"You, what have you done to me?" Zhu Zhuyun covered her cheek with one hand, gritting her teeth as she glared at Lan Si, her eyes full of venom.
"Isn't it obvious? It's poison." Lan Si shrugged slightly and smiled. "I coated the needle with a potent poison made from the century-old Mandala Snake and several other toxic herbs. Any soul master below level 30 would die upon contact. Soul masters below level 40, if they don't detoxify in time, would only last an hour at most. You, as a Soul Elder, may last a bit longer, but if you don't detoxify soon, I'm afraid that beautiful face of yours will be lost."
"Despicable!" Zhu Zhuyun's eyes were bloodshot with rage.
"Feel free to curse. What you have is a neurotoxin that spreads through the meridians. The more you move, the faster it spreads. In half an hour, the toxin will enter your arteries." Lan Si took another look up and down Zhu Zhuyun's fiery body and clicked his tongue. "What a pity, such a pity."
"Pity for what?"
"A beautiful woman like you is about to become a monster. But if you find a support-type soul master to detoxify you right now, you might make it in time."
"Let's go." Zhu Zhuyun covered her face with one hand and, supported by the female violin soul master, turned to leave the forest.
A woman's appearance is her second life. Zhu Zhuyun couldn't afford to gamble with this. If she really became disfigured, even if she killed Zhu Zhuqing, it would be meaningless. The Star Luo Empire would never allow an ugly woman to become the Empress.
After walking for about a dozen meters, Zhu Zhuyun paused, turning her head to ask, "Boy, do you dare to give me your real name?"
Hearing this, Lan Si was momentarily stunned, thought for a moment, and then spoke, "Shrek Academy, Tang San."
"Shrek Academy?" Zhu Zhuyun was furious, then laughed. "Hahaha... My dear sister, I never thought that that worthless person would still remember you and specifically send this 'Tang San' to pick you up. Well... very well. But a worthless person is still a worthless person. If he truly cared about you, he wouldn't have abandoned you to indulge himself elsewhere."
"Tang San, I'll remember you. Let's go."
As she spoke, Zhu Zhuyun, supported by the female violin soul master, slowly disappeared into the dense forest.
With Zhu Zhuyun gone, Lan Si also let out a sigh of relief. The only reason he won so easily this time was because he relied on the poison. If it came down to a real fight, unless he used firearms or his second martial spirit, it would have been tough to defeat her given the difference of two soul rings, not to mention that she had two helpers.
"Are you okay?" Lan Si slowly put Zhu Zhuqing down.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head, her face pale. She was barely conscious, sustained only by her unwavering willpower.
Lan Si said, "You've lost a lot of blood. I need to take you to a safe place to treat your injuries. Otherwise, if we delay too long, your life will be in danger."
As he spoke, Lan Si collected the needles on the ground and, without waiting for Zhu Zhuqing's consent, picked her up in a princess carry. With a light tap of his foot on the ground, he leaped onto the tree branch, disappearing after a few flashes.
Time passed unknowingly. When Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes again, she found herself inside a tent.
Suddenly, she remembered that she had been saved. Then on the way, she passed out due to excessive blood loss.
Looking down to examine her injuries, Zhu Zhuqing's delicate face couldn't help but blush. Her blood-soaked clothes were gone, replaced by a thick, new black robe. All her wounds had been wrapped in bandages, and even the arrow wound on her right shoulder had been treated.
Fortunately, her undergarments were still there, and her body felt normal. Otherwise, she would have been mortified.
At this moment, the scent of roasting meat drifted from outside the tent.
"Grumble..." Zhu Zhuqing's stomach growled. To avoid being assassinated, she hadn't eaten anything for nearly a day.
She walked out of the tent to see a slender young figure roasting meat.
"Hey, you're awake. You must be hungry. The rabbit meat is almost ready. Have a seat," Lan Si turned around, momentarily stunned.
The black robe that Zhu Zhuqing was wearing was something he had put on her. When she was unconscious, he hadn't paid much attention. Now that she was awake, he realized just how beautiful she was.
The robe, which would have appeared bulky and heavy on others, accentuated her curvy figure, adding a mysterious charm. As she stood there, one white leg peeking out, she looked extremely alluring.
Noticing Lan Si's gaze, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but tense up. Only now did she get a clear look at the young man who had saved her.
With fair skin and a handsome face, complemented by his tall stature and smooth black hair, under the firelight, Zhu Zhuqing's face reddened, whether from seeing Lan Si's appearance or from knowing he had changed her clothes.
The two stared at each other, and the atmosphere grew subtly ambiguous.
"My clothes..." After a while, Zhu Zhuqing blushed and broke the silence, avoiding Lan Si's gaze.
"Oh, right." Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's words, Lan Si came back to his senses. He put down the rabbit meat, stood up, and pointed to the wooden rack by the campfire. "Your outer clothes were soaked in blood, so I washed them for you. I also applied some special ointment I made. At dawn, I'll take you to the nearest city to find a support-type soul master for treatment. There shouldn't be any scars left."
The ointment was made using secret formulas from his previous life and was highly effective for external injuries.
"Mm." Zhu Zhuqing sat down beside Lan Si, propping her chin with her hand, deep in thought.
She didn't ask if Lan Si had changed her clothes. While she valued purity, she wasn't the type to demand someone's eyes for just seeing her skin. Moreover, he had exercised restraint and only treated her wounds.
Silence fell once more. In the crackling of the campfire, they could faintly hear each other's heartbeat and slightly rapid breathing.
After a while, Lan Si tore off a piece of roasted rabbit leg and handed it to Zhu Zhuqing. "It's ready. Give it a try. This is the meat of a ten-year-old Soft Bone Rabbit, very delicious."
"Thank you." Zhu Zhuqing hesitated, unsure of what to say.
"What's the matter? Afraid I poisoned it? I'll eat some first." Lan Si tore off another piece and started eating heartily.
Seeing Lan Si, who had seemed so refined, now eating so messily, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but chuckle.
She shook her head, smiling. "If you wanted to harm me, you wouldn't have waited until now. You had plenty of opportunities when I was unconscious. Thank you, Tang San."
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