Gao Wu: I'll enjoy the benefits, but you'll bear the side effects.

In that quiet and somewhat oppressive space, Huang Xu was extremely weak, and life seemed to be teetering on the brink of collapse within him.

When the slight sound of Gao Jie's return reached him, Huang Xu seemed to have used the last bit of strength in his body to barely open his eyes.

His eyes were filled with chaos and pain, yet deep within them, a desperate plea for help shone through. This faint yet yearning look stunned Gao Jie, leaving him utterly bewildered.

Gao Jie quickly stepped forward gently and carefully helped Huang Xu up, his movements as gentle as possible, for fear of causing Huang Xu more pain.

"I told you not to eat random things, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what happened! It must be because you ate too many random things that you've become like this, right?"

Gao Jie frowned, his tone tinged with reproach, but even more so with concern and anxiety. Looking at Huang Xu's haggard face, he was filled with doubt and worry, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"What on earth happened to this guy? Why did he have to make it like this out of nowhere?"

Gao Jie was determined to make Huang Xu feel better, so he did everything he could to help Huang Xu to a relatively comfortable place to sit.

However, Huang Xu's condition was really bad. As soon as he was helped up, he couldn't help but vomit. His painful appearance was heartbreaking.

Looking at Huang Xu's appearance, Gao Jie thought to himself that he must be quite seriously poisoned.

He was extremely anxious, his mind racing to find a solution. Suddenly, he remembered the system he possessed, which might allow him to transfer all the side effects. But as soon as this thought crossed his mind, a new problem arose: to whom should he transfer them?

This was an extremely thorny problem. Gao Jie fell into deep thought, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with entanglement and worry.

But just as he was concentrating on this thought, a figure slowly walked towards him from the path in the distance.

As they got closer, they could see that it was an old man. The old man's steps were a little slow, but he was steady. After scanning the surroundings, his gaze finally landed on Gao Jie and Huang Xu.

"Young people, I've come here to ask you something. Do you know someone named Gao Jie, someone named Xu Rourou, someone named Xu Wanwan, and someone named Awen?"

The old man's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, staring intently at Gao Jie, as if trying to discern something from his expression.

"These people did terrible things in some faraway place, and now it seems they've come here. I need to take them away. Can you help me?"

He paused, a hint of expectation in his eyes, "If you can help me, that would be great, but if you can't, I'll be very sad and upset."

Gao Jie felt a chill run down his spine. With just one glance, he could tell that the old man was one of Qin Xianglong's men.

Alarm bells rang in his mind instantly, and he was filled with doubt and unease, wondering how the old man had found this place so quickly.

What kind of conspiracy and scheme is hidden behind this?

Gao Jie's eyes instantly sharpened, like a wary cheetah, and his muscles tensed slightly, ready to deal with unknown dangers.

However, before Gao Jie could speak, the old man seemed to know everything, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

That smile seemed to conceal countless untold secrets, like an invisible net that instantly made the already tense atmosphere even more solemn.

The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the old man's enigmatic smile lingering in the air.

"Are you wondering why I know these things? To tell you the truth, I know these things entirely because I'm clever."

The old man had his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised, and his eyes revealed a sense of pride. He looked as if he knew all the secrets of the world and that nothing could escape his discerning eyes.

"I'll say it again: I don't want to waste any more words with you. Just obediently do what you're supposed to do. Those guys, step forward yourselves, or I, Black Bear Old Li, will have to take action, okay?"

The old man's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority; each word was like a heavy hammer striking the ground, making people tremble.

Upon hearing this, Awen's expression changed instantly.

His eyes widened in shock and fear, and he blurted out:

"Li Wencai, the most famous grandmaster in Jinling!"

Awen's voice trembled slightly, as if it took immense courage just to utter the name.

"It's said your skills are already incredibly advanced, at least at the fourth level or higher. Why are you still helping others with this kind of thing?"

Awen frowned, his eyes showing both fear of Li Wencai's skill and incomprehension and anger at his aiding and abetting of evil.

Li Wencai curled his lip, a hint of disdain on his face.

"People have to live, and people have to spend money to live, don't you think?"

As he spoke, he casually fiddled with the hem of his clothes, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary, rather than making excuses for his misdeeds.

"I'm doing this to ensure a happy retirement, so I'm doing some odd jobs here. I hope you'll all support me."

Li Wencai raised his head, his gaze sweeping across everyone's faces before finally settling on Gao Jie. "Are you all willing to come and support us?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Jie and the others immediately prepared to take action.

A resolute glint flashed in Gao Jie's eyes. He slightly arched his back, his muscles tense, like a cheetah about to pounce on its prey.

Awen, Xu Rourou, and Xu Wanwan also adopted defensive postures. Although there was fear in their eyes, there was even more determination—a determination never to bow down to evil forces.

However, Gao Jie thought again, this old guy is so powerful, I'm afraid I'm definitely no match for him when it comes to a fight!

It felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Gao Jie's heart, instantly extinguishing most of his newly surging fighting spirit.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with struggle and helplessness. At this critical moment, he suddenly thought of his system, so he immediately transferred the side effects to Li Wencai.

[The person designated for side effects has been changed to Li Wencai.]

[Activation side effects, transfers all historical side effects and companion side effects.]

The next moment, Li Wencai was still smiling smugly.

"Don't worry, I'm a man of precision and ruthlessness. I will absolutely not let you suffer any injustice or pain."

He took a step forward, laughing, the smile spreading across his face as if he could already see victory beckoning to him.

"As long as you behave and do as I say, I guarantee you won't have any problems, okay?"

His voice was drawing ever closer, his eyes filled with a menacing glint.

Those gazes were like two sharp blades, piercing straight into the crowd, sending chills down their spines.

"The little girl is so beautiful, it's just a pity she offended the Qin family, otherwise, I really would like to take all of you little girls back with me."

Li Wencai's gaze lingered on Xu Rourou and Xu Wanwan, his eyes revealing a hint of greed and regret that made one feel disgusted.

"I'm guessing that the little guy who just spoke to me must be Gao Jie."

Li Wencai suddenly turned his gaze to Gao Jie, his eyes filled with scrutiny and certainty.

"If you do something wrong, of course you should admit it. If you're going to be punished, you should stand up straight. Don't you understand this basic principle?"

Li Wencai shook his head, as if expressing disappointment in a child who didn't understand.

"Young man, you're going to have to pay a price for this. I hope you don't take it too hard, because I'll be taking action soon, do you understand?"

Before Gao Jie could speak, the old man Li Wencai moved like a ghost and attacked him in an instant.

Li Wencai used the "Shadow Wind Step" technique, lightly touching the ground with his feet, kicking up a cloud of dust, and instantly traversed several meters to appear in front of Gao Jie.

His speed was astonishing, like a black lightning bolt tearing through space.

Li Wencai shouted and stretched out his right arm, his hand gripping Gao Jie's wrist swiftly like an iron clamp.

This move, "Soul-Locking Grappling Hand," is his signature technique. Once someone is firmly gripped by it, ordinary people simply cannot break free.

Gao Jie felt an overwhelming force surge through him, like a raging tide that instantly engulfed him. His wrists felt as if they were tightly locked by red-hot iron hoops, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move an inch.

Immediately afterwards, Li Wencai launched an attack without mercy, throwing three punches.

With his first punch, he unleashed the "Mountain-Breaking Fist," the wind whistling as if a tiger were descending from the mountain.

Before the fist even arrived, Gao Jie felt a powerful pressure rushing towards him, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

When the fist struck his chest squarely, Gao Jie felt as if he had been hit by a massive boulder falling from the sky, and the bones in his chest seemed about to break.

A sharp pain, like a raging tsunami, swept over his entire body. He groaned and his body flew backward involuntarily, crashing heavily to the ground several meters away like a kite with a broken string, raising a cloud of dust.

Before Gao Jie could regain his footing, Li Wencai's second punch came right after him.

He unleashed the "Heart-Shattering Fist" with this punch, the force of which was like an incomparably sharp blade, piercing straight into Gao Jie's abdomen.

Gao Jie watched helplessly as the fist, carrying the aura of death, came hurtling towards him, unable to dodge it.

The fist slammed into his abdomen. In an instant, Gao Jie felt as if his internal organs were being churned up by a pair of merciless hands, as if countless sharp needles were piercing through them.

The pain was so intense it went straight to his bones, almost causing him to faint. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of him red.

When the third punch landed, Li Wencai mustered all his strength and unleashed the final move of the "Deadly Triple Strike"—the "Heaven-Shattering Fist."

The force of that punch was enough to split mountains and shatter rocks. Gao Jie lay on the ground, watching in despair as the fist, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, came crashing down on him.

The moment the fist touched his body, Gao Jie was in so much pain that he lost the ability to think. His body felt like it had been run over by a speeding heavy truck, and he was slammed deep into the ground, forming a shallow, human-shaped crater.

He lay there, panting heavily, his eyes filled with confusion and pain, completely bewildered as to what the old man was up to.

Just as he was about to deliver the final punch, Gao Jie felt the force lessen. He realized that the side effects must be taking effect.

What surprised him even more was that as the opponent's skill and martial arts level improved, his side effects would actually be delayed.

At this moment, Li Wencai felt a strange sensation in his chest. A strange power surged through his body, like countless fire snakes crawling through his blood vessels or countless steel needles piercing through his muscles.

He involuntarily took two steps back, then sat down on the ground with a thud, clutching his chest tightly with both hands, his face contorted in pain.

"How could this happen? I didn't eat anything when I arrived, and besides, I drank my own water. How did it get like this?"

Suddenly, Gao Jie had an idea. Looking at him, he gave a cold smile.

"Li Wencai, don't you ever think carefully about what bad things you've done?"

Gao Jie struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes.

"If I were you, I would never be like this. I think you must have done something bad. Think about it carefully, have you not done anything?"

