Chapter 124: A Stroke Of Genius
Translator: Ninetales Editor: Fish_Creek
The few imperial physicians immediately grabbed herbs according to his prescription and not long later, the herbs were collected. The few imperial physicians stood there motionlessly and had faces of anticipation as they waited for Qin Mu to refine the medicine.
Qin Mu's vital qi burst forth and lifted the herbs up. He didn't use a pill cauldron and refined the herbs in the air instead. He exhibited all his refinement and extraction techniques and didn't use water to brew it. He directly extracted the medicinal energy out from the herbs and used his vital to cure and fuse them. His fingers moved up and down like a music score, making the old white-haired Imperial Physician Yu welled up with tears.
"This kind of refinement technique, it's enough to be able to see once in my lifetime!" Imperial Physician Yu sighed ruefully.
Qin Mu had no other thoughts in his mind and focused on refining medicine so he couldn't hear their words. If he heard it, the youth would definitely twitch his mouth. His refinement technique was only barely passable. In the eyes of Grandpa Apothecary in Disabled Elderly Village, he was only just through.
Not long later, the spirit medicine was refined and the few imperial physicians were intoxicated from the sight. Imperial Physician Qu said, "Little divine physician, just now you used this kind of hand technique to prod the water ripples to extract the medicinal energy by water, but why did it suddenly change to fire?"
Qin Mu placed the spirit pill he had refined in the jade goblet on the tray and said, "Those herbs require mutual aids of fire and water, therefore water should come before fire in order to fully extract all the medicinal energy."
Imperial Physician Yu's hand technique changed as he controlled his vital qi to cure the herbs and asked at once, "Little divine physician, is the imitation of my hand technique similar?"
Qin Mu took a look and commented, "Your vital qi circulation is slightly rough and the marvel of my refinement technique isn't in the technique but in the clever use of vital qi. Your vital qi will have to rotate around twelve times and only then would it be brought to the point of perfection."
Imperial Physician Yu suddenly saw the light and asked fervently, "I had only cared about the surface. And also when you were refining Five Fortune Seed, did you pay particular attention to the technique you used?"
The few imperial physicians surrounded Qin Mu and discussed enthusiastically. Lord Yan gave a huge frown and said in a low voice, "Everyone, you can discuss later. Empress Dowager is still waiting!"
The few imperial physicians came to a realization and Imperial Physician Qu hurriedly said, "Little divine physician, Empress Dowager is the priority."
Qin Mu ordered, "I still need one thousand and twenty-three Three Legged Blue Eyes Toads."
The eyes of Imperial Physician Qu and the rest lit up. With their hands on their bellies, they all laughed heartily in admiration, "A stroke of genius, a stroke of genius! I am completely convinced! Quick, quick, go buy the Three Legged Blue Eyes Toads!"
The palaces maids and eunuchs immediately went to the market to buy the blue eyes toads. After half a day, the blue eyes toads were all bought. They were all the size of a fist and had three legs.
Qin Mu made them place the blue eyes toads in the palace hall and let all the palace maids and eunuchs fall back. He then offered a spirit pill to Empress Dowager and said, "When the main poison of Thousand Opportunity Poison is replaced by the poison in the spirit pill, the other poisons will crumble and the toxicity will instantly become violent. These poisons had been in Empress Dowager's body and had combined with your vital qi thus they already had spirituality. Blue eyes toad are beings that consume poison and these toads will take the chance to eat the poison in Empress Dowager's body and Empress Dowager would be cured."
Empress Dowager waved her hand and said, "All of you fall back in case the toxicity hits you."
Qin Mu, few imperial physicians, and Lord Yan retreated out the palace hall. In the hall, Empress Dowager took the spirit medicine and at the beginning, she didn't feel anything odd but the next moment, the medicinal effect suddenly burst forth and a strange poison surged out from the spirit pill, replacing the main poison of Thousand Opportunity Poison in an instant.
Empress Dowager puked out a mouthful of jet black blood, spewing them all over the jade bed and veil.
Following that, Empress Dowager felt that the poisons breaking out in her limbs, bones and even skins. When the main poison was replaced, the one thousand and twenty-two poisons instantly erupted and clashed against each other, causing her to feel a gut-wrenching pain.
Just as these strange and great poisons erupted, the toxicity fused with her vital qi. Empress Dowager gasped for her breath while her face and skin had turned completely black as she was about to fester and die. Her vital qi was now taken over by all one thousand and twenty-two poisons and with her vital qi circulating throughout her entire body, the poisons were brought all over her body as well. This caused her to lose control of her vital qi and was immediately going to die from the poisoning outbreak.
Suddenly a rush of medicinal energy surged forth from the spirit pill she had consumed and this medicinal energy actually surged through her entire body in an instant, even deep into her divine treasures. The vigorous medicinal energy suddenly forced all her vital qi out of her body. Even the vital qi in her divine treasure was forced out!
A loud bang rumbled from inside the hall. Even though Empress Dowager was poisoned for dozens of years and her cultivation was not like before, her vital qi was still incomparably dense and the moment her vital qi left her body, they actually transformed into more than a thousand poisonous substances that flew around the jade couch continuously. There were all kinds of venomous scorpions, snakes, bugs, ants, beetles and other substances which were formed by her vital qi!
Croak, croak, croak.
The croaking of frogs came from inside of the palace hall and the Three Legged Blue Eyes Toads suddenly started to croak. As they opened their mouths, long tongues flicked out and caught the poisonous objects that were formed by vital qi and strange poisons, swallowing them into their bellies.
