At dusk, the people from the pharmacy left this clearing and headed for the next location.
Their departure proved that the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums in this area had basically all been picked.
Old Smoke Cannon took a pull from his Smoking Pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and continued following the pharmacy people.
After trekking for more than an hour, they finally followed the pharmacy people to a second good spot. It was a forest that was not especially dense, more remote, with even more flowers.
But with more flowers, everyone's efficiency fell instead.
The mist on Bitter Mist Mountain was eroding every one of them. Including the pharmacy people, everyone grew weak and sluggish.
Little Fatty was affected the least, while Li Banfeng was affected the most. His hands and feet felt numb, and his vision blurred in waves.
By nightfall, the night mist grew even thicker, and everyone's situation became increasingly difficult.
You Tao had a Pocket Watch. Looking at the time, she saw that it was already past nine, and she was having trouble holding on too.
"How about we withdraw? We've made enough from this trip." You Tao had picked a total of thirty-five Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, which could sell for 2,975 yuan. That really was enough to make the trip worthwhile.
Li Banfeng had picked two more than You Tao, more or less as expected. And he felt that if he did not go down the mountain soon, his life could be in danger.
Little Fatty refused to leave. He had picked the fewest flowers, only sixteen. At the price offered by the pharmacy, they could sell for over 1,300 yuan.
After subtracting the expenses for this trip, would he still make any money?
He would still make a little, just not much.
Little Fatty was unwilling to accept that.
The Snake Spot Chrysanthemums at this second location were clearly easier to find than those at the first.
And Little Fatty's physical condition was clearly better than everyone else's. By his own estimate, he could hold out until dawn without any problem. This was the perfect chance to rally and catch up, earning more with every flower.
He would not leave, and the little girl Cao Ye would not leave either. She was supporting herself with various Medicine Candies, and for the time being, nothing serious had happened to her body.
Old Smoke Cannon smoked another two pouches of tobacco. In his words, as long as he had tobacco to smoke, he could hold on.
Since none of them were leaving, Miss You Tao stayed as well. She too was somewhat unwilling to give up.
Watching the two peaches below her waist sway as though they could barely move anymore, Li Banfeng really wanted to say a few words to persuade her.
But he had no strength to speak. Under the intense dizziness, if he said a few more words, he feared he would vomit at any moment.
Besides, he and Miss Peach had only met by chance. The person he was more worried about was Little Fatty.
But Little Fatty absolutely refused to leave, so Li Banfeng could only head down the mountain alone.
Before he left, Cao Ye stepped forward and reminded him, "Brother Bai Sha, if you really are a Joy Cultivator, rest for at least half a month after you get back. Joy Cultivators have weak constitutions and suffer the greatest harm from this poisonous mist.
"If you follow another path, you still need to rest for at least three to five days.
"If you are a House Cultivator, then pretend I never said anything."
Li Banfeng was just hearing the crucial part when You Tao suddenly cut in from beside him. "Little sister, what about House Cultivators?"
Cao Ye's eyes widened. "Sister, could it be that you're a House Cultivator?"
Miss You Tao smiled. "Big sister was just asking."
Cao Ye lowered her voice. "Even a House Cultivator without a Home Spirit can dispel the poison by returning home and sleeping for seven or eight hours. If they have a Home Spirit, they do not even need seven or eight hours.
"That is the ability of House Cultivators. As long as they can get back home, House Cultivators fear nothing."
You Tao let out a soft sigh. "It would be nice if I were a House Cultivator."
Cao Ye shook her head. "Sister, House Cultivators generally do not casually come out and wander around. Could it be you really are...?"
As she spoke, Cao Ye kept looking at You Tao, as if she were very interested in the path You Tao cultivated.
You Tao touched Cao Ye's cheek. "Once this business is done, come visit my home. Wouldn't you find out whether I'm a House Cultivator then?"
Li Banfeng had no patience to keep jawing here. He leaned close to Little Fatty's ear and gave him a few instructions.
"Pick flowers here. Do not change locations again. Pick a few more, then hurry down the mountain!"
Little Fatty casually agreed.
He would not change locations again. There really were plenty of flowers here.
But he would not leave easily either. Little Fatty planned to endure until tomorrow morning.
Gold Rimmed Glasses had said that when Snake Spot Chrysanthemums bloomed was unpredictable, but they would definitely bloom for a full day and night.
Flowers that had bloomed after seven this morning would not wither until seven tomorrow morning. Over the course of this night, he could surely pick another twenty flowers.
If he went down the mountain after dawn tomorrow, then even if he vomited and had diarrhea, he would only suffer for a few days. Eating two more good meals would make up for it.
Seeing him pick flowers with single-minded focus, Li Banfeng walked out of the forest, hid the key in a secluded spot on the mountain path, and returned to his Portable Abode.
He had not gone down the mountain. Cao Ye's words had reminded him of something.
