At this moment, Bonny's heart was ashen.
From the moment Ji Mo said he would bring her to the Chi family, she had anticipated that she would very likely become a medicinal ingredient.
She had accepted her fate, willing to make a sacrifice to repay Ji Mo.
But now, seeing Ji Mo calmly state that he could cure the Jiu poison, with no trace of hesitation or guilt on his face, her heart sank by half.
In the end, she had loved in vain!
"So, in his heart, I hold no weight at all; I'm just a medicinal ingredient."
Bonny's heart was cut like a knife. She felt that if her heart were to be dug out, she would no longer feel sorrow or pain.
Ji Mo's voice was not loud, but it drew the attention of everyone present.
Chi Qingying was incredibly excited. She rushed forward, grabbed Ji Mo's hand, and looked up at him with a face full of hope.
"Yes, I can indeed cure the Jiu poison."
Ji Mo nodded, confirming it.
Chi Qingying turned from grief to joy. She punched him hard a few times with her small fists, resenting him for not speaking up sooner and deliberately making her look foolish.
She had almost agreed to marry that scoundrel Ximen Yaoqing.
"Ignorant child, spouting nonsense. Do you even know what Jiu poison is?"
The Poison Hand Apothecary glanced at Ji Mo, sneering repeatedly.
Most people couldn't distinguish between "Zhen" and "Jiu," only knowing the Zhen poison mentioned in "drinking Zhen to quench thirst," but not understanding what Jiu poison was.
Even if they did, Jiu poison was not that easy to cure. Even with mermaid heart blood as a medicinal ingredient, it would at least require a master-level pharmacist or physician to concoct the antidote.
"Jiu, resembles a pigeon, its feathers are emerald green, its blood is like ink, it contains potent poison, an ancient exotic bird."
Ji Mo, being knowledgeable, naturally wouldn't confuse them. He accurately stated the characteristics of the Jiu.
He also didn't forget to add, "I've heard that this creature makes a very delicious soup. I'll have to catch one to try sometime."
The Poison Hand Apothecary was somewhat surprised, not expecting Ji Mo to actually know about the Jiu. However, after hearing Ji Mo's latter remark, he inwardly sneered.
A mature Jiu was an existence at the peak of the Profound Immortal Realm. How could a mere young lad like you possibly deal with it?
Want to eat Jiu?
Wishful thinking!
The Poison Hand Apothecary scoffed, "It's good that you have some knowledge, boy. But if you understood even a little bit of pharmacology, you'd know that to cure Jiu poison, you need mermaid heart blood as a medicinal ingredient. Can you produce it?"
"That's right. There's probably only this jar of mermaid heart blood left in the world. What will you use to detoxify?"
Ximen Yaoqing couldn't help but chime in with his own mockery, looking smug.
Although Bonny hated Ji Mo for being heartless, she couldn't stand seeing these two ridicule him. She said loudly, "Who says he doesn't have it? Not only does he have it, but he has the best quality."
After speaking, she no longer concealed her aura, releasing her mermaid royal bloodline without reservation.
Bonny's scales shimmered with iridescent light, each one crystal clear, emitting a seven-colored glow. Layers of halos flowed over her entire body, appearing extraordinarily divine.
"Mermaid royalty!"
Everyone was shocked.
They said the mermaid race had been wiped out, but there were still survivors, and even royalty.
If mermaid royal heart blood were used to cure the Jiu poison, it would naturally be twice as effective with half the effort.
The Poison Hand Apothecary and Ximen Yaoqing exchanged glances, both inwardly cursing the Jiaoren tribe for boasting and failing to completely exterminate the mermaids.
"You bad person, go ahead and dig out my heart to refine the essence blood. I'm afraid of pain, so be quick with the knife."
Bonny's eyes welled up with tears. She floated before Ji Mo, wanting to get one last clear look at his face.
To die at the hands of the person she loved was also a form of happiness.
Ji Mo looked bewildered and asked, "Bonny, are you silly? Why would I dig out your heart?"
Bonny pouted and said indignantly, "Hmph, stop pretending. You kept me around, isn't it because you wanted my heart?"
She believed that Ji Mo, upon learning that Madam Chi was poisoned by Jiu, had no qualms about offending the Jiaoren tribe to protect her, using her heart blood to cure Madam Chi, so he could become the Chi family's son-in-law.
Chi Qingying gripped Ji Mo's hand even tighter, feeling immense regret, believing she had misunderstood Ji Mo.
So he cared about me so much that he even found a mermaid specifically to cure my mother's poison. He's too thoughtful!
I'll never call him a simpleton again. He's just not good at expressing himself; he's actually silently paying attention to everything about me.
Chi Qingying's gaze towards Ji Mo became increasingly tender.
"You scoundrels!"
Ximen Yaoqing stomped his foot in anger, unable to bear seeing their affectionate looks.
Ji Mo looked at Bonny and said the truth sincerely, "Actually, I don't want your heart; I want your body."
His reason for keeping Bonny was the hope that one day, this little clownfish could, like in the anime, transform into a mischievous and quirky child.
"Ah?"
Bonny was stunned, then seemed to realize something, her face flushing crimson. She spat, "Shameless."
How embarrassing for a fish! How could his skin be so thick to utter such lewd words in public?
No wonder he kissed me when we first met. So this pervert was coveting my body from the start!
Chi Qingying's gaze immediately fell upon Bonny, her eyes filled with jealousy.
Bonny, on the other hand, was overjoyed. She met Chi Qingying's gaze fearlessly, even transmitting a message secretly: "Niece, what are you looking at? I might soon become your aunt."
Chi Qingying was instantly angered and transmitted back, "Little mermaid, you're thinking too much. You didn't even know where you were when I met this simpleton."
"What does knowing each other early count for? We fell in love at first sight; we kissed the first time we met."
"Kissed?! That's nothing. The first time we met, I unfastened his belt."
"What? How can you be so uninhibited as a girl? However, you're still not as intimate with him as I am. We've been living and eating together during this time, sharing a bed."
Bonny and Chi Qingying argued secretly, their words sharp as swords, neither willing to yield.
Indeed, women are terrifying when they get jealous; they dare to say anything.
They both spoke as if something had happened between them and Ji Mo, but in reality, nothing had.
"Ignorant child, are you implying that you can cure the Jiu poison without mermaid heart blood?"
The Poison Hand Apothecary stared at Ji Mo, thinking the kid was all talk.
Ji Mo nodded, "Jiu poison is nothing difficult to cure. Why must we use mermaid heart blood?"
"Nothing difficult to cure?"
The Poison Hand Apothecary laughed, looking at Ji Mo as if he were an idiot. "Do you understand medicine? Do you know pharmacology? If you don't, shut up. Don't just spout nonsense; it only adds to the amusement."
Madam Chi and the others also looked at Ji Mo with confusion. Even they knew that mermaid heart blood was necessary to cure Jiu poison. Did Ji Mo not even know this basic common knowledge?
Moreover, Jiu poison was one of the ten great strange poisons in the Immortal Spirit Realm. How could it not be difficult to cure?
"I have a superficial understanding of medicine and pharmacology."
Ji Hanhan said with a face full of confidence, "In our town, I'm quite famous. I'm known as the handsome and elegant young man who surpasses Pan An, a single pear blossom overshadowing a hundred roses, and the barefoot little doctor."
"Barefoot little doctor? Bah! So you're just some low-class quack doctor, pretending to be something you're not?"
The Poison Hand Apothecary guffawed, "If you can cure Madam Chi's Jiu poison without mermaid heart blood, I'll kneel and kowtow to you, calling you Grandpa. If not, then you'll personally taste the flavor of Jiu poison."