Chapter 40: I’m a Goner, How About a Bite of Pork Knuckle?
Chapter 40: Chapter 40: I’m a Goner, How About a Bite of Pork Knuckle?
In the end, he hesitantly bought the pork knuckle.
The hired man clutched the fragrant pork knuckle, his steps slowing as he approached Jiang Yunhe.
Qin Zhan, who had long since started gnawing on his own, stood beside Jiang Yunhe. Noticing the man’s hesitation, he was instantly amused.
"Looks like you’re about to lose your pork knuckle."
"Want a bite? Call me Senior Brother, and I’ll give you a piece."
Qin Zhan wrapped some rice in a piece of pork knuckle skin and ate it quickly right in front of Jiang Yunhe.
Before Jiang Yunhe could even speak, he saw the hired man turn and walk away.
Not only was he not giving him the pork knuckle, but he was also planning to pocket the two bottles of Elixir Pills.
His words had become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Jiang Yunhe had a gentle personality, but that didn’t mean he lacked a temper.
His face instantly turning cold, Jiang Yunhe formed a seal with his fingers. A vine shot out from the ground, wrapping around the man’s waist. With a vicious tug, it dragged the man right in front of him.
The pork knuckle flew from the man’s hand. Jiang Yunhe tapped his toes on the ground, his movement technique impossibly graceful, and steadily caught the pork knuckle.
’Using a top-tier movement technique just for a pork knuckle.’
Qin Zhan clicked his tongue in amazement.
After confirming the pork knuckle was safe, Jiang Yunhe looked down at the utterly dejected man on the ground.
’My things aren’t so easily taken.’
With a flick of his sleeve, he slapped the man across the face.
The force of the blow made the man’s head ring.
"I was wrong! I’ll give you back your things."
’I was just blinded by greed. Who knew I’d picked on the wrong person?’
He hurriedly took out the Detoxification Pills and handed them to Jiang Yunhe, whose eyes were filled with disdain.
"I despise anyone who casually breaks a contract."
"Congratulations. You’ve been blacklisted by the Divine Doctor Valley."
Disciples of his Divine Doctor Valley were, after all, known for doing as they pleased.
"Get lost!"
Having taught the man a lesson, Jiang Yunhe sat down at his stall, took out his rice, and laid the pork knuckle on top of it.
He only started eating after the juices had soaked into the rice.
He stirred it a few times with his chopsticks to distribute the juices more evenly. Ignoring Qin Zhan’s disappointed expression, Jiang Yunhe began to eat with elegant movements.
After Jiang Yunhe’s display, some people in the queue gave up on the idea of trying to play both sides.
...
「In the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, a team was on the move.」
They spent their years frequenting dangerous lands, accepting commissions to find rare Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for clients.
This time, they were here for something called a Witch Poison Stone, located deep within the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. It was a very dangerous quest.
The deeper they went, the lower the visibility became.
The dark leaves blotted out the sky. After filtering through the thick miasma hanging over the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons, the brilliant sunlight was reduced to mere slivers of light and shadow.
The surrounding soil was damp.
A single careless step could land you in a swamp.
The man in the lead advanced cautiously.
"Hey, Xiao Si, what’s on your mind?"
Scarface nudged the absent-minded Xiao Si beside him, his brow furrowed.
"You can’t lose focus in a place like this. It’ll get you killed," Scarface warned.
Although they were seasoned, there were too many perilous places in the Green Origin Realm, many of which they had never visited.
Like this Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
The environment here was one where poison nurtured poison.
Whether it flew in the sky, swam in the water, or crawled on the ground, everything was venomous.
Moreover, these toxins were constantly evolving, producing many new poisonous creatures every year.
"I was thinking about what to have for lunch."
Xiao Si scratched his face, grinning foolishly.
"Are you still thinking about that pork knuckle stall outside the valley? I’ll buy you one when we get out. Now, snap out of it and pay attention."
Scarface smacked Xiao Si lightly in annoyance.
Xiao Si wasn’t interested in money; his only love was good food.
