I'll stop the treatment

Xu Mu recalled how, the last time he went with Yang Lielan to find Wang Hun, Yang Lielan had fallen for that same trick.

Wang Hun claimed it was a new drug developed by their Eternal Life Research Institute. Against this kind of toxic gas, not using Qi to defend would actually keep you safe.

But that defied normal human logic. Any seasoned expert, when faced with such a sudden incident, would instinctively use Qi to shield themselves.

It seemed he had been too naive. He hadn’t realized that Wang Hun of the Eternal Life Research Institute had already expanded his influence into the Inner Realm.

On top of that, with Chi Ting and the Laoji clan’s cooperation, perhaps they too were working with the Eternal Life Research Institute.

It truly proved the saying: the dogs that bite don’t bark.

The Xianling Cui clan had been shouting about attacking the descendants of Yan and Huang all along, yet never made a move.

But this Laoji clan, as soon as they took power, dared to stir up trouble on the other side.

It seemed wiping them out was the right call.

“Hahaha!”

The old man in the distance was still cackling.

“You’re about to die, and you’re laughing? Do you really think that cheap sneak attack had any effect on me?”

Li Chenshuang sneered.

The old man didn’t reply. He proved it with action. He suddenly burst with power, clenched his fists, and punched out fiercely.

Boom! Boom!

Two balls of white flame shot toward the two women.

Li Chenshuang and Xianling Nan immediately dodged, but before they could take a single step, they felt the world spinning, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

Boom!

Both attacks struck their chests almost simultaneously, sending them flying, crashing heavily into a distant slope.

“Hahaha! Now do you see why I’m so pleased?”

“Yeah, because you’re about to meet your family.”

Swish!

A black sword stabbed in from behind, piercing through his throat and emerging from the front.

Xu Mu twisted the longsword and yanked it out swiftly.

“You!”

The old man turned around, but before he could act, he dropped dead on the spot.

The dark gold glow around Xu Mu slowly fell to the ground, engulfing the old man entirely.

He bent down, picked up the old man’s spatial ring, and inspected its contents.

He found a colorful array of poisons, though the quantities were small.

He pulled out a spray bottle, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. A nerve-paralyzing toxin—if taken carelessly, it would cause instant unconsciousness.

For now, only the young man remained, standing dumbfounded in the distance.

He was completely terrified, but he didn’t dare flee. If even a Boundary-Breaking level expert had died, he had no chance of escape.

Xu Mu walked over and pulled out the spray bottle. “Buddy, I won’t kill you. I’ll hand you over to the Saintess later. Just lie down for now.”

Pssst!

He sprayed it right in the man’s face.

The man immediately went limp, collapsing to the ground and thrashing weakly.

Xu Mu then pried open his mouth and sprayed inside a few more times. The young man from the Baishi clan struggled violently before rolling his eyes back and fainting.

Xu Mu put the spray bottle back and headed toward the distant slope.

Li Chenshuang and Xianling Nan were still writhing on the ground, their minds spinning so badly they couldn’t keep their balance.

“Xu Mu! What’s happening to us?”

Xianling Nan sat on the ground, ignoring the injury on her chest. Pressing her hands against the ground, she felt the world tilt around her, even Xu Mu himself seeming to spin. The meat she’d eaten earlier nearly came back up.

“This is a toxin from the Eternal Life Research Institute. Don’t worry, it shouldn’t be fatal.”

Xu Mu dug a hole into the slope and dragged both women inside the cave.

He brought his face close to Xianling Nan until he was less than two centimeters away.

Xianling Nan felt his hot breath and her own heart began to race. “Xu Mu! You bastard! Are you trying to take advantage of the situation? Shameless!”

[Affection +5]

“Enough nonsense, I’m trying to treat you.”

Xu Mu realized that sniffing the air didn’t reveal the scent, so he’d have to use another method.

He had to determine the toxin’s composition to find the right antidote.

What if Wang Hun had altered the drug’s formula?

Last time he treated Yang Lielan, Xu Mu had used a kiss, but that was an emergency. This time, there was no need for that.

“Xu Mu, can you treat us?”

Li Chenshuang crawled over unsteadily.

“Yes, but I need to identify the toxin first. I sniffed it and couldn’t tell, so I’ll have to taste it.”

Xu Mu looked at the two women before him. “The poison you absorbed dissolves into bodily fluids, so I need to taste a sample from you. Let’s rule out sweat and urine—I don’t have that kind of kink. So, who’s stepping up?”

The two exchanged glances, their expressions awkward as they kept their heads down.

“Forget it, I’ll do both of you at once. I’m a fair guy.”

Xu Mu reached out, put one finger in each of their mouths, then withdrew them and brought them to his own mouth.

Li Chenshuang and Xianling Nan saw this, and their cheeks flushed scarlet. When they thought about it, it wasn’t a big deal—he was just treating them.

But in this enclosed space, alone with Xu Mu, their minds couldn’t help but wander into improper territory.

[Affection +15]

[Affection +10]

Xu Mu nodded to himself. It was still the same poison he had seen before. It seemed Wang Hun had great confidence in this one.

"Like I said, I'm a fair man. I ate yours, so now you have to eat mine."

Xu Mu dipped two fingers in his own saliva and then placed them into their mouths.

"Ugh! Xu Mu, you're asking for it!"

Xianling Nan tried to bite down hard, but Xu Mu had already withdrawn his fingers just in time.

[Affection +1]

"Pah! Pah! Pah!"

Li Chenshuang glared at Xu Mu with indignation. "Brother, you've gone too far! I'm the leader here, after all. If you ever do that again, I'll ignore you."

[Affection +1]

"Everything must be fair."

Xu Mu opened his storage space and took out the core heavenly treasure that could cure this poison: White Life Grass.

Then he took out other medicinal ingredients and, after a simple refinement, administered them to the two women.

They closed their eyes, feeling a warm current flow through their bodies, and the dizziness vanished.

Li Chenshuang pushed herself off the ground and looked at Xu Mu in surprise. "It's actually cured?"

[Affection +10]

Xianling Nan realized that she had also returned to normal. She hadn't expected Xu Mu to know medicine as well. Who exactly was this person? How did he know so much?

[Affection +10]

"You think I freeloaded?"

Xu Mu shrugged, then took out a bedding set and lay down.

But the two women did not lie down. They were both staring at their own chests.

After being hit earlier, they hadn't been able to release their Qi energy, having been struck by that old man's technique.

Li Chenshuang was in a slightly better condition, thanks to her higher cultivation level, though there were some bloodstains.

Xianling Nan was severely injured. She hadn't noticed the pain while poisoned, but now that the poison was gone, the agonizing pain in her chest set in.

She leaned against the wall, took out a healing pill from her pocket, and swallowed it, but it was useless. As time passed, her face grew paler.

"Xu Mu, you know medicine, right? She looks like she's about to die."

Li Chenshuang pointed at Xianling Nan, who was slumped against the wall.

"Yeah, the attack has damaged her internal organs. If things continue like this, she really will die."

Xu Mu nodded calmly. "But the wound's in a rather sensitive spot, so I think I'll pass on treating it."