For the sake of safety, Lu Xuan and Su Ye didn't even enter the city. Instead, they chose to travel on the quiet and secluded paths. Luckily, the two of them carried storage rings with them and had plenty of supplies, so they didn't look too shabby.
The Hundred Herb Hall's main hall wasn't in the Nine Dragons Dynasty's imperial capital. After all, the Hundred Herb Hall wasn't a subordinate force of the Nine Dragons Dynasty. They couldn't set up their main hall in the Nine Dragons Dynasty's main hall. Instead, they set up their main hall in another important city of the Nine Dragons Dynasty – Dongtai City. But because the Hundred Herb Hall had been here for thousands of years, people preferred to call this place the Medicine King City.
At this moment, in the inner courtyard of the Hundred Herb Hall's main hall in the Medicine King City, a spirited elder with white hair and beard was tending to a herb garden. Taking a closer look, the spiritual ingredients planted in this herb garden were all extremely precious herbs. The lowest was human tier seventh grade, while the highest was earth tier third grade.
However, spiritual ingredients that could be planted artificially, even if they were earth tier third grade, couldn't be compared to some special spiritual ingredients of the same grade. The rarity of a spiritual ingredient wasn't only related to its tier, but also to its difficulty of survival. For example, the Frost Pond Peony that Lu Xuan gifted to Su Ye. Although it was only earth tier fourth grade, its rarity was comparable to earth tier fifth grade or even sixth grade.
Just as the elder was concentrating on tending to the herb garden, a middle-aged man in black robes walked over. He bowed to the elder and said, "Father, I have prepared everything for the birthday banquet. Many of the branch hall masters are here as well. When will father be meeting them?"
Without a doubt, this elder was the Hundred Herb Hall's Hall Master, Su Hexuan, who was the brother of the Nine Dragons Dynasty's emperor. And this middle-aged man in black robes was Su Hexuan's eldest son, Su Xuebo.
The name Su Xuebo was personally given by Su Hexuan. Originally, it meant that Su Xuebo wanted to study hard and become a knowledgeable person. It was a pity that Su Xuebo was obsessed with martial dao and wasn't interested in alchemy. Now that he was at the third level of the Origin Realm, he was only at the entry level of alchemy, which disappointed Su Hexuan a little.
Su Hexuan straightened his body when he heard Su Xuebo's words. He fixed his gaze on the herb garden and said, "There seems to be a commotion in the Central Plains recently. This is not the right time for my birthday banquet."
Su Xuebo couldn't help but laugh, "What are you talking about, Father? What does the matter between the Nine Dragons Imperial Court and Bei Bo Ruo have to do with our Hundred Herb Hall? Isn't our Hundred Herb Hall trying to establish a good relationship with all the major forces just for a stable development? Let's just wait and see. "
Su Hexuan shook his head and placed his hands behind his back, "How can I stay out of the world of cultivation? Even a small pebble can stir up the entire pond, not to mention that Beibo Ruo is a grade four force. "
After a moment of silence, Su Hexuan then said, "Inform all the Hall Masters that the birthday banquet is canceled. I appreciate their kind intentions. Return to your respective Hall Masters. We must ensure that the Hundred Herb Hall's Hall Masters will not be affected by this matter."
Su Hexuan was an old fox after all. He had a keen sense of smell. He had a feeling that this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed. At such a crucial moment, a mere birthday banquet was canceled. He couldn't risk the thousand years of Hundred Herb Hall's foundation. Otherwise, how would he face the Su Clan's ancestors a hundred years later?
But Su Xuebo was shocked when he heard this. He quickly advised, "Father, you don't have to be so cautious, right? You didn't organize your previous birthday banquets. This time, you finally have the chance to organize your ninetieth birthday banquet. How can you cancel it? What's more, all the Hall Masters are extremely enthusiastic and traveled thousands of miles to come here. Isn't it a little inappropriate to cancel it like this? "
Su Hexuan chuckled, "What's inappropriate about it? Just treat it as them celebrating my birthday. To me, it's already a great merit for them to be able to manage the Hundred Herb Hall's Hall Masters well."
Seeing Su Hexuan so insistent, Su Xuebo was a little hesitant. After some thought, he suggested, "Father, why don't we do it a few days in advance? At least we can give the Hall Masters an explanation."
Su Hexuan stroked his beard and nodded slightly, "That's fine. Then let's do it tomorrow. Let's keep things simple. Don't let the Hall Masters who haven't arrived yet come. Oh right, where's that lass Su Ye? I haven't seen her for a few days. Where did she go?"
"She probably secretly went to prepare your birthday gift. Her guards are also nowhere to be seen. She must have taken them away." Su Xuebo smiled.
"This child." Su Hexuan shook his head, "In troubled times, she still won't let me be at ease. Send a message to all the Hall Masters to pay attention to her. Once they see her, tell her to return immediately."
