Shen Zhenyu understood instantly. He nodded slowly, his expression calm but sharp. "That's right. Linyue, are you saying the plant you ate outside the wall was actually the same as Master Yin Xue's herb, but… tainted?"
Linyue met his gaze, relief flickering in her eyes. At least someone here didn't need the entire lecture. "Yes. I think the tainted one had the opposite effect of the original."
Song Meiyu, who had clearly made it her life's mission to gasp at everything today, gasped again. "So, the plants outside the wall were originally herbs! But because of demons, they turned into poison!?"
Linyue shook her head. "Not exactly because of the demons. Let's skip that part for now."
Song Meiyu immediately pouted. "You always skip the juicy parts."
"The important thing is," Linyue went on, "the Crimson Bloodroot. If I'm right, then the original version of it, the untainted one, is the cure for the disease."
Another gasp, louder this time. Song Meiyu was going to need a paper fan at this rate.
"That makes sense!" she cried, eyes wide. "It was found outside the wall, right? That's why they couldn't find the cure! Because the poison was the cure all along! It's like… the cure wore an evil mustache and went undercover! But, how do we find the original one?"
"Why not ask Master Yin Xue?" Shen Zhenyu suggested. "See if the scrolls mention where it grows."
"Right!" Song Meiyu said, sitting up straighter as she grabbed her spirit transmission jade. It glowed softly, and a moment later Master Yin Xue's voice floated through, elegant but tired as ever.
"I'm sorry, dear. I haven't found the cure yet."
"No, no, Master," Song Meiyu said quickly. "We wanted to ask where Crimson Bloodroot can be found."
There was a brief pause. Then Master Yin Xue replied, "It was recorded that the plant only grows outside the wall. In the forest of the fallen Lingxu State."
Song Meiyu's eyes nearly popped out. "So, there's none inside the wall?"
"None, as far as the scrolls say."
"Wait! Master, can I also ask—" Song Meiyu began, already preparing a list of seventeen follow-up questions and possibly a request for snack recipes—
Click.
Shen Zhenyu cut off the jade and tucked it into his sleeve.
Song Meiyu blinked, clearly annoyed. "Hey! I wasn't finished!"
"We got what we needed," Shen Zhenyu said without missing a beat, totally unfazed.
He Yuying let out a sharp laugh. "That was the most heroic act I've seen all day."
"Thank you," Shen Zhenyu replied flatly. "I do what I must."
Then just like that, Shen Zhenyu shifted from calm to serious in exactly one second. He fixed his gaze on Linyue. "Even if we know where Crimson Bloodroot grows, we still don't know where to find the untainted one."
Linyue nodded, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. "Right. The forest of Lingxu was rich like Shulin. It's possible the plant only grew there. But since Lingxu fell, the land's been tainted too."
Song Meiyu's eyes grew wide, horror written all over her face. "So, you're saying… there might not be any untainted version left?! This disease can't be cured?!"
"No," Linyue said quickly, shaking her head. "Not like that. I just thought of something else. About the spring."
Song Meiyu leaned forward. "The spring that made us fall asleep for a hundred years in dreamland?"
"Yes. Do you remember how many plants were growing around it?"
Song Meiyu nodded. "Of course! That place looked like a fancy garden run by a fairy. But what does that have to do with this?"
Linyue sighed softly, her voice quiet but thoughtful. "This is just a guess. But maybe… the spring's healing effect wasn't meant only for humans."
The room went still for a moment.
Song Meiyu's face shifted from confusion to realization to suspicious. Her eyes narrowed. "Wait. Wait. Are you saying… that spring was actually a magical plant spa?"
"That's… one way to put it," Linyue nodded slowly. "I'm not completely sure. But that spring was full of spiritual energy. And there were so many rare plants growing there. What if it can actually return the plant back to its original condition?"
Shen Zhenyu nodded, all serious. "It's worth a try."
Linyue turned her gaze to Song Meiyu. "Sister Meiyu, didn't you take some of the spring water back?"
