Chapter 150: This Mistress Has Plenty of Medicine
Poisoned?
The word hung in the air, and the color drained from everyone's faces. Xia Ye choked, spitting out a mouthful of tea with a loud "pfft!" before frantically grabbing his water bottle to rinse his mouth.
"There is no need for such alarm," Kaguya said, taking another delicate sip. "It's merely a sedative. It won't cause any real harm to the body; it will simply lull you to sleep."
Her calm statement sent a fresh wave of chills down their spines. If they had unknowingly stayed the night and drunk this tea…
"Wait, then why are you still drinking it, Great One?" Xia Ye asked, his voice trembling slightly.
"This mistress is not afraid of poison," Kaguya replied with an airy wave of her hand. "Never mind a bit of medicine in the tea; you could serve me a bowl of pure poison for dinner and I would be perfectly fine."
"Haruto-sama, should we act now?" Youmu's eyes flashed with a cold, dangerous light, her hand already resting on the hilt of her blade. The reason was irrelevant; anyone who dared to make a move against Haruto had to be cut down.
"No rush." Haruto raised a hand, making a subtle restraining gesture. "Since she chose this method, it means she isn't confident in a direct confrontation. I want to see what she's actually planning."
It wasn't just idle curiosity. A faint, prickling sensation, an intuition unique to him as a Boundary Youkai, warned him that they couldn't just leave. There were important clues hidden here.
Just then, a soft shuffle of movement came from the inner room.
The group immediately fell silent.
The old grandmother emerged, carrying two plates laden with steaming cakes. The same kind, gentle smile was fixed on her face.
"You must be hungry, yes? Have something to eat first."
That smile was still amiable, but to everyone present, it now carried an unspeakable, eerie quality.
"Thank you." Haruto accepted the plate without a change in his expression, though he shot a quick, meaningful glance at Kaguya.
Kaguya understood instantly. "Since we have to wait until six tomorrow morning anyway," she announced with a theatrical sigh, "let's just rest here for the night. This mistress is quite tired after walking for so long."
A flicker of joy, almost too quick to see, flashed in the old grandmother's eyes. It was fleeting, but it did not escape the notice of Haruto and the others.
"I'll go prepare the beds for you." As she spoke, she turned to head back into the house.
"Don't go to all that trouble," Kaguya called out, stopping her. "We're just resting for a bit; we don't need to sleep properly. Besides, there are so many of us. You don't have enough rooms anyway."
The old grandmother paused, her voice remaining gentle. "Alright then, suit yourselves. I've baked quite a few pastries. They're in the kitchen; please, help yourselves. Don't be shy."
With that, she shuffled back toward the kitchen.
"Um… Big shot, is there something wrong with these pastries, too?" Even though he saw Kaguya already nibbling on one, Xia Ye, having learned his lesson, still leaned in and asked in a hushed, tentative voice.
Kaguya simply shook her head.
Hearing this, Xia Ye and the others finally dared to dig in. The taste was, to their surprise, actually quite good.
Time trickled by.
When it was around seven in the evening, the old grandmother announced that her old bones were tired and went back to her room to rest, leaving Haruto and his group alone in the living room.
Suddenly, Xia Ye slapped his own neck with a sharp smack. He opened his palm to reveal a smear of blood and the crushed body of a mosquito.
"The mosquitoes in this hellhole are vicious," he complained. He rubbed the spot, only to feel it quickly swell into a red, numb bump that itched relentlessly.
"I suggest one of you heal him," Kaguya remarked leisurely. "The mosquitoes here… are quite poisonous for people like you."
At her words, Ye Tian immediately signaled for the healer on his team to step forward. But by the time the man reached Xia Ye, dark, bruise-like spots had already begun to blossom around the bite on his neck, causing everyone's hearts to tighten.
Just then, the curtain to the inner hallway was lifted again. The old grandmother walked out carrying a crude candlestick, upon which sat a single, pale yellow candle.
"This is a candle I made myself; it repels mosquitoes," she said, her voice soft. "Although there are no monsters here, the mosquitoes are plentiful at night."
After she finished speaking, she placed the candlestick on the table and turned back toward the hallway without lingering.
One of the team members was about to light the candle when Kaguya suddenly spoke.
"Wait a moment."
This time, without Ye Tian needing to say a word, the man immediately froze. They had all witnessed Kaguya's uncanny perception and trusted it implicitly.
"Is there a problem? Don't tell me even the candle has that sleeping drug in it?" Xia Ye couldn't help but ask. When he saw Kaguya nod, a cold sweat beaded on his forehead. This old woman was truly determined to kill them.
"Then do we light it or not?" Xia Ye asked urgently, waving his hands frantically to drive away the insects buzzing around his head. "If we don't, I'm afraid I'll be bitten to death by mosquitoes."
"Light it." Haruto waved his hand dismissively. "We don't have much of anything else, but we have plenty of antidotes. Let's see what she's really up to."
After saying that, he gave Kaguya another look.
Understanding his intent, Kaguya reached into her sleeve and produced a dozen small, single-use vials, distributing them to everyone.
"This will last for twenty hours and can neutralize a hundred different poisons."
Haruto was the first to take one and down it. He didn't necessarily trust Kaguya, but he trusted Eirin Yagokoro. Although the potions Eirin made often came with bizarre side effects, those were usually for her experimental products. If she actually wanted to create a simple, flawless potion, it was no difficult task. And given how much she doted on Kaguya, anything she gave the moon princess would certainly be the best of the best.
Seeing Haruto act, Ye Tian also took his vial without hesitation, and the others quickly followed suit.
The effect was astonishing. The small, dark marks that had remained on Xia Ye's neck even after the healer's treatment vanished instantly, dissipating like oil in hot water. His skin returned to normal in the blink of an eye.
"Where did you get these potions? The effect is this potent?" Ye Tian could not hide the surprise in his voice. His own guild, Ascending God, had a specialized alchemist who had once spent half a year studying as a Ghost Alchemist in another Instance, but they could never produce something with such an immediate and perfect result.
"They're a specialty of her family," Haruto answered first. "If you need them, we can cooperate in the future."
Producing these small potions was laughably easy for them; it was just a matter of repackaging regular elixirs into smaller containers. Besides, he and Kaguya shared an account, so any money Kaguya made was his money too. More, who knew how many "failed" or excess potions Eientei threw away every month? Rather than letting them go to waste, they might as well trade them for something useful.
"That's right, that's right!" Kaguya caught on immediately, her eyes lighting up. "This lady can even give you a discount. Not just healing potions, but all sorts of other concoctions. At my place, the one thing we never lack is medicine."
"Excellent! I knew I wasn't wrong about you two!" Ye Tian's gaze was filled with satisfaction and a clear desire. "Are you really not considering joining Ascending God? As long as you come, you'll start as Vice-Captains."
"Joining is out of the question," Haruto refused flatly, "but establishing a partnership is possible."
Hearing this, Ye Tian didn't push the matter further and made a solemn promise. "If you need any help in the future, just ask."
Nearby, a flash of joy also appeared in the eyes of the female secretary. High-quality potions were always a scarce resource. Even with Ascending God's own alchemist, their production was far from sufficient, forcing them to purchase large quantities from external sources every month.
The candle was lit, and a fresh, herbal fragrance soon filled the air.
The group showed no signs of being poisoned, nor did they feel the least bit sleepy. But to avoid arousing the old woman's suspicions, they all began to feign drowsiness. Before long, they were "asleep"—some slumped on the floor, some with their heads on the table, and others leaning against the wall, their breathing slow and even.
Creak…
The slow, grating sound of an old wooden door opening echoed through the silent room.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]