Chapter 400: Is It Him?

Chapter 400: Is It Him?

Su Mo spent the day amidst the surrounding voices of surprise or regret.

By evening, just as he was hesitating whether to leave, he heard footsteps departing ahead of him.

Listening closely, he recognized them as belonging to the physicians from other caves.

He then understood that while this medical scripture might have a captivating effect on the mind, it clearly did not take hold easily.

It might take a few days of reading before it had any effect.

Reassured, he stood up and followed the crowd out.

However, glancing around, he noticed that the departing physicians all wore heavy expressions.

Some were delighted, some solemn, some felt they had discovered a treasure, while others were deeply troubled...

Clearly, regardless of whether they had been captivated by the medical scripture today,

they all had gained something different.

Perhaps the only one who had gained nothing from the medical scripture was Su Mo himself.

But he was not bothered by this. After exchanging pleasantries with the Longmu Island disciple at the entrance, he left.

The Longmu Island disciple respectfully escorted him away.

Then, in a hurry, returned to the cave to check inside.

He wanted to see if this physician had made any progress today.

But all he found were vague, contradictory phrases scrawled across the page.

The longer he stared at it, the more his head hurt...

It made even less sense than the medical classic.

For a second, he was furious—was this guy just pulling their leg?

But then again, maybe there was something deeper to it?

He decided not to dismiss it outright. Grabbing a fresh sheet from the writing desk, he copied every word, slogging through until his vision blurred.

He figured he’d show it to the island’s big shots—maybe they could crack the code.

What he didn’t know? Su Mo had just been doodling nonsense to kill time.

Worse, he’d intentionally mimicked the medical classic’s cryptic style.

So of course it looked just as baffling.

The poor Dragonwood Island disciple, clueless, copied it word for word—no wonder his brain was fried.

……

……

Su Mo was clueless about the chaos he’d left behind.

After returning to the courtyard of their residence, Yang Xiaoyun, Zhen Xiaoxiao, Little Situ, and Wei Ziyi were all there.

However, they were gathered in the courtyard, listening to Shi Cheng speak.

Shi Cheng was talking animatedly:

"Today, you all missed out on quite the spectacle, spending the day idly in the courtyard.

"The dueling stage, on the other hand, was incredibly lively.

"Various martial arts masters displayed their skills, and after a day of watching, I've learned so much—I even feel my inner strength and martial skills have improved."

He paused briefly here, as if struck by a thought, then added:

"Oh, you probably don’t know yet, right?

"Anyone who competes or even just spectates is served a bowl of bone broth at lunch.

"It’s said this broth is brewed using a secret method from Dragon-Tree Island.

"Brewed with many rare medicinal herbs, it gradually strengthens bones and talent.

"Most importantly, it’s unbelievably good—seriously, just... really tasty."

Fumbling for words toward the end, he finally settled on calling it "tasty."

Su Mo, standing in the courtyard, was spotted by Yang Xiaoyun at this point, who immediately called out:

"Husband."

Su Mo smiled: "Shi Cheng, you joined the Island Master trials today? It’s already at the combat round this fast?"

"Ah, Brother Su!"

Shi Cheng turned and saw Su Mo, quickly greeting him with a smile:

"Well, to be honest, becoming Island Master? I wouldn’t dare dream of it!

"But since there’s such an opportunity to cross fists with top fighters from across the South Sea and sharpen my skills,

"no way I’d miss that, right?

"Brother Su, you didn’t join the trials today?

"The ‘heart’ and ‘strategy’ tests were a breeze.

"They finished before noon.

"So, the fights kicked off right after."

"I see."

Su Mo nodded and said, "To be honest, I practice medicine, so I went to the Scripture Cave instead today."

Shi Cheng blinked in surprise, then quickly clasped his hands respectfully:

"Wait, you’re a doctor? My bad for not realizing!"

"No need, no need."

After some casual small talk, footsteps sounded from behind.

It was the Dragonwood Island disciples bringing food.

Shi Cheng's eyes lit up eagerly as he glanced at the food they carried, but after a quick search, his face fell in disappointment.

