Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Three Strange Poisons
"It happened like this..." The clansman immediately explained everything from the beginning.
It happened this morning. The herb farmers at the manor were tending the fields when a troop of cavalry, clad entirely in blood-red, suddenly charged out from nowhere and launched a ferocious attack.
Fortunately, the Ye family was already on alert after being scouted by the Blood Saber Stronghold a few days prior. The family’s Fourth Master, Ye Zhanzhen, and Ye Xuan’s father, Ye Zhanyun, happened to be inspecting that very manor and immediately led their clansmen in a courageous defense.
After more than an hour of fighting, just as the Ye family was about to be overwhelmed, the Patriarch, Ye Zhanxiong, who had received the news while nearby, arrived with reinforcements. Seeing they could no longer gain an advantage, the cavalry troop retreated.
"What? Are my father and Fourth Uncle injured?" Ye Xuan’s expression darkened.
"It seems they sustained some minor injuries, but nothing too serious. The Patriarch has sent men to guard the other manors, and Third Master and Fourth Master are on their way back now," the clansman replied.
"Let’s go. We’ll go out and see."
Ye Xuan’s face was expressionless, but inwardly, he was seething with rage.
In the days since his return to the Ye family, he had suffered some unfair treatment from the likes of Ye Zhantang.
But the affection from his grandfather and father allowed Ye Xuan, who had been an orphan in his past life, to truly feel the warmth of family for the first time.
He had viewed the previous conflicts with the Wang and Zhou families from a detached perspective, not taking them too seriously.
But this bloody affair made him realize this wasn’t just some petty squabble—it was a life-and-death struggle.
To deal with the Ye family, the Wang family had not only resorted to business tactics but now also to murder. If his uncle, Ye Zhanxiong, hadn’t arrived in time, his father would have been in grave danger.
"The Wang family..."
Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes, repeating the name silently in his heart. For the first time, a potent killing intent surged within him.
He had been too focused on his cultivation to deal with them before. ’Now, it’s time for the Wang family to pay the price.’
What neither Ye Xuan nor his grandfather expected was that the injuries to Ye Zhanyun and Ye Zhanzhen were far from the minor wounds the clansman had described.
Their opponents had coated their weapons in poison—an extremely potent toxin that took effect with terrifying speed.
By the time the carriage carrying Ye Zhanyun and Ye Zhanzhen returned to the Ye estate, both men had turned black and fallen into a deep coma. They looked as if they could breathe their last at any moment.
Some of the more seriously wounded Ye family guards had already succumbed on the road back. Seventeen or eighteen clansmen now lay in the main hall, their bodies charred black—a truly miserable sight.
"Father, I arrived too late. I never imagined they would be so vicious..." Patriarch Ye Zhanxiong’s face was a mask of anguish and fury.
The old master rushed to the side of the injured clansmen, his brow deeply furrowed. "Zhanxiong," he asked urgently, "have you sent for a Pharmacist?"
"I did. Several of our own Pharmacists examined them on the way back, but they couldn’t find a solution. In fact, the Pharmacists who conducted the diagnosis ended up poisoned themselves, as did some of the guards who carried the bodies."
The poison was vicious, fast-acting, and contagious. Anyone below the rank of Martial Artist would be poisoned by the slightest touch, fall unconscious within fifteen minutes, and die within the hour.
Had Ye Zhanzhen not been a Martial Master Third Layer expert, he would likely be dead already. As for Ye Xuan’s father, whose cultivation had been crippled long ago, it was a sheer miracle he was still breathing.
"Did you send someone to the Alchemist Association to get help?" the old master pressed.
Ye Zhanxiong quickly replied, "I’ve already sent for them. I just don’t know when Master Liang will arrive."
As he spoke, several Ye clansmen hurried into the hall, escorting Master Liang and his party.
"Old Master Ye, my apologies for the delay." Master Liang had grown quite close with the Ye family recently. The moment he heard they had a poisoning incident, he had rushed over without a second’s delay.
"Master Liang, you are too polite." The old master quickly ushered Liang Fang inside. "Please, Master Liang, you must help us..."
"Young Master Xuan." Liang Fang nodded to Ye Xuan, then wasted no time, striding over to Ye Zhanyun and the others to begin his diagnosis.
As soon as he began, his brow furrowed deeply. A moment later, he let out a sigh.
"Old Master, Young Master Xuan, Zhanyun and the others have been hit by what appears to be a compound poison. This mixture contains both a neurotoxin and a hemotoxin, and it’s constantly changing. If it were a single poison, I could certainly cure it. But with these two combined... I’m not an expert in toxicology. I’m afraid I’m powerless."
Liang Fang’s voice was heavy with regret and apology. He looked at the old master and Ye Xuan, at a loss for words of comfort.
He was also quite shocked. This compound poison was incredibly difficult to create and extremely rare; you couldn’t find it in any ordinary apothecary. To concoct it would require a Second Grade Alchemist who specialized in poisons.
