Chapter 164: Deeply Poisoned

Li Zhao instructed one of his bodyguards to escort the local villager back down the mountain, and only then did the group begin discussing how to enter the forbidden zone. Because the area was filled with toxic miasma, the very first step was for everyone to put on gas masks.

"I honestly didn't expect that you would also be prepared with gas masks," Xie Qingtang said, looking with some surprise at Gu Xiujin and his companions, who were fully equipped.

Moreover, the gas masks Gu Xiujin had brought were his company's latest research and development product, far superior to the ones Xie Qingtang had brought, so she promptly switched to the mask Gu Xiujin offered.

"It wasn't difficult to deduce. There aren't that many supernatural occurrences in this world, and besides, you mentioned last time that the man possessed by evil spirits was actually poisoned. Therefore, I guessed there would likely be toxic miasma or similar hazards, so I had Li Zhao bring plenty of gas masks before we came," Gu Xiujin explained.

Hearing this, a flash of astonishment crossed Xie Qingtang's eyes. She had not expected that this man before her had been thinking along the exact same lines from the very beginning.

Once everyone had put on their gas masks, Xie Qingtang produced an anti-poison powder she had formulated herself, sprinkling it over everyone before leading the group into the forbidden zone.

Initially, because she had already been to the forbidden zone once before, Xie Qingtang took the lead and walked at the very front. However, her hand was suddenly caught by Gu Xiujin, who pulled her to his side, leaving her somewhat bewildered.

"I will walk in the front, you just follow behind me," Gu Xiujin said calmly. Both of them were wearing gas masks, making it impossible to read each other's expressions, yet Xie Qingtang felt certain that the expression on the man's face at that moment must be filled with concern.

Thus, in a momentary daze, Xie Qingtang was led by the hand as the two of them walked at the forefront into the forbidden zone. The night mist in the forbidden zone was even thicker, rendering it pitch black and making every step forward feel like wading through a dense river of milk.

The group moved forward slowly, and Gu Xiujin even produced a life detector, which would allow them to locate A Ben much more efficiently.

Seeing Gu Xiujin's thorough preparation, Xie Qingtang suddenly felt that she had been somewhat impulsive. Before coming, she simply hadn't thought as comprehensively as Gu Xiujin. Without the life detector, she would have been reduced to searching blindly like a headless fly for A Ben's whereabouts within the vast forbidden zone.

Lost in these thoughts, her pace slowed slightly. Noticing that the woman beside him seemed to be lagging behind, Gu Xiujin turned his head in confusion and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

"It's nothing," Xie Qingtang quickly snapped out of it, smiling and shaking her head. Gu Xiujin turned back to Li Zhao and the others, instructing, "Everyone, spread out and search for A Ben's traces."

No matter what, lingering for too long in a forbidden zone entirely permeated with poison meant they would inevitably absorb the toxins in the air. Therefore, splitting up to search for A Ben was the only way to save time.

This strategy proved effective. After about five minutes, someone reported that they had detected signs of life. Everyone hurried toward that direction, and sure enough, they found an unconscious A Ben lying in a mountain ravine.

"That's wonderful, let's get out of here quickly," Xie Qingtang said with joy on her face.

Everyone nodded, hoisted the unconscious A Ben onto their shoulders, and carried him out of the forbidden zone. As the group brought the unconscious A Ben back into the village, all the local villagers swarmed around them, bowing their hands in grateful thanks to Gu Xiujin and Xie Qingtang.

Working together hastily, the crowd carried A Ben back to his home. While the villagers crowded anxiously outside the doorway, Xie Qingtang furrowed her brows and began diagnosing A Ben's condition.

"The poison has penetrated his marrow; saving him will be extremely difficult," Xie Qingtang concluded after a moment of examination, causing A Ben's family members to gasp in shock before bursting into tears.

In truth, everyone already understood this outcome in their hearts. After all, A Ben had spent a day and a night inside the forbidden zone. Even if he was rescued, having inhaled so much toxic gas in the restricted area meant he was undoubtedly on the brink of death.

After the diagnosis, the situation turned out to be even worse than Xie Qingtang had imagined. Before leaving the mountain village previously, she had indeed given A Ben a bottle of powder capable of warding off toxins, intending for him to use it for self-defense. She had never expected that A Ben would take such a desperate risk and venture straight into the forbidden zone carrying that bottle of powder.

Had it not been for that bottle of powder, A Ben likely would have perished the moment he lost consciousness, and would never have been able to hold on for so long.

"Dr. Xie, you are a miraculous physician! You can definitely cure the poison in my son, right? Right?" A Ben's mother threw herself before Xie Qingtang, weeping so hard her eyes could barely open, swollen to the size of walnuts.

During the day and night of A Ben's disappearance, she did not know how many times she had wept. Pity the hearts of parents everywhere; seeing this sight, Xie Qingtang sighed softly and said to Gu Xiujin, "A Ben requires long-term treatment. Would you mind taking him back to Cunshitang with your men?"

"A minor matter," Gu Xiujin replied. Knowing this was a critical life-and-death situation, he did not hesitate at all, nodding directly and instructing Li Zhao and the others to load A Ben onto the vehicle.

A Ben's parents watched the vehicles depart. In the car, Xie Qingtang hesitated for a moment before taking a pill from her medical kit. Gritting her teeth with a twinge of reluctance, she placed it into A Ben's mouth.

"This is a special Rejuvenation Pill crafted by my master. It will save your life; as for the toxins remaining in your body, we can only clear them out slowly afterward," Xie Qingtang murmured to herself. The efficacy of the Rejuvenation Pill was many times greater than that of the Rejuvenation Powder. Now that A Ben was poisoned and on the verge of death, with a human life hanging in the balance, she had no choice but to use the Rejuvenation Pill.

Sitting beside her, Gu Xiujin listened to Xie Qingtang's murmurs, a look of surprise crossing his eyes. After all, that pregnant woman on the brink of death from severe hemorrhaging had previously been saved by Xie Qingtang using the Rejuvenation Powder.

It was easy to deduce that the effectiveness of this Rejuvenation Pill must vastly surpass that of the powder, otherwise Xie Qingtang would not have displayed such a heartbroken expression.

"Xie Qingtang, you really are a qualified doctor," Gu Xiujin suddenly turned his head, looked at her earnestly, and offered this evaluation.

Before Xie Qingtang had time to wipe the look of heartache from her face, she heard this remark. She immediately curled her lips in a slight pout, raised her chin, and retorted, "Isn't that stating the obvious? Of course I am a qualified doctor."

"Mm." Gu Xiujin did not say anything further. Along the way, Li Zhao drove at top speed, delivering A Ben safely to Cunshitang.

A Xiang, who was in the backyard, had also received the news and hurried out to meet them.