Mu Anxiao's fainting spell had thoroughly frightened them.
Immediately, the man in the straw hat lowered his head, looking at Mu Anxiao, who had suddenly collapsed, with confusion. He muttered, "So she fainted just like that." Then, he turned back to look at She Ning, who was clearly surprised.
She Ning, having inadvertently overheard the man in the straw hat's mutterings, asked, "You didn't knock her out, did you?" He glanced at the bow and arrow in the man's hand.
Similarly, the man in the straw hat looked at the bow and arrow in his hand. "I just didn't want her to talk nonsense, so I tapped her lightly," he said, frowning. "Besides, I don't think I have that kind of power."
"This..." She Ning said, then looked down at the pill in his hand, hesitating.
At the same time, Zhao Xiang grew suspicious of the man in the straw hat's actions. "You're the one who knocked her out, aren't you?"
Upon hearing Zhao Xiang's words, She Ning immediately turned his head towards Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang, oblivious to She Ning's gaze, continued to stare across at the man in the straw hat, whom he found surprisingly familiar. "You look familiar," he said, not making any sudden moves, but remaining rooted to his spot.
Subsequently, the man in the straw hat shifted his gaze to Zhao Xiang's face. "You don't look very smart, but I didn't expect you to be someone who uses their head," he chuckled.
"What exactly did you do to her?" Zhao Xiang knew that at this stage, Mu Anxiao was the only one who could help him. If anything were to happen to her, it would be detrimental to him. Thus, he decided to uncover the identity of the man in the straw hat for Mu Anxiao.
Unexpectedly, as Zhao Xiang asked the question, the man in the straw hat stopped laughing and directly shifted his gaze back to She Ning. "If you're not going to eat it, then give it back to me. But," he glanced at the pill, "I'll say this upfront: if you don't, you'll lose your spiritual energy from this severe injury and gradually die."
"You..." She Ning began to speak but stopped, clearly startled by the man in the straw hat's warning.
The moment the man in the straw hat uttered those words, Zhao Xiang frowned. "Are you a good person or a bad person?"
"Good person, bad person, whatever you think I am, that's what I am," the man in the straw hat replied, glancing at Zhao Xiang. "In any case, I won't harm you, that's for sure."
"Harm us? Besides, you're just a person, aren't you?"
"I have a master," the man in the straw hat said coldly.
Zhao Xiang was rendered speechless.
After a moment, She Ning continued to stare at the man in the straw hat opposite him and asked, "You're not lying to me, are you?"
"Do you think she's dead?" the man in the straw hat suddenly countered, asking She Ning.
She Ning couldn't understand what the man in the straw hat meant and was completely bewildered.
The man in the straw hat had anticipated She Ning's reaction and thus pointed to the pill. "Eat it quickly. If I wanted to harm you, I would have already."
"You..."
"She's fine, I just knocked her out," the man in the straw hat admitted.
Zhao Xiang's eyes deepened. "Why did you do that?"
"You're Ouyang Ye's subordinate, aren't you?" the man in the straw hat suddenly said.
"..." Zhao Xiang was stunned.
The man in the straw hat snorted lightly. "I know that person. You carry his aura," he said, narrowing his eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, you're looking for someone."
"..." Zhao Xiang nodded slightly. He was truly taken aback by the man in the straw hat's sudden actions and words.
"It's inconvenient for me to reveal my identity. Also... I'll help you as much as I can. Don't ask too many questions," the man in the straw hat added.
Zhao Xiang gathered his courage and asked, "Can you tell me your name?"
"No," the man in the straw hat refused outright.
Zhao Xiang's expression stiffened. "Why?" he asked, clearly displeased by the abrupt refusal.
The man in the straw hat replied, "No reason. Just think of me as a passerby. Also," he became serious, "I believe you are an intelligent person."
"You knocked her out because you found her too talkative," Zhao Xiang realized, a spark of inspiration in his eyes.
".." The man in the straw hat remained silent, simply staring intently at Zhao Xiang's face.
Seeing the man in the straw hat's silence, Zhao Xiang immediately dismissed his extraneous thoughts and turned to the still hesitant She Ning. "Eat it. He's not lying to you."
Upon hearing this, She Ning glanced at Zhao Xiang and, without further thought, directly popped the pill into his mouth.
The next second, the pill's bitterness instantly spread throughout She Ning's mouth. Along with the nauseating bitterness, his expression contorted. Clenching his fists, a surge of warmth rushed to his chest. He felt as if his entire body was being released, a sense of comfort washing over him.
Following this, Zhao Xiang watched in astonishment as She Ning's wounds healed. Witnessing this, his eyes widened in amazement. "This is truly a divine medicine." Saying this, he quickly turned to look at the man in the straw hat.
"Why are you looking at me?" the man in the straw hat asked.
Zhao Xiang's heart stirred. "I'm injured too. Can I..."
"This is an immortal elixir," the man in the straw hat interrupted.
Zhao Xiang didn't quite grasp the man in the straw hat's meaning. "I know it's an immortal elixir. In fact, I was injured just now. If it's possible, could you give me one? I want to be like this too." As he spoke, he loosened his grip and started to walk towards the man in the straw hat.
Unexpectedly, as Zhao Xiang stepped towards him, the man in the straw hat growled, "Stop."
Hearing this, Zhao Xiang halted. He was startled by the man in the straw hat's demeanor.
Seeing this, the man in the straw hat said, "You know who you are. That immortal elixir is only for deities, not some miracle drug. If you want to eat it," he chuckled lightly, "it's fine, but you should be prepared to die."
"What?"
"Meaning, the energy within this pill far exceeds the energy within your body. If you consume it, it will have the opposite effect, causing you to bleed from all seven orifices and die. To put it bluntly," the man in the straw hat said, "I wouldn't dare to eat this medicine myself."
"..." Zhao Xiang hesitated.
The man in the straw hat added, "If you want to eat it, I'll give you another one. Do you want it?" As he spoke, he began to approach Zhao Xiang.
Zhao Xiang, seeing this, flinched in surprise. "I was just kidding. I understand the principle of not eating things carelessly," he said, waving his hand.
Just then, She Ning cupped his hands together and said to the man in the straw hat, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the man in the straw hat said, briefly glancing at She Ning before continuing to stare at Zhao Xiang. "Do you still want to eat it?" he teased Zhao Xiang intentionally.
Zhao Xiang quickly waved his hands.
Seeing Zhao Xiang's reaction, the man in the straw hat chuckled ungraciously. "You stinky brat, you sure value your life." Saying this, he walked towards Mu Anxiao.
Zhao Xiang saw this and quickly said, "Um, what are you going to do?" He was once again perplexed by the man in the straw hat's actions.