Chapter 8: Blood-Colored Lingzhi

Before Feng Yaorao could react, Xiao Bai bit the hem of her skirt and tugged at it, seemingly trying to get her to follow.

Feng Yaorao understood Xiao Bai's intention and immediately stood up, following Xiao Bai in a certain direction.

Xiao Bai darted here and there, appearing to be searching for something.

Finally, Xiao Bai stopped in front of a patch of dense grass and barked incessantly toward it, as if there were something inside.

Without thinking much of it, Feng Yaorao stepped forward and pushed the grass aside.

She wouldn't have known if she hadn't looked, but once she did, she was startled.

Hidden beneath the grass were actually two palm-sized lingzhi mushrooms, and they were blood-colored.

Blood-colored lingzhi absorb the essence of the sun and moon and gather the spiritual energy of mountains and rivers; among lingzhi varieties, they are extremely rare and powerful. A thousand-year-old Blood Lingzhi, in particular, possesses the power to bring the dead back to life.

Although this lingzhi was not a thousand years old, it was at least three or four hundred years old.

While it could not bring the dead back to life, it was more than sufficient to neutralize all poisons and heal all wounds.

Even so, it was considered a supreme treasure of the mortal realm; if it weren't worth a city, it was at least worth half of one.

Seeing this lingzhi, Feng Yaorao remembered the reason why Cang Rui had deceived her into coming to the Misty Ghost Forest—to find a century-old lingzhi—and the anger in her heart rose once again.

Although Cang Rui had only deceived her to get rid of her, there was no denying that everyone desired this lingzhi; even the Emperor would be no exception.

At this thought, the fury in Feng Yaorao's eyes turned into something wicked.

*Cang Rui, don't you want lingzhi? I'll give it to you. However, I'll only let you look at it, and it'll be the rarest Blood Lingzhi at that. Don't go getting envious when the time comes!*

"Hehe!" As she thought this, Feng Yaorao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

However, this laugh was so bone-chilling that even a dog couldn't help but shudder.

Feng Yaorao picked up the Blood Lingzhi, tore a piece of fabric from the hem of her skirt to wrap it, and carefully tucked it away, hanging it at her waist like a precious treasure.

"Xiao Bai, thank you." Feng Yaorao knelt down, patted Xiao Bai's head, and gave a sincere smile.

"Wang... wang..." Xiao Bai barked twice in response to Feng Yaorao, and its eyes actually held a look of tenderness.

However, looking at this forest shrouded in mist where directions were indistinguishable, Feng Yaorao began to worry again. How was she going to get out!

In contrast to Feng Yaorao, who was trapped in the misty forest, news of her three-day disappearance had already spread throughout the Imperial City.

Feng Yaorao had always been the headline topic of the Imperial City, and her movements were always the most closely watched. Of course, people weren't concerned about her; they just wanted to watch the drama unfold.

"I heard Feng Yaorao has been missing for three days..."

"Really? How could she just disappear!"

"Who knows how she disappeared! But this news came from the Prime Minister's residence, so it's naturally not false."

"But where could she have gone!"

"Who knows!..."

"..."

In the Feng Manor, Feng Yaorao's disappearance had caused quite a stir. It wasn't that people were worried about her, but rather that they were gloating over her misfortune.

However, this so-called "stir" was due to Duke Qin coming to demand an explanation.

At this moment, two groups of people were in a standoff...

On one side were the people of the Feng Manor, led by Feng Xiang. He was dressed in dark, luxurious clothing, in his early forties, with his hair tied up by a silver jade-inlaid crown, and silver strands peeking through his temples.