Antidote for Mad Demon Disease

Seeing Chen Mo's proper etiquette, Chen Yin Fu felt relieved and waved his hand repeatedly. "No need to be so polite. Your father is old, and naturally hopes you'll amount to something. Sit down and speak."

Only then did Chen Mo sit. "Father, do you know the origins of Black Mountain Stronghold? And what level of ghosts or evil arts can its techniques counter?"

Chen Yin Fu shook his head. "Black Mountain Stronghold has always been mysterious. I don't know much either. But last time Daoist Priest Li performed the ritual for you, he did mention it to me in passing."

Hearing this, Chen Mo's anticipation flared. "Please, Father, tell me in detail."

Chen Yin Fu said, "I didn't know about such techniques at Black Mountain Stronghold outside the city before, nor did I know Daoist Priest Li existed. It was Third Master Xie who told me. Only with his guarantee could I invite Daoist Priest Li. During that time, I asked him a few questions and vaguely learned that Black Mountain Stronghold is connected to the Red Lantern Society. The techniques also come from the Red Lantern Society. But what exactly the relationship is between the two, I don't know."

Third Master Xie... That would be Xie Dong's third uncle, the coroner at the County Office, Xie Lianghong, wouldn't it?

Black Mountain Stronghold... Red Lantern Society.

No wonder when Li Yuanlong performed the ritual for him earlier, he chanted for Goddess Hong Deng's protection and even brought out her statue.

In Honghe County, Goddess Hong Deng was the sole deity, revered by all, with incense offerings.

Only the techniques of the Red Lantern Society were most feared by Evil Spirits and demons.

But the Red Lantern Society had extremely high standards and looked down on the Chen Family. Going to the Red Lantern Society to learn skills was clearly unrealistic. If he could go to Black Mountain Stronghold to pick up some abilities, that would be excellent.

Chen Mo returned to the East Courtyard and immediately ordered Qiulan to go to the pharmacy and buy Cold Night Grass. Then he went back to the main room and closed the door.

He took out the Paper Figure to examine it closely.

On the surface, there was nothing special about the Paper Figure. It was just that Chen Mo's name and Eight Characters of Birth were written on it.

But this mere thing had nearly killed him.

Remember, Chen Mo was now a second-level Muscle Refining Realm martial artist. Among the many guards of the Chen Mansion, his strength was considered above average. Yet when facing this Paper Figure, he had been utterly powerless.

Even now, recalling it, Chen Mo felt a lingering fear.

Too insecure.

Nightmare Suppression Technique...

Granny Li had failed to capture him this time. There would definitely be a next move.

So the question was...

Granny Li had used a Red Candle to guide him last time. Why had she suddenly targeted him?

What did she want to capture him for?

Could it be for her little daughter?

But even if Granny Li captured him, what could she use him for with her daughter?

Chen Mo couldn't figure out the answer, but his unease grew.

The greatest fear was the fear of the unknown.

Being targeted by this old woman made Chen Mo feel like a thorn in his back, deeply unsettled.

"At the end of the day, I'm still too weak! That's why trouble clings to me. As they say, the rope breaks at its weakest point, and misfortune finds the bitter man. That's the truth."

"From now on, I have to train hard to protect myself. There's still some time until Li Yuanlong's birthday. I'll master Blazing Palm first."

With that thought, Chen Mo had no mind to rest. He began practicing Mysterious Yin Hand and Fuyang Saber Technique in the room.

By the hour of You (around 5-7 PM), Qiulan returned with the Cold Night Grass as promised.

The Cold Night Grass looked similar to the stems and leaves of Lycoris Radiata, but shorter and thicker, with much denser leaves.

A strange, refreshing fragrance hit the nose.

Just one sniff made him feel clear-headed and invigorated, quite effective for waking the mind.

Qiulan reminded him, "The pharmacy owner repeatedly warned me that Cold Night Grass has a cold poison. It needs to be taken carefully. If overdosed, the poison can easily act up, causing many bad symptoms—vomiting, diarrhea, chills, and so on..."

Chen Mo was unconcerned. "No matter. Just boil it."

By the time Qiulan had brewed the medicine, night had fallen. Chen Mo picked it up and drank.

With every gulp, his body grew colder, his muscles and bones contracting. Waves of piercing cold accumulated in his stomach, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

With his Golden Finger, Chen Mo wasn't alarmed. He began practicing Blazing Palm.

Soon, the cold poison started to disperse through the circulation of Blazing Palm, eventually infusing into the palm force, greatly accelerating his progress.

"Truly effective..."

"At this rate, in just a few days, I should be able to master the first layer, Inch Force."

Lei Family Martial Arts School.

Lei Peng's wife, Liu Cui, stayed at home, waiting for Lei Peng's return.

Finally, at dawn the next day, Lei Peng arrived. Liu Cui hurried to greet him. "Did you invite the Daoist Priest?"

Lei Peng shook his head, his face full of disappointment. "No. How is Xiaoming?"

Liu Cui looked left and right, then finally leaned close to Lei Peng. "While you were away, Xiao Ming's Mad Demon Disease flared up again. I was so panicked and helpless, I gave him that pill the Second Young Master of the Chen Family gave us. And Xiao Ming actually got better."

Lei Peng was stunned. "That's impossible. The Mad Demon Disease is incurable—no one in the county has ever found a treatment for it. How could that good-for-nothing Chen brat have the antidote?"

Liu Cui said, "Why would I lie to you? Come with me and see for yourself."

Half-doubting, half-believing, Lei Peng followed Liu Cui to a secret room in the back courtyard.

