Not A Small-Town Girl

"By the way, have Mom and Dad been cured of the curse? Who put the curse on them? How malicious!"

"The curse has been lifted, but Mom and Dad are still asleep. They’ll wake up after a good rest. It was Judy who did it, working with Ivan."

Danielle briefly explained everything to Xavier, and it got him so furious that he almost ripped the IV line from his arm.

"Those two evil bastards! We were lucky to find out in time. Who knows what other dangers are still lurking!"

Xavier cursed bitterly, but then his thoughts went back to Danielle’s poison. He hesitated, wanting to ask her how she was doing, but was afraid it would upset her. He paused, casting a few unsure glances at Danielle.

"Xavier, don’t worry. I’m fine now, no signs of poisoning," Danielle smiled reassuringly. She could tell exactly what Xavier was thinking.noveldrama

Her brothers, who had been listening quietly, looked at each other with concern. They knew Danielle was just putting on a brave face to keep them from worrying.

They didn’t know much about the poison, and the few resources they could find were little help. Just thinking about the side effects made them uncomfortable, and they couldn’t understand how Danielle had endured it all.

It seemed that her medical expertise was all to find the antidote.

*****

In the mountains of Bane Springs, Patrick and his team were in a sorry state, looking like they had been through hell. If anyone had seen them, they’d think a group of beggars had wandered into the mountains.

Originally, the plan was to split up to avoid falling into the trap, but of course, the ones setting the traps had no intention of playing fair.

The team thought they had escaped the danger, believing the worst was over. But then, they found themselves hit by a barrage of animal droppings from above—yes, droppings, poured down in large bags from high up, and not a single person was spared.

"Damn it! This is too much! Is that sheep poop?! Ugh, disgusting..."

"Who’s the immature idiot who did this? Come out and I’ll beat you until you cry. You’ll regret making flowers look so red."

The group cursed loudly, like a market of angry vendors. Patrick was absolutely furious. The trap had been psychological warfare, and they were falling for it.

Just as they were swearing at the world, water suddenly began pouring down on them from all directions. The dry droppings now stuck to their bodies, wet and foul-smelling, enough to make anyone gag.

"This is so low! Who would do something like this?"

"Shut up! You’re embarrassing us. Move forward, unless you want to stand here and get drenched like drowned rats?"

Patrick couldn’t bear to look at them anymore. They weren’t just dirty—they reeked.

The group trudged ahead, stomping towards a fork in the road. Everyone paused, waiting for Patrick’s orders.

"Let’s split into three groups. If anyone finds something, notify the rest immediately."

"Got it."

As they ventured forward, they didn’t encounter any more childish traps. From the outside, the mountain seemed small, but inside, it was surprisingly vast.

None of them had any idea what Danielle’s master looked like, but since he lived in the mountains, he should have a house. After a long search, they still hadn’t found any sign of him.

[Are you here looking for me? Don’t waste your time. Go back where you came from.]

A voice rang out from the bamboo forest, startling everyone.

"Who’s there? Who’s speaking?"

[Don’t you know? My name is Cloud. You little brats, just go back. You look like beggars out here.]

"Do you know Danielle? We’ve come for serious business. We ask that you reveal yourself, senior."