For three days and three nights, Ziqing didn’t say a single word, her face an unreadable blank. Even while soothing the baby, she said nothing at all, only humming a soft tune none of the four poison beasts could understand.

The great foolish bear didn’t seem to grasp the gravity of the situation. Having informed everyone that the baby’s blood carried a strange scent, it simply went right back to its usual duties — delivering various nourishing foods to Ziqing several times a day, and, following her instructions, fetching the various clothes and supplies she’d prepared beforehand.

Throughout it all, Ziqing never once so much as glanced at the four poison beasts. They, in turn, hovered nearby looking utterly wronged, as though they’d committed some terrible offense, saying nothing but waiting anxiously, hearts pounding with dread.

Finally, the fourth day arrived!

Having fed the baby, Ziqing didn’t set him aside to sleep as she had the previous three days. Instead she kept him cradled in her arms, staring down intently at his little cheeks.

Over these three days, the baby’s red, wrinkled skin had changed a little more each day — though there was still some redness, it was no longer creased and crumpled, growing smooth and soft as though soaked in milk, so silky it was hard to resist touching.

If he truly had the constitution of one immune to a hundred poisons, today would be when his face began to change — and seeing Ziqing’s focus, the four poison beasts all turned their attention to the baby’s face as well.

Each of them clenched their fangs tight, holding back their tension and worry, their hearts pounding harder with every passing moment, nearly leaping from their chests!

As for Ziqing, beneath that blank expression, how could she not be tense, worried, afraid?

But an entire day passed, and the baby’s little face remained just as smooth and delicate as before — the only change was that the redness had faded considerably, leaving his skin looking increasingly fair and lovely!

The entire cave fell utterly silent, so quiet that the breathing of all five poison beasts was perfectly audible. Seeing everyone acting so strangely, the great foolish bear didn’t dare make a sound for the whole day either.

Finally, another full night passed!

Gradually, a look of confusion crept over Zizhu’s face. The other three poison beasts exchanged glances, words hovering unspoken on their lips.

A full night had passed — it was now the fifth day.

The baby’s face had grown fair and delicate, rosy and glowing with health, recovering even faster than an ordinary infant. His eyes were now fully open, dark and deep, strikingly handsome — practically the spitting image of Jun Beiyue.

Neither cheek showed the slightest trace of a poison mark, his skin soft and rosy, utterly endearing enough to make anyone want to plant a kiss on it.

“Four days now…”

Suddenly, Ziqing murmured aloud, her tone deeply serious.

Zizhu gave a start, snapping out of its confusion, and shook its head again.

Ziqing gently stroked the baby’s cheek, her serious little face gradually softening into a warm smile, her fingertips unconsciously tracing over his dark, curious eyes. “He’s so beautiful… I told you he wouldn’t be.”

The evidence lay right before them — looking at this perfect, porcelain-doll of a baby, Zizhu had no idea what to say. There truly was no poison mark, and yet, how could all five of their senses of smell possibly be wrong at once? A mistake from the great foolish bear alone might be understandable, but how could all five poison beasts have erred together?

Watching Ziqing’s smile, warm enough to melt even a glacier, Zizhu couldn’t bear to disturb her — yet this matter was no laughing thing, and there was no room for the slightest carelessness.

Without hesitation, Zizhu spoke earnestly. “Master, I still think we should smell him once more. If it turns out I alone was mistaken, that’s one thing — but if all of us were…”

Hearing this, Ziqing’s smile visibly stiffened. Yet despite every reluctance, reason told her this was necessary.

She nodded, giving her silent permission.

Zizhu approached at once, leaning close to examine the little master’s fair, rosy skin, his exquisite, porcelain-doll features, genuinely charmed despite itself, longing to plant a kiss on the little master’s cheek, wishing it could bear that danger in his place!

Seeing the great furry ball approach, the baby suddenly reached out to touch it, showing not the slightest fear of strangers — which startled Zizhu instead, leaving it frozen stiff before the baby, utterly at a loss.

The baby’s dark eyes brimmed with curiosity and delight, his chubby little hand gently patting the furry ball, seeming to find it rather pleasant — warmer, even, than the bear fur he usually lay on. Emboldened, he suddenly grabbed a fistful of fur and yanked hard, and finding the furball didn’t flinch away, pulled even harder.

This sent a jolt of pain twisting across Zizhu’s entire face — yet it didn’t cry out, didn’t even swell its body to lessen the pain, simply gritting through it in silence.

The baby reached out with his other hand and grabbed another fistful of white fur, his dark eyes turning toward Ziqing, breaking into a delighted grin.

Whether or not the baby meant to make his mother laugh, in that moment Ziqing couldn’t help laughing too, utterly delighted. “All right, all right, that’ll hurt him — don’t pull like that.”

The moment Ziqing laughed, the tense atmosphere thawed considerably, and even Zizhu couldn’t help but smile.

As she laughed, Ziqing gently pried the baby’s hands open — and to everyone’s surprise, he obediently let go at once.

She patted him gently, then, her tone turning serious once more, said flatly, “Zizhu, be thorough about this.”

“Yes, yes!”

Zizhu let out a breath of relief and began at once, carefully sniffing at the baby’s neck, chest, belly. The baby had no idea what was happening, his dark eyes drifting lazily from one side to the other, looking rather at ease.

But when the furry ball dipped down to sniff at his feet, he suddenly swung both hands and smacked them against it, grabbing another fistful of white fur and looking up at his mother with a wide grin.

He was still too young to do more than grin — had he been just a little older, he’d surely have been giggling out loud by now. He was clearly enjoying every bit of this little mischief!

But this time, his antics amused no one, because the qilin-faced furball’s expression had turned deeply, deeply solemn.

It offered no conclusion of its own, instead signaling for the Nine-Tailed White Fox to come forward.

Ziqing’s heart lurched. She couldn’t help clutching at the front of her clothes, forcing herself to stay calm.

The baby seemed to sense something was wrong too, paying the Nine-Tailed White Fox no mind at all, simply letting his hands drop to his sides, quietly watching his mother.

Yet once the Nine-Tailed White Fox finished sniffing, its expression turned equally grim. Henggong Fish and Howling Hare stepped forward together next, and before long, both beasts recoiled in fright, backing away from the baby entirely!

Ziqing bowed her head, her expression deadly serious — even the great foolish bear could tell that Zizhu and the others were reacting very differently from before. It cautiously tried to approach, but Zizhu spoke up first. “Master, we truly were all mistaken before. This child… this child’s blood isn’t the blood of one immune to a hundred poisons at all. It’s…”

Zizhu let out a long breath before continuing. “Master, this child’s blood is the blood of a human Gu! Not even medicinal poison can touch him!”

“Thud!”

Ziqing distinctly heard her own heart lurch violently within her chest. This… how could this possibly be?