Chapter 190: Poison Master

Chapter 184: The Poison Master

"Quick unconsciousness, but no death?"

Emperor Shen Zhui, Liu Ling, and Zheng Fei exchanged glances, question marks appearing above their heads. Weren't they here to save someone? Why would they need something to make a person unconscious? When saving lives, they had only heard of methods like infusing true qi, administering medicine, or acupuncture. Was there truly a method like this?

Unlike the others' surprise, Zhuang Xian, who stood to the side, felt his mouth twitch and his rear clench, a feeling akin to constipation washing over him. Although he had taken many medicines, his face was still swollen today, and he felt some pain with every movement. Even though the other party had helped him achieve a breakthrough, and he was grateful, the methods were simply too unconventional. A normal Master Teacher would follow a specific, even standardized, process to help someone achieve a breakthrough. But this guy? He just put a bag over his head and beat him with a stick... Even now, thinking about it sent shivers down his spine. Of course, his situation was unique and understandable, but why would one need something to make someone unconscious when treating the dying Shen Hong? He wouldn't use some incomprehensible treatment method again, would he...?

"There's a medicinal powder here; just one sniff can make someone unconscious..." Emperor Shen Zhui said after a moment of hesitation. Within the palace, all kinds of medicines were readily available, so finding something that could induce unconsciousness without causing death was not difficult.

"Good, bring it over!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up as he instructed.

Before long, a eunuch handed over a jade bottle. Upon uncorking it, white powder was indeed visible inside.

"Excellent." Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan picked up the jade bottle and approached Shen Hong again. Under the bewildered gazes of everyone present, he pointed the bottle's opening at the dying royal ancestor, his face full of confidence and grandeur: "Sniff! Come on, take a sniff!"

*Thump!* The crowd nearly fainted. They had thought there was some special purpose for this medicine, but upon hearing this, the three Master Teachers and Emperor Shen Zhui almost choked on their own saliva. When others saved lives, they used tonics, spiritual liquid, or absorbed spiritual energy... You're making him sniff a soporific... You're not saving him; you're here to kill him, aren't you!

The crowd was exasperated, and the royal ancestor struggled, shaking his head with a look of horror. If his body hadn't been immobilized, he probably would have leaped up and fled long ago. Even when perfectly healthy, sniffing this would put a strain on the body. Now, he was on the verge of death, and he was being told to sniff it? Was he trying to help him die faster? Anxious, he quickly looked at Emperor Shen Zhui, who was not far away. Weren't you going to invite a Master Teacher to treat me and help me break through to extend my lifespan? Why did you come here just to make me sniff a soporific? What kind of person did you find? This is such a scam!

"Ahem, Master Yang... The ancestor's body is already extremely weak. I'm afraid... if he truly takes a sniff, he might... not be able to bear it!" Seeing the ancestor's questioning gaze, Emperor Shen Zhui's mouth twitched, and he hurriedly stepped forward. Yesterday, he had witnessed Master Yang's strange methods and thought they were only for breakthroughs. He never dreamed that even treating illness would be so utterly outlandish. Judging by the ancestor's appearance, his ability to hold on until Master Yang arrived was already a testament to his strong will. If he were to take a sniff, he would probably die even if he wasn't originally destined to.

"Cannot bear it?" Zhang Xuan paused. He was right. Judging by the man's appearance, he could expire at any moment, sustained only by sheer will. If he were to fall unconscious and lose that will, he might indeed die on the spot.

He couldn't make him unconscious, but he also couldn't have him practice a punching routine? What should he do? Zhang Xuan was troubled. He had thought that upon arriving, he could easily identify the root of the problem with the help of the Library, and even if he couldn't find a cure, he could at least offer some insights. Now, however, the patient was half-dead, rendering all methods useless and leaving him helpless.

"Then... is there anything that can temporarily boost his life force so he won't die even if he falls unconscious?" Zhang Xuan continued after a moment of hesitation. Since he could die at any moment, using a soporific was definitely out. He had to find a way to temporarily enhance his life force to ensure he wouldn't die if he fell unconscious.

"Unconscious but not dead?" Everyone looked at each other. It seemed Master Yang was determined to make Ancestor Shen Hong unconscious...

"Master Liu, among the Master Teachers' diagnostic methods, is there... a technique that requires the patient to be unconscious before diagnosis?" Zhuang Xian couldn't help but secretly transmit his voice. Master Teachers had many diagnostic methods, just like doctors treating patients. It was through these methods that they could understand the patient's condition and pinpoint the critical issues. The actions of this "expert" were truly too bizarre; even a Master Teacher couldn't comprehend them.

"Well... diagnosis is always done when the patient is conscious. Unconscious... I don't know!" Liu Ling shook his head. He was widely experienced, having traveled through many kingdoms. He had seen people purposefully wake unconscious patients for easier diagnosis, but he had never heard of intentionally rendering a conscious person unconscious. An unconscious person had no awareness; they were no different from a corpse. How could one find the problem then?

The Master Teachers were bewildered, and Emperor Shen Zhui was also completely confused. He hesitated for a moment: "Well... all the tonics the ancestor could take have basically been used. Medicines to enhance life force no longer have much effect on him..." Shen Hong was backed by a kingdom, and to extend his life, he had consumed countless types of medicines. His body had developed strong resistance to them, so even more medication now would have little to no effect.

