On the other side of the camp, Da Chuanli overlooks the warm and jolly atmosphere of both camps and leans back against the carriage with a smile. It was good to let them bond. That is until multiple screams alert the groups into standing up with their weapons drawn, they all look around hurriedly. The smile on Da Chuanli's face dies and with a serious expression, he ran toward Fuqing's group. The girls and some of the boys were scratching at their skin where rashes had formed suddenly, startling Da Chuanli. What on earth...
Fuqing was also in a state of panic seeing so many of the disciples under his care suddenly growing rashes along their bodies. The one in worse condition was the once arrogant Qing Mianyang who was crying while scratching at her body till her skin bled and peeled from her hands. "Stop scratching! All of you!" Da Chuanli's order was met with immediate obedience but it didn't stop them from panicking and crowding in front of their reliable senior brother for help. "Senior Ling my body is all bumpy and full of rashes!" "I feel like something foul is crawling under my skin! Senior Ling what's wrong with us?!!"
Qing Mingyang cries out loud with tears staining her once smooth pale face while throwing herself towards a stunned Fuqing taking advantage of even this to try and gain his sympathy. "Brother Fuqing it hurts I feel so bad!! Help me wuuu~!!" The teen hesitates, seeing the rash-covered face sobbing against his chest before awkwardly patting her back. Although Fuqing was a person who knew that men and women should keep proper distance he did not have to heart to entirely brush her off. She was also a female and he had to be careful to not hurt her feelings. This robotic patting of her back was seen by many as well as the hidden grimace on his expression while doing so.
He was stiff in his actions sending Lan Biyu a worried glance in case she misunderstood his actions. But Lan Biyu only stood behind Rui Shi and the rest at the other camp expressionlessly as if she did not care. He looks toward Da Chuanli with alarm. "Senior Brother Ling, w-what's wrong with them?!" Gao Chang steps up beside Da Chuanli and was astounded by the quick transformation of the group before him. Just earlier they were all happily eating but now...Gao Chang's face was very grave as he peeks at Da Chuanli.
"I will send out the flare for a nearby Azure elder." Da Chuanli appreciates the boy's calm during the situation, nodding his head in acknowledgment. Another girl was on the verge of tears herself as she turns to give Da Chuanli a pitiful look. "S-Senior brother Ling, w-w-will we die?" Da Chuanli offered her a comforting smile even though he himself was unsure what was wrong with them. He was not well-versed in poisons. What he did know was that whatever they came into contact with was not too deadly since they weren't in any immediate pain. But it would be best if Fuqing's group stayed far away from their main camp in case they infect the others. Luckily, when he glances over his shoulder. Gao Chang's group naturally was full of rather quick-to-catch-on people, being associated with the shrew boy.
They had all inched farther away towards their carriage which had about a twenty feet distance between them and the other group. Sending not-so-well-disguised looks of fear and disgust toward the others. Da Chuanli tried to see Lan Biyu's reaction but the girl was hidden amongst the others too well. As if it was natural his gaze goes back to the girl who had asked him this question. "Of course not, under your senior brother's watch no one will die. For now, just sit still and try not to scratch anything." Only after hearing Da Chuanli say this did a lot of the nervousness in the disciples calm down. A white skirt brushes past him toward Fuqing's group. On reflex, he stops the girl from getting too close to the contaminated people. His voice held a trace of seriousness she had never heard before. "Junior sister don't get too close." Lan Biyu scrutinizes his facial expression which had shown genuine concern for her safety. So although she despised him she only shook his hand off silently.
Not being one to shrug off kind intentions with bad she stated flatly under her breath to him, her eyes as clear as a moon pool. "It's fine, poison doesn't affect me." What? Before he could fully process her words, Lan Biyu already strolled towards the girl who had spoken earlier and took her hand into her own without fear. With a careful examination of the rashes and bumps, she quickly understood where the root of the problem lay. Lan Biyu peeks back up at the girl's tear-covered face and saw her misery and anxiety. Her face seems bland but her voice was soft, "Try to relax, leave the rest to me."
