Antidote
"Autumn is gone," Mu Qinghuai said calmly.
Qi Yuan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible worry: "She must have had her reasons for leaving without saying goodbye. It's just that the journey is long, I just hope nothing bad happens to her."
“You said nothing would happen, so nothing will happen.” Mu Qinghuai raised an eyebrow and smiled.
When they returned to the inn, the innkeeper had already told them that the woman who had been traveling with them had left.
They left decisively and quickly.
Only a note was left:
I have important business to attend to and must leave. Don't worry. —Autumn Thoughts
When Qi Yuan first saw the note, she thought she was seeing things, but after a few seconds she accepted the fact.
"Go find Miss Li Mei and tell her the good news," Qi Yuan said clearly.
Although an antidote has not yet been found, there has been significant progress compared to the beginning, and it is believed that all the Zhu family members who were poisoned will recover soon.
Li Mei was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face: "Thank you... thank you... without you, I really don't know what I would have done..."
She was about to kneel down when Qi Yuan quickly helped her up: "No need. We are also grateful for the information you provided earlier. I believe we will develop an antidote as soon as possible."
Mu Qinghuai leaned against the wall and said, "Qi Yuan, do you have any experience in this area? I have a friend who knows a lot about poisons."
“I’ve learned a little from the elders before. If your friend is willing, I hope he can help us develop the antidote. I will do my best to assist him,” Qi Yuan said.
She thought for a moment and then added, "I can give him spirit stones."
Seeing her serious expression, Mu Qinghuai chuckled softly, "No need for that. You know him."
When Qi Yuan finally met the friend Mu Qinghuai had mentioned, she realized that the person was none other than Ouyang Lanyue.
Ouyang Lanyue, holding a fan, greeted her with a smile: "Long time no see."
Before Qi Yuan could react, Mu Qinghuai said, "Qi Yuan, I haven't mentioned before that Ouyang Lanyue is actually the young master of the Wanwu Sect. The Wanwu Sect specializes in poisons and medicines, so he knows more about this."
To be precise, he was actually the sect leader. But he didn't say it aloud.
The Gate of All Things? Qi Yuan's eyes became complicated. If that's the case... Qiu Yi and Ouyang Lanyue are siblings?!
She cleared her throat: "It's great to see you again. I didn't expect that Young Master Ouyang is from the Myriad Things Sect. I'll have to trouble you to help me research this poison."
On the table was a transparent bottle filled with mucus, which Ouyang Lanyue took and examined closely.
The amount of mucus was small, dark green, and seemed to be alive, still bubbling and emitting a rotten and disgusting smell.
"Anyone who comes into contact with the mucus will become mentally unstable, their memories will be swallowed up over time, and they will become completely insane within three days," Mu Qinghuai said.
Qi Yuan said, "I heard from Miss Li Mei that the onset of poisoning is different on sunny days and cloudy days, which is very strange. If it's just because monsters are afraid of the sun, but the reason they go crazy is the mucus, what does the mucus have to do with yin and yang?"
“I understand. This poison seems to be recorded in the Book of All Things, but there are many books on poison classification, so I’ll have to rely on your help to find it. Please come with me.” Ouyang Lanyue closed her folding fan and walked up the stairs.
Qi Yuan and Mu Qinghuai followed closely behind and stopped in front of the pavilion with the words "study" hanging on it.
Ouyang Lanyue swept her hand over the bookshelves and smiled, "You don't need to look for the other books. These are the only ones with books on poisons. I'll go and study this slime. Thank you both."
He disappeared as soon as he finished speaking.
Looking at these shelves of books, there are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, not to mention some books are so thick they could kill a person.
Is this a lot?
Qi Yuan: ...
Mu Qinghuai: ...
She suggested, "Zhu Fu, let's divide the work. You'll be in charge of looking through this side, and I'll be in charge of looking through that side. Whenever we see something that looks like this kind of slimy poison, we'll pull it out and put it on the ground."
"No problem." Mu Qinghuai smiled, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing.