"Understood. I'll do it right away. However, tomorrow's birthday banquet might be a little rushed. Why don't we push it to the day after tomorrow?"
"Alright, you make the arrangements." Su Hexuan waved his hand.
The conversation between father and son ended here. Su Xuebo left to handle various matters, while Su Hexuan continued to tend to his herb garden. However, there was still a faint trace of worry between his brows. His many years of experience always gave him a bad feeling.
News of the Hundred Herb Hall's Old Hall Master's birthday banquet instantly spread throughout the entire Medicine King City. Subsequently, it even reached the Nine Dragon Empire's imperial palace.
"Brother Su is holding a birthday banquet the day after tomorrow? If I remember correctly, it should be four days from now, right? " The person who spoke was dressed in golden dragon robes. His entire being gave off a dignified aura as he stood there. He was the current emperor of the Nine Dragons Empire, Xia Qi.
"I heard that it's because Old Hall Master Su saw the recent changes in the situation and didn't want to make a big deal out of it. That's why he brought forward the schedule and simplified everything." A rather handsome young man with delicate features smiled as he spoke. He was the current fourth prince of the Nine Dragons Empire, Xia Xi. He was the one who passed the news to Xia Qi.
Xia Qi nodded slightly. "Brother Su is farsighted. I don't know what Bei Bo Ruo is planning. How dare he make a move against my empire? Where did he get the courage from?"
"It's just a mere Bei Bo Ruo. Father doesn't need to worry about him. Our empire has many strong soldiers and strong generals. Why would we be afraid of him?" Xia Xi said.
"Although that's the case, we can't be careless. There's definitely something fishy going on. Moreover, something happened to the Southern Guardian King in Yang 'an City and we've lost contact with him. This worries me a little." Xia Qi rubbed his forehead. Losing contact with the Southern Guardian King was definitely a big matter. Although he said that he didn't put Bei Bo Ruo in his eyes, he was actually quite vigilant in his heart. However, he soon relaxed his brows. The Nine Dragons Empire's foundation and strength were there for all to see. Whether Bei Bo Ruo came in the open or in the dark, they still had the power to fight.
"This time, it's Brother Su's birthday. The entire empire should go and congratulate him. However, there are many things to do now, so I won't be going personally. Fourth Brother, go to Dongtai City on my behalf and congratulate Brother Su. As for the birthday gift, you can choose from the inner treasury later. You must not lose face for the empire," Xia Qi said in the end.
Hearing this, Xia Xi's face immediately lit up and he quickly agreed. When he learned that Su Hexuan had changed the date of the birthday banquet, he hurriedly came to report to his father just to get this errand.
Firstly, he was going to replace Xia Qi, and the ministers in the imperial court would definitely analyze the meaning behind it. Secondly, the Hundred Herb Hall was of great strategic importance to the Nine Dragons Empire. If he could take this opportunity to build a good relationship with the Hundred Herb Hall, it would definitely be a crucial matter in his fight for the throne.
"Imperial Father, this son has something to report!" Another person hurried over. This time, it was the second prince, Xia Feng.
Xia Xi looked at Xia Feng and smiled faintly. If he guessed correctly, Xia Feng was also here for this errand. Unfortunately, he was one step ahead of him. He immediately bowed to Xia Qi and said, "Imperial Father, this son will take his leave first."
Su Hexuan changing the date of the birthday banquet seemed to have affected the entire Central Province. The first to make a move was Bei Bo Ruo. Within a day, Bei Bo Ruo's men caused trouble in many cities in the Nine Dragons Empire. There were big and small incidents. Some of them were discovered the moment they appeared and only caused a small commotion. Others took the opportunity to burn down the Nine Dragons Empire's granaries or destroy important military locations, causing chaos in the entire city.
As the highest ruler of the Nine Dragons Empire, Xia Qi naturally didn't dare to rest. He quickly dispatched experts to this city to suppress the chaos caused by Bei Bo Ruo. However, he himself was a peak Origin Realm expert. Don't talk about not resting for a few days, even if he didn't sleep for a month, he might not be able to do anything.
Two days passed quickly. Today was the day of Su Hexuan's birthday banquet. The Medicine King City was bustling with noise and excitement. Guests from all over had already filled up all the inns in the Medicine King City.
The Hundred Herb Hall's business was spread throughout the entire Central Province. Some were locals of the Nine Dragons Empire, some came from the Seven Fiend Sect's territory, and some came from the Bo Ruo Temple's territory. They all had some connections with the Hundred Herb Hall or were here to build a relationship with the Hundred Herb Hall.
As Su Hexuan's eldest son and the only son he had left, Su Xuebo stood in front of the Su Residence's entrance and welcomed the guests with a smile. Those who were able to step into the Su Residence were all people with invitations and extraordinary statuses. Those who came uninvited and wanted to attend the birthday banquet could only go to the Hundred Herb Hall's banquet venue.