With a gentleness Da Chuanli didn't know she had, the cold-faced girl covers the other infected girl's bumpy hand in both of her silky smooth ones. A white light glows from their clasped hands making others unable to look away from the comforting warm light. Da Chuanli was surprised when slowly but very obviously, the infected girl's bumpy skin returns back to a normal smooth look. The pain and discomfort on her face were gone and replaced by awe and worship. Da Chuanli wasn't sure but just as the light was disappearing a bit of shadow faded back into Lan Biyu, unlike the pure white from earlier.
He frowns, quickly glancing around he saw no one else seemed to have the same reaction he had. Maybe he saw it wrong? When Lan Biyu opens her eyes again she was met by dozens of startled and awe-filled gazes. "J-Junior sister knows healing arts?!" In answer, the girl only stood up and held a hand towards another pitiful-looking sister, her voice just as gentle. "Come." Without questioning it to girl quickly stood up and gave both her hands to Lan Biyu eagerly, the hope and stars in her eyes shining brightly having been chosen by Lan Biyu as her second patient. One by one Da Chuanli watches in conflicted silence as Lan Biyu "heals" each and every person in Fuqing's group.
But...to heal so many people of poison at once can't be possible, even for the most talented of healers. Can it really be possible for a girl barely older than ten and two to heal so many people at once? Fuqing was staring at Lan Biyu blatantly with an even more enchanted stare, an obvious gentleness in his eyes that made his friends jab and make fun of him on the sides. Only Qing Mianyang was left, and Lan Biyu felt somewhat reluctant to heal this particularly vulgar person. As she was debating whether she should or not. Luck was on her side as at that moment an Azure sect elder showed up on top of his sword. Stroking his beard he steps off the sword, Da Chuanli was the first to react and bows low with his fists clamped together in front of him respectfully.
"Elder Shang." The rest of the disciples follow his lead quickly lowering their heads in greeting. The old man was known as one of the stricter sect leaders and did not, particularly like speaking to anyone beneath his position. Not because he looks down on them, just because he had no reason to. When he passes by Da Chuanli and spots Lan Biyu specifically, he gave a grumpy. "Hmph." Lan Biyu steps back from Qing Mianyang to put distance between her and the girl. She was the only person to not lower her head to him also not hiding her distaste for the old man on her face. Her straight nose crinkled openly upon his arrival.
He sneers at her insolence, like father-like daughter, one more rude than the other. Knowing his junior sister was causing problems Da Chuanli tugs her sleeve gently but Lan Biyu jerks her sleeve away and scoffs out loud to return his look with one of her own. Cranky old foggy. There was hostility between these two people no one but they themselves understood. Da Chuanli did not know if he should report this to his master or not. Yet, when he glances up at Lan Biyu's twisted expression something in his heart told him it was old news to their master already.
"Hmph!!" Without calling her out for her attitude much to Da Chuanli's surprise, the elder dismisses Lan Biyu's presence from his mind and took over the girl's spot to check Qing Mianyang's pulse. Seeing as she was the only one who was clearly out of place with rashes and bumps all over her face and hands. It was not hard to find the problem that they had called him here for. The old master expertly looks over the scared Qing Mianyang. With a narrowing of his eyes, he shook his head muttering himself. "Poisonous Red Toad."
Recognizing this name, Fuqing who was forced to stay by Qing Mianyang's side since she refused to let him go of his arm was appalled. "Poisonous Red Toad? Elder Shang is what you say true? But there must be a mistake, none of us made contact with anything like that." Elder Shang gave him a look full of reproach "Are you calling this old man a liar?" Fuqing zipped his lips not daring to offend him anymore. Elder Shang sighed and from his spatial ring took out a bottle of pills that looked rather precious. "Put out your hand child." Qing Mianyang did as she was told, and he drops a single pure-looking pill into her hands generously.
"One of these should help you detoxify after two nights of rest. Although Red Toad poison is nasty and hard to get rid of, luckily I carry these antidotes in case anything happened to my own disciples. Red Toad poisoning is common among these parts at the bottom of our mountain since they are attracted to higher cultivation areas. It's your first time off the mountains so, of course, you wouldn't know about it." Lan Biyu had a bad premonition when she saw Da Chuanli look her way after hearing the elder say "Hard to get rid of". Wanted to make her escape but Da Chuanli snatched her arm and spoke up in a strange voice. "Elder Shang, pardon this disciple for wasting your time, but is it possible to fully heal Red Toad poisoning in a few seconds?"