He chose to recover in his own home first, then go down the mountain once he had recovered enough. Otherwise, something unforeseen might very well happen on the road.
There was something wrong with this entire journey. Something very wrong.
He did not trust Gold Rimmed Glasses, though most of Gold Rimmed Glasses's actions had been reasonable.
The others' actions were reasonable too. A group of strangers looking after one another within reasonable limits was a very wise choice.
Only one thing was not quite reasonable.
They had been attacked by the same person three times in a row.
On Bitter Mist Mountain, everyone wanted Snake Spot Chrysanthemums. Being robbed was only natural.
But being robbed by the same person three times was not so natural.
The first time they ran into the bald man on the road could be called a coincidence.
What about the second time they encountered the bald man on the mountain path?
A coincidence?
Then how was the bald man coming to rob flowers a third time supposed to be explained?
Calling it a coincidence again would not hold water.
That bald man must have been following their group, but how had he managed to keep up?
On Bitter Mist Mountain, visibility was extremely poor, making it very difficult to follow others. Without Old Smoke Cannon, this group would never have been able to keep up with the pharmacy people.
Yet that bald man had been able to trail them the whole way. Could it be that his group also had a cultivator skilled at tracking?
Or had someone left them markers?
Li Banfeng untied the cloth sack and tossed it aside. Lying flat in the room, he tried to reconstruct the entire process, but the agonizing pain coursing through his body made it impossible for him to concentrate.
It hurt too much. The mist on Bitter Mist Mountain was truly deadly.
The dizziness accompanying the pain made Li Banfeng want to vomit.
No, he could not vomit in the Portable Abode. At the very least, he could not vomit on the floor.
The room had no ventilation. If he vomited on the floor, who knew how long the smell would linger?
But he really could not hold it in anymore!
Li Banfeng simply tore open the cloth sack, poured out the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums inside, and vomited into the sack, emptying out every last drop of Yellow Bile Water.
After vomiting everything out, Li Banfeng felt somewhat better. He tied the sack shut, tossed it aside, collapsed onto the floor, and fell into a deep sleep.
He did not know how long he had slept when Li Banfeng was suddenly awakened by a strange smell.
Inside the Portable Abode, there should not have been any scent besides dust.
Could it be the smell of Snake Spot Chrysanthemums?
On Bitter Mist Mountain, he had not seemed to notice any special scent from those chrysanthemums.
The mist on Bitter Mist Mountain was choking. Perhaps it had covered up the scent of the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums.
Now that he was inside the Portable Abode, without other smells interfering, he could smell the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums again.
It had to be the scent of Snake Spot Chrysanthemums, because Li Banfeng smelled a unique floral fragrance.
He had nearly forgotten. Cao Ye had said these flowers were poisonous! Eating one would cost a person their life!
Could the floral fragrance be poisonous too?
Li Banfeng was horrified and hurriedly got up.
He had scattered the Snake Spot Chrysanthemums carelessly around the room. Now he had to find somewhere proper to put them away.
He took out a match and lit a candle.
Sure enough, after this sleep, Li Banfeng no longer hurt, nor was his head dizzy. He felt as though he had almost fully recovered.
But in the next instant, his scalp began to tingle, as though currents of electricity were rolling from his forehead to the back of his head.
Where were my Snake Spot Chrysanthemums?
Where were the thirty-seven Snake Spot Chrysanthemums I had picked through so much hardship?
Why wasn't a single one left?
The flowers were gone, and so was the money. But that was not even the worst part.
Only he could enter the Portable Abode. Who exactly had stolen the flowers?
Could it be that I sleepwalked and ate them myself?
I can't eat those things!
Li Banfeng searched everywhere, yet he could not find even a single petal.
The candle illuminated only a limited area. Li Banfeng did not watch where he stepped and tripped over something. He staggered and nearly fell.
Holding up the candle, he looked back and discovered that it was the Copper Lotus on the floor.
Wait, was this the Copper Lotus?
The Copper Lotus had always been sitting on the floor, and its position had not changed much, but its condition was a little different.
It had bloomed.
Li Banfeng saw the flower's center and saw a lotus seedpod.
There was a Lotus Seed inside the seedpod, a fully ripened Lotus Seed.
Li Banfeng carefully peeled off the Lotus Seed. The lotus immediately closed, nearly catching Li Banfeng's hand.
The green Lotus Seed trembled lightly in the center of Li Banfeng's palm.
Li Banfeng had no idea where this Lotus Seed had come from or what he should do with it.
The Lotus Seed suddenly began to expand, swelling to the size of a fist before exploding with a bang.
Li Banfeng shuddered and quickly withdrew his hand. From the exploded Lotus Seed fell eight beads, each the size of a little fingernail.
Li Banfeng picked up one bead and examined it. It had a white base with black spots, as though some kind of scales had been embedded within it.
What was this thing?
PS: Salad has decided that there will be an extra update tomorrow. Dear readers, give Salad a little strength.
(End of Chapter)
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