Only after Hu Tao left
did Qiqi finally breathe a sigh of relief and poke her head out from the side.
"Finally gone..."
"Eh, why was Qiqi hiding there?" Paimon hadn't expected someone to be concealed here.
Lumine said helplessly, "Probably because of Hu Tao..."
Earlier, when coming to find Hu Tao, they had heard her muttering from far away:
"Qiqi... come out already..."
"It's rare to intrude into Baizhu's lair once, yet I didn't even catch a glimpse of Qiqi."
"Aiya, could it be that Baizhu hid her away in advance?"
[Danger Qiqi Danger]
[Staying true to her original intentions]
Qiqi tugged at Lumine's hand. "Hu Tao, high temperature, scary..."
Seeing this little cutie looking so frightened,
it seemed Hall Master Hu had scared her quite a bit because of her zombie identity...
Lumine patted Qiqi's little head. "Hu Tao has gone back already. Don't be afraid. Let's go get something to eat first and wait until tomorrow."
The next day.
Because they were worried about Jialiang's condition,
everyone arrived very early.
Ayu was running at the very front; from afar, he spotted his dad.
"—Dad!" Ayu couldn't hold back and shouted.
Jialiang looked over upon hearing the voice. "It's... Ayu!"
His tone was very certain.
As expected, Baizhu's treatment method was truly effective.
Ayu was so happy he could fly. "Dad! You remember me!"
"Yes, yes I remember. Sorry, Ayu, for making you worry..."
He looked around, as if searching for someone.
But after scanning the crowd, he didn't recognize anyone.
"Ayu, where's your mom? I feel like... I haven't seen her in several days?"
"I've already gone to the Adventurers' Guild to ask for help finding her. Dad, just focus on recovering. Mr. Baizhu and the big brothers and sisters yesterday also said they'd help look for her."
Jialiang quickly thanked everyone. "Thank you so much, Mr. Baizhu, and everyone here. Thank you."
Baizhu told him there was no need to be polite.
"It was my late Master's dying wish; I naturally did my utmost. If anything, I feel ashamed for not finding you all these years."
"Ha, where are Mr. Baizhu's words coming from? It's all because of Jiangli... hiss... because of what again..."
Jialiang wanted to exchange pleasantries with Baizhu but couldn't remember what his wife had done.
He felt guilt and panic in his heart... and his head hurt a bit...
Baizhu quickly stopped him.
Having just recovered from a serious illness, he still needed time to recuperate; things would come naturally.
There was no need to force himself to recall these things.
Changsheng also advised, "For now, stay at Bubu Pharmacy to rest quietly."
Jialiang nodded in agreement.
Only then did Baizhu turn his gaze to Hu Tao in the corner.
"Hall Master Hu, do you see any remaining issues with Jialiang?"
Hu Tao used the secret art to probe.
She could no longer sense the aura of demon god residue on Jialiang.
"How exactly did you manage to do this overnight?"
Baizhu's answer was watertight.
"A secret not passed down from my school. If Hall Master Hu is still not reassured, feel free to stay and observe as long as you like."
"However, any losses to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor during this time—please forgive this little shop for being unable to compensate."
Since he didn't answer directly, Hu Tao had no way to press him.
After all, this involved personal privacy.
If someone came asking about the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's guiding arts,
she, Hu Tao, wouldn't reveal a single word either.
Yesterday, when Mu Yang didn't answer, she had already guessed this outcome.
"...Relax, this Hall Master isn't that unreasonable."
Lumine noticed that Baizhu's complexion seemed off.
Though he tried his best to maintain the smile on his face,
the fatigue in his eyes was already quite evident.
She was about to say something when Changsheng on the table spoke first.
"Ahh—being cooped up in here all day, I'm about to go crazy from stuffiness."
"You feel the same, right, Baizhu? Hurry and take me out for some fresh air."
"Mm... then everyone, Changsheng and I will step out for a walk and breathe some fresh air."
