Chapter 214: Giving You the Antidote Is a Duty

Zu An was stunned, captivated by the beautiful scene before him, unable to tear his eyes away.

Qiao Xueying covered her chest with one hand and her legs with the other, but her small hands couldn't fully conceal herself.

"Clothes..."

Seeing that he remained motionless, Qiao Xueying looked up and met his burning gaze, instantly feeling both shame and anger.

Zu An finally snapped out of it, his face flushing. He quickly scooped her up, retrieved her clothes, and draped them over her.

To ease the awkwardness, he quickly asked, "What happened? You were just fine, but now you have no strength at all."

Qiao Xueying glared at him fiercely before replying, "I was just sprayed by the Red-Scaled Python's poisonous mist..."

"Poisonous mist? Are you alright? I'll go find someone to help you," Zu An exclaimed, his heart tightening. His Primordial Chaos Scripture was only at the second level, not yet capable of detoxifying others. If she had been afflicted by some strange poison, he would be helpless.

"No need," Qiao Xueying said, gently tugging his sleeve and shaking her head. "The Red-Scaled Python's poisonous mist isn't fatal. It's just that snakes are naturally lustful, and its mist has a strong... aphrodisiac effect..."

After saying this, she buried her head, her face so red it seemed about to bleed.

"Oh..." Zu An felt a bit awkward, having not expected to encounter such a situation. He tentatively suggested, "It should just wear off once the effects of the poison pass, right?"

He could never understand why, in movies and TV shows from his previous life, characters affected by aphrodisiacs inevitably had to... well, you know. How could there be such potent drugs in the world? A cold shower and some time to calm down should ideally clear all impure thoughts.

Qiao Xueying shook her head slightly. "The Red-Scaled Python isn't particularly strong, nor does it have any internal elixirs, and its flesh, bones, and skin aren't very useful. Yet, it's an extremely rare fierce beast. Do you know why?"

"Because of its pink poisonous mist?" Zu An understood.

Qiao Xueying hummed in affirmation. "Its poisonous mist has a strong aphrodisiac effect, and it also renders the poisoned person weak and unable to resist. That's why it's highly prized by powerful officials and nobles. Due to extensive hunting, it's rarely seen outside now. I didn't expect to find one here."

Zu An remained silent, thinking that no matter the world, powerful officials and nobles were always the most uninhibited.

"If it were simply an aphrodisiac, it wouldn't be so sought after by nobles," Qiao Xueying continued to explain. "The main reason is that if the poisoned person doesn't... doesn't achieve yin-yang harmony with a man, their elemental channels will burn up, leading to death. So, those officials and nobles often use this poison to dominate women they can't otherwise obtain."

Zu An's eyes lit up. "You should have said so earlier! We're already so close; it's my duty to help you detoxify. Don't worry, I'll spare no effort until my dying day. I won't give up until every trace of poison is gone from your body."

As he spoke, he began to take off his clothes.

Qiao Xueying: "..."

Just then, a soft, weak voice came from behind them: "What... are you doing?"

Zu An turned around and saw Ji Xiaoxi standing delicately not far behind them, her innocent large eyes curiously gazing at them.

"Miss Qiao has been poisoned, and I was about to detoxify her." Stared at by her pure eyes, Zu An's face couldn't help but flush.

Qiao Xueying buried her head in his embrace, simply pretending to faint. It was too embarrassing.

Ji Xiaoxi blinked. "The Red-Scaled Python's poison? It's very easy to cure. I have a Tranquility Pill here; just take it."

Zu An:

If he could collect his own rage points, he was sure he'd have at least 1024 right now!

"The Red-Scaled Python's poison seems very potent. Can such a small pill really cure it?" Zu An asked, reluctantly taking the pill.

"Yes, it can," she replied. "Back then, when my father heard that a young lady had been ruined by a scoundrel using that kind of drug, he specially prepared this medicine for me. It can be used to counteract the effects of those... those vile drugs."

Zu An: "..."

He hadn't expected that Ji Dengtu, that old pervert, would protect his daughter so well. He had truly considered everything.

Precisely because he was an old pervert and knew the tricks of his peers, it was easier for him to guard against them.

Ji Xiaoxi's face also flushed slightly; she had clearly thought of the same thing. Her father usually spent his days reading storybooks hidden under his blanket, thinking she didn't know. She had seen them while helping clean his room.

Out of curiosity, she had opened one and taken a look. The words inside were so shockingly explicit that she had quickly thrown it away in fright. She finally understood why her father had looked so pale during that period.

Hmph, she wondered which vile, shameless scoundrel had given her father such storybooks. They'd better hope she never found out, or else!

She remembered something else. One day, her father had brought back a woman's undergarment from somewhere, excitedly heading back to his room, but was spotted by her aunt, who was visiting. Her aunt, with a dark expression, confiscated the clothing and gave him a severe scolding.

Her father really was something else...

At that moment, Zu An was inwardly cursing Ji Dengtu. Why did he have to invent such a pill? He had let his cooked duck fly away!

