Lu Yuzhi's sudden series of actions stunned Su Muqing. Her head was held firmly by a large hand, and her face was buried deep against his chest.
Listening to the fast, powerful heartbeat by her ear, and feeling the force with which Lu Yuzhi held her, as if he wanted to merge her into his body, Su Muqing felt like a hostage!
Leng Ren and Leng Feng exchanged glances as they watched the two embrace, then silently retreated, carrying the little milk bun and Fei La. "Young Master, you must keep trying! Miss Su will reach adulthood in a few months. Let's hope by the time we return, we can call her Young Madam!"
Su Muqing's vision began to blur from being so tightly held, and she wondered if her nose had been flattened. "What's gotten into Big Brother Lu? Is he trying to suffocate me with such force?"
She struggled slightly. To her surprise, Lu Yuzhi tightened his grip around her waist even more when he felt her struggle. After a while, he loosened his hold slightly, but still didn't let her go.
Lu Yuzhi rested his forehead on Su Muqing's shoulder, greedily inhaling her scent. Thinking of the pained expression on her face when she had disappeared earlier, he said with self-reproach, "I'm sorry, I forgot that the divine medicine has side effects if taken in excess..."
The mystery was solved! So that's why she had suddenly been so ill. Su Muqing finally understood. She recalled that 217 had indeed mentioned not to consume too much spiritual spring water at once, especially for detoxification. There needed to be intervals between doses.
While the spiritual spring water itself wouldn't kill someone, it was possible to be drained to death from excessive bowel movements if the body was too weak to withstand it.
The amount Lu Yuzhi had given her was a severe overdose. If Su Muqing hadn't had her special abilities and had been consuming crops from the spiritual field for months to improve her constitution, she might have died from dehydration in the toilet, if not from the sheer exhaustion.
Su Muqing felt his body tremble and quickly patted his back. "It's okay! Taking too much of that medicine just causes diarrhea, which helps the body expel toxins. It's not a bad thing, don't worry."
"Really? Are you just comforting me..." Lu Yuzhi sounded half-believing, thinking Su Muqing was trying to alleviate his guilt.
"Really! Why would I lie to you?" Su Muqing said, pushing him away slightly. Without even looking up at Lu Yuzhi, she prepared to roll up her sleeves and show off her muscles.
However, she felt her stick-like arms and quietly lowered them. She decided against it. Even with the skin and flesh, there wasn't much to show.
Lu Yuzhi's inner turmoil had subsided as soon as he heard her voice. The black markings on his face quickly faded. So when Su Muqing looked up, she only saw his slightly red eyes and pupils that were too dark.
Even so, Su Muqing was still worried. She reached out and took the Spirit-Stabilizing Bead from Lu Yuzhi's neck. The bead's glow had dimmed considerably, and its color was no longer dark red, but it still emitted a faint light.
Su Muqing's heart leaped, and she quickly scanned Lu Yuzhi's body with her detector. As expected! The numerous strands of internal energy within him were showing signs of resurgence.
Su Muqing had already noticed his heart beating very fast earlier. And with the increasing speed of his heartbeat, the turbulence of his internal energy also varied. It seemed that heart rate and emotions could indeed trigger the restlessness of internal energy.
Had their previous encounters on the road activated it? If so, she couldn't let Lu Yuzhi fight anymore. If his internal energy broke through the suppression of the Spirit-Stabilizing Bead, he wouldn't be able to continue on their journey.
Su Muqing placed her hand on Lu Yuzhi's chest and used her healing technique to help him control his rapid heartbeat. "Big Brother Lu, your heart is beating too fast, and that's very dangerous. You need to calm your emotions now and not get too excited. Do you understand?"
After another ten minutes, Lu Yuzhi's heartbeat returned to normal. It was already dark, and the trees in the mountains blocked too much light, making it unsuitable for night travel. Thus, the group sat by the old tree and ate something.
"Wait! I still have something very important to do." Su Muqing said, taking out several red threads from her spatial dimension and asking Lu Yuzhi and the other two to hold lamps to illuminate the area for her.
They watched as she knelt on the ground, carefully lifting a large patch of green leaves and red berries. Then, she tied them with red string. "Big Brother Lu, shine the light over here. I want to see if there are any roots on this side."
After locating the approximate position with her detector, the three held their lamps and squatted nearby. Su Muqing first used an iron shovel to remove the thick layer of soil on the surface. Then she switched to a wooden shovel, and with very gentle movements, began to dig.
As she dug, she used a palm-sized brush to sweep away the fine dust. Her meticulous service and respectful attitude left the three somewhat bewildered.
