“At that time, we will have no problems here,” Yang Guanfeng said. “After going out, we might have headaches, stomachaches, diarrhea, itchy skin, or blisters. Ah, we may not be able to get hard either. Think about it.”


  “Is it that magical?”


  “You haven’t experienced it in person, so you don’t know. I don’t want to go through it a second time!” Yang Guanfeng still had a lingering fear from the last poisoning. That kind of burning pain was different from normal fevers caused by a cold.

  “I’m actually a little afraid after you have said that,” Lu Xiufeng said. “Ah, I can understand that the purpose of studying medical skills is to cure diseases and save people. What do you think is their purpose for studying the use of poisons and poisonous insects?”


  “I’ve thought about it and investigated it,” Yang Guanfeng said. “First, it was passed down by their elders. Second, poisons and poisonous insects belong to the category of medicine. Their original purpose for studying those things was probably to cure diseases and save lives, but they found another use for them, which was to kill people and deter others. Although this place is remote, wars and bandits were plenty in ancient times. That was their means of defense.”


  “You did quite a lot of work before we came here,” Lu Xiufeng said.

  “Of course. I went to the library just to check it. There are some related records of them, but they are all legendary things and rumors. It has been said that their ancestors were disciples of Sun Simiao, the king of medicine.”


  “King of medicine?” Lu Xiufeng asked. “What are you talking about? That was in the Tang Dynasty, which was more than a thousand years ago!”


  “Yes, but there were already records of this Valley of Thousands of Medicine in the Ming Dynasty.”


  “Hmm, if it was the Ming Dynasty, then the valley has a few hundred years of history now.”


  “That’s right. This is an ancient village,” Yang Guanfeng said. “They are located in a remote area, so several big wars did not spread here. They also rarely communicate with the outside world, so their culture could be passed down.”


  “Oh, there are quite a few secrets in such a place!”


  “I also found a piece of information that said there are people over 200 years old here,” Yang Guanfeng

  “200 years old?” Lu Xiufeng was shocked. “What the f*ck! Is that still human? That should be a monster!”


  “Not necessarily,” Yang Guanfeng replied. “It has been said that Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Mountain lived for more than 250 years and became immortal.”


  “What kind of character was Zhang Sanfeng. Was he a Taoist immortal?”


  “That is also a rumor. According to the last population census, there were at least 20 people over 100 years old in this stockade at that time. The total population of this stockade was only 200, and that is considered quite a high proportion.”


  “Longevity, good at medicine, good at poison, good at poisonous insects…… Ah, what exactly are the poisonous insects like?” Lu Xiufeng asked.

  “To be honest, I have never seen them and I do not want to.”


  As they were talking, someone knocked on the door.

  “Come in, please.”


  Miao Qingfeng entered the room.

  “Gentlemen, the banquet is ready. Would you like to join us?”


  “Sure, let’s go and have a taste of that delicious food and wine here,” Lu Xiufeng said with a smile.

  The two of them went to Miao Xihe’s home with Miao Qingfeng. The banquet was rich and plentiful. All the dishes were local stockade cuisine. They were prepared to entertain the distinguished guests.

  Seeing that the two men had arrived, Chief Miao got up to meet them in person. “Welcome, please take a seat.”


  “Thank you, Chief Miao, you are too kind.”


  After sitting down, Lu Xiufeng stared at the delicious food on the table.

  “Oh, what’s this?”


  “Ah, that is a kind of fungus that grows on our mountains,” Miao Qingfeng said. “It tastes delicious and has the effect of nourishing the body.”


  “Oh, what about this one?”


  “That is a special fish from Soothing of Gods Lake. It’s very fresh and delicious.”


  “Is that so? I will have to savor it well.” Lu Xiufeng asked about almost every dish, just like a curious toddler.

  “Tut, tut, you have the treasures of heaven and Earth and outstanding people who lend glory to a place. There are so many specialties.”


  Since all of the people had arrived, the banquet was about to begin. As the chief of the stockade, Miao Xihe had brought wine to express his warm welcome to the two people. He said that he would do everything possible to help them complete their task.

  According to the rules of the stockade, the banquet started after the chief spoke.

  “Mmm, delicious, delicious.” Lu Xiufeng rarely stopped working his mouth or putting down his chopsticks.

  “This local food is really delicious.” He kept raising his thumbs. Miao Qingfeng’s face was full of smiles. No matter who it was, a person would always be happy in the face of praise.

