Chapter 129

"It's because..." Duan Wu's expression solemn, he slowly replied, "It's because of natural disasters and human calamities, which have led to the people being unable to make a living, even being able to eat a full meal has become a luxury."

Ning Jinli nodded slightly, "For natural disasters, human influence is limited; then—what about man-made calamities? What is the greatest man-made calamity?"

"It's war." Duan Wu blurted out.

"Exactly!" Ning Jinli said solemnly, "Years of incessant wars, big and small, continuously consume everything including lives; the people live in constant uncertainty, merely surviving has become a luxury. How could they possibly resist various natural disasters?"

Duan Wu said, "Fairy, I understand; if we want them to live peacefully, there must be no war, but... if we don't fight, Yu Guo will attack us."

"That's also true," Ning Jinli snapped her fingers, "So we must end the wars among the seven major states of Zhong Yuan. Then what is the only way?"

"Unify the world!" Duan Wu shouted, "I understand; we must unify the world so that everyone can live in peace and stability!"

In an instant, the other soldiers present also had a sudden realization, feeling a surge of unprecedented mission rising from deep within their hearts.

Ning Jinli looked around, "So you should also understand how to treat the ordinary people of other nations; besides, the people of the various states of Zhong Yuan originally share the same Huaxia lineage, same roots, they are essentially our own people."

"Yes, I understand! Thank you, Fairy, for this lesson." Duan Wu clasped his fists in salute.

Ning Jinli showed a relieved expression.

She had always worried that the death of General Duan the Elder and those Xi Tun Guan soldiers before would plant a seed of extreme hatred in the hearts of Duan Wu and the surviving soldiers.

Hatred can give people motivation, but it can also cause them to lose reason and do wrong.

If this seed is allowed to keep taking root and sprouting, Duan Wu and these people will eventually become nothing but killing machines.

This time, we finally found an opportunity to establish the correct mindset for them.

"Everyone," Duan Wu bowed to the Yu Guo citizens, "Just now I was blinded by hatred and almost took it out on you; please forgive my rashness. Rest assured, you will receive protection here; after we remove that foolish and incompetent Yu Guo King, you may choose to stay in Lin Xian Cheng or return to your hometown—either is fine."

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then tears welled up and they sobbed uncontrollably.

They slowly rose, weeping, returned a salute to Duan Wu, then knelt again and kowtowed deeply to Ning Jinli.

Had it not been for the appearance of this woman called the Fairy, they would truly have been doomed.

"Duan Wu, arrange some people to take them to settle." Ning Jinli said, "I have something else to tell you."

"Yes, Fairy."

Duan Wu immediately complied.

Afterwards, Ning Jinli told Duan Wu that over the next two to three months, Xiao Qidi would continue to lead the war preparations here, while the hundred thousand Daxuan troops brought by General Zhang would all be under Duan Wu's command for training.

"The hundred thousand Daxuan troops... all... all under my command?" Duan Wu's face filled with shock.

Ning Jinli smiled and nodded.

Duan Wu wore a doubtful expression, "But Fairy, I... I lack confidence. Do you and His Majesty really trust me that much?"

Ning Jinli's mind flashed to when she and Xiao Qidi had proposed making Duan Wu the chief general for the conquest of Yu Guo, and Xiao Qidi had also been somewhat hesitant.

At that time, Xiao Qidi said, Duan Wu's temperament was not yet steady enough; he needed more experience.

Ning Jinli then told him, according to historical records, Daxuan's annexation of the Six Nations first took Yu Guo, and the commander of that war to destroy Yu Guo was none other than Duan Wu himself.

Thus, Xiao Qidi then agreed.

But Ning Jinli also had her own considerations; if she hadn't just seen Duan Wu have an epiphany under her guidance, she wouldn't have announced the decision so quickly.

"Rest assured, the heavy responsibility of destroying Yu Guo is yours to bear." Ning Jinli didn't tell him what she had recalled; she simply gave him a firm affirmation.

Duan Wu's eyes no longer doubtful, he knelt on one knee, clasped his fists, and proclaimed loudly, "As the subordinate, I will surely not fail the trust of His Majesty and the Fairy!"

"Go ahead and train those soldiers without restraint," Ning Jinli helped him up, continuing to give him a reassurance, "You can build whatever kind of army you wish, and whatever equipment and weapons you need, I will provide."

Duan Wu almost jumped up with excitement, "Thank you, Fairy... thank you, Fairy!"

He no longer delayed, mounted a horse and rode straight to the camp.

At that moment, Xiao Qidi emerged from the corner and walked to Ning Jinli's side.

It turned out that he had come together with Ning Jinli after hearing that disaster victims had entered the city, but they had just not shown themselves earlier; he had witnessed the whole scene.

"How about that, I said he'd get it instantly?" Ning Jinli curled the corner of her mouth, "His growth speed is much faster than you imagined."

