Ikezawa took the Universal Medicine offered by Lingsha, but instead of drinking it immediately, he took a screenshot and posted it in the Chat Group.
Daoist Wuwei: "Hey hey hey~! Time for another meal, family!"
Daoist Wuwei: "Let's give it a taste! Hopefully this batch is a bit more palatable."
Daoist Wuwei: "Ugh—it tastes like swallowing a mouthful of thick, stringy snot, the kind that just slides right down without breaking apart."
Shu Cat: "??? Did you really have to be so vividly descriptive?"
Red Cape Hero: "Chinese medicine has always tasted like that, hasn't it? If others can handle it, why can't you? Stop blaming the medicine and ask yourself if you're not trying hard enough!"
After his identity as a Cultivator was exposed and he grew closer to the group members, Ikezawa quickly found a new way to show off: bragging!
He flooded the chat with screenshots from the camp, showing off his surroundings: "Look at all these super cute beast-eared girls around me! What am I supposed to do when I'm surrounded by so many beautiful girls?"
Li featured most prominently in these photos, each accompanied by comments like, "She's so adorable!" or "Li is just too cute!"
Naturally, Lingsha wasn't spared from the group's attention either, though Ikezawa's comments about her were far more restrained, typically consisting of phrases like, "She's so kind!" and "Lady Lingsha saved my life again!"
Meanwhile, Shu Cat and Lü Heng in the group would transform into raging envy monsters. "Damn it! How does this guy keep attracting so many beautiful girls?!" their messages practically screamed. "Envy! Jealousy! Hatred!"
Lü Heng even declared, "Just you wait! I have an even more stunning beauty by my side. I'll send a screenshot later and make you green with envy!"
Unsurprisingly, Lü Heng was referring to Robin. While Yu Lin, the Dragon Lady, was undeniably attractive, Lü Heng was far too familiar with her. In his eyes, she was just a silly girl, her inherent charm overshadowed by her endearing airheadedness.
Returning to Robin, Lü Heng knew that Daoist Wuwei wasn't from his world and wouldn't recognize the pop star by name. He deliberately withheld her name, planning to shock the daoist with a photo later.
The problem was, days passed after his bold declaration, and Lü Heng still hadn't posted a single picture. Robin hadn't been in Longcheng at all during that time; she was on tour, performing concerts in other countries.
In the chat group, after reading Lü Heng's earlier comment, Ikezawa bluntly reopened old wounds: "Whether I'm working hard is beside the point, buddy. Where's that photo? When are you finally going to post it? Will I even see it before I die?"
Daoist Wuwei chimed in: "Just a heads-up, you can't screenshot the chat group in dreams."
Peace Dove interjected: "But someone went to the trouble of brewing medicine for you, and you're still complaining?"
Though Peace Dove wasn't very active in the group, there were only six members, so Ikezawa naturally knew her. Rumor had it she was a true Big Boss and a beautiful girl to boot.
Ikezawa tentatively believed the former claim, but the latter... so what if she was beautiful? Could she possibly compare to Li or Lingsha?
Daoist Wuwei countered: "Hold on, sister! Let's be clear: this medicine really does taste awful, but I'm genuinely grateful to Lady Lingsha—utterly grateful! If she tells me to stand, I won't sit. If she tells me to face north, I won't dare look south, got it?"
Peace Dove: "..."
Red Cape Hero: "You... are you a dog?"
Daoist Wuwei: "Hehe, thanks for the compliment!"
In truth, the overall conversation suggested that Ikezawa wasn't just showing off for the sake of it. Perhaps it was his way of coping with stress. After all, he knew full well that he was infected with the "Death" disease and had no idea how much longer he had to live. Maintaining such an optimistic outlook, even joking about his own mortality, was something few could manage.
In the real world, Lingsha sighed softly and said, "Let's say our goodbyes. We'll leave today to find the Seventh Laboratory."
Since the Beast-Eared Girl tribe was settled here permanently, they couldn't possibly relocate their entire community just for Lingsha and Ikezawa. If they wanted to reach the Seventh Laboratory, Lingsha and Ikezawa would have to venture out alone.
This world remained dangerous. According to Li, grotesque monsters roamed everywhere (though Lingsha had yet to encounter any herself). Regardless, traveling alone meant they would inevitably face monsters and have to fight.
Ikezawa had eagerly volunteered for this duty three days prior, pounding his chest as he assured Lingsha, "I'll protect you!"
Afterward, Ikezawa went into intensive training, both to adapt to his enhanced physique and to learn survival skills and monster combat techniques from Li. This was why they hadn't set out immediately, but it was clear they couldn't delay any longer.
Lingsha quickly found Granny Xi and explained the situation. To Lingsha's surprise, Granny Xi offered no objections. Instead, she readily agreed, "If you have something you must do, then go and do it."
With their supplies packed and the day still young, Lingsha and Ikezawa left the tribe. As they walked away, Ikezawa kept glancing back, looking reluctant.
"Missing Li already?" Lingsha asked, not needing to guess.
Ikezawa grimaced. "Of course I am, but there's no other way."
If Lingsha and Ikezawa hadn't belonged to the tribe in the first place, their departure would have been perfectly natural. The tribe's willingness to let go of Lingsha, their highly skilled doctor, and her companion showed remarkable open-mindedness.
However, demanding to take Li with them would have been unreasonable. Besides, it was uncertain whether Li herself would even want to leave the tribe.
Throughout the journey, Ikezawa had been sighing incessantly, like a college student fresh from a breakup. Initially, Lingsha had felt a flicker of sympathy for him, but as time wore on, the endless "sigh... sigh... sigh..." echoing in her ears for over an hour had worn her patience thin.
Can't you just be quiet? she thought, her forehead already sporting countless invisible "💢 " symbols despite her outwardly kind demeanor.
Suddenly, a distinct noise erupted behind them, rapidly closing the distance. In an instant, a figure gracefully leaped across ten meters, landing squarely in front of them—Li. Wagging her tail proudly, she declared, "I snuck away from the tribe!"
Lingsha: "..."