"Yu Lin Liu Clan's Patriarch is here to offer birthday congratulations. Birthday gift: a pair of Thunderbolt Reeds and fifty pieces of supreme grade primal stones!"
"Hundred Herb Hall's Bashui City Branch Hall Master Zhu Maohua is here to offer birthday congratulations. Birthday gift: a pot of Heavenly Immortal Oil and a piece of Indestructible Crystal!"
… …
"Nine Dragons Empire's Fourth Prince is here to offer birthday congratulations. Birthday gift: ten True Martial Bones, ten pieces of Sunsetting Sky Gold, ten bottles of Golden Silkworm Blood, ten stalks of Flower Butterfly Immortal Lotus, and five hundred pieces of supreme grade primal stones!"
The eyes of the supervisor in charge of pronouncing promises almost popped out of their sockets when he saw the list of gifts. As expected of the Nine Dragon Dynasty. These gifts were far superior to the others in terms of quantity and quality. Just the five hundred Supreme Grade Primordial Stones alone was a huge fortune.
Seeing Xia Xi's arrival, Su Xuebo did not dare to be negligent. He hurried to welcome him with a smile, "Fourth Prince is here, this Su is sorry for not going out to meet you."
Xia Xi smiled and helped Su Xuebo up, "Brother Su, no need to be so formal. The Hundred Herb Hall and the Nine Dragons Empire are old friends. This is just a small gift to show our respect. May I know where Old Hall Master Su is now? I'm here on behalf of my Imperial Father to offer birthday congratulations to Old Hall Master Su. "
"My Imperial Father is in the inner hall. Fourth Prince, please come with us. Someone, bring the Fourth Prince to the inner hall!" Su Xuebo hastily called for someone to lead the way for Xia Xi. Although Xia Xi was here on behalf of Xia Qi, he still had to receive the guests. Naturally, he couldn't bring Xia Xi to the inner hall personally.
Xia Xi smiled and nodded. He was just about to leave when another voice resounded. "Bei … Bei Boluo Monastery's Elder Sang Yuwen has come to offer his blessings. The birthday gift is 3 Tri-Origin Sword Pills, 4 Spirit-Cleansing Pills, and 5 Violet-Gold Spirit Pills!"
After the announcement, the manager was stunned. In an instant, the entire Su Mansion's entrance fell into a dead silence.
Bei Bo Ruo actually sent someone to offer birthday congratulations? Everyone present knew that Bei Bo Ruo was eager to make a move against the Nine Dragons Empire, but she still dared to step into the Nine Dragons Empire's territory to offer birthday congratulations to Su Hexuan?
Of course, that wasn't all. The most important thing was that the birthday gifts from Bei Bo Ruo were all medicinal pellets. Of course, the price of these medicinal pellets wasn't cheap, but the person they were here to offer birthday congratulations to was the Medicine King, Su Hexuan!
For a thousand years, the Central State's martial artists knew that no matter what the Hundred Herb Hall was doing, they would never accept medicinal pellets as gifts because they themselves were an alchemy family. Yet, you actually sent medicinal pellets to the Hundred Herb Hall? Wasn't this a slap in the face? Therefore, when looking at the previous gift list, almost all of them were medicinal pellets. This was also the Hundred Herb Hall's most popular gift.
Of course, it was impossible for Bei Bo Ruo to not know this unspoken rule of the Hundred Herb Hall. Now that she was doing this on purpose, perhaps … she didn't come with good intentions ah!
"What does Bei Bo Ruo mean by this?" Xia Xi fixed his gaze on Sang Yuwen and asked indifferently. There wasn't a trace of emotion on his face.
Sang Yuwen's heart twitched a little, but he still maintained the smile on his face. "Old Hall Master Su's birthday, of course I, Bei Bo Ruo, have to come to offer birthday congratulations. Could it be that the Fourth Prince doesn't welcome me?"
In fact, as he spoke, Sang Yuwen's heart was incomparably bitter. Because he failed his mission in Yang 'an City, he was punished to come here to offer birthday congratulations to Su Hexuan. Appearing in the City of Medicine King at this time could be said to be directly provoking the Nine Dragons Dynasty. If he angered the Nine Dragons Dynasty, he would most likely die here. This was definitely the worst and most unlucky task.
Xia Xi smiled lightly and said, "Welcome? Of course you're welcome. Welcome to come and die! Take him down! "
As soon as he finished speaking, several of Xia Xi's attendants instantly moved. They immediately arrived beside Sang Yuwen, and several weapons were directly placed on Sang Yuwen's neck.
At this moment, Sang Yuwen's heart could be said to be extremely shocked. He couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said, "I'm here to offer birthday congratulations to Old Hall Master Su. Isn't the Fourth Prince not giving Old Hall Master Su some face by doing this?"
Xia Xi frowned slightly. As long as he gave the order, he could immediately behead Sang Yuwen. However, this might not be good for the Hundred Herb Hall.
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