Chapter 170: Meeting the Parents

Liu Linger pouted, glaring at Baili Xian with annoyance. “Could you please not look at me like that? We were so young back then—how could I possibly remember? Besides, he wasn’t much older either. Who knows if he was just making things up.”

Hu Li, sitting nearby, immediately grew anxious. “Liu Linger, how can you deny it? The fact that you peed on me is undeniable—it’s something that can never be erased. If you don’t believe me, just ask your father, Uncle Liu. He was there many times. If you’re impatient, go see my father now—he was present then, too.”

Liu Linger glared fiercely at Hu Li. “If you don’t speak up, no one will think you’re mute! And as for seeing your father, do you take me for someone going to meet my in-laws?”

Now, under the same roof, she had no choice but to lower her head. Liu Linger was utterly powerless, unable to move a muscle. Yet when she glanced at Baili Xian, she noticed a flicker of panic beneath his otherwise calm eyes—a subtle tremor that she saw clearly.

Sigh. She had actually realized this earlier: like Baili Xian, when she tried to channel her inner strength to dispel the poison, the more she exerted herself, the faster her energy dissipated. If she kept forcing it, she might soon collapse from exhaustion.

Her eyes darted, and Liu Linger turned to Hu Li. “Hu Li, do you really think we knew each other back then? Were we really childhood friends?”

Hu Li grinned broadly, clearly pleased. “Finally, you’re not so stubborn. Actually, given our childhood bond, do you think I could lie to you? Just rest easy—if I’m going to make things difficult for anyone, it won’t be you, right?”

“Really?” Liu Linger’s eyes brightened. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t you help us get rid of this poison? Look at me—I can’t move at all, and even speaking feels awkward.”

Hu Li’s face immediately showed signs of trouble. Liu Linger knew it wouldn’t be so simple and muttered, “Hmph. I knew you weren’t really my childhood friend. Refusing to help remove the poison, and then claiming our family is noble? That sounds like something you made up!”

Liu Linger’s suspicion made Hu Li nervous. “Who said I won’t help you? The truth is, there’s no cure for this poison. I want to help, but I’m powerless!”

“What? No cure?” Liu Linger and Baili Xian exchanged worried glances. If that was true, it would be a huge problem. If they remained weak and powerless all the way to Zhongtong Kingdom, even if they managed to arrive, how could they deal with the dangers awaiting them there?

Seeing Liu Linger stunned, Hu Li fanned himself and said, “Actually, you don’t need to worry. Although there’s no cure, the poison will naturally dissipate. Give it a couple of hours, and it’ll vanish on its own, along with your strength gradually returning.”

“Damn, why didn’t you say so sooner? You nearly gave me a heart attack.” Liu Linger exhaled deeply, relieved that the antidote wasn’t necessary.

Baili Xian, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked, “What kind of poison is this? How did I get poisoned? I’ve never even heard of it before.”

Liu Linger immediately perked up. That was exactly the question she wanted to ask but hadn’t yet dared. Now that Baili Xian brought it up, she listened intently, hoping to understand. After all, Baili Xian was skilled in medicine and familiar with all the poisons Chu Meier used.

This kind of accidental poisoning was new to her. Even if she didn’t know how it happened, she at least wanted to know what kind of poison it was. That way, if it happened again, she could prepare in advance.

Hu Li pointed toward the incense sticks burnt in front of the Guanyin statue. “See those? The reason you’re like this is because you inhaled the smoke from that incense. It’s odorless—few people even notice it. Even if they do, they wouldn’t suspect it would sap their strength completely.”

He beckoned to a waiter, giving a couple of quick instructions. The waiter hurried off, then returned with several incense sticks, placing them on the table. Hu Li held one up and said with a smirk, “See? This is the incense.”

Liu Linger and Baili Xian each took one, examining it closely. The incense looked ordinary on the outside, but inside was a slender piece of wood.

It seemed that the cause of their weakness was this thin wooden core. Liu Linger suddenly had a question. “If that’s so, why didn’t you get affected? You said there’s no cure—how come you’re fine?”

Hu Li chuckled. “Actually, this incense has another trait. Anyone affected develops an immunity to it. Even if you inhale it repeatedly, it won’t harm you anymore. This is unique to our Wutuo Mountain. It’s no wonder you haven’t heard of it.”

“Your local specialty?” Liu Linger’s eyes widened. Hu Li laughed softly. “Yes, actually it was discovered by accident. There’s a rare tree on Wutuo Mountain. At first, we didn’t think much of it, until an incident ten years ago.

It was a thunderstorm—typical summer weather, with frequent lightning. One strike hit that tree directly, splitting it in two. We didn’t notice anything unusual at first. But that day, all the soldiers on Wutuo Mountain suddenly became weak and powerless. We didn’t recover until three hours later. That’s when we realized what that tree’s effect was.”

Indeed, the world is vast and full of wonders. Such an extraordinary tree would be hard to believe without firsthand experience.

Suddenly, Hu Li slapped his forehead. “Ah, I just realized—since Liu Linger is here, she can’t just stay trapped here. Besides, if my father finds out you’re here, he’ll be thrilled! Come on, I’ll take you to meet him!”

Liu Linger instinctively didn’t want to stir up more trouble, especially since she couldn’t even walk properly now. She was about to refuse when, to her surprise, the bandits somehow produced two sedan chairs from nowhere. Refusing now would be rude.

Though they were bandits, they carried the sedan chairs steadily. Liu Linger sat inside, feeling no jostling at all. Along the way, she pulled back the curtains to watch the scenery outside. But that wasn’t the main point—her real focus was to memorize the route.

That way, if danger struck later, she could escape. However, Liu Linger overlooked one crucial fact: she was terrible with directions. Although she remembered taking the left fork earlier, she soon doubted herself, and by the end, her mind was a complete muddle.

Still, the deeper they traveled, the more Liu Linger marveled. She hadn’t expected such fertile fields deep in the mountains. Golden rapeseed flowers bloomed in vast patches, lush green wheat swayed in the breeze, and shepherds tended their flocks on the hillsides.

Noticing the shepherds wore identical clothing to Hu Li, she wondered if they were all bandits. She asked one standing by her sedan, “Are these fields yours, or does someone else farm them? I thought bandits only robbed people—how do you grow crops?”

The bandit looked exasperated. “Who says bandits have to rob? We never planned to get rich by robbing others. Raiding is just our entertainment. Relying on others is pointless; only by working with our own hands can we truly enjoy our food without worry. Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘Self-reliance brings plentiful harvest’? And besides, we’re not really bandits—we’re soldiers following the general.”

Wow. Dude, your mindset is on another level. So robbing is just a hobby for you? Liu Linger finally understood why stealing crops used to be so popular. It turns out everyone’s just looking for thrills—in simple terms, they’re bored but well-fed!