Chapter 51: Fighting Poison with Poison

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It had been a full night since the poisoning occurred. Most of the deadly poison in Mei Sanniang’s body had been absorbed. What Xu Yan was doing now was merely clearing the remaining poison from her stomach.

After Mei Sanniang had vomited three times, Xu Yan placed her under the shade of a tree and crouched beside a bluestone by the small stream, struggling to grind the two or three medicinal herbs he had found along the way.

Both arms still ached unbearably and couldn’t be lifted at all. Xu Yan had to bend his waist, letting his hands hang as naturally as possible on the stone. The grinding of the medicinal herbs relied almost entirely on the strength of rotating his shoulders.

After working for half the day, Xu Yan was already covered in sweat.

He took out the large centipede he had caught in the mountains half a month ago from his cloth bag. The centipede had long been dried. Removing the head and tail, he mixed the centipede into the herb powder. Using a thin piece of stone, Xu Yan scooped up a large mouthful of the sticky medicinal paste and came to Mei Sanniang’s side, forcing it down her throat.

“An antidote…”

Mei Sanniang’s body was already soaked through with sweat, her clothes clinging tightly to her body, making her figure even more graceful. Only her pretty face was deathly pale, her breathing weak.

She was still conscious. After struggling to swallow the medicine the little Taoist had prepared, she weakly asked a question.

“Poison.”

Xu Yan shook his head and softly stated what he had concocted.

“Do you think Third Sister is dying too slowly, you heartless little Taoist…”

After struggling to make this joke, Mei Sanniang’s delicate brows gradually furrowed. Xu Yan was right – what she had just swallowed was indeed a type of poison. Now she felt cramping pain in her abdomen.

“Fighting poison with poison – there’s no other way.” Xu Yan turned and crouched down. After Mei Sanniang climbed onto his back, he walked while explaining: “The gelsemium poison is too fierce. We simply can’t find enough herbs to prepare an antidote in a short time. This is the only method that can temporarily delay the poison’s onset.”

While discerning direction among the mountain ranges, confusion began appearing on Xu Yan’s small face.

He didn’t know which way to go anymore.

People who often went into the mountains rarely got lost. Xu Yan could distinguish directions, but he didn’t know where he could find enough herbs to prepare an antidote.

Linshan Town was three to five days’ journey from here. He had never been to Yongning Town but roughly knew its direction. However, Xu Yan could determine that neither of these two towns would have all the herbs he needed.

“Can we only find a chance to gather the antidote ingredients in a large city?”

Hearing Mei Sanniang’s inquiry, Xu Yan didn’t speak but nodded. The anguish between his brows indicated that Mei Sanniang’s chances of survival were very slim.

The woman gripped his thin shoulders. The weak Mei Sanniang said softly on Xu Yan’s back: “Go north, to Qi Nation. Fengshan City will definitely have enough ingredients for the antidote.”

“Qi Nation?”

Xu Yan was slightly stunned. He was from Pu Nation. Never mind Qi Nation – he had never even been to Yongning Town, which was only a few days’ journey away.

“My home is in Fengshan City…”

After struggling to say these two sentences, Mei Sanniang was already gasping for breath. The desire to survive made this strong woman endure unimaginable pain.

As if sensing Mei Sanniang’s life force, Xu Yan looked around, then gave a foolish laugh and took unsteady steps northward.

Fortunately, he didn’t see the figures of the Black and White Impermanence.

Deep in the mountain range, there were no longer any paths. Everywhere were giant trees and wild grass. Occasionally, wild rabbits could be seen darting past, but Xu Yan could no longer grip stones.

From dawn to dusk, the mountain path was slow, with no end in sight.

The weather was getting colder and colder.

Not the coolness of evening, but the chill brought by rapid climate change.

Autumn in Pu Nation was still crisp and clear, with sweltering heat during the day. But since Xu Yan had entered the deep mountains, he had even seen white snow appearing on distant mountain slopes.

South of the Wanheng Mountain Range was indeed warm as spring, but north of the range was frozen earth and cold sky!

These two extreme weather phenomena had been the perpetual scenery of the Wanheng Mountain Range. Xu Yan had heard of it but never seen it. When he stepped into a snowdrift that reached above his knees, the small Taoist’s face was already full of despair.

Before him stretched a world of crystalline white. Thick snow covered the mountain ranges like a world of ice and snow.

Haste leads to mistakes. Mei Sanniang didn’t want to die, so she thought of her home in Fengshan City. Her family made a living selling medicinal herbs. As long as she returned home, they would definitely be able to gather all the herbs needed for the antidote. Especially since Mei Sanniang had been considering escape routes all these years despite being captured to Yuan Mountain Stronghold, she clearly knew that the nearest large city to Qi Yuan Mountain was Fengshan City.

Though it required half a month’s journey, Fengshan City was indeed the large city closest to the border between the two nations.

The distance was correct, the direction was also correct. What was wrong was that both had forgotten about the continuous snowy mountains on the north side of the Wanheng Mountain Range.

The only transportation route between Qi and Pu Nations was Qiyuan Gorge, and both sides of the canyon were heavily guarded by troops from both countries. Ordinary merchants wanting to pass through would inevitably face layers of exploitation – both border armies wanted benefits. If you couldn’t pay, you had to go back. So unless you were a major merchant house, small traders couldn’t afford to take that Qiyuan Gorge route.

Crossing the mountain range was another option, but the deep mountains were too dangerous. Not only were there many wild beasts, but if you truly encountered demons, no number of people could survive. So over the years, there were those who took risks for trade, those who paid large sums of silver, and of course, even more who perished in this long mountain range.

Xu Yan carrying Mei Sanniang couldn’t take Qiyuan Gorge. First, he had no money. Second, once their identities were exposed – a Pu Nation Taoist carrying a Qi Nation woman – this strange situation would be impossible to explain. The outcome would probably be either execution by Qi Nation border troops or expulsion by Pu Nation border troops.

Facing the vast white snow, Xu Yan let out a long breath, set Mei Sanniang down, and sat under a tree to rest himself.

They would have to cross the snowy mountains to reach Qi Nation territory. Once they left the Wanheng Mountain Range, though Qi Nation’s climate was cold, it wasn’t yet time for snow. As long as there was no heavy snow, walking any distance wouldn’t be difficult. But the snowy mountains before them had become a huge problem blocking Xu Yan’s path.

To go, or not to go.

While Xu Yan pondered their way out, Mei Sanniang had already fallen into deep sleep. The little Taoist removed his Taoist robe to cover the woman. Looking at Mei Sanniang’s tightly bitten lips, Xu Yan’s powerless hands began clenching tightly, then loosening powerlessly.

His hands were already ruined in the short term. He still had to carry a deeply poisoned woman, and ahead lay not rugged mountain paths but snowy mountains of unknown depth. A deep sense of powerlessness began creeping into Xu Yan’s heart.

This was a feeling that often appeared in young people – because of powerlessness, they retreated; because of retreat, they lost friends or relatives they shouldn’t have lost.

Just as this feeling of powerlessness arose, Xu Yan’s eyes suddenly widened, using his inner persistence to forcibly drive this emotion away.

He didn’t need this kind of sad and despairing emotion, because his goal was to be a pig that would fight for one more bite of food even when dying, not a wild dog cowering and trembling in a corner.

Strength didn’t necessarily belong only to fierce beasts – sometimes, it also belonged to the most humble creatures.