Chapter 73

Wei’s schemes were far less profound than Chu’s. At the time, he had only mentioned it in passing, not really intending to tamper with the formula. Upon hearing this, he suddenly became elated, "If we get the formula, we can break away from the company and produce this fine wine without limit, becoming wealthy tycoons and enjoying life." Then he added with concern, "I’m afraid Xu won’t be willing to tell us."

Chu said calmly, "Whether he speaks or not, it’s not up to him. If he refuses, can’t we use some means?"

Wei clenched his teeth and said, "When it comes to tormenting people, I’m the best. Just hand Xu over to me, and I’ll make sure he wishes he were dead."

His face was full of resentment, and it was unclear why he harbored such intense hatred towards Xu, but it was likely related to Xu stopping him from drinking earlier.

After a pause, he continued, "Should we act now?"

"No rush," Chu said. "No matter what, we should complete the company’s assigned task first. Once we find that thing, we can deal with Xu. Moreover, the thing we’re looking for… it has likely already mutated and become extremely dangerous. It won’t be easy to capture it, so we might as well let Xu go first as bait. We’ll follow closely behind and act when it attacks him."

Wei thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense. To leave the company, we must do it openly to avoid having our memories erased. Otherwise, even if we escape to the ends of the earth, they will still catch us. Besides, if we don’t complete the company’s task, it won’t be easy to leave. So, we should complete the task first."

Chu nodded and added, "Before that, don’t confront Xu to avoid alerting him. He’s a local, and if he sincerely tries to sabotage us, it could be troublesome."

Wei gritted his teeth and said resentfully, "Fine, I’ll endure him for a few more days. Damn, since joining the company, when have I ever felt so humiliated? He dared to stop me from drinking, asking for death…"

These two spoke in low voices, but Xu Mo’s hearing was sharp. From dozens of meters away, he could hear even the sound of a mosquito, so he naturally heard every word. He was furious: I treated them kindly, but they want to harm me. But it won’t be that easy to harm me!

These two had guns, and he couldn’t fight them. With his current abilities, escaping wasn’t difficult. He could hide in the mountains, using his keen senses and ability to blend into nature, making it impossible for them to find him.

But if he fled, the things he had worked hard to create would inevitably be taken by these two. How could he bear that?

He then thought: These two have guns, and I can’t fight them openly. How can I get rid of them? From their conversation, it’s clear they are members of a company. After joining, Wei started bullying people, indicating that the company is not legitimate. It’s likely a criminal organization or a cult. Also, my earlier guess was correct; they are indeed here for an animal, though I’m not sure if it’s the one in the cave. What do they mean by ‘mutation’?

He felt overwhelmed by the mysteries and shook his head, pushing them aside. He thought: I’ll deal with other things later. First, I need to figure out how to get rid of these two.

With his current abilities, there were many ways to kill, such as gathering herbs to make poison and easily poisoning them.

However, these methods had significant limitations. To poison them, he needed to get them to ingest it, but after the earlier incident, they would be as cautious as he was. They wouldn’t eat anything he gave them.

Thinking about this, he frowned, but then a flash of inspiration came to him. He thought: These two are likely here for the monster in the cave. From their conversation, they don’t know where it is yet, but if they keep searching, who knows how long it will take. I should find a way to inform them of the monster’s location and let the monster deal with them.

He thought: If I tell them directly, they will be on guard and might even turn the tables on me. Instead, I’ll let the monster inform them.

With this plan in mind, he quickly made up his mind.

In the evening, when the monkeys returned from foraging, Xu Mo quietly intercepted them on the way and led them to the valley where the white-eyed monkey’s family used to live, to avoid any conflict with the two men and the risk of being shot. He then returned to his residence to prevent the two men from taking out their frustration on his belongings if they couldn’t find him.

Fortunately, the two men thought their conversation was too quiet for Xu Mo to hear from such a distance and were unaware of his plans. They believed Xu Mo had nowhere to run in the mountains and was like a fish in a barrel. They also didn’t want to alert him before finding the monster, so they were quite lax in their vigilance. When they saw him go out, they didn’t pay much attention.