Hearing this, Zhang Xuan became even more frustrated. He had thought there might be some medicine he could give the ancestor to revive his spirits, so he could perform a set of punches. But it turned out the man was a walking pharmacy, and medicines had no effect... Damn it, was he really going to fail this time?

"I do know of something that can temporarily boost a person's vitality and spirit, similar to what Emperor Shen Zhui just mentioned. After taking it, a weak person can gain strength and recover their mental faculties, and it has very few side effects, but..." Liu Ling said, after a moment of thought, his voice full of hesitation.

"But what?" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"But... it's not a tonic; it's... poison!" Liu Ling said.

"Poison?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered. Doesn't poison kill people? How can taking poison increase vitality and spirit with minimal side effects? Not only him, but even Emperor Shen Zhui was puzzled, looking over with a strange expression.

"Everyone knows that Poison Masters are a low-ranking profession, concocting poisons and engaging in despicable acts like backstabbing, making them reviled. However, the fact that this profession has been fully passed down indicates that it must have some inherent value," Zheng Fei, who was on the side, spoke up. Any profession that can be passed down must have some merits; one cannot simply disparage it. Although Poison Masters had a bad reputation, they did have their advantages. For instance, ordinary people needing to eliminate pests or avoid miasma would require their assistance.

"Yes, I've heard of it too," Zhuang Xian seemed to recall, nodding. "It's said to be a combination of over a dozen potent poisons mixed in specific proportions, extremely complex, much like alchemy. The resulting substance, due to the conflicting nature of various toxins, forms a perfect balance that not only causes no harm to life but can also activate potential, allowing a person to temporarily restore their vitality and spirit. It's quite miraculous."

After speaking, he looked over with a strange expression: "Although the profession of Poison Master is obscure and rare, this kind of concoction is very common in first-tier kingdoms. Master Yang... you don't know about it?" Not only was he surprised, but at this moment, Liu Ling and Zheng Fei were also full of doubt. A Master Teacher must first be learned and knowledgeable. The three major low-ranking professions—upper, middle, and lower—and their specific abilities are tested in detail, just like testing an alchemy apprentice, during the one-star Master Teacher examination. Any Master Teacher would generally know about them. This person in front of them, capable of giving them guidance, was clearly of a high level. How could he not have heard of Poison Masters and the medicinal substances they concocted? He looked as if he was hearing about it for the first time.

"I... I don't like the Poison Master profession, so I haven't researched it much..." Seeing the doubtful looks from everyone, Zhang Xuan felt a bit awkward. With the Library of Heaven's Path, guiding others was easy, but encountering such common knowledge made it very easy to reveal his deception. As a Master Teacher, one must first have keen insight to spot problems. The main reason for developing sharp insight was extensive knowledge, possessing an astonishing amount of information. Without knowledge as a foundation, how could one immediately discern the root of a problem and offer guidance? And what Zhang Xuan lacked was precisely this kind of accumulated knowledge. He could bluff a bit with the Library, but encountering common knowledge like this made it easy to expose him.

"Don't like it? Haven't researched it?" Liu Ling, Zhuang Xian, and the others exchanged glances, their expressions growing even stranger. Anyone who had been to a first-tier kingdom, even if deaf or blind, would know something about it, let alone a high-ranking Master Teacher. Furthermore, Master Teachers taught without discrimination; they had never heard of one not studying a profession simply because they didn't like it... This was clearly the talk of an amateur. If not for the guidance he had given them earlier, and their knowledge of his profound insights into cultivation, they would have suspected he was merely a faker, not a Master Teacher at all.

"Who among you has this medicine?" Seeing the expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan knew he had surely given something away. However, he was thick-skinned and composed, so he immediately changed the subject.

"This kind of medicine must be concocted by a Poison Master on the spot; it cannot be stored. Otherwise, if one ingredient changes, it could mutate, disrupting the balance and turning into a lethal poison... How could we possibly have such a thing?" Liu Ling shook his head, the doubt in his eyes growing stronger. Master Yang's words were truly too naive! No Master Teacher would ever ask such a question. Zhuang Xian and Zheng Fei also had the same thought. At this moment, they once again doubted whether Master Yang was genuine.

"I see..." Knowing they were suspicious, Zhang Xuan understood that the more he said, the more trouble he'd cause. He stopped dwelling on it and looked at Emperor Shen Zhui, who was nearby: "Since a Poison Master is needed to concoct it, I'll trouble Your Majesty to find someone to prepare it!" Saying this, he paused. Zhang Xuan didn't mind their gazes in the slightest, his voice imbued with the unique authority and demeanor of a Master Teacher: "I need this medicinal liquid to treat your ancestor!"

"This..." This time, not only were the three Masters puzzled, but even Emperor Shen Zhui looked at him with great bewilderment: "Our Tianxuan Kingdom is merely an unranked kingdom, without a hierarchy... there's simply no such profession as a Poison Master here... Master Yang, you couldn't possibly be unaware of that, could you?"

"None?" Zhang Xuan's heart thumped.