Chapter 116 Poisoning - What exactly is he doing?!
Li Mengbai felt ice-cold all over, and all the restless emotions in his heart were frozen at this moment.
She actually wanted to kill him, all for a mere mortal woman she hadn't seen in many years.
It's utterly ridiculous!
“I only carry poison, never antidote,” Li Mengbai said. “Even if you kill me, you won’t find the antidote.”
"Where is the antidote?"
Her sword drew a few inches closer, its tip almost piercing his heart.
"The Li family."
Jiang Yuhuo tilted her head back and took a deep breath. Things had reached another impasse. They couldn't enter the Li family's contact point, Jinzhi was poisoned, and without her, it would be difficult for them to leave the city. The Earth Flame Vine was with the Li family, and Jinzhi's antidote was also with them, yet they simply couldn't reach the Li family!
She hadn't felt this powerless in many years; the last time was when she was trapped in the Zhaoming City Palace.
She can't continue to be this weak.
In the deserted temple, Li Mengbai did not sleep all night.
Jiang Yuhuo was just outside the temple. She sat on the eaves of the roof, the moon behind her. The wind blowing up high made her dress and hair look even thinner, as if she might be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Li Mengbai sat in the corner, looking at the figure high above, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
Jiang Yuhuo had a cut on his palm, and blood smeared on the silver bracelet on his wrist as he tried to summon the bird spirit using the same method he used before.
The silver bracelet remained unresponsive. The shockwave from the destruction of the spirit-suppressing array not only caused her to lose all her spiritual power, but also erased the power from the silver bracelet.
As dawn broke, Jiang Yuhuo climbed down from the eaves and walked straight out without glancing at the person in the corner.
She first went to the city gate, where the guards were just as strict as yesterday, checking everyone entering and leaving the city. They had neither travel permits nor household registration, making them no different from vagrants. Yesterday, Jinzhi had used the excuse of eloping to get away with it, but now it was difficult. Jinzhi's restaurant was open as usual. Jiang Yuhuo went to inquire, but the waiter only said that the owner was unwell and had returned to the estate.
Yes, her health has suddenly deteriorated, and the two people she brought in have disappeared, which is bound to arouse suspicion. The best solution is to go back and avoid seeing anyone.
The shop assistant was there when they parted yesterday. He recognized her and looked at her strangely. He tentatively asked, "Why didn't you come with your wife, sir? Your wife just arrived and left a bottle of medicine, asking me to give it to the master."
Jiang Yuhuo was startled, instinctively thinking that Li Mengbai was about to poison her again, and quickly asked, "Where is the medicine? Can you take it out and let me see it?"
The shopkeeper took out a delicate white porcelain bottle from the cabinet. Jiang Yuhuo opened it, and inside was a green pill, brimming with spiritual energy—a Jade Spirit Pill. It was neither poison nor antidote; it was taken by cultivators after injury to stabilize their spiritual energy and strengthen their physique. For mortals, it could also improve their health and prolong their lives.
Even among immortal sects, the Jade Spirit Pill is a precious item. The fact that Li Mengbai could produce it shows that he truly had no antidote.
Jiang Yuhuo returned the porcelain bottle, saying, "Please tell your master that this medicine is safe to take. I will definitely help her find the rest of the medicine."
Just as they were about to leave, the waiter asked in confusion, "Madam is having dinner in the upstairs room. Aren't you going, sir?"
Seeing her hesitation, the shop assistant assumed she was worried about money and smiled, "The master instructed that since you are a relative of the master, we can provide you with everything you need."
Jiang Yuhuo felt increasingly uncomfortable listening to this, and could only say, "Thank you."
Inside the side room, Li Mengbai was still dressed as a woman, his face still swollen. He covered one side of his face, chewing with considerable effort. There was a lot of food on the table, but it looked like he hadn't eaten much of it.
Jiang Yuhuo sat down opposite him and finally understood why the waiter had given her such a strange look.
Silence fell between them.
Seeing that she hadn't touched her chopsticks, Li Mengbai took the initiative to put a piece of fish into her bowl.
"The food here is acceptable."
Jiang Yuhuo only took a sip of water and still didn't touch her chopsticks, going straight to the point, "The Jade Spirit Pill is just icing on the cake for her."
"Adding flowers to brocade?" Li Mengbai glanced at the teacup beside her. "This pill can at least extend her life by ten years."
He placed a bowl of cheese in front of her, saying, "This bowl is new; I haven't used it."
Jiang Yuhuo lowered her head and touched the bowl with her hand. "When you return to the Li family, you must give her the antidote as soon as possible."
Li Mengbai nodded, then looked up at her. "Do you have a way to leave?"
Jiang Yuhuo glanced at the half-eaten bowl of cheese next to Li Mengbai and said, "I guess so."
Seeing her look over, Li Mengbai took a sip. "What method?"
Jiang Yuhuo took out a sandalwood token from his pocket and placed it on the table. The intricate pattern on the token had a raised character "Ji". "Since your Li family has a contact point in the county town, perhaps the Ji family's influence is also there."
Li Mengbai was slightly surprised. Her guess was correct; while immortal families didn't occupy the two highest spiritual mountains like sects, their influence in the mortal realm was far greater. Almost every city, large or small, in the Central Continent had the power of a family, let alone a large city like Shannan County. He simply hadn't expected Jiang Yuhuo to have a connection with the Ji family.
Jiang Yuhuo traced the rim of the cheese bowl with her fingertip, then looked up at the person opposite her. "However, before going to the Ji family, there is one more thing I want to figure out."
"What is it?"
Li Mengbai blurted out the question without thinking.