Elder Shang glances at Da Chuanli, it was only then he finally recognized the youth. Ah. It's that old Wang's favorite disciple, patriarch Ling's younger brother. He had forgotten that Da Chuanli had exited his seclusion a few years back as he had been busy with Ling Li Shi's affairs outside their sect. He strokes his beard with a more gentle expression though the question was ridiculous he still gave the handsome youth an answer out of respect for his master and elder brother. "Of course not. Unless one was a human panacea or extremely well versed in poisons, curing it all in one go, even if it's a less-lethal poison or venom is impossible." All the disciples turn to look at Lan Biyu strangely making the Elder finally realize he had missed something.
Lan Biyu gave Da Chuanli a seething glare, that said: 'Mind your own business!!' In return, Da Chuanli gave her an equally stubborn glance: 'As your senior brother this is most definitely my business.' Leading, well, more like dragging Lan Biyu forward, Da Chuanli held the girl's pale white wrist out for Elder Shang to examine. "Senior brother Ling!!" She hisses like an angry wild cat at the teen who ignores her while facing the old man with a firm look. "Asking Elder Shang to examine my junior sister."
Elder Shang looks between the two children in front of him, then back at Da Chuanli's serious expression. He took the girl's pulse and searched her spiritual core briefly not expecting anything. But after a few seconds, his face blackens, and just as quickly he fixes it into a stiff frown instead. "You, girl, come with me." Lan Biyu enraged by the situation snatches her hand from the older boy who let go after hearing Elder Shang's orders for Lan Biyu. She was furious and a small hint of shame filled her expression, but hearing the elder call out again impatiently. She couldn't do anything but follow the deathly silence.
Sending Da Chuanli one last glower the pure loathing, she follows after the old man and doesn't turn back again. Her limbs were stiff and the girl seemed to be full of anxiety for some reason. Da Chuanli was worried about what the elder saw to make such a terrible-looking expression. And he wasn't the only one. Fuqing and the ones saved by Lan Biyu follow her fading figure in the darkness with their eyes worriedly. "Will Junior sister be scolded?" Rui Shi feeling that her friend was being bullied spoke up for Lan Biyu and snapped at the one who spoke angrily with eyes ablaze.
"If she does whose fault do you think it is if she will be punished?!" The disciples who had selfishly taken advantage of Lan Biyu's kindness flushed red with shame. Chun Hua adds in also feeling that Lan Biyu being taken away was very unfair, and frowns heavily. "If you all didn't stupidly get poisoned junior sister would still be sitting by the warm fire listening to tales with us." The same boy who asked Lan Biyu about her fruit peeling skills spits on the ground towards the other group.
"Can't believe I am in the same sect as idiots like you. Who is stupid enough to touch a poisonous red toad?" The other group bristles and protests angrily, "We also aren't dumb enough to touch a poisonous toad! It's obvious it was an accident!" Chun Hua who was normally a gentle older sister to the rest said with a surprisingly sarcastic tone. Not mincing her words at all "The red toad is a bright ugly red-colored toad, and yet one of you was still dumb enough to get infected by it. Stupid is stupid even a crane that's empty in the head knows better than to accidentally eat such a foul thing."
Qing Mianyang shuffled nervously to the side trying to draw less attention but she was spotted by Da Chuanli who narrowed his eyes at her. The shuffling of leaves catches everyone's attention as a dark-faced Lan Biyu enters to clearing again looking to be in a very bad mood. Fuqing was quick to hurry to her side "Junior sister are you ok? You don't look so well-" But Lan Biyu walks straight past him, her eyes only on Da Chuanli, he was confused by her anger not knowing why she was mad as he was only concerned about her safety.
A crisp *slap! followed by a sharp hiss of pain silencing the disciples who were just a second ago fighting with each other. Their eyes grew wide seeing the bright red handprint on Da Chuanli's cheek. Lan Biyu's voice trembled with indignation and shockingly, the corner of her eyes slightly turns a shade of red as she cradles her hands to her chest. "You've gone too far this time Senior Ling." Having been hit randomly, Da Chuanli could do nothing but watch in stunned silence as the white robes of a beautiful normally distant-faced girl treks away with red-rimmed eyes. The crackling of the fires was deafening, no one dared make a sound staring at Da Chuanli and Lan Biyu's back with open-mouthed stares.