Chapter 110: Gentle Haven

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In this small rural area, it was common to rely on traditional folk remedies—almost every backward mountain village had this habit. Poverty, inconvenient transportation, and outdated thinking prevailed; “dogs chasing motorcycles, no understanding of science.” When people suffered from sores or illnesses, there were no specialized doctors to turn to. Even if a few barefoot doctors were around, professionalism was out of the question. Instead, they resorted to home remedies, often tailored to local conditions and using readily available materials.

Take the current situation as an example: a growth on the back so severe it torments the sufferer beyond endurance. In a major city hospital, even a skilled surgeon would be shocked. But as the original site of this strange disease, Jinyan Village had its own experience and treatments for the skin condition known locally as “bark skin.”

Of course, the incidence wasn’t very high because the affliction… came on very rapidly. Take Ding Lingzi as an example—just a few hours of progression, and it had already worsened to this extent. If it were to spread like an epidemic, every person in this small village would likely perish.

Moreover, according to the landlady’s description, this ailment seemed to affect only young women, particularly girls of a certain age; men did not contract it.

“Juancai shoots” were plentiful—wild greens served as dishes for guests, so they were hardly rare. The folk remedy was simple: crush the plant and apply it externally to the affected area, then wrap it with a damp towel. Though the symptoms wouldn’t subside immediately, over time, slowly but surely… within a week at most, sometimes just a day or two, it would heal. At the very least, it could relieve her pain for now.

Yan Bo had no choice but to trust this remedy because he was utterly helpless. Before the landlady arrived, he was already breaking into a cold sweat, powerless. Hearing that a folk remedy could effectively address the issue left him no alternative. Even if they eventually had to send her to a hospital, some emergency treatment had to be done first.

Besides, Yan Bo himself was somewhat of a “folk healer.” As a practitioner of the occult arts, he relied on traditional methods to solve problems. Although “juancai shoots” were unfamiliar to him—he had never seen or heard of this particular wild vegetable—he often used many rare herbs.

While the situation at the inn was improving, the predicament for Qi Yan and the others was becoming perilous…

Since smelling that strange fragrance, Xuan Xuan had hurried to retreat, moving fairly quickly. However, she soon noticed her body growing increasingly weak.

They had only run a few dozen meters—how could she feel so exhausted? As a tour guide, her stamina was excellent. Gradually, her body began to heat up. This reaction was much faster than Qi Yan’s because she had been overwhelmed by a strong scent all at once rather than a faint fragrance.

The aroma was akin to the “Ten Fragrance Soft Tendon Powder” from martial arts tales—just the scent alone could affect the brain’s nerves, disrupting bodily functions.

She felt not only heat and fatigue but also blurry vision on the already pitch-black path, as if suffering from oxygen deprivation.

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Her pace slowed, breath growing ragged.

Finally, after breaking free from the ruins of the old village, she leaned on her knees, intending to rest briefly—only to realize something far more alarming.

She had been running ahead, pushing herself without looking back, yet only now did she notice that Qi Yan was nowhere to be seen beside her.

The two had been inseparable from the start. How could they become separated after running barely sixty meters?

Frantically, she shone her flashlight around but found no sign of him.

Meanwhile, Qi Yan was still wandering erratically within the old village ruins. It wasn’t that they had become separated in panic; rather, in his eyes, he was continuously following “Xuan Xuan” as they fled.

Indeed, though the real Xuan Xuan had already left, he remained oblivious to this fact. Instead, another “Xuan Xuan” was leading the escape, and he failed to recognize the deception.

Qi Yan had smelled the fragrance as early as dusk. Now, inadvertently inhaling more of it, his reaction was swift—he covered his mouth and nose. But how long could one hold their breath while running? Inevitably, he absorbed some of the scent.

This was no ordinary hallucination; it was genuine, unshakable illusion.

The intoxicating power of the aroma was immense. Qi Yan ran in circles within a small area for a long time without realizing it.

Only after a blink did the figure of the “Xuan Xuan” ahead suddenly vanish. He stopped abruptly, gasping and looking around in terror—where had everyone gone?

“Xuan Xuan? Xuan Xuan!” he called, but no response came.

Then he realized something was wrong. The old village ruins weren’t that vast—he had only been inside for a short while. How was it possible that after all this running, he still hadn’t escaped?

Meanwhile, the scent lingered heavily in the air, utterly masking the musty odors of the abandoned houses and the earth.

Qi Yan’s strength was completely spent. His temperature had already been close to 38 degrees Celsius when measured earlier; now it had risen further.

Every bone and muscle throbbed with a tingling ache, yet upon inhaling more of the fragrant air, the pain swiftly faded, replaced by a soothing, exhilarating comfort…

It was like a weary person suddenly immersed in warm water—such relaxation combined with a gradually hazy consciousness made him feel as if he were soaring beyond the mundane.

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His tense nerves and body quickly relaxed and steadied.

Though the sensation was subtle, Qi Yan’s awareness had not completely faded. He knew he was in grave danger.

Losing sight of Xuan Xuan after such a short distance was terrifying enough.

He tried vigorously shaking his head and rubbing his temples, even pinching his thigh to shake off the intoxicating comfort. But now, not only was his body weak, his sense of pain had dulled as well.

The rusty iron rod he had been clutching slipped from his grasp, clanging loudly on the ground.

He felt as though he might collapse at any moment. All he could do was try to keep his body upright, as if the world around him was twisting.

Several seconds passed, and his consciousness grew increasingly dim, beginning to falter.

With half-closed eyes, in a foggy daze, a sudden image appeared before him—a graceful figure, unadorned by clothing, with long, smooth hair cascading over her shoulders. Though he couldn’t see her face clearly, the lingering scent alone brought further relaxation.

Then he felt two smooth arms gently encircle his neck, and his upper body was pressed into a soft form—the most distinct sensation was the warmth and softness against his chest.

So soft, so warm…

Next came the same feeling on his back as another delicate body pressed against him, sandwiching Qi Yan between them with tender motions. Their flawless, radiant skin was impeccable.

If such close contact was still bearable, Qi Yan utterly surrendered when moist, tender lips enveloped his parted mouth.

The young woman before him made no hesitation, slipping her tongue into his half-open mouth, gently sucking. She freed one hand to slide down his waist…

From behind, the other woman wrapped her arms around him, attempting to caress Qi Yan’s chest, her slender hands slowly, slowly exploring…

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