Chapter 71: The Spiritual Plant in the Savage Den

Chapter 71: The Spirit Plants in the Snake Den

There were ten warriors in total here: five belonged to Li Hongshen, three were elves under Li Bingbing, and the remaining two came from Lin Shengzun’s group.

The warrior who had just been bitten and thrown by the python was one of Li Hongshen’s. As he approached Li Hongshen, it was clear his arm was limp, and there were bloodstains on his face and body.

“Black Wolf Blade, how are you? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, don’t worry, Chief. The shaman checked and treated me just now. Aside from my arm, which broke when I hit the ground, everything else is okay. After some treatment, I should recover in two or three days.”

“That’s good. What exactly happened just now? Why did you provoke the giant python?”

The warrior didn’t answer immediately, but glanced at one of Lin Shengzun’s men.

“Chief, they acted against protocol and moved on their own. I was attacked by the python because I tried to save him.”

Li Hongshen followed his gaze to the other warrior, whose body was smeared with mud and whose hands were stained with earth and what appeared to be traces of red liquid.

Hearing the accusation, Li Hongshen didn’t question the warrior directly but turned to Lin Shengzun. Though Li Hongshen was the commander and leader of the group, the warrior wasn’t his subordinate—he wished to preserve some dignity for the other leader.

Sensing Li Hongshen’s attention, Lin Shengzun offered an apologetic smile.

“My apologies, excuse me for a moment.”

Lin Shengzun took the warrior aside, leaving the defensive circle to talk in private. Li Hongshen watched their figures, eyes narrowed, his expression inscrutable.

Li Bingbing frowned slightly but said nothing, waiting for Lin Shengzun’s response.

Soon, Lin Shengzun returned with his warrior.

“I’m sorry, it was his mistake. He was following your instructions to collect insect-repellent grass, but forgot to pay attention to his surroundings and accidentally fell into the snake nest, provoking the pythons. Fortunately, there was no major loss—just a stroke of luck.”

As Lin Shengzun explained, Li Hongshen’s eyes narrowed completely, his face growing colder. Before he could speak, Black Wolf Blade, standing behind him, couldn’t help but object.

“Lies! I saw reptile tracks there before and found the snake ditch. I warned them not to go—there was danger. This warrior ignored my warning and sneaked into the snake ditch when we weren’t watching. He then led the giant python right to us. If not for the Imperial Crocodile, I would have been swallowed whole. He was also holding a blood-red flower—I saw it clearly.”

After Black Wolf Blade finished, Lin Shengzun’s face darkened and he forced an awkward smile.

“Maybe you were mistaken, the situation was tense—mistakes happen. Besides, he ran to you for help.”

“You—”

Li Hongshen waved his hand, stopping Black Wolf Blade from speaking further. He trusted his own warrior, but allowing a subordinate to openly refute a lord was unwise and disrespectful to his own status.

After silencing the dispute, Li Hongshen smiled enigmatically.

“I understand the situation. Lin Shengzun, please go comfort your warrior. I’ll speak with mine as well—let’s be cautious and avoid such incidents. This is the Endless Wilds, after all. Who knows what we might encounter—perhaps even dangers I can’t resist. If we suffer casualties, our forces could scatter, and we’d be forced to retreat. Don’t you agree?”

“Ahem, yes, you’re right. We must be careful. It was my warrior’s fault—I’ll warn him.”

“There won’t be a next time, will there?”

“No, I promise.”

“I hope so. I have matters to attend to as well. Since this crisis was caused by your warrior, I’ll split your share of blood crystals with Li Bingbing and myself. You have no objection, I trust?”

“None at all. That’s only fair. I should thank the shaman for resolving this crisis.”

Lin Shengzun’s face grew stiff at Li Hongshen’s words. He understood the implication, but as fellow lords, even if Li Hongshen was the team captain and had a strong force, he couldn’t simply relinquish earned benefits—at least not now.

Seeing Li Hongshen offer a compromise, Lin Shengzun accepted it. A verbal thanks to Li Hongshen’s shaman was nothing, especially since this was a formidable second-tier spellcaster.

If not for knowing Li Hongshen’s lordly talents made some things impossible, he might have considered enticing the shaman away—he himself lacked any spellcasters.

“Well then, let’s camp here for now and rest. I have some matters to handle as well.”

Li Hongshen ended the questioning—there was nothing more to be gained. As a lord, protecting one’s own was standard practice, especially for a powerful newcomer like Lin Shengzun. This affected his prestige among his subjects.

A mutual compromise avoided further awkwardness—after all, they still needed to travel together.

But a rift had formed, and Li Hongshen already had his own ideas about how to handle it. The time and place were simply not right yet.

He took Black Wolf Blade to find Zhao Yun, discussed matters quietly, then returned to assign the warriors to rest. He let the Imperial Crocodile go off and devour the electrocuted pythons—they weren’t picky eaters.

After the discussion, Zhao Yun placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled. A giant Storm Eagle landed before him, its back fitted with a flying saddle.

Zhao Yun climbed atop, and the eagle soared, carrying him toward the site of the python attack.

This Storm Eagle was promoted by Li Hongshen using second-tier blood crystals—he had two, both trustworthy aerial units. Aside from other beasts with equal bloodline, these second-tier Storm Eagles could dominate the outskirts.

Li Bingbing and Lin Shengzun were unfazed by this display. They’d seen several aerial reconnaissance sorties before, and it had become routine.

The Storm Eagle flew swiftly. Not long after the group settled into camp, it returned with Zhao Yun.

Sliding down the eagle’s wing, Zhao Yun patted its neck, then brought a bundle to Li Hongshen.

“Stripped everything clean—it’s all here.”

“Name: Blood Orchid”

“Type: Spirit Plant”

“Rank: Tier One”

“Details: Its fragrance improves mating efficiency and boosts reproductive success. Eating a single petal enhances vitality; consuming a whole flower can extend lifespan (subject to circumstances). Prefers moist cliff environments, blooms once a year, lasting only seven days.”

Few details, but potent effects; extremely rare and valuable.

The sack contained nearly thirty Blood Orchids. Li Hongshen took four, approached Li Bingbing and gave her three, then handed one to Lin Shengzun.

“According to the rules, the finder gets the largest share. Since I discovered this spirit plant, I’ve taken the main portion. Here are some for you both—may we cooperate well in the future.”

(End of chapter)