On the table, five boxes were lined up in a row.

“A mere wipe!” With a faint sound, Madam Lin lifted the lid of the foremost wooden box, and the medicinal herbs within immediately shimmered forth with a flash of golden light.

Madam Lin took out the herb and held it straight up.

On its densely packed golden-yellow roots, the stem, as thick as a thumb, stood perfectly erect, only to suddenly burst outwards at the tip into nearly a hundred slender branches, drooping down like tassel beads.

The color intensified from bottom to top, becoming a dazzling, eye-blinding mass of brilliant gold where it converged at the base of the branches.

“Golden Summit Tassel!” This was it! After expending so much effort, it was finally within reach! Looking at the vividly preserved herb in Madam Lin’s palm, Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat.

The herb’s fragrance was distinct, strikingly reminiscent of the cooling balm from his past life; just a few gentle sniffs made his whole body feel comfortable, refreshing his mind and spirit.

“Ah-yah-yah!” The little fellow could no longer contain himself, bouncing excitedly within the Yaochi acupoint.

“Little brother, this is the ‘Golden Summit Tassel.’” Madam Lin placed the herb back into the wooden box and closed it.

Then, with a distinct crack, she opened the second snow-white box, showing it to Nie Kong.

“This is the ‘Icy Snow Divine Heart Grass!’” This herb truly lived up to its name; it was milky white and lustrous like jade all over, and as soon as it was opened, a chilling aura spread out.

Both the Golden Summit Tassel and the Icy Snow Divine Heart Grass had appeared, but Nie Kong couldn’t help but gaze toward the remaining three boxes, wondering what herbs they contained.

Madam Lin had no intention of stringing Nie Kong along.

After placing the ‘Icy Snow Divine Heart Grass’ back into its jade box, she opened the remaining three boxes all at once.

In the third box lay two dark, slick objects, each about the size of a palm, shaped remarkably like potatoes, yet emitting a strong, intoxicating fragrance of tuberose.

Within moments, the entire hall of the pavilion was saturated with this mind-dizzying aroma.

The fourth box held another herb: the stem and roots were green, but its nine leaves were orange-yellow, shaped like withered butterflies.

As for the very last wooden box, it did not contain an herb, but a small jade vial, only two fingers wide, its contents unknown.

“Black Sin Fruit, Nine-Leaf Faded Butterfly, Yellow Dragon Spiritual Dew…” Madam Lin pointed to the three boxes, naming them one by one.

Of these three substances, Nie Kong had never heard of the ‘Black Sin Fruit’ or the ‘Nine-Leaf Faded Butterfly’ before.

However, he had not only heard of the ‘Yellow Dragon Spiritual Dew,’ but had also consumed it.

The vigor of his current physique owed a great deal to the bottle of ‘Yellow Dragon Spiritual Dew’ given by Long Xuechan.

After a slight pause, Madam Lin continued, “The ‘Black Sin Fruit’ and the ‘Nine-Leaf Faded Butterfly’ can both serve as primary components for refining Grade Seven Spiritual Medicines.

The ‘Yellow Dragon Spiritual Dew,’ like the ‘Golden Summit Tassel,’ can be used to refine the Grade Eight Spiritual Medicine, the ‘Void-Penetrating Golden Elixir.’ Little brother, these five substances are all yours.” “All for me?” When Nie Kong saw Madam Lin bring out the five boxes, he had anticipated such an outcome, but hearing her say it in person still startled him, followed immediately by a burst of joy.

The harvest from treating Lord Lin’s illness far exceeded his initial expectations.

Before entering the Lin Residence, Nie Kong’s sole target had been the rare ‘Golden Summit Tassel.’ Now that Madam Lin was offering more herbs as thanks, Nie Kong certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse; these herbs were all extraordinarily precious.

“Madam, you are truly too generous.

How can I possibly accept this?” While speaking of bashfulness, Nie Kong showed no hesitation in his actions.

As soon as the words were out, he quickly stacked the five medicine boxes together.

Seeing this, Mu Lengxing couldn't help but shake his head.

Madam Lin, however, smiled faintly: “Little brother is a great benefactor to my Lin family.

For fifty years, countless Spiritual Apothecaries were helpless against the Lord’s ailment.

With one move, you brought him back to consciousness.

How could a few herbs possibly repay such a kindness? It’s just that these five are all that the Lin family can offer right now.” Saying this, Madam Lin’s gaze turned hopeful.

“Though the Lord has awakened, he is still very weak.

If you have no urgent matters, I hope you can stay in the Lin Residence for a few more days.

I will also dispatch personnel to search all corners of the Celestial Spirit Continent for more precious medicinal herbs as further compensation.” Nie Kong understood what was on Madam Lin’s mind.

A strange malady that so many spiritual apothecaries couldn't resolve in fifty years had been cured by him in just a few hours.

To Madam Lin, he was akin to a life-saving herb for her daughter.

Though he had stated that the root cause of Lord Lin’s illness had been eradicated, her love for her daughter naturally made her anxious.

If she could keep him here longer, it would certainly be safer for Lord Lin.

There was nothing wrong with this sentiment.

It was just a pity that Nie Kong truly couldn't delay any longer.

He could only shake his head apologetically: “Madam, staying a few more days to help your daughter recuperate would be fine, but my Third Aunt and I have urgent matters requiring us to return immediately to Spirit Imperial City.

If we hadn't happened to pass by and heard news of the ‘Golden Summit Tassel,’ we would likely already be hundreds of miles away from Fallen Goose City.” “You are disciples of Spirit Imperial City?” Madam Lin was unaware of the prior encounter where the butler had obstructed Nie Kong.

Hearing Nie Kong mention Spirit Imperial City now, a look of surprise crossed her eyes, coupled with a deep sense of relief.