Leng Feng, seeing her extreme caution, couldn't help but ask, "Miss Su, what are you digging up..."
"Shush! I'm digging up ginseng... such large ones, right here!" Su Muqing shushed them, gesturing with her hands. Then she pointed to the ground and replied in a whisper.
Lu Yuzhi and the other two exchanged glances… Were there such large ginsengs in the world? Had they become spirits? However, they had always trusted Su Muqing's judgment. If she considered something good, it was surely a priceless treasure.
An hour passed, and she finally saw a hint of a root stem. But this ginseng was too old, and the roots beneath were densely intertwined. So Su Muqing had to be extremely careful.
Slowly, two hours passed. Lu Yuzhi and the others also saw the top of the ginseng. He looked at his forearm. How thick was this ginseng? It was wider than his forearm.
Leng Ren and Leng Feng were also exceptionally excited. A ginseng of this size must be at least a thousand years old! Would eating it grant immortality?
Three hours passed, four hours passed… The four of them crouched, digging from around seven or eight in the evening until past two in the morning. Su Muqing eventually lay down on the ground.
By then, two-thirds of the main body of the ginseng had been exposed. However, the roots were too dense, and any mistake would damage them. So the more they dug towards the end, the more careful Su Muqing became. After all, the roots were very nutritious.
Finally, Lu Yuzhi and the others fixed the lamps and helped Su Muqing dig. The four of them dug until five in the morning before finally excavating the entire ginseng intact.
Below were three large ginsengs. The largest was about as thick as Lu Yuzhi's lower leg. Although they hadn't formally become spirits, their human-like forms were already quite apparent.
They had facial features on their heads, and the upper part had slightly thicker root stems, with the two thickest resembling arms. Below, they had legs and had already developed distinct genders. The largest one resembled a male.
The second one, though medium-sized, was not insignificant either. Its body was not as thick as the first, being slightly more slender and elongated. The roots on its entire body were not as dense but were longer.
Furthermore, it had all the necessary facial features, arms, and legs. And the female characteristics of its upper and lower body were very obvious. Clearly, this one represented a female.
There was also one of ordinary size, which was likely their child. In addition to these three, there was a cluster of very small ones, which had barely taken shape. It seemed the environment here was truly good; they were even reproducing.
Su Muqing carefully separated the smallest ginseng and its numerous offspring. Then, carrying the leaves, she quickly entered her spatial dimension and planted them in the spiritual field. She also picked the red berries on the green leaves and set them aside for later.
After completing all this, she exited the spatial dimension. Lu Yuzhi and the others were still studying the two large ginsengs, seemingly still in disbelief at what they were seeing.
"Could these be immortal beings? Now that we've dug them up, will there be..." Leng Feng said, extending a finger towards the sky. Then he made a throat-slitting gesture towards Su Muqing.
This scared the child, who began to worry about divine retribution. It seemed that this sudden appearance of a great treasure had truly exceeded their understanding.
Su Muqing carefully wrapped the two ginsengs in a red cloth. Then, she hastily covered the pit they had dug, and only then did she lead everyone into her spatial dimension.
It was already five or six in the morning, and everyone had stayed up all night. Traveling in this state was not advisable. So they decided to rest in the spatial dimension first to regain their energy before continuing their journey.
Initially, the group was too excited about digging up such large ginsengs to sleep. But as their excitement waned, sleepiness crept in. Moreover, sleeping in the spatial dimension allowed for both physical and mental relaxation.
They slept for six to seven hours in the spatial dimension. By then, it was already past eight in the morning outside. After a casual meal, they prepared to continue their journey.
Perhaps it was due to spending too much time in the spatial dimension, but the little milk bun refused to enter it this time. As soon as he was put in, he started crying loudly, and 217 began issuing warnings.
"Muqing, Muqing…" Lu Yuzhi saw Su Muqing's complexion turn ashen and her lips turn pale in an instant. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She clutched her head tightly, feeling as if her skull was about to explode.
Su Muqing, who had nearly lost half her life, quickly took the little milk bun out. If he continued crying in the spatial dimension, she would surely suffer a cerebral hemorrhage.
"Hoo~" Su Muqing let out a breath and sat down on the ground.
The world finally became quiet. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and drank some diluted spiritual spring water, and then she returned to normal.
"It's okay, Baozi might be tired of being in the spatial dimension these past few days. He started crying as soon as I put him in, and then I got a headache. But I'm fine now," Su Muqing said, holding the little milk bun with one hand and massaging her temples with the other.
