, what medicinal material will you exchange for the Immortal Fruit?"
"Dragon Emperor Ginseng."
"more specific."
"Purple Rhythm Dragon King Ginseng, you... haha." The Seventh Prince even laughed at himself. "I only have two kinds of medicine on me right now. The other one is a medicine I need to find myself. If I don't give you the Purple Rhythm Dragon King Ginseng, do I have to exchange it with you for the medicine I need?"
The Seventh Prince had never spoken to anyone so patiently before. Now he felt like he was enduring humiliation and bearing a heavy burden. He seemed to feel that all his humiliation would be completely released the moment he obtained the Immortal Fruit.
Once Ming's realm recovers to the sixth level of Spiritual Emperor, everything will be easy.
Just as Chu Yu nodded and was about to drag the Seventh Prince into taking the Heart Demon Oath, the village chief suddenly interrupted:
"Do you two want to make a deal?"
"Madam Chunling is the most impartial deity. You two may wish to conduct your transaction before her. Her divine power will ensure the fairness of the entire transaction. No one can resort to any trickery under her watch."
"It is under her protection that the villagers of Xianshan never break their promises and always act according to the agreement."
The village chief kept looking at the expressions of both parties and explained carefully.
Chu Yu had been curious about this Chinese toon tree for a long time. Last time, she repeatedly asked to see Mrs. Chunling, but the village chief evaded her by saying that she had already appeared in spirit, so Chu Yu just watched it from a distance outside the yard.
Now that Chu Yu had the opportunity to see her "appearance" up close, he naturally wouldn't refuse.
Ming was a little resistant. He instinctively didn't want to enter the yard, but the person who was going to make a deal with Chu Yu next was the Seventh Prince. The medicine was in the Seventh Prince's hands, and the decision-making power was also in his hands.
The Seventh Prince could naturally see that the mystery of the entire fairy mountain lay in this Lady Chunling. He didn't know enough information at the moment, so this was a good opportunity to explore the bottom of this "sacred tree".
Seeing that the Seventh Prince had also agreed, Ming had no choice but to bite the bullet and stay by the Seventh Prince's side.
After the village chief went in to ask for instructions, he came out with a rosy face.
"Madam Chunling has agreed to host a fair transaction for you all."
Then he opened the courtyard gate, allowing everyone to see the scene inside at a glance.
The tree trunk is thick and lush with branches and leaves. Some red cloth strips are wrapped on it, some new and some old. The ground is covered with fallen leaves. The roots are intertwined under the huge shade of the tree, and a neatly arranged altar stands in front of it.
The shade of the trees is so dense that the light in the yard is several degrees darker than outside.
When the Seventh Prince saw the alchemy furnace placed in the center of the altar, his eyes instantly lit up.
Could this be the alchemist?
The Seventh Prince winked at Ming and suppressed the excitement in his eyes.
Ming was overjoyed when he saw the alchemy furnace. This small world was extremely dangerous. He had originally estimated that the alchemist his prince had found would have been eliminated long ago. Now it was a good thing to meet this lady Chunling.
However, he recalled how Chu Yu had tied them up, and he instantly became conflicted. If he had not been tied up by Chu Yu, he might have attacked these villagers who disrespected the prince long ago, and then he would have really offended Madam Chunling. Could it be that Chu Yu was really sincere in being an ally?
The seventh prince entered the courtyard first, followed closely by Ming.
"Where is she? Why hasn't Madam Chunling shown up yet?"
The Seventh Prince asked as he walked, his eyes full of excitement.
However, just as Chu Yu was about to step into the door, she felt an oncoming force that blocked her way, causing her pupils to shrink.
Yue Ling followed behind her and noticed that she suddenly paused. She asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
Chu Yu's feet were suspended in mid-air, as if they were fixed, and the force that was blocking him was very obvious.
Her right hand felt cold, and the woman in the tree reminded herself not to go in for the time being.
Chu Yu stood outside the door and took a deep breath. He was actually a little exhausted from fighting against this force just now.
"What's wrong with you? Why don't you come in?" The Seventh Prince noticed that Chu Yu and Yue Ling were dawdling in the back, and said impatiently.
At this moment, a gust of wind suddenly blew, and the leaves fell down madly as if they were worthless. The branches were shaking visibly. I don’t know whether these leaves were blown down by the wind or shaken off by the tree itself.
A bunch of leaves fell on the Seventh Prince's head, making him stunned for a moment: "Hey, what happened..."
The village chief's expression changed and he rushed in in panic. The villagers all held their breath, their faces full of awe.
"Get out, you guys get out..." The village chief hurriedly drove the seventh prince and Ming out, then closed the door tightly.
"Eh? What's going on?" The Seventh Prince frowned and asked, "Are we not allowed to enter this place?"
"Did we touch some taboo?" On the other side, Ming looked at Chu Yu with some suspicion.
The Seventh Prince suddenly understood and looked at Chu Yu and said, "Oh, you deliberately let us go first, so that we would violate the taboo and offend this Lady Lian...Chun Ling, right?"
Chu Yu was speechless. She couldn't even get in, and she had no idea what was going on. She was being accused of something like that, so she said angrily, "I don't know what's wrong with you two's brains."
Just as the Seventh Prince was about to start a verbal argument, the gate to the courtyard was opened again and everyone turned around.
There was not a single fallen leaf on the altar in the yard, and the stove was placed safely, as if the village chief had quickly cleaned it. It was as if nothing had happened just now, and the tree instantly returned to calm.
"Everyone," the village chief wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, "Mrs. Chunling is a man of her word. She will definitely host a fair transaction for the two of them. This was just a minor incident. Please come in."
"We haven't violated any of her taboos, right?" asked the Seventh Prince.
"That's not true, Immortal Sir." The village chief said with a smile.
"That's good."
The seventh prince was the first to enter the gate. Chu Yu tried to enter with half belief and half doubt. She stretched out her foot to test it. This time she stepped on the dry fallen leaves in the yard, making a rustling sound.
Everything was flowing smoothly, and the force that had blocked her just now seemed like an illusion.