In an instant, the palace hall regained its brightness. There was still one blue eyes toad that had not eaten a poison yet so it leaped onto the jade couch and sucked in a breath of Empress Dowager, causing her to puke out blood uncontrollably, along with a venomous bug. This bug was the poison that Qin Mu had concealed in the spirit pill to replace the main poison.
After this blue eyes toad had eaten the venomous bug, it hopped off the jade couch. Empress Dowager felt her spirit refreshed and her body was very light. She immediately got up from the couch and she felt that the illness that had plagued her for several dozen years was completely gone, thus she felt extremely delighted.
"Men!"
The palace doors opened and a group of palace maids and eunuchs immediately came forward. When they saw the jade couch and veil curtain all covered in poisoned blood, they couldn't help feeling shocked. Furthermore, toads were hopping everywhere which was slightly frightening.
Qin Mu and the few imperial physicians also hurried over and Empress Dowager looked at Qin Mu with a smile, "Truly a divine physician. Bring these blue eyes toads to Clear Ripple Pond. They have done a good deed for me so let them live in Clear Ripple Pond.
The eunuchs and palace maids immediately did as they were told. Lord Yan was surprised and delighted and he immediately ran out, "I shall inform His Majesty of this great news!"
Empress Dowager walked towards the outside and smiled, "Divine physician, it's a little dirty here so let's talk outside."
Qin Mu replied "understood" and followed her out. The few imperial physicians immediately followed them as well. Empress Dowager looked at the sunshine outside and used her hands to cover her eyes while smiling, "I have not been out of this palace for a long time. Thousand Opportunity Poison is a poison Jade Face Poison King created?"
Imperial Physician Qu nodded his head and said, "It is said that Jade Face Poison King had disappeared about two hundred years ago. This person was ruthless and killed countless of experts with poisons and offended too many people; however, no one knew his true identity. It is said that his disciple Little Poison King had betrayed him and revealed his true identity. Incapable of having a foothold here anymore, he sliced his face off and left."
Empress Dowager nodded her head and said, "I've heard of this before. Come to say of it, I also met that Jade Face Poison King before and even had a few trysts with him. Back then even I was head of heels for him."
The few imperial physicians didn't dare to say a word.
Empress Dowager continued in a gentle voice, "Who would have thought that the world famous Playboy Yu was actually the notorious Jade Face Poison King? After his secret was revealed by his disciple, it had hurt the hearts of god knows how many young maidens. When the former emperor had died, I had taken a fancy to this Playboy Yu and met him a few times. When he was at the end of his rope, I told him I could protect him. There were also some other loathsome women that also wanted to protect him. Hmph, in the end, those wretches didn't win me and I didn't win them either because he had left… Thinking back now, destiny was really making a fool out of me, for the strange poison that had caused me to be bedridden for over dozens of years was my lover's."
The forehead of these imperial physicians was filled with droplets of sweat as they felt that their heads were going to roll for hearing this secret. They were all secretly regretting that they hadn't left with Lord Yan.
Qin Mu's heart wavered slightly. This Jade Face Poison King gave him a familiar feeling, "He couldn't be Grandpa Apothecary, right?"
"In that case does Empress Dowager know who poisoned you?" Qin Mu asked.
"It won't be Playboy Yu."
Empress Dowager smiled, "In that case, it would naturally be Little Poison King Fu Yuanqing. I've heard that Fu Yuanqing had sought refuge with Imperial Preceptor and his poisoning me was naturally Imperial Preceptor's intention. Imperial Preceptor had wanted me to die for a very long time. It must be because I couldn't stand by idly and watch some of his way of handling thus he wanted me dead to prevent me from blocking his path."
These few imperial physicians' faces turned ashen and they suddenly knelt on the floor, not daring to stand up.
Empress Dowager smiled, "Imperial Preceptor even dared to poison me, and if he isn't scared, why are all of you scared? Stand up and talk."
Imperial Physician Qu and the rest stood up while trembling and were all quiet out of fear, not daring to say a word.
Empress Dowager looked at Qin Mu and suddenly asked, "Your master is Playboy Yu, right? How is he?"
"The Playboy Yu she mentioned must be Grandpa Apothecary. How to solve Thousand Opportunity Poison was also taught to me by Grandpa Apothecary. For one to have such understanding of Thousand Opportunity Poison, it can only be the creator of Thousand Opportunity Poison."
Thinking of this, Qin Mu bowed, "To answer Empress Dowager, he is very well."
Empress Dowager let out a sigh of relief and asked softly, "Did he send you to save me? I am still in his heart…"
Qin Mu blinked his eyes innocently and felt that she had overthought but it wasn't good to say it out.
Empress Dowager was also slightly tired since she had just recovered from her illness. She waved her hand and said, "All of you must be tired, go back early to rest."
Qin Mu said "understood" and the few imperial physicians felt like a boulder was lifted off their shoulders. They left with Qin Mu and didn't walk far when they heard shouts: "Get out of the way!". Imperial Physician Qu hurriedly pulled Qin Mu to the side of the path and they saw Emperor Yanfeng walking over in quick steps with his imperial bodyguards running behind. There were also palace maids carrying imperial canopy following behind quickly. Other than the emperor, there were also some men and women dressed luxuriously. They should be imperial consorts, princes, and princesses.
"The one that herds cows!"
A surprised and clear voice sounded from the crowd and it was slightly familiar. Qin Mu raised his head to have a look and there was a young girl in the crowd that looked bright and beautiful.
"Cowherd boy, it really is you!"
The young girl asked in delight, "Why have you come all the way here?"