"I've only brought three items," Ning Fengzhi said after a moment of contemplation. "Rongrong, you seem quite wary of Xue Qinghe. I'm not entirely sure which one to choose."
Over the past few years, they had collected a large number of medicinal herbs and, through repeated experiments, confirmed the edibility and medicinal properties of certain herbs.
Although they were almost useless for Soul Douluos and Title Douluos, they could significantly increase cultivation speed or improve physique for lower-ranked soul masters.
While they couldn't match the effects of the immortal herbs Rongrong had mentioned, they were far superior to ordinary medicinal plants.
Ning Fengzhi placed three jade boxes on the table.
"Dragon Fruit, White Spirit Ginseng, and Three-Leaf Clover."
Reading the elegant inscriptions on the jade boxes, Ning Rongrong murmured the names to herself.
Dragon Fruit: A peculiar spiritual fruit covered in thorns, with purple-red flesh and densely packed seeds. Consuming it could improve one's physique and had special effects for fire-attribute spirits.
White Spirit Ginseng: An unconventional type of ginseng. Highly toxic before reaching a hundred years of age, it became edible afterward and could boost a soul master's cultivation speed. However, it contained toxins and couldn't be consumed long-term.
Three-Leaf Clover: A unique plant with three leaves that grew near Blue Silver Grass. Eating it could beautify and nourish the skin.
Ning Rongrong was naturally familiar with these spiritual herbs. Using the Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda's appraisal ability and zhenqi, she could roughly discern their properties and medicinal uses before handing them over to specialized herbalists for precise confirmation.
Both the medicinal herb repository and the spiritual garden contained numerous herbs that could enhance a soul master's physique, but their effects were subtle.
Ordinary soul masters might not even notice minor changes after consuming them. Their effects were slow, unlike the immediate results of immortal herbs—unless one already knew the herb's purpose and trained accordingly to clearly perceive its impact.
For example, an average soul master or commoner eating Dragon Fruit might not recognize its unique properties. If not for Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasure Glazed Pagoda's treasure appraisal ability, it might have been dismissed as just another fruit. Of course, Dragon Fruit was relatively rare, and even if found, most people wouldn't recognize it.
Since the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan collected exotic fruits and herbs, some soul masters would occasionally sell unknown spiritual herbs to them—Dragon Fruit being one such example.
"Let's go with Dragon Fruit," Ning Rongrong said after some thought. "It should suit her best."
"I thought you'd choose White Spirit Ginseng as the gift," Ning Fengzhi remarked with a hint of surprise.
Ning Rongrong shook her head. "White Spirit Ginseng contains toxins. For medicinal use, it's best paired with other herbs that can neutralize its poison."
It was precisely because many spiritual herbs had such quirks that Ning Rongrong had considered recruiting Dugu Bo to research alchemy.
In her past life, she had only been an ordinary rogue cultivator. While she had some knowledge of herbs, she was completely clueless about refining them into medicine. At most, she knew the general process but had no idea how the actual refining worked!
Dugu Bo should be interested in this.
"Rongrong, are you sure about Dragon Fruit?" the Bone Douluo asked, puzzled. "As far as I recall, Xue Qinghe's spirit isn't fire-attribute. If she eats it..."
"It won't cause any issues. Even if eaten as ordinary fruit, it can still improve physique," Ning Rongrong replied.
She had categorized this world's medicinal herbs into three types:
Common Herbs: Ordinary medicinal plants with no special properties.
Spiritual Herbs: Possessing unique traits and requiring specific conditions for consumption. Examples included Dragon Fruit and White Spirit Ginseng, which could have adverse effects if consumed prematurely.
Immortal Herbs: Like the ones Tang San had picked from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the original story. Aside from their extraordinary nature, most could influence their surrounding environment. They typically required special methods to harvest, and their effects were immediate. In a sense, such herbs shouldn't exist naturally.
While Ning Rongrong, her father, and the Bone Douluo discussed herbs, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan returned to their residence.
"A thirty-thousand-year spirit bone!" Dugu Bo sighed. "Ning Fengzhi is truly generous."
"Grandfather, is there something wrong with this spirit bone?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.
As Dugu Bo's granddaughter, she knew full well how precious spirit bones were. She could only marvel at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's wealth—giving away spirit bones like they were nothing!
"Nothing," Dugu Bo replied, his withered hand patting his granddaughter's head (who now stood up to his shoulders). "Yan'er, it seems we really will be joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. As for Yu Tianheng..."
"Grandfather, I'm not a child anymore," Dugu Yan said seriously. "I know what to do. My feelings for Yu Tianheng were only superficial—far from the point where I'd insist on marrying him. Besides, he approached me with ulterior motives."
"In any case, I'll make sure he abandons all thoughts of me," she declared.
"I'm sorry, Yan'er."
"Don't be. I should be thanking you instead. You've helped me understand how major clans handle matters. I was too naive before."
Whether it was Yu Tianheng or Ning Rongrong, both handled affairs with remarkable maturity. Meanwhile, she had acted like a child who hadn't grown up, completely unaware of her grandfather's circumstances.
...
Time finally arrived for the apprenticeship ceremony.
The event was held in the reception hall of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
One had to admit—the nobility truly knew how to indulge. The phrase "white jade as walls, gold as horses" came to life before their eyes.
At a glance, the hall was a display of extravagance funded by the people's hard-earned wealth.
...No, wait.
It was more accurate to say the hall was adorned with dazzling jewels and treasures, radiating sheer opulence.
Ning Rongrong stood beside the Bone Douluo, uninterested in the banquet's social niceties. Besides, she was just a child—who would bother trying to network with her?
Especially with the Bone Douluo standing beside her, his expression practically screaming, "Hurry up and finish the formalities so we can leave." Naturally, no one dared approach.
...Or so it should have been.
Two figures approached—Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan. Their demeanor seemed somewhat furtive.
Dugu Bo sidled up to the Bone Douluo and whispered, "I've given away the item in the jade box."
"Don't look at me."
The Bone Douluo glanced sideways, as if declaring he was just an emotionless bodyguard.
Dugu Bo's emerald eyes then turned to Ning Rongrong, who was still munching on snacks.
Swallowing her food, Ning Rongrong patted her chest—seeming slightly choked—before regaining her composure and saying:
"Ah, Senior Dugu, you didn't need to inform us."
"Since Father gave the jade box to you, it became yours. Whether you gave it to Prince Xue Xing afterward was entirely your decision."
"So it's true..." Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan exchanged glances.
Dugu Bo had only said he'd "given it to someone" without specifying whom, yet Ning Rongrong had immediately guessed correctly.
If this had been mere speculation before, it was now confirmed—the thirty-thousand-year spirit bone had been meant for him to repay a favor!
Of course, whether he chose to repay it or not was up to him.
"Sister Yan, there's no need to be so nervous!" Ning Rongrong grabbed Dugu Yan's hand, feeling a slight chill in her fingers.
"I-I'm not nervous."
Despite being several years older than the girl before her, Dugu Yan couldn't help feeling like she was the childish one here.