Desert Island Girl (Pure Lily) - Chapter 26

Going down the mountain was much easier than climbing up.

With the wind at her back, Mu Xiaoyang moved swiftly—she even had to be careful not to lose balance and tumble down the mountain due to the rain-soaked gusts.

In no time, Mu Xiaoyang slid down the mountain.

Perhaps due to the weather, the forest on this side seemed quite eerie.

Mu Xiaoyang glanced around while trudging forward, one step deep, one step shallow—she hated walking in the muddy ground, where the brown, sludgy mess mixed with rotting leaves gave her the uneasy feeling of stepping in poop.

But there was no choice.

Even if the path was truly covered in poop, Mu Xiaoyang had to keep going.

Suddenly, a purple-blue lightning bolt streaked across the sky like a nerve network, instantly illuminating the entire forest in a ghastly white!

Before Mu Xiaoyang could react, a loud “boom” thundered in her ears, as if the earth itself trembled!

The massive sound sent chills down the poor girl’s spine!

She jumped in fright, the dull resonance making her chest quiver!

Like a startled rabbit, Mu Xiaoyang desperately told herself not to be afraid!

But she couldn’t help it—she was truly terrified, as if she were back on the night of the shipwreck.

Yet, Mu Xiaoyang also felt fortunate—if they had encountered this storm right after moving the food, all their hard-earned supplies might be swirling in the sky as debris by now.

Sometimes, things really came down to the smallest margins…

Ning… truly bought them time with her life.

The downpour grew fiercer!

Massive lightning bolts, complex as a human nervous system, danced across the sky!

The dull roar of thunder rumbled incessantly.

The forest flickered between light and dark, with all sorts of shadows looking like bizarre monsters lurking, waiting to ambush Mu Xiaoyang…

Rain poured through the canopy like a faucet, and Mu Xiaoyang could no longer see beyond the forest! All she saw was a white haze outside.

So terrifying… when would the rain stop? Please, no more…

Mu Xiaoyang prayed silently, hoping this terrifying, extreme storm would end soon.

In her memory, downpours came and went quickly, unlike the weather on this island, where the rain not only persisted but grew heavier!

She grew worried, her mind spiraling: Were Mu Mu and the others okay? Was the tent sturdy enough? Was the ground high enough? Would it flood? How was Ning doing now…

Shaking her head vigorously, raindrops flew from Mu Xiaoyang’s hair: No, no, no! Don’t overthink! Finding the herbs is the priority now!

Steadying her nerves, Mu Xiaoyang began searching for houttuynia cordata in the forest.

To her disappointment, there weren’t many grassy plants here, but plenty of fungi, likely because the sunlight was absorbed by the trees.

Still, Mu Xiaoyang didn’t give up.

She carefully inspected every spot where houttuynia cordata might grow.

Soon, she had scoured the area.

Just as she stubbornly flipped over a large rock, a huge tarantula, sheltering from the rain, scurried out in alarm.

It raised its front legs, revealing two hooked, sharp fangs, poised to attack Mu Xiaoyang.

She jumped back in shock—normally, she’d have screamed and fled, but now, she only felt humiliated and furious!

She was angry! So she hurled the rock at the spider with all her might!

Then she jumped up and stomped hard on the rock!

“Crack!”

With a sharp sound, Mu Xiaoyang easily won the fight with crushing force.

No matter how tough or scary you are, can you withstand this girl’s foot?

The tarantula, with one furry leg still twitching, answered Mu Xiaoyang—no, it couldn’t.

Wiping the rain from her forehead, Mu Xiaoyang let out a long breath and continued her carpet-like search.

Weeds, bushes, colorful mushrooms, even ferns!

Mu Xiaoyang nearly turned over every plant here! But she couldn’t find what she needed!

My goodness, could there really be no houttuynia cordata on this island?

It shouldn’t be! It’s not some rare plant—how could there be none?

Did she exhaust herself coming here just to get drenched?

Mu Xiaoyang was truly despairing.

Leaning on her stick, she wandered aimlessly along the swollen river, her muddled mind too afraid to think about returning empty-handed.

Please, even if there’s no antibiotic, at least give me a few green herbs!

Perhaps her sorrowful mood moved the heavens.

After walking an unknown distance, a large cluster of green leaves near the riverbank caught Mu Xiaoyang’s eye.

The vibrant, dew-kissed leaves swayed in the wind, as if proclaiming their presence to her.

Houttuynia cordata!?

Mu Xiaoyang felt like she’d won a million-dollar lottery!

She let out an odd, excited shout—thank goodness this primal forest was empty, or she’d have been embarrassed.

Ignoring everything else, Mu Xiaoyang tossed her stick aside and stumbled toward the riverbank, tripping several times in her haste.

Scrambling to her feet, she crawled and ran closer.

Up close, she collapsed to her knees before the green herbs, breathing deeply, nearly in tears.

The small white flowers, spread like lucky four-leaf clovers, with a slender, foxtail-like flower spike swaying gently in the center…

No mistake! That faint fishy smell…

This was absolutely houttuynia cordata!

Mu Xiaoyang reached out tremblingly, gently touching the swaying flowers.

No wonder she was so emotional—this was a lifesaving herb for her.

Quickly pulling the dagger from her backpack, Mu Xiaoyang carefully dug up the soil, gently uprooting the houttuynia cordata with its roots intact!

“Hahaha!”

Laughing excitedly while holding the poor houttuynia cordata, Mu Xiaoyang stuffed the large bundle into her backpack and secured it.

Before she could turn, a deafening boom exploded behind her!

“Crack!”

Turning in terror, Mu Xiaoyang saw a massive purple lightning bolt strike from the sky, hitting a tree far behind her!

In an instant, the tree erupted in towering flames and thick smoke! It reminded Mu Xiaoyang of the phrase “iron tree blooming.”

But she had no time for awe.

She saw the lightning didn’t fully vanish after hitting the tree! It spread out in countless tiny currents.

Lightning doesn’t travel straight down—it spreads outward upon impact, dissipating gradually.

And with the heavy rain and wet ground, the lightning would spread even farther!

…I’m done for!

Despair in her eyes, Mu Xiaoyang wanted to outrun the lightning, but her body couldn’t keep up with her mind.

As she started to flee, her right leg went numb! Then came a piercing pain!

Next, Mu Xiaoyang felt half her body go numb! She convulsed, lost balance, and plunged into the river.

The river was no longer calm as before.

The once-clear water, swollen by the rain, was now murky and yellow, carrying mud, branches, and leaves like a yellow snake rushing through the riverbed!

It swept Mu Xiaoyang far away in an instant!

Her small head bobbed in the water, choking on several mouthfuls of muddy water!

She flailed desperately to keep from sinking.

Mu Xiaoyang could swim, but with one leg numb, she struggled to move agilely.

Drifting with the river for an unknown time, she waited until sensation returned to her leg.

Spotting a low-lying area, she struggled to crawl ashore.

Sitting on the ground, Mu Xiaoyang was a mess, covered in dripping mud!

Panting, she spat out muddy water, then leaned down to check her backpack.

Thankfully, the backpack was still there, with little water inside.

The houttuynia cordata was unharmed.

Next, Mu Xiaoyang lifted her pant leg to inspect her right leg—her foot and skin were slightly red, but thankfully, there were no burns.

It seemed like a weak current… Thank the earth for absorbing much of the damage! Otherwise, she might be beyond saving now…

Sighing, Mu Xiaoyang put her shoes back on and slowly stood up.

She looked around, bewildered.

Wait… where was this?