Chapter 292: Another One Arrives

The Grand Apothecary was just wondering how Physician Bai would deal with the three vice-hall masters and numerous elders when he heard that statement, and his vision immediately went dark.

The Gold Token of Poison Heart was a symbol of identity. It was perfectly normal for a special envoy to arrive and for someone to request to see it; there was nothing problematic about that.

But to ask, "Are you qualified...?"

With the Hall Master having died suddenly, only the three vice-hall masters and many elders remained. If they weren't qualified, then who was?

Even if the special envoy held a high position, there had to be a limit to his arrogance. Such blatant provocation could easily get him killed!

"The special envoy must be joking!"

As expected, upon hearing this, Vice-Hall Master Liao Xun, who had just been smiling pleasantly, looked displeased. "I am the First Vice-Hall Master of the Red Lotus Branch," he stated. "With the Hall Master gone, my position is the highest, so naturally, I am qualified!"

"I am aware of your Hall Master's demise. I am here today specifically to oversee the appointment of the new Hall Master. Otherwise, why would I bother coming to such a backwater place?"

"Until a new Hall Master is appointed, everyone's status is equal. If you truly wish to be qualified, don't tell me what positions you hold. Instead, demonstrate your mastery and understanding of poisons."

Zhang Xuan flicked his sleeve, his eyes gleaming with authority. "My Poison Hall requires talented poison masters, not mediocre individuals!"

"Mastery of poisons?" Liao Xun paused. "Is the special envoy going to test us?"

"Precisely. I have no time to waste, nor do I care for formalities. A poison master's strength is ultimately determined by the potency of their poisons. You will concoct poisons, and I will observe. Whoever can create a poison I've never seen, or articulate a theory I've never heard, will be qualified to see my Gold Token of Poison Heart and become the next Hall Master!"

Zhang Xuan looked on expressionlessly. "Otherwise," he continued, "rather than entrusting the Poison Hall to incompetent individuals, it would be better to let it wither and die."

"Understood..."

Hearing his directness, everyone exchanged grave glances.

In the past, special envoys usually sought bribes and favors; as long as they were catered to, their demands would be met.

Now, it seemed these methods were useless against this particular envoy.

This envoy had delivered a strong warning as soon as he arrived, setting the terms: to ascend, one must rely on skill!

No skill, no point in talking.

"As expected of someone who could resolve the Contract Gu — truly remarkable!"

The Grand Apothecary sighed in relief, completely overwhelmed with admiration, realizing that Physician Bai had defused the crisis with just one sentence.

Physician Bai was not only exceptionally skilled in medicine but also possessed an unexpectedly precise understanding of human nature.

Knowing that the three vice-hall masters coveted the Hall Master's position, he used this as bait.

They were already locked in a bitter struggle, with none willing to yield to another. Now that a clear procedure was established, they would naturally comply immediately.

Even if they harbored doubts about his identity, they couldn't possibly verify it now, unless... they themselves were incompetent and unable to command respect!

With a single sentence, he had deftly shifted the scrutiny from himself onto the three vice-hall masters, forcing them into a deadly competition.

Truly impressive!

However...

To test these three, he himself would need to understand poisons. If he didn't even know what a poison master was, how could he conduct the assessment?

If the three vice-hall masters truly concocted poisons and he couldn't recognize any of them, his deception would be immediately exposed, even without having to inspect the Gold Token of Poison Heart!

At this thought, the Grand Apothecary's face once again twisted into a grimace.

Others played with thrills; he was playing with his life!

Once the procedures were established, no one lingered outside the city. Led by the vice-hall masters, they soon arrived at the most magnificent hall.

Once everyone was seated, Vice-Hall Master Liao Xun spoke. "Special envoy, please outline the assessment procedures!"

"It's quite simple, with only two stages. First, each of you will demonstrate your skill by concocting a poison; the one who produces the highest-grade poison wins! Second, you will concoct a poison of your own design. Whoever creates the most potent poison, one that even I cannot identify, will also win!" Zhang Xuan said calmly.

Upon hearing the conditions, the three vice-hall masters nodded in unison.