Out of everyone's sight.
Baizhu finally couldn't hold on anymore.
His whole body seemed to collapse.
Extremely weak.
"...Cough! Cough cough!"
"I told you not to force it in front of others. See how uncomfortable you are now?"
"If I hadn't thought quickly, how would you keep up the act?"
This confrontation with the demon god residue was no ordinary matter.
When curing it, Changsheng had said to go back and rest immediately.
To have Mu Yang come help.
Though Mu Yang couldn't directly aid Baizhu,
through Changsheng's contract, as long as she recovered fully,
the suffering Baizhu endured would lessen somewhat.
Baizhu sighed lightly; he had his own considerations.
Mainly, he didn't want to reveal too many secrets in front of Hu Tao.
Hu Tao definitely couldn't understand his pursuit.
As for Mu Yang...
Baizhu suddenly turned back, immediately switching to his usual expression.
"—Who's there!"
"It's me."
Lumine walked out from around the corner; she had noticed something off with Baizhu earlier.
As expected, Baizhu was extremely weak now.
He had been acting all along.
"...Why are you here?"
[Damn damn damn, I'm too pitiful, Mr. Baizhu's weak voice line]
[Me too, I really love this feeling]
Lumine didn't hide it. "I saw you seemed uncomfortable earlier, so I followed to check."
Baizhu forced a faint smile. "Hehe, just stuffy for too long. Some fresh air and it'll be fine... cough!"
This stubborn act made Changsheng very dissatisfied.
Ignoring Baizhu's attempts to stop her,
she told Lumine about Jialiang's matter.
She thought that guy Mu Yang was very kind to people
but not good at expressing it.
He looked like a block of ice on the outside.
Baizhu still needed a gentle person to comfort him.
Someone like Lumine was perfect—experienced, perceptive.
She could tell at a glance that Baizhu was forcing himself.
She revealed Baizhu's secret method for treating difficult illnesses.
"Jialiang's illness hasn't actually been cured—"
"It's Baizhu who transferred his own life force to him, temporarily suppressing the toxin."
This sentence was simple, but put together, it stunned people.
Transferring life force? Suppressing the toxin?
Weren't we talking about a method to cure and save lives?
Now, even those Slime prescriptions for Anthony seemed very ordinary.
Seeing Changsheng blurt it all out, Baizhu sighed helplessly.
"Sigh..."
Lumine asked gently, "Are you willing to tell me about it?"
Since things had come to this, Baizhu no longer hid it.
The first half, Mu Yang had already mentioned yesterday.
Baizhu's school had a contract with Changsheng.
Successive contractors could use the secret arts taught by Changsheng to treat and save people.
"Jialiang's heart meridians are abnormal; he was likely poisoned with a toxin refined from demon god residue."
"And right now, this poison hasn't been dispelled—it's just that, using Changsheng as a bridge, I introduced my own life force into Jialiang's body. Temporarily suppressing the toxin."
Paimon exclaimed, "So Changsheng is this amazing..."
As soon as Changsheng heard her speak, she felt she wasn't holding back anything good.
"You little one, you wouldn't think I'm just Bubu Pharmacy's mascot, right?"
"Actually, I was going to say Baizhu's pendant..."
Hearing this, Changsheng was furious.
"You little white thing, believe it or not, I'll have Mu Yang not prepare dinner for you tonight?"
"I still have that much face!"
[Mu Yang: Someone's dinner tonight is flying away]
[You can call her street performer, social waste, but if you tease Mu Yang's close friend, he really can make you go without food]
[Paimon's most regretted nickname: Baizhu's pendant]
[Damn, got caught by the handle]
How could Paimon let this happen?
No matter how you retort me, I'll take it.
But the stomach is innocent!
Based on this premise, Paimon immediately became a master of face-changing.
She flew to Changsheng's side, massaging and fawning over her.
At least secure dinner first...