The small boat didn’t leave immediately but rowed several more circles around the sea of insects. With each circle, the white-clothed people on the boat scattered a round of powder. The mountain of insects gradually lowered, and the boat’s position slowly descended.
During the process of eliminating the insect corpses, Tie Ci worried constantly about Murong Yi, fearing he would die before entering the stronghold. Then she watched helplessly as that petite white-clothed person glanced at Murong Yi, flipped his eyelids, and then stuck their little finger into his mouth.
Tie Ci: “…”
Good thing it wasn’t a tongue.
If Murong Yi ever offended her in the future, she would tell him about this scene.
The insects were quickly cleaned up. When they reached near ground level, wheels extended from the boat’s bottom. Everyone still used oars to paddle the boat to the edge of that forest. The forest was now half-submerged, and behind it was a stone wall that looked like part of another mountain.
The petite white-clothed person on the boat made a series of strange syllables. Moments later, Tie Ci heard rustling sounds of movement.
Several giant pythons slithered down from the mountain wall. They coiled and moved on that stone wall, causing a layer of stone skin to fall with rustling sounds, revealing several river-like grooves. The width matched exactly with these snakes’ bodies. The giant pythons moved in orderly fashion along the curved shallow grooves on the stone wall, coiling soft and silent. The air carried the fine sound of scales scraping against rough stone, somewhat eerie to hear.
Tie Ci silently counted. After about three circles following the tracks, the stone wall silently lowered, and the giant pythons immediately disappeared into the forest.
Before them lay a straight river with water so green it seemed unreal—a thick, jade-like color that couldn’t reflect the blue sky and white clouds.
The river was narrow, only wide enough for two boats side by side. Along the winding riverbanks grew various flowers and grasses.
As the boat entered the water, Tie Ci also soaked in it. She refused to swim like a dead dog, letting the people ahead desperately paddle to pull her along. The river water wasn’t like ordinary water—it was thick with a sluggish feel, but soaking in it was very comfortable. Even her constantly dizzy and fuzzy mind seemed to clear somewhat.
Tie Ci’s spirits lifted, and only then did she notice the flowers and grasses on both banks. Clusters of flowers bloomed brilliantly, though their patterns were somewhat bizarre… Wait, wasn’t this Human-Face Spider Flower?
Tie Ci’s eyes widened. She had struggled so hard to find just one Human-Face Spider Flower before, yet here they grew in clusters?
There were many butterflies beside the Human-Face Spider Flowers… No, these weren’t butterflies—these were Love Butterflies!
There was a Love Tree ahead too!
And here as well!
In just two zhang of water, she saw three Love Trees.
Tie Ci touched the yin-yang mushrooms in her sleeve. Even during the dangerous moment when insect corpses poured down, she hadn’t forgotten to put away the yin-yang mushrooms. These things were too hard to obtain—she had searched the entire Li Mountain range to find just one, nearly lost her life for it, and Murong Yi was still waiting for this to save his life.
Yet here Love Butterflies were like free goods, scattered everywhere.
Tie Ci silently spat out a mouthful of blood.
Gradually she became numb. Along both banks were not only Love Butterflies and Human-Face Spider Flowers, but also Glory-Decay Grass, Agarwood Stamens, One-Coin Grass, Weak Willow Flowers… and other rare medicinal herbs recorded in Chi Qingbo’s Strange Record.
They grew freely along both banks without cost.
Tie Ci’s current mood was no different from someone in abject poverty seeing billionaires throwing gold around at their doorstep.
She wanted nothing more than to take off her clothes to gather them, adding her boots when clothes weren’t enough.
However, she didn’t move. Since she had already entered a treasure mountain, these flowers and grasses planted at the entrance were obviously the lowest-grade treasures in the treasure mountain. She needn’t be so eager to take things, lest she waste better opportunities.
This should be the location of that mysterious family skilled in using and neutralizing poisons—powerful yet reclusive from the world—that Chi Qingbo had mentioned, right?
The waterway was long, but she didn’t see the imagined Peach Blossom Spring—no farming people, no bamboo houses or grass huts common in Yannan mountains. This still seemed like a forest, with very tall trees, sparser than ordinary dense forests. The leaves were extremely large, but Tie Ci lay in the river and through the dense branches could see small houses on the treetops—simple or elaborate. These people lived in trees.
