Chapter 698: The Entire Family Got Poisoned

Byron Thorne sniffed the salted pork, his expression darkening. He said grimly, "This isn’t rat poison. It’s heartbreak grass. How did heartbreak grass get into the meat?"

The color drained from Felix Thorne and Phoebe Huxley’s faces. They both knew of heartbreak grass; plenty of it grew on the mountain. When foraging for pig fodder, one had to avoid it, as it was fatal to pigs. It was just as deadly to cattle and sheep, though they were usually smart enough to recognize poisonous plants and stay away.

"Someone did this on purpose. That son of a bitch! I hope they die a miserable death!" Phoebe Huxley cursed, but her forehead was slick with cold sweat.

If it weren’t for Dollar, her children would be dead now. She couldn’t even bear to imagine it; a cold chill ran down her spine.

"Dollar, thank you!"

Tang Xiaonan whispered, hugging Dollar. The dog licked her face, looking utterly exhausted. The effort of crawling over to them had drained all its strength.

Hearing it was Dollar who had warned them, Byron Thorne remarked, "Dogs are truly intuitive. We must treat Dollar well from now on. See that he lives out his days in comfort."

’He saved my eldest son’s entire family. He’s a true hero to the Thornes. We have to treat him well.’

Felix Thorne, however, was fraught with anxiety. "We have to report this to the police and find out who’s behind this. Otherwise, we won’t have a moment’s peace for the New Year."

’Our enemy is in the shadows, and we’re completely exposed. The New Year is just ten-odd days away. Who knows if they’ll try again? It’s impossible to guard against something like this. If we don’t find that bastard, we won’t have a moment of peace this holiday.’

"I’m going to go talk to your uncles about this."

Byron Thorne’s expression was grave. ’This can’t be taken lightly,’ he thought. ’That son of a bitch is trying to wipe out the entire Thorne family line.’

To be on the safe side, Byron Thorne sniffed every piece of salted pork to make sure they weren’t poisoned before heading out to find Shane Thorne and the others. But he had barely stepped outside when a blood-curdling scream pierced the air.

"Someone, help! Help me! Somebody, get over here! Linden! Victor!"

The shrill cry shattered the silence of Millstone Peak, startling the entire village. People began rushing toward Linden Golding’s home.

Byron Thorne hesitated for a moment before heading over as well. He had sworn off any contact with Linden Golding’s family, but with Phoenix Golding dead and Linden’s mother having lost her mind, he couldn’t just ignore it. ’We all live in the same village, after all,’ he thought, deciding to go and assess the situation.

"Get them to the clinic! What are you all standing around for?!" Jethro Golding bellowed.

"Jethro..."

Silas Golding was sobbing uncontrollably. He was the only one in his family who was alright. Linden Golding, his wife and three children, and Linden’s mother were all collapsed on the ground, groaning in agony. Linden’s mother was in the worst shape; black blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, her face was a deathly, bluish-white, and it looked as though she wouldn’t last much longer.

"What the hell are you crying for? Where’s our other brother? Tell him to bring the tractor around! We need to get them to the clinic, now!"

Jethro Golding had no patience for Silas Golding’s sniveling, but this was no time for a lecture. Saving them was what mattered. The village tractor, driven by Jethro’s own son, arrived a short time later, and everyone scrambled to carry the victims onto it.

"Make them drink soapy water first!"

Byron Thorne stepped forward to take charge. Lives were on the line; personal grudges would have to wait. Especially with three children involved, he couldn’t bring himself to just stand by and watch.

Jethro Golding breathed a sigh of relief and shot Byron a grateful look before ordering his fellow Golding clansmen to prepare the soapy water.

Under Byron Thorne’s direction, everyone worked together to make the victims drink the soapy water. Soon, they were vomiting up their dinner, leaving a disgusting mess on the ground and filling the air with a sour, putrid stench.

It seemed to be working, however. Linden Golding and his family’s agony lessened somewhat. But Linden’s mother was still doing poorly. She had fallen unconscious, and they couldn’t get any of the soapy water down her throat.