The next moment, Jiang Yuhuo suddenly stood up, grabbed his chin, picked up the bowl of untouched cheese beside her, and poured it into his mouth. Li Mengbai's eyes widened, struggling to shut his mouth, but Jiang Yuhuo was determined to make him drink it. He choked violently as she poured it in, but she didn't let go.
Only after most of the bowl was gone did Li Mengbai feel the restraints loosen. He immediately leaned to the side, wanting to vomit.
Jiang Yuhuo squatted down in front of Li Mengbai, gently lifted Li Mengbai's chin, and calmly said, "You really did poison me."
A fierce glint appeared in her eyes as she met his watery gaze. "I'm really curious, are you going to poison me to make me mute, or to blind me? Or will you do both, like you did with Jinzhi?"
"Given what happened with Jinzhi, do you think I'd still believe what you hand over?"
"Now, how about I let you taste what it's like to be poisoned?"
"I know you must hate me to the core..."
As he swallowed the cheese, the moment his eyes met Jiang Yuhuo's, Li Mengbai's mind went blank. A bittersweet longing quickly took over his mind, his heart pounding as if it would overflow. He felt a secret pleasure from her touch, a pleasure that almost made him dizzy, yet it also gave rise to a greater longing, a desire for more touches.
He couldn't hear anything anymore; all he could see were those luscious lips, constantly opening and closing before his eyes...
Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, seemingly unable to hear her, only staring blankly with eyes as soft as water, Jiang Yuhu patted his face, frowning as she asked, "Did you administer a drug to make him deaf and mute this time?"
There was no reply from Li Mengbai.
His hidden desires were magnified infinitely, and Li Mengbai unconsciously moved closer, then instinctively reached forward, about to touch those two lips that had captured his entire heart.
But she was faster than him, turning her face away just as he was about to touch her, and he only brushed past a touch of softness and sweetness.
He almost suffocated at that moment; the delicate touch made him tremble slightly, and he collapsed into her arms as if all his strength had left him.
Jiang Yuhuo was startled for a moment, then immediately sprang up and shoved him to the ground with a palm strike.
She wiped her lips hard and then quickly washed them several times with tea. She thought to herself that he was indeed cruel; even in this state, he still wanted to feed her poison.
Li Mengbai seemed to regain some of his senses after being pushed so hard by her. He scrambled up from his seat, stumbled, and plunged into the side room of the private room, refusing to come out again.
Li Mengbai's poison was cunning and unpredictable. Jiang Yuhuo was still not at ease even after washing her face. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror in the room and saw that her lips were normal except for being a little red. However, Li Mengbai's touch had rubbed her fake mustache crooked, and she had to put it back on properly.
The room was in a mess. When the waiter came in to clean up, he saw that the cups and plates on the table were overturned and that the beautiful woman was hiding in the side room. He immediately looked at her with a strange gaze. After quickly cleaning up, he stammered that he could take them to the guest room to rest.
After Li Mengbai's poisoning took effect, his condition became unknown. Jiang Yuhuo, not wanting to frighten the waiter, quickly dismissed him with a few words. But Li Mengbai couldn't stay hidden forever. He could be ruthless to others, and now it was his turn to reap what he sowed.
Jiang Yuhuo was about to drag the person out of the side room without any politeness. She had just lifted the curtain when a pair of hands pulled her inside. The side room had no windows and was dimly lit, but a faint fragrance wafted through the air. The person who pulled her was burning hot, with a flushed face, as beautiful as a blooming peach blossom. Her already moist eyes were now even more shimmering and full of spring-like allure.
Upon seeing Jiang Yuhuo, Li Mengbai felt as if a dying man had found a life-saving medicine. He collapsed onto her, kissing her neck haphazardly. His burning kisses and tears soaked the skin of her neck. He desired her so desperately.
A strong force shoved him away, and in the dizzying spin, he seemed to hit something sharp. His head throbbed, but the pain seemed to have become muddled, even less painful than the thud she had inflicted. He pressed hard on the cut on his forehead, trying to clear his head.
What on earth is he doing?!
Jiang Yuhuo took a few steps back in shock. The person she had pushed hit his forehead on the corner of the table, but he seemed to think it wasn't painful enough. He dug his fingernails into the wound on his forehead, making the small cut bleed profusely. The blood mingled with his tears and streamed down his once delicate and beautiful face.
While doing all this, his gaze never left her for a moment. His soft, watery eyes looked at her with sorrow and grievance, and he occasionally let out a few groans that were hard to tell whether they were from pain or pleasure.
Something's really wrong with him!
What kind of medicine did he administer?!
Jiang Yuhuo was still in shock when Li Mengbai began crawling toward her feet.
His hand gripped her ankle, and Jiang Yuhuo jumped back as if stung, yelling, "What are you doing? Get away!"
Li Mengbai indeed stopped moving, pinned to the floor by the slender fingers that had broken free, seemingly trying his best to endure something.
"If you hate me, then don't come in!" He collapsed weakly at Jiang Yuhuo's feet, his voice trembling. "I've already hidden myself, and you still want to..."
She will come in and tempt him.
The foot in front of me silently retreated.
Li Mengbai was stunned. He instinctively wanted to follow, but then he remembered what had just been said...
"What kind of poison did you use?" Her voice came from behind the curtain, her tone impatient.
Li Mengbai sat behind the curtain where she had stood, tilting her head back and breathing heavily. After a long pause, she finally managed to speak.
"...Joy of meeting again."
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Author's note: Sorry, Xiao Li has had a lot more screen time lately, but this part will be over soon. If you don't like Xiao Li, you can skip this part.
And I might have to take the day off tomorrow; I've been so busy lately, and my writing has been really slow. Thank you! [bows][please][please][please]
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