Chapter 313: Shang Xiangyu

Duan Rong followed Qin Laotou into the cave.

The cave entrance was rather narrow, but once inside, it opened into a fairly large stone chamber.

As soon as he entered, a strange odor, a mixture of various medicinal herbs, drilled into Duan Rong's nasal cavity.

He saw that in this fairly large space, the area against the innermost stone wall was piled high with various bulging sacks, while the remaining space was occupied by a dozen or so old wooden frames, each one stacked with all sorts of bottles and jars...

On the eastern stone wall, between two wooden frames, there was also a narrow stone door, which seemed to lead to another stone chamber.

Qin Laotou coughed deliberately before passing through the frames and walking toward that stone door.

Duan Rong followed behind Qin Laotou, and the two of them walked into the other dim stone chamber together.

The outer stone chamber was fairly bright because the daylight from the cave entrance shone in.

Suddenly entering the dark room from the bright area, Duan Rong felt his vision darken, and it took a while for him to adapt to the darkness.

The dark room was not completely black; there was a faint, dim candlelight.

The candlelight was very thin and weak, only able to illuminate a circle of dim yellow light about the size of a person's belly.

He saw that standing beside the candlelight appeared to be a dark shadow, his face submerged in the darkness. Within that circle of dim yellow light, only his two hands were revealed.

Those were two wrinkled, aged hands!

Those two hands were holding a black pottery jar.

The lid of the black pottery jar was opened, and a triangular snake head flicked its tongue as it poked out.

As soon as the snake head poked out, it was firmly grabbed by one of the aged hands. The venomous snake writhed and twisted; in the dim yellow circle of light, one could see its entire body was covered in crimson scales.

The other aged hand reached into the darkness, seemingly grabbing a toad covered in pustules on its back from another pottery jar.

The aged hand pinched the two hind legs of the pustule-covered toad and brought it close to the twisting, writhing red snake.

The other aged hand loosened slightly, and with a *whoosh*, the triangular snake head bit into the back of the pustule-covered toad.

The toad's back began to turn black at a speed visible to the naked eye; in just a single breath, the entire toad was as black as ink.

But just at this moment, the red snake suddenly detached from the toad's back and fell into the darkness.

The aged hand grabbed the ink-black toad and suddenly threw it into a stone pot in front of him. After a slight splashing sound, the stone pot began to emit thick white mist.

At the same time, Duan Rong, standing at the entrance of the dark room, smelled a foul, pungent odor of rot and spice mixed together.

Duan Rong immediately held his breath; if he smelled such an odor for any longer, he feared he would vomit.

But the dark shadow in the circle of light stood right beside the stone pot, watching the billowing white mist float onto his face, yet the person remained as if petrified, showing no reaction at all.

But Qin Laotou clearly could no longer stand the smell; he pinched his nose and called out as if begging for mercy: "Pharmacist Shang, Pharmacist Shang..."

Duan Rong saw that at Qin Laotou's shouting, the dark shadow clearly trembled, as if he had only just noticed the two of them.

The dark shadow picked up the pot lid and covered the stone pot. The white mist that was still rising was then pressed inside the pot.

The dark shadow walked a few steps to the stone wall behind him and, with a *huo* sound, pulled open a beast-hide curtain.

There was actually a narrow stone window there, and outside the stone window was a ten-thousand-foot cliff.

The daylight that shone in through the narrow stone window instantly illuminated this dark room.

The space of this dark room was not large, only about one-third the size of the outer stone chamber.

On one side against the wall was a stone bed. On the ground beside the stone bed, as well as on the stone bed itself, were piles of various messy, yellowed books and some scattered bamboo tubes.

On the other side was a crude desk made of bamboo tubes, and on the ground beside the desk were all sorts of bottles and jars.

At this moment, on that crude desk, there was a dying candle lamp and a fairly large stone pot, covered by a clearly mismatched wooden board lid full of grease and dust.

