Lanshan and his team's residence was not very far from the city gate.
This was a common practice for most Demon Hunting Teams, as being near the gate made it convenient for travel and transport.
The large courtyard compound, with its main house and side rooms, could easily accommodate a dozen or so people, and the open yard was especially spacious.
This was to give them enough space for strength training and movement exercises.
Bai Mo followed the directions he was given, arriving just as the sky turned dark.
Lights were on in a few of the rooms.
Bai Mo approached and looked up, noticing some marks on the lintel above the door.
There should have been a plaque at the entrance, likely bearing the name of this residence, but it had vanished without a trace.
He knocked firmly on the door, and a moment later, Han Meng came jogging out, looking overjoyed.
"Is that Shopkeeper Bai?"
The moment he spoke, Bai Mo heard the sound of something wooden toppling over inside one of the rooms.
Bai Mo glanced sideways and asked, "Is everything all right in there?"
Han Meng shook his head, saying dismissively, "Everyone's just having a bit of trouble moving around, that's all."
He saw the lotus-leaf-wrapped package in Bai Mo's hand and recognized the way it was tied as something from a restaurant.
"You shouldn't have! You came all this way, and you even brought food..."
Han Meng rubbed his hands together, offering a polite smile.
Bai Mo handed him the package. "It's Demon Beast meat. It'll be good for replenishing your qi and blood. Go heat it up in a stew. I'm going to check on Senior Lanshan."
Lanshan was in the main house, where a light was still on. Bai Mo headed straight over.
On his way, Bai Mo had to navigate around various stone locks, heavy hammers, and other such items.
They were clearly tools for strength training. The handles were dark and smooth, polished from countless uses.
Bai Mo arrived at the door and knocked lightly.
CREAK!
The door opened from the inside, revealing a girl of about fifteen or sixteen.
Bai Mo was a little surprised to see her.
"Are you Shopkeeper Bai?"
"I am Bai Mo," he replied, clasping his hands in a formal gesture.
'If I'm not mistaken, this must be Lanshan's younger sister, Lan Ru.'
But to Bai Mo's surprise, unlike the big and burly Lanshan, she had a gentle appearance and a normal build.
"I'm Lan Ru. My brother often talks about you, Shopkeeper Bai. He says your Alchemy Skill is superb and that you're a prodigy."
Lan Ru let out a soft laugh, then stepped aside to invite Bai Mo in.
Inside, Lanshan was lying on the bed, his breathing as ragged as a bellows.
Bai Mo took one look and was startled.
The massive man had not only lost a significant amount of weight, but his eyes were also sunken, and his eyeballs were frighteningly red.
"Shopkeeper Bai is here."
Lanshan tried to force a smile, but it was quite unsettling.
A chill ran down Bai Mo's spine. 'No wonder Han Meng wanted me to come take a look.'
'Seeing Lanshan in this state, he probably wasn't sure what to make of it and suspected it was a side effect of the Pill.'
"Please, don't force yourself."
Bai Mo walked closer and saw Lanshan's arm. The skin was wrinkled and had lost its luster.
"Did those two chase you for a long time?"
Lanshan sighed.
"Damn it! I don't know what got into those two, chasing me like a dog..."
He seemed completely baffled, a frustrated look on his face, but he quickly burst out laughing.
Though not as booming as usual, his laugh was still hearty.
"A Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator... in all of Immortal Arrival City, I'm probably the only one who could lead the Enforcement Team on a merry chase through the city until dawn."
"Those two didn't look much better by the end. For the great Enforcement Team to lose so much face, I'd say it wasn't a loss for me!"
Waves of glee washed over Lanshan's face, much to Lan Ru's exasperation.
"Shopkeeper Bai, my brother... he should be fine, right?"
Bai Mo shook his head.
"He's fine. The Demon Beast blood essence in the Qi Blood Pill was burned up, its potency igniting his qi and blood. It's just a case of excessive qi and blood consumption."
"An entire night... he's lucky he didn't shed a layer of skin."