Looking at the little milk bun, who had stopped crying after being brought out, Su Muqing felt a sense of helplessness. His innocent expression and the tear streaks on his face made her feel a pang of guilt.
Lately, she had mostly kept the little milk bun in her spatial dimension, with only Fei La accompanying him. She had spent very little time with him. He had even taken his first steps without her teaching him.
Su Muqing handed the little milk bun to Lu Yuzhi and took out a baby carrier from her spatial dimension. She first fastened the carrier around his waist, then carried the little milk bun on her chest.
Su Muqing had initially wanted to carry him herself, but Lu Yuzhi insisted on taking him, claiming he was stronger and could carry him. Fine! If he wanted to carry him, let him. In any case, they were both the重點 protection targets of the team. Keeping them together would be convenient if any danger arose; they could both be safely stored in the spatial dimension.
Su Muqing then released Fei La, letting it stay by Lu Yuzhi and the little milk bun's side at all times. The group then resumed their journey. They chose the dark, dense forest ahead, which was the shortest route through the mountain. Taking a detour around it would likely cause further delays.
Each of them wore a headlamp. Su Muqing walked at the forefront, with Leng Ren and Leng Feng flanking her. Lu Yuzhi and the little milk bun walked in the center, protected by the three in a triangular formation.
This was the true primeval forest. Although it was sunny outside, it felt like nine or ten o'clock at night inside. The surroundings were gloomy, and the occasional breeze that blew against them felt damp and cool.
Su Muqing pulled her clothes tighter. Why had the temperature dropped so suddenly? She quickly took out several thick hiking jackets for them to wear, put one on Lu Yuzhi, and wrapped the little milk bun in it. Then she took another one for herself.
As they walked a bit further, a "thump-thump-thump" sound came from above. Everyone stopped and looked up. Several monkeys emerged from the tree branches.
They all had their mouths wide open, revealing their white, sharp teeth, chattering and screeching. They leaped from one tree to another, displaying a threatening posture, as if trying to drive Su Muqing and her companions away.
"Why are there so many monkeys?" Leng Feng asked, leaning closer to Lu Yuzhi as he looked at the monkeys in the trees.
"Everyone be careful, they look a bit strange. Look at their eyes, don't they lack whites?" Su Muqing shone her headlamp at one of the monkeys, illuminating its head. Both eyes were entirely black pupils.
The monkey, hit by the strong light, became even more agitated. They quickly hid behind the tree trunks and rustled through the foliage. Lu Yuzhi and the others thought the monkeys had been scared away and were about to move forward.
Unexpectedly, after they had taken a few steps, the monkeys reappeared. Su Muqing saw them holding something and throwing it down. When she looked closely, her expression changed instantly.
"Watch out," she said, quickly turning and pulling everyone into her spatial dimension before also vanishing inside.
Looking at the continuous barrage of attacks outside the spatial dimension, Su Muqing frowned. She bent over and stretched out her finger, wanting to move forward a few steps to find a suitable spot to exit.
However, because Lu Yuzhi was inside the spatial dimension, she couldn't move forward with him. So she changed direction, moving a few steps diagonally backward. She turned off her headlamp and exited the spatial dimension, hiding behind a large tree.
After throwing for a while, the monkeys suddenly noticed that the group below had disappeared. The forest echoed with another round of monkey calls. They leaped back and forth on the trees, searching for their tracks.
Su Muqing quickly emerged from hiding and erected wind blade walls on all sides and above. She stood within the wind blade walls, drawing her shield. Then she released Lu Yuzhi and had him walk forward with the shield.
The monkey troop spotted them and launched another round of attacks. The monkeys chased them, continuously throwing objects down. After passing through the wind blade walls, the falling objects hit the shield with a clanging sound. Lu Yuzhi held the shield, and although they walked slowly, they were making progress.
Just then! With a loud "clang," the shield was hit by a heavy object. Lu Yuzhi's knee buckled, and he almost couldn't withstand the immense impact. He felt his hand go numb!
Seeing his hand injured, Su Muqing quickly pulled them back into her spatial dimension. Only then did she turn on her headlamp and look up. She saw that on the tree trunk directly above her, a giant gorilla was sitting. Its size was quite considerable!
It sat there arrogantly, gesturing. It pounded its chest from time to time, then patted its forehead. Its expression shifted from fierce to a wide grin, as if mocking Su Muqing.
After laughing enough, the gorilla picked up a large stone-like object and smashed it down towards them. To Su Muqing's surprise, it also leaped down quickly, using the stone's hardness to evade the wind blade wall above and landed directly in front of her.