*
Autumn fled to an unfamiliar inn.
The system detected plot holes, but ultimately she still failed to complete the mission.
After negotiation, the system imposed a penalty on her three times over.
[BE System]: You've just left the protagonist like this, how are you going to complete the main quest?
Autumn was dying, muttering, "I want to go home... I want to go home."
[BE System]: ...Dream on. The protagonist is currently researching an antidote; this has nothing to do with you. Investigations have revealed that the female lead intends to go to Xueya in Quanzhou to collect a century-old bird flower in a little over a month. If you change your appearance and take the opportunity to push her off the cliff, you'll complete the mission.
"That's too immoral..." Qiu Yi rejected the suggestion.
Not to mention, Qi Yuan is quite good to me.
Qiu Yi asked, "As long as the final result is a bad ending, the mission is considered complete. Why do I have to interfere? They might just drift apart along the way. One is an immortal and the other is a demon. Even if they really get together, will the world accept it?"
[BE System]: ...
Read but not replying.
To everyone's surprise, no matter what Qiu Yi said, the system didn't respond at all, as if it had crashed. What followed was the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart. Qiu Yi fainted.
Three days later.
Ouyang Lanyue seemed to be in a good mood, walking up to the pavilion with a smile, but the scene in front of him shocked him.
The books on the floor were scattered about, while the books on the shelves were piled up like mountains. One bookshelf was even leaning against the wall, unable to bear the weight.
The two people sitting on the ground were lifeless, a far cry from the passion they had shown when they first arrived. They were still flipping through the last few books they had.
It seems they haven't had a break in the past three days.
Fortunately, they are not ordinary people, otherwise their bodies would have given out long ago.
Mu Qinghuai raised his numb and lifeless eyes and met Ouyang Lanyue's gaze.
Ouyang Lanyue: ...
To ease the awkwardness, he spoke first, asking, "How's the progress? Have you found the relevant information?"
Qi Yuan closed another book and put it on the bookshelf: "Almost there. Only a few left. The books on the floor all contain information that resembles that kind of slime. In the end, we just need to check the books on the floor for comparison."
"You've really worked hard," Ouyang Lanyue said sincerely.
Mu Qinghuai glanced at him sideways and asked, "So what did you discover?"
"This sap contains lily grass, which is a good medicine when used alone, but it plays an auxiliary role in this poison. This grass only grows on cloudy days, which can make the poison more potent," said Ouyang Lanyue.
Mu Qinghuai scoffed: "That's all? There's more."
Ouyang Lanyue paused for a moment, then continued, "The main ingredient of the poison is Moon Willow, a poisonous plant that grows in the Ghost Realm. As long as you find specific information, I can create an antidote based on the natural enemies of this plant."
Since the Ghost Realm devoured the Demon Realm, the Ghost Realm has expanded to a wider area. Because the ghostly energy is stronger in this place and the sky is often overcast, many poisonous creatures grow in the Ghost Realm.
"There are two books left. You guys go and compare them with the books on the ground. I'll come back after I finish reading these two." Qi Yuan took out the last two books.
"I'll listen to you."
“Okay.” Ouyang Lanyue glanced at Mu Qinghuai with a hint of disdain.
An hour and a half passed.
“This is it.” Ouyang Lanyue stood up, pointing to the pictures and text in the book.
The book only contained one sentence: "The Ghost Realm's sap is green in color. Those who touch it will suffer from amnesia and mental confusion. In mild cases, it will cause dementia, and in severe cases, it will cause madness. This poison can only be cured by the compatibility of the Human Realm's 'Exquisite Flower' and the Ghost Realm's 'Intoxicating Grass'."
Qi Yuan said, "It shouldn't be difficult to find the Mi Hua in the human realm. I happen to have some Ghost Realm Qin Cao in a brocade pouch on me."
“That makes things easier. I know about the Mihua flower; it grows around the Zhu family's area. Mu… Zhu Fu, go and pick it. You only need to give me a little Qincao as a sample, and I can find this Qincao at the pharmacy to make the antidote,” Ouyang Lanyue said.