Therefore, to cure it, one would need to be at least a Third Grade Alchemist who had also studied the art of poisons.
In all of Blue Moon City, there was likely only one person who fit that description: President Hua Luoxuan.
The old master asked anxiously, "Master Liang, is there nothing that can be done?"
"Old Master, I’m afraid I can’t cure them completely. However, I have a few Antitoxic Pills. These can neutralize some of the blood and nerve toxins, buying Brother Zhanyun and the others some time. If you can get them to Blue Moon City after that, they might have a chance."
"However, I only have eight Antitoxic Pills, and there are over a dozen injured members of your family, so..."
Master Liang produced a porcelain vial. With too few pills for too many people, he could only leave the decision to the old master.
The old master took the vial, his face twisting with indecision. Finally, he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Give them to Zhanyun and Zhanzhen first. Distribute the rest to the others according to the severity of their poisoning."
Ye Xuan, who had been examining the victims, suddenly stood up and held out his hand. "Stop. These Antitoxic Pills are useless. If they take them, they’ll be falling right into our enemy’s trap. This isn’t just a mixture of neurotoxins and hemotoxins; it also contains a hidden Soul Poison. The three exist in a delicate balance. If they take the Antitoxic Pills, the nerve and blood poisons will weaken, shattering that balance. It will cause the poison to flare up and kill my father and the others instantly."
"What?" Master Liang was utterly stunned. A triple-compound poison that included a Soul Poison? He had never even heard of such a thing.
The faces of the old master and the others nearby drained of color.
Thank goodness they hadn’t acted rashly. Otherwise, they would have put Zhanyun and the others in even greater peril.
"Then what can we do?" The old master and the others were at their wits’ end, overcome with anxiety.
Ye Xuan frowned in thought for a moment, then turned to Luo Zhan. "Teacher Luo Zhan, do you have any more Golden Needles?"
Luo Zhan immediately produced two more jade boxes. Ye Xuan had originally asked him to prepare one box of Golden Needles, but fearing something might go wrong during the treatment, he had prepared two extras.
"Excellent." A look of delight crossed Ye Xuan’s face. With a SNAP, he opened a jade box, pinched several Golden Needles between his fingers, and with a light flick...
WHOOSH!
Golden light flashed. The needles, as fine as ox hairs, instantly sank into the chests of the dozen or so men in the hall, each one plunging exactly seven inches deep without the slightest deviation.
"Flying Needle Acupuncture!" Master Liang’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Young Master Xuan," he stammered in utter shock, "you know this legendary technique?!"
His words had barely faded when, with a sizzle, the dozen-odd Golden Needles piercing their chests all turned pitch-black before corroding into nothing.
"A pity. These are just ordinary Golden Needles. If they were made of Stargold, they would have been enough to expel the poison completely." Ye Xuan shook his head, took out a brush and paper, and quickly wrote a list. "Master Liang, I must trouble you to return and bring me these Spirit Medicines and this equipment as quickly as you can."
"Right away." Master Liang, setting aside his shock, snatched the list and ran, his heart pounding with excitement.
Golden Needle Acupuncture wasn’t an especially rare technique for Alchemists in ancient times, but because it demanded such a high level of skill from the practitioner, very few Alchemists had mastered it in the last century.
And Flying Needle Acupuncture was an exceedingly advanced form of the technique. It involved using Profound Qi to propel the Golden Needles into acupoints, a feat that was tens, if not hundreds, of times more difficult than the standard method.
With just a light flick, Ye Xuan had managed to pierce the clothing of Ye Zhanyun and the others, embedding the Golden Needles precisely seven inches into their flesh without the slightest error.
Master Liang had never seen, let alone even heard of, such a technique and level of control.
True to form, Master Liang was incredibly efficient. In less time than it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was back at the Ye estate with the Spirit Medicines and equipment from the list.
"Grandfather, I need to refine a medicinal pill. Please wait a moment."
Ye Xuan carried the Spirit Medicines and equipment into a small side room.
Hearing this, Master Liang felt an unbearable itch of curiosity. Before, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to watching Ye Xuan refine a Pill. But after witnessing the jaw-dropping Flying Needle Acupuncture, he was now desperate to observe Ye Xuan’s refinement process.
But he knew this was a critical moment. If he were to disturb Ye Xuan, it would be a mistake he could never forgive himself for. He had no choice but to swallow his curiosity.
Inside the small room, Ye Xuan quickly laid out the equipment and took out the Spirit Medicines.
’In terms of composition, this poison isn’t particularly complex, nor is its base toxicity that high. But the method—mixing three different toxins—makes it incredibly virulent. It’s quite a curious poison, in its own way.’
’Of course, no matter how clever the poison, to a former Ninth Grade Alchemist like me, it’s nothing more than child’s play.’
’In my past life, I wouldn’t have needed any ingredients to neutralize this. But in this life, I’m only at the Third Layer of Warrior. I’ll need to be more careful.’
