For Senku, the biggest problem now was figuring out how to get Taiju and Yuzuriha into Tsukasa's camp.
"Think this through, Senku. Apart from me, all you've got left are Taiju and Yuzuriha. It really is a good plan... it's just..." Li Xiang was reluctant to let them take the risk.
Though Tsukasa probably wouldn't hold that much of a grudge, right? After all, she'd only put laxatives in his food, hadn't she?
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) was a prescription drug. An overdose could cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, or even a coma, so it had to be used at an appropriate dosage.
Using chemical precipitation, milk of lime was added to seawater or brine to precipitate the magnesium ions, then the precipitate was reacted with sulfuric acid to produce magnesium sulfate.
After some careful processing, a perfect dose of laxative was ready!
It had started when Senku was trying to figure out how to escape Tsukasa's pursuit later on. Li Xiang had come up with a nasty little idea, and although Senku had said, "You're way too devious," he had happily accepted the suggestion.
It was only giving Tsukasa's gut flora a little encouragement to get moving.
"Well, I can't go back anyway, so we'll just have to trouble Yuzuriha and Taiju." Li Xiang spread her hands, looking innocent.
"Kukuku, you've got some nerve saying that. Tsukasa only fell for your trick because he was too naive." Senku picked at his ear disdainfully.
"Wasn't it effective? Besides, aren't you just as sneaky, underhanded, and devious, Little Senku?" Li Xiang gritted her back teeth and gave him a brilliant smile.
"Children shouldn't talk so much. Careful you don't bite your tongue, Little Senku."
...In the end, Taiju and Yuzuriha headed for Tsukasa's camp to work undercover, looking back every few steps.
On the way, Yuzuriha clenched both fists, worry written all over her face. "I'm really worried about Senku and Li Xiang."
Taiju reassured her. "It's okay. Senku's so smart, and isn't Li Xiang a doctor? They'll definitely be fine."
Yuzuriha said nothing more.
Only after their figures had faded into the distance did Senku drawl, "Well, back to square one again, huh?"
"At least things are a little better this time."
Li Xiang ruffled Senku's hair. His scallion-shaped tuft flattened under her hand, then sprang back up. It felt pretty nice. "Don't overthink it. Let's get moving."
"There's a saying: there were no roads in this world to begin with. Roads formed when enough people walked the same way."
"Kukuku, that makes a fair bit of sense." Senku let his arms drop, and the two headed off in the opposite direction from Taiju and Yuzuriha.
"But... is it really safe to have those two infiltrate his camp?" Li Xiang didn't dare take the risk. If Tsukasa decided to rough them up because of her, that would be absolutely unacceptable.
"You can rest a hundred trillion percent easy. I have complete faith in them." Senku picked at his ear.
"So what are we going to do now?" Li Xiang led Senku toward an unfamiliar spot.
"I found some wild mushrooms in those woods yesterday. Let's see if they're edible." The two headed toward the middle of the woods side by side.
Amid the wind and rustling leaves, they seemed to catch the faint sound of a girl's voice.
"Wait, Senku. Don't talk for a second."
Li Xiang raised a hand to signal him to be quiet, then tilted her ear and listened intently, her gaze focused.
Two seconds later, she turned toward Senku and asked softly.
"Senku, do you hear something strange?"
"It sounds like... someone calling for help."
The wind brushed slowly past their ears, and the leaves rustled softly.
A few seconds later, his eyes shifted slightly, and he gave a small nod.
"I hear it."
"It's very faint. They're not close."
"Let's go take a look."
The cries for help grew clearer. They walked another few dozen meters, pushed aside a thick stretch of bushes, and the scene before them came into full view.
In the center of the clearing, thick, broken logs lay piled on top of one another, packed tightly together.
And beneath that heap of broken timber was a slender figure.
The girl had striking, short golden hair that flared out wildly, its disheveled strands clinging to her sweat-damp cheeks.
Each strand stood out sharply, her distinctive upturned hairstyle making her instantly recognizable. Her features were nothing like the softer features of an East Asian face.
Half her body was pinned beneath the heavy broken logs, and her lower half was wedged between stone and wood, leaving her unable to move.
She was covered in dirt and dust, with several bleeding scrapes on her arms. She looked as though she had been trapped there for a very, very long time.
Most striking of all were her eyes.
Her clear, bright blue eyes were like shards of ice in the deep sea, pure and translucent. Now they were filled with anxiety, moist and tinged with exhaustion.
Noticing someone approaching, she struggled to lift her gaze toward the two who had suddenly appeared.
"Thank goodness, someone finally came!"
"Are you hurt?"
Soft blades of grass brushed against Li Xiang's clothes as she lowered herself slightly, bringing her eyes level with the trapped girl's.
The girl's exposed forearms and shoulders were covered in small scrapes. Some wounds were still faintly red, a particularly distressing sight.
"Don't be afraid."
"Does anything hurt badly? Are your bones, muscles, or internal organs injured?"
At the gentle questions, Kohaku, whose whole body had been taut with tension, froze slightly.
The language was unfamiliar, yet it somehow made her feel safe, and her tense shoulders slowly relaxed.
She shook her head lightly, keeping the movement tiny for fear of shifting the logs pressing down on her and triggering another burst of pain.
She earnestly signaled with her eyes that she was all right, then shifted her trapped waist slightly, vaguely conveying her predicament.
She wasn't seriously injured. She was simply pinned to the ground by the heavy tree trunks, unable to move any part of her body, and had been trapped there too long.
Understanding her gestures, Li Xiang didn't hesitate. She immediately raised her hands and began a quick basic physical examination, her movements gentle and precise.
Her fingertips lightly brushed the joints in the girl's limbs, then pressed along both sides of her torso as she carefully watched her complexion.
The weight of broken logs could easily cause fractures, bruised organs, and internal bleeding. Someone might look unhurt on the outside while hiding serious problems within. She couldn't afford to be careless.
After a thorough examination, Li Xiang finally relaxed completely.
Fortunately, the situation was far better than she had expected.
All the girl's wounds were superficial, mostly scrapes and bruises. She looked a mess, but none of them were life-threatening.
The bones in her limbs were intact, and her joints moved normally, with no signs of dislocations or fractures.
Her chest and abdomen were stable, her breathing steady and deep, and her heart rate regular. There were no signs whatsoever of bruising or bleeding in her internal organs. She was in excellent physical condition.
Simply put, she had been held down by heavy objects for too long, leaving her stiff and exhausted, with a few superficial wounds but no real serious injuries.
Once she had confirmed that nothing was seriously wrong, Li Xiang straightened up and turned toward Senku, who stood quietly behind her, watching.
Her tone was calm. "Just superficial wounds. Her internal organs, muscles, and bones are all fine. She's very healthy."
Then she gently suggested, "Let's save her, Senku."
Whoever this girl who had appeared out of nowhere might be, whether out of basic decency or kindness, there was no reason to leave her to die.
Senku lowered his gaze toward the clear-eyed girl beneath the broken logs and gave a slight nod at Li Xiang's suggestion.
"OK..."
Before you continue