Chapter 205: A Tree Of Yellow Pears
Translator: Ninetales Editor: DarkGem
Qin Mu tidied up the herbs and matched them up. He nourished Old Ma's arm and Cripple's leg with medicine before buying some venomous insect powder of the south from the warehouse of the Imperial College.
This insect powder was made of incomparably tiny insects called Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects. If a single insect was placed in front of a person, it was impossible to see with a naked eye, only with the third eye.
After the insects were dried and turned into powder, they would revive when in contact with blood.
Qin Mu asked for some fresh blood from Old Ma and Cripple and used it to dissolve the insect powder. When Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects received the nourishment of fresh blood, they revived and made it seem as if the two goblets of fresh blood were alive.
Old Ma and Cripple looked at the goblets. Their eyesight was extraordinary and could naturally see the insects in the blood. There were tens of thousands of them densely packed in the goblet, and the sight of it was terrifying.
Cripple smiled. "Mu'er, you plan to use these insects to cure our limbs? What insects are these? Are they harmful or not?"
Among the people in the village, Butcher could only claim to be number two when ranked on fiendishness that could make little maidens cry. The number one was Apothecary who loved to raise flowers and little insects.
Apothecary's face was scary, but his insects were scarier. Cripple was used to stealing stuff and everyone's room had been visited by him. Even Qin Mu's sugar-coated hawthorns were scammed away by him a few times, but he had never touched Apothecary's room.
Qin Mu followed Apothecary to learn the art of healing, so he was quite knowledgeable about insects. Looking at the insects in the two goblets, Cripple couldn't help feeling his hair stand on end. He kept having the feeling that a wicked person was trying to harm him.
"Grandpa Cripple, don't worry. The use of Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects is one of the venomous insect techniques from Five Sprouts of the southern borders. There's no harm to the body."
Qin Mu injected the insect blood into the blood vessels of Old Ma's arm and Cripple's leg, and the Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects were now planted into the limbs. He then said, "The reason why these insects are called Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects is because there are some women from the sects of the southern borders who use them to freeze their beauty and preserve their youth. They even continue to look alive after they are dead."
"Looking alive after dying…" Cripple gave a shudder, still feeling that these Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects weren't anything good.
Qin Mu placed Cripple's leg and Old Ma's arm into the medicinal cauldron. There was already a cauldron of medicinal decoction there, and he said, "This kind of venomous insect can eat away the dead blood in the blood, the dead skin on the skin, the mucous membrane when muscles are damaged, broken bones, and dead bone marrow. That's why people who use Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects are able to preserve the appearance of their youth until they die of old age. Grandpa Apothecary said he had a few intimate friends of the fairer sex who raised this kind of venomous insect in their body. Even years later, they still looked sixteen to seventeen years old and were very tight. Grandpa Apothecary said he likes girls who are very tight…"
The youth revealed a thoughtful expression. "What does girls who are very tight mean?"
Cripple said, "You're still young, don't think about these nonsensical things. Can I use them?"
Qin Mu found a seed from the spirit herbs taken from the palace and lifted up a floor tile in the main room, revealing jade-like soil underneath, "Of course. However, there's a disadvantage to this kind of venomous insect. If they get hungry, they start eating the healthy flesh and blood, so people who have these venomous insects need to use fresh blood to raise them. As time goes by, there will be more and more Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects in their body, so the fresh blood they have to consume will grow in quantity."
He opened his taotie's sack and took out some water from Jade Dragon Palace to water it. "Grandpa Apothecary said that in the land of Five sprouts, it is a frequent occurrence that beautiful women seduce young and strong men. After a night of fun, only the skin of the men would be left, their owners having turned into dissolute ghosts. The essence and blood sucked away from their bodies would have been used by the women to feed their Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects."
Cripple shuddered.
After Qin Mu watered the soil, it bulged out and a soft shoot popped out, growing taller and taller at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The youth executed Overlord Body Three Elixir Technique as he continued walking around the tiny sapling in the main room. He then executed Earth Eon Creation Technique and struck the tiny sapling with mudras. The moment his palm and his five moving fingers touched the leaf of the sapling, they would immediately get deflected.
