I Am Your Natural Enemy

The next morning, around ten, Wen Yan received a package from the Scorching Sun Department's logistics.

An exquisite sandalwood box, neatly lined with nine wax-sealed pills inside.

The moment he opened the box, Wen Yan caught a whiff of fresh fragrance that instantly perked him up.

There was also a note included inside, which read:

"Yin and Soul Nourishing Pill — nourishes the spirit, moistens the soul, stabilizes the mind. Also has effects of strengthening the constitution and clearing the body's five energies, often used as an aid for Yin Spirit Leaving the Body."

Wen Yan took one look and knew this was exactly what matched Old Zhang's symptoms.

He had thought Lord Zhu's express delivery would be some kind of local specialty, totally forgetting that this crowd always shipped things through the Scorching Sun Department's logistics.

Just at first glance, this thing was obviously valuable—anything that could affect the soul was never cheap.

Especially if it could be used on the living—then forget about cheapness.

Damn, Granny Fox was right—Lord Zhu might have a temper, but he's particular about stuff and cares about appearances.

Wen Yan hadn't heard of these pills before, but he knew for sure they were pricey as hell.

After thinking about it, he pulled out his Scorching Sun Department-issued phone and searched in the database.

Then, he spotted it on the Scorching Sun Department's exchange list.

The official description was way more detailed than the slip of paper Lord Zhu had included.

It said this was a top-tier healing medicine—not only for internal injuries and detoxification, but more importantly, it could stabilize and nurture the soul, and even mildly heal soul injuries in living people. It's especially effective for situations like out-of-body soul phenomena.

Apparently—pure rumor here—the pill was derived from an ancient recipe a certain Emperor Zhu got his hands on, which he personally improved into its current form.

Still rumors, but supposedly all the test batches from that improvement process were given out as rewards to his ministers. He never took them himself.

Anyway, nowadays, all the Yin and Soul Nourishing Pills are funneled straight from Lord Zhu's hands.

How many come out each year? No fixed number—it all depends on his mood.

No idea how many Scorching Sun Department manages to get their hands on, either.

It's on their internal exchange list. Wen Yan's current permissions and merit points were technically enough to redeem it, but unfortunately, the pill is perpetually out of stock all year round.

Once in a blue moon, one or two might go up for grabs. It's all luck and timing—if you just happen to catch it and have enough points, it's yours.

Wen Yan glanced at the price and whistled. Damn, life-saving stuff is never cheap.

The price of one pill meant he'd have to exorcise the hospital's Ghost resident nine more times.

And the merit he'd earned for that was already several times higher than a normal Field Agent would get for one operation. Most people would have to grind through dozens of cases to get enough merit to exchange for one pill.

No wonder Feng Yao once said that in the Scorching Sun Department, the least valuable thing is actual cash.

There are tons of things money just can't buy at all.

Lord Zhu just handed him nine pills in one go. Seriously generous.

Alright, proper etiquette—no matter if knives fall from the sky next month, Wen Yan would have to make a trip to Guanzhong County to congratulate Lord Zhu on his birthday. He'd need to think about a decent gift, too—couldn't just wing it.

Wen Yan called Qin Kun to confirm with him again.

What's written in the files can't always be trusted; better to double-check.

After asking, Wen Yan was sure—this stuff was indeed supremely rare. Normal healing medicine comes in all price ranges, but anything touching the soul is never not precious.

Wen Yan put the box away and took three pills out, placing them in another box.

Then he took out one more box and put three more inside.

The last three, he left at home for himself.

Three would be sent out, handed to his Seventh Great-Uncle Master to take back.

This kind of exclusive, one-of-a-kind stuff even Fuyu Mountain didn't have, so better to send it there.

The other three for Old Zhang—he really needed these. The only reason Wen Yan even got the pills was because Old Zhang had literally risked his life for them.

At the hospital, Wen Yan saw Old Zhang lying in bed drinking lean pork congee. He didn't seem too bad spirit-wise, just a bit listless, like he hadn't really woken up.

Wen Yan handed the box over to Old Zhang.

"One pill every three days."

"What is this?"

"Yin and Soul Nourishing Pill."

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me. Lord Zhu sent them. I've got my own, gave some to the elders—these three are yours."

Wen Yan shut Old Zhang down before he could protest.

He popped the box open and casually cracked the wax seal on one pill.

"Hurry up and eat it."

The scent hit Old Zhang's nose, and his dull eyes brightened a bit, but he still looked pained by the idea.

"I'll get better if I just rest up, it's no big deal—you don't need to waste this stuff on me…"

"I already opened it. You eating it or not?"

Old Zhang, thoroughly pained, swallowed the pill whole, barely opening his mouth so he didn't lose a single bit of medicinal vapor.

After a long while and several gulps of water to chase down every lingering whiff of the drug, he finally let out a deep sigh.

"I heard the Yin and Soul Nourishing Pill uses several herbs that only Lord Zhu can get, and only the ones he cultivates work.

There used to be talk about transplanting some, seeing if they'd grow elsewhere, but even if they survived, they didn't work.

This stuff is insanely expensive, and even how many get made each year depends on Lord Zhu's mood."