Chapter 55: Two conditions for the potion’s effect

“Bai Xue, don’t leave my side for the rest of the time.”

Before Bai Xue could ask why, Ye Lian looked over and spoke.

“Yes, Master.”

As a maid, obeying her master was only natural.

“This place might become very dangerous soon,” Ye Lian explained.

“The shop, or the city?” Bai Xue’s expression instantly tensed.

“This whole city.” Ye Lian pointed at the ground.

“We’re not leaving Mo City?” Bai Xue asked.

Ye Lian shook her head.

“Fortune lies in danger. Wherever there’s crisis, there must also be opportunity. If you’re afraid, you can leave on your own.”

“Bai Xue will never leave Master’s side!” she declared without hesitation.

After all, she’d already shared a bed with her—pfft, no no no!

She’d already boarded her ship, so getting off halfway was not an option.

“Good. Then let’s weather this storm together.”

Ye Lian reached out and gently patted Bai Xue’s smooth hair.

A blush quickly bloomed across Bai Xue’s face under her mask, her ears turning red.

“White Knight! Help!”

Just then, a cry for help came from outside.

***

“I thought they’d hold out a bit longer,” Ye Lian said as she pulled her hand back, her tone calm.

Bai Xue felt a trace of disappointment.

“Let’s go see what’s happening.” Ye Lian stepped down from the workbench and lightly patted Bai Xue’s back.

“Yes, Master~” Bai Xue cheerfully walked ahead of her.

Some people are just easily pleased.

Outside the shop, Jimite and two other players carried in Boyang, whose face was twisted in pain.

“What are you doing here?” Bai Xue asked coldly, despite knowing the answer.

The players could clearly sense they weren’t welcome.

After all, Ye Lian had extended goodwill before, and they had rejected it.

Now that they were here begging, of course they wouldn’t be received kindly.

That’s what some of them thought.

But others just felt that this maid was too arrogant—acting like she was something special.

Each subtle expression crossed Ye Lian’s gaze, and though she found it amusing, she didn’t bother arguing.

After all, this was just business.

What customers thought didn’t concern her.

What she did care about was—what could she gain from this deal?

“White… White Knight, help me!” Boyang slowly lifted his trembling hand, his voice urgent and strained.

His whole body felt like it was being gnawed on by a hundred million ants.

The pain was unbearable.

And not just that—his consciousness was fading, and his eyes were bloodshot.

If you looked closely, you’d see dark grey liquid oozing from his wounds.

Even without checking his contamination level, Ye Lian could tell—his injuries had worsened and become infected.

“You didn’t appreciate it when my Master offered help before, and now you dare come crawling back? What, is your face made of pig butt?”

Bai Xue mocked him coldly.

“You!” Jimite fumed.

He was furious.

This little maid had such a sharp tongue!

“Help… help me!” Boyang was already losing consciousness, but deep down, his survival instinct still clung on.

“How could you speak to a guest like that?” Ye Lian scolded her with mock seriousness.

“I’m sorry, Master,” Bai Xue quickly admitted her mistake, playing the obedient maid.

Hearing that, a few players who understood Huaxia’s language looked a bit more relieved.

“I can save you, but I have two conditions,” Ye Lian said next.

To them, it sounded exactly like taking advantage of someone in desperate need.

“You… you say it!” Boyang forced himself to stay conscious and quickly replied.

Some players felt uncomfortable watching this.

‘She’s clearly about to cut you, and you’re sticking your neck out for her?’

Clearly, they had no idea just how bad Boyang’s condition really was.

As long as he could survive, he didn’t care—he’d be willing to give up his flesh, or even cut off his manhood if he had to!

“First, I need some feedback data from the potion. You’ll have to voluntarily open your panel and let me see it.”

“Second, these potions are made from rare ingredients I’ve worked hard to gather. I can’t give them away for free.”

“We trade—item for item,” Ye Lian said quickly.

“Deal!” Boyang agreed without hesitation.

His hands trembling, he opened his game panel and took out all the materials he had collected.

“Th-This… is this enough?”

“Close enough,” Ye Lian said after glancing at the materials scattered on the ground.

“Give him a bottle of [Mental Recovery Potion] first.”

“Yes.”

Bai Xue took out a small gray bottle slightly larger than a thumb and handed it over.

Jimite quickly caught it.

At the same time, Ye Lian had already appeared silently in front of Boyang, checking his pollution value data.

The players nearby felt a chill run down their spines the moment they noticed her presence.

She was just too eerie!

“Pollution value at 85, huh? What was it before?” Ye Lian turned to Jimite, who was holding the potion.

His legs trembled as he paled.

“I-I don’t know.”

“Se-Seventy!” Boyang, whose consciousness was starting to fade, forced the words out with difficulty.

“I knew it. Wounds infected by monsters raise the pollution level,” Ye Lian said.

At her words, several players’ expressions changed dramatically—because their own bodies were covered in wounds!

“Let him drink it,” Ye Lian ordered.

“Y-Yes!” Jimite quickly poured the potion into Boyang’s slightly parted mouth.

Gulp, gulp.

Boyang swallowed it in small sips, taking three seconds to finish it.

Then, something miraculous happened right before everyone’s eyes.

The wounds on Boyang’s body—previously oozing with gray-black liquid—began to emit black particles and slowly revealed pink, healthy flesh underneath.

The bloodshot redness in his eyes faded, and his mental state gradually improved.

When they looked at his panel again, everyone’s eyes widened in shock.

His pollution value, which had just been at 85, had now dropped to 55!

“The potion really works!” Jimite exclaimed in excitement.

“Incredible! It actually lowered the pollution!”

“This is what the Mental Recovery Potion does?”

“Seems worth a try!”

“Great! The captain’s out of danger!”

“Blessed be Awe!”

Everyone began chattering excitedly.

“Ten seconds have passed. Looks like there won’t be any further changes,” Ye Lian said, turning to Bai Xue. “Bring me another bottle.”

Bai Xue swiftly handed over a second potion.

This time, Ye Lian personally poured it into Boyang’s mouth and continued monitoring the changes.

The result was the same as before—the pollution value dropped by another 30 points.

Now it was down to 25.

“Hmm. He gained five minutes of [Low-Level Immunity] too.

Not bad,” Ye Lian muttered, quite satisfied with the potion’s effect.

Boyang had fully regained consciousness by now.

He felt vastly better, both physically and mentally.

***

Just a short while ago, he had been in such unbearable pain.

But after drinking two bottles of potion, he felt almost completely healed.

It was unbelievable!

“Thank you!” Having just returned from the brink of death, Boyang was overwhelmed with emotion and sincerely thanked Ye Lian.

“No need to thank me. It’s just a fair exchange,” she replied.

After all, she had gotten the data she wanted.

“Do you have any more potions? I’ll trade these materials for them!” Jimite asked excitedly in broken Chinese, pulling out all the monster materials he had collected.

His pollution value had already exceeded 70—if he didn’t get treatment soon, he’d end up in the same miserable state Boyang had been in.