Chapter 259: Yu Wentao's Guess, Jade Bone Medicine

"Pays respects to the leader!"

Soon, Luo Yuan led Yu Wentao and Yuan Cheng in together.

Seeing Xia Hong again after four months, both were a bit excited. Regardless of the fact that their injuries hadn't fully healed, they bowed respectfully to Xia Hong.

"No need for formalities. How are your injuries?"

"There's no major problem anymore. Thank you for your concern, leader!"

"Me too. There's no problem with moving."

Hearing their answers, Xia Hong first nodded, then thought of something. His left eye flashed with a faint light, and he carefully looked at their bodies. His expression instantly became solemn.

"Leader, is there still a problem with us?"

Seeing the change in Xia Hong's expression, their hearts hung up, and they hurriedly asked.

Xia Hong didn't answer, just stepped forward to pull open Yuan Cheng's upper garment, then turned to signal Yu Wentao to take off his upper garment first.

When all the wounds on their upper bodies were exposed, Xia Hong looked at them with his Eye of Truth, and his expression became much more solemn.

Both had taken quite a few healing pills, and now their bodies were covered with a layer of Fire-Condensing Oil, and the wounds had basically started to close and scab over.

The problem was, in Xia Hong's vision, there were still some sparse fire-red substances floating in the deep layers under those wounds.

That fire-red substance was exactly the same as the one on Wu Xiong.

Although there was only a little under each wound, it was indeed still there.

Xia Hong hurriedly turned to look at Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan on the other side.

Being looked at by him, Luo Yuan and Xia Chuan immediately understood, exposed the positions of several wounds on their upper bodies, and then waited nervously for Xia Hong to speak.

"Put them on, there is nothing in your bodies!"

Hearing Xia Hong's words, Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan immediately showed relieved expressions.

On the contrary, Yu Wentao and Yuan Cheng on the side still looked at Xia Hong nervously.

"Go to the middle and stick your hands on the Cold Ruins Cauldron!"

Hearing Xia Hong's words, the two hurriedly walked to the middle of the hall and placed their hands on the Cold Ruins Cauldron.

Chi......

A faint sound immediately came from their bodies. After a while, a wisp of white smoke rose from all the wounds on their bodies at the same time.

"There really is? Can't Fire-Condensing Oil clear the dew in the body completely?"

Xia Chuan's sentence made Yu Wentao and Yuan Cheng, including Luo Yuan on the side, instantly tense up. All three turned to look at Xia Hong, waiting for his answer.

If it was really as Xia Chuan said, then it wasn't just the matter of Yuan Cheng and Yu Wentao. I'm afraid everyone infected with dew had to be screened.

"Not necessarily. I've looked at the others, and there's nothing. It's probably because your injuries were too heavy, and the dew penetrated into your bodies through the wounds. Fire-Condensing Oil cannot be taken orally, so it didn't play a role, which is why it's like this!"

Xia Hong first spoke to ease the hearts of the three, then lowered his head and fell into thought.

Fire-Condensing Oil cannot be taken orally had already been tested, which was not a secret in Great Xia. According to his guess, it should be no problem.

On the second half of the night of April 27th, before the Bai Lu Strange appeared on Yangyuan Peak, Yu Wentao had been stabbed through the chest by Li Xuantian, later infected with the dew plague, and his body had been briefly ignited. Although Yuan Cheng used Fire-Condensing Oil to extinguish the flames on his body in time, Yu Wentao's injuries were still very serious.

Yuan Cheng was the same. According to his statement, before dawn, in order to let those one hundred Great Xia soldiers hide safely in the tree hole, he stood up for a full ten minutes under the siege of thousands of people, and there were countless wounds on his body. His injuries were no lighter than Yu Wentao's.

Dew is most likely to infect injured people. By comparison, Yuan Cheng and Yu Wentao's injuries were indeed heavier than others, and it was entirely possible that some dew had invaded their bodies.

The problem now is, what is the situation in other people's bodies?