"Where's the Bone Broth?" he asked regretfully.

"Our apologies, honored guest," one of the Dragonwood Island disciples quickly replied.

"The Bone Broth is reserved for guests participating in the Island Master selection, served only during the midday meal at the training grounds to help with fatigue from the competition.

"Since it's evening now, it is not prepared.

"However, if you still wish to have some, I can request the kitchen to prepare a special bowl for you."

"Well..."

Shi Cheng scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"Then I'd be grateful."

After speaking, he glanced at Su Mo and the others, his face slightly flushed.

"To be honest, I'm not usually a big eater, but this Bone Broth is truly exquisite.

"I couldn’t resist the craving—please don't mind me."

"Ha ha ha!"

Su Mo chuckled. "Brother Shi, no need for that. When it comes to fine food and drink, I can hardly resist either.

"Unfortunately, since we didn’t participate in the Island Master selection, I wonder if we'll get to taste it?"

As he spoke, he looked at the disciple delivering the meal.

The disciple promptly responded,

"You're too kind, honored guest. If you wish to have some, we'd be happy to. Just a moment please—we’ll return shortly."

"Good, thank you."

Su Mo cupped his hands in thanks.

After the disciples left, he said their goodbyes with Shi Cheng before leading his companions back to their room.

"Is there something special about this Bone Broth?"

Yang Xiaoyun asked Su Mo as soon as she sat down.

Su Mo nodded slightly. "But we don't know the details yet. When they bring some over, Little Situ, could you examine it?"

"Of course."

Little Situ nodded right away.

"Eldest Brother Su, did you learn anything from studying the scriptures today?"

With no outsiders around, Su Mo gave a quick rundown of what he'd seen that day.

Finally, he said, "So tonight, Little Situ, I'm afraid you'll need to come with me."

Upon hearing this, Little Situ lit up: "Alright!"

Just as the conversation reached this point, the disciple sent to get the Bone Broth returned.

The tray in their hands now carried several bowls of steaming hot soup.

Wei Ziyi went to take them, but the disciples of Longmu Island hung back, unwilling to leave.

Standing there, they said:

"Everyone, this Bone Broth should be drunk hot.

"Only then can one really taste it right.

"It's absolutely delicious.

"Why not try some now?"

Su Mo glanced at them, his eyebrows lifting slightly:

"We don't like being watched while we eat."

"Then we shall take our leave."

Without another word, they turned and left.

Su Mo and the others looked at each other before simultaneously looking at Little Situ.

Little Situ bent over the bowls of soup, carefully examining them. After a moment, however, she frowned:

"There are a few different herbs mixed in, but this wouldn't be enough to poison anyone... Yet the behavior of those people just now seemed rather odd."

Su Mo nodded, then walked to a corner of the room.

In the corner stood a large wooden chest.

Normally, it was used to store personal belongings, but Su Mo thought the chest would work perfectly for another purpose.

Opening it, they found a man curled up inside.

His face was pale, and he was out cold.

Su Mo gave a quick tap, and the man abruptly opened his eyes, shooting Su Mo a furious glare:

"You... locking me in here was bad enough, but you even hit my pressure point to knock me out?"

Su Mo smiled:

"This is the bedroom of our escort agency's unmarried girl. Letting an unmarried young lady be in the same room with a man like you—

"is already an unavoidable compromise given our current circumstances.

"Naturally, we can't let you remain overly conscious, or else wouldn't that look bad?

"So, Senior, please forgive us..."

“……Hmph.”

The Sick Prince couldn't be troubled to argue further.

Though his exchange with Su Mo had only been a few sentences, he already knew this man wore honesty like a mask but was venomously cunning.

When it came to schemes and stratagems, he was certainly no less than himself.

His words dripped honey, yet his deeds were merciless.

His heart was iron-clad—no amount of begging or groveling from others could change his mind.

With a mirthless chuckle, he simply asked:

"Now that you've roused me, what is it?"

"Please partake of this soup, Senior."

"?"

The Sick Prince's face showed utter confusion, only to see Su Mo already holding a bowl of soup in his hand. He shot Su Mo a glance:

"What devilry have you put in this soup?"

