The words spoken left Song Yan with nothing more to say.
At this moment, Elder Mu also emerged from the house, having overheard everything Shen Xiaoyan and the others had said. While he inwardly praised Shen Xiaoyan, Yi Zhi Xie, and the others for their deep bonds and good character, he also felt a pang of envy towards Yuan Heng and Song Yan. He had never married and thus had no children or grandchildren. Seeing how devoted Yuan Heng's grandson was to him, how could he not be jealous? A moment's thought, however, brought him peace. Not every junior was like Yi Zhi Xie. Having lived so long, he had seen all sorts of people and experienced all kinds of events. He had witnessed far too many dramas of siblings scheming against each other, brothers falling out, and fathers and sons turning into enemies, all for personal gain. Then again, what was his relationship with Yuan Heng? Yuan Heng's grandson was no different from his own grandson. With this thought, Elder Mu's smile deepened. He slowly walked to Song Yan's side, looked approvingly at Yi Zhi Xie and the others, and then spoke, "This is the children's filial piety. You thought you were doing what was best for them, but you didn't realize that refusing them like this would only make them sadder. Since they want to contribute their hearts and minds, why do you insist on stopping them? You must believe in them. This is the world of the youth now. Perhaps they will bring you a different outcome?"
Hearing Elder Mu's comfort, Song Yan's expression shifted several times. Finally, she let out a long sigh and said nothing. Regardless of anything else, she felt consoled. In her life, she had never cared about anything else; these good descendants were her greatest pride.
Time passed quickly, and it was already evening. For reasons unknown, Wang Dahong did not show up again. After the outer gates were locked, Shen Xiaoyan and the others prepared to leave for the forbidden area. Song Yan initially wanted her grandchildren to accompany them, but Yi Zhi Xie refused. The reason was simple: what if Wang Dahong, in a fit of madness, returned that night? If they were one person short, Wang Dahong would probably tear apart the Medicine Emperor Valley. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it was better for them to go alone. Furthermore, with others present, Shen Xiaoyan would be unable to use some of her tricks, which would be the greatest disadvantage.
Song Yan and Elder Mu did not press the issue after hearing their reasoning. They watched Shen Xiaoyan and the others fly away from the courtyard one by one, both silently offering a prayer. Regardless of whether Yi Zhi Xie and the others found the longevity grass, they prayed for their safe return.
Meanwhile, after leaving the courtyard, Shen Xiaoyan and the others moved like ghosts, evading the patrolling disciples of the Medicine Emperor Valley at night and successfully reaching the entrance to the forbidden area behind the valley. It was precisely because the Medicine Emperor Valley had remained peaceful for so many years that its nighttime defenses were not very strict. In fact, they were confident that most people would never find the Medicine Emperor Valley. Even if they did, the valley was filled with various herbs, and one might accidentally be poisoned, so they wouldn't rashly barge in. Therefore, although there were patrolling disciples at night, it was merely a formality. However, they did not expect that in this world, there were always people more skilled than others. And there was indeed a cat that could perfectly evade all the poisons within the Medicine Emperor Valley, allowing Shen Xiaoyan and her group to reach the entrance of the forbidden area smoothly.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at the towering stone tablet before her, gazing at the bold characters "Forbidden Area" inscribed on it. She felt an ancient and weathered aura emanating from it. From this stone tablet alone, it was evident that the forbidden area of the Medicine Emperor Valley had existed for a very long time. She wondered what the seemingly peaceful valley would be like once entered.
Yi Zhi Xie stood by the stone tablet, observing it for a long while before finally deciding, "Let's not enter for now."
Lu Taobao asked in confusion, "Why? Isn't time of the essence?"
Bai Ying couldn't help but cover her forehead at this. Perhaps it was because he had few desires, but Lu Taobao's intelligence had clearly declined. Wasn't the reason for not entering now obvious enough? Although time was pressing, they weren't in a hurry to die. The reason this place was called a forbidden area was undoubtedly because it contained great danger. And at night, the danger would be doubled. Therefore, they naturally could not enter now; they would only enter after dawn. While the danger might not decrease, at least they would be able to see their surroundings clearly and avoid any accidents.
After hearing Bai Ying's explanation, Lu Taobao covered his face, instantly feeling like life was meaningless. How could he have been so foolish? Why would he ask such a question? Was Bai Ying looking down on him now? Lu Taobao's heart fluttered like a young girl's, with a little deer pounding against her chest. Shen Xiaoyan and the others looked at his demeanor and all broke into smiles. Even the previously somber and suffocating atmosphere eased considerably. After a moment of laughter, the group sat down directly behind the stone tablet. The stone tablet was very large, and hiding behind it, they were completely invisible from the front. This way, even if people from the Medicine Emperor Valley came, they wouldn't be seen. And the people of the Medicine Emperor Valley would not cross the stone tablet, so even if they stayed here for a night, they would be very safe. All of them were cultivators and did not feel tired even without sleeping. However, to prepare for the unknown dangers that awaited them, they took turns to rest.