Right at the corner of that crude desk, the crimson venomous snake was already curled up on the ground without moving; it was clearly dead...

Shang Xiangyu stood by the stone window, his voice hoarse. "What? It hasn't even been a month, and the medicine I gave you last time is already finished?"

Shang Xiangyu's voice was extremely unpleasant and grating, as if his throat had completely rotted away; it did not sound like a voice made by a human at all, but rather like an evil ghost screaming in hell...

As the beast-hide curtain was pulled open, the damp air from the Empty Valley blew in, and the unpleasant odor in the dark room had already dissipated by more than half.

Duan Rong adjusted his breathing and stared at Shang Xiangyu, who was standing by the stone window.

This person wore a robe with large sleeves and a high collar, with a head of long hair draped messily behind him.

What was eerie was that Duan Rong had just seen his hands in the dim yellow circle of light by the stone pot; they were a pair of aged hands full of wrinkles and calluses.

But Shang Xiangyu's face was by no means aged; the skin was tight and pale, without a single wrinkle, looking instead like the face of a twenty-year-old youth.

If it were only this jade-like face, combined with the large-sleeved, high-collared robe, one might truly be dazed into thinking a dashing youth stood before them. But unfortunately, Shang Xiangyu's disheveled long hair was as pale as snow.

Pale hair and a jade face, added to that grating voice, made a chill rise in Duan Rong's heart.

What kind of monster is this?! Could it be an old fox from these mountains that has become a spirit?

Qin Laotou laughed: "There is still some left, but since I'm already here, I might as well take a bottle back. When that bottle is gone, it will be easy to replenish."

Upon hearing this, Shang Xiangyu cursed: "You old dog, what a fine Abacus you have!"

While cursing, Shang Xiangyu rummaged through the bottles and jars by the wall, then pinched a cyan Porcelain Bottle slightly smaller than a palm. He opened the stopper, sniffed it, walked over, and handed the Porcelain Bottle to Qin Laotou, saying: "Although this medicine can treat your stubborn illness, the damage it does to your body is not small. Eat as little as you can. If you manage the dosage well, you old dog can still breathe for another ten years."

Shang Xiangyu called Qin Laotou an old dog in every sentence, but Qin Laotou did not seem angry at all, his face constantly wearing a silly grin.

Qin Laotou took the Porcelain Bottle, opened the stopper, and sniffed it at the tip of his nose; a look of intoxication immediately appeared on his face.

At that sniff, a rich greed even surged in Qin Laotou's eyes. He put the stopper back in, suppressed his greed, and said: "I didn't just come to get medicine. I brought a Medicine Boy for you!"

"A Medicine Boy?!"

Shang Xiangyu picked up the dead red snake and threw it out through the opening of the stone window. Hearing Qin Laotou's words, he suddenly turned his head to look at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong's complexion was swarthy, and his appearance was honest and simple.

Shang Xiangyu looked him up and down.

Qin Laotou said: "Duan Rong, why don't you pay your respects to Pharmacist Shang?"

Duan Rong cupped his hands and said respectfully: "Duan Rong pays his respects to Master Shang!"

Shang Xiangyu looked at Qin Laotou and asked casually: "Which one did he recognize?"

Shang Xiangyu had left those three medicinal herbs with Qin Laotou and instructed him that if he could recognize one of them, he could send him over to be his Medicine Boy.

Qin Laotou said, "He recognized all three stalks."

Shang Xiangyu's expression shifted slightly, and he glanced at Duan Rong again.

Qin Laotou said, "This kid says all three are poisonous plants."

Shang Xiangyu smiled and said, "The bottle I gave you earlier was also poison, but it can cure illnesses!"

Shang Xiangyu paused, then continued, "When curing illness, they are medicinal herbs; when killing people, they are poisonous plants! Plants and trees have no nature of their own; it is all up to the person wielding them!"

Upon hearing Shang Xiangyu's words, Qin Laotou just stood there in a daze.