Like alchemists, a poison master's rank naturally correlated with the grade of poisons they concocted. If their self-developed poisons were potent, it indicated a promising future path.

The two assessments would test both skill and talent. If a candidate excelled in both, there would be no objection to them becoming the Hall Master.

"Very well, I'll give you two hours to prepare!"

Waving his hand casually, Zhang Xuan stood up. "Where is your library located? I also came here with orders from headquarters to search for a particular book."

"Searching for a book?"

Everyone's faces were filled with confusion, but upon hearing it was an order from headquarters, they hesitated and refrained from asking further questions.

"Special envoy, the library is right over there. I'll send someone to escort you," Liao Xun promptly offered.

"No need, I can go by myself. All of you should go and prepare for the upcoming assessment. This concerns the Hall Master's position, so I hope you can provide a satisfactory outcome for me to report back to headquarters!" Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back.

"Understood!"

Liao Xun and the others nodded.

Ignoring the others, Zhang Xuan strode towards the library.

The Poison Hall of the Red Lotus Mountain Range had stood for thousands of years, and its collection of books was vast. While it couldn't compare to the library of Tianxuan Kingdom, it was no less impressive than the previous Beast Hall.

Upon entering, he immediately saw countless books arranged on shelves, stretching as far as the eye could see.

There were bamboo slips, thread-bound volumes, and even texts carved onto various ceramics and animal bones.

As it had never endured the ravages of war, the books were remarkably well preserved.

"I didn't expect to get in so easily..."

Seeing no one following him, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

His sole purpose in coming to the Poison Hall was to read these books. He had anticipated numerous difficulties, but it had turned out to be surprisingly straightforward.

Upon reflection, he understood: although the Poison Hall members harbored doubts about his identity as a special envoy, they dared not openly challenge him too aggressively.

After all, if he were genuinely from headquarters, defying him could lead to the ruin of the entire branch.

And if he were a fraud, as long as he didn't flee, there would eventually be a way to expose him.

"Never mind all that for now. I'll focus on reading these books and then deal with the poisonous qi in my body!"

Although the poisonous qi in his body was suppressed by the Heaven's Path True Qi and temporarily incapacitated, he knew that a backlash would cause significant trouble. It was this life-threatening urgency that had compelled him to take the risk of coming here.

Now that he had successfully reached the Poison Hall and openly entered the library, he had to make the most of his time.

Although he had bluffed the vice-hall masters, there was no guarantee they wouldn't eventually see through his act and turn hostile.

Although there were many books, his new "running reading method" meant he could finish them in about an hour, which was plenty of time.

"Let's begin!"

Exhaling, Zhang Xuan concentrated, placed his hand on the first row of bookshelves, and began his "running reading" again.

"Vice-Hall Master, do you think this special envoy... is genuine?" Inside the room, as Liao Xun sat in his seat, Elder Heitong, who was opposite him, couldn't help but ask.

Everyone knew Elder Heitong to be impartial, but what they didn't know was that he was, in fact, Vice-Hall Master Liao Xun's confidant.

"Without seeing the Gold Token of Poison Heart, I can't confirm for certain," Liao Xun said, hesitating for a moment. "However, even though the Poison Hall has been reclusive for a long time, its formidable reputation endures. I doubt anyone would be so audacious as to brazenly seek death by impersonating an envoy!"

"That's true..." Elder Heitong nodded.

While the Poison Hall remained reclusive, it did not mean it could be easily taken advantage of. Impersonating a special envoy to come here... that would be tantamount to a death wish!

"Moreover, everything done has a purpose. If he truly is an imposter, there must be a motive so compelling that he'd risk his life for it," Liao Xun continued. "Our Poison Hall, apart from poisons, doesn't possess many truly precious items. I doubt anyone would be willing to take such a risk for them!"

Every action must have a purpose and a reason.

The Poison Hall primarily possessed poisons, with only a few medicinal ingredients being truly valuable. Impersonating a special envoy, if discovered, meant certain death. It was inconceivable that someone would risk so much merely for these things!

He didn't believe that these poisons and medicinal ingredients, which could be purchased, would motivate someone to undertake such a risky endeavor.