There were more than just the two of them who were injured. At this moment, there were more than forty thousand people gathered in the Wu Shuang settlement, and there were quite a few who were seriously injured. Who knows if there is any in their bodies?

"Leader, I just heard Deputy Si Zheng say that you killed that Bai Lu Strange in the Han Qiong settlement. May I ask what basis you have for this conclusion?"

Yu Wentao suddenly spoke with a solemn expression and asked Xia Hong a question.

Hearing this question, everyone else's expressions froze.

Clearly, they all heard the subtext of this question.

Yu Wentao was suspecting that the Bai Lu Strange was not dead yet!

The death of the Bai Lu Strange and the non-disappearance of the plague, in everyone's view, had nothing to do with each other, because in their view, that bloodthirsty and contagious dew was a kind of plague, a virus. It was normal for the master who made it to die, and it had nothing to do with it still spreading.

As long as Fire-Condensing Oil was used to cure the dew on everyone's bodies later, this plague would naturally disappear.

But Yu Wentao's words were clearly trying to overturn everyone's previous thoughts.

Even Xia Hong's expression changed slightly, and he lowered his head and fell into thought.

But soon, he spoke to deny Yu Wentao's idea:

"I didn't kill Wu Xiong, but that Bai Lu Strange. It can switch bodies freely among those corpses infected with dew. Wu Xiong's body was just a shell to it. After Fire-Condensing Oil burned it to ashes, it even produced 30 drops of Cold Apple Jade Dew. A normal Cold-Resisting level human dying wouldn't produce these things!"

Xia Hong was not dealing with strange monsters for the first time. If there was no sufficient basis, he would naturally not judge that he had really killed the Bai Lu Strange in a muddle.

The original Wood Puppet Strange also had means to control others, and the puppets it controlled were all people it had killed. And those puppets wouldn't explode precious items after death like Wu Xiong.

"And Yuan Cheng told me that on the night the Bai Lu Strange appeared, excluding you and him, there were at least nine other Cold-Resisting level experts on Yangyuan Peak: Li Xuantian, Wu Xiong, Han Jiuli, Wu Lin, Yue Qian,

Yuan Cheng, standing to the side, nodded immediately upon hearing this. When Xia Hong went to the Hive, he had indeed told him everything that happened on Yangyuan Peak.

Seeing that everyone had fallen into silence, Xia Hong also lowered his head and began to ponder.

There was one more thing he hadn't mentioned, and that was Wu Xiong's strength.

The strength of the strange monsters was mainly reflected in their mysterious and unpredictable methods; whether it was the monster itself or the human it possessed, there was an upper limit to their strength.

"Wu Xiong's" strongest power that night had already exceeded thirty manes.

If this wasn't the true form of the Bai Lu Strange, then what would happen?

He didn't bring this up because the previous two reasons were already enough to convince everyone.

Even Director Yu Wen Tao, who had raised the objection, was now furrowing his brows tightly; clearly, the reasons Xia Hong had given were able to withstand scrutiny.

"The leader's words also make sense, and I truly cannot find any reason to refute them. But I have had contact with that strange monster, and I always feel that the Bai Lu Strange is not that simple. It clearly had the opportunity to kill everyone on Yangyuan Peak that night, yet it deliberately let thousands of people go in the end. If you say it had no other schemes, I don't believe it.

Furthermore, besides Wu Xiong, no one knows the current status of Li Xuantian and the other five Frigid-Resistant level individuals. Leaving aside Han Jiuli and Wu Lin for the moment, Longshan possesses silver utensils. Li Xuantian and the other three might not have necessarily died on Yangyuan Peak that night. Who knows if that Bai Lu Strange left some kind of contingency plan on them?"

After finishing these words, Director Yu Wen Tao paused for a moment and continued in a deep voice:

"Leader, the lesson of the Mirror Immortal is still fresh in our minds. We must never take strange creatures like these lightly. According to my observations, that Bai Lu Strange on Yangyuan Peak that night was likely still in a state of just having awakened. It basically slaughtered the entire Yanglu Camp the moment it woke up. If Wu Xiong wasn't its true form and it is still hiding in the shadows, who knows what kind of disaster it will brew in the end!"

