Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Courting Death
Chapter 8: Courting Death . . .
In the alchemy room located on the eastern side of Ye Hang's expansive manor, Lu-er found himself wide-eyed, marveling at the sleek black medicinal pill cradled in Ye Yuan's capable hands.
"Wah! Young Master, when did you become so amazing?" he exclaimed.
Ye Yuan, amused by Lu-er's genuine surprise, playfully pinched the delicate pink nose of his loyal companion. In response to Lu-er's comment, Ye Yuan grumpily retorted, "Since when is your young master not amazing?"
Intending it as a light-hearted jest, Ye Yuan was taken aback when Lu-er, after a thoughtful pause, earnestly nodded. "Oh, in the past, people always spoke ill of Young Master. I don't know why, but I've always thought of Young Master as a good person. It's just that now Young Master is even more impressive. Right, what does this pill do?"
Having become Ye Yuan's closest confidant within a day of transmigrating, Lu-er enjoyed the privilege of unfiltered information. Ye Yuan, without hesitation, elucidated, "It's poison, a very potent one."
Lu-er, seemingly startled by this revelation, queried, "Ah? Why did Young Master refine something like this?"
Ye Yuan, sporting a wry smile, responded, "Naturally for a person to eat."
Contemplating Ye Yuan's explanation, Lu-er, with a straight face, remarked, "I understand. Young Master definitely refined this poison for bad guys to eat."
Ye Yuan erupted in laughter and declared, "Let's go. The 'bad guy' is almost here. We will wait for him in the parlor."
As they entered the parlor, a servant swiftly approached, reporting that a bloodied individual awaited an audience at the manor's entrance. Ye Yuan instructed the servant to bring the visitor to the parlor.
Moments later, the servant ushered in a pitiful-looking Liu An. On spotting Ye Yuan, Liu An rushed forward, clutching Ye Yuan's leg and tearfully pleaded, "Young Master Ye, I beg you to be magnanimous and save me, please. We don't have any grudges between us. Why do you want to put me to death!?"
Ye Yuan, wearing a disdainful expression, dispatched Liu An with a kick, causing him to tumble backward. Squatting down, Ye Yuan issued a grim ultimatum, "Don't have any grudges? Do you really take me for a fool? No matter how many Heart Protecting Pills my Ye Family has, we wouldn't take it out to feed dogs. Make your choice now. Do you want to confess in exchange for the antidote or die due to the poison?"
Despite the forceful kick, Liu An, showing no resentment, scrambled back on his feet. Ye Yuan, being only at the First Level Essence Qi Realm, couldn't inflict substantial harm on Liu An even with a kick backed by true essence.
Liu An refrained from repeating his earlier clingy gesture but was cautious not to underestimate Ye Yuan's capabilities. Regardless, Ye Yuan remained untroubled by the prospect of Liu An resorting to desperate measures, knowing Liu An's scattered true essence rendered retaliation futile.
"Young Master Ye, I truly don't know what you meant by that! I only came to Fragrant Medicine Pavilion to get treated. Even if I'd offended you, it isn't deserving of death. I am only a small figure. I beg of you, Young Master Ye. Just treat me like a fart and let me go," Liu An pleaded, his dignity cast aside in desperation.
Ye Yuan maintained a stoic silence, his gaze fixed on Liu An's disconcerted face. Liu An, clinging to a last sliver of hope, believed that Ye Yuan was merely playing an elaborate prank, exploiting his precarious situation. Hoping to secure the antidote without exposing his dubious identity, Liu An persisted in his feigned vulnerability.
Repeatedly kowtowing and babbling, Liu An implored, "Young Master Ye, I was wrong. I truly know I was wrong. I can't hide anything from your keen sight. I'm willing to tell Young Master Ye everything. I only beg Young Master Ye to spare my worthless life."
Ye Yuan, seemingly pleased with Liu An's performance, smiled and remarked, "That will depend on whether the information you are going to reveal is valuable or not. If it is, this Young Master naturally will not make things difficult for a small fry like you."
Thrilled by this concession, Liu An wasted no time in divulging the details. The truth closely aligned with Ye Yuan's conjecture. The brawny man, seeking a cure, initially visited various medicinal pill stores where physicians, while occasionally recognizing the Seven Evils Flowing Cloud Python's poison, proved powerless against it.
Despite Qian Miao's status, he was outclassed by Ye Yuan. The brawny man, faced with imminent peril due to the venom, resorted to the Drunken Star Manor. Wan Donghai, the Manor Lord, recognizing the gravity of the situation, insisted on seeking a more capable expert, leading the brawny man to the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion as a last resort.
In the alchemy room of Ye Hang's manor, Lu-er stared wide-eyed, marveling at the smooth black medicinal pill in Ye Yuan's hands.
"Wah! Young Master, when did you become so amazing?"
Ye Yuan smiled and pinched Lu-er's delicate pink nose. He then grumpily replied, "Since when your young master isn't amazing?"
Originally intended as a joke, who knew Lu-er actually seriously pondered awhile before nodding. "Oh, in the past, people always talked bad about Young Master. I don't know why, but I've always thought of Young Master as a good person. It's just that now Young Master is even more impressive. Right, what does this pill do?"
One day after transmigrating, Lu-er already became the closest person to Ye Yuan. Without hiding anything, Ye Yuan explained, "It's poison, a very potent one."
