The Art of Chaotic Divinity-Chapter 798: Borrowing Herb

The dark cave echoed with the steady dripping of stalactites[1].

Li Qingling studied Lin Canglang warily, hesitation flickering in his eyes.

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"Rest assured, I bear you no ill will," Lin Canglang said calmly. "Our cooperation will help us both achieve our goals. Of course, if you're unwilling, you may leave now—I won't stop you."

He gestured around them. "We're no longer in the Western Wilderness, but deep in the southern Nanjiang mountains. With the Blood Soul in hand, you hardly need those Blood Spirit Corpses anymore, do you?"

Li Qingling's curiosity grew. This man—or rather, the mysterious figure behind him—seemed to know everything.

Though it left him feeling uneasy, there was one thing Lin Canglang had said that rang true: the enemy of my enemy is my friend!

"Fine." Li Qingling gave a slight nod. "Since you saved my life and gifted me the Blood Soul, from today onward, we are allies!"

A faint smile played on Lin Canglang's lips, as if he'd expected this answer all along. "Together, we'll quietly expand the Blood God Cult's influence. You remain its leader, and in time, we'll divide the empire between us!"

"Ambitious!" Li Qingling's eyes gleamed. Though both harbored private agendas, for now, this alliance of two demons was their best option.

...

Far away in the Western Wilderness, Ling Feng remained unaware that his two greatest foes had joined forces. But for the time being, with Despicable Donkey by his side and his growing reputation in the Tianbai Empire, neither Lin Canglang nor Li Qingling posed an immediate threat.

Moreover, the Blood God Cult incident had drawn the imperial court's attention. Large-scale outbreaks of Blood Spirit Corpses wouldn't recur anytime soon.

After regrouping with Gu Tengfeng's team near the oasis, Ling Feng's party rested briefly before returning to camp.

The mission had ended in disaster—three thousand soldiers lost without gathering a single herb. As their commander, Sun Gongming bore most of the blame. Worse still, having lost an arm, his martial and political prospects looked bleak.

"Young friend Ling," Sun Gongming sighed heavily after a long silence, "how I regret not listening to you earlier."

"Li Qingling deliberately deceived you with the promise of an antidote," Ling Feng said, rubbing his nose. "No one could have anticipated his treachery."

He continued calmly, "But there's no need for despair. Though we failed to gather herbs, I've devised a simpler method to counteract the Blood God Cult's poison—one that requires neither massive resources nor labor."

"For real?" Sun Gongming's eyes widened. If they could resolve the Blood Spirit Corpse crisis quickly, it would be a silver lining.

Ling Feng nodded. "Though Li Qingling tampered with his antidote, the Moonshadow Silken Herb he used is indeed key to the cure. It's not particularly rare—the Tianmeng Chamber of Commerce should have ample reserves."

Sun Gongming's expression darkened. "Procuring such quantities would require vast funds. Even if I petition the court for emergency funds, the bureaucratic delays..." He smiled bitterly. "And my personal fortune wouldn't cover even a fraction..."

Ling Feng understood. While Sun Gongming could technically afford it, doing so would bankrupt him.

"No matter. I've already prepared for this."

From his storage spirit ring, Ling Feng produced a token given to him by Tianmeng's Supreme Elder Feng Wuhen. "General Sun, take this to the Tianmeng Chamber of Commerce and borrow fifty thousand catties of Moonshadow Silken Herb. With this token, deferring payment for a year or two shouldn't be an issue."

Sun Gongming took the token, his hand trembling slightly when he recognized it. "A Tianmeng Supreme Elder's token?!"

"An old friend lent it to me," Ling Feng said offhandedly. "Use it for now."

Swallowing hard, Sun Gongming clutched the token like a lifeline. Just who was this young man, to have such connections?

After a moment, he steadied himself and bowed deeply. "Mr. Ling, on behalf of my men and the people of these cities, I thank you."

He began to kneel, but Ling Feng quickly stopped him. "General, securing the herbs is what matters now. Also, select soldiers skilled in fire and wind attributes—we'll need them later."

"Understood!" Though puzzled, Sun Gongming no longer doubted Ling Feng's judgment. He immediately dispatched Vice-General Huang to borrow the herbs from Tianmeng's Xiling City branch.

Truthfully, Ling Feng could have requisitioned the materials directly from the Alchemist Guild as their Chief Honorary Elder—and without cost. But his relationship with the Northwestern Army wasn't that deep, and he wasn't about to waste such a favor.

Once back in the imperial capital, the Guild's stingy old men would surely come demanding explanations for such a large withdrawal.

"General, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Ling Feng said with a fist-and-palm salute. "Have someone call for me once the herb arrives."

Gu Tengfeng and the others followed suit, exiting the command tent.

Once outside, Jiang Xiaofan couldn't contain his curiosity. "Big Brother, why did you ask for fire and wind attribute soldiers?"

Ling Feng smirked. "You'll see."

Gu Tengfeng laughed, clapping Xiaofan on the shoulder. "When has Ling Feng ever let us down? With the Blood God Cult crisis resolved, both the army and the academy will reward us handsomely—probably with cultivation-boosting treasures too."

The team exchanged knowing smiles. The Elder Mission's rewards would undoubtedly be staggering.

After some banter, they dispersed to their respective tents.

As soon as Ling Feng returned to his tent, the Despicable Donkey couldn't hold back and eagerly trotted over. "Kid, out with the Blood Soul already!"

Shaking his head, Ling Feng cast a soundproofing barrier before producing the crimson eyeball—the so-called Blood Soul.

1. icicle-shaped formations that hang from the ceilings of caves, made when mineral-rich water drips from the ceiling and the minerals left behind build up over time ☜