Shi Bingyuan felt somewhat calmer hearing this; at least he knew his Master wouldn't die. Still, constantly fainting and regaining consciousness wasn't a sustainable solution. He needed to recover to a normal state, one way or another.

Seeing the look on Shi Bingyuan's face, the Boss hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Your Master... Well, here’s what we’ll do: you should let him rest well tonight. I trust that good fortune favors the righteous. Head to the capital city first thing in the morning and have the prescriptions filled according to my formula. Once the medicine is compounded, he will be well. Otherwise, hmph, he’s going to suffer quite a bit."

The moment Shi Bingyuan heard this, a thousand waves crashed in his heart. He immediately conceived a plan to spirit Zhou Huan away under the cover of night. But as soon as the thought formed, the Boss saw right through him.

"Hahaha, if you don't want your Master to die, don't set out tonight. His vital acupoints require a full night to recover. Otherwise, if you run into mountain winds outside, things will get complicated. Should he be struck by an evil gust, we won't have any recourse," the Boss stated, and his words were undeniably true. Shi Bingyuan understood this issue; perhaps it was his own anxiety over Zhou Huan’s safety that had prompted the immediate departure idea.

"Enough, don't overthink it. Hurry and take your Master back to his room to rest. Be sure to cover him well with a quilt tonight, making sure no draft gets in. Otherwise, any lingering illness that settles in later will be a pain to manage," the Boss cautioned.

Zhou Huan was carried by his disciples back to his room. Once he was lying down soundly, Shi Bingyuan resolved to stay by his Master’s side and tend to him carefully throughout the night.

The very next morning, as promised, the Boss dispatched over a dozen men to help carry the luggage and lift Zhou Huan up to the mountain peak. Standing on the summit, everyone looked far down the slope, where a single, straight road stretched out toward the horizon.

"Masters, this long road leads directly to the capital. Once you descend the mountain, there will be no further obstacles in your path. Therefore, I urge you to quicken your pace—the sooner the better. Upon reaching the capital, begin searching for the medicinal herbs immediately, or our Boss’s painstaking efforts will be wasted," the underling who had accompanied them up the mountain told Tian Lang and Shi Bingyuan.

After thanking the man, Shi Bingyuan and Tian Lang, along with a few others tending to Zhou Huan and the two young women, descended the mountain.

Their speed was necessary; saving Zhou Huan’s life demanded they push toward the capital quickly. These men were remarkably efficient. After coming down Mount Lianyun, they reached the capital in under three days. As they arrived at the city gates, twilight was just beginning to settle, and streams of people continuously flowed in and out.

"Wow, this really is the capital. Just look at the crowds; this place is clearly not ordinary," Dongzi exclaimed in amazement.

Shi Bingyuan muttered, "Who isn't impressed? Just look at the grandeur of these city towers—a clear sign of being at the Emperor's feet, radiating imperial energy."

"Senior Brother, shouldn't we hurry inside to find lodging, and then look for medicine for Master?" Tian Xiong brought up the crucial point. Shi Bingyuan and Dongzi exchanged nods, and they rushed toward the city gates. However, just as they reached the entrance, several soldiers stopped Tian Lang and the others.

"Hey, you lot, come over here and prepare for inspection." Since the upcoming Can Fa Hui (Dharma Gathering Assembly) demanded heightened security, the capital was strictly regulated, and everything required rigorous screening. Tian Lang was carrying Zhou Huan on his back, Shi Bingyuan shouldered bundles large and small, Tian Xiong helped support Zhou Huan, Dongzi clutched a pile of food, and the two girls, one holding a rabbit and the other a food satchel, were pulled aside by four or five soldiers for inspection.

Shi Bingyuan immediately spoke up, "Gentlemen soldiers, my Master is critically ill. We only wish to enter the city to find apothecaries and purchase good herbs so my Master can regain his senses. If we are delayed, he might not survive."

"We don't care about your rescue mission; we are merely performing our duty. Please be understanding. Come on, quickly open your packages. Once we confirm everything is fine, you can proceed swiftly."

