Jared recounted to Austin his experience in the western region of Norham. He also revealed how Hank set up an arcane array in advance at the area where the ten- thousand-year-old herb would emerge.
Austin was filled with a deep sense of dread that settled like lead in the pit of his stomach, but that feeling was quickly replaced by a boiling rage that surged through his veins.
“How dare he? He knew exactly where the precious herb would materialize, yet he withheld this information from me and only provided me with a general location. Instead, he went there to set up an arcane array in advance! It appears that he, too, is intent on claiming the herb for himself. I can’t believe I trusted him enough to give him so many resources!”
Austin’s cheeks reddened in fury as he told Kayson, “Kayson, head into the city and hunt Hank down. After finding him, bring him to me. Remember, bring as many elites as possible as this man is extraordinarily strong!”
“Dad, don’t worry. I’ve disliked that elderly man since the very beginning!” Kayson agreed readily. He then left with two Greater Martial Arts Marquises in tow.
Norham was under the Zagorski family’s rule, so it wasn’t difficult for them to hunt someone down. After Kayson left, Austin turned to Jared. “Mr. Chance, how confident are you in obtaining the herb with the assistance of the Zagorski family?”
Jared pondered over it before answering, “I’m afraid I can’t answer that with any certainty.. There are simply too many sects and prestigious families in this area, each of them having its own Greater Martial Arts Marquises. It’s impossible for me to provide an accurate answer.”
Uncertain of the extent of his opponents’ capabilities and therefore the probability of success, Jared voiced his plan for victory, “I believe I have a strategy that could give us the edge. If it works, we could end up with the herb in our possession.”
Austin urged, “What is it, Mr. Chance?’
“We can lead the sects and prestigious families astray, thus bringing them to the wrong destination. That way, we’ll increase our chances of getting the herb!” came Jared’s answer.
“How do we do that?” “I have a plan that I’m not entirely confident will work, but it’s worth a try. We can find a one- thousand-year-old herb and place it elsewhere before deliberately creating an anomaly. This will cause the others to incorrectly assume that this is the location where the ten-thousand- year-old herb will appear.
They would rush there and even fight over it. As for us, we could position ourselves in the real location where the herb will appear and wait for it to show up. Once we get our hands on it, it would be extremely difficult for anyone else to take it away from us,” Jared suggested.
That sounded like a great idea to Austin, so he excitedly chimed in, “Mr. Chance, I have a three- thousand-year-old ginseng that could be a suitable substitute for the ten-thousand-year- old herb! How do we create an anomaly, though?”
“That’s easy. Leave that to me. With a few charms, I’ll make the world tremble,” Flaxseed told him casually. With the substitute herb and Flaxseed’s skills to fake the anomaly, Jared and the rest of the group simply had to wait patiently for the results.
Austin got his men to bring the ginseng up the mountain and buried it in the opposite direction of the ten-thousand-year-old herb..
“Mr. Zagorski, I’m sorry you had to sacrifice one three-thousand-year-old ginseng, but after this, I’ll create a Trispirit Pill to help you in your cultivation,” Jared said.
He wasn’t about to let the Zagorski family sacrifice a three-thousand-year-old ginseng for nothing. Austin was elated. “Thank you so much, Mr. Chance! I’ve heard that you’re an alchemist and also the Lord of Medicine God Sect.”
Jared grinned. “You’re welcome, Mr. Zagorski. We are allies after all, and it is my duty to help you in any way I can. Let’s go around to find out how many sects and prestigious families are here. As the old saying goes, ‘Know thy self, know thy enemy’.”
“Okay. I sincerely hope you’ll get the ten- thousand-year-old herb successfully!” Austin said with a nod. Jared and Flaxseed then left the Zagorski residence to stroll along the streets of Norham.