"Give it to me..." Qiao Xueying had heard their entire conversation clearly. Seeing him still holding the Tranquility Pill, she finally couldn't help but speak.

In front of Ji Xiaoxi, Zu An had no choice but to give her the pill. Then, unwilling to give up, he said, "If it still doesn't detoxify you, just call me anytime."

Qiao Xueying's face flushed. This guy's cheek was thicker than a city wall.

After swallowing the Tranquility Pill, she felt a coolness gradually spreading, and the heat in her body instantly dissipated considerably. She looked at Ji Xiaoxi in pleasant surprise. "Your esteemed father truly lives up to his reputation as a divine physician."

"You flatter me, Sister," Ji Xiaoxi said with a shy smile.

Zu An grew even more disappointed. He had no choice but to find a topic to ease his awkwardness. "Um... I was just looking at this small river, and I didn't see any signs of fierce beasts. Why did such a large snake suddenly appear?" Many students had gone to the river earlier to wash their eyes, and none had been attacked.

Qiao Xueying thought for a moment and said, "Perhaps the scent of blood on me attracted it."

"Scent of blood?" Zu An asked, his face looking strange. "Are you on your period?"

Qiao Xueying: "..."

Ji Xiaoxi: "..."

"I had blood on me because I was just injured! What on earth do you have in your head all day long?!" Qiao Xueying glared at him resentfully.

Rage points from Qiao Xueying: 250!

Zu An gave an embarrassed laugh. "I was just concerned about you."

At the same time, he secretly wondered if it was really alright to earn rage points from acquaintances. It felt a bit guilty. Earning them from enemies was the most satisfying.

"Go away quickly, I need to change," Qiao Xueying said, feeling her strength gradually returning. She quickly reached out and pushed him. "Miss Ji is enough here."

"Alright, I'll go over there. Call me if anything happens." Zu An helped her sit down. Insisting on staying in this situation would make his intentions too obvious.

After he left, Qiao Xueying began to dress and whispered, "Miss Ji, about what just happened..."

Ji Xiaoxi smiled, pursing her lips. "Don't worry, Sister Qiao, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you..." Qiao Xueying wasn't sure if she meant she wouldn't tell anyone about being poisoned, or about being naked and held by Zu An just now. She wouldn't dare ask about such a thing.

After quickly getting dressed, Qiao Xueying pulled Ji Xiaoxi aside to talk, no longer paying attention to Zu An. This left him completely bewildered. How had he offended this young lady?

After a while, Chu Chuyan also returned. She hadn't actually gone far; she just hadn't known how to face Zu An.

Hearing the sounds of fighting from their direction, she rushed back, fearing something had gone wrong. She only breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that the Red-Scaled Python was dead.

When she asked what had happened, neither Zu An nor Qiao Xueying explained clearly. Even Ji Xiaoxi had a strange expression. This made her suspicious, but her temperament was usually somewhat cold, so she wasn't overly interested in digging for the truth.

For the next two days, the injured recovered and others cultivated. Soon, the day the secret realm closed arrived.

Zu An had originally thought they would have to return to the entrance portal. He was wondering why the other students weren't gathering when Chu Chuyan told him that once the time was up, the secret realm would automatically send them out; they wouldn't need to go back through the entrance.

Soon, the air around them began to distort, and a familiar sense of weightlessness came over them. Zu An thought to himself that it felt exactly like when he had entered the Soul-Suppressing Seal previously. Could that have been a secret realm within a secret realm?

When he regained his senses, he found himself already in the academy's back mountains. Chu Chuyan, Qiao Xueying, and Ji Xiaoxi were standing beside him. Other academy members were also being continuously teleported out.

Zu An scanned his surroundings and suddenly noticed Shi Kun's figure. Old grievances and new grudges surged within him. He immediately drew his Tai'e Sword and slashed towards him. "Shi, face your death!"

In the area, students were discussing their respective gains from the secret realm expedition, while the teachers outside were counting heads to assess the losses. No one expected him to suddenly attack.

Shi Kun was somewhat disheartened after being teleported out. When he saw Zu An was still alive, he was utterly terrified. He instinctively drew his weapon and held it in front of him.

A crisp clang!

To everyone's disbelief, Shi Kun's longsword was directly cleaved into two!

How was this possible?!

A single thought arose in everyone's minds: putting aside the fact that Young Master Shi's weapon was an Earth-grade divine artifact, even if he were holding a wooden stick, with his fifth-grade cultivation, he should have been more than enough to crush Zu An.

Little did they know that Zu An's pure strength and speed were already close to the fifth grade. Furthermore, the Tai'e Sword was an ancient divine weapon, and even with its spirit damaged, it was at least Heaven-grade now.

Zu An attacked with resentment, yet felt extremely guilty. This combination of factors—his surge in power and Shi Kun's decline—caused Shi Kun's weapon to snap instantly.

Shi Kun hadn't anticipated such a turn of events. He watched helplessly as the longsword continued its trajectory towards his chest. His entire body stiffened; he couldn't react at all.

"How dare you, young man!" Just then, a furious roar came from nearby. A figure, carrying immense pressure, launched an attack toward Zu An.