The insects on the mountain knew the locations of all its plants. Furong Grass was a favorite of green caterpillars, and it looked much like shepherd’s purse, only taller and larger.

"Let’s go. Time to head up the mountain," Ye Qianning said, tossing the drawing to Luo Xuan.

"Young Miss, let me carry you," Luo Wen said, crouching down.

Ye Qianning rarely exercised and tired easily after just a short walk, probably because she was carrying a bit of extra weight.

But she had admittedly been lazy lately. She was always carried up and down the mountain to the academy. Back at the General’s estate, if her father was home, he’d carry her wherever she wanted to go as well.

Luo Wen seemed to be used to it. He felt a great sense of pride carrying his young miss.

Four-direction Mountain looked massive from below. The trail leading up disappeared after a short distance, and the forest was dotted with several animal traps set by villagers, likely to stop wild beasts from descending the mountain.

Furong Grass typically grew halfway up the mountain. They should be able to find it in a damp spot.

Luo Xuan scouted ahead while Luo Wen followed behind, carrying Ye Qianning.

The mountain grass was tall, and Luo Wen had to shield Ye Qianning’s head as he pressed on. The stones underfoot were covered in moss from the rain a few days prior.

The path grew more difficult the further they went, so Luo Xuan and Luo Wen used their Qinggong, scaling the mountain by leaping between trees.

"Wait a moment," Ye Qianning said, her ears twitching.

Luo Wen landed on a tree trunk.

"Go left, toward the mountainside." Ye Qianning hadn’t expected Four-direction Mountain to have dangerous beasts like tigers.

Luo Wen flew off to the left, reaching the mountainside in the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

Once they were halfway up, Ye Qianning learned from the insects that Four-direction Mountain was a range with three tiered chasms.

A little farther up was a sunken cliff face. It was invisible from the base of the mountain because the depression was a narrow fissure, as if the mountain had been sliced three times through the middle, creating tiered gashes.

"Go a little farther up. Be careful not to touch the ground—stay in the trees."

It was the first time Ye Qianning had ever heard of such a peculiar sight, and she wanted to see it for herself.

"Yes."

Luo Wen continued onward.

Luo Xuan, who had been leading the way, stopped after a short while. He gestured back at Luo Wen, signaling that they could go no further.

Luo Wen stopped a short distance away. Beneath the dense forest canopy lay a pitch-black abyss.

"Put me down," Ye Qianning said, staring at the chasm below.

"Young Miss, it’s not safe here."

The abyss was hidden under the dense forest and overgrown with grass. An ordinary person would rarely spot it, and a fall would surely be fatal.

"It’s fine."

Luo Wen hesitated for a moment before taking Ye Qianning down. The dense, meter-high weeds below nearly swallowed her whole.

Luo Xuan cleared the surrounding weeds, and only then did Luo Wen dare let Ye Qianning step forward.

Ye Qianning scanned the area. The weeds almost completely concealed the abyss, leaving an opening less than a meter wide. Some of the smaller insects told her they couldn’t even fly to the very bottom.

’In other words, the abyss is so deep that there’s no oxygen at the bottom.’

She bent down and reached out, touching the stone wall. It was perfectly smooth, as if it had been sliced clean through by something. ’There are two more places just like this further up the mountain. How bizarre.’

Ye Qianning glanced from side to side. Suddenly, she heard the insects chattering about something and turned to head left.

"The grass is thick, Young Miss. Please don’t wander off," Luo Wen and Luo Xuan said, following her nervously.

After pushing through the grass for about a hundred meters, Ye Qianning found the Furong Grass growing right beside the abyss.

Luo Wen saw it too. He leaped forward and plucked the Furong Grass. "Young Miss, are three stalks enough?"

"Mhm." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

’One stalk is enough for its intended use. I can take the other two back to plant, just in case.’

Luo Wen stored the medicinal herbs away.