Chapter 2127 Testing the Poison
At the base of the mountain…
Military tents were already set up, dotting the snowy ground with patches of green, like small flowers blooming in the frost.
Mackenzie had just stepped into one of the tents when Libby stumbled in after her, her face full of panic.
“Mackenzie, has Mr. Quintus gone in yet?”
“He has,” Mackenzie replied.
Then, she quickly moved to steady Libby, who could barely stand. “Libby, you’ve been malnourished for too long. Your body is far too fragile for a place like this You shouldn’t have come.”
Behind them, Claudette and Laura entered the tent. Neither of them seemed to agree with Mackenzie’s
assessment.
Malnourished? How could a woman who’s malnourished have a chest like that?
“I want to save my sister! If I don’t go in, how will Mr. Quintus know which one is her?” Libby asked anxiously.
“Don’t worry,” Mackenzie reassured her with a serious tone. “If your sister is alive, we will save her. We’ll rescue every innocent person before we blow the Serpent King’s hideout to bits.”
Libby nodded, though her worry for Quintus‘ safety was still evident.
However, Mackenzie didn’t have time to share her concerns. She immediately called Rhett and Anna into the tent.
“Rhett, quickly issue an order,” Mackenzie instructed. “Everyone must carry a gas mask at all times! But those patrolling outside shouldn’t wear one.”
Her command confused everyone.
Anna couldn’t help but ask, “Your Holiness, why such an arrangement?”
“This was Magnus‘ advice before he went in,” Mackenzie explained with a calm smile. “He didn’t go into detail, but I understand why.”
As she spoke, her eyes met Rhett’s.
Rhett immediately understood her meaning and followed up, “But what if the poison is too potent for us to counteract? What then?”
Anna also caught on. Mackenzie had anticipated that someone might seize this opportunity to attack them.
As for who the attackers might be?
It had to be the four envoys planning to assassinate her.
Mackenzie frowned slightly and said, “That’s exactly what worries me. Someone has to test the poison. Otherwise, we can’t determine whether the enemy has hade their move. But using too many testers risks losing control of the situation.
“Your Holiness, based on what I know about Aora, he favors poisons that weaken rather than kill outright. The weaker a person’s constitution, the faster the symptoms appear.”
Rhett continued, “So, we should send those with lower ultivation levels to patrol. They’d be the quickest to detect poison in the air.”
“That’s a solid plan!”
Anna agreed. “Early detection allows for a quicker response, which minimizes collective losses. Plus, if someone with weaker abilities is poisoned, it won’t hurt our overall combat strength as much.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“But among the dozens of us here, who has the weakest constitution?”
At Anna’s question, all eyes instinctively turned to Libby.
Out of the sixty or so people, it was abundantly clear who was the strongest–and who was the weakest.
“No way!”
Claudette immediately protested on Libby’s behalf. “Libby’s constitution is far too weak. She can barely stay healthy in these conditions Sending her out to patrol is basically a death sentence.”
The group collectively agreed. There was no need to put a delicate young woman on such a dangerous
task.
But Libby surprised them all by stepping forward and volunteering. “Mackenzie, I can do it! Let me patrol and test the poison for everyone!”
“This…”
Mackenzie and the others froze, stunned by her determination.
Libby’s pleading eyes were unwavering, as if she might burst into tears if denied.
Claudette, knowing Libby’s thoughts, understood she wanted to prove herself after Quintus‘ earlier remark. She was desperate to show she wasn’t a burden and could contribute to the group.
“Libby, your body is too weak. If you collapse, we won’t know if it’s from the poison or the freezing weather,” Mackenzie said, still trying to dissuade her.
“I won’t!” Libby begged, her voice trembling with determination. “I can handle the cold. I’ve been here before and didn’t get sick or poisoned!”
She wasn’t lying, but her last visit hadn’t been in the dead of winter.
Claudette couldn’t hold back any longer. “Mackenzie, let her go. I’ll accompany her. If one person isn’t enough to test the poison, I can help. I’m not here to sit idly by–I want to do my part!”
Mackenzie sighed bitterly. Libby was too frail, and while Claudette wasn’t a martial artist. her body seemed
resistant to poison, just like Quintus.
Pairing these two was undoubtedly the worst choice.
Yet, looking at Libby’s determined eyes, Mackenzie relented. She nodded and added two more members to their group for safety.
Soon, everyone inside the tent wore gas masks, their hats and scarves disguising them.
Outside, Libby, Claudette, and six others began their patrol.
patrol
Mackenzie issued strict instructions: if Libby fell, the others were to mimic her collapse. Only after waiting for some time could anyone check on her condition.
Since Libby had volunteered, there would be no special treatment. The mission had to take precedence.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before unusual signs emerged.
“Claudette, look over there! Dead red toads–so gross!”
Libby was quick to spot the first anomaly.
Claudette followed her gaze and saw several recently deceased toads, clearly not there earlier when they had set up camp.
Her instincts flared. There was no need to wait for Libby to succumb to poison. She feaned closer and whispered urgently, “Fall down now! Put on your gas mask in secret!”
“Wait…”
Libby hesitated. She knew the story of the boy who cried wolf. What if this wasn’t a Five Poison Sect trick? Faking her collapse could cause the team to waste their efforts.
Before she could decide, dizziness overwhelmed her. She rolled her eyes and collapsed.
“Wow, your acting is top–notch!” Claudette muttered, feigning concern as she called out, “Libby! Are you okay? Libby!”
But as she crouched to inspect Libby, the color drained from her face. Libby wasn’t pretending. Her face had turned a ghastly shade of purple.
“Libby! Libby!”
Without hesitation, she tried to lift Libby, intending to carry her back to the tent.
But Libby’s thick layers of clothing weighed her down. She turned to call for help, only to find that the other six patrol members had also collapsed on the ground.
“Help! Somebody, help us!” Claudette screamed.
Inside the tent, Rhett turned to Mackenzie. “Your Holiness, should we go out and save the girl?”
The situation was dire, and it was obvious the Five Poison Sect had made their move.
Mackenzie’s expression tightened. Libby’s life hung by a thread but the mission came first. She bit her lin
and gave her orders. “You can go, but you must pretend to collapse as well. We need to draw the enemy out and trap them in one fell swoop!”