The pork knuckle stall set up outside the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was doing booming business, so its food probably tasted amazing.
But they were in a hurry and didn’t have time to wait in line, so they had to miss out.
’I can’t believe he’s still thinking about it.’
’That pork knuckle... it must be delicious.’
Xiao Si was a foodie. Even just smelling the fragrance carried on the wind from afar, he knew that pork knuckle was top-notch.
"Alright, stop thinking about it. We’re almost there."
When the cave entrance appeared, everyone immediately went on high alert.
They had done their research. Wherever the Witch Poison Stone was found, a powerful venomous creature was sure to be guarding it.
As soon as they got close, they could smell a foul, acrid stench wafting from the cave that made their heads spin.
"Take a Detoxification Pill first."
Scarface ordered, and everyone complied.
A scan with their Spiritual Power revealed a giant python coiled inside.
Pythons were supposed to be non-venomous, but this one had mutated in this environment. Its fangs were terrifying, and its scales were a dark, blackish-purple.
Fortunately, they were well-prepared. After a bitter fight, they successfully took down the python.
The depths of the cave were illuminated.
On the walls were stones emitting a greasy green fluorescence—their target.
"Let’s hurry."
Waving for the others to start digging, Xiao Si joined in.
He spotted an area with a lot of stones and walked over. With the main danger eliminated, Xiao Si was already daydreaming about getting out.
"Xiao Si, get back!"
A loud shout echoed, but Xiao Si was a beat too slow. A sharp pain shot through his wrist.
Crying out in pain, Xiao Si finally noticed a snake that had darted out from the shadows and bitten him.
"It’s a young snake!"
The burly Scarface came over and slapped the young snake dead, but it was too late.
Seeing the wound on Xiao Si’s wrist starting to turn black, Scarface shoved a Detoxification Pill into his mouth.
"Swallow it, quick!"
Xiao Si could feel the coolness of the Elixir Pill in his stomach, but it was accompanied by his vision going dark.
"I feel a little sleepy,"
he murmured. The tool in his hand fell to the ground, and his body began to sway. Losing his footing, he started to fall.
Scarface caught him, only to find that the wound on his wrist hadn’t improved at all.
"The Antidote Pill is useless."
Scarface’s voice grew frantic.
He had Xiao Si take the other antidote medicines he was carrying.
But by now, threads of blood were seeping from the corners of Xiao Si’s mouth. Even after being force-fed the medicine, there was still no effect.
Looking at Xiao Si’s condition, he probably wouldn’t last until they could get out of the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons and find a doctor.
"The antidote medicine is useless."
Scarface said in a low voice, his eyes filled with regret as he looked at Xiao Si.
’I should have been more careful and inspected this cave more thoroughly.’
The others gathered around, their expressions worried.
They opened their mouths but hesitated to speak.
"It’s okay."
Realizing what was happening, Xiao Si grabbed the burly Scarface’s arm. His voice was faint, as if it could dissipate at any moment.
His parents died when he was ten. It was Uncle Scarface who found him and took him in, teaching him how to make a living.
He had learned a lot over the years and had been very happy.
His only regret, he thought, was that he never got to eat that pork knuckle.
"Uncle, after I die, remember to buy a pork knuckle and offer it to me."
Xiao Si tried to pull the corners of his mouth into a smile.
But with his vision completely black, he couldn’t see anything. His soul felt like it was ascending.
In his final moments, Xiao Si was still fixated on the pork knuckle.
"WOOF WOOF!"
Just as everyone was at their wit’s end, a bark came from outside the cave entrance. Gou Aotian walked in.
There was no hostility.
Its human-like eyes made the team members exchange glances, momentarily frozen.
Gou Aotian walked over to Xiao Si. Looking at the boy’s dying state, he was reminded of his own past.
’It was Boss Lu who saved me, so now, I have to save someone else.’
"WOOF!"
Along with the bark, a pork knuckle appeared before their eyes.
This was the Amulet Boss Lu had left for him in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.
’The pork knuckle can detoxify poison. Eating it will cure him.’
He urged Scarface on.