Chapter 38: Chapter 38: The Origin Of Poison
Candy was surprised.
Not because Shen Yuan was treating her well.
She had seen many people coming to their establishment. Trying to act all gentleman while they were drinking with them.
But she knew what they truly were. She could see it.
The darkness within their hearts that matched the nature of the place they lived in.’
But Shen Yuan was different.
He did not put on any fake mask before her, or maybe he was that good at hiding himself. But she could tell that he was not treating her nice because he wanted to rip her apart later or needed something from her.
He was sitting there with no expectations, sharing an expensive jar of wine with her.
"You might not know this, but I needed this." Candy allowed herself to reveal a genuine smile. "The days have been slipping from my grasp, and I could not get a moment to myself."
She shared some of the details from her daily life with Shen Yuan while he listened in silence.
He did not offer any words; he knew she did not need any.
"So can you tell it to me now?" Once she was done talking, she moved closer to him, close enough to invade his personal space, and asked, "What did you need from me?"
Shen Yuan looked at her, not bothering to move her hand that was slowly creeping up on his lap or the one slowly caressing his neck.
"I wanted some directions again. With the way you helped me last time, I was wondering if I could get lucky again."
"What is it about?" She breathed down his neck, purring into his ears like a cat wanting her owner’s attention. "Don’t worry about anyone listening to us. We have an array covering the whole floor."
Even though she was practically on Shen Yuan, Candy did not do anything to Shen Yuan. It was not just her; even the other escorts were doing the same, as if it were an unspoken rule to not cross a line on this floor.
"Can you tell me about the Pavilion Of Sinful Strings?" Shen Yuan decided to test the extent to which she could help him. "That place is suddenly closed."
The question caused Candy’s hand to freeze and her eyes to snap at his face. Seeing the clueless look on his face, she let out a long breath before moving back into her seat. "That is not really asking for directions to some pavilion."
Shen Yuan instantly realized from her face that he had something he should not have. But he could not back away now; that would look more suspicious.
He calmly placed the glass down once more and said, "I took a task a while back, and it was in that pavilion. But now, that entire street has been deserted."
The reason he asked about that pavilion was because it was the only place he had narrowed down, in relevance to who had poisoned him.
"Just forget I asked if you cannot tell me about it."
The courtesan hesitated; she bit her lower lip before glancing around sneakily. "I cannot tell you much. But I should advise you that you should not go around asking about that place anymore. It can get you killed."
Shen Yuan’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded seriously.
"Our establishment and theirs are part of a single big branch. While we deal with servants and workers of the sect, that place is strictly for disciples and some lowly elders. You should not even be asking about that place."
After a stern warning, she sighed and closed the distance between them again. "I am sorry, but there are some things we cannot share even if we know."
Shen Yuan nodded in understanding. "I know that. I should have been more careful."
"Why don’t we talk about something else?" Shen Yuan decided to change the topic; this time he took the initiative to slide an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Do you know anything about medicine and poisons?"
...
After a fruitful chat with Candy, Shen Yuan was now short 150 Girds.
It was a tough task to ask many questions without exposing himself.
Even though Shen Yuan had lost quite a bit of money, he did feel bad about it at all.
After all...
"I finally know something about the poison." He was lucky that Candy knew a great deal about medicine.
She was learning to become an alchemist herself. But since she lacked money, she had to find other ways to earn it.
But thanks to her hobby, She knew a great deal about medicine and poisons. Enough to tell him about a poison that slowly takes control over someone’s body.
He did not ask directly about it. But it went in a roundabout way, so she does not know he was the one who had been poisoned.
He just let her think that he wanted to use poisons to kill others.
This was not weird for a member of a demonic sect like The Blood Moon Sect.
The name of the poison—no, the poison Gu he was infested with was the Blood Chain Gu.
Gu was a worm-like insect that could be used for various purposes, from helping someone’s cultivation and controlling them to taking their lives.
The ghoul feeds over the life force of a person over time and slowly takes hold of their bodies. Once controlled, the first person to feed the Gu with their qi can control the infected person.
He was not sure if this was the Gu that had infected him, but it was the only one he knew about for now.
But if it was The Blood Chain Gu that he had been fed, he could suppress or even kill it by growing stronger than the person who is controlling the Gu before it matures and takes over him.
’Another reason for me to get stronger.’ Shen Yuan once more faced the truth he had known all along since his first life.
No matter what the problem is, as long as you are strong enough, you can get through it.