Hearing Director Yu Wen Tao's final warning, not only Xia Chuan, Luo Yuan, and Yuan Cheng, but even Xia Hong's expression became much more solemn in an instant.

Wu Xiong was not its true form!

This thought popped into Xia Hong's mind, and then he recalled the scene from March of last year where ten thousand people in the Realm Valley committed suicide at the same time, and his heart trembled violently for no reason.

If Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation held true, the consequences would be too severe.

"I must go to Yangyuan Peak to see the situation!"

The awakening of the Bai Lu Strange happened at Yangyuan Peak. The best way to verify Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation was, of course, to go to Yangyuan Peak and see for himself.

But as soon as Xia Hong spoke, he was immediately blocked by Xia Chuan.

"Leader, you absolutely must not. Regardless of whether Wu Xiong is the true form of the Bai Lu Strange, this plague has not yet completely passed. Yangyuan Peak is the origin of the plague, and no one knows what the situation is like there. No one dares to go near it now."

"That's right, it's too dangerous over there, the leader cannot go."

"Even if we go, we should be the ones to scout it out first."

………………

Hearing this, the three of them also spoke up one after another to dissuade him, with Director Yu Wen Tao and Yuan Cheng reacting the most intensely.

Clearly, both of them still had significant trauma regarding Yangyuan Peak.

Listening to the three of them, Xia Hong also felt a bit discouraged.

He was truly frightened by Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation.

If Wu Xiong was not the true form, it proved that the Bai Lu Strange at Yangyuan Peak far exceeded his imagination in both methods and strength.

What was the difference between rashly breaking into the opponent's lair and seeking death?

"Leader, let me go. I've already dealt with the Bai Lu Strange once and have experience. As long as I bring enough Condensing Fire Oil, it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Me too, I can go!"

…………

Seeing everyone volunteering to go, a flash of gratification crossed Xia Hong's face, but he still shook his head and said: "Without ensuring safety, no one is to go. Speculation is still just speculation; whether it's true or false, we don't need to risk our lives to verify it. None of you need to go..."

After a brief pause, he continued: "Even if Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation is true, it at least proves one thing: that Bai Lu Strange does not yet have the ability to sweep through the three Longyou families, otherwise it wouldn't need to hide in the shadows.

The most urgent task is to screen everyone in Great Xia to ensure the Dew Plague doesn't spread back to Xia City. Other matters can wait."

Xia Chuan immediately turned to look at the Cold Ruins Tripod and said: "A portion of the Hive should have already reached the Realm Valley, and Wu Shuang has already started moving people to the Hive. The rest will arrive one after another. Currently, the people from Longyou should not have reached Xia City yet."

"I will take the Cold Ruins Tripod to the Realm Valley immediately and conduct a comprehensive screening there. Everyone must be in contact with the Cold Ruins Tripod before they can return to Xia City."

Everyone nodded. Xia City was their base camp and must not be invaded by the dew. With the Cold Ruins Tripod acting as a transit station in the Realm Valley, the problem wouldn't be too big.

"Xia Chuan, our trade with the Longshan and Zhaoyang families hasn't ended yet. You stay behind at Wu Shuang for the time being until everyone from Longyou has been moved back to Xia City. Then, discuss with Yuan Cheng to determine the garrison commanders for the three outposts of Wu Shuang, Hanqiong, and the Hive. There won't be any more fighting in Longyou for a short time, so whether I am there or not shouldn't be a problem."

"Yes, leader!"

Xia Hong pondered for a moment and continued: "Send someone to make another trip to inform the Longshan and Zhaoyang families of Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation. It would be best to confirm the whereabouts of Li Xuantian and the other six Frigid-Resistant level individuals. If the Bai Lu Strange really isn't dead, it will likely be active by possessing these six people."

"Understood, big brother!"

In fact, up to this moment, Xia Hong still believed that the Bai Lu Strange was already dead, but as long as there was even a tiny possibility in Director Yu Wen Tao's speculation, he could not ignore it.