Somehow, Tie Ci felt that as she was pulled along the river, the grass on both banks moved violently. Snakes slithered down from trees, insects rushed from grass, and countless small eyes hidden among the forest trees stared at her intensely, making her hair stand on end.
The waterway ahead had a curve. Tie Ci saw many long stones standing like a forest in front. The waterway began winding in nine curves and eighteen bends here, circling around the stone forest. She couldn’t see what scenery lay inside.
But the boat stopped, and the white-clothed people said, “Wait outside and see if Young Master A’Chong wants to see you.”
Tie Ci pointed at Murong Yi. “What about him?”
One person said, “Isn’t he Brother A’Jin for A’Ji’s family? Naturally we’ll take him in for A’Ji to see. If A’Ji wants him, he’ll naturally be fine. If A’Ji doesn’t want him, you can wait outside to collect his corpse.”
Murong Yi opened his eyes, squeezed her hand, and smiled, “This is troublesome now. Should I seduce her or not?”
Tie Ci smiled, “Just don’t commit marriage fraud.”
Murong Yi said lazily, “Still don’t know who’s deceiving whom. Aren’t you afraid I’ll be seduced by another woman?”
“Saving your life is important,” Tie Ci answered briefly.
Murong Yi gazed at her and said softly, “Then I must guard my virtue like jade even more for you.”
Tie Ci still answered, “Saving your life is important.”
Murong Yi looked at her deeply, “A’Ci, meeting you makes me so fortunate.”
Tie Ci’s smile deepened, “I feel the same.”
Beside them, Feng Huan couldn’t stand it anymore and said, “Enough, enough! Can you stop being so clingy? Do you still want to save lives or not?”
Tie Ci laughed and pushed the boat forward.
This fool Feng Huan didn’t understand—she was expressing her position to Murong Yi.
If they truly reached certain desperate circumstances, she allowed him to do anything to save his life.
She naturally cared about matters of chastity between men and women, but she cared more about his life.
If he really suffered losses, at worst she could find herself a young wolf dog to sleep with once?
She smiled and watched the small boat leisurely drift into the stone forest. Turning back to the woods, she took out a pill she had obtained from her master and ate it.
The forest was completely quiet. The people in the trees seemed uninterested in strange visitors. Someone came down from the trees, walking with a large snake. Someone carrying jars and leading lizard-like long-tailed beasts went to fetch water—not from the river, but from a waterfall in the forest. The waterfall was filled with floating wild flowers. Men and women soaked and bathed there, splashing water playfully in the sunlight, their healthy, lustrous bodies gleaming like jade.
None wore clothes.
An elder sat smoking on a rock beside them, discussing this year’s harvest with companions. He sounded no different from farmers outside, except the smoke from his pipe was black, he was petting not a dog but a dog-sized spider, and they were discussing poisonous grass harvests.
Several old women used winnowing baskets to dry something on flat ground beside the waterfall. At first glance it looked like pickled vegetables, but on closer inspection, it was those poisonous insects from outside. The old women discussed how frying them dry with red peppers tasted best, or simply salting them to use as side dishes with porridge next year.
Huge leaves fell from extremely tall trees beside the waterfall, making the men below duck their heads. A man picked up a leaf and casually put it on a bare-bottomed child—it made a perfect little skirt.
Tie Ci found a place to sit and appreciate the nude bathing area, silently making some comparisons. Someone in the pond saw her and called out, “Are you from outside? Come down and wash together!”
The people here actually spoke the official language, just with an accent. This accent wasn’t unpleasant—it sounded soft with long trailing tones. When young girls spoke, it was especially charming and naive.
Tie Ci leaned against a tree, sat down, smiled and shook her head, saying, “I can’t bathe. I’m poisoned and about to die.”
After speaking, she closed her eyes.
In just moments she stopped moving, her face taking on a deep grayish-blue color.
In the battle with poisonous insects, she had inevitably inhaled large amounts of toxic powder contaminated by the insects and had been buried by them. It was remarkable she could hold on until now.
As soon as she closed her eyes, the people in the pond stopped bathing.
Young men and women came ashore naked, rushing toward her in competition.