When the branches and leaves came into contact with his palm or fingers, there were actually ding and dong sounds which were like notes of a guqin. A melodious rhythm rang out in the main room.
Qin Mu stepped about, and with his Earth Eon Creation Technique, the small tree grew to the height of a human and began to sprout, revealing lush green leaves.
Next, flower buds grew out and bloomed into snow-white pear blossoms.
"The reputation of Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insect isn't good, so when I went to the warehouse of Imperial College to buy it earlier, the directorate even asked what I wanted to use it for. That directorate said that there are many females in the kings, dukes, and ministers' families that like these kinds of things. There are also some consorts in the palace that like them, so Hall of Supreme Healing had altered these venomous insects so that they couldn't reproduce."
Qin Mu's footsteps didn't stop, and neither did his hands. The mudra continued to change like Guanyin flicking her fingers. Each flick produced a thump sound of a stone landing into a calm lake.
The pear blossoms on the tree withered as green pears grew out. Those pears were small and exquisite, only the size of a thumb.
However, under the transformation of Qing Mu's mudra, the fruits slowly grew bigger.
"Imperial Physician You even created an Insect Elimination Pill so when the Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects start to harm the body, one can consume this pill to kill the Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects and remove them from their body."
Qin Mu transformed his creation technique, continuing to ripen the fruits, and the green pears on the tree became as big as a fist. "I had the directorate of the warehouse fetch an Insect Elimination Pill for me to have a look. The herbs used in it are only ordinary herbs yet they are sold for an exorbitant price. Even Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor's month's salary isn't enough to buy one of them. That directorate said that Imperial Physician You had relied on this pill to become a tycoon among the imperial physicians!"
Cripple's eyes lighted up. "Imperial Physician You? Tycoon?"
The pears on the tree turned yellow and gave off a fragrant fruity smell.
Qin Mu plucked a few and threw them to Old Ma and Cripple. The two old men took a bite and the sweetness of the pear spread throughout their mouth, making them exclaim in admiration.
"What kind of spell did little divine physician use to transform these pears?" Old Ma asked.
Qin Mu blushed and said, "Grandpa Ma, stop making fun of me. This is the Earth Eon Creation Technique that granny taught me."
"Earth Eon Creation Technique?"
Old Ma and Cripple looked at each other in dismay, and Cripple muttered, "I saw Granny Si execute this move to refine the sun before. At the time of noon, the five hearts faced upwards to gather the essence of the sun, causing the fire clouds in the sky to come surging over. The sight was so terrifying that it was obvious at first glance that it was a top-notch technique of the devil path. Granny Si used this technique to scorch many people to death, which is very unlike how you used it just now…"
Qin Mu was stunned. "Could I have cultivated it wrongly?"
Old Ma disagreed. "You didn't cultivate it wrongly. You had cultivated it purely, while I reckon Old Woman Si was the one that had strayed from the path. The sun nourishes all living things, so by right it should be used this way."
Qin Mu plucked a few more pears and sliced them into half before placing them in the medicine decoction. "I use Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects to get rid of the dead parts in the arm and leg, and after they are gotten rid of, I will use medicine to force the Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects out. The insects won't harm your limbs. This yellow pear is a herb to excite the medicinal energy of other herbs. It's also pretty delicious, but there are little medicinal properties in it."
His knowledge in the art of healing even surpassed that of Imperial Physician You. This physician had used Insect Elimination Pill to poison Vermillion Beauty Venomous Insects, so after they died, they would still remain within the body to be slowly discharged.
Qing Mu, however, had used medicine to force these venomous insects to swim out by themselves, not leaving a trace behind.
Furthermore, the medicinal decoction he had refined could help improve blood circulation, exciting the activity of Old Ma's arm and Cripple's arm, which would help with the recovery of its lifeforce When the limbs were nursed back to health, he could reattach them back.