It was fortunate that Nie Kong and Mu Lengxing were passing through Fallen Goose City; otherwise, who knew when they would have heard news of the ‘Golden Summit Tassel.’ There was no need to hide Nie Kong’s identity.

He smiled: “I am an inner-city disciple of Spirit Imperial City.

Although my Third Aunt did not originate from Spirit Imperial City, she has extremely deep ties to it.” “That’s wonderful! In that case, we are practically family,” Madam Lin’s eyes shone with pleasure.

“Little brother, do you happen to know who I am?” “This… I didn’t hear anyone in Fallen Goose City mention it.” Nie Kong was momentarily taken aback.

Judging by Madam Lin’s tone, perhaps she was also from Spirit Imperial City? “Little brother, since you are an inner-city disciple of Spirit Imperial City, have you heard of the old man Meng Feiyang and his wife?” Madam Lin continued, but when she spoke the name ‘Meng Feiyang,’ a hint of resentment laced her tone, which she then followed with the term ‘old man.’ “Could it be… you are the City Lord's wife?” Nie Kong was startled by his own conjecture.

“Something like that!” Madam Lin nodded.

Although her answer was somewhat peculiar, it undoubtedly confirmed Nie Kong’s guess.

Nie Kong found it incredible that this Madam Lin of the Lin Residence was actually the wife of the City Lord of Spirit Imperial City.

This meant that the Lord Lin he had treated should perhaps be called Lord Meng.

During his months in Spirit Imperial City, Nie Kong only learned from Ancestor Subhuti near the time he was about to enter the Yin Ruins Elixir Field that the City Lord Meng Feiyang suffered from a strange illness.

As for whether Meng Feiyang still had a wife and daughter alive, Nie Kong had never heard anyone mention it.

Thinking of this, Nie Kong couldn't help but laugh silently.

Most of his time in Spirit Imperial City had been spent cultivating, refining elixirs, or studying the Yin Ruins; he was generally unconcerned with the affairs of the City Lord, let alone inquiring about them from others.

It was normal that he hadn't heard anything.

The fact that this Madam Lin was Meng Feiyang's wife must be true! She likely wouldn't use a matter so easily verifiable to trick him.

What perplexed Nie Kong was why Madam Lin, being Meng Feiyang’s wife, was not residing in Spirit Imperial City, but instead had brought her comatose daughter to Fallen Goose City, staying there for fifty years.

When she mentioned Meng Feiyang, her resentment was intense.

Could this couple have turned against each other for some reason? Nie Kong was suspicious and couldn't help but ask, “Madam Lin, you and the City Lord are…” At this point, Nie Kong swallowed the rest of his question, as such matters were private affairs.

Madam Lin didn’t seem to mind much: “Little brother is a benefactor to our Lin family, and moreover, a disciple of Spirit Imperial City.

I have no reason to conceal it from you…” With the truth laid bare, the matter was quite simple.

Years ago, Meng Feiyang and Madam Lin had a late-in-life child, whom they naturally treasured like a jewel.

However, their priorities were quite divergent.

After Meng Feiyang discovered his daughter’s physical clarity and soul far surpassed ordinary people, he intended to train her into a powerful female Spirit Master and pushed her cultivation extremely hard.

Madam Lin, however, was different.

She only wished for her daughter to grow up happy and safe; she did not place much importance on cultivation.

Yet, in the end, she could not withstand Meng Feiyang and could only watch heartbrokenly as her daughter diligently practiced day and night under his tutelage.

Fifty years ago, when the ‘Hellfire Dark Spring’ opened, Lord Meng, relying on her formidable cultivation, became the top disciple among the inner-city disciples that year, entering the ‘Hellfire Dark Spring’ along with the other top ten inner-city disciples.

The ‘Hellfire Dark Spring’ contained many wondrous things, but it was equally fraught with peril.

Madam Lin absolutely did not want her daughter to venture into such a place, but still could not overrule Meng Feiyang.

After her daughter left, Madam Lin was perpetually worried, and eventually, her fears materialized.

Although her daughter emerged safely from the ‘Hellfire Dark Spring,’ she fell into an unresponsive coma afterward.

At that time, the many outstanding Spiritual Apothecaries of Spirit Imperial City were powerless against her condition.

Seeing that her daughter’s recovery seemed hopeless, the long-accumulated conflicts between Madam Lin and Meng Feiyang finally erupted.

After a fierce argument, Madam Lin took her daughter and left Spirit Imperial City for Fallen Goose City.

With his daughter in a coma, Meng Feiyang was also filled with guilt.

Therefore, he often left Spirit Imperial City, searching for rare medicinal herbs in the hope of curing her.

Many potent medicines grew in dangerous areas, places that even high-grade experts of the Celestial Spirit Realm dared not easily tread.

Meng Feiyang, however, disregarded the danger.

The strange illness he suffers was contracted over twenty years ago during one of these herb-gathering expeditions.

The hope of Lord Meng awakening grew dimmer, and Madam Lin’s resentment toward Meng Feiyang grew stronger, leading her to develop considerable grievances against Spirit Imperial City as well.

The butler’s obstruction of Nie Kong, besides the matter of being humiliated by Mu Lengxing, was also partly due to this underlying reason.

Now that Lord Meng had finally awakened under Nie Kong’s treatment, Madam Lin’s anger toward Spirit Imperial City naturally dissipated, and her hatred for Meng Feiyang was not as intense as before.

However, decades of accumulated resentment could not be entirely erased in just a couple of hours.

PS: The third update for the 13th! The City Lord’s wife, haha, a surprise, right? I dug the pit about the City Lord suffering from a strange ailment precisely for this plot point.

Hmph, and here’s another pit dug; have you noticed it? O(∩_∩)O~ Finally, don't forget the recommendation votes, everyone!