Chapter 186: Concocting Poison
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: GaiaNove
Of course, Zhang Xuan wasn't merely putting on a show.
He had flipped through several thousand books regarding poison in the kingdom's Book Collection Vault. Even though they are all elementary and insufficient for one to become an official poison master even if one read through all of them, it is sufficient for him at the current moment.
His current motive isn’t to become a poison master. He just wants to look for a way to achieve a perfect balance among these ten ingredients to create a safe medicinal solution and restore Shen Hong's vitality.
He doesn’t have to become as skilled as a poison master to concoct the remedy.
It is just like how becoming an official apothecary is troublesome, but an apprentice can still easily concoct medicinal paste.
Hualala! With a jolt of his mind, he flipped through all of the books he had read in the kingdom's Book Collection Vault regarding poison.
"Correct!"
Focusing all of his attention, the correct portions of the books soon formed a complete manual before him.
Zhang Xuan gently flipped it open.
"Poison can kill, but it can save lives as well. If one masters the art of poison, it might even be possible for one to bring back the dead..."
The book was filled with words.
Zhang Xuan knew that that was the correct content extracted from the other books by the Library of Heaven's Path. He started reading without hesitation.
With a single glance, Zhang Xuan was impressed.
It is just like Liu Ling and the others had said. This occupation is vast and profound; it isn't something one can comprehend in mere days.
However, with the Library of Heaven's Path compiling an absolutely correct manual, Zhang Xuan would be able to arrive at the very core of every single principle. As such, he is able to learn swiftly.
Flipping through the various books in his head, his understanding of poison master as an occupation, as well as the nature of poisons, gradually deepened.
Unknowingly, he reached the final page.
Zhang Xuan felt a shudder going through his entire body. He immediately assimilated all of the knowledge he had just learned for himself, and it formed a part of his working memory. Even though he didn't become a poison master, as he had expected, his understanding toward venomous substances had deepened significantly.
"Un? What is this?"
Having gained a deep understanding of poisons, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed a faint black aura hidden in the depths of his body.
"When did I sustain this?"
In the past, due to his ignorance, even if he had noticed, he wouldn't have thought much of it. However, now that he had learned the basics, he recognized it to be poison.
Just that... he couldn't recall when he was afflicted with it?
Furthermore... if it had been lingering in his body all along, why is he still fine?
"Royal Elder! Royal Elder..."
Just as Zhang Xuan wanted to look deeper to see what it is and whether it would have any adverse effect on him, Emperor Shen Zhui's panicked exclamations sounded by his ear.
Realizing that this isn't the right time to do so, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes and glanced forward.
He saw Old Ancestor Shen Hong, who had been struggling to gasp for air, on the verge of closing his eyes. It seems that he may die at any moment now.
Using the analogy of an oil lamp, if the flame was weak before, the wind is now blowing and the flame might be extinguished at this very moment. Even if Shen Hong tries his best to persevere, it is unlikely that he will be able to survive more than a few minutes.
"Sigh... death ultimately comes to all. Emperor Shen Zhui, please do not grief too much!"
"Please pardon our helplessness..."
Liu Ling and the rest recognized Shen Hong's worsening state and shook their heads in unity.
At present, he is no different from a corpse. As 1-star master teachers, they do not have any solutions. Even if they do manage to think of one now, it would be too late to help.
Indignance reflected in Emperor Shen Zhui's eyes.
He had spent a great sum to invite the three master teachers, only to be told that they are powerless on the matter. Just as he decided that there isn’t any hope, Yang shi suddenly appeared. He had thought of him as his final straw of hope, but in the end... it turns out that he is even more unreliable than the three.
It is one thing for him to not save him, but at such a crucial period, he tries to tinker with sedatives and poisons...
I invited you to save him, not to experiment with him...
The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. He turned to look at the motionless fellow to see what he had to say about the matter, only to see that his eyes had opened.
"Yang shi, my old ancestor is unable to hold on any longer. If you don't save him now, it'll be too late..."
Emperor Shen Zhui suppressed the anger he felt and spat through gritted teeth.
"I'll first concoct the medicine!"
Zhang Xuan said.
With a single glance, even he could tell that if he doesn’t come up with anything soon, Shen Hong will most probably die within ten minutes. The only thing he can do now is to concoct the medicine and hope that it is of use!
"Concoct the medicine..."
After hearing those words, Emperor Shen Hong can no longer hold back his anger.
"Yang shi, my old ancestor's life is hanging by the thread! I didn't invite you over to experiment concocting the medicine of a poison master..."
"Oh?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at him. "You mean that..."
"Yang shi, if you have other solutions, please do so. If you are able to treat my old ancestor, the Tianxuan Kingdom is willing to offer anything to you!" Emperor Shen Zhui said.
"Aren't I doing so now? When the medicine is done, feed it to your old ancestor. After he regains some of his vitality, I will find a solution for his problem." Ignoring the other party's rage, Zhang Xuan replied impassively.
After hearing those words, Emperor Shen Zhui nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.
Didn't you hear what I said?
The meaning behind my words should be clear! Since you don't possess the skills of a poison master, don't try to concoct medicine out of poisons. You should try to think of a way to save the person instead... In the end, my words fell on deaf ears!
Actually, what that he didn't know was that Zhang Xuan had no better alternatives at that moment.
In his present state, Shen Hong will die at any moment even if Zhang Xuan does nothing at all. Even though if he tries to do something, Shen Hong might still die. The best solution at the moment is to concoct the medicine and have him recover some vitality so that the library can compile a book on him. Other than this, Zhang Xuan has no better solution.
Seeing that the fellow was still persisting on concocting his medicine, the three master teachers were infuriated.