After all, if this speculation were to come true, it would trigger terrifying consequences.

Notifying the two families in advance could be considered doing his part.

Great Xia had him, the Condensing Fire Oil, and the Cold Ruins Tripod. If the Bai Lu Strange really wasn't dead, it would likely target Longshan and Zhaoyang first. If the two families had no precautions at all, their fate would be hard to say.

"Reporting to the leader, the Jade Bone Great Medicine has been brewed!"

Just as Xia Hong was about to continue speaking, Liu Xian's voice suddenly came from outside the hall.

The Great Medicine was ready so quickly!

Xia Hong looked up at the light outside the window and was surprised to realize that they had been discussing for so long without noticing, and it was already dawn outside.

"Bring it in!"

As Liu Xian and four others brought in five small, covered iron pots, the previously solemn atmosphere in the hall eased up instantly.

"Leader, there are five jin of this Great Medicine in total, and we have already divided it up."

After Liu Xian finished speaking, he opened the iron pot in front of him first, and the other four also opened the iron pots in their hands.

Hiss…………

A rich fragrance wafted out instantly, and the entire hall was filled with the aroma.

Xia Chuan and the other three leaned toward the iron pots, sniffing the blood-colored fragrance. Their faces flushed red rapidly, and they all revealed expressions of extreme intoxication.

The five pots contained a thick, cyan-jade-colored liquid, which was the medicinal liquid made from high-level beast bones and other medicines melted at high temperatures.

"You two are quite lucky. Come, one jin each, have a taste!"

Xia Hong joked with a smile, signaling for Liu Xian and the others to step down first, and then let Xia Chuan and the other four have a jin each to taste.

Unlike the four of them seeing the Jade Bone Great Medicine for the first time, he had already tasted it in the Zhaoyang Flat Valley and was very familiar with the scent, so he wasn't as intoxicated as the four of them.

"Leader, you should use it all yourself. Our battle body aptitude isn't good, wouldn't it be a waste for us to use it?"

"One jin each, stop the nonsense. This time it's free, but from now on, all Jade Bone Great Medicine must be exchanged for with contribution points. If you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else!"

Yuan Cheng chuckled upon hearing this, said nothing, picked up the iron pot, and poured the medicinal liquid into his mouth.

The other three followed suit and began to drink.

Xia Hong did the same, picked up an iron pot, and began to drink.

The Jade Bone Great Medicine was this cyan-jade-colored viscous liquid, and the method of taking it was simple and crude: just pour it into the body.

The five of them drank the medicinal liquid in one gulp. Except for Xia Hong, who stood where he was and remained unchanged, the faces of the other four instantly flushed red with blood.

Without needing Xia Hong's reminder, the four of them sat cross-legged instinctively, controlling the pores on their skin-membranes.

As wisps of blood energy floated out, their flesh and blood began to make rumbling noises. Accompanied by the huge energy impact within the medicinal liquid, their flesh and blood continuously repeated the process of contraction and expansion.

During this process, the deep red on their faces gradually faded, and the strength of their body muscles, including their basic strength, was also improving step by step.

"The process of absorbing the medicinal liquid is very slow. This is just the first round. Try your best to hold on and absorb as much as you can. When the reaction in your body is no longer intense, you can get up and go out. You can perform the second round of absorption through the cold light after dawn. You can sense for yourselves how much energy from the medicinal liquid is left in your body. You must wait until the energy from the previous round is completely absorbed before starting the next one, otherwise, the conflict will damage your flesh and muscle tissue..."

Xia Hong was also absorbing the energy of the medicinal liquid. Unlike the others, this amount of one jin was very easy for him, so he didn't need to sit cross-legged. He could absorb it while standing and still have the energy to teach everyone the taboos of taking the Jade Bone Great Medicine.

"Alright, I expect you'll need a while longer, I'm heading back to the Realm Valley first!"

Xia Hong finished absorbing the first round of medicinal liquid very quickly. Seeing that the four were still immersed in cultivation, he left a sentence and left directly with the Cold Ruins Tripod.

(End of chapter)