Xiao Qidi gazed at Duan Wu's retreating figure as he rode away, slowly withdrew his gaze, and softly said, "Jinli, you're still amazing."

"Hehe, of course." Ning Jinli's mouth almost split to her ears.

"It's almost noon," Xiao Qidi looked at her eagerly, "Can you have lunch with me?"

Ning Jinli thought, "I still have to go handle work items at the factory today; I need to hurry over."

A flicker of disappointment flashed in Xiao Qidi's eyes.

"Pfft," Ning Jinli laughed, "You didn't realize you were this clingy, did you?"

Xiao Qidi's cheeks twitched slightly, he gave a dry cough, "Cough... really?"

Ning Jinli quickly glanced around, seeing no one nearby, she tiptoed and swiftly kissed Xiao Qidi's lips, "Be good, let's first finish the important matters; we'll have plenty of time to be together later."

"I'm off now, see you later!" Ning Jinli also mounted a nearby horse and rushed toward the Xianzi Temple.

Xiao Qidi watched her retreating back, his fingers lightly touching his own lips, savoring the softness just now, his ears felt waves of heat, and the corners of his mouth kept turning up.

——

After returning to the factory, Ning Jinli hastily ate a takeout meal, then went to the office to finish reviewing the content to be conveyed at the afternoon meeting.

Progress at the factory was rapid.

Not only were the previous production lines fully put into operation, but the workshops in the military-industrial area were also nearly completed.

Moreover, they purchased a large plot of land nearby, to be used for building a petrochemical plant; once the oil mines of Lin Xian Cheng are completed, crude oil can be transmitted here.

She will use the petrochemical plant to deeply process crude oil, capable of producing various types of energy and raw materials.

The raw materials can then be directly turned into finished products in her factory and supplied to Lin Xian Cheng, promoting its construction, thus forming a virtuous cycle.

In the afternoon, Ning Jinli held a two-hour meeting with the factory's senior staff.

She didn't have time to rest, and immediately rushed to her own pharmaceutical company.

At the pharmaceutical company, preliminary drug research has already begun, using the medicinal herbs she brought from Yaowang Gu.

However, Yaowang Gu had previously been ravaged by the Sha Yue barbarian troops; the newly planted medicinal herbs have not yet matured, so only a small amount of stock can be brought here for research.

Ning Jinli not only handed over the company's management authority to Lu Jue Ming, but also had him lead all R&D work.

She even gave him the complete content of Shennong's Materia Medica.

When Lu Jue Ming, who already loved traditional Chinese medicine, received this priceless treasure, the wealthy young master from a top aristocratic family of Xinghan City was already won over by Ning Jinli, completely obedient.

This not only greatly helped his beloved career, but also made him feel absolute trust.

Around three o'clock, Ning Jinli drove to the pharmaceutical company's parking lot, just got out of the car, and suddenly received a call from Zheng Jiaoshou.

"Hello, Grandfather Zheng." Ning Jinli greeted him politely.

"Little Ning, are you busy?" On the other end of the line, Zheng Jiaoshou's voice was very heavy.

Ning Jinli sensed something was wrong and immediately asked, "If you have anything to say, just tell me—I'm free."

Zheng Jiaoshou sighed, "An old friend of mine is on the verge of death; the hospital has tried everything… I recalled that last time you pulled me back from the Ghost Gate, so…"

"Oh, I see," Ning Jinli pondered briefly, "Coincidentally, I've just arrived at my pharmaceutical company; you can tell me about your old friend's condition later."

"Then I'll trouble you, thank you, Little Ning!"

"Grandfather Zheng, don't be polite, just wait a moment for me."

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Ning Jinli immediately rushed to the company's R&D building.

She knew that right now, only in this lab could she find Lu Jue Ming.

Sure enough, as soon as she entered the lab, she saw Lu Jue Ming tinkering with herbs in front of a pile of instruments.

So absorbed was he in his work that even when Ning Jinli approached him, he didn't notice.

"Cough, cough." Ning Jinli gave a light cough.

Lu Jue Ming stopped his motion, turned his head, and instantly broke into a full-faced smile, "Miss Ning, when did you arrive?"

"Just arrived, could I take a moment of your time? I have an urgent matter."

"No problem, go ahead."

Ning Jinli quickly explained the situation, expressing her wish to have Lu Jue Ming, a professional medical talent, first listen to Zheng Jiaoshou's description, to see if they could find a solution in Shennong's Materia Medica.

Lu Jue Ming certainly agreed without hesitation.

Next, Ning Jinli called Zheng Jiaoshou.

Zheng Jiaoshou said he was right beside his old friend, so he opened a video call, allowing Lu Jue Ming to see the patient's condition firsthand while the hospital's attending physician provided additional description.