As Gao Jie spoke, he slowly walked towards Li Wencai, each step carrying an invisible sense of pressure.

"Besides, the Qin family only treated you like a dog. They never expected that you, their dog, would actually work so diligently for them. Qin Xianglong poisoned your water. If you kill us, you won't be able to escape either. Do you feel a burning pain all over your body right now?"

Li Wencai was surprised by Gao Jie's words. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, like that of a wounded wild beast.

"Stop talking nonsense, I don't believe you!"

Li Wencai endured the excruciating pain in his body and tried to stand up, but found that his legs were weak and he couldn't muster any strength.

Gao Jie smiled calmly. "It's no use if you don't believe me. Let me tell you the truth: no matter what trouble you cause me, I will make you pay the price. As for what else you might do next, that's beyond your imagination!"

Li Wencai wanted to say something, but he felt the pain in his body intensify, as if that strange force was about to tear his body apart from the inside.

He was filled with fear, but in order to avoid falling into their hands, he could only grit his teeth, push himself up with his hands, and use all his strength to get up and run away into the distance.

His figure looked particularly disheveled in the afterglow of the setting sun, his steps unsteady, like a drunkard.

Unfortunately, before he could run very far, Li Wencai's body could no longer withstand the intense pain and chaotic power within him.

His legs buckled, and he fell heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

His body twitched a few times, then he stopped breathing, his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe he had ended up like this even in death.

Gao Jie and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. They were also glad that they had returned early, otherwise, the kid might not have even survived.

Gao Jie's gaze lingered on Li Wencai's corpse for a long time, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and worry.

Fortunately, in this life-or-death crisis, thanks to the system's miraculous effects and their own quick wit, they ultimately prevailed and survived Li Wencai's deadly attack.

However, anxiety spread rapidly through his mind like a dark cloud.

Li Wencai was merely a henchman under Qin Xianglong, yet he already possessed such superb martial arts skills and ruthless methods. How powerful and treacherous must Qin Xianglong himself be?

They managed to escape this time, but what about the future?

Qin Xianglong will definitely not let this go. He will surely send more experts to hunt him down. How will they deal with that then?

These numerous dangers are like giant beasts lurking in the darkness, ready to open their bloody maws and devour them at any moment.

"Serves you right! I've told you every day not to eat whatever you want. I've told you not to touch anything on the mountain, but you just wouldn't listen. Do you even know what kind of crap you've been eating?"

While supporting Huang Xu, Huang Muran scolded him with a face full of anger.

His eyes held both anger at Huang Xu's reckless behavior and deep concern.

"I asked about that thing, and it's called the Soul-Hooking Fruit. After eating it, your soul will be hooked away."

Huang Muran's voice trembled slightly, as if he was still shaken by the terrifying power of the Soul-Hooking Fruit.

Huang Muran, supporting Huang Xu, pressed on with the question:

"What do we do now? Do we have any antidote?"

His gaze searched anxiously for answers in Gao Jie, his eyes filled with expectation and helplessness.

Gao Jie smiled slightly, trying to ease the tension among the crowd.

"Yes, of course we have that."

Gao Jie said calmly,

"Go to the back mountain and dig up two radishes, the kind that are about to spoil, those are the truly ripe ones."

As Gao Jie spoke, he gestured with his hands to describe the appearance of the radish to Huang Muran in detail.

"Cook it in vinegar and give it to her to drink; she'll feel better in a little while."

Hearing that there was a way to detoxify, Huang Muran felt a little more at ease.

He quickly and carefully placed Huang Xu aside, then turned and ran towards the back mountain.

His figure moved swiftly through the mountains and forests, his steps quick yet steady, his eyes revealing both determination and anxiety.

A short while later, Huang Muran hurriedly returned carrying two nearly spoiled radishes.

Without taking a break, he immediately followed Gao Jie's instructions, washed the radish, put it in a pot, poured in enough vinegar, and then started a fire.

Flames danced at the bottom of the pot, illuminating Huang Muran's focused face.

As the vinegar in the pot gradually boiled, a pungent sour smell filled the air.

Huang Muran patiently waited for the radish to cook thoroughly, stirring it occasionally with a spoon to ensure it was heated evenly.

After the radish vinegar was cooked, Huang Muran ladled it out and presented it to Huang Xu.

Huang Xu was already pale and his eyes were glazed, but he still managed to sit up.

Huang Muran gently helped him up and slowly fed him the radish vinegar.

Huang Xu frowned; the pungent smell made him feel uncomfortable, but he still forced himself to drink it.

Not long after drinking it, Huang Xu felt a churning in his stomach and couldn't help but vomit a few times.

As he vomited, his eyes gradually cleared, and he became much more alert. His complexion slowly regained its rosy hue, and his breathing became steady. It seemed he was truly alright.

The group looked at each other, their eyes sparkling with the joy of surviving a disaster.

This sudden crisis brought them to the brink of life and death, but they ultimately managed to overcome it with each other's help and a bit of luck.

They knew that the road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers, but at this moment, they just wanted to enjoy this moment of peace.