Chapter 1450 - 729: A New Task
"I still remember the scene back then. When the mountain people received the money, they found it didn’t match Liu Baoguo’s promise, so they went to reason with him. But Liu Baoguo turned his back on them, denying he ever promised that price. He even said if they asked for more money, he would stop buying their yams altogether, cutting off their source of income."
The mountain people could only stand down reluctantly upon hearing Liu Baoguo’s words, holding the meager money in frustration. They rely on the mountains to make a living, counting on selling yams to get by. If Liu Baoguo really stopped buying yams, their livelihood would be shattered.
Since that incident, Liu Baoguo became increasingly arrogant. When he came to collect yams again, the price offered was ridiculously low. The mountain people were reluctant to sell, hoping by holding out he might raise the price.
But Liu Baoguo was not soft-hearted. Seeing they wouldn’t sell, he outright broke his word, saying he would no longer buy their yams. The mountain people didn’t expect him to be so resolute, and could only compromise, selling the yams cheaply, better than having no income at all.
Lin Beichen felt very uncomfortable hearing about this affair. That Liu Baoguo, with so many treasures at home, bullying honest folks over such small sums.
At first, Liu Baoguo feigned ignorance, claiming he never did such a thing, with no guilt at heart. But the fake monk told Lin Beichen the truth, and he began to recall that, well, a few years back, he did do such a thing.
His face turned red, awkward with embarrassment.
Lin Beichen questioned him, "Your home has so many good things, why torment people like this for the sake of a little money?"
Liu Baoguo hastily defended, "I’m just a businessman; businessmen are supposed to make money, always maximizing profit. How would I know they’d be poisoned and bedridden from not understanding Iron Flower? If I’d known, I would’ve given them plenty of money."
Lin Beichen felt even more disdain hearing him say so. He was certain Liu Baoguo was lying. He’d been buying yams for years, how could he not know the dangers of Iron Flower?
Lin Beichen didn’t bother to expose him because there was no need; anyone with eyes could see he was lying.
He pitied those mountain folks, risking their lives just to survive, harvesting those highly toxic herbs.
"I’m willing to do my best to heal them," said Lin Beichen.
He understood Daoist Skill and wanted to try using it to heal them. Although uncertain, he wished to give it a try.
The fake monk immediately dropped to his knees before Lin Beichen. To save these people, he was willing to toil for him as a beast of burden.
In effort to heal these folks, he brewed medicine daily in the thatched cottage, each meal without fail, as regularly as eating. Despite trying all sorts of methods, the effect wasn’t visible.
Originally planning to find the fake monk, teach him a lesson, then bring him home to break the Curse. Unexpectedly, when Lin Beichen saw these people, he declared he would treat them, postponing the curse-breaking?
His face showed a trace of disappointment.
Lin Beichen noticed his unhappiness.
"I’m curious about one thing, how did you learn that cursing skill?" Lin Beichen asked.
The fake monk was about to thank Lin Beichen but froze hearing this question.
"You don’t know the great misery I suffered. If Lin Beichen hadn’t come to my place and discovered this matter, right now, wouldn’t I be utterly ruined?" Liu Baoguo quickly asked the fake monk.
"I didn’t mean it... It’s because of your black heart, otherwise would I do such a thing?" the fake monk stammered, unable to speak clearly for a long time but eventually told Liu Baoguo why he did it.
Lin Beichen wasn’t impatient, knowing the fake monk would say it sooner or later. When a stranger asks such a thing, how could he confess just like that?
After chatting for a while, the fake monk felt Lin Beichen was different from Liu Baoguo, someone reliable.
Since that’s the case, it didn’t matter if he told Lin Beichen or not.
"I learned this from an old man. I actually wasn’t a monk originally, but the old man specifically let me disguise as such. Out of gratitude, I just did as instructed."
Not revealing it to Lin Beichen earlier was because he speculated those around Liu Baoguo might share similar dispositions with him. But Lin Beichen had a good temper, patient, unlike Liu Baoguo who would flare up at any moment.
Then I told him.
An old man taught me; Lin Beichen immediately thought of the elder who brought them here and quickly went outside to look for him.
Unexpectedly, the old man was nowhere to be seen; he vanished when they entered the cottage.
Lin Beichen knew he had truly encountered an Expert this time. The other left without a trace, yet could articulate the task given by the system, something ordinary people couldn’t do.
He cupped his hands toward the distance, though unsure if the elder was nearby, at least expressing respect for him.
By doing this, it was a form of gratitude. Without the elder bringing them, he wouldn’t know the reason for the fake monk’s actions, actually aiming at the villagers.
The fake monk may look deceitful but was actually kind-hearted. He lied only out of helplessness, deceived just Liu Baoguo for revenge for those people. Other than that, he didn’t deceive anyone else.
Lin Beichen returned to the hut, checking the injuries of the victims. He found they were poisoned by a plant-based neurotoxin, not Iron Flower. Otherwise, they would have died like the others long ago.
The fake monk didn’t know this, mistakenly thought they were poisoned by Iron Flower, and only survived because the poisoning wasn’t deep. The decoctions he consistently brewed were actually antidotes for Iron Flower, but incidentally inhibited the spread of this neurotoxin.
Lin Beichen was unsure what toxin it was, so he searched the system for information, hoping to find a cure.
After a thorough search, he finally found a good remedy. But the materials were expensive, and he had no money on him.