Chapter 144: Lunluo City, Ultimate Medicine Workshop

Logically speaking, Yu Li and his companions had already moved away from the village swarming with walking corpses. However, they had not expected to encounter more walking corpses here, which indicated that the walking corpses had begun to spread outward from the village. If this continued, it would likely reach the outskirts of Lunluo City before long. Once the walking corpses managed to enter the city, the consequences would be unimaginably severe.

"Things might not be looking too good," Yu Li said slowly with a grave expression. "It seems we must travel day and night to return to Lunluo City and report this matter to the City Lord."

Qin Shou and the others nodded, and Su Yi raised no objections. Rouer seemed eager to leave this place of trouble and return home as quickly as possible, utterly unwilling to lay eyes on those walking corpses ever again. Having reached a consensus, the group set off once more, their five figures gradually vanishing along the winding path amidst the woods...

After nearly two days of travel, Yu Li, his companions, and Su Yi finally caught sight of the distant outline of a city. Its tall and expansive city walls emanated an imposing grandeur at a single glance. As they drew closer, that impression became even more pronounced. Especially for Su Yi, who was visiting Lunluo City for the very first time, this sheer imposing aura alone was enough to tell him that its might far surpassed that of Changling City, where he resided.

An endless stream of people bustled back and forth through the city gates, and a cacophony of bustling noises endlessly echoed in their ears. Experiencing this atmosphere and recalling their previous harrowing encounters, Yu Li and his companions suddenly felt as though they were being reborn. At the same time, a wave of fortune and relief washed over them—fortunately, they had not encountered the worst-case scenario of a city completely overrun by walking corpses. If those rotting beings had truly made their way here, it would undoubtedly have transformed into a hellish landscape. Yet, these carefree people moving about completely unaware seemingly had no idea that a catastrophe might soon descend upon them.

Weaving through the bustling crowd to enter Lunluo City, Yu Li checked their bearings, turned his head toward Su Yi, and asked, "Brother Su Yi, what are your plans now that we have entered the city?"

Hearing this, Su Yi pondered for a moment before shaking his head. He had no particular business bringing him to Lunluo City; he merely intended to use it as a starting point to head east toward the Luojia Mountain Range. He promptly countered with a question, "What about you, Uncle Yu?"

"I plan to deliver my goods to the Extreme Medicine Workshop first, and then go straight to the City Lord's Mansion. Furthermore, as for the two of you, Qin Shou and Gong Yan, your mission ends here, and you are free to leave."

Upon hearing this, Gong Yan nodded, cheerfully bid farewell to the group, and departed. Qin Shou, however, did not leave immediately. He glanced at Su Yi and said, "Brother Su Yi saved my life after all. If you don't mind and need a place to rest, how about staying at my humble home?"

"In that case, I won't decline your offer." Su Yi smiled, accepting Qin Shou's invitation without hesitation, and added, "Since this is my first time here, I'd actually like to see what the Extreme Medicine Workshop looks like..."

Hearing Su Yi's intentions, Yu Li thought for a moment and said, "That shouldn't be difficult. How about this: once you're done, you and Qin Shou can accompany me to the Extreme Medicine Workshop to deliver the goods... As for you, Rouer, go straight home immediately. You insisted on tagging along this time, so your father must be worried sick..."

Seemingly cowed by the trauma of those walking corpses, the young girl obediently nodded this time without a word. However, right before turning away, she cast a strange, unreadable glance at Su Yi...

Watching the two depart, Yu Li withdrew his gaze, walked toward the southwestern sector of the city, and said, "Let's go, to the Extreme Medicine Workshop."

After walking through the city for a while and rounding a street corner, a large plaque bearing three gleaming golden characters—"Extreme Medicine Workshop"—came into view. The entrance was quite grand, and there were actually multiple doorways, yet the bustling crowd flowing in and out was completely packed, clearly indicating an extraordinarily booming business. Su Yi swept his gaze across the main entrance and the surrounding courtyard walls, a trace of slight astonishment welling up within his heart. Within his perception, quite a few individuals of formidable strength were secretly hidden and on guard all around, obviously stationed there to handle any sudden emergencies. Although Su Yi could not name the exact materials used for those buildings, they were undeniably immensely sturdy—far superior in texture to the dark stone table Aoben Yu had used during their spar. The construction cost alone must have been astronomical.

True to its reputation as a power belonging to the Imperial Ultimate Sect, they certainly spared no expense in building a mere medicine workshop, Su Yi thought inwardly with a nod. Yet he also understood that even though this was just a single workshop, its influence could be said to be second to none in all of Lunluo City. Through Yu Li and the others' explanations along the way, Su Yi had learned that the Extreme Medicine Workshop housed numerous experts, and its master, Zhan Lan, was even a peak sixth-rank Douluo powerhouse. Rumors had it that he was on the verge of stepping into the seventh-rank Doulong realm!

With such formidable might alone, it was no less impressive than the Lie family of Changling City. Coupled with the backing of one of the empire's major sects, anyone who dared to offend the Extreme Medicine Workshop would have to carefully weigh the consequences of facing the Imperial Ultimate Sect! For the Imperial Ultimate Sect, wiping out any aristocratic family force in Lunluo City would be an utterly effortless task.

Knowing this, probably no one in Lunluo City dared to stir up trouble at the Extreme Medicine Workshop. The surrounding crowd appeared orderly, with no chaotic disturbances taking place. Instead of squeezing in with the general flow of people, Yu Li stepped forward and produced an item for inspection by a guard at the entrance. After the guard finished inspecting it, he nodded and led Yu Li and his companions through a separate passage, whereupon a maidservant immediately stepped forward to guide them.

