Chapter 368: Strange Flames

After finally finishing vomiting, Qilin took the handkerchief Mu Yuanzhi handed over and angrily said, "I have a cleanliness obsession!"

Having a cleanliness obsession, you still casually eat this kind of grilled meat—I think you actually enjoy it. Gu Rongjin curled his lips.

"You!" Qilin was somewhat driven mad.

"Alright, Rongjin, don't be angry with him; he's naturally frail." Mu Yuanzhi affectionately patted her junior brother.

Obviously, in her eyes, the current Qilin is already a frail individual requiring close attention.

"It's just that my senior sister cares for me." Qilin took the opportunity to act coquettish, "But senior sister, I'm not frail at all—I've already recovered to normal today!"

Gu Rongjin surrendered: "Okay, okay, okay, sorry, little Qilin, it's my master's fault; I'll let you know in advance next time."

Qilin snorted, turned his face away, and refused to accept!

"But could this iron plate be made of the same material as that door just now?" Mu Yuanzhi suddenly wondered.

Upon hearing that, Qilin took the iron plate from Gu Rongjin's hand to study it, placing his finger on the bottom and discovering it was indeed heat-resistant: "I don't feel any heat at all!"

Gu Rongjin and Mu Yuanzhi also gave it a try, and indeed, the heat-insulating effect was remarkably good!

Mu Yuanzhi pondered, "Could there be some connection here?"

"Could this be overthinking? After all, even if it really were the same material, it wouldn't matter much—at most, this iron is quite good, and the Third Prince knows about it too." Gu Rongjin said.

Qilin: "If we were currently in Jingcheng, we could go ask that Third Prince."

"We could also take this iron plate to ask others." Gu Rongjin said, "But the urgent priority is to go back and study this fire."

That makes sense, let's go—it's so hot!

Qilin felt like he was about to melt.

The three of them headed back; only after leaving the gate of Back Mountain did they feel completely revived, the cold wind blowing onto their hot bodies, making them somewhat uncomfortable. After returning, Mu Yuanzhi prepared a bowl of soup that dispelled cold and cleared heat for each of them, and only then did they feel somewhat better.

"It's already midnight; I'm heading back too—you guys should get some sleep, and we can research anything else tomorrow." Qilin said his farewells.

"Mm, good night."

"Good night."

After Qilin left, Mu Yuanzhi asked Gu Rongjin: "Rongjin, what do you think?"

"'What do you mean, how do I see it?' Gu Rongjin asked, 'The iron plate or the fire?'"

Mu Yuanzhi furrowed her brows, "I'm talking about little Qilin—how do you think his condition is today?"

Gu Rongjin: "As for today, there's nothing unusual, but yesterday he was indeed extremely weak, which is worrying."

"That's right, but just from the prescription, there shouldn't be such severe side effects—none of the medicinal ingredients have any conflicting properties…" She still couldn't determine where the problem lay.

"Then it must be due to external factors." Gu Rongjin said, "Perhaps it's also related to the miasma here mutating."

"Ah!" Mu Yuanzhi suddenly exclaimed, "We shouldn't have let Qilin eat that piece of meat just now!"

"Didn't he vomit it out?" Gu Rongjin asked.

"Did he vomit it all up?" Mu Yuanzhi asked, not entirely sure.

"He vomited so much it was dark and chaotic—how could it not be clean?" Gu Rongjin teased, "Come to think of it, I'm the one to thank for that."

Mu Yuanzhi snorted helplessly, "You still say that—next time you do this, be careful he ignores you."

"That's impossible—children's anger doesn't last more than a day." Gu Rongjin still had that confidence.

"Alright, we should rest now; we can talk about anything tomorrow, and don't be too anxious—there will always be a solution. Looking back on our journey, when have we not turned danger into good fortune?" Gu Rongjin comforted her by patting Mu Yuanzhi.

It must be said, those words were quite effective—Mu Yuanzhi's anxious heart indeed calmed considerably.

He's right—on this journey, with him and so many friends around, they have indeed survived every peril unscathed.

This time will surely be no different.

The next day, Mu Yuanzhi also woke up naturally; the two little rascals rarely came over to cause a ruckus. After they finished washing up and left the room, they realized that Qilin had already been looking after the children here.

They were playing Liubo.

This is a game that is no longer popular in the Central Plains region, so the two little rascals had never encountered it before and became engrossed in playing.

"Senior sister, you're awake!" Qilin immediately went over.

Only when Mu Yuanzhi wakes up each day and sees Qilin full of vigor does she put her mind at ease.

Although she says she's not worried, she still feels concerned, after all, this is her close junior brother with whom she's shared life and death across two lifetimes; she needs to see him safe and sound.

Gu Rongjin: "Little Qilin, keep your senior sister company; I'm going back to research."

"Let's go, you're not needed here anymore." Qilin waved his hand.

"You brat, first thing in the morning and you don't have a single nice thing to say."

"Take care, Master!" Qilin waved at Gu Rongjin with a strained voice.

Gu Rongjin instantly got goosebumps all over, "Just stay as you are—don't disgust me."

"Get lost!"

Gu Rongjin shut the door and stayed in the room researching the fire, forgetting sleep and food, even missing lunch, but Mu Yuanzhi kept thinking of him, bringing him a lavish dish to eat together.

"It's still my wife who cares for me—this is so lavish!"

Gu Rongjin immediately put down what he was fiddling with, sat down, and waited for the meal to begin.

"All this lavish food was sent by your little disciple; if thanks are due, thank him." Mu Yuanzhi also sat down to lay out the dishes.

"We're the guests and he's the host—it's only proper." Gu Rongjin immediately corrected himself.

Mu Yuanzhi: "You're just being stubborn."

"I'm speaking the truth." Gu Rongjin gazed at the table full of lavish dishes, and his appetite was instantly aroused.

Mu Yuanzhi ate while asking, "Have you figured anything out from your research?"

"Just before you came in, I transferred part of the fire elsewhere; it would soon go out. I feel this iron plate also has research value, but of course I have absolutely no clue about it."

"I think we should take this to a master blacksmith to have a look." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Gu Rongjin deeply agreed and nodded: "You're right."

The dishes were similar, and as they chatted, they just kept eating.

"I suspect these dishes are all cooked with water from the Juechen Gugu Spring; they're so fragrant, especially delicious!" Gu Rongjin said, satisfied, holding a toothpick in his mouth.

"Agree, it's so delicious, better than what I cook." Mu Yuanzhi nodded.

"No, it's still your loving meal that's the most delicious!"

"You're just flattering me; you're not honest at all."

Mu Yuanzhi said that with her mouth, but the sweet smile on her face gave her away.

"Senior sister!"

Qilin came in holding a basket of plum blossom wine: "Here's your plum blossom wine."

Mu Yuanzhi turned around, looked, and saw that it wasn't just ten bottles—there were clearly several dozen!

"What a grand gesture, little disciple!" Gu Rongjin also exclaimed in surprise.

"I went back and rummaged through, took out everything I had stored at the bottom of my chest, and only then discovered how much there was—I'm giving it all to you!" Qilin set down the basket.