Time seemed to fly by. In the blink of an eye, the sky began to turn pale. When it was dawn and they could clearly see their surroundings, Shen Xiaoyan and the others had finished breakfast and prepared to enter the forbidden area. Last night, it had been dark and moonless, so they hadn't seen the surrounding environment clearly. Now, as they walked further in, they discovered that after passing the valley entrance, the interior became even more expansive, as if it were another world. Like the Medicine Emperor Valley, it was lush and green, with the air filled with the fresh scent of medicinal herbs. Shen Xiaoyan looked at the vibrant flowers and green willows before her, almost suspecting that they had arrived in another realm since coming to the Medicine Emperor Valley. Thinking this, she couldn't help but think of Bai Ge Er and the other two, wondering where they were suffering from the cold. With a faint smile, Shen Xiaoyan collected her thoughts and continued to advance with the group.
They walked for a full hour, encountering no danger. Instead, everywhere they went, there were medicinal herbs, some common, some rare. This made Shen Xiaoyan and the others doubt if there was truly no danger. However, upon further consideration, the absence of any particularly valuable herbs along the way made them think that perhaps the danger lay ahead. Wasn't there a saying that danger often accompanied opportunity? But common sense could also be overturned. As they ventured deeper, the surrounding herbs indeed increased in quantity and value, but they still hadn't seen anything particularly rare. Moreover, they hadn't felt any sense of danger at all. Even Shen Xiaoyan found the quiet valley somewhat unbelievable. This was not so much a problem; it was not bad to have no danger.
However, after walking for another hour, they abruptly discovered that they had reached the end of the valley. They looked at the barren stone wall ahead, and tilting their heads back, they saw that it stretched endlessly upwards. Although they didn't know why, the scene before them clearly told them that they had reached the end of the valley, the so-called forbidden area. But Yi Zhi Xie was unwilling to accept this, so he led the group towards the left. This time, it took even less time before they encountered a stone wall again. Yi Zhi Xie refused to believe it and turned back towards the path they had come from. Indeed, after walking for a short while, they saw the stone tablet standing there. Clearly, they had reached the entrance of the forbidden area.
Lu Taobao irritably ran his fingers through his hair and asked softly, "What on earth is going on?" It wasn't just him; everyone present felt bewildered. A simple valley that could be explored in a short amount of time had become the forbidden area of the Medicine Emperor Valley. And not only that, but it was also rumored to be shrouded in mystery, with rare herbs that were hard to find and deadly dangers within. It was fortunate they had spent a whole night waiting outside. After entering, they had seen absolutely nothing. Looking back at the valley, Shen Xiaoyan frowned and asked, "What should we do now? Should we just go back like this?"
Yi Zhi Xie gritted his teeth. Returning empty-handed would be embarrassing, but what about his grandfather? The thought of the elder who had once held him dear made him unwilling to return now. Since he was unwilling to leave, they could only turn back and search again. Unfortunately, they spent a great deal more time going back and forth through the valley three times. They meticulously examined every inch of land, every dry blade of grass, and every herb, yet they found nothing amiss. Could it be that this was truly all there was to it? Shen Xiaoyan's confusion grew, making her feel even more perplexed. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, and she walked up to Zheng Wei, whispering, "Do you think the Valley Mistress didn't want us to take risks and deliberately told us a false location? To make us run around in vain and then give up?"
Zheng Wei listened and pondered for a moment before firmly shaking his head. "I don't think that's likely. Even if the Valley Mistress couldn't bear to see us take risks, she wouldn't deceive us in such a way. After all, we are no longer children. Even if we were fooled at the time, we would eventually realize something was amiss. That would truly be doing harm with good intentions. She wouldn't be that foolish." Hearing Zheng Wei, Shen Xiaoyan also nodded in agreement. She too felt that the Valley Mistress wouldn't have lied to them. If that were the case, was the problem with the valley itself? Zheng Wei's expression changed slightly, and he immediately called out loudly to those still searching, "You all come here first."
Everyone was startled at first, but upon seeing the serious expressions of Zheng Wei and Yi Zhi Xie, they quickly ran to their side. Yi Zhi Xie directly asked, "What's wrong?" He knew Zheng Wei; if it weren't for something extremely important, Zheng Wei wouldn't act like this.