Chapter 105: Heartache

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Heartache

Qiao Suluo ran off quickly.

Through the system, she had learned of a waterfall pool deep in the valley. The environment there was serene and secluded, ensuring she wouldn’t be seen or discovered. Besides, there were hardly any Beastmen out this late at night. The only reason she dared to go alone was because she had the system as a safety net. The system would protect her.

Meanwhile, Que Hongjin and the others watched Qiao Suluo’s rapidly retreating figure, lost in thought.

Chu Moyuan immediately noticed something was off. "The wife seems to be avoiding us."

Bai Qianluo’s aloof expression darkened. "If the wife wanted to wash up, the river is right over there. Why did she go deep into the valley?"

A dark ripple flashed across Que Hongjin’s eyes. "Something is definitely wrong. It’s getting dark, and the deep mountains are dangerous. We can’t let the wife risk going alone."

Que Hongjin knew better than anyone just how important Qiao Suluo was to him. He would absolutely not allow her to face even the slightest shred of danger.

Bai Qianluo said, "Since the wife doesn’t want us by her side, we will conceal our auras and follow her to protect her."

As for her washing up, they would respect her privacy and simply avert their eyes.

Blissfully unaware of all this, Qiao Suluo followed the system’s directions toward the pool. As she walked past a certain spot, the system suddenly exclaimed in excitement, "Host, wild medicinal herbs discovered! It is wild Chicken Blood Vine, which can be exchanged for points!"

Following the system’s excited prompt, Qiao Suluo used the light of her oil lamp and indeed found wild Chicken Blood Vine growing by the edge of the pool. She immediately exchanged it in the Space Mall, instantly gaining 1,200 points. Using these points, Qiao Suluo directly redeemed enough Weight Loss Pills to shed twelve pounds.

Soon, Qiao Suluo arrived at the edge of the pool. She glanced around the area; it was indeed very quiet, with no birds or beasts in sight. She took off her clothes and found a shallow spot to enter the water. She didn’t know how to swim yet, so she couldn’t venture into the deeper parts of the pool. Fortunately, the location the system found for her was quite nice. She treated it as if she were soaking in a hot spring.

After getting into the water, Qiao Suluo first took the Weight Loss Pills. In an instant, she lost exactly twelve pounds, bringing her weight down to one hundred and thirty-four pounds. This made Qiao Suluo extremely happy; she was desperate to slim down as quickly as possible.

However, the Space Mall did not accept ordinary wild herbs, so she still needed to find more precious ones. She thought of the rare herbs Gu Songlan had gathered, which the system had liked very much. She thought, "Will I have a chance to ask him where he picked those next time?" She wanted to tag along and gather some herself, at least enough to shed all her excess fat.

"I feel like my body is suddenly much lighter."

The system replied, "That is natural. Previously, the Host had a larger base weight, so losing ten pounds wouldn’t look or feel very obvious. But now that the base is smaller, losing ten pounds will make the Host feel lighter and reveal some bodily curves."

Qiao Suluo touched her waist and could indeed feel that it had shrunk significantly. She thought, "Given this figure of mine, the fact that Que Hongjin and Bai Qianluo are still willing to be with me must mean it’s true love."

Although it was spring, the water in the pool was still a bit cold. When a breeze blew past, Qiao Suluo couldn’t help but shiver. Not wasting any more time, she quickly took out the Detoxification Pill from her space and consumed it. This Detoxification Pill was quite large, designed to completely cure poison, and could not be swallowed in one go. She had to eat it bite by bite.

The elixir melted in her mouth. Although it didn’t taste very good, she didn’t care as long as it could completely detoxify her and restore her original skin.

Soon, it felt as though a fire had been ignited inside her body. A searing heat surged through her meridians and into every fiber of her being. Her body gradually began to ache, the pain escalating until she could barely endure it. Her face turned as pale as paper, and her entire body trembled as beads of sweat rolled down her cheeks.

"System, what’s going on? Why does the Detoxification Pill hurt so much? Haven’t I been detoxified before? I wasn’t this uncomfortable when half the poison was cleared."

The system explained, "Host, the residual toxins in your body are deeply rooted. A complete detoxification means expelling all the toxins and impurities from your body. This process is indeed a bit painful. However, once it’s done, the Host will have radiant and flawless skin, and your body will feel light and graceful. You will also emit a faint fragrance—not like perfume, but a very captivating natural body scent."

Hearing the system’s words, Qiao Suluo thought, "I have to grit my teeth and bear it." She desperately hoped to become beautiful and fragrant, presenting a wonderful image in front of the Beast Husbands she favored. That way, she wouldn’t feel like she was burdening them with her heavy weight whenever they carried or held her.

"WHIMPER..."

A pained whimper escaped Qiao Suluo’s lips. Her watery eyes were brimming with tears, but she desperately held them back. Her body continued to tremble, and the pain was so intense that her fingers dug tightly into the stones at the edge of the pool. She genuinely felt as though she had been plunged into magma, her meridians being scoured over and over again. Then, after the magma-like heat had washed through her body, she felt a surge of comforting energy fill her, only for it to be immediately followed by a freezing cold that seemed to encase her in ice.

The freezing sensation made Qiao Suluo feel a deep ache in her very bones. She truly hadn’t expected the elixir’s effects to be this fierce.

At this time, Qiao Suluo was completely unaware that Bai Qianluo and the other two were standing in a tree not far away, concealing their auras and figures to watch over her. She didn’t want them to know what she was doing, so they pretended not to know. But they also had no idea what she had just eaten to suddenly cause her such intense agony.

Watching Qiao Suluo writhe in unbearable pain, Que Hongjin felt an ache in his chest that nearly drove him mad. Bai Qianluo’s eyes turned red, and his fingers gripped the tree so tightly that he almost snapped the trunk.

Chu Moyuan began to shift into his true snake form, intending to rush over.

Que Hongjin immediately blocked him and said, "Don’t go."

Chu Moyuan gritted his teeth. "You guys might be able to bear it, but I can’t. Don’t you see how much pain she’s in?" For some reason, Chu Moyuan absolutely could not stand to see her in such agony.

Que Hongjin’s chest was hurting terribly as well. "The wife didn’t want us to follow her. If she finds out we came over rashly, she’ll be upset." He understood Qiao Suluo well. "The wife usually looks bright and cheerful, but in reality, she is quite sensitive."

Bai Qianluo said hoarsely, "We will pretend not to know the secrets the wife wants to keep from us.

"Furthermore, have you forgotten that the wife is afraid of snakes?

"Even though she’s a bit better about it now, what if you rush over like that and scare her?"

Though, truth be told, he also desperately wanted to go over and hold her. His heart ached too much, yet he restrained the impulse to run to her and embrace her. Going over right now would definitely be a shock, not a pleasant surprise.

Even so, they watched her unblinkingly, terrified that she might suddenly be unable to bear the pain and need them. Relying on the moonlight and their superpowers, they could clearly see the changes in her expression. They saw her entire body trembling, suppressing the cries her agony threatened to wring from her. She bit her lower lip so fiercely, trying with all her might not to make a sound.

How could she be so silly, yet so strong? Did she not know how to rely on them?

Que Hongjin’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and his face was exceedingly pale. As his Adam’s apple bobbed, a barely audible "A Luo" slipped past his lips. The end of the word was steeped in an unresolvable, aching tenderness, as if a hammer were repeatedly striking his heart.