Chapter 107: News at Last

After being repeatedly rebuffed, Shao Siming could no longer maintain his façade of gentleness. His face turned as dark as storm clouds gathering before a thunderstorm, devoid of any trace of light.

"Shao Siming, don't ever act out that father-daughter affection in front of me again. I know you can't be bothered to pretend, and I can't be bothered to expose you," Xie Qingtang said bluntly once more.

Shao Siming said nothing further, casting her a cold glance before leaving with his entourage, not causing any more trouble for the Hall of Virtue.

"Boss, you're amazing! My admiration for you is like the surging river, endless and unstoppable, just like the overflowing Yellow River," Zhou Jinfan exclaimed, deeply impressed by Xie Qingtang's calm demeanor even in the midst of chaos.

Xie Qingtang shot him a glare and tossed a prescription into his hands. "Stop with the flattery and hurry up with the medicine!"

Meanwhile, Gu Xiujin, having received a mysterious message, rushed home and instructed Li Zhao to open the computer and log onto a highly secretive website known as the Cloud Network. This platform was filled with bounty postings—some for people, some for objects.

On this site, any task could be posted. As long as the price was right, mysterious figures would accept the assignment and complete it within a specified time.

It was a gray area, yet a powerful one. For Gu Xiujin, searching for the rare herbs he needed was most suited to the Cloud Network.

Moments earlier, the treasure hunter who had taken his commission sent a message: there was finally news about the Blood Ginseng.

The mysterious hunter claimed to have found the Blood Ginseng Gu Xiujin needed, requesting that the remaining payment be transferred to his account on the Cloud Network, after which the herb would be delivered to the address Gu Xiujin had provided.

"We must inspect the goods first," Gu Xiujin replied, not naïve enough to trust the person outright.

The hunter readily agreed, offering a portion of the Blood Ginseng for Gu Xiujin to verify before completing the transaction.

"Gu, the Blood Ginseng is crucial for your illness. Why not have the tech department trace the hunter's ID? We must get that herb," Li Zhao said, furrowing his brow.

Gu Xiujin knew how important it was to obtain the Blood Ginseng, so he agreed to the hunter's terms: inspect a portion first, confirm its authenticity, pay the remaining bounty, and finally receive the herb.

The most reliable person to appraise it was naturally Xie Qingtang. When she received the sample from Gu Xiujin, she was surprised. "You really are capable, to have found the Blood Ginseng among the seven main herbs so quickly."

"You helped me acquire a Four-Leaf Ghost Needle, so if we're talking about capability, you're more impressive," Gu Xiujin replied calmly. Xie Qingtang nodded; indeed, she had obtained one of the seven key herbs even faster than he had.

Taking the slender ginseng root, Xie Qingtang said, "Wait a moment. I'll soon know if this is real Blood Ginseng or not."

With that, she headed to the backyard, Gu Xiujin following. Xie Qingtang took out a bowl, poured in some medicinal powder, waited, then added the ginseng root.

After a while, the water in the bowl turned a vibrant red, resembling human blood. Xie Qingtang's eyes lit up at the sight and she turned to Gu Xiujin. "It's real Blood Ginseng. You must get it."

"Alright, understood." With two of the seven main herbs now secured, even Gu Xiujin couldn't suppress his excitement. The illness that had plagued him for over twenty years finally seemed curable.

At that moment, a clear bird call rang out, drawing Xie Qingtang's attention to the birdcage hanging in the tree.

Gu Xiujin looked as well, his eyes bright with surprise. "This bird's feathers are brilliant and unusual—it's clearly no ordinary creature."

"Of course it's not. This bird eats only herbal medicine, nothing else," Xie Qingtang said with a smile. She walked over, opened the cage, and the little bird shot out like an arrow, heading straight for the bowl of Blood Ginseng-infused liquid.

As Xie Qingtang watched in astonishment, she rushed toward the bowl, but the bird was quicker. Its head plunged into the bowl, snatching the delicate ginseng root and swallowing it in a blink.

"This little bird truly is peculiar," Gu Xiujin said in surprise. Xie Qingtang frowned, quickly grabbing the bird and pinching its neck, trying to retrieve the root. "Greedy creature, you eat anything!"

But the root, now swallowed, was not so easily retrieved. Moreover, after eating it, the bird's body went limp, contentedly lying on its back in Xie Qingtang's palm.

Looking at the shameless, gluttonous bird, Xie Qingtang was at a loss. She had intended to use the root in medicine for her grandfather's health, but now it had been devoured by a bird.

"You little thing, after consuming so much herbal medicine, perhaps you've absorbed its properties and become a medicine yourself. Maybe using you as an ingredient would be just as effective," she threatened, holding the bird.

But the bird, as if deaf to her words, rolled over and continued to lie comfortably in her palm, showing no intention of fleeing.

A gleam appeared in Gu Xiujin's eyes, and he laughed softly. "This bird is not as simple as it seems. Perhaps keeping it will bring unexpected surprises."

"A picky eater like this—I doubt I can afford it," Xie Qingtang replied, pursing her lips.