At that moment, Du Bailei's raspy voice emerged from beneath his black robe, "Young friend Jiang Chen and two distinguished alchemists, I am Du Bailei, the head of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce."
"Please forgive me for not revealing my true appearance; I am indisposed and not in the best of health," he explained, his words tinged with a faint note of suffering.
"We completely understand," Jiang Chen replied with empathy, showing his concern. He then had a short conversation with the President of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce.
Shortly afterwards, Jiang Chen suggested that Qiu Liaoxi and Ning Xian should examine him. After thinking it over, Du Bailei agreed to their proposal.
"Please excuse me, I hope my appearance doesn't startle you," Du Bailei said as he raised his hand to remove his black hood.
Suddenly, they were confronted with a ghastly face. It was a network of muscle strands, twisting like vines, with a color resembling severe burns.
Jiang Chen, however, remained unphased, having seen worse during his time on Earth. Qiu Liaoxi, knowledgeable and composed, also showed no reaction. It was only Ning Xian, due to her limited life experience and never having seen such a terrifying sight before, who briefly showed a flicker of shock in her eyes before regaining her composure.
Jiang Chen carefully observed Du Bailei and then earnestly addressed Qiu Liaoxi. "Alchemist Qiu, please diagnose President Du Bailei!"
"I will give it my all!" Qiu Liaoxi nodded affirmatively and moved forward to examine Du Bailei.
In truth, when Qiu Liaoxi first saw Du Bailei, she experienced a sense of déjà vu. After a brief moment of contemplation, she connected the dots using her knowledge from the Thousand Green Pill Heart Records. Du Bailei's affliction was due to an entity within his body that was sapping not just his Origin Power, but also his qi and blood, even a portion of his soul essence.
After her thorough examination of Du Bailei, Qiu Liaoxi looked up solemnly. "President Du Bailei, this wasn't just an accident, was it? You were deliberately targeted!"
"The entity inside President Du Bailei's body is known as the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass. Planting this grass requires an alchemist of great skill, using a specific method. It leeches the host's qi and blood as well as their soul essence to grow stronger. Without intervention, it can completely drain the host in a single moment!"
"However," she continued, "under the influence of a particular medicine, its absorption can be moderated to only take a fraction of the host's qi and blood, along with their soul essence, ensuring the host remains alive."
"President Du Bailei, it's clear that you're in the latter situation; someone is using this method to manipulate you!" Qiu Liaoxi concluded confidently, her tone showing the gravity of the situation.
Upon hearing these words, Du Bailei's face registered surprise. "So, it's called the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass!" he exclaimed in realization.
"Alchemist Qiu, your medical expertise is truly remarkable. I've sought help in many places across the Mysterious Truth Continent, but it was you who managed to diagnose my condition," Du Bailei acknowledged, his astonishment evident and his voice growing more enthusiastic with each word.
What Du Bailei didn't know was that Qiu Liaoxi was actually an alchemist from the Bright Cloud Continent.
"What's happening here?" Jiang Chen raised his eyebrows, his face showing curiosity. Inwardly, he felt a surge of satisfaction that Qiu Liaoxi had pinpointed the root of Du Bailei's problem, which increased the chances of curing him before anyone else could.
Du Bailei's expression transitioned from shock to a mix of hope and worry. Speaking with a hint of hesitation, he said, "Well, this situation... is a bit complicated. My first question is, does Alchemist Qiu have the capability to cure me?"
"If she can't, I would be reluctant to share the details, as it would be pointless and potentially harmful for both of us," he added cautiously.
"I know of a way to save you," Qiu Liaoxi declared with certainty, then shifted her tone, now more grim, "However, it might be difficult to achieve."
Du Bailei took a deep breath, his expression serious. "Alchemist Qiu, please, don't hesitate to speak your mind."
"To eliminate the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass," Qiu Liaoxi began earnestly, "we need a special spiritual plant called the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss."
"When the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass comes into contact with the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss, it acts like deadly poison to it, causing it to die immediately. Additionally, when it dies, some of the absorbed soul essence will be returned to your body."
