Chapter 32: It's Time to Take Action

At five in the morning, Nectarine Girl was sprawled on the ground, vomiting incessantly. She had reached her limit.

"No, I have to go down the mountain..." Nectarine Girl struggled to get up and shakily left the woods.

Ever since Li Banfeng left, Nectarine Girl had also thought about going down the mountain. But whenever she saw others still collecting flowers, she couldn't bring herself to leave.

Affected by the corrosive poisonous mist, Nectarine's efficiency had sharply declined. In the past eight hours, she had only collected three Snakebane Chrysanthemums, spending most of her time resting.

Even though she knew she was dizzy and her vision was blurry, making it difficult to even walk, seeing others still collecting flowers, Nectarine couldn't shake off a feeling of unease.

People are like this: when they see others making money, they feel like they're losing out significantly, as if a golden pool is right in front of them, and they could earn a bit more if they just gritted their teeth.

But having endured until now, she simply couldn't take it anymore.

As she walked along the mountain path, she faintly heard footsteps behind her.

Nectarine was startled, clutched the pouch at her waist, and spun around.

The turn was too sudden, her vision swayed, and Nectarine fell to the ground.

Someone indeed came chasing after her; it was the young girl, Grass Leaf.

Grass Leaf stepped forward, helped Nectarine up, took a small porcelain bottle from her bosom, and handed it to Nectarine. "Sister, I have some Refreshing Powder. Take a bit, and you'll feel better. If you don't trust it, I'll take a bit first..."

Nectarine smiled, took the porcelain bottle, took a bit, rested for a moment, and indeed felt much better.

"Today, I've had so much of your medicated candy and powder; I truly feel indebted to you, Sister," Nectarine said, opening her cloth bag and taking out five Snakebane Chrysanthemums. "Don't mind them; I don't have many, so please just take them."

Grass Leaf shook her head and said, "I've collected more than you, Sister; I have sixty-one. I don't want yours. Sister, let's go down the mountain together; I'll rely on you to look after me along the way."

Nectarine pinched Grass Leaf's cheek and said with a smile, "Come on, let's go together."

The two walked down the mountain. After less than an hour, a figure blocked their path ahead.

Grass Leaf was startled and shrank behind Nectarine.

Nectarine had experienced the ways of the world, so she remained somewhat composed.

She first observed the condition of the mountain path, then called out to the person blocking their way: "Brother, are you looking for Snakebane Chrysanthemums? I can show you a good path; there are plenty of fine flowers there."

In the thick mist, the man laughed and said, "I think this is a good place right now. I think you two flowers are quite nice."

The voice sounded a bit familiar.

Nectarine chuckled at his words. "Brother, your words are truly sweet. If you say I'm a flower, I'll brazenly accept it. But how old is this little girl? At most, she's a flower bud. Can you really bring yourself to harm her?"

As she spoke, Nectarine reached out to Grass Leaf, signaling her to hand over the Refreshing Powder.

After taking a bit of the Refreshing Powder, Nectarine's condition improved slightly. She realized that this encounter was likely unavoidable.

The man took two steps forward. In the darkness, his glistening bald head became visible.

It was that bald man again!

"I won't waste words on you two," the bald man said, wiping his machete. "Leave the flowers and I'll let you both live."

As he spoke, his three henchmen emerged from behind him.

Grass Leaf was terrified, clutching the cloth bag at her waist tightly.

Nectarine patted her, signaling her not to panic.

Medicine cultivators couldn't fight well, but they should know how to use medicine. She wondered if this girl had brought any poison.

But why didn't Nectarine listen to the bald man, leave the Snakebane flowers, and save her own life?

Because she had experienced the ways of the world, she knew what kind of people these were.

This was a desolate wilderness, and they were two women.

Even if they really left the flowers, they might not save their lives, and they wouldn't die simply.

Nectarine chuckled softly, winked at the bald man, and said with a tender gaze, "Brother, look at what you're saying. A strong man like you, bullying two weak women like us? Can you really bring yourself to do it?"

