Sure enough, when Zhu Yu asked, Mu Hong nodded repeatedly without hesitation, "Yes, I was also thinking of stealing a bit of it, but they guard the antidote even more strictly than the incense. I had no chance to make a move."

"So, do you know the recipe for the antidote?"

"I do. Although I haven’t personally prepared it, my father repeatedly instructed me before his death to remember how to prepare it and what is needed clearly, no matter what," Mu Hong nodded, "I guess if I hadn’t feigned death and sneaked through, perhaps they would’ve silenced me."

Before my father’s death, he told me that these harmful things, whether the incense or the antidote, must be remembered clearly. Otherwise, if one day someone wants to stop them from doing evil but lacks the antidote, everything would be in vain."

"So, as long as you find the necessary herbs or incense, you can concoct an effective antidote?" Although Mu Hong spoke confidently, Lu Qing still confirmed with a doubting attitude.

"Of course I can!" Mu Hong’s answer was still very firm, "Those people were afraid the antidote my father prepared would be ineffective. They specifically caught someone from the village, made him take the antidote, and locked him in a fumigated room for over an hour. Seeing he was alright, they observed him for two more days with no issues, and only then were they relieved.

So I am very confident that my father’s antidote is absolutely without problems.

The recipe is etched in my mind, and as long as there are enough ingredients, I can definitely make the exact same thing!"

Lu Qing nodded in satisfaction and said nothing more.

In the remaining time, Lu Qing and the rune barely talked to Mu Hong, while Zhu Yu, curious about the art of incense, engaged Mu Hong in conversations about the choice and making of spices.

Though Zhu Yu asked purely out of curiosity, the willingness to chat about those well-known topics brought a sense of being alive and joy to Mu Hong, who had lived like a "living dead" for over twenty years, as he shared everything openly.

The two chatted back and forth for half a day until darkness was about to fall, and noises were vaguely heard outside.

Mu Hong, perhaps due to long, quiet hiding, developed an animal-like alertness and heard the faint noises outside simultaneously with the rune and Lu Qing.

He jumped from the ground in shock and darted into the underground passage, vanishing into the darkness.

The rune also immediately got up upon hearing the noise, stealthily and silently like a cat, approached the window, and peeked outside through the gaps in the wooden boards.

Lu Qing, however, sat there motionless, showing not a hint of tension, as if expecting nothing dangerous would occur.

The rune took a careful look outside and turned to Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, "Fu Lu is back with the items. I’ll go meet him."

With that, he opened the door a crack and slipped out swiftly, walking away quickly.

A while later, the two brothers entered from outside, carrying many items in their hands and on their shoulders.

Zhu Yu was surprised to see so many things, with the brothers sharing the load, making it a considerable amount. The guesthouse owner’s directions were far away, making her wonder how Fu Lu managed to haul all these items back.

"Did you get all of this by yourself?" She stood up to meet them, asking in astonishment.

Fu Lu, hearing Zhu Yu’s question, obviously had his explanation.

He dumped all the items onto the ground and patted his chest, "Don’t worry, Second Master! Though many, I didn’t buy them all at once.

I split it into several purchases from different places, not buying too much at any one place to avoid arousing curiosity, which would lead to questions that would require lies to dismiss.

Each time I bought something, I hid it in the woods outside town, then returned to another shop, repeating this many times to accumulate all these items, ensuring that the townspeople grew no suspicious."

The Rune also glanced at the pile of items on the ground, "The master asked you to buy hoes, why did you buy so many hoe heads?"

"If I had bought the wooden handles too, how could I have managed to bring them back?" Fu Lu spread his hands, "Even if I could carry them, being seen with them would draw unwanted attention!

This place is nestled within the mountains, surrounded by countless trees of all sizes.

If we take the hoe heads I’ve brought, we can spend a few days finding some sturdy, appropriately sized branches or sticks in the area and carve them ourselves!"

Though Zhu Yu was initially amazed at how Fu Lu managed all these items, after hearing his explanation, she couldn’t help but admire his sharpness amidst what appeared clumsy.

After unloading everything, Fu Lu, like presenting a treasure, pulled out two large lotus leaf parcels from his chest.

Immediately, the aroma of roasted meat filled the room, which was not particularly spacious.

"Second Master, that town is indeed much more bustling and prosperous than where we stopped earlier. I saw a deli selling ready-made roast chicken and rabbit.

The aroma was irresistible, and since your recent meals have not been particularly appetizing, always just making do, and there were no snack shops in the town, I bought a chicken and a rabbit for you to enjoy!"

Whether it was Fu Lu’s booming voice from outside or the tempting scent wafting from the lotus leaf parcels that assured it wasn’t an outsider, Mu Hong cautiously emerged from the tunnel, confirming it was indeed Fu Lu, but didn’t dare come too close, just watched the room suddenly filled with so many items, seemingly bewildered.

"There’s no rush in eating. Let’s move everything downstairs first." Zhu Yu smiled gratefully at Fu Lu, glanced at the sky outside, and pointed to the tunnel Mu Hong had just emerged from, "Otherwise, if we delay any longer, it’ll be completely dark, and we’ll see nothing."

The rune and Fu Lu promptly acknowledged the sense in this.

"Fu Lu, you must be tired after coming all this way. Don’t worry about the items; I’ll carry them while you go down and make a torch so we can at least have some light!" the Rune said to Fu Lu.

Fu Lu agreed readily, dug out some tung oil and other items from the heap, and quickly walked into the dark passage.