Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Detoxification

“Detoxify? Chenrong can be cured?” Changxia said joyfully.

With her hair still wet, Changxia walked lightly into the kitchen, just in time to hear Suye and Chenrong’s conversation. She was instantly overjoyed.

Suye replied, “Yes, but it will take time to fully remove the poison.”

Gu poison was fortunately within her abilities.

If it had been a shaman from the fish or bird tribes, they might not have even recognized it, let alone cured it.

“Do you need my help?” Changxia asked.

Chenrong didn’t answer, just glanced at Suye.

“No need. Tonight, just soak in the medicinal bath. Afterward, I’ll take a little blood from your fingertip to make the next batch of medicine,” Suye shook her head. “While you’re soaking, you’ll need to sleep in a separate room. Take three of these pills before the bath, and three more after.”

As she spoke, Suye took out a beast pouch.

When she handed it to Chenrong, she reminded him how to take the pills.

The medicinal bath, together with the pills, would help activate the blood in Chenrong’s body and speed up the awakening of the gu worms.

“Alright,” Chenrong replied.

He took the pouch and set it on the table, then went to fetch water for Changxia so she could bathe first and not catch cold.

Now that Changxia was sure Chenrong’s gu poison could be cured, she happily carried the water to the storage room for her bath.

Even though it was the first rain, after getting wet she still felt sticky and uncomfortable.

In the kitchen, Suye, Baiqing, and Chenrong sat around the stove, chatting about gu poison while Suye taught Baiqing.

She would teach and ask questions, and Chenrong would occasionally add a few words. Though he didn’t know much about gu poison, his rich experience made up for it.

When Changxia finished her bath, Suye sent Baiqing to bathe next.

She began preparing the herbs for Chenrong’s medicinal bath. The herbs were already ready, but the timing for adding them to the water had to be controlled.

“Chenrong, help me make your bed,” Changxia said playfully to Suye, winking at Chenrong.

"沉戎 smiled, completely unfazed.

Little fool—

Let her be smug for a few days.

Once the poison is cured, whether it’s splitting up the rooms or anything else,沉戎 refused to believe he wouldn’t be the one in charge.

“Alright, sorry to trouble you,” 沉戎 replied with a smile, as if he hadn’t noticed the mischievous look in Chang Xia’s eyes. He added, “If there aren’t enough animal skin blankets, just grab any animal hide you like.”

“…” Chang Xia pouted and shot 沉戎 a glare.

She was poor, sure, but… not so poor that she couldn’t even scrape together a single animal skin blanket.

“Chang Xia has a bit of a temper. Please be patient with her,” Su Ye said as she added herbs to the pot, chatting with 沉戎 about Chang Xia. Though she lived on Kana Sacred Mountain, she’d always kept an eye on Chang Xia.

You could say the care and effort she’d poured into Chang Xia was no less than anyone else’s.

沉戎’s hand, which was clenched into a fist, paused for a moment.

“If you ever decide to leave the Twilight Forest, make sure you explain things clearly to Chang Xia. I don’t want you to hurt her. I raised her from when she was just a tiny thing until she grew up—no one can imagine how much effort that took.”

“The Heluo tribe is fiercely protective of their own. Chang Xia may not be a leopard, but she has everything a leopard should have—and more.”

“The Tianyuan tribe is powerful, but not invincible.”

Su Ye’s gentle voice was calm but every word hit the mark.

She wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her cub—not even 沉戎, the child of her most valued former disciple.

Su Ye hadn’t planned to say these things so soon.

But tonight, watching Chang Xia and 沉戎 together, she could tell her little beast had started to develop feelings for him.

Maybe those feelings were still young, far from love.

Still, Su Ye couldn’t help but speak up, warning 沉戎: no matter what, he was not to hurt her cub.

“Even if it cost me my life, I would never hurt her,” 沉戎 promised.

Su Ye shook her head, as if she hadn’t heard his vow.

To her, promises didn’t matter. As long as Chang Xia was happy and unharmed, that was enough.

Still, she was satisfied with 沉戎’s attitude.

Xing Ya had also once been a disciple she’d pinned her hopes on. Sadly, beauty is often short-lived.

“Alright, take three of these pills, then pour the herbal decoction into the bath barrel. By the way, do you have a bath barrel? It’s best to soak in one for the medicinal bath,” Su Ye said, putting all the herbs into the stone pot to simmer. When the timing was just right, she reminded 沉戎 to get the bath barrel ready and start soaking.

“I have one,” 沉戎 replied. “I’ll get it right away.”

With that, he went to the storeroom to fetch the bath barrel. He knew Su Ye didn’t trust his promise, but he believed that, with time, she would come to trust him. Of course, all of this depended on having a healthy body first.

“Are you starting?” Chang Xia had finished laying out the animal skin bedding for 沉戎 and returned to the kitchen.

“Almost,” Su Ye replied. “You don’t like the sight of blood, so it’s best if you don’t come in.”

“Granny Su Ye, what do you mean by that?” Chang Xia asked in surprise. What did detoxification have to do with blood? She looked at Su Ye, puzzled.

“沉戎 will take three pills, which will help invigorate his blood. The herbs in the bath will do the same. He might cough up blood in a bit. Ask Bai Qing to come keep an eye on him—I’m going to take a bath and will be back later,” Su Ye explained.

Chang Xia’s expression changed slightly. She quickly gave 沉戎 a “good luck” gesture, then hurried out of the kitchen.

Once the herbs were ready, Su Ye told him to pour the decoction and herbs into the bath barrel, then move it into the storeroom next door. After a quick rinse, he stepped into the bath to soak.

Outside, Su Ye fetched water with practiced ease, carrying a bucket to the storeroom to bathe.

“Bai Qing, are you done washing up?” Chang Xia tiptoed to knock on the ironwood door of Bai Qing’s cave.

“Wait a sec, Chang Xia—” Bai Qing replied.

“沉戎 is soaking in a medicinal bath. Granny Su Ye asked you to help keep an eye on him,” Chang Xia explained. She wasn’t exactly afraid of blood—more like she had a psychological block. As she grew up and healed, it had gotten better. Still, Su Ye mentioning her fear of blood in front of 沉戎 was probably just to keep her from being alone with him. Chang Xia felt a little sulky about it, so she went along with 沉戎’s suggestion and asked Bai Qing to help instead.

“Alright, I’ll be right there,” Bai Qing replied cheerfully.

Chang Xia found Bai Qing’s sudden good mood a bit baffling.

Knock, knock—Bai Qing entered the kitchen and knocked on the storeroom door next door. In a light tone, he called, “沉戎, can I come in?”

沉戎 was silent for a moment before answering, “Come in.”

Creak—

Bai Qing pushed the door open and entered.

“Cough, cough!” 沉戎 covered his mouth, leaning over the edge of the bath barrel as he started to cough.

A faint, metallic sweetness rose in his throat, tinged with a light, unpleasant stench.