The bald man laughed. "I truly am a bit reluctant. How about this: you two serve me together. Whoever makes me most comfortable, I'll reward her with one flower."

"Brother, how can one flower be enough! If I put in more effort, can't you reward me with more?" Nectarine twisted her body, her curves alluringly apparent.

Especially her voice, it was like a honey-dipped goose feather brushing repeatedly against one's spine.

The bald man's heart rate quickened, and so did his three henchmen's.

"You damn woman, so you're the Pleasure Cultivator after all! You were the one who did it during the day!" The bald man spat. "Trying these tricks on your grandpa? Grandpa's going to make you taste real flavor today!"

All four rushed forward together. Nectarine drew two short knives from her waist.

***

In the small woods, Old Smoker put the last bit of tobacco into his pipe, lit it, and took two deep drags.

"I've collected enough too. Everyone, we'll meet again." Old Smoker had collected a total of ninety-one Snakebane Chrysanthemums; among this group, he had earned the most.

But he couldn't hold on any longer either.

He had protected his throat with tobacco tar, filtering out much of the poisonous mist, but ultimately, he was old, and after nearly twenty hours on Bitter Mist Mountain, he had reached his limit.

Old Smoker had just stood up to leave when Tiger Cub stepped forward and blocked him. "Old man, don't be in such a hurry. It's not dawn yet; wait a bit before leaving."

Old Smoker sensed something was wrong, sizing up Tiger Cub. "What's this, trying something shady?"

Tiger Cub laughed. "Old man, don't speak so harshly. We're partners, shouldn't we look out for each other along the way? You're carrying so many good flowers down the mountain; something is bound to happen on the way. Why not let us keep them safe for you? We'll return them to you once we're down the mountain."

"Hand them over to you for safekeeping?" Old Smoker chuckled. "Thanks for your kind offer, but we met by chance, and our paths diverge here."

Tiger Cub blocked Old Smoker's path. "Old man, leave the pouch. I'm truly doing this for your own good."

The old man sneered. "You little rascal, I knew long ago that you and that guy with glasses weren't good people.

When that bald man came earlier, you two just made noise but didn't exert any effort, acting like a crosstalk comedy duo.

The fight was almost over, and then you two rushed in to pretend to be good guys. You're in cahoots with that bald man, aren't you!"

These words were meant for Little Fatty Qin.

Little Fatty Qin stood there blankly, still unaware why Tiger Cub and Old Smoker had started arguing.

Hearing Old Smoker say this, he began to understand a little.

Old Smoker continued, "When we came up the mountain, that bald man robbed us once. At the flower-collecting spot, he robbed us again. You pretended to be a good guy, but actually you wanted the bald man to test our abilities.

If our skills weren't good, you'd let the bald man rob us first. If we lost our flowers, we'd definitely desperately try to earn them back. Then by evening, you'd take everything.

If our skills were good, you wouldn't let the bald man act. Then by night, after we'd dispersed, you'd deal with us one by one.

Little Fatty, that guy named Baisha who came with you is probably already dead on the path. And those two girls probably won't survive either. If we don't act now, we'll also die at the hands of these two rascals."

Hearing this, Little Fatty quickly put away his pouch and picked up his axe.

Gold-Rimmed Glasses adjusted his spectacles, looked at the two, and said with a smile, "Don't be impulsive. Listen to my advice.

Old Smoker, your eyesight is good, but unfortunately you're too greedy. With your cultivation level, if you had gone down the mountain earlier, we couldn't have stopped you.

But you insisted on holding on until now. I guess you can't even stand steadily anymore, can you?

I can tell you've experienced the ways of the world, but this must be your first time on Bitter Mist Mountain.

Do you think your tobacco tar can block all the poisonous mist of Bitter Mist Mountain? If that were true, Bitter Mist Mountain would become the domain of you smoke cultivators!"