  “Since it’s delicious, eat more.”


  “Sure, this wine tastes good as well. What is it brewed from?”


  “It is made from a mixture of several grains in our local area. Some Chinese herbal medicines have also been added. Regular drinking can strengthen the body and prolong life.”


  “Well, I have to drink more then. Can it strengthen the loins?”


  “Yes, and the effect is significant.”


  “Mmm, well, nice!” Lu Xiufeng took a big sip of wine.

  No matter what, he had a great time eating the meal and even let himself go a little. Yang Guanfeng, who was seated next to him, also ate a lot of dishes and drank well.

  “Ah, thank you, Chief. Thank you, Brother Qingfeng. This food is delicious, and the wine is amazing. Thank you for your warm hospitality. When you are free to go to the provincial capital, please feel free to come and find me at any time. I will hold a banquet for you!”


  “Alright, it’s a deal,” Miao Xihe said with a smile.

  “It’s a deal!”


  “Drink up!”


  “Drink up!”


  That evening, Lu Xiufeng had drunk at least one bottle of wine. He laid on the table directly. He was delirious, and his memory was fragmented.

  “Sorry, my colleague has forgotten himself,” said Yang Guanfeng, who had not drunk a lot. In fact, they should not drink so much wine on such occasions with their identities. They were there for work and should not drink so much. There were regulations in these aspects.

  “Ah, Captain Yang, I think Captain Lu is quite a sentimental and rare person,” Miao Xihe said with a smile.

  Lu Xiufeng was eventually carried back to their accommodations on a cane rack.

  “I’m so sorry to have to trouble you guys.”


  “You’re welcome. Here is a hangover soup we prepared for you guys. It’s very effective.” Miao Qingfeng asked someone to bring up a porcelain pot with a lid. It was not big.

  “Thank you.”


  “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. There’s someone next door.”


  “Oh, alright.”


  “Rest well.”


  “Thank you for your hospitality.”


  After sending Miao Qingfeng away, Yang Guanfeng opened the lid and looked at the hangover soup in the porcelain pot. It was very light and had a slight medicinal fragrance. In the end, he didn’t drink any of it.

  “What kind of hangover soup? Give me a bowl.” Lu Xiufeng, who was lying on the bed, suddenly sat up.

  “Hey, be careful,” Yang Guanfeng said.

  Lu Xiufeng picked up the pot on the table and poured a pool. He gulped down to two bowls of it.

  “Hmm, it doesn’t taste bad. Why are you not drinking it? Are you not tipsy?”


  “I did not drink much, so it won’t be a problem,” Yang Guanfeng said.

  The alcohol percentage of the grain wine brewed in the village was not particularly high. It would not cause much of a problem if they drank less.

  “Oh, that was such good wine and it won’t exist after we leave this village. I remember that you are also someone who likes alcohol,” Lu Xiufeng said with a smile. His eyes were full of spirit. He did not look even a little drunk.

  “Even so, I have to see the situation clearly. It’s not good to drink too much here. There might even be seasoning in it,” he softly said, pointing to the hangover soup.

  “You are so worried about this and that. You think too much. A typical example of once bitten twice shy. I carefully observed this evening. Miao Xihe is definitely a great character. It is just that he lives in this small stockade. If he were to change where he lived, he would be able to achieve a considerable career.”


  “You think very highly of him!”


  “Of course, he is one of the top few people I’ve seen over the years. He is not that narrow-minded. He won’t use those shameless means in these aspects. But your worry is not superfluous. For that kind of person, if he wanted to take action against someone, he would be heavy-handed and make sure that the other party would never have a chance of turning over.” Speaking of that, Lu Xiufeng gulped down another bowl of the hangover soup.

  “Hey, are you not going to taste it? It’s delicious.”


  “No, thank you.”


  “Where are the other people?”


  Attendees at the banquet include Miao Xihe and some old people from the village. They all seemed to be in their 70s. According to the introduction from Miao Xihe, they were all the more prestigious village elders.

  “Those people were in awe of the Miao Xihe.”


  “What else?”


  “I think one of them is dissatisfied with Miao Xihe.”


  “Oh, which one?”


  “The man named Miao Yuntian.”


  “He was at the second table diagonally opposite us. He was the one who was a little taller, thin, and had a slightly green eye socket.”