As the object cradled in his hands slowly regained its form, no longer as hideous and terrifying as moments before, Ye Wen finally registered that what he held was not something to be casually handled. The jade foot, gradually returning to its natural state, resembled an exquisite piece of white jade porcelain.

Though a small section remained slightly red and swollen, this minor imperfection did little to diminish the artistic value of the sight. Especially since Ye Wen’s hands could distinctly feel that touch, smooth as congealed fat, which involuntarily brought back the memory of Ning Ruxue’s soaked appearance earlier.

Though Ning Ruxue was still wearing that thin outer garment, it had long since dried due to the exertion of channeling her energy, thus losing the near-transparent effect it previously possessed. However, a thin garment was still just a thin garment, and being close-fitting clothing, while it concealed, it still struggled to hide her graceful figure.

As Ye Wen glanced over, it seemed he could still vaguely perceive things he shouldn't be seeing. Seeing her Senior Brother looking at her again, Ning Ruxue intended to scold him, but just as she opened her mouth, she saw her Senior Brother’s lips swollen like two sausages, and his entire mouth looked rather like...

“A duck?” The thought struck her, and she couldn't help but let out a muffled laugh. The image of her Senior Brother quacking like a duck flashed through her mind.

She opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately held back, knowing Ye Wen was still channeling his energy to draw out the poison, and she dared not distract him at such a crucial moment. Ye Wen didn't understand what Ning Ruxue was laughing at; he had no energy to ponder it now.

He only felt a strange numbness in the mouth he had used to suck out the poisoned blood, and his tongue felt somewhat clumsy. Turning his head, he asked his Junior Sister, “Wha’s rong wif my mouf?” (What's wrong with my mouth?) As soon as the words left him, he knew something was amiss.

Seeing his Junior Sister struggling to suppress her laughter, even a fool like him should realize his own condition was likely not good. He wanted to look in the pool water, but the frigid pool had many uses, just not as a mirror.

He had no choice but to touch his own lips with his hand. The numbness spreading across his cheeks and the distinct feeling of a mass of swollen matter beneath his fingers immediately told him what had happened.

“Damn it, this poison is potent.” Realizing he had likely been harmed by the poisoned blood, Ye Wen turned and rummaged through the nearby thicket for a while longer. As dusk deepened, searching for anything became much more difficult.

Fortunately, after some searching, he finally found a small Frost Berry. As they had become increasingly familiar with the effects of these berries, the three of them had started consuming them almost like snacks.

Consequently, the easily accessible berries around the Cold Pool had nearly all been picked; finding them now required digging deep into the undergrowth at the pool's edge. Ye Wen was lucky today, having guessed the location of two life-saving fruits when he needed them most.

This made him realize that until the giant snake and all its descendants were thoroughly eradicated, these berries could no longer be wasted so casually. “Since Junior Sister and Junior Brother can now train by the Cold Pool, eating these berries is pointless.

I’ll tell them not to pick them for a while after this.” However, right now, he needed one to detoxify himself. Although his lips were swollen due to the poisoned blood, it was ultimately the venom of the Red Line Serpent.

It should be able to counteract the strange condition on his mouth, shouldn't it? He popped the berry into his mouth, bit it apart with difficulty, and kept the crushed pulp inside his mouth.

One goal was to restore his numb tongue; the other was to prevent the toxin from spreading further—his mouth had made the most intimate contact with the poisoned blood, so using the berry now to cleanse the area was appropriate. These actions seemed troublesome, but they occurred in the span of a breath.

After taking care of this, Ye Wen picked up Ning Ruxue's foot again, activated his partially recovered True Qi, and employed the Zixia Gong to force out the last traces of poison from her body. Having finished, he casually grabbed one of Ning Ruxue's discarded garments, tore off a long strip of cloth, and bandaged the wound.

Only then did he speak to his Junior Sister with his still-numb mouth: “Can you move now?” While Ye Wen was bandaging her wound, she hadn't dared to move. Especially now that feeling had fully returned to her leg, she was acutely aware of Ye Wen’s hands manipulating it.

Tense, she hadn't dared to flinch, her entire leg held rigid. When Ye Wen suddenly asked the question, she was startled again, pausing for a moment before reacting.

After a slight test, she found she could move, but her limbs felt weak, and the injured area throbbed with sharp pain—since the toxin was gone, the numbness had vanished, and the pain was now undeniably clear. This left Ning Ruxue, already mobility-impaired, even more unable to move, forcing her to stare gloomily at her Senior Brother.

Though Ning Ruxue didn't answer, her frustrated expression naturally conveyed everything to Ye Wen. Moreover, her pretty face immediately flushed crimson as she whispered softly, “Senior Brother… could you help me put my clothes on first?” They had been busy for half the day, yet Ning Ruxue was still only in that thin shift.

Although martial artists generally possessed good constitutions, and Ning Ruxue had internal energy protecting her from the severe cold (as winter had already arrived), she couldn't very well wander around in front of her Senior Brother dressed like this. The earlier situation was an accident she could bear, but now that matters were settled, remaining this way seemed unduly shameless.

Handing her the clothes that had been set aside, Ye Wen stood watching as his Junior Sister dressed piece by piece. His gaze caused Ning Ruxue's fair cheeks to heat up again, but this time she said nothing, merely lowering her head, seemingly lost in thought.

Once her garments were on, shoes and socks proved more difficult. In the end, she could only carry them in her hands, sitting there at a loss.

Ye Wen observed, saying nothing (his mouth was growing increasingly numb, making speech impossible). He simply