Chapter 64: The Way is Hard

Huo Qiang's physical condition improved to the point where he could barely walk, prompting Heitu to order the team to resume their journey.

Meanwhile, those who had witnessed the miraculous effects of Paris polyphylla began to pay attention to gathering the herb.

Lin Yan expressed no particular opinion on this; let them do as they pleased, as it might come in handy later on. As for herself, whenever she encountered medicinal herbs, she would have people collect some.

Aside from their duty of escorting Lin Yan, Blue Star's squad was also tasked with digging up herbs alongside her.

Huo Qiang's recovery from the venom also startled the ten men led by Dashi, giving them their first glimpse of Lin Yan's extraordinary capabilities.

With Huo Qiang's leg swollen to such an alarming degree, Dashi had believed the man was as good as dead. He never expected that after Lin Yan examined him, she would actually bring him back to life.

He finally understood why so many people insisted on bringing such a little child along.

During a rest break, Dashi slipped over to Blue Star's side, quietly probing for information about Lin Yan with the intention of striking up a conversation with her.

She was a capable child, and Dashi felt it wise to get on her good terms.

Previously, seeing how much Heitu and the others valued her without understanding the reason, Dashi had not dared to approach closely. But now things were different; he felt Lin Yan must be a person of great importance.

Blue Star's primary responsibility was to protect Lin Yan, yet he still offered Dashi a few pointers in response to his inquiries. In truth, ever since watching Lin Yan save Huo Qiang, he too had come to feel that bringing Lin Yan out was better than keeping her cooped up in the city. Although dangerous, it exposed them to a wider world, allowing them to learn about more novel things and discover their uses.

Take Paris polyphylla for instance; with it, if anyone were bitten by a snake in the future, they would no longer be helpless, forced to simply watch someone die.

Lin Yan always managed to bring pleasant surprises. The light in Blue Star's eyes when he mentioned her was impossible to conceal. He said to Dashi, "After a while, you'll discover what makes Lin Yan special. She's right there, and she has a good temper. If you want to say something, just go right over."

After a moment of hesitation, Dashi stood up and walked over to Lin Yan, who was currently eating her midday meal.

When the light in front of her was blocked, Lin Yan looked up, "Dashi, what brings you here?"

Dashi rubbed his hands in embarrassment, stammering, "I, I came to find you to ask about something."

Lin Yan looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Clenching his teeth hard, Dashi blurted out, "Paris polyphylla can cure snake venom. Can it cure other poisons too?"

"Not necessarily. Different poisons have different antidotes; it depends on what kind of poison it is. Paris polyphylla can neutralize more than just snake venom, but whether it will work for others still can't be said for sure."

Lin Yan herself was simply reciting from books and possessed only a superficial understanding; curing the snake venom had been pure coincidence. Had it not been for the scientific museum acting as her cheat code, she would have been equally at a loss.

"My younger brother was bitten by a poisonous insect. He's still alive, but that arm of his can no longer move and is visibly rotting away. If this goes on, he won't make it."

Precisely because of this, he had swallowed his pride to approach Lin Yan, hoping to find a method of detoxification.

After seeing Huo Qiang—how someone with such severe injuries could be healed—he figured his brother should be curable as well.

Lin Yan looked surprised, "When was your brother bitten?"

"A long time ago, right before we fled." Dashi didn't know the exact time either; previously, their methods of tracking time had been vague, and it wasn't until they reached Sun City that they learned how to count and measure time. "I reckon it's been over a month."

"Since so much time has passed and he's still holding on, he should be fine. We'll be gathering herbs along the road and will find more of them. We can take a look at your brother when we get back."

Hearing Lin Yan say this, Dashi was overjoyed, "You agree to cure my brother's poisoning?"

Lin Yan nodded, "Whether it can be cured or not, I'll need to examine him in person first to know."

"Good, good, good. I understand. As long as you agree. If you ever need me for anything in the future, I'll definitely get it done for you."

Lin Yan's eyes rolled slightly, "As it happens, I do have something to ask you."

Dashi hurriedly straightened his posture, waiting for her question.

"We've been out for eight days, and this journey has been fraught with twists and turns. We just want to find the place quickly. Dashi, how much longer do you estimate it will take us to find it?"

"Ah, this... this I don't know either," Dashi said awkwardly. "I want to find the place early too, but we were running for our lives and scrambling around blindly back then. Finding our way back is very difficult, and I really can't say for sure how long it will take."

Lin Yan nodded in understanding, "Then tell me about where you lived. Aside from the different stones in the caves, what other novel things were there? No matter what it is, just tell me about it."

For a moment, Dashi couldn't quite figure out what she wanted to know. After pondering for a moment, he said, "The cave we lived in was there originally, and we lived in it for a very long time. The surroundings aren't as flat as where you live; there are many mountains and also a river. There are many fierce beasts in the mountains, so the tribe members didn't dare wander around randomly. Normally, we just huddled inside the cave, and when we were hungry, we'd go out to find something to eat."

"What did you eat?" Lin Yan asked curiously.

"Beast meat. If we were lucky, we could hunt a solitary beast; if we were unlucky, we'd go hungry. There's no comparing it to the life of your Sun Tribe."

After chatting for a while, Dashi left, as they were about to resume their march.

While packing up, Huohong remarked, "What's the use of talking to Dashi about those things? He can't explain it clearly anyway. Once we arrive at the place and take a look, won't we know everything?"

"Mother is right. I originally wanted to ask Dashi if there were any good things besides the iron ore where they lived, but now it seems Dashi doesn't know either."

"What could he possibly know? It's not even as good as our tribe used to be. We had a hard time back then, but we could still find food. Dashi and the others had it even more miserably; they had no harvest from hunting, and when they were hungry, they just had to tough it out. They were lucky too—once they reached Sun City, they wouldn't have to eat bloody raw meat anymore, and there would be other food..."

Listening to Huohong's chatter, Lin Yan found it hard to chime in; Dashi and the others were indeed fortunate.

Blue Star was nearby as well, preparing to pick Lin Yan up, "We are truly blessed to have Lin Yan here, otherwise we'd be living miserably too. Thinking back on those bitter days of the past, I really can't bear to imagine them."

"Lin Yan, how do you manage to come up with all these novel things? Will life get even better in the future?"

Lin Yan smiled, "Our expedition this time is precisely to live a better life. Once we find the iron ore, life will undergo a world-shaking transformation. Just wait and see."

"That's for sure. We all have confidence in you," Blue Star laughed heartily, scooped Lin Yan up into his arms, and set off on the road.

Over the past few days, they had encountered several more waves of fierce beasts—small herds of cattle and sheep. Because they were spotted early and evaded in time, there were no casualties.

Besides Paris polyphylla, Lin Yan discovered several other medicinal herbs, some for detoxification and others for stopping bleeding. She had Blue Star and the others identify the herbs, and whenever they encountered them, they gathered them, accumulating quite a substantial stash.

Fortunately, there were many people in the group, and carrying a small portion each meant it wasn't overly heavy.

After walking for another seven or eight days, crossing several small rivers, dodging several herds of beasts, and killing quite a few snakes and insects, some people were injured, but after using the herbal medicine, they all gradually recovered without any fatalities or injuries.

As the leader, Heitu felt immensely grateful in his heart for bringing Lin Yan along. Had it not been for her discovery of the medicinal herbs' magical uses, he shuddered to think how many casualties they would have suffered.

Five days ago, Lin Yan's contribution points had finally reached the required amount, and she eagerly unlocked Room 0105. True to expectation, the room was filled with books—just the ones she urgently needed.