Within ten minutes, Lu Jue Ming said there was indeed a prescription that could work, but it would need some time before the medicine could be prepared.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Jiaoshou was overjoyed and hurriedly asked how long it would take.

Lu Jue Ming's expression turned solemn; he only said to let that side continue doing everything possible to buy more time for the patient, while he would do his utmost on his end.

After the call ended, Lu Jue Ming took out a notebook and quickly wrote down a long list of medicinal herbs, "Miss Ning, this is a prescription from Shennong's Materia Medica."

Ning Jinli looked over it and asked, "Do we have all these herbs?"

"All the previous ones are available, except this one," Lu Jue Ming said, his slender forefinger pressing on the last herb, "I happened to look up its information yesterday, but the records show it went extinct several hundred years ago."

"Purple-bellied Gold-spotted Snake?" Ning Jinli frowned, "I've never even heard of such a snake."

Lu Jue Ming looked at her, "Miss Ning, you can get the original Shennong's Materia Medica and even bring back some medicinal herbs that logically should have been extinct; I think you should also be able to find this snake, right?"

"A snake…" Ning Jinli instantly thought of the Zhuiyingjian ravine on Yuqi Mountain, "Quickly tell me, what does this snake look like?"

Lu Jue Ming pulled out a notebook from his chest pocket, quickly flipped through it, and displayed a drawing he himself had made, "This is what I drew based on various historical sources I found; I've done my best to restore it, but I can't guarantee—"

"Oh, that's what it is!" Ning Jinli exclaimed before Lu Jue Ming could finish, "Never mind, your drawing is actually quite accurate!"

Lu Jue Ming's expression changed oddly.

Sure enough, his guess was right—Ning Jinli really could find this snake.

However, he didn't want to inquire why Ning Jinli had seen a snake that had been extinct for hundreds of years.

Just as she possessed the original Shennong's Materia Medica and could produce extinct precious herbs.

He was indeed quite curious, but he knew that many things are best left with curiosity set aside, focusing on doing what one ought to do.

"If I get you the Purple-bellied Gold-spotted Snake, how long will it take you to make the medicine?" Ning Jinli asked.

Lu Jue Ming said confidently, "Within three hours."

"Good!" Ning Jinli turned and left.

After just two steps, she hurriedly stopped, turned back, and asked, "Are there any requirements regarding the snake's size, whether it's alive or dead, etc.?"

Lu Jue Ming adjusted his glasses, "Just extract its venom."

"How much?"

"The more, the better..."

"Alright, wait for me!"

Ning Jinli left the lab in a flurry.

Lu Jue Ming also didn't waste time, immediately beginning to process the available herbs.

——

Ning Jinli drove all the way back to the factory, arriving at the back door of the small warehouse; she habitually prepared to circulate her Internal Strength, turning the Spacetime Portal toward her mother's practice room as Sect Leader on Yuqi Mountain.

Following that line of thought, she needed to first go to Yuqi Mountain, then enter Zhuiyingjian.

But just as she was about to act, a flash of inspiration struck her.

"Huh? Could I perhaps directly open a portal entrance inside Zhuiyingjian? If it succeeded, it would save a lot of time."

With a mindset of giving it a try, she closed her eyes.

Earlier, Shangguan Ying had said that she could open a Spacetime Portal entrance where Xiao Qidi was located because she had some kind of sensing connection with him.

Later, she opened a gap in the Xuan Guo palace, which also confirmed this theoretical speculation.

So according to this theory, if she established a clear sense for another place, logically she should also be able to open a portal entrance there.

So, after she closed her eyes, she kept thinking in her heart of the scenes she had lived through at the bottom of Zhuiyingjian.

Those days were unforgettable, the impression especially deep.

Just a little thought, and the memory images in her mind became incredibly clear.

Two seconds later.

Ning Jinli opened her eyes with joy, "It really succeeded! I'm practically a genius!"

She clearly felt that the other end of the Spacetime Portal was indeed moved into Zhuiyingjian, so she walked in without hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared at the bottom of Zhuiyingjian.

In front of her was that familiar river, and not far behind, exactly where she had just fallen, was the cave she and Xiao Qidi had lived in.

Ning Jinli had no time to reminisce here, nor could she check the surroundings; she immediately focused all her attention, trying to summon the local snake swarm with her mind as before.

If she remembered correctly, among them was the purple‑belly golden‑spotted snake she needed.

Soon, in the distant dense forest, within the leaf‑laden grass, snakes twisted their bodies and poked their heads out.

The rustling sounds were especially noticeable in the woods.

Suddenly, a figure with a broken arm hurried back, avoiding the snakes that kept emerging.

Only after confirming the snakes were not attacking them did they, still uneasy, sigh in relief and look puzzled toward the direction the snake swarm was moving.

"Since I fell down and have luckily survived until now… this is still the first time I've seen such a strange situation…"

"Could it be… something happened?"