If she hadn't had good reflexes and dodged this attack, she would have been crushed into a pancake by the giant rock.
After jumping down, the gorilla looked down at Su Muqing, glancing at her sideways. It had an expression that suggested she was not even enough to stuff its teeth, its face radiating extreme arrogance. After a moment, it became impatient.
Seeing the colossal creature slowly approaching, Su Muqing directly took out a high-concentration tranquilizer gun. While the gorilla was unprepared, she fired it rapidly, "咻咻咻~".
Damn! The pose was cool, but the result was a bit awkward. The tranquilizer dart failed to penetrate its thick hide and got stuck in the gorilla's fur. Su Muqing was stunned. How thick could its skin be?
The gorilla picked up the tranquilizer dart hanging in its fur and examined it closely, confused about what it was. Seeing that the tranquilizer gun was ineffective, Su Muqing took out a high-power electric baton.
Seeing its prey dare to provoke it, the gorilla braced itself with its arms and charged forward. Seeing it charge, Su Muqing drew out her electric baton and struck it forcefully.
The gorilla easily seized Su Muqing's extended electric baton and even tried to snatch it away. At that critical moment! Su Muqing turned the electric current to the highest setting and pressed down ruthlessly.
The next second, the gorilla felt a sharp pain in its palm. Soon, that intense pain spread to other parts of its body, and it collapsed straight down.
Considering the gorilla's enormous size, Su Muqing shocked it six times in succession. Each time, she used the highest setting to ensure it wouldn't be able to stand up for a while. She also injected some tranquilizer into its thinner skin for extra assurance.
It was likely that at the moment it fell, the gorilla hadn't figured out what had happened. It was the king of this area; how could it go down so quickly?
After subduing the gorilla, Su Muqing turned her attention to the monkeys chattering in the trees. She directly withdrew the wind blade walls in front, behind, and to the sides, leaving only the one above.
She first mobilized her lightning abilities and swung them in the air a few times as a warning. The lightning's glow illuminated the entire forest, making the atmosphere even more eerie and terrifying.
Although the monkeys were startled by the loud noise, they were still persistent. They even raised what they were holding and threw it at her.
Since you want to bully me with numbers, don't blame me for being unethical. Su Muqing opened her palm and swiftly moved through the air. The surrounding trees crackled and exploded, and the monkeys in the trees scattered in fear, covering their heads.
Su Muqing shifted from defense to offense. Before they could throw their projectiles, she grabbed the two three-sided bayonets in her hands and leaped onto a large tree, engaging in combat with the monkeys. With the trees providing cover, they were unable to throw their projectiles.
The monkeys on other trees saw the battle and threw down what they were holding, jumping over. It seemed they intended to wear her down with a battle of attrition. She had to admit, they were quite naive.
One had to know that when a woman becomes ruthless, no man stands a chance. Su Muqing darted through the trees, her movements swift and decisive.
In the beginning, she didn't want to be so brutal. But Su Muqing remembered that these were no longer the monkeys she had fed in her past life. These were real beasts; it was either them or her today.
In just over ten minutes, the ground beneath the trees was littered with dead monkeys. Some were still alive, struggling to get up and escape. The remaining monkeys in the trees, seeing Su Muqing's ferocity, quickly scattered and fled.
She meticulously checked all the trees behind her. After ensuring that all the monkeys had been driven away, Su Muqing released Lu Yuzhi and the others.
"Wow! Miss Su, what kind of monster is that?" Leng Feng pointed at the colossal creature lying on the ground.
Su Muqing replied while putting another layer of clothing on the little milk bun, "This is called a gorilla. They are highly intelligent but have violent tempers. I believe that all living things have a spirit, and this one has likely lived for many years, so I didn't want to kill it. I gave it a few injections, but I'm not sure how long the anesthetic will last. Regardless, we should leave here as soon as possible. It will be troublesome if it wakes up soon."
Everyone listened to Su Muqing's words with serious expressions. Lu Yuzhi held up a large shield, covering himself and the little milk bun. Then the group quickly ran forward.
After their figures had completely disappeared into the depths of the forest, the group of monkeys cautiously returned. They leaped onto the gorilla in groups, trying to wake it up. But before it could regain consciousness, a noise was heard from behind.
The monkeys, who had just experienced a fierce battle, were startled and quickly retreated back into the trees. They looked at the approaching figure below, an animal with strength comparable to their king.
However, this time, none of the monkeys dared to provoke it. The black bear stared at the monkey corpses on the ground for a moment, then sped up, chasing after Su Muqing and the others.