"Emperor Shen Zhui, allow Yang shi to concoct the medicine!"
Suppressing his displeasure, Liu Ling flung his robe.
If not for a fear of the other party's fighting prowess, he would have long made a move on him.
You don't even know who poison masters are, yet you intend to concoct a medicine out of poison. Do you think that poison masters are a joke?
Arrogant!
It is truly a wonder how you became a master teacher.
Or perhaps... You aren't a master teacher at all! You just happened to be lucky when helping Zhuang Xian to achieve a breakthrough in his realm.
Zhang Xuan could sense the displeasure in the other party's voice, but he couldn't be bothered with it at the moment.
Shen Hong was about to die, and he had no time to waste. Walking over to the venomous ingredients, he poured one of the liquids into an empty bottle.
"Playing a fool..."
Even though Liu Ling isn't a poison master, he had seen them concoct poison and thus, he knew of the typical sequences and methods.
Even a tenth or a hundredth of these venomous substances, when consumed by accident, will cause one to die on the spot. They are all fearsome substances.
That is the reason why one requires specialized equipment when concocting to ensure a precise quantity.
Yet, without using any equipment at all, you simply pour the substances from bottle to bottle... Aren't you being too casual!
Do you know how much of the substance you have poured from the bottles?
Do you know the correct ratio between the various ingredients?
Just a single droplet of error can cause a person's death. That's also the reason why poison masters are exceptionally cautious whenever they concoct, fearing that there might be the slightest bit of error. Yet, you dare to pour these poisons around randomly...
The heck! If one were to try becoming a poison master with such an attitude, before succeeding, he would have long poisoned himself to death.
Do you regard that as having learned the subject?
Even a craftsman found off the streets would be much more precise than you!
"When a poison master concocts a formula, he needs to allow the first two ingredients to react before putting the third in, just like how an apothecary's pill forging worked. There are specific sequences and timings to place the substances in. Even the slightest error will not be tolerated. Yet, to be pouring those poison around casually..."
Zheng Fei commented angrily.
You insist on concocting that poison of yours instead of saving Shen Hong, fine, we'll tolerate it. However, there is an intricate and profound relationship between the various poisons. One has to mediate between the various changes in the poisons and to do so, he has to follow a specific sequence and timing. Yet, you are randomly filling the bottle as though pouring wine...
It is impossible for you to have concocted anything good this way. Just by coming into contact with a single drop, Shen Hong will probably die on the spot, not to mention, drink it.
Ignoring the commotion between the master teachers, Zhang Xuan focused all of his attention into concocting the medicine and his movements were fast.
Don’t you see that he is already dying?
If he were to do it as the master teachers had said, using measurement equipment and waiting for the poison to react with one another, the other party would have already died by the time he is done.
Of course, he wasn't mixing the poisons together randomly as the other party had perceived him to be doing. The book in the library in his mind was continuously refreshed as he poured the different liquids together. If the flaws were to decrease along with his movements, that meant that his actions must be correct.
In less than ten breaths, the ten types of venomous ingredients had been mixed together. Touching the jade bottle, the content in the book was refreshed once again.
"【Ten Venom Medicinal Solution】, concocted by Zhang Xuan. Upon consumption, one regains vitality and reverts to their healthy state for an incense's time. Flaws: 12 aspects. No.1, the consumer doesn’t regain his cultivation; No.2, the duration of the recovery is too short..."
The name and effects of the liquid Zhang Xuan just concocted was written on the cover of the book.
"I've succeeded..."
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.
Even though he had been using the library to observe the state of the poison constantly, if not for the thousand books he had studied prior to that, which provided him with basic knowledge of the properties of the various poisons, he would have been at a loss to how he should react to the flaws that appeared within the book. If he were to have truly added the various venoms together randomly, even if he had half a month, he wouldn't have been able to concoct the medicinal solution.
Hu!
Upon successfully completing the concoction, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
"I've succeeded!"
Picking the jade bottle up, he looked at the crowd.
"You've succeeded?"
Everyone's lips twitched.
After pouring the liquids together randomly, you say that you've succeeded?
In your own opinion, that is!
"Quick, feed it to him!"
Ignoring the bizarre gazes everyone else shot him, Zhang Xuan handed the concoction to Emperor Shen Zhui hurriedly.
"Feed it to him?"
Emperor Shen Zhui shook his head, "It's not certain whether the concoction is toxic or not..."
"There's no time. Hurry up and feed it to him, otherwise, he will really die!"
Knowing that the other party wouldn't believe him even if he were to explain, Zhang Xuan frowned.
"But..."
Emperor Shen Zhui was hesitant.
"Why? You don't believe that this medicinal fluid can help him regain his vitality?" Zhang Xuan asked. Even though Zhang Xuan didn’t appear to be angry, there was some kind of mystical strength to his words that gave it authority.
After having feigned as a master teacher for numerous days, his actions and words had started to exude an aura of superiority.
"I..."
Emperor Shen Zhui did not know how he should reply to his words.
It's not that he had doubts, but that... he didn't even trust him!
I saw you mixing the ten poisons together randomly with my own eyes. Yet, you ask me to believe you... You must be joking!
Besides, how can I feed the Royal Elder with this unverified solution? What if he dies immediately after I feed him that?
"If you don't believe me, then let's forget it. I've already given you the chance, and the choice is up to you!"
Seeing the other party hesitating, Zhang Xuan chose not to speak excessively. He placed the medicinal solution he concocted on the table, his face carrying an impassive expression.
"However, you should consider the matter properly. Your Royal Elder will not survive for more than three minutes if you can't think of any other solutions... Three minutes of his life for an opportunity to extend his longevity. The choice is up to you."
"This..."
Emperor Shen Zhui clenched his fist tightly.