Of course, if he were to discover that the other party wasn't here for poisons but simply to read books... he would likely vomit blood and lose his mind on the spot.

Poisons at least held some value... but what good were books?

And the most baffling part was his "running around" while reading...

"Vice-Hall Master, have you forgotten... that object?" Elder Heitong asked, hesitating slightly.

"You mean the one beneath the volcano?" Liao Xun's expression turned grim.

"Yes!" Elder Heitong nodded. "Our Red Lotus Branch stays in this desolate place primarily because of that object. Could it be that someone knows this object has matured, and the old Hall Master died because of it?"

"It's not impossible!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Xun lost his composure. "Bring the Grand Apothecary in," he ordered. "I need to get to the bottom of this!"

"Understood!" Elder Heitong withdrew. A short while later, the Grand Apothecary was brought in.

"Greetings, Vice-Hall Master Liao, and Elder Heitong!" The Grand Apothecary greeted, clasping his fists.

"Tell me, how did you meet this special envoy? And if I'm not mistaken, you should be dead by now. How is it that you're unharmed?"

"I was indeed near death from the Contract Gu when this special envoy intervened and resolved it for me. He then instructed me to bring him to the Poison Hall. As for anything else, I know absolutely nothing!" The Grand Apothecary quickly recounted the story they had previously agreed upon.

"You truly don't know?" Liao Xun snorted coldly. "Are you aware of the consequences of concealing information from me?"

"I am!"

The Grand Apothecary knelt, his face full of trepidation. "Every word I say is true," he pleaded. "Vice-Hall Master, you know I am merely a puppet, a spokesperson for the Poison Hall. This senior claimed to be a special envoy, and I dared not refuse, so I had no choice but to bring him here. As for anything else, I truly don't know!"

"Very well, you may leave!"

After a few more questions yielded no new information, Liao Xun waved his hand dismissively.

"Understood!"

The Grand Apothecary, as if granted a great pardon, hurried out.

"The Contract Gu merges with the blood. Even my teacher couldn't resolve it completely. For this fellow to be entirely free of its hidden dangers, he must have reached at least the level of a four-star poison master!" Watching him leave, Liao Xun tapped his fingers on the table, analyzing the situation. "Only headquarters has four-star poison masters!"

The most skilled poison master in the Red Lotus Poison Hall was merely a three-star.

Only headquarters could dispatch a four-star poison master.

This suggested that the special envoy might indeed be genuine.

"Nevertheless, it's better to be cautious. Elder Heitong, please discreetly go to the library and observe what kind of books this special envoy is searching for and what his true intentions are!" After a moment's hesitation, Liao Xun said.

"Very well!" Elder Heitong acknowledged and withdrew.

Approximately an hour later, he returned, his face a mixture of confusion and bewilderment.

"What happened? Is something amiss? Did he find the book he was looking for?" Seeing his expression, Liao Xun couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing's wrong... and he wasn't looking for any particular books!" Elder Heitong shook his head vigorously, recalling the scene he had witnessed.

He had seen the usually stern special envoy running around the library like a madman, showing no sign of stopping. The envoy claimed to be looking for books, yet he hadn't pulled a single one from the shelves...

Even an experienced elder like himself was utterly baffled, unsure of what the envoy was doing.

If he hadn't confirmed that the person was indeed the special envoy, he would have truly suspected him of going insane.

"That's good then!" Liao Xun breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems this special envoy is likely genuine, so there's no need to doubt him further! We should quickly focus on concocting a poison that will truly impress him!"

Elder Heitong nodded, about to speak, when he saw Physician Liu, whom they had met earlier, hurrying towards them, his face etched with panic.

"Vice-Hall Master..."

"What's wrong?" Liao Xun frowned.

"Someone has arrived outside, requesting to meet you and the other two vice-hall masters... He also claims to be... a special envoy!" Physician Liu's voice was a little shaky.

"A special envoy?"

Liao Xun and Elder Heitong exchanged wide-eyed glances, their faces filled with confusion.

Hadn't the special envoy already arrived? How could...

...another one appear?