20demayo Chapter 174: Having fun alone is not as good as having fun with everyone
Chapter 174: Having fun alone is not as good as having fun with everyone
When Fei Xi returned to the end of the passage, a corner of the narrow cave had been prepared where she could rest temporarily.
Tang Huaiyi sat upright on the left, meditating with his eyes closed; Liu Nanli leaned against the rock wall, head bowed in thought; the old man squatted in the innermost corner, carefully examining the plants in the dung on the ground by the dim light of the pearl, unconcerned about the filth.
Shi Mo sat on the right, leaning against the rock wall, half-embracing Lian Duhan. In front of her, the room was spotless, and a brocade cushion was laid out.
As soon as Fei Xi returned, Liu Nanli looked up, his lips moved, and he whispered, "Senior Sister." He didn't go forward, but looked behind Fei Xi with an inscrutable expression.
Hearing the noise, Tang Huaiyi on the ground immediately opened his eyes. Seeing Fei Xi return, he smiled gently at her, took out a packet of oil-wrapped paper and a water pouch from the bundle behind him, and handed them to Fei Xi.
Fei Xi accepted the water pouch and food from Tang Huaiyi and sat down next to him as he suggested.
This movement revealed the person behind him.
Seeing Bian Yuan enter following Fei Xi, the little maid quickly placed her beloved on the ground and bowed in greeting:
“Master, I returned in a hurry and was not well prepared. I hope you will not find fault with me.”
Shi Mo held up a wooden tray, about the size of two palms, which he had taken out from somewhere.
On the wooden tray, a handkerchief is cleverly folded into a flower-shaped plate on the left. On the plate are two kinds of dried meat, one red and one white, and four kinds of dried fruit; on the right is a half-foot-tall glass pot with a dragon design.
Bian Yuan nodded slightly with a cold face, said "It's alright", frowned and sat down, and then began to eat with the help of the maids.
"Tsk!" The old man turned around and, upon seeing the way the other person was behaving, clicked his tongue in a mixture of disdain and envy.
Then, without any regard for etiquette, he sat down next to Fei Xi. He snatched the oil-wrapped paper from Fei Xi's hand, took out a flatbread from it, and stared at the person opposite him as he crunched on it.
Fei Xi glanced at the old man with amusement; she could quite understand his feelings.
Without comparison, there is no harm. We are both down on our luck, but we are like refugees, lacking food and clothing, while the other side is making a big fuss like a spring outing. It's hard for anyone to feel resentful.
However, Fei Xi, who was used to Tianshan's ways, didn't feel anything. She ignored the thoughtful glances that occasionally fell on her from the other side.
After placing the remaining items on her lap, Fei Xi busied herself taking out a brocade pouch from her bosom. From the pouch, she then took out a small oil-wrapped paper package, barely larger than a thumbnail.
Upon opening the oil-wrapped paper, one finds ten tiny black pellets, each the size of an ant. Even from a distance, those around Fei Xi could smell the indescribable odor emanating from these little black pellets.
The old man curiously leaned closer and sniffed carefully a few times.
"Centipede, scorpion, toad venom, blister beetle, snake slough... You've made a Five Poisons Pill? Wait, there are a few other ingredients. What are you going to do with this stuff?"
Fei Xi smiled slightly and did not answer. Taking advantage of the old man's inattention, she picked up a small black pill and threw it into the old man's mouth.
A nauseating smell instantly filled his mouth, and the old man felt so disgusted that he wanted to vomit on the spot, but a pair of calloused hands covered his mouth.
"Grandpa, don't spit it out! This is a good thing! It's the Nine-Turn Detoxification Pill. After taking this medicine, you can not only walk sideways in poisonous gas and insects, but even the evil energy in this cave, which has not yet taken hold, will be helpless against you."
"You, you, you! You brat, you did this on purpose!" So what if I took a piece of your pancake? Does that mean I can't eat your food, you brat!
Fei Xi blinked innocently, and as if to prove her innocence, she also picked up a small black pill, opened her mouth wide, and swallowed it directly down her throat.
The old man's face darkened even more, but he still pretended it wasn't intentional!
This sneaky method of taking nauseating medication without tasting it on the tongue—does he think he's blind?!
Unfortunately, Fei Xi wasn't a mind reader, and she finished her medicine without feeling any guilt. She then pretended to be nonchalant and took a few more bites of the flatbread, taking a while to suppress the taste of the medicine.
This medicine has such a strong taste; it's better to share it than to enjoy it alone. Such a good thing shouldn't be kept to herself.
Fei Xi distributed the small pills to everyone present, one for each person. Bian Yuan took the small pill, feeling the sensation of it sliding between his fingertips as Fei Xi lowered her head and walked towards Lian Duhan on the ground as if she hadn't noticed.
Before long, the pills were all distributed. Everyone who had swallowed the pills looked pale and sickly, except for Tang Huaiyi, who had not received any pills and whose face remained normal.
"Why doesn't he have to eat?" The disgusting smell stirred up malice in people's hearts, and seeing that someone could escape this ordeal, Shi Mo felt resentful.
"Sister Shimo, are you talking about Brother Yi? Brother Yi has the Golden Silkworm Gu, which makes him immune to all poisons."
Upon hearing Fei Xi's words, the gentle and refined young man smiled and nodded to the questioner, indicating that Fei Xi was right.
The maid's face darkened. So what if he's smiling nicely? Why did this person escape unscathed!
It's fair to say that people sympathize with those who are less fortunate than themselves, but when they're down on their luck and encounter someone luckier than themselves, even if that person is aesthetically pleasing, they'll still feel very uncomfortable.
Moreover, the little maid already had a sweetheart, and apart from her sweetheart and master, no other man, no matter how good, could catch her eye.
"Sister Fei, how do you know this is a dead end, and that no one can escape death on this road?" Even after eating something, he couldn't get rid of the strange taste in his mouth, so Shi Mo started making small talk to divert his attention.
"It's the wind. Without the wind, this road would be a dead end. Moreover, there are faint sounds of bats inside the cave. If an immortal were hiding there, these bats wouldn't be staying so peacefully inside."
How long are we going to stay here?
"The air here is thin; we can't stay here for long."
"You in the end..."
"Don't be afraid!" Fei Xi interrupted Shi Mo with a slight smile, her gentle tone carrying a reassuring firmness.
"I brought you in here for a reason. Rest for a while. Trust me, I will get you out of this hellhole safely."
The maid mumbled something unintelligible.
Fei Xi smiled, then took out another brocade pouch from her bosom, took out a small porcelain bottle from it, and handed it to Liu Nanli, who was standing to the side, speechless as if he had been shocked.
"I saw that your injuries have been treated. Using this medicine will help you recover better."
After handing the medicine to Liu Nanli, Fei Xi prepared to sit back down between Tang Huaiyi and the old man.
As I turned around, my sleeve was grabbed.
"Senior sister, I won't hurt you. I'm not the one who attacked you."
"Senior sister has never doubted you. Sit down and rest for a while. Didn't we agree that you would listen to me in everything, hmm?"
Without a word, Fei Xi pulled her sleeve from the other person's grasp. Without giving him a chance to react, she took a step forward, tilting her head so high it almost touched her nose, and stared into Liu Nanli's eyes.
His prominent Adam's apple bobbed restlessly, and the disappointment in his round eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a widening surprise.
As if startled, Liu Nanli paused for a moment before replying in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
Fei Xi smiled and sat back down as if nothing had happened; this time, no one stopped her.