Chapter 86: Chrysanthemum Douluo

After "Xue Qinghe" received the Tui'en Order, she felt heavily burdened and quickly returned to the Crown Prince's residence.

As soon as she entered her room, she immediately began writing a report to the Spirit Hall, detailing the Tui'en Order so that the Spirit Hall could prepare in advance.

If necessary, or when the Spirit Hall was fully ready, she would present the Tui'en Order to Emperor Xue Ye and take the initiative to implement it.

By then, the Spirit Hall could mislead the Heaven Dou Empire and begin a new wave of infiltration.

She considered many factors, but as she pondered how the Spirit Hall should respond, numerous problems arose that needed to be resolved.

For a time, she was caught in a dilemma.

Even in the middle of the night, she remained at her desk, tirelessly writing by the window. Many crumpled pieces of discarded paper littered the desk—ideas she had rejected.

At that moment, Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo appeared silently.

They exchanged glances, feeling quite puzzled.

What had troubled their young master this time?

Just as "Xue Qinghe" tore up another sheet of paper, Snake Spear Douluo couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.

"Young master, what happened? Why are you so troubled?"

"Xue Qinghe" snapped out of her thoughts and let out a breath. Immediately, a wave of exhaustion washed over her.

She had been so focused that she had completely ignored the toll it took on her body.

Even so, she still hadn't devised a perfect countermeasure.

This left her quite frustrated, making her realize the vast difference in intelligence between herself and Mister Dan Heng.

"Snake Spear Uncle, Porcupinefish Uncle, the situation is like this..."

"Xue Qinghe" began explaining everything.

When she spoke about the Tui'en Order, her eyes practically sparkled with excitement.

Mister Dan Heng's intelligence was simply too admirable!

She had the utmost respect for those stronger than herself, and although Mister Dan Heng was just an ordinary person, his wisdom clearly transcended his era.

As the heir to Bibi Dong's bloodline, "Xue Qinghe" found herself deeply admiring Dan Heng.

After all, her mother, Bibi Dong, had once fallen in love with the plain-looking Yu Xiaogang precisely because of his intelligence, even going so far as to sever ties with the Spirit Hall for him.

Now, as her daughter, "Xue Qinghe" had encountered an upgraded version of Yu Xiaogang. It was easy to imagine how deeply she was moved.

Observing "Xue Qinghe's" emotional shift, Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo had the same thought.

—It had been a long time since their young master looked this happy!

Not only happy, but whenever she mentioned Dan Heng, she couldn't help but praise him, even smiling unconsciously.

This had never happened before.

It seemed that this Mister Dan Heng was very much to their young master's liking!

After hearing the full explanation of the Tui'en Order, Snake Spear Douluo and Porcupinefish Douluo shifted their focus back to its strategic implications.

If this policy were handed directly to the Heaven Dou Empire, it would surely catch the Spirit Hall off guard.

For Heaven Dou, it was the most beneficial national strategy.

In the future, they could continuously reclaim fiefs.

And when redistributing territories, they could also take the opportunity to eliminate the Spirit Hall's influence.

It was fortunate that such a talented person had been recruited by their young master first.

Otherwise, the Heaven Dou Empire might have become the most powerful nation in the future—perhaps even uniting the entire Douluo Continent!

After all, Dan Heng had even foreseen the Spirit Hall's schemes.

His countermeasures were readily at hand.

A strategist of this caliber, if he dedicated himself to assisting a nation, would surely lead it to an unimaginable golden age!

Snake Spear Douluo took a deep breath and sighed. "We are truly fortunate, young master. If it weren't for you, the Spirit Hall might have suffered a huge loss!"

"Xue Qinghe" pursed her lips and smiled, a trace of pride flashing in her eyes.

—Burning down Dan Heng's house and forcing him into her service had definitely been the right decision!

"But young master, all you really need to do is send the Tui'en Order to the Pope," Porcupinefish Douluo said helplessly. "How they choose to handle it isn't something we can control."

Pope Bibi Dong was not someone who could be easily persuaded.

Even if "Xue Qinghe" laid out the best possible response plan, there was no guarantee that Bibi Dong would adopt it. She might even decide to eliminate all those who knew about the order to cut off any risks at the root.

If that happened, all of "Xue Qinghe's" efforts would have been for nothing.

"Xue Qinghe" sighed, her earlier enthusiasm fading considerably.

"Alright..."

The Next Morning

After having breakfast with his family, Dan Heng did not immediately head to Blue Tyrant Academy. Instead, he went to a herbal medicine shop.

The previous day, while reading a medical book, he had come across mentions of various medicinal herbs.

Although he had vast theoretical knowledge, he couldn't rely solely on books—he needed hands-on experience.

So before going to work, he made a quick stop at a pharmacy.

He explained his request to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was taken aback. "I can understand if you want a tael or two of each herb, but you just want a single piece? Are you really using it for medicine, or are you just messing around?"

Dan Heng answered honestly, "I apologize, but I'm short on money, and I simply want to experience the effects of these herbs and verify my knowledge."

The shopkeeper chuckled in amusement. "Oh, so you're a future colleague in the medical field? Alright, alright. You can taste the herbs for free. I'm curious to see what you can figure out."

Dan Heng expressed his gratitude and stood by the counter as the shopkeeper retrieved the herbs for him.

"This is honeysuckle... this is tuckahoe grass..."

The shopkeeper placed small samples of different herbs on the counter.

Dan Heng picked up a piece and put it in his mouth, carefully tasting its flavor.

As he swallowed, he extended his perception throughout his body.

The herb's effects, however subtle, were entirely within his awareness.

Though he did not have a transparent stomach like the legendary Shennong, his ability to discern medicinal properties was even better.

Not wanting to take advantage of the free samples, he cross-referenced his knowledge and said, "Dried honeysuckle from one-year-old plants retains about seventy percent of its medicinal properties. It has heat-clearing and detoxifying effects..."

The shopkeeper was dumbfounded. "You can tell all that just from tasting it? Alright, go ahead and try all the herbs in my shop today!"

He enthusiastically continued fetching herbs, tasting them alongside Dan Heng.

Though the shopkeeper could vaguely estimate the herbs' ages from experience, his understanding of their medicinal efficacy was far inferior.

Half an hour later, Dan Heng had sampled every herb in the shop.

By verifying his knowledge against real-life experience, he could now confidently call himself a true physician!

The shopkeeper clicked his tongue in amazement. He hadn't gained nothing either—he had taken notes on all of Dan Heng's evaluations, which would help him identify high-quality herbs in the future.

At that moment, a figure entered the shop.

"Shopkeeper, I heard you have newly imported Purple Sunflower? Bring it out for me."

Dan Heng and the shopkeeper turned toward the newcomer.

A tall, slender man with a refined yet somewhat feminine appearance strode inside, hands clasped behind his back. Though his demeanor had a hint of effeminacy, his imposing presence was undeniable.

It was clear at a glance—this man was no ordinary person.

This was none other than Chrysanthemum Douluo, who had just arrived in Heaven Dou City!

The shopkeeper quickly responded, "Honored guest, please wait a moment."

(End of Chapter)