Chapter 293: Reforging the Head-Retaining Medicine

The third sister and Zhang Laoya left.

Although the third sister agreed, Xu Yuan could tell from Zhang Laoya's demeanor that the old fellow would definitely discuss it with the three sisters again before deciding whether to follow his request.

But Xu Yuan did not truly expect the dream moths to gain any useful clues from Wen Bin's dream.

Xu Yuan was extremely certain: to the Wang Fei, Wen Bin was, just like Ji Huai Xuan, merely a dog man who had been used.

The plan the Wang Fei told Wen Bin was likely the same as the one she told Ji Huai Xuan.

Sending the dream moths to do this matter was, of course, for another purpose.

After Xu Yuan returned to the Nancheng patrol station, he dug out the barber's carrying pole, opened those small drawers, and found that the barber's medicine still had some left.

Xu Yuan poured all the medicine out and put it into a clay jar.

Then he knocked on the door, called for Wang Shen, and together they went to his own Dan Room.

Xu Yuan asked Wang Shen for advice and re-mixed and refined this medicine.

Wang Shen heard his request but kept shaking her head: "Your idea is not good."

"Is it impossible to do?"

"It is very easy to do," Wang Shen said. "Actually, one just refines a suppressing drug into it. But you want to use the scent of another drug to trigger the poison... it is too slow."

Xu Yuan's eyes widened.

"Think about it. The diffusion of scent takes time. Moreover, the farther the distance, the weaker the scent; by the time it reaches several zhang away, this scent may not be enough to trigger the medicinal properties."

"Your meaning is..." Xu Yuan admitted that ginger is spicier when old; Wang Shen's analysis made a lot of sense.

"Use a sound to trigger the medicinal properties."

"Sound?!" Xu Yuan hesitated: "Can it be done?"

"Of course it can!"

Wang Shen already had a draft in mind: "I will guide, you will operate."

"Good!"

While Xu Yuan refined the medicine, Wang Shen watched with wide eyes behind him: indeed, this time no evil spirits came to harass!

Wang Shen was extremely proud: My Ah Yuan is a natural Rank Dan Xiu Saint Body!

After finishing the medicine, Xu Yuan supported Wang Shen and wanted to send her back.

Wang Shen waved her hand: "I, an old woman, am not yet so useless that I cannot walk. I will go back myself; if you have something to do, go do it quickly."

Xu Yuan watched her walk away, then turned and ducked into a small alley.

When he came out again, his face was covered by a leather mask, disguised as an ordinary-looking person.

He arrived outside the post station and quietly lay in ambush.

He waited until it was nearly dark, but Wen Bin still did not come out.

Xu Yuan returned.

Not long after, Zhang Laoya also returned, making an excuse: "I did not find an opportunity to strike this afternoon. But rest assured, tonight the three of them will definitely make their move."

Xu Yuan nodded noncommittally.

After one night, when dawn broke, Zhang Laoya went out.

He put on an appearance of "doing his utmost."

Xu Yuan also came out closely following, but he did not follow behind Zhang Laoya; instead, he took another path and arrived outside the back door of the post station to wait in ambush.

Not long after, Wen Bin, in disguise, appeared.

This time Xu Yuan trailed behind, with fully several dozen zhang between him and Wen Bin.

Unlike last time, this time he only sought to grasp Wen Bin's general whereabouts.

Even if he lost track, My Lord Xu could just climb high and open "Gazing at Fate" to find Wen Bin.

This time Wen Bin was indeed more cautious; if Xu Yuan had followed as closely as last time, he might already have been exposed.

Wen Bin circled around the city a couple more times before finally leaving the city.

Xu Yuan followed for a while longer and could already confirm: Wen Bin had still gone to the ruined temple from last time.

So Xu Yuan stopped following, turned his direction, and headed straight for Little Yu Shan.

Arriving at a place with no people, Xu Yuan released the Fire Wheel and, with a "Whoosh," sped away.

My Lord Xu was in a hurry.

He did not even cross the river at the dock; instead, he found a place where the river surface was narrower and used the Leather Dragon to carry himself across.

After crossing the river, he continued to travel using the Fire Wheel.

In less than half a shi, he arrived at Walk Pig Gully.

Xu Yuan did not rashly enter; he hid on a nearby mountain—no sooner had he hidden than he saw a gust of cold wind roll out from the ancient tomb, whistling along the ground.

