Chapter 1238: This Is Not Food Poisoning

"Are they suffering from food poisoning?" Xiao Hong asked.

"It's not food poisoning, but the substance was ingested through the mouth." Chen Yu pulled a little girl over and asked, "Tell Uncle, what did you eat this afternoon?"

"We saw some fruits behind the courtyard, red and very pretty, so we couldn't help but eat them."

The little girl lowered her head; she also knew she had done something wrong.

"Xiaoxiao, why are you eating things indiscriminately? Haven't I taught you that you can't just eat anything?" Xiao Hong's face sank.

"Big Sister, you told us not to eat things from strangers, but you didn't say we couldn't eat fruits picked from outside." The little boy raised his head, looking somewhat unconvinced. "We all followed your words."

"You..." Xiao Hong was so angry she rolled her eyes. Indeed, the little guy wasn't wrong; she truly hadn't given him that instruction.

But this was too stubborn. She said angrily, "You cannot eat anything of unknown origin, understand?"

"Got it. You should have been clear. I was the one who led Xiaoxiao and Feifei to eat them; if you want to blame someone, blame me, don't blame them." The little boy raised his head, looking very much like someone who would take responsibility for his own actions.

"You're very loyal, aren't you? You like to take everything upon yourself, don't you?" Xiao Hong glared at him, then asked, "Are they all right now? Do they need to go to the hospital to get checked out?"

"They're fine, no need to go. If you don't trust my medical skills, then go, but I'm telling you, that would just be a waste of money," Chen Yu said with a faint smile.

"Then we won't go. Thank you. My name is Xiao Hong, what's yours?" Xiao Hong hesitated, but decided to trust Chen Yu once.

"Chen Yu," Chen Yu replied. "Xiaoxiao, where are the things from behind the courtyard? Can you take me to see them?"

"Okay." Xiaoxiao led Chen Yu out, and Xiao Hong hurriedly followed.

Circling to the back of the tenement courtyard, they saw several red fruits growing amidst a patch of weeds. These fruits were bright and juicy, the size of red dates, and looked vibrant and tempting.

Not to mention children, even adults would be unable to resist tasting them upon seeing them.

"It's these fruits, Brother. Is this thing poisonous?" Xiaoxiao asked weakly.

Chen Yu walked up, examined the fruits up and down, and then smiled. "These fruits aren't poisonous, but they don't taste good."

"Then why did they get poisoned?" Xiao Hong asked curiously.

"The reason they were poisoned is that this kind of fruit is something a venomous snake called the Belly Lotus Snake likes," Chen Yu said. "Generally speaking, those snakes treat these things as their own food and will watch over the surroundings from time to time."

"So, the fruits will, to a greater or lesser extent, be contaminated with their venom," Chen Yu said. "After accidentally eating them, one will get poisoned as well."

"So Xiaoxiao and the others didn't have food poisoning just now, but snake venom?" Xiao Hong's expression changed slightly.

"Yes, though the toxicity isn't high. But if they were sent to the hospital, they would mostly be diagnosed with food poisoning," Chen Yu said. "So it is still very dangerous."

"Thank you, Chen Yu. If it weren't for you just now, they would have been in real danger." Upon learning the true cause, Xiao Hong let out a long breath; she was truly a bit shaken.

These little brats had practically walked through the Ghost Gate. If they hadn't happened to run into Chen Yu today, these little ones would have been in real trouble.

"It's nothing, it was just fate, I suppose." Chen Yu smiled faintly and gently parted the grass.

There, coiled beneath a plant, was a colorful, patterned snake.

This snake had a red crest on its head and a vibrant body. Generally speaking, the more vibrant such a creature is, the more lethal its venom. This fellow probably hadn't touched the fruit much; otherwise, if these little ones had been delayed for so long, they would truly have been beyond saving.

Seeming to sense danger, the snake lunged upward and bared its fangs at Chen Yu, as if warning him not to approach its food.

Chen Yu joined his fingers into a Sword Finger and pointed at the snake. With a 'pfft' sound, fresh blood splattered everywhere, and the snake was split in two.

Casually snapping the plant and throwing it into a ditch, Chen Yu then smiled. "Alright, it's fine now."

"It's fine as long as it's gone. Having this thing here made my skin crawl." Xiao Hong's tense nerves finally relaxed.

Truth be told, girls have a natural fear of creatures like snakes, insects, rats, and ants.

Especially things like snakes, which are practically their natural nemesis; no matter what, she could never overcome her fear of that thing.

And no matter how capable she was, she kept her distance from that thing.

"With this thing here, it could potentially harm the children, though this snake and this fruit generally don't grow where humans live," Chen Yu said. "So this situation is rare."

"Alright, thank you." Xiao Hong smiled slightly. "Let's formally introduce ourselves. Xiao Hong, Sect Master of the Six Gates."

"You are the Sect Master?" Chen Yu was slightly stunned, looking at Xiao Hong with some surprise.

"Yes, don't I look like one?" Xiao Hong laughed.

Her appearance was playful and cute, and when she smiled, she had two sweet dimples. Such a pretty girl didn't look like the boss of a pickpocket group at all.

"It's not that you don't look like one, it's just that I find it incredible," Chen Yu shook his head. "Your Six Gates seems to have some status in the Jianghu."

"What status? In the old society, we were the 'lower nine classes,' and in today's society, our trade is also looked down upon," Xiao Hong said. "We do everything: stealing, reselling antiques, tomb raiding."

"But you also take in homeless children and support elderly people who have lost their families," Chen Yu smiled faintly. "It's just that the world doesn't understand you."

"These are traditions passed down from our ancestors, with a history of over a hundred years," Xiao Hong smiled. "It's just that we aren't good at expressing ourselves."

"Doing good deeds without leaving a name—that's rare," Chen Yu smiled. "How big is your branch?"

"Not many. You've met Lao Er and Lao San; the lean, tough man is called Li Tie. There are five or six others who usually work part-time delivering food or driving for ride-sharing apps, and we all live together," Xiao Hong said wistfully. "Actually, to put it bluntly, we're just a group of people with hard lives living together to get by."

"So that's how it is. It's rare that you've been able to work and live together for so long," Chen Yu nodded.

"Our ancestors left behind a code. Everyone who joins the Six Gates follows this code, so although we live modestly, we are very happy," Xiao Hong smiled. "If someone gets married and starts a family, we won't interfere with their normal life."