The Method of Detoxification

Xiao Xiao reached out and gently caressed the line of blood tears, feeling as if something flashed in his mind.

For some reason, Xiao Xiao inexplicably felt something had been added to his mind.

But when he tried to pinpoint it, he found nothing.

This feeling of being left hanging was truly frustrating.

Xiao Xiao casually flipped over the page and stared blankly at the blank paper for a while. Just as he was about to tell Lin Zhenzhen to open her eyes, he suddenly sensed something.

A strange aura emanated from the paper before him. This feeling was...

As expected.

Xiao Xiao watched as the vibrant vermilion ink slowly, yet quickly, seeped out of the paper. With fluid strokes, it outlined a familiar figure.

Isn't this...? Xiao Xiao turned to look in a certain direction, meeting a pair of glowing, fiery eyes.

Looking at the monster tilting its head at him, Xiao Xiao chuckled. He had almost forgotten about this one.

So it had been here all along.

It was the first time he had encountered such a quiet monster, just staying in one corner, neither noisy nor troublesome.

Even if its appearance was a bit eerie.

Xiao Xiao looked down at the Monster Compendium, a slight smile playing on his lips. He wondered what this monster's name was.

The lifelike drawing in the Monster Compendium was full of vibrant energy. Xiao Xiao seemed to see those two flickering ghost fires, their light and shadow interchanging, dimming and brightening, exuding a chilling aura.

"Ghost Owl."

"Tsk, what an inauspicious name."

But it really did suit the monster.

A name as eerie as its eerie appearance.

"Lin Zhenzhen, you can open your eyes now."

Hearing this, Lin Zhenzhen's eyelids fluttered a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.

Her hands beneath the covers were clenched together with almost convulsive force. On her pale, dry hands, veins crisscrossed, looking somewhat shocking.

Lin Zhenzhen's lips were pale and covered in tiny, cracked wounds, while her cheeks were flushed with an unhealthy redness.

The room was silent.

Lin Zhenzhen bit her lower lip again, and a hint of blood seeped from its pale color.

Deep within her eyes, a profound despair began to surge, threatening to engulf everything.

The corner of Xiao Xiao's lips suddenly curved into a smile.

His gaze locked directly into Lin Zhenzhen's eyes, firm and gentle.

"I can heal your face."

Actually, Xiao Xiao didn't know where his confidence came from, but a voice in his heart told him: he could do it.

Even without any basis.

But he believed it without hesitation.

Moreover, he had a vague guess about how to heal Lin Zhenzhen's face.

Lin Zhenzhen began to cry without warning.

With her back slightly hunched, a hint of hidden self-consciousness and fear in her posture, her gaze remained somewhat dazed. Large tears continuously rolled down onto the quilt, staining it with a large patch of dampness.

Lin Mo had never been good at comforting people.

But he felt that he didn't need to say much at this moment. This girl needed some time to vent alone.

Once she cried it out, everything would be alright.

He promised.

Lin's Father and Lin's Mother at the doorway had very complex expressions. The moment the hospital room door opened, they heard their daughter's crying.

It was different from her previous hysterical, hoarse, despairing cries.

Instead, it was a cry tinged with a sense of relief, as if she had let go of something.

There was grievance, and also joy.

Lin's Mother couldn't help but cover her mouth, suppressing the sob that was about to escape, murmuring softly, almost inaudibly, "Zhenzhen."

Lin's Father's eyes also turned red.

Xiao Xiao didn't say much, only one sentence: "I will heal Lin Zhenzhen's face."

Then he turned and left, leaving the space for the emotional reunion of the family of three.

It wasn't until he walked out of the hospital doors and the sudden downpour of sunlight, with its slight burning sensation, that Xiao Xiao felt he had broken free from some strange emotion.

The fresh air outside made Xiao Xiao take several deep breaths.

The hospital's disinfectant smell was truly unbearable.

Xiao Xiao's expression was one of utter disdain.

Gazing at the mountainside covered in maple trees, as brilliant as a sunset, Xiao Xiao had no intention of stopping to admire them.

The maple trees looked much the same in every direction, their dazzling red leaves making him dizzy, giving him a sense of being lost.

Xiao Xiao walked quickly, heading towards the corner of the maple forest where he had last seen Ling Yao.

Along the way, Xiao Xiao kept his eyes and ears open, searching for the monster. The sea of red was so overwhelming it made him dizzy, his eyes felt blurry.

And to make matters worse, Ling Yao was also entirely red.

Xiao Xiao did his best to avoid tourists, walking in the direction of fewer people, and called out softly, "Ling Yao, Ling Yao?"

He believed that as long as Ling Yao was nearby, it would definitely hear his voice.

It wasn't strange for monsters to have "supernatural hearing" or "clairvoyance," right?

Xiao Xiao searched the spot where he had last seen Ling Yao thoroughly but found nothing.

He couldn't help but stop, rubbing his temples with a headache.

Had he been too presumptuous?

Was the idea that Ling Yao would definitely be in Xiangshan... just wishful thinking?

Just as Xiao Xiao was starting to feel dejected, he tilted his head and froze.

Wasn't that red-bodied, green-beaked creature on the branch the Ling Yao he had been searching for so desperately?

Soon, Xiao Xiao strode forward and stopped beneath the maple tree where Ling Yao was perched, looking up.

Ling Yao's dark, shiny eyes revealed an obvious smile.

This was mockery, wasn't it?

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized, this monster had been playing with him earlier, hadn't it? It had actually heard him calling long ago.

It had definitely hidden on purpose to avoid being found by him.

So childish.

Xiao Xiao twitched his lips.

"Human, do you need something from me?" Ling Yao spoke with certainty, a hint of a smile in its voice. Its peculiar, rhythmic enunciation had a special charm.

Xiao Xiao no longer cared that he had successfully entertained an old, mischievous monster. He got straight to the point and asked, "Mr. Ling Yao, do you know of a monster called Ban Zhen?"

"Ban Zhen?"

"That's not a likable monster." Ling Yao's eyes darkened, showing a hint of deep coldness, then quickly returned to a subtle, teasing smile that didn't reach its eyes.

So it did know. Xiao Xiao finally showed a genuine smile.

"Someone near you has been poisoned." Ling Yao's tone remained certain, with a touch of disgust. It cut straight to the point.

Xiao Xiao nodded eagerly. Lin Zhenzhen's face clearly showed signs of poisoning.

He stared up at Ling Yao, his eyes practically shining.

Ling Yao gave Xiao Xiao a look of disdain and finally spoke unhurriedly.

"This poison is incredibly potent. It's difficult to cure, naturally, but it's also quite easy to cure."

Seeing Xiao Xiao's confused expression, Ling Yao directly provided the answer.

"Ban Zhen's tears can cure the poison."

Xiao Xiao suddenly understood, but he wasn't overly surprised. Perhaps it was because when he had seen the blood-tears shed by Ban Zhen in the Monster Compendium before, he had a vague premonition.

At the time, it felt like a thin veil of misunderstanding was preventing him from grasping the truth, but he couldn't find the way in.

Now that the confusion was cleared, he felt a sudden sense of "so that's how it is."