"Hey, open the bags quickly!" Tian Lang urged. Everyone opened their belongings. When Shi Bingyuan and Tian Xiong opened theirs, the soldiers frowned faintly, then waved a hand dismissively. "Hurry inside. If you’re saving a person, why bring the implements for a dead one? Really, you must be treating him like he’s already deceased!"

"Yes, yes, we’re leaving right away! These are just our eating utensils!" Shi Bingyuan replied smoothly, and the group hastened into the city. On the way, they surveyed the terrain, looking for an inn. Since they would be staying here for quite some time—at least until the Can Fa Hui concluded—they needed suitable lodging.

"Senior Brother, look ahead! It says 'Designated Inn for the Can Fa Hui'!" Tian Xiong observed the busy street scene. Seeing that the inn had been specially decreed by the Imperial Edict, he thought it looked incredibly grand, suggesting its owner must be quite a figure.

"Let's go to that one. They must have space. Once we’re settled, we split up to find the herbs. The two girls will stay behind to look after Master!" Shi Bingyuan laid out the plan. Tian Lang readily agreed. After all, these were matters concerning Shi Bingyuan’s sect, and the Boss's prescription was in Shi Bingyuan's possession, so he was in charge of arrangements. However, once they settled in, they realized they didn't have much money. Their combined funds were only enough for one month for so many people. If the assembly ran long, it wouldn't be enough!

Tian Lang handed his money to the innkeeper, who smiled and said, "Well, so many of you arriving at once, and you plan to stay for over a month? It seems you aren't intending to watch the entire Can Fa Hui, are you?"

"Uh, no, it's just that we don't have enough money, so we can only stay this long. If we need to stay longer when the time comes, we might end up sleeping on the streets!" Shi Bingyuan stated clearly.

The innkeeper was quite urbane: "Not at all. You paid a full month upfront. I didn't realize you were short on funds. Don't worry, I will notify you when your money runs low. Stay at ease!" After speaking, the attendant led the group upstairs. When the innkeeper saw the person being carried in, his face instantly changed. "Hey! Slow down, let me check!" The innkeeper seemed to know how to take a pulse. After checking Zhou Huan's wrist, he said, "Alright, you can go up. I was just worried you’d brought in another corpse to lodge; that brings bad luck!"

"Hmph. If we die, rest assured, we will certainly stay here with you again for a visit!" Tian Xiong was quick-witted enough to always land a jab on someone speaking nonsense.

The innkeeper pouted and turned away. The attendant ushered them into a room. Shi Bingyuan inquired about the routes to buy medicine, then volunteered to go out immediately. Tian Lang had not a single coin left. He looked at Shi Bingyuan and said, "I'm out of money. Can you spare some? If we go buy medicine, we might not have enough even for a deposit."

"Alright!" Shi Bingyuan pulled out some loose silver from his waist, counted it, divided it, and left the inn first. Their arrangement was as follows: Shi Bingyuan headed East, Tian Lang North, Tian Xiong West, and Dongzi South. There were major pharmacies and numerous herb dealers in the four directions of the capital, so they planned their search accordingly.

The assigned tasks before they departed were: Shi Bingyuan was to find Xiang Guo Pi (Fragrant Fruit Peel), Tian Lang to find Tian Zhi (Heavenly Marrow), Tian Xiong for Shui Mu (Water Wood), and Dongzi for Wang Hong Hua (Forgetful Red Flower).

As they split up, everyone moved quite fast, except for Dongzi, who walked slowly, musing, "The things everyone else is looking for sound like actual medicinal names, but mine is just a flower? Is medicine even classified by gender?"

Thinking this, Dongzi headed towards the South City market. The southern section of the capital primarily dealt with wholesale trade. Many high-ranking officials had their residences here, so the places that wholesaled goods were mostly large compounds and warehouses. It made sense that finding something as small as a single flower here would be difficult. The more Dongzi thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, but for the sake of his Master, he had no choice but to continue, hoping to find it so his Master could wake up soon.