The walls of this room had clearly been reinforced, making the soundproofing excellent. The door was made of iron, fitted with a thick iron lock, and only the couple had the keys. No outsider could possibly get in.

The secret room was small, just over a dozen square meters, lit by a Horn Lantern, with a Palace Lantern hanging from the beam.

In the center of the room, a sturdy young man lay prone on the ground, his hands and feet bound with thick iron chains, leaving him unable to move. At this moment, the young man lay quietly on the floor, letting out beast-like grunts.

This was Lei Peng's son, Lei Ming.

A few months ago, he'd gone to the Spring Breeze Tower with some bad friends to have fun. Within two days of returning, his illness struck, and he bit several maidservants at the martial arts school to death. To suppress the news, Lei Peng claimed the maidservants had been killed by bandits, their bodies lost. He also locked his own son in this secret room.

To cure his son, Lei Peng had tried every method imaginable. On top of that, the Blazing Palm technique had brought disaster to the martial arts school. The once-thriving Lei Family Martial Arts School had fallen into decline overnight.

Even so, Lei Peng had never given up on his only son.

Normally, when Lei Ming saw someone coming, he'd go berserk, struggling wildly as if he wanted to eat people.

Seeing him this quiet was a first for Lei Peng, and he couldn't help but be astonished. "It's true. After you gave him the medicine, he's been this calm?"

Liu Cui said, "Earlier, Xiao Ming was furious and restless. After taking the medicine, he calmed down. The medicine must be working."

Then Liu Cui suddenly added, "Master, maybe the Second Young Master of the Chen Family found some expert to get the antidote. Why don't you go to him and ask for more medicine? He's been coveting our Blazing Palm technique, hasn't he? That martial art is hard to master. If you teach him personally, he'll surely be grateful."

Lei Peng nodded repeatedly. "That's a plan. But I need to observe for a few more days. If Xiao Ming's condition stays stable, then I'll know the medicine is truly effective."

Liu Cui was a bit anxious, but she knew her husband was a martial arts school master with some reputation. Having to humble himself and beg the Second Young Master of the Chen Family was hard on his pride. Still, Lei Peng was firm in his decision, so she didn't press further, only muttering:

"We only have one son. You'd better take this seriously."

Lei Peng said, "I know what I'm doing. I'm also worried about whether the Second Young Master of the Chen Family knows that Xiao Ming has the Mad Demon Disease. If he finds out and spreads it around, that'll be trouble."

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Winter had arrived, and the weather grew colder by the day. Though it hadn't snowed yet, a thick layer of frost had formed on the ground and tiled roofs of Honghe County, radiating a biting chill.

Chen Mo hadn't gone out during this time. He spent all his hours training and taking medicine.

This morning, Chen Mo got up early and went to the courtyard to practice.

[Blazing Palm: Inch Force (Beginner)]

Looking at the last line of information, Chen Mo smiled sincerely.

"After seven days of grinding, with the help of three Cold Night Grass plants, I've finally reached Beginner in Inch Force."

"Let me test its power."

Chen Mo walked over to a side table, slowly raised his right hand, and when it was just an inch from the surface, he suddenly exerted force and pressed down hard.

Crack!

The thick rosewood table split open at one corner, revealing the terrifying strength of his palm strike.

This thrilled Chen Mo.

Before mastering Inch Force, even a full-distance palm strike from Chen Mo wouldn't have had this kind of destructive power. Being able to unleash force at close range could catch an opponent off guard in battle, often yielding surprising results.

Still, there was a considerable gap between him and Lei Peng's earlier display.

Lei Peng had struck from zero distance and even left a blackened palm print burned into the table. That level of skill was truly remarkable.

"I'd estimate Lei Peng is at least a Five Passes: Blood Infusion Realm expert. I'm still far behind. If Lei Peng could give me some pointers, it would definitely speed up my progress. Too bad."

The Golden Finger identifying the key points was important, but getting guidance from a master would naturally accelerate things a lot.

Chen Mo was currently afflicted with the Mad Demon Disease, so he had to race against time.

He'd already finished his Qi and Blood Pills, and he still couldn't see the threshold of the Third Pass: Iron Bone Realm.

"Buying a Tiger Bone Primeval Soup with money is easy, but Qi and Blood Pills are hard to come by... I need to think of a way."

Go back to Granny Li to buy more Qi and Blood Pills?

That would be like walking to my death.

Absolutely not...

Just then, a servant arrived at the door. "Second Young Master, Lei Peng from the Lei Family Martial Arts School requests an audience. He says it's urgent."

Chen Mo's interest piqued. "Let Lei Peng in immediately."

As for Lei Peng's purpose, Chen Mo had already guessed it with near certainty.

The Lei Family Martial Arts School had once been quite famous, so they surely had the recipe for Tiger Bone Primeval Soup. They might even have connections to buy Qi and Blood Pills.

Honghe County was big—Granny Li wasn't the only one with Qi and Blood Pills.

He'd come just in time.

Before long, Lei Peng, dressed in a tight-fitting martial arts outfit, strode in briskly. Gone was his earlier aloof demeanor; instead, he was warm and even proactively lowered his posture. "It's been a few days, and Young Master Mo's complexion looks better than ever."

Chen Mo smiled. "Lei Guan Zhu seems to be in good spirits. Please, have a seat."

"Qiulan, serve tea."

Qiulan brought the tea, then stood straight and tall behind Chen Mo.

After a round of pleasantries, Chen Mo cut straight to the point. "Has your son's condition improved?"

Lei Peng clasped his hands. "Thanks to the pills Young Master Mo gave, my son's condition has improved somewhat. Might I trouble you for a few more?"