Qin Mu plucked the other pears and filled up a basket full of them. He then pulled out the pear tree with its roots and moved it to the courtyard.
Qin Mu called Hu Ling'er and the dragon qilin over, giving some pears to them as well. Hu Ling'er tasted a mouthful and exclaimed endlessly. The dragon qilin also ate quite a few of them. Even if these weren't Scarlet Fire Spirit Pills, it still ate heartily.
"It's time for this fellow to lose some fat."
Qin Mu stared at this dragon qilin and thought to himself, "If he continues eating like this, I doubt he will be able to fly up while stepping on fire clouds."
Cripple couldn't sit still. After staying half a day at Qin Mu's place, he started grumbling about going out for a walk. Old Ma was worried he might meet Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor, so he went out with him.
The person that Cripple always obeyed was Old Ma. He was respectful and afraid of him, so he could not reject him. Even if the two had run out, Qin Mu wasn't worried about their safety.
Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor was also heavily injured, so if he met Cripple, Cripple might not be the one at a disadvantage.
Furthermore, Old Ma was the most steady person in the village. With Old Ma around, Cripple wouldn't fool around.
A few days passed by, and the imperial scholars that had gone to the frontlines returned. In Lizhou, Surging River, and Deer County, they had met with Great Mountain Sect summoning a devil, Nine Spectre Sect summoning souls, and Corpse Immortal Cult controlling corpses.
After they received the surprise attack of General Xiaoyi, thirty percent of the imperial scholars that had headed to the battle were killed. These thirty percent were the elites of the elites, so they could be said to have suffered a great loss.
The imperial scholars who had gone forth into the darkness had been completely wiped out. Luckily, the main forces of Eternal Peace Empire's army had managed to quell the rebellion in Surging River under the command of Eternal Peace Imperial Preceptor. General Yuyuan Chuyun had also managed to gather the power of everyone to slay the devil god that was summoned forth and made his way to the gate of the netherworld.
Lizhou Prefecture Magistrate Yuyuan Chuyu had led her army across the river to stop General Xiaoyi and only when both sides of the army launched a bloody battle on the surface of the river that the power of General Xiaoyi's army finally came to a halt. The swords of Yuyuan Chuyu and Yuyuan Chuyun matched harmoniously as the sun set in Surging River. At that time, a sword sun was half sunk into the heart of the river and numerous sword lights burst forth from the setting sun in the heart of the river, slaying countless people from the rebel army. Flying ships fell from the sky and corpses rained down.
General Xiaoyi could only retreat.
Only when Yuyuan Chuyu and Yuyuan Chuyun's armies crossed the river was the chaos in Lizhou quelled.
They checked the imperial scholars after that, and only then did they realize that they had suffered a great loss. There were even some directorates who had died in battle to save the scholars by fighting the devil.
After that, numerous scholars had followed the directorates to quell the rebellion. Only when Imperial Preceptor returned to the court did the scholars' experience end and they returned to Imperial College. They were thus slightly later than Qin Mu.
There were many imperial scholars that had died, and Gu Linuan couldn't avoid the blame, so he requested his punishment from the emperor. The emperor forfeited his salary for half a year and demoted him to a fourth-ranking official. He was still in charge of Imperial College, but he wasn't spared from his duty.
Gu Linuan ordered people to tidy up the casualty list, hoping to see Qin Mu's name there, but was a pity it didn't appear.
After tidying up the casualty list, he immediately headed to the palace to meet the emperor. On his way, he met a eunuch that announced imperial decrees heading towards Imperial College, and Gu Linuan immediately said, "Eunuch, are you going to Imperial College to announce an imperial decree?"
That eunuch smiled. "Congratulations lord, the imperial academician gained merit in quelling this rebellion, which saved the scholars under you. His Majesty wants me to bring the imperial decree to him and raise his official position!"
Gu Linuan's expression froze, and he said angrily, "This is what he should do, why is there a need for a reward?"
"His Majesty said that some people can't even do what they should do properly, so he decided to use this as a warning to others."