Chapter 36: Damaged Medicinal Plants

After saying this, Luo Bi became reluctant to interact with anyone. No matter how much Jiang Zhu spoke in flowery, persuasive terms, Luo Bi only offered the occasional response and refused to participate in anything else.

Wu Ying pouted as she watched, finally whimpering, "I'm begging you, just say yes!"

To think she would use such a tactic, Luo Bi chuckled. Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Zhu said, "Don't hesitate anymore. Look, even Wu Ying is begging you." In her view, since a distinguished Alchemist Contractualist had deigned to beg, Luo Bi should know when to stop.

It wasn't that Luo Bi didn't understand social graces, but she said helplessly, "I'll think about it, alright? Stop persuading me. My head is spinning from all your nagging. Look, I even damaged a high-grade medicinal plant."

*Damn you all for nagging endlessly.* Luo Bi spread out the high-grade medicinal plant in her hands, which had been snapped in half at the waist. The broken area was wet and glistening; anyone in the know could tell the medicinal potency was rapidly leaking out.

"Oh dear, what should we do? Would using repair solution work?" Jiang Zhu wanted to take it to examine the situation. High-grade medicinal plants were not cheap; if repair solution could temporarily control the loss of potency, it could reduce the damage.

However, as soon as Jiang Zhu took it, the stem proved too brittle, and another leaf was brushed off. "It's ruined. It's beyond saving now."

Luo Bi looked at her, and she looked at Luo Bi; they both knew deep down that this plant was truly finished.

Luo Bi asked her, "What do we do?" This wasn't something she had done alone.

"It's fine." Jiang Zhu volunteered to take responsibility, saying as she walked out, "I'll have my cousin take a look."

Wu Yue was a pregnant body who had awakened Wood-type abilities at S-rank. He had been in contact with medicinal and spiritual plants longer than any of them, so Jiang Zhu held onto a glimmer of hope that he might have a solution.

Unfortunately, even Wu Yue had no way to fix it. Since it was already broken, he didn't need to be overly cautious. After examining it repeatedly, he said, "How did this happen? So careless. It's a lost cause." Although there might be a way to save it, there was no longer any need to do so; the entire plant was too severely damaged.

Luo Bi followed him over and stood straight to interject in time, "I broke it. The potency had only lost 30%, but then Sister Jiang Zhu didn't hold it properly and brushed off another leaf, so the potency couldn't be contained."

She spoke with factual honesty, and Wu Yue didn't think much of it. "Forget it. It's broken, just be more careful in the future." Although Wu Yue felt the sting of the loss, he had no intention of making his employees pay for it. Compensation incidents had never happened before, and he wouldn't start one with Luo Bi and his cousin.

Jiang Zhu, however, was genuinely distressed. She sighed over the high-grade medicinal plant, calculating whether she could try using repair solution herself.

"Let me see." Wu Ying reached out her hand.

Jiang Zhu handed it over. Seeing this, Luo Bi curled her lip in a secret laugh. Just as expected, as soon as Wu Ying took over, she snapped the battered medicinal plant into several pieces; it was a truly gruesome sight.

Wu Ying remained unbothered, giggling, "This plant is really brittle."

Jiang Zhu was stunned. Luo Bi spoke to her, "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Hurry and get it to the drying area." Even if a high-grade medicinal plant was severely damaged, after processing and drying, it could still be used as a low-grade medicinal ingredient.

Jiang Zhu quickly fetched specially hand-woven bamboo strips and carefully arranged the several segments of the plant. "Luo Bi, does this look okay?"

Luo Bi had developed a grievance against Jiang Zhu. She gave her a lazy glance and casually nudged the plant segments on the bamboo strips. "Fine. Just remember to put it somewhere with insufficient sunlight, so it doesn't dry out too quickly and completely drain the medicinal potency."

Knowing Luo Bi's capabilities, Jiang Zhu obediently carried it away.

Having secretly destroyed a medicinal plant, Luo Bi felt a sense of satisfaction, and her speed in processing the remaining plants increased. This prompted Wu Yue to grow impatient, urging Jiang Zhu several times for being too slow.

(End of Chapter)