Lu-er seemingly frightened by this and asked, "Ah? Why did Young Master refine something like this?"
Ye Yuan smiled and said, "Naturally for a person to eat."
Lu-er mused over this explanation, before replying with a straight face, "I understand. Young Master definitely refined this poison for bad guys to eat."
Ye Yuan laughed out loud and said, "Let's go. The bad guy is almost here. We will wait for him in the parlor."
The two just stepped into the parlor, and a servant came to report that a person with a bloodied face was at the front entrance of the manor seeking for an audience. Ye Yuan commanded him to bring that person over.
Momentarily, the servant brought a pitiful looking Liu An to the parlor.
Upon seeing Ye Yuan, Liu An sprinted over. Hugging Ye Yuan's leg and crying, he said, "Young Master Ye, I beg you to be magnanimous and save me, please. We don't have any grudges between us. Why do you want to put me to death?!"
Ye Yuan gave a look of disdain and then sent Liu An flying with a kick before squatting down and said, "Don't have any
Wan Dong Hai harbored a shrewd strategy: understanding that Ye Hang would struggle to neutralize the poison, he dispatched Liu An to infiltrate the crowd, ready to seize an opportunity to escalate the situation and tarnish the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion's reputation. If matters spiraled out of control, inciting the demonic beast hunters to attack the Pavilion seemed the best course. Even if the Pavilion endured, the substantial damage to its reputation would render it unable to compete with the Drunken Star Manor.
Liu An, freshly wounded and astute, had swiftly returned to the State of Qin's capital. His quick thinking made him the ideal candidate for Wan Dong Hai's scheme.
Initially, Wan Dong Hai's plan unfolded seamlessly. However, halfway through, an unforeseen twist occurred: Ye Yuan, against all odds, successfully neutralized the poison, leaving Liu An powerless.
"Hehehe. It really was Wan Dong Hai. What a great trick to manipulate this incident," Ye Yuan sneered.
Wan Dong Hai, viewing Ye Yuan's father as a rival, was an insidious and unscrupulous figure. Contrary to Ye Hang's honorable nature, Wan Dong Hai had always been a nemesis. Although Ye Yuan's predecessor was no match for Wan Dong Hai, his son, Wan Yuan, was a formidable adversary at the Dan Wu Academy.
Though both were considered silkpants, Wan Yuan, reaching the Sixth Level Essence Qi Realm and excelling as an Alchemy Apprentice of the Dao of Alchemy, surpassed Ye Yuan's predecessor. Wan Yuan's dominance over Ye Yuan was evident, a source of constant bullying at the academy.
Given the circumstances surrounding Ye Yuan's poisoning, analysis from his predecessor's memories indicated an 80% likelihood of Wan Yuan orchestrating the incident.
Good! Excellent! Existing grievances lingered, and new enmities emerged. This feud with the Wan Family, father and son, would never see reconciliation! Ye Yuan silently relished the thought.
"Yo-Young Master Ye, I've said what I should say, as well as what I shouldn't have. Don't you think...?" Liu An weakly inquired.
Having already unveiled his status as a Drunken Star Manor spy to earn Ye Yuan's trust and secure the antidote through deception, Liu An now sought reassurance.
Satisfied with the outcome, Ye Yuan nodded. Presenting the newly refined poison pill, he tossed it to Liu An, stating, "Not bad. You've performed well. This antidote is your reward."
Accepting the pill with elation, Liu An, without skepticism, consumed it promptly and entered a meditative state to absorb the medicinal effects.
As the pill reached his abdomen and began its absorption, Liu An's stagnant true essence initiated a swift circulation. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he lunged forward like a cheetah, claws extended toward Ye Yuan's throat.
"Ah! Young Master!" Lu-er screamed, leaping instinctively in front of Ye Yuan.
This claw attack carried an unprecedented ferocity, honed by Liu An's daily encounters with life-and-death situations as a demonic beast hunter. Against Ye Yuan, perceived as a novice, Liu An anticipated an effortless victory.
Yet, the claw halted three inches from Lu-er's throat. Subsequently, Liu An collapsed to the ground, writhing in convulsions, his face contorted with pain.
Ye Yuan, pulling Lu-er aside, observed Liu An on the ground with pity. Smirking coldly, he remarked, "Disasters from the heavens can be withstood, but the evil we bring upon ourselves is the hardest to bear. If you didn't have any devious ideas, this Heart Inch Fissure Poison wouldn't activate this early. Yet, because you had vicious thoughts, you have to suffer more."
"Why..." Liu An, twitching, managed to force out the word through clenched teeth.
Ye Yuan, with a light smile, explained, "You thought the Heart Protecting Pill I gave you back at the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion was actually poison. In reality, that was really a Heart Protecting Pill. It's just that the medicinal pill had been refined several times. Consequently, the medicinal effects became several times more violent. You are bleeding from the seven orifices and unable to gather true essence was merely some side effects. There was actually no serious problem with your body. Once the medicinal effects passed, not only would you be completely fine, you might have experienced improvement."
"But the pill you just ate was a real poison pill, the Heart Inch Fissure Pill. Furthermore, the effects are extremely violent. After consuming it, you will suffer from the pain of your intestines rupturing for six hours each day. Moreover, each time it happens, it will become even stronger. All the way until you die."
Ye Yuan's words clearly reached Liu An's ears. This seemed to make him convulsed even more violently.
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