Song Hao frowned and asked, "How did you get in?"
"How did you get in?" Ji Dongyang asked in return.
"You followed us in!" Wang Li exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course, the Ghost Doctor's Sect is heavily guarded. If I hadn't accidentally discovered you two and followed you here, how could I have gotten in!" Ji Dongyang said with a hint of pride.
Song Hao sensed that things were not so simple, so he signaled Wang Li to let go. Ji Dongyang stood up from the ground, looking at Song Hao with hostility.
"It seems you also know about the Ghost Doctor's Sect," Song Hao asked.
"Our Ji family knows some of the secrets of the Ghost Doctor Sect," Ji Dongyang replied.
Song Hao held up the stalagmite in his hand and asked, "Could you tell me what kind of medicine this strange stalagmite is?"
“Telling you won’t hurt. This stalagmite is a rare medicinal herb that grows underground in this copper mine. It takes a hundred years for it to grow to an inch and begin to resemble a medicinal sprout. It takes five hundred years for it to grow to this seedling form and possess the properties of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. It takes another thousand years to grow into a medicinal herb. But once it has grown into a seedling, that’s enough,” Ji Dongyang said.
Chapter 43 Monster
"It really is a miraculous medicine! So what are the specific medicinal values of this seedling?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
“The strange things that grow in nature have their own strange effects, but they need a certain medicinal ingredient to be used in conjunction with them. Only then can this medicinal seedling be made into a miraculous elixir, which is said to be able to bring people back to life. However, this is a secret that only the sect leader of the Ghost Doctor Sect knows. No one else in the world knows it. If others get their hands on it, it is just a novelty to play with, and it is of no great use!” Ji Dongyang said.
"Then why did you rob it? Isn't it useless to you?" Song Hao asked.
Ji Dongyang said, "I want to use it to ensure the safety of our Ji family. Haven't you already seen what the Ghost Doctor Sect did to our Ji family?"
"You... how did you escape from the Ghost Doctor's Sect? Are you really that Song Hao?" Ji Dongyang, no longer afraid, asked.
"I don't need to answer that. Alright! You can go now," Song Hao said.
Ji Dongyang was taken aback and asked in disbelief, "You mean you're letting me go?"
“Of course!” Song Hao nodded.
Ji Dongyang glanced regretfully at the stalagmite in Song Hao's hand and said, "The Ghost Doctor Sect has been operating the Yuehe Copper Mine here for many years, with the aim of harvesting this kind of medicinal seedling when it grows. Originally, the auspicious day they set was three days later, but you harvested it. The Ghost Doctor Sect will not let you off the hook."
"That's none of your concern! Please do as you please!" Song Hao said indifferently. He had no good feelings towards this young man who had betrayed him to the Ghost Doctor Sect for his own safety.
Ji Dongyang hesitated for a moment, then smiled sinisterly and said, "Song Hao, how about we make a deal?"
"You're quite the businessman, able to do business under any circumstances. Sorry, I'm not interested," Song Hao said, shaking his head. He already understood what Ji Dongyang meant.
“This is good for you. As long as you give me the medicinal seedlings, you can name your price. Otherwise, they're useless to you,” Ji Dongyang said, still unwilling to give up.
"The Ghost Doctor Sect has been harming people and accumulating wealth, and they've been plotting to seize this copper mine all because of this strange stalagmite. I can't let it fall into the hands of the Ghost Doctor Sect. They will have to pay the price for their bad deeds," Song Hao said.
"You want to keep it for yourself, don't you! You must know some of the secrets that the Ghost Doctor Sect has kept for hundreds of years," Ji Dongyang sneered.
"What secret? It seems you haven't told the truth yet," Song Hao asked.
"For hundreds of years, the Ghost Doctor Sect has been constantly watching this Moon and Copper Mine, waiting for the medicinal seedlings to grow and be harvested. In five hundred years, this stalagmite has only grown five inches, making it a true elixir of immortality. That's why the Ghost Doctor Sect has put in so much effort to obtain this divine medicine of eternal life," Ji Dongyang said.
