For the past two days, the thick coats and flatbreads were all prepared by the innkeeper’s wife, but Zhu Yu remained troubled.

"For the past two days, we’ve been talking with the people here, and it’s clear that over twenty years ago, almost everyone who got close to that small wooden house experienced hallucinations and was enchanted, but no one was harmed.

Afterward, due to fear, people gradually stopped approaching the place. For nearly twenty years, no one dared go near that mountain hollow, and thus, no one encountered being enchanted again.

All of this actually confirms my previous viewpoint—the person in that small building has no intention of clashing with the outside; what they want is to scare away anyone who tries to get close.

Back then, whether it was the seductive fragrance or something else, their stock should have been ample. That’s why their actions were quite ’grand.’ Now, they won’t release the seductive fragrance unless someone enters, indicating their reserves are not as plentiful.

Why would they take such great pains to hide inside, preferring to lack adequate clothing and shelter alone rather than settle down with the others in this relatively comfortable town...

And there’s that Qilin pattern...

No matter the method, I believe we must capture this person alive to find out the truth." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"Second Master, what you say makes sense, but...we’ve already tried the detoxification pills left by the Divine Doctor, and they didn’t work..." Even the talisman was at a loss. "Otherwise, you hide, and I’ll go in myself! Once he comes out to drag me, you pin him on the spot!"

"Then let me go!" The rune thought this method feasible, but there was still one thing not quite right, needing further thought. "The talisman is too tall and sturdy; previously, that person couldn’t drag him and had to barely pull him to a sufficient spot before throwing him away.

If he goes again and the person can’t drag him, and is famished, he might just leave him to eat. Then what will we do?

I’m different; every time, he throws me about the same distance as Second Master, so the chance of him carrying me out to throw is much higher."

Zhu Yu found it somewhat amusing; she didn’t believe that person had a penchant for devouring raw flesh, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been thrown out unharmed twice.

"Your methods are indeed feasible but also somewhat unreliable," she told the two brothers. "To avoid detection, we’ve taken desolate routes all along this journey. Plus, the town’s people have learned their lesson over the years and don’t dare approach the mountain hollow. Do you think recently, many people have stumbled upon it by accident?

The four of us have been coming and going together before. Now suddenly, only one person goes in; won’t that person become alert, suspecting we’re setting a trap?"

Her words left the talisman and rune troubled.

After a silence, Zhu Yu suddenly looked at Lu Qing sitting nearby.

"You seem off." Zhu Yu frowned, gauging the silent Lu Qing. "While the three of us were discussing, you said nothing and remained so calm... This is unusual!

Tell me honestly, is there something you’re hiding from us?"

Lu Qing didn’t deny it. With a slight smile, he reached into his pocket and placed a small paper package on the table, gently pushing it towards Zhu Yu.

"What is this?" Zhu Yu asked while cautiously opening the package, revealing about a dozen pea-sized pills inside.

"Awakening and Detoxification Pills crafted by Yan Daoxin himself," Lu Qing said. "Back at the Immortal Castle, when the old steward and protectors were using seductive fragrances and sedatives everywhere, it made him uneasy about the efficacy of his original pills, fearing they might not withstand something more potent.

So later during the Bhutan period, while maintaining King Fan’s life and utilizing local herbs, he crafted these, which should be stronger.

However, just as they were freshly concocted, we were carted off to the capital, giving him no chance to test their power.

Before our last audience, he secretly handed these to me, and I’ve kept them on me ever since.

Last time we went to the wooden house, I didn’t expect their seductive fragrance to be so potent; it turns out he guessed right."

"Master, let me take one and go in!" The talisman said confidently, "I’ll test the medicine and capture the scoundrel!"

"To capture him, we need to clarify some matters first, like where he’s hiding and how he always knows when someone enters the wooden house?"

The rune and talisman stayed silent.

During their first entry, they indeed hadn’t moved quietly, so it’s not surprising they were detected.

But the second time, they were extremely cautious, yet shortly after entering, they collapsed due to the seductive fragrance.

The innkeeper had said that over twenty years ago, when a group of townspeople led by a Daoist stormed to eradicate the sinister wooden house, they were enchanted before even getting close.

So their ability to enter twice indicates that the person only acts when aware of intruders on his "territory."

Both times, they were certain no one saw them—no shadows, no sound whatsoever.

Being trained individuals, if someone were secretly observing, they would have noticed.

Previously, being enchanted by the seductive fragrance made them too agitated and exhausted to consider this detail.

After Zhu Yu raised this question, she fell silent, equally puzzled about this matter.

"Were there any signs of Hidden Guards around the wooden house when we were there?" she asked after considering a possibility.

Lu Qing shook his head with a smile: "None."

Great!

Zhu Yu sighed.

She knew that the Hidden Guards shared by Lu Qing and Lu Chao, though skilled in stealth, were tasked solely with information relay, never engaging in direct conflict, ensuring their absolute invisibility.

However, non-interference doesn’t mean they couldn’t see; initially, she hoped for a hidden pair of eyes to clarify things for them, but now it seemed unlikely.