"I'm already poisoned beyond remedy—even if you feed me more poison to kill me, what purpose would it serve?"

"Senior misunderstands."

Su Mo sighed:

"In truth, confining you here troubles my conscience greatly."

"Each time it comes to mind, I feel uneasy."

"And remembering that you've had neither food nor water since arriving, I've brought this soup for your refreshment."

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled the Sick Prince up from the box, seating him inside it.

The Sick Prince listened to Su Mo's words, dismissing them as empty lies—yet he still opened his mouth:

"Fine."

He was utterly in their power now. Whether he struggled or not, what difference would it make?

Beyond displaying weakness, there was no meaning to it.

To spare himself further humiliation, he simply opened his mouth to save the trouble.

Su Mo nodded and poured the bowl of Bone Broth into his mouth.

The loud glugging of his throat echoed as he finished the entire bowl in a few swallows.

Then all watched for what might follow.

The Sick Prince smacked his lips:

"The flavor is somewhat bland—what kind of soup is this?"

"Huh?"

Su Mo blinked in surprise. "Shouldn't it be delicious?"

"Good?"

Sick Prince arched a brow. "This soup tastes pretty plain... but yeah, it's good."

His voice held a hint of mockery at first, but then suddenly shifted midway.

Then he smacked his lips appreciatively:

"Delicious, truly delicious.

"How's this so damn good?

"What exactly is this soup?"

"Bone Broth."

Su Mo glanced at him and instinctively looked toward Little Situ.

Without a word, Little Situ reached out to take Sick Prince's pulse and checked his eyes.

For a moment, her brows furrowed tightly. "This is the effect of Soul Loss Powder, but... this can't be right..."

She turned to look at the other bowls of soup on the table.

With a wave of her hand, a bowl flew into her grasp.

After another inspection, her frown deepened:

"The main ingredient of Soul Loss Powder is datura, but this bowl contains none of it.

"Not only that, some key ingredients are also missing.

"How could it produce the effects of Soul Loss Powder?

"What's really in this stuff?"

"Perhaps it's the ghost vine," Su Mo said quietly. "But what is Soul Loss Powder?"

"A drug that turns people into puppets," Little Situ explained. "Even in our Xuanhu Pavilion, this formula is forbidden. After consumption, it zaps your free will, making them obey any command.

"They'll do whatever you say.

"So, Eldest Brother Su, when you said earlier that the Bone Broth was delicious, Sick Prince heard it.

"At first, he ignored it, but as the drug took effect, he started believing it completely.

"However, unlike typical cases, where victims of Soul Loss Powder become zombies,

"Sick Prince acts completely normal except for this one phrase—'delicious.'"

"Wait - does this mean Shi Cheng's already poisoned?"

Wei Ziyi's expression darkened: "Not just him, but everyone who participated in the Island Master Selection today and drank this Bone Broth has been poisoned."

"This is probably the reason why the people on the island are unwilling to leave."

After thinking for a moment, Su Mo took out a piece of paper from his pocket, which also recorded a pill recipe.

He handed it to Little Situ Taoist to examine.

After reading it, Little Situ Taoist froze in shock: "Where did this come from?"

"They call this pill the Good Thought Pill."

"It's said that after taking it, it aids thinking, like having divine help."

"What's wrong with this recipe?"

"Several of the ingredients are identical to those in the Bone Broth."

"However, just looking at the ingredients, there doesn’t seem to be any harm."

"Moreover, it indeed has the effect of sharpening the mind, but as for aiding thinking... that might not necessarily be true."

Little Situ Taoist knit her brows tightly: "But if the pill is refined according to the method, it shouldn’t lead to a loss of mind."

"Yet, if one is already obsessed with deciphering the Medical Classic, with no time for anything else, and relies on the hands of the Dragonwood Islanders to refine the so-called Good Thought Pill, what if other things are mixed in?"

Su Mo glanced at Sick Prince: "For example, Ghost Vine? Or other strange plants grown by that thing?"

