Chapter 57: Against A? I Fold

"You lazybones, how come you got up so late? Weren't you saying you'd help me gather herbs?"

Zhang Shen hadn't expected Jiang Muyun and Mu Qiao to be up so early, so he hurried into the car and had Mu Qiao go to the school to pick up Chen Rong.

Thus, the four of them set off together for Liang Mountain.

After nearly two hours on the road, they finally arrived.

"Wow!"

That was Jiang Muyun's first reaction upon seeing Liang Mountain.

Indeed, the mountain before them rose steep and majestic, shrouded in swirling mist. It truly possessed an ethereal, almost otherworldly aura.

"Let's head up."

Chen Rong’s words left their impressions of Liang Mountain lingering only in their hearts.

"Old man, I've got a question for you."

"What is it?"

"This legendary Longtongue Grass—what does it actually look like?"

Faced with something he'd never seen before, Zhang Shen was naturally curious.

"Longtongue Grass is a kind of herb. Its exterior is red, most striking at the tips, which resemble a serpent’s tongue flicking out—hence the name."

"Then how do you know that Longtongue Grass and those black worms can cure Jiang Muyun?"

"Actually, I only read about it in an ancient book. It recorded that the Heart-boring Worm and Longtongue Grass, both highly poisonous, when combined, could exploit the principle of fighting poison with poison."

As soon as Chen Rong finished speaking, Zhang Shen cursed, "Old man, so after all this, you don’t even know if it’s true! So you’ve been coaxing us to climb the mountain just on a hunch!"

"I may not have witnessed such a case myself, but after years of dedicated research, I trust my judgment."

"You old fool, I don’t believe you! This is a matter of life and death!"

Hearing Zhang Shen and Chen Rong arguing over his illness, Jiang Muyun stepped forward and said, "I trust the principal. No matter what, let’s try—if we win this gamble, all the better."

"But…"

Zhang Shen and Mu Qiao spoke almost in unison.

"Don’t worry, I’m a lucky guy. I won’t die so easily."

The four ascended the mountain via stone steps, passing many flowers and plants along the way, but none were the Longtongue Grass they sought.

After a fruitless morning, exhaustion weighed heavily on them. Seeing this, Mu Qiao took out the lunch she'd prepared and shared it.

Zhang Shen commented, "Miss Mu, you really are thoughtful. Looks like I had a good eye choosing you as my assistant!"

"All you do is brag," Jiang Muyun retorted, unable to resist poking fun at Zhang Shen, who seemed to want her praise.

"Isn’t it true? Why are you so ungrateful, young lady?"

"Hmph! Didn’t you say you’d help me gather herbs? And now? I haven’t seen a single one!"

Hearing this, Zhang Shen felt more wronged than the worst of victims. He hadn’t come to Liang Mountain just for himself—it was Chen Rong who wanted to find Longtongue Grass, and he was worried about Jiang Muyun’s illness. Yet now he was being blamed.

Turning to Chen Rong, Zhang Shen asked, "Old man, does this Longtongue Grass even exist? We’ve searched all over and found nothing!"

"You think gathering herbs is like shopping for vegetables? If it were so easy, anyone could do it."

Zhang Shen conceded the point. He recalled his own arduous training with his master: just to find a single medicinal plant sometimes took days, and if luck was poor, even weeks.

Hearing Chen Rong say this, Jiang Muyun anxiously asked, "What now? Are we going to have to spend the night here?"

"Of course. How could we leave and come back tomorrow? Even if I took two more days off, it wouldn’t be enough. We’ll have to spend the night."

"What? Stay overnight?"

"Yes, my lady."

At the mention of staying overnight on Liang Mountain, Jiang Muyun grew nervous.

"Will there be snakes at night?"

Zhang Shen solemnly replied, "Given how steep and dense the forest is, I’d wager there are not just snakes but tigers and lions—and when night falls, centipedes and bedbugs."

Hearing this, Jiang Muyun burst into tears. "I want to go down! Mu Jie, let’s leave!"

Mu Qiao, however, comforted her, "Miss, he’s just teasing you. If there were such dangers, I’m sure the miracle doctor would handle it."

Zhang Shen hadn’t expected Mu Qiao to read his intentions so well.

Jiang Muyun, hearing this, realized Zhang Shen was only joking to cheer her up.

"Hmph! You big pig’s trotter! I ought to roast you for dinner!"

"My lady, could you show a little gratitude? I’ve brought you here out of kindness, and you haven’t said a single thank you—only threats! Do you think you’re the White Snake? But even she loved Xu Xian dearly!"

"You? Compared to Xu Xian?"

"I don’t like the sound of that. Why not? Just wait till night—if someone comes to abduct you, you’ll be calling for me, but by then it’ll be too late."

"There are criminals on the mountain?"

Naturally, women are sensitive to such threats.

"But don’t worry. I doubt those criminals would find you particularly tempting."

"Why?"

"Because with your A, they wouldn’t be interested!"

As soon as Zhang Shen said this, Chen Rong nearly spat out his food, coughing repeatedly. Jiang Muyun sensed it wasn't a compliment but didn’t grasp the meaning, so she asked Mu Qiao.

Mu Qiao tried to dissuade her, but Jiang Muyun insisted. Unable to resist, Mu Qiao whispered the explanation in her ear.

Jiang Muyun’s face instantly flushed red.

Seeing that everyone had rested enough, Chen Rong urged, "Let’s pick up the pace—there’s still a long way ahead."

There was no choice but for the four to continue climbing toward the summit.

As evening approached and they still hadn’t found any sign of Longtongue Grass, Chen Rong declared, "Let’s rest here for the night and continue tomorrow."

With that, the four began to set up their tents. Seeing Mu Qiao assembling Jiang Muyun’s tent, Zhang Shen sidled up and asked, "Are you afraid to sleep alone tonight?"