"Unfortunately," she continued with a hint of regret, "the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss is extremely rare. In all my years, I've never encountered it even once."
"Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss..." Du Bailei repeated under his breath, his face falling into a look of despair, as disappointment replaced the hope he had just felt. "Does this mean I'm doomed to be a pawn or a captive for the rest of my life?"
As the President of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce and a seasoned expert in appraising, he had a vast knowledge of spiritual plants. However, he had never come across the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss before, and had no idea where it could be found.
Even Ning Xian's pretty face displayed a look of shock and anger as she spoke indignantly, "I can't imagine who would commit such a cruel act, using the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass to torment people."
"It's a method that makes people wish for death!" she added, her voice filled with disgust and empathy for the Du Bailei's plight.
"Alas," Du Bailei sighed with resignation, quickly regaining his composure. He then respectfully bowed to Jiang Chen, expressing his gratitude earnestly, "I'm deeply thankful to young friend Jiang Chen for bringing Master Qiu here to diagnose me."
"Though I can't be healed right now, at least I'm aware of the treatment method," he added with a mixture of hope and determination. "In the future, I will commit all my resources to finding the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss, in hopes of ridding myself of the affliction caused by the Swallowing Body Snatching Soul Grass."
Just when everyone thought Jiang Chen would offer words of comfort to Du Bailei, they noticed him rubbing his chin, a contemplative expression on his face, murmuring something indistinct.
Then, he turned to Qiu Liaoxi, his voice tinged with a hint of expectant curiosity, "Alchemist Qiu, this Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss, could it possibly be a dense, purple-red spiritual plant that looks like moss?"
Upon hearing Jiang Chen's description, Qiu Liaoxi's eyes widened in disbelief. She exclaimed, "Yes! That's exactly how the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss looks. It's a dense, purplish-red moss, almost like flesh!"
"Young Master Jiang Chen, have you actually come across this plant before?" she asked, her expression showing a mixture of anticipation and incredulity. She had never seen the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss in person throughout her entire career!
At the same time, Ning Xian's eyes filled with surprise as she too looked at Jiang Chen, unable to hide her amazement.
Naturally, the most emotionally affected person in the room was Du Bailei. He suddenly stood up and hurried towards Jiang Chen, his eyes wide with uncontainable excitement, almost popping out of their sockets. "Young friend Jiang Chen, have you really seen the Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss? Where is it located!?" he asked, his voice quivering with eagerness and hope.
"Hahaha!" Jiang Chen laughed heartily, his tone brimming with confidence and a touch of mystery, "Don't worry, President Du. The Melting Miasma Fleshy Moss you're searching for may seem elusive, but it's actually closer than you think!" He then reached for his storage bracelet and pulled out an object...
...
In a separate room on the second floor of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce's building, Lin Feng was walking back and forth, visibly growing more restless by the minute. He turned to Lai Peng, who looked somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Brother Lai, have you heard anything back yet?"
"Well... My superior is tied up with some issues, so it might be a while before I get an answer," Lai Peng confessed, feeling somewhat at a loss. He had realized where the senior members of the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce were: they were all busy with discussions related to the Jiang Clan and their leader.
"Alright, I can wait a bit more," Lin Feng replied, sitting down at the table and pouring himself a cup of tea. His sense of urgency had faded somewhat. After all, the patient, Du Bailei, was right in the building and couldn't just leave. Sooner or later, he would have the chance to meet him.
...
Elsewhere, at the summit of the famous Wind Observation Pagoda in Autumn Glory City, the leader of the Jiang Clan was entertaining a group of elite cultivators from the White Mountain Chamber of Commerce.
"Let's keep the drinks flowing! We won't head back until we're all thoroughly merry, hahaha!" exclaimed a middle-aged man, his hair touched with grey at the temples, as he enthusiastically lifted his wine glass and emptied it in one go.
Just then, a transmission jade token held by one of the attendees started buzzing. He quickly moved to see what the message was.