"Immortality!" Song Hao shook his head and said, "There are miraculous medicines in the world that can prolong life, but immortality is absolutely impossible. This idea is self-destructive. Countless people throughout history have been obsessed with it and have never heard of anyone who has lived forever."
“Even if there are such masters, how could they easily let you know? And how much of the secrets of the medical field do you really know? In fact, some things in this world are not as simple as we imagine. The legendary Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man that you obtained is a rare treasure in this world. You should have some experience with it, otherwise so many people wouldn't be fighting over it. Do you think it's just about selling it for a good price?” Ji Dongyang said.
“I didn’t expect you to have some knowledge! I admire you! Unfortunately, I will never give you this medicinal seedling, no matter what. Even if someone from the Ghost Doctor Sect were here, I would destroy it immediately,” Song Hao said resolutely.
"You win! Let's talk outside." Seeing that he couldn't persuade Song Hao, Ji Dongyang turned and left first.
Song Hao handed the stalagmite to Wang Li and said, "Brother Wang, you should keep this. This stalagmite belongs to your Yuehe Manor. After the Ghost Doctor Sect people leave empty-handed, you can discuss how to deal with it yourselves."
Wang Li initially reached out to take it, but hesitated for a moment for some reason, and said, "Let's keep it with you for now and talk about it when we get back to the ground. All this talk about immortality is just a bunch of nonsense. If there really were an elixir of immortality, this earth would be overcrowded long ago."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao laughed and said, "If the Ghost Doctor's Sect had someone as sensible as Brother Wang, none of this would have happened. Alright, I'll take it first and we'll talk about it when we get back to the village."
Just then, a light flashed ahead, and Ji Dongyang, holding a flashlight, ran back in a panic, exclaiming, "The Ghost Doctor's Sect has come in!" As he spoke, he stepped aside.
Song Hao and Wang Li were startled by what they heard, and then they saw lights flickering in the distance, and a large group of people were walking towards them.
Wang Li quickly turned his headlamp around and pulled Song Hao deeper into the cave to hide. They found a secluded spot and then turned off the headlamp.
Before long, Gui Feng led Hong Huang and a group of people over.
Gui Feng, who was walking ahead, said, "I'm very uneasy. I'm afraid someone has come in and stolen the medicinal seedlings."
Hong Huang said from the side, "The mine is heavily guarded, and no one can get in. If the sect leader is in a hurry, I think we don't need to wait for the auspicious day in three days. Let's just harvest it today and leave. Anyway, the seedlings have already grown."
Gui Feng nodded and said, "Alright! I see that the news is starting to leak out. Let's take action first and finish this off, so as to avoid any trouble and fulfill the wish of the predecessors of the Ghost Doctor Sect."
When Gui Feng led his men to the boulder and tried to find the stalagmite with their lamps, it had vanished. Gui Feng was stunned.
"Sect Master, the medicinal seedlings have been... stolen!" Hong Huang exclaimed in horror.
"Search immediately! The people who stole the medicinal seedlings haven't even left the mine yet," Gui Feng shouted sternly.
The Ghost Doctor's Sect members searched the surrounding area. Seeing this, Song Hao, who was hiding nearby, quietly pulled Wang Li along and groped his way deeper into the cave. He hadn't expected the Ghost Doctor's Sect members to arrive so quickly.
"Sect Master, there's someone here!" a member of the Ghost Doctor Sect shouted. It was Ji Dongyang's panic that had exposed him and he had been discovered.
In his haste, Ji Dongyang had no choice but to turn on his flashlight and run along the path ahead, undoubtedly to guide the Ghost Doctor Sect members.
"Grab him!" Gui Feng said through gritted teeth.
"How can people get in?" Hong Huang asked in surprise.
Immediately, Ji Dongyang was captured and brought before Gui Feng.