Following the slim figure of the maidservant ahead, Yu Li, Su Yi, and Qin Shou slowly traversed a corridor, rounded a corner, and after walking for a short while, arrived inside a spacious hall. Although this hall was decently decorated, it was not particularly luxurious, nor was it very large; it clearly wasn't meant for receiving distinguished guests, but merely served as an ordinary reception room.

Upon entering the hall, the maidservant quietly withdrew. The three men left behind waited for a moment, and just as Su Yi was beginning to grow impatient, a figure cut through the silence and walked in.

The moment Yu Li laid eyes on the newcomer, his expression shifted drastically, filled with utter astonishment. He hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I never expected it to be the Vice Workshop Master himself! What brings you here?" This was hardly surprising; ordinary managers of the Extreme Medicine Workshop usually handled his deliveries, so he never imagined that a dignified Vice Workshop Master would personally step forward!

Much like Qin Shou, whose expression had likewise altered, Su Yi raised an eyebrow in mild surprise. He had heard Yu Li and the others mention this Vice Workshop Master before. Named Bei Shan, his strength had already reached the level of a fifth-rank Douluo. Placed in Changling City, such an expert would either hold a lofty, unapproachable position or remain in deep seclusion, and his strength would even suffice to serve as a clan head. Yet unexpectedly, he had personally come out to receive Yu Li today.

The status of the Vice Workshop Master of the Extreme Medicine Workshop carried substantial weight even within Lunluo City. For him to condescend to meet Yu Li in person—could there perhaps be some hidden reason behind it?

Just as Su Yi was wondering to himself, the Vice Workshop Master named Bei Shan smiled faintly and said, "Since I am the Vice Workshop Master, naturally I can come here."

Hearing this, Yu Li cooperatively nodded without saying much more. Since the other party's strength and status far outstripped his own, he would simply go along with whatever the man wanted. He immediately retrieved the interspatial ring and respectfully handed it over to Bei Shan.

Upon receiving the interspatial ring containing the designated medicinal herbs, Bei Shan tucked it into his hand without even glancing at it, seemingly unconcerned and unbothered. Seeing this play out, Su Yi felt a surge of even greater suspicion. Since Bei Shan wasn't here for the medicinal herbs inside the ring, why on earth had a Vice Workshop Master personally made the trip? Su Yi found it hard to believe that such a high-ranking figure would personally handle such trivial matters.

After pocketing the ring, Bei Shan casually asked, seemingly with casual indifference, "Right, did you encounter anything unusual along the way?"

All three men were momentarily startled, not expecting the other party to show concern for such matters. Yu Li and Qin Shou were somewhat flattered, but Su Yi's brows furrowed slightly. *When someone offers unsolicited favors, they either have a hidden agenda or are up to no good. Could it be...* In an instant, a deeply shocking thought suddenly popped into his mind!

Yu Li recovered his wits, his expression turning somewhat solemn as he replied to Bei Shan, "Reporting to the Vice Workshop Master, we did indeed encounter an unexpected event on our return trip! It can even be described as terrifying! We actually ran into the long-extinct Walking Corpse Beetle Beast!!"

"What?! A Walking Corpse Beetle Beast?! You saw it with your own eyes?!" Bei Shan's face immediately revealed a look of profound shock as he exclaimed.

Su Yi, who had been quietly observing Bei Shan the entire time, flashed a subtle glint in his eyes. Although the man had displayed shock, Su Yi somehow felt there was an element of acting to it...

"Uh... To be honest, we didn't lay eyes on the Walking Corpse Beetle Beast ourselves," Yu Li thought for a moment before explaining. "However, we ran into a massive horde of walking corpses. Since walking corpses appeared, there must naturally be Walking Corpse Beetle Beasts nearby..." He then briefly recounted their encounter, though he glossed over the parts involving Su Yi—a request Su Yi had made before entering the city.

"Is that so... Well then, you should notify the appropriate parties later. Our Extreme Medicine Workshop will also take corresponding countermeasures..." Hearing this, Bei Shan slowly nodded and spoke in a measured tone, his lowered gaze masking whatever thoughts were running through his mind.

There was already a subtle hint of a dismissal in Bei Shan's words, and Yu Li and his companions dared not tarry. After all, the man before them was a Douluo powerhouse. Although Bei Shan merely stood there without excessive movement, that faint, lingering pressure still made it somewhat difficult for them to breathe. Just as they were about to turn and leave, another figure slowly walked into the hall.

The newcomer was an elderly man. Although his appearance betrayed signs of advanced age, his spirit remained vigorous. Draped in pale purple robes, he radiated an extraordinary and distinctive aura. Upon catching sight of this elder, Bei Shan's expression shifted slightly as well. Stepping forward respectfully, he asked, "Workshop Master, you've come as well?"

The elder slowly nodded and swept his gaze across Yu Li and his companions. Realizing that it was none other than Zhan Lan, the master of the Extreme Medicine Workshop himself, the three men were deeply shocked while hurriedly bowing in unison. "Greetings, Workshop Master Zhan."

Given the status of an expert like Zhan Lan, Yu Li and the others were normally neither qualified nor afforded the opportunity to pay their respects. They never expected to see him in person today, leaving their hearts pounding with a mixture of excitement and nervous anxiety, entirely unsure of what to say. Zhan Lan narrowed his eyes and slowly surveyed the three men, his gaze finally coming to rest upon Su Yi. He first paused slightly, then widened his eyes a fraction, revealing a look of faint surprise and shock as he muttered to himself in disbelief—

"It's you!—"