Chapter 179: Restricted area, terrifying poison (2/2)

“What kind of urgent business?” Han Yunxi asked as she raised her hand again. “3,000 taels!”

“A case involving human life is one of supreme importance. Esteemed wangfei, hurry and go,” Chu Xifeng was getting impatient.

Only then did Han Yunxi withdraw her hand, surprised. “A case involving human life? The master’s?”

It wasn’t convenient to explain things in the middle of an auction, so Chu Xifeng could only try to explain. “Not the master, but it seriously concerns human lives anyways. It’s better if you hurry up and leave.”

Despite being relieved, Han Yunxi still wore an earnest expression on her face. “I didn’t bring much silver drafts[2], so I can’t leave the auction. Hurry and help me settle accounts and then we can go.”

Ehh…

Chu Xifeng was momentarily lost for words. He’d stood guard here for less than two hours, but this woman had already lost fifty to sixty thousand taels. Moreover, they were all gold. These weren’t small numbers, so he assumed she’d brought her own money. He’d even inwardly sighed with emotion over her secret stash of cash, but who knew…

“Hurry, human lives are at stake,” Han Yunxi urged. She really hadn’t brought any money. Originally, she planned to bid until daybreak, then have the auction people notify Long Feiye at the inn so he could come over to pay money and pick her up. With no other choice, Chu Xifeng could only pay up personally, and ended up using all of the gold paper money that Long Feiye had brought along before taking Han Yunxi away. When she reached the entrance to the Medicine Forest and understood the situation, she was really frightened by how serious things had become.

“New poison plants. In other words, those who get poisoned will definitely suffer.”

Her detox system seemed to have met its match. As soon as a new poisonous plant emerged, one that the detox system couldn’t identify, it’d be impossible for her to determine the poison, much less create an antidote. This was the first time that Han Yunxi discovered the limits of her detox system’s intellectual capabilities. She couldn’t allow such a horrific thing to exist!

“Let’s go in. The poison miasma shouldn’t be able to block me,” Han Yunxi said.

Chu Xifeng had brought along quite a few guards to stand sentry outside the forest. Long Feiye brought Han Yunxi along, his figure as vigorous as a cheetah’s as they travelled soundlessly through the woods, avoiding the other guards scattered throughout. Under the moonlight, Han Yunxi saw a good number of precious medicinal plants, but the situation at hand was more important than them right now. She didn’t have time to think much before her detox system notified of her poison ahead from the restricted area.

“It’s still a poison mosquito swarm, the same type as before!” Han Yunxi concluded quickly as she fetched an antidote pill for Long Feiye. She was puzzled. The masked man shouldn’t be coming here for the first time. Mostly likely the poison mosquitoes they’d met before were all taken from this place. Or perhaps, this was actually his lair, but this was the first time anyone had discovered its location?

The moonlight turned dim as they entered the restricted area. Things nearby could only be seen with difficulty, and they hadn’t walked far before Long Feiye stretched a hand out towards Han Yunxi. He’d grabbed her hand for the first time when they were in the inn, but she’d been too surprised to react back then. This time was more like a proper offering, but…was he asking for her opinion this time?

Should she take his hand?

Han Yunxi stared at the hand before Long Feiye grew impatient. “Hand! If you get lost, it’ll cause more troubles for your lordship.”

Han Yunxi’s expression immediately turned gloomy. With a pah, she swung her small hand into his palm. She just knew it, this fellow had a motive behind everything he did! Long Feiye instantly wrapped his fingers around Han Yunxi’s hand and led her forward. Since he was used to holding a sword, his palm was coarse despite the fair skin on the back of his hand. Han Yunxi could clearly feel the rough skin as she was led along. Though she was clearly angry, her heart had an inexplicable sense of security as well.

The restricted area was clearly different from the places outside. There were large scattered boulders about the place and no plants in sight. Gradually, even the poison mosquito swarms disappeared, leaving silence in their wake. It made it hard for Han Yunxi to even speak, lest she disturb her partner. The two of them went according to Wang Gong’s directions towards the center of the area. But suddenly, Han Yunxi stopped, making Long Feiye stop along with her.

“What is it?” he asked in a low voice.

But Han Yunxi only stood with her eyes shut, her brows furrowed as if in pain.

“What’s wrong?” Long Feiye immediately pulled her over to sit down behind a large rock. Han Yunxi only waved her hand, temporarily unable to talk.

Too painful!

Just then, she’d suddenly been hit with a loud warning gong from the detox system. The noise was beyond deafening and enough to sent every one of her brain nerves jarring from pain! Typically, the detox system’s dootdootdoot only appeared when poison was present, but when faced with unfamiliar poisons, it’d give a gong alert instead. The louder the sound, the more potent the poison.

Just then, the noise was so loud that Heaven only knew what kind of poison lay ahead!

Long Feiye’s eyes turned worried as he looked at her. “Are you all right?”

Han Yunxi tugged on her ears as she recovered from the pain, before speaking in a low voice. “We should be almost there. There’s hypertoxic poison, but I don’t know what kind it is.”

-o-

[1] Wang Gong (王公) – Wang is a surname that also means “ruler, king,” Gong means “equitable, impartial, common,” or “prince.”

[2] silver drafts (银票) – yinpiao, in former times, a type of paper money.