After setting up the tent, Chu started a campfire and insincerely invited Xu Mo to eat. Xu Mo, unwilling to play along, claimed he was unwell.

On the surface, the two men didn’t care about Xu Mo, but they were cautious, worried about unexpected events. They made thorough arrangements. The two tents were connected, and an alarm system was set up outside. If anyone or any animal approached, it would sound an alarm.

However, Xu Mo didn’t plan to sneak into their tents while they slept, as it was too risky. So, their precautions were in vain.

The next day, Xu Mo woke up early and, as usual, climbed to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise and sunset. The two men, not seeing Xu Mo all day, were initially worried. When he returned, Chu casually asked about his whereabouts. Xu Mo didn’t hide it and told him where he had been. Chu pretended not to care but secretly sneered.

For several days, Xu Mo did the same, and the two men gradually became accustomed to it, thinking Xu Mo was completely unaware of the danger. They secretly rejoiced.

What they didn’t know was that every day, Xu Mo would gather herbs while climbing the mountain, dry them in the sun, and crush them into powder. He had a significant use for these herbs but couldn’t let the two men see him preparing them, as it might raise their suspicions. Therefore, he chose to gather, dry, and prepare them on the mountain.

The two men searched the valley where Xu Mo lived for several days and then moved on to the valley where Mango’s family used to live.

The opportunity Xu Mo had been waiting for finally arrived. While the two men searched the valley, he took the homemade powder and entered the cave.

He had prepared three types of powder: one was a fluorescent powder, used to mark the path so he wouldn’t get lost in the cave. The other two were a rage-inducing powder and an aphrodisiac powder, both of which could be used on humans or animals.

The rage-inducing powder acted like a stimulant but was much stronger. Xu Mo had spent a lot of time and effort to create it using over a hundred herbs. Unlike a stimulant, it didn’t need to be injected; just a whiff would cause anyone or any animal to lose control and become extremely agitated.

The aphrodisiac powder, as the name suggests, induced sexual desire. Its effects were relatively mild, causing only blushing and increased desire. It wasn’t a big deal and could be suppressed with effort.

However, when combined with the rage-inducing powder, the effects were entirely different. For humans, who are more rational, it was manageable, but for animals, which act on instinct, it was a different story. They would be driven by their primal instincts, becoming bloodthirsty, cruel, and aggressive, attacking any living thing they encountered.

The more aphrodisiac powder inhaled, the more intense the violent behavior.

The rage-inducing powder had a mild odor, while the aphrodisiac powder had a strong scent that could be detected from a distance. Enraged animals would chase it relentlessly.

The aphrodisiac powder originally had a pungent odor, but Xu Mo added special fragrances to mask it, making it smell like fresh grass and trees. The two men, if they smelled it, would likely assume it was from the surrounding vegetation and not suspect anything.

Xu Mo also made the aphrodisiac powder sticky so it wouldn’t fall off when running, ensuring it would stay on the body.

He placed the powders in hollow bamboo tubes, tightly sealed them, and coated the outside with mud to prevent the odor from escaping. He was careful not to let any of it touch his body.

After entering the cave, he turned around, opened the tube containing the aphrodisiac powder, and sprinkled some on the ground. He estimated that when the two men entered, they would step on it and carry it on their shoes.

He originally planned to sprinkle the powder on their clothes, but the white powder would be too noticeable. Also, the two men were cautious, making it difficult to find an opportunity. So, he settled for sprinkling it on the path they would inevitably walk on.

Although the powder would gradually wear off as they moved, reducing its effectiveness, he believed the monster, if strong enough, would have more than enough time to deal with them.

After sprinkling the aphrodisiac powder, Xu Mo continued deeper into the cave.

This time, he completely suppressed his presence, blending with the environment through his connection with nature. The monster, hiding deep in the cave, couldn’t detect his approach.

——

PS: Thank you to Changshengxing and Longjian Tianxiaxing for your support.