A young girl reached Tie Ci first, kneeling beside her and feeling around her waist and back for a long time. “Eh, where’s that bag with many magical things? A’Kou said there was a kind of bag that wouldn’t leak even when turned upside down. I want to use it to hold my little darling.”
A young man beside her pushed Tie Ci over. “Is it hidden under her butt?”
Someone picked up her money pouch, shook it, listened to it, and laughed, “No wonder my little red ones suddenly got excited. She’s wearing attraction incense.”
“What a fool, wearing this thing. No wonder she attracted all the poisonous insects in Li Mountain to her side.”
Several people searched all around Tie Ci and her surroundings but didn’t find the legendary magical bag. They immediately dispersed dejectedly.
As evening approached, those bathing, chatting, and drying insects all went home to cook dinner. Blue smoke rose from the treetops, adding a touch of mulberry-blue to the painted sunset glow.
Tie Ci lay alone under the tree as if dead.
Even dead, no one paid attention. No one even glanced at her. Everyone showed no disgust or concern. Perhaps a poisonous weed growing by the roadside would interest them more than Tie Ci.
After a while longer, a small boat emerged from behind the stone forest. The people on board carried Murong Yi off the boat and threw him on the shore. Someone laughed from afar, “What, A’Ji doesn’t want this new Brother A’Jin?”
“A’Ji said she knows about this one. He has a woman he likes and isn’t a good person. If she took him in, what if this guy killed her after being cured? Beauty is good, but one needs life to enjoy it. She still wants to live a hundred years.”
Laughter filled the forest. “A’Ji really is our smartest girl.”
“Do we lack beauties? Just match some Love Butterflies casually—everyone becomes a beauty.”
“A’Ji said, considering he did help save Young Master A’Chong, she won’t throw him out. Whoever wants to save him can save him.”
“If someone comes here right after being poisoned by Love Butterflies, we can still save them. Now it’s been dragged out so long, and he tried using medicine himself, which has already altered the Love Butterfly poison. Now, even with yin-yang mushrooms everywhere, only Great Uncle can save him.”
“Hahaha, Great Uncle not killing him would be good enough. How could he possibly save him?”
“So watch over him. When he dies, tell me. My Jade-Belt Ghost Hibiscus is short of good fertilizer.”
“My Yang Zhen has been craving human flesh for a long time.”
“I wonder if my Blood Rice could succeed if cultivated with human blood…”
In the forest, Tie Ci and Murong Yi lay on the left and right sides of the river respectively, ignored by all.
…
As the stone forest gradually darkened, a small boat emerged from behind it. On board was that petite white-clothed person.
They were still wrapped in head and face coverings, wearing the same style long white robe dragging on the ground. A yellow and black striped large frog crawled on their shoulder, occasionally flicking its tongue with a “pop” sound, then smacking its lips with satisfaction.
They walked to Tie Ci’s side and searched up and down thoroughly, still finding nothing. They sat dully beside Tie Ci for a long time, muttering, “Not allowed to save outsiders…”
After thinking for a long time, they said, “Then just wake her up first…” They took out a bottle from their sleeve, poured out a green pill, thought about it, then stingily broke off half and stuffed it into Tie Ci’s mouth.
In just moments, the blue pallor on Tie Ci’s face receded and she opened her eyes. The white-clothed person was somewhat surprised, muttering, “Woke up so fast…”
Before they finished speaking, Tie Ci reached out and removed the cloth covering their face.
Both were startled—the other person was caught off guard, while Tie Ci hadn’t expected this person to be a girl, just with a husky voice.
Looking carefully, she should be an adult girl, well-developed, just too short—about 1.5 meters tall.
At this moment she stood there short and stout, her large eyes slightly squinting, looking at Tie Ci in amazement. After a long while she said, “I saved you, so give me one of those bags.”
She was an honest child, not asking for too much. Tie Ci said, “You’re called A’Kou, right? I’ll give you a dozen… no, twelve. Help me save someone, or let me go inside.”
A’Kou didn’t ask how she knew her name. She held up one finger and shook her head woodenly, saying, “I only want one. Save you once, want one treasure. Being greedy as a person will bring divine retribution.”