"Okay." Qi Yuan took out a brocade pouch from her divine sense and gave a little bit of Qincao to Ouyang Lanyue.
Mu Qinghuai, on the other hand, went to pick wildflowers.
Within a day, both medicinal materials were found. Ouyang Lanyue worked quickly and developed the antidote that very night.
"Aren't you going? It's all thanks to you that the antidote was developed." Qi Yuan turned around and looked at Ouyang Lanyue in surprise.
Ouyang Lanyue revealed a pair of dark eyes: "No need. If anyone asks, don't mention my name."
Qi Yuan nodded.
Mu Qinghuai suddenly spoke up: "Qi Yuan, you don't need to worry about him."
Ouyang Lanyue noticed that Mu Qinghuai really liked calling Qi Yuan by her name.
Watching the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, Ouyang Lanyue's eyes turned cold, and she shouted, "Get out here!"
He lightly pressed his fingertips against the folding fan, unleashing an attack.
*
The two of them found Li Mei first.
“This medicine was made according to the method in the book, which may be risky. We haven’t tried it yet, so we don’t know…” Qi Yuan said.
“I’m willing! You are my benefactors, and I trust you unconditionally! Come with me, my mother is inside.” Li Mei said without hesitation.
Pulling open the precariously closed door, a person was wrapped in the bed, sleeping peacefully.
She was clearly a middle-aged woman, but at that moment she looked exceptionally old.
Even Li Mei, a girl of fifteen or sixteen, has a maturity beyond her years, and it's clear that she really worries a lot about her mother.
“This is my mother. She’s already asleep at this hour,” Li Mei said softly, afraid of waking her.
Qi Yuan nodded and, with Li Mei's permission, gently applied the prepared ointment to the woman's skin.
She asked Ouyang Lanyue, and she learned that this medicine should be taken externally.
"Let's see if your mother has recovered after she gets up tomorrow," Qi Yuan said, trying to keep her voice as soft as possible.
“Okay…” Li Mei’s voice trembled, and her eyes were already red.
To find out the results as soon as possible, Mu Qinghuai and Qi Yuan sat outside the room all night, resting with their eyes closed.
"My mother is awake! My mother is awake! My benefactors, look!" Li Mei shouted excitedly, waking the two of them.
Qi Yuan had just opened her groggy eyes when she heard those words and rushed into the room without thinking.
"Thank you! Thank you! I... I don't know how to express my gratitude!" Li Mei hugged Qi Yuan tightly, her voice choked with emotion.
The middle-aged woman sat on the edge of the bed, holding a glass of water, her eyes gentle: "Thank you all. You young people are really capable."
Mu Qinghuai smiled and said, "It's alright. Actually, I'm also a member of the Zhu family. Helping you is helping myself."
Qi Yuan also said, "It's really alright. Since this medicine is effective, let's go to another place first. See you again if fate allows."
Li Mei was reluctant to leave, but she knew she couldn't keep her benefactor, so she just shouted from behind, "Come visit often when you have time!"
In truth, Qi Yuan also liked this little girl.
She glanced back at Li Mei a few times, but finally turned and ran forward.
They went from house to house, regardless of whether the illness was mild or severe, but when they saw their loved ones regain consciousness, their faces were filled with smiles.
After the two men visited the last household, many members of the Zhu family rushed onto the road, shouting to them, "Our benefactors! Won't you stay a little longer?!"
She smiled and said, "No, I'll come see you when I have time."
Qi Yuan turned to him and asked, "Aren't you a member of the Zhu family? Are you staying here?"
Mu Qinghuai's heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched.
He tried to calm himself down and pulled out the words he had prepared beforehand: "I won't stay. I'm used to being away from home all year round, so I might as well be a wandering cultivator. I'll go out with you!"
"Okay," Qi Yuan said.
Behind them, the Zhu family members cheered and praised them as they slowly walked out of the Zhu family's house.
"Ah!!!" A scream suddenly came from behind.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