Hearing this, Lan Ru didn't have much of a reaction, but a glint flashed in Lanshan's eyes.
"So it's the Demon Beast blood essence in the Pill that does the work!?"
"Does it work with any Demon Beast?"
Bai Mo nodded. "More or less. In the future, if you all hunt any decent Demon Beasts, remember to save the blood essence."
"I might be able to refine even better Qi Blood Pills with it."
After giving this advice and confirming Lanshan was not in any danger, Bai Mo said:
"I'm going to go check on the others."
He had come not just to visit, but also to observe the Pill's side effects, so he naturally had to see and ask more.
Once Bai Mo had left, a look of reproach appeared on Lan Ru's face.
"Brother, you've been acting more and more recklessly lately!"
"Celestial Barrier Mountain was one thing, you took so many risks there, but why did you get involved with the Li Mansion's affair too?"
"I heard you were very... active... when everyone started causing trouble."
Lanshan scratched his head.
"It's not like I started it. They provoked me first. This fame was practically handed to me; I couldn't push it away if I tried."
"Ru'Er, you know me. Your brother isn't someone who likes to be in the spotlight."
Lan Ru sighed and tried to persuade him earnestly.
"Brother, you don't have to be in such a hurry about me joining a sect."
"They've already hinted that with my aptitude, waiting another two years won't be a problem..."
But Lanshan ignored her, surprisingly firm on this matter.
"No. We can't delay you joining the sect for a moment."
"These past two years, strange things have repeatedly happened with the Myriad Dharma Sect, causing unrest in Immortal Arrival City."
"No one knows what's happened on Miaofeng Mountain, either. I don't want you staying here; I have to send you away."
He ignored his sister's gaze and continued:
"In two years, so much will be delayed. Your potential won't be what it is now, and you won't be valued when you enter the sect."
Seeing his sister just staring at him without a word, Lanshan's tone suddenly softened.
"And it's not just me who's anxious. Who in the Demon Hunting Team isn't in a hurry to earn Spirit Stones?"
"Shen Yang is still in debt; he can't rest easy until it's all paid off. Wang Hu wants to buy a house in the city and bring his mother and younger brother over."
"And Qin Ying? She failed to enter a sect back then and is desperate not to fall behind in her cultivation. She's holding it all in, more anxious than anyone..."
...
Bai Mo went from one side room to the next, eventually seeing everyone.
Of the people from that night, aside from Han Meng, every single one of them was still unable to get out of bed. They were groaning in pain, suffering from occasional cramps and spasms.
It was clear that Han Meng was very resilient and had a strong constitution.
After he finished checking on Shen Yang, the latter suddenly asked a strange question.
"Shopkeeper Bai, you took a Pill last night too. How come you seem perfectly fine?"
Bai Mo calmly replied, "After I returned, I took some medicinal herbs to disperse the Pill's potency in my body. That's why my symptoms were much milder."
As for Shen Yang and the others, they had simply waited for the Pill's effects to wear off on their own. The side effects they endured were naturally incomparable to his.
By the time Bai Mo finished his rounds, Han Meng had already finished cutting up the Demon Beast and cooking it into a stew.
He set up a pot of meat stew in the courtyard and started shouting for everyone to come and eat.
After much dawdling, the others finally emerged from their rooms, grabbing their bowls and sitting down to have some soup.
Lan Ru hadn't wanted Lanshan to get up, but he insisted, stubbornly rising and letting his sister help him into the courtyard.
The Demon Beast meat was beneficial for replenishing qi and blood. After just a few bites, the color returned to everyone's faces.
Lanshan downed half a bowl of soup in one go and exhaled a steamy breath.
"Shopkeeper Bai, what do you think? Will my body be recovered in a month or so?"
A blank look appeared on Bai Mo's face.
"To be honest, I don't know either."
"The fact that this Qi Blood Pill could last an entire night, burning the essence of a Demon Beast's blood and igniting your own qi and blood... that was already beyond my expectations."
Bai Mo's brows furrowed.
'When I refined this Pill, I never anticipated such a long-lasting effect. I miscalculated again.'