Tie Ci said, “In that case, you can poison me. Poison me once, then save me once, then poison me again, then save me again. Do this twelve times, and you can get many plastic bags from me, then help me save someone.”
A’Kou stared wide-eyed and said slowly, “Why poison you many times? Even if the poison can be cured, being poisoned is very painful. Aren’t you afraid of pain?”
Tie Ci smiled without answering, “Is it possible?”
A’Kou sat on the ground and thought slowly for a long time, but finally shook her head, “Wasting poison medicine will make Great Uncle angry.”
“Who is Great Uncle?”
“Great Uncle is Great Uncle.”
“Even if you think it’s not worth it for the bags, don’t you want fireworks that lay eggs? Don’t you want knives that can do many things? Don’t you want mirrors that can magnify objects?” Tie Ci studied A’Kou’s always slightly squinting eyes and somehow produced a pair of glasses, placing them on A’Kou’s nose.
A’Kou suddenly felt her vision brighten. The previously blurred scenery suddenly seemed to have years of dust wiped away, appearing extraordinarily clear before her eyes—so clear she could see every fine hair on the legs of a fly beside Tie Ci.
This sensation startled her greatly. She quickly removed the glasses and threw them on the ground. Sure enough, the familiar chaotic world returned, but this time she suddenly found such chaos unbearable.
Too blurry.
Having seen the clear world, she realized how painful all the blurriness was.
Such clarity was only an instant, but she couldn’t help reaching out her hand. Tie Ci immediately pulled her hand back.
“Do you want them? Your eyes are very bad, right? Did you ruin them from searching for poisonous herbs day and night? With eyes like yours, whether you want to find needed poisonous herbs or prepare higher-level medicines, it must be very difficult, right? Eye fatigue and blurred vision don’t matter—wear these and see great brightness.”
A’Kou stared at her blankly, feeling this person’s tone sounded strange—like the divine women in the stronghold’s ancient legends.
She thought for a while, then lowered her eyes and said, “But I can’t help you. I can’t cure your friend’s poison. You want to enter the Peak Forest, probably also to find things or people that can save your friend, but besides mazes, the Peak Forest doesn’t have what you need. I can’t provide any help, so how can I take your treasures?”
Tie Ci hadn’t expected this girl to be so honest, especially since this stronghold’s general atmosphere didn’t seem very kind.
She was somewhat disappointed but still took out the glasses and put them on A’Kou’s face. “Then I’ll give them to you with no conditions.”
Consider it a reward for this kindness.
A’Kou was startled and reached to remove the glasses, saying hurriedly, “Great Uncle said we can’t casually accept others’ things. Debts owed, no matter what kind, must be repaid…”
Tie Ci wondered what trauma this Great Uncle had suffered to be so guarded. She pressed A’Kou’s glasses temple with her hand. “Then help me find a livable tree house and let me stay here. That should be acceptable, right?”
Only then did A’Kou stop her hand. After thinking for a while, she said, “Finding a tree house is easy, but it’s best not to stay here long. There are too many poisonous creatures and insects—ordinary people don’t live long. This doesn’t count as helping, so I’ll go help you find Young Master A’Chong. Young Master A’Chong might have a way to let you see Great Uncle.”
“Who is Young Master A’Chong?”
“The leader of our stronghold. The youngest son of the previous generation leader.”
“Isn’t Great Uncle the leader?”
“Great Uncle is everyone’s Great Uncle. When the previous generation leader was here, he was Great Uncle. When this generation leader is here, he’s still Great Uncle.”
Oh, an old monster.
Tie Ci nodded and watched A’Kou pole the boat into the winding Peak Forest again before getting up to hold Murong Yi in her arms. She reached into the intact tree trunk beside her, felt for her waist pouch, and with a finger’s touch, the great tree returned to its original state.
She took out a detoxification pill her master had given her from the waist pouch and fed it to Murong Yi.
This thing was somewhat useful—she had personally tested it. She hadn’t dared use it before, fearing that without knowing the medicine’s properties, using it on Murong Yi might transform his poison. But at this point, enduring one more moment was one more moment—no need to worry about so much.
Something rustled down from overhead. She dodged sideways—it was fruit peels.
Someone was poking their head around in the dense canopy. Tie Ci knocked on the tree trunk and said, “Come down, I’ll show you a magic trick.”