Old Smoker chuckled. "Tobacco tar can't block all the poisonous mist, but it can block at least half of it. It's certainly much better than you two resisting it all this time. If you don't believe me, try it."

Gold-Rimmed Glasses sighed, took out a handkerchief, and wiped his lenses. "I shouldn't even bother talking to a fool like you. It's too much effort."

Tiger Cub pulled out his dagger and said, "Just finish him off! If he wants to die, who's going to stop him?"

Old Smoker looked at Little Fatty.

Little Fatty Qin was still considering when would be the right time to act.

Unexpectedly, Tiger Cub suddenly leaped over and kicked Little Fatty in the face.

Food cultivators, when well-fed, possess extraordinary physical talents: they can run, fight, are very resilient, and have some resistance to poisons.

However, if any single talent were taken in isolation, he wouldn't be the best at it.

For example, when it came to fighting ability, he was clearly inferior to Tiger Cub, because Tiger Cub was a martial cultivator.

The kick landed on Little Fatty's face. Little Fatty was completely unprepared. Tiger Cub stepped forward and stabbed at Little Fatty's stomach with another knife. Little Fatty barely managed to dodge this one.

But having dodged the knife to his stomach, he took a punch from Tiger Cub to his chin. Little Fatty lost his footing and fell to the ground. Tiger Cub delivered another kick to his face, directly knocking Little Fatty unconscious.

Tiger Cub was about to deliver the finishing blow when he suddenly saw a plume of yellow smoke appear behind him.

Tiger Cub quickly dodged the smoke, but a shower of sparks flew onto his face.

Both Tiger Cub and Gold-Rimmed Glasses claimed to be first-level cultivators; in truth, these were empty boasts, as neither had reached any level. Old Smoker, however, was a genuine first-level cultivator.

Gold-Rimmed Glasses couldn't handle Old Smoker alone, and Old Smoker wouldn't give Tiger Cub a chance to finish off Little Fatty.

Old Smoker greatly admired Little Fatty, because when they had encountered the bald man earlier, Little Fatty was the only one who truly fought.

Once he dealt with Gold-Rimmed Glasses and Tiger Cub, they might encounter the bald man on the way down the mountain. Having Little Fatty with them would be a good help.

Seeing that he couldn't kill Little Fatty immediately, Tiger Cub quickly joined Gold-Rimmed Glasses in attacking Old Smoker. Old Smoker, with his pipe, using both smoke and fire, faced the two of them. Initially, he held the upper hand. Old Smoker had thought he could finish off these two in the time it took to smoke a pipe.

But once that pipe was smoked, Old Smoker hadn't won, and his situation looked grim.

A smoke cultivator without smoke had their combat power drop by a level.

The old man fought while retreating. Gold-Rimmed Glasses wielded his folding fan, striking with increasing ferocity.

That shouldn't be right. Gold-Rimmed Glasses had also been on the mountain for a day, so why didn't he show any signs of poisoning?

Old Smoker was attacked from both front and back by the two, with no path of retreat left. He exhaled the last breath of smoke he had held, and the smoke shot towards Gold-Rimmed Glasses' face like a sharp blade.

Gold-Rimmed Glasses waved his folding fan, scattering the smoke.

Scattering it was useless; the smoke was poisonous. Old Smoker sprayed out the poison hidden in his false teeth along with it.

Tiger Cub covered his mouth and nose, retreating repeatedly, with tears and snot streaming down his face.

Gold-Rimmed Glasses coughed twice, but didn't seem too affected.

Old Smoker was stunned. Why didn't this puff of poisonous smoke bring him down?

Could it be that he was a poison cultivator?

This was bad!

His last bit of smoke was also used up, and Old Smoker couldn't buy himself a chance to escape.

The folding fan fluttered vigorously in front of him, making Old Smoker smell a strange fragrance.

Not good!

His fan was poisoned!

Old Smoker's vision blurred. He realized he had been poisoned!

P.S. There will be another update at noon. Esteemed readers, please vote and leave more comments.