Below Walk Pig Gully, flying sand and rolling stones filled the air; it was gloomy and misty, and among them something with a ferocious and ugly face seemed to be present.

The Wang Fei's voice came from the flying sand and rolling stones, cursing: "This useless thing, why does he keep shouting for me all day?!"

Xu Yuan waited until she had gone far away, then quietly slipped out.

Just then, a group of wild boars passed through the gully below; Xu Yuan caught a few and smeared that medicine on the pigs.

Xu Yuan flashed into the ancient tomb.

He opened that diagonally downward passage and first slid one wild boar down.

Splash!

After a while, the sound of the wild boar falling into the water came.

Xu Yuan tilted his ear to listen carefully; indeed, the water sounded like a roar, and those monsters below were tearing apart food.

Xu Yuan waited a while longer to ensure the monsters in the distance also had time to swim over, then he pushed the remaining wild boars down one by one.

These monsters had been killed in large numbers by Xu Yuan and the Big Rats last time, but their numbers were still extremely vast.

After pushing all the wild boars down, Xu Yuan slipped out, silently erased every trace of his presence, and then returned to Zhan City along the same route at the same speed.

Xu Yuan was eighty percent sure that if the three dream-eaters tried to pull Wen Bin into a dream, something would go wrong.

The last time Wen Bin met with Wang Fei, he had already grown wary of the dream-eaters and Zhang Laoya.

So if they made a move on Wen Bin, he would most likely become alert immediately.

Then he would pretend to be truly controlled by the dream.

Wen Bin and his two advisors were no match for the three dream-eaters.

Therefore, after dawn, Wen Bin would surely leave the city at once to find Wang Fei.

This was the opportunity Xu Yuan had deliberately created.

Wang Fei had been guarding the ancient tomb the whole time, leaving Xu Yuan no chance to strike.

The monsters Wang Fei fed had two brains growing inside their heads.

Xu Yuan did not know what use these monsters truly had, but since Wang Fei had tirelessly raised such a large group over so many years, these monsters must be very important to her.

Not long after Xu Yuan left, Wang Fei returned.

Still, a cold wind swept through, and she cursed under her breath.

"Pretending affection with these stinking men truly makes this palace feel sick!"

"Fortunately, I won't have to endure for much longer."

Xu Yuan returned to the Nancheng patrol station; as soon as he entered, he asked Di Youzhi, who was on duty at the door, "Has Zhang Laoya returned?"

"No."

Xu Yuan frowned; logically, Zhang Laoya should have returned immediately this morning after meeting the three dream-eaters, learning the intelligence obtained from Wen Bin once the dream-eaters entered the dream, and reporting it to him.

"It seems Wen Bin played some small tricks, pretending to be controlled by the dream, and fed the dream-eaters false information.

These false reports likely appeased the dream-eaters and Zhang Laoya.

Zhang Laoya was already suspicious by nature; now he probably no longer trusts me."

Xu Yuan had guessed correctly.

Last night, after realizing he had entered a dream, Wen Bin immediately pretended to have a clear conscience.

Every action he took conformed to the agreement he had made with the dream-eaters.

It was as if he had come to Zhan City truly just to investigate the Cocoon-Eating Great Case.

This made Zhang Laoya suspect whether Xu Yuan wanted to extricate himself and had therefore instigated him and the dream-eaters to deal with Wen Bin.

So he took the three dream-eaters and hid somewhere in the city, intending to observe the development of the situation secretly before making a decision.

He did not plan to return to the Nancheng patrol station today.

Xu Yuan did not go to find Zhang Laoya either.

Inside the Nancheng patrol station, waiting until mid-afternoon, Lang Xiao Ba ran in excitedly: "My lord, Young Master Fu Jingyu and the others have returned."

Xu Yuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief; they had finally returned.

Xu Yuan hurried out to welcome them; beside Fu Jingyu and Song Lu were several others, but all wore bamboo hats and ordinary Captain's uniforms, deliberately concealing their identities.

Yet Xu Yuan still recognized at a glance that one of them was the Commander.

"Please, come in quickly."

Once inside Xu Yuan's room and the idle personnel dismissed, Xu Yuan clasped his fists and bowed: "Your subordinate greets the Commander."

Ma Tianshou removed his bamboo hat; seeing Xu Yuan's eager eyes, he smiled and said, "Rest assured, this time, besides this lord, these two lords are also of the Fifth Flow."

(End of this chapter)