Song Meiyu's eyes darted to the side, guilt written all over her face. "Uhh… actually… after I woke up from that weird dream nap, I panicked and put it back into the spring. You didn't even wake up for days, remember? I thought it was the best decision!"
Linyue nodded without a hint of judgment. "That was probably the right call. It's fine. We know where the spring is, so we can always go back. The real problem now is the Crimson Bloodroot."
Shen Zhenyu folded his arms, his calm expression never changing. "Indeed. To get it, we'll need to go outside the wall. And we still can't guarantee that our guess is correct."
Linyue let out a small breath. "That's why I wasn't sure if I should say anything. It's all just a theory."
Shen Zhenyu gave her a quiet look, steady and warm in his own subtle way. "It's okay, Linyue. You're not alone. We trust you. If you want to try it, we'll help you."
"Of course!" Song Meiyu said, bouncing back to her usual energy. "And if we're right, isn't that amazing? No one's ever guessed that the scary poison plants outside the wall are actually useful. We'll be famous! They'll build statues of us! Probably not of He Yuying, because he's always hiding in the back eating snacks."
He Yuying, without missing a beat, reached for another dried plum. "Perfect. I hate statues. Too hard to snack in peace with pigeons sitting on your head."
Linyue smiled faintly. "But, it's dangerous."
Song Meiyu waved it off. "Please. We are swamp survivors. Haunted cave explorers. We even escaped that underground lab with all of our limbs intact. We're practically professionals."
He Yuying popped another dried plum into his mouth and spoke around the chew, his tone flat. "Professionals at what? Running away very fast while hungry? Yes, that we are."
Song Meiyu slapped the table. "Exactly! See, even he admits it."
Linyue covered her mouth with her sleeve, hiding a small smile. Shen Zhenyu only shook his head, though the corners of his lips twitched as if he wanted to smile too.
Linyue's gaze swept over the three of them. For a moment, her eyes lingered, steady and thoughtful. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course!" Song Meiyu grinned. "If we don't try it, I won't be able to sleep. You know Master Yin Xue would do the same. If it works, we'll help people. If it doesn't… well, we'll just count it as sightseeing. Dangerous sightseeing."
Shen Zhenyu gave a small nod. "Either way, it works."
He Yuying lifted his snack pouch and nodded slowly. "Fine. But if I die, I'm haunting all of you. And I expect offerings. The good kind. Meat buns, not incense."
Linyue's lips curved faintly. "Very well. I'll make sure your afterlife diet is properly balanced."
Song Meiyu leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "But what if you die somewhere far away? Do we have to deliver buns to your ghost, or do you come pick them up?"
He Yuying chewed thoughtfully, as if the logistics of haunting deserved real consideration. "I'll manage. Distance won't stop me if food's involved."
That earned a soft exhale from Linyue, something between amusement and disbelief. Shen Zhenyu only shook his head, though the corners of his mouth threatened to lift.
For a moment, the room grew quiet again. The weight of their decision pressed down on them, heavy but shared. They all understood what it meant, even if none of them said it aloud.
Then Song Meiyu clapped her hands, shattering the moment with reckless cheer. "Maybe we can ask the Demon King for help?"
Linyue shook her head. "It's not the more the merrier when demons are involved. Spiritual energy draws them in. The more people, the more trouble. I was originally planning to go alone."
That earned her a deadly glare from Song Meiyu. "Excuse me? What do you mean alone? Who do you think we are?! Background decorations?"
"That's why I changed my mind."
Shen Zhenyu let out a quiet sigh. "It's good that you did. But you're right. Too many people will just attract more demons."
Song Meiyu crossed her arms. "Fine. Then it's just us. The Original Disaster Trio. Plus Brother Zhenyu."
He Yuying raised a dried plum like a toast. "I'll bring snacks."
And just like that, the plan was set: head into the wilderness, hunt for cursed plants, maybe reverse the cursed plant into its original state, and definitely get yelled by the Demon King later.
Linyue folded her arms. "We need a plan."
Shen Zhenyu looked at her. "What do you have in mind?"