A Jiu was not surprised by Yun Hao's strong reaction.
"Yes, I've been testing it with the cobra king's venom, and I didn't expect it to be effective."
A Jiu tried to explain the situation in detail so that Big Brother Yun wouldn't think she was deceiving him, especially since he had helped her so much:
"You don't know how scared I was. If I hadn't met the Qian family and rashly accepted the summons to Nanzhou County, what would I have done?"
Yun Hao hesitated for a long time, his face full of worry.
"Your explanation has put my mind at ease. But where are we going to get so much cobra king's venom?"
Yun Hao was concerned about this. Even if there was a solution now, if the illness couldn't be cured, they couldn't return, and that was a big problem.
"I'm also quite worried about this. I only have one young cobra king," A Jiu said and directly produced the small black snake from her spatial storage with a thought.
Unexpectedly, Yun Hao stumbled back as if he had been kicked. "Jiu'er... you... you kicked what's in your chest?"
"Oh, my apologies, Brother Yun. I momentarily forgot it was highly venomous, and everyone fears it." A Jiu sheepishly put it back.
Yun Hao's eyes widened. If he hadn't been afraid of being impolite, his gaze would have remained fixed on A Jiu's chest.
"It's... it's okay." Yun Hao subconsciously glanced at A Jiu again. She looked thin and weak, yet she wasn't afraid of snakes, especially such a venomous one.
"Brother Yun Hao, you've been to Nanzhou County. Do you think there might be other cobra kings there? You could lead people to catch a few."
This was the only method A Jiu could think of for now.
Yun Hao regained his composure and shook his head calmly. "This is a cobra king. Sometimes, if there's one such snake, there won't be another within hundreds of miles, unless they fight over territory and gather together."
"No way," A Jiu recalled hesitantly. "When I caught this little cobra king, there were so many other snakes."
"There definitely wouldn't be a second cobra king. A Jiu, you might not understand. A mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. Although these snakes feed on venomous snakes and vipers, where there is one cobra king, no other cobra kings will dare to encroach on their territory. Therefore, the cobra king is both the leader and their protector. Think about it, how many vipers can one cobra king eat in a year? But with a cobra king present, other snakes wouldn't dare to occupy this land casually."
A Jiu listened attentively. "So that's how it is."
It was a form of symbiotic, balanced food chain.
"Brother Yun, if that's the case, what do we do?" A Jiu thought about the small poison sac of the earth dragon. "If it runs out, won't it die?"
"That won't happen. The venom will regenerate. But I don't know medicine, and I don't know of any other good methods," Yun Hao rubbed his face. "But hasn't your sister-in-law already gone? We can discuss it when she arrives."
"Yes, that's the only way."
Passing through Nanming City and heading south, Tuoba Yan escorted them to the outskirts of Nanzhou County.
"Little sister A Jiu, I can only escort you this far. If there's a chance, I'll ask our captain to transfer me over."
As soon as A Jiu alighted from the carriage, she saw Tuoba Yan. The young man had been following the carriage all along.
"You don't need to apply for a transfer. It's better to visit my parents in Heba Village when you have free time. They've only planted wheat, and the harvest isn't in yet. With me gone, I'm worried they'll have a hard time."
A Jiu felt she couldn't cover everything with her hands. She hoped her father could sustain their lives through hunting temporarily until she returned.
"Then... alright." Tuoba Yan was somewhat reluctant, but since little sister A Jiu had given her instructions, he felt awkward refusing.
"Are you from Nanming City, here for support?"
The entire county town was desolate. One could only see houses and very few people.
At this moment, A Jiu looked back. A woman was rushing towards them, covered in dust.
A Jiu's eyes lit up. "Sister-in-law!"
"How... how is it you?" Liu Cai'er's eyes widened.