Hearing this, everyone fell silent.

"Nothing on this island is safe to eat."

Yang Xiaoyun sighed after a long silence: "Some of these things are things even Little Situ Taoist can’t detect."

"This isn't about medical skill—it’s truly impossible to guard against."

She looked at the remaining Bone Broth:

"What about this leftover broth?"

"I...I want to drink it."

Hearing this, Sick Prince couldn’t help but speak up:

"Please, let me drink it."

"..."

Everyone fell silent. Even Su Mo couldn't help but raised an eyebrow:

"Senior, we've been completely honest with you just now. There's something fishy about this broth."

"More of it won't help you..."

"No matter."

Sick Prince quickly shook his head: "Such a delicacy shouldn't go to waste. True or not, it doesn't matter. What matters is... all I know is right now, I simply believe it’s the greatest delicacy on earth."

Su Mo glanced at Little Situ.

Little Situ shrugged:

"He is already plagued by every poison imaginable, beyond saving. Drinking a bit more won't hurt.

"But when it comes to the Ghost Vine's effects, I still know nothing.

"Who knows what changes might come after he drinks these bowls of broth?"

"Well, we can give it a try."

Su Mo simply handed all the bowls of broth to Sick Prince.

Each time he finished a bowl, he would zone out for a moment.

That brief moment was the perfect time to implant new ideas in his mind.

Once these thoughts were instilled, he would fully accept them—

and cling to them unshakably.

When Su Mo told him that he lived inside the box,

his body, sitting within the box, relaxed as never before.

Su Mo then told him that he was Little Situ's human trial subject, meant to assist her in trying various herbs on his body—and he believed it.

Finally, Su Mo said that the Five Transformations Demonic Art had been taught to him by Su Mo and now needed to be taken back.

Sick Prince wrinkled his brow in dismay, as the manual for the Five Transformations Demonic Art he'd long since burned.

Left with no choice, he recited all the internal cultivation techniques of the Five Transformations Demonic Art from memory, making a half-hearted 'return.'

Su Mo carefully studied the manual he recited, confirmed it was genuine, and sighed:

"It seems Sick Prince has truly fallen under the spell of this Bone Broth."

Only then did the group understand that Su Mo wasn't after the Five Transformations Demonic Art.

Rather, because the Five Transformations Demonic Art was Sick Prince's martial foundation, if he'd give up even this, it proved that the Soul Loss Powder in the Bone Broth was indeed effective.

Sick Prince was not feigning madness.

Yet despite this, Su Mo still pressure-pointed him in the end, letting him continue to sleep peacefully in the box.

Later, the group ate some food Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao had brought from the ship before resting for the night.

However, Zhou Wenjing, Cheng Suying, and their third companion failed to return that evening.

As midnight drew near.

Su Mo rose from the bed, and after Yang Xiaoyun warned him to stay safe, he vanished through the window.

In the blink of an eye, he arrived at Little Situ's room.

Little Situ was also geared up and ready.

But upon seeing Su Mo, a faint blush colored her cheeks.

"Thanks, Eldest Brother Su..."

"No trouble."

Su Mo carried her on his back, and under the gaze of the four cardinal ladies—East, West, South, and North, the two left the room, vanishing into the night.

Moving lightly, swift as the wind.

Even carrying someone, Su Mo didn’t slow down at all.

As they hurried toward the back mountain, before they arrived, shouts erupted from the back mountain.

"Who dares break into the Scripture Cave?"

Su Mo and Little Situ Taoist shared a startled glance, then quickened their pace.

As they reached the spot, they saw a figure in black, darting through the air, occasionally turning back to strike.

The figure emerged from the back mountain, melting into the night.

Behind them, a group of disciples from Dragonwood Island chased, yelling for blood.

Lurking in the shadows, Su Mo was about to lead Little Situ Taoist into the Scripture Cave while the entrance was unguarded.

But at that moment, a figure swept into view.

Scanning the darkness to confirm no one was around, the figure stepped into the Scripture Cave ahead of them.

This person wore plain robes, held a jade flute, and on their face—a jade mask!

"It's him?"