When the exiles saw Su Niyue and her sister-in-law return from the woods with plentiful harvests, they followed suit—picking mushrooms and trying to catch wild rabbits. Some mushrooms had been stepped on and cooked, but after eating them, things started to feel… off.
An elderly woman who drank the mushroom soup suddenly began wailing like a banshee, scaring the children nearby into trembling.
A man who had shared the soup kept kowtowing to the woman, blood streaming from his forehead, muttering, “Supreme Lord, please spare me…”
Meanwhile, a middle-aged man sang while stripping off his clothes, behaving strangely, as several others acted erratically.
People around shouted, “They’re possessed! Evil spirits are after us!” Chaos erupted throughout the camp.
Su Niyue exchanged a glance with Nangong Yunqi and then walked toward the affected group. Liu, the head laborer, was sweating profusely and had organized a few assistants to subdue them. Su Niyue didn’t say a word, crouching by the pot they had used to cook.
Soon, the group was restrained and tied up.
“Young lady of the Nangong family, did you suspect their food?” Liu asked.
“Yes. They ate poisonous mushrooms,” Su Niyue said, picking up a small leftover mushroom with a twig. “These mushrooms aren’t deadly, but they cause hallucinations and bring out a person’s deepest fears.”
At Su Niyue’s explanation, the exiles relaxed. “So that’s why they went crazy!”
The laborers were speechless.
“See? Only they acted like this!” The elderly woman’s family had borrowed her ceramic pot to cook mushrooms for others who had no pots. The soup wasn’t even finished before several people started showing symptoms.
“Can you cure them, young lady?” Liu asked, now fully respectful toward Su Niyue.
“Yes. There are herbs in the woods—I’ll gather them,” she said.
“Do you need me to send someone to help?”
“No need, my sister-in-law can help me. She’s familiar with these herbs.”
“Very well, thank you, young lady!”
“You’re welcome.” Su Niyue beckoned to Nangong Yunran, and the two entered the woods.
“Sister-in-law, how did you know there’d be antidotes in the woods?” Yunran asked.
“This is nature’s gift. The world contains poisonous mushrooms, yes, but nearby there are always herbs that can counteract them. Remember: any poisonous plant will have an antidote within a hundred steps.”
“I’ll remember!”
“You must study herbal medicine thoroughly. The effects of herbs are complex—too much, too little, or missing a single ingredient can be life-threatening.”
“I understand, sister-in-law!”
Quickly, they gathered the herbs. Liu had already prepared a pot of boiling water. Su Niyue added the herbs, simmered for a quarter-hour, cooled it, and administered it to the affected exiles. Her movements were smooth and natural, completely unlike a pampered young lady from a wealthy household.
Once the exiles regained consciousness, they profusely thanked her. Su Niyue smiled and left with Yunran. Yunran’s admiration for her sister-in-law had deepened.
No sooner had they returned to their spots than a man and woman carrying a five- or six-year-old child knelt before Su Niyue.
“Please, miss, save my child!”
“Stand up and speak!” Su Niyue disliked unnecessary kneeling rituals and helped the woman up.
“My child has had a high fever since last night and is now incoherent!” the woman sobbed.
“Let me see.” Su Niyue examined the child’s pulse and felt his forehead. “He has heatstroke. Remove his outer garments to cool him down.”
The parents removed the outer layer, but the child was still wearing another layer. Su Niyue frowned. “It’s this hot—just a simple undershirt is enough! Are formalities more important than the child’s life? If you’d delayed any longer, you’d have to cover him with blankets!”
The man looked ashamed; the woman pale as a sheet.
Su Niyue then retrieved a pack of Huoxiang Zhengqi soft capsules from her space, poured them into a ceramic bottle, and gave them with her water pouch to the child. “Take one in the morning, noon, and evening for three days. After this, he’ll be fine. Do not overdress him again.”
“Thank you, Miss Su!” The woman’s tears fell freely.
“Make sure he drinks plenty of water. Don’t hold him too much—let him cool down!”
“Thank you, Miss Su!” The man bowed deeply, and the woman glared at him before kowtowing to Su Niyue herself.
Caught off guard, Su Niyue received this gesture silently.
After leaving, Ruan Mingyu sighed. “That man must be a scholar. Scholars care too much about appearances and decorum.”
“Now look at them—they cling to their pride, but the child suffers!” the old madam scolded.
Su Niyue handed out a few more soft capsules for prevention. “Take one each to prevent heatstroke. Don’t wait until it’s too late.”
Ruan Mingyu continued eyeing Su Niyue’s seemingly endless bag of supplies. Though curious, she trusted Su Niyue would never harm them and didn’t ask further.
Liu, after settling the exiles, approached Su Niyue. “Young lady of the Nangong family, thank you. Luckily, you know medicine—otherwise, our journey would have been delayed. Exiles must reach the destination by a set date, or the escorts face punishment.”
“You flatter me, sir. The exile journey is arduous; only by helping each other can it go smoothly,” Su Niyue said, implying she wasn’t acting purely out of kindness.
Liu fully understood—medical treatment even in normal times required payment; in these remote areas, waiting for a doctor would have been too late.
“The next stop is Qingshui Town. We’ll stay at the inn tonight. Tomorrow morning, Sanhu and the others will go into town to resupply. Young lady, if there’s anything you need, tell Sanhu and he’ll bring it back for you.”
Su Niyue’s eyes lit up. “Wonderful! I have so many things to buy. Could I go with Sanhu and the others?”
“Uh…” Liu hesitated.