Seeing Qin Laotou's state, Shang Xiangyu sighed inwardly. Why was he saying these things to this old man? Wasn't this like playing the lute to a cow?

"Lao Qin, you go. I'll keep this kid here for now. If he's useful, I'll keep him. If he's not, I'll send him away."

"Sigh, alright." Qin Laotou agreed. "Pharmacist Shang, then I'll be going first."

Qin Laotou turned his head and whispered to Duan Rong, "It's alright. If Pharmacist Shang doesn't keep you, just go to the Lower Courtyard and find me; I'll arrange a new place for you."

As he spoke, Qin Laotou patted Duan Rong on the shoulder and walked out.

After Qin Laotou left, Shang Xiangyu looked at Duan Rong and asked, "Well? Does someone in your family use poison?"

The three poisonous plants Shang Xiangyu gave to Qin Laotou were certainly not common poisons in the world; to be able to recognize all three—it wasn't to say it was impossible, but it was surely extremely rare.

And such a person must be someone who has deeply studied poisons.

Given Duan Rong's age, the only explanation was a deep family heritage.

Duan Rong said, "Reporting to Master Shang, I learned from a Wandering Physician."

"A Wandering Physician?"

"That Wandering Physician got into legal trouble, was locked in a grand prison, and was nearly beaten to death. Later, the case was closed. He was thrown out onto the street with only half a life left. Seeing that he was pitiful, I carried him home and nursed him for half a year before he fully recovered."

"During those six months, the Wandering Physician taught me everything he knew. Before leaving, he even left a notebook for me."

Duan Rong had made this lie up on the spot, but he felt he had fabricated it quite well. Half-true and half-false, it was the hardest to see through.

But Shang Xiangyu sneered upon hearing this and said, "A well-spun story. But you underestimate the three poisonous plants I placed with Qin Laotou. Do you think a mere Wandering Physician could recognize all three of those poisonous plants?"

Duan Rong's expression changed, and he said, "The world is full of extraordinary people..."

As Duan Rong spoke, he suddenly stopped, because he saw Shang Xiangyu's face was angry, his eyes staring at him like blades.

A flash passed through Duan Rong's eyes, and he said, "Reporting to Master Shang, I have that notebook with me. If Master Shang does not believe me, I can bring the notebook for Master Shang to see."

Shang Xiangyu's eyelids twitched, and he said, "Bring it here for me to see."

Duan Rong walked out and rummaged through his bundle at the entrance of the stone cave, pulling out a notebook.

Shen Ping's three notebooks were arranged in chronological order according to his deep study of poisons, from shallow to deep. The one Duan Rong brought was the final volume, which recorded Shen Ping's mental journey as he climbed to the peak of the Poison Path.

Duan Rong had brought this notebook with him because he had never been able to fully understand the content on the last few pages.

Holding the notebook, Duan Rong walked back into the stone chamber, held it up with both hands, and bowed before Shang Xiangyu.

Shang Xiangyu's expression remained unpleasant as he reached out to take the notebook and flipped it open. He saw a line written in messy handwriting on the yellowed title page: "The Poison Path has not been passed down for a long time."

Shang Xiangyu's expression changed, his whole body turned cold, and the look of contempt in his eyes vanished completely.

He solemnly flipped through the notebook and actually began reading it page by page...

As Shang Xiangyu read, he became increasingly shocked! He had entered a state of flow, completely forgetting himself!

By the time he suddenly snapped out of it, half a stick of incense had already passed.

He looked at Duan Rong, his expression having already softened.

This notebook was enough to prove that what Duan Rong said was not false; it seemed his own suspicion had been too heavy!

Shang Xiangyu looked at the notebook in his hand and said, "This Wandering Physician was indeed an extraordinary man wandering the world. He had great ambition! 'The Poison Path has not been passed down for a long time!' Damn it, even I wouldn't dare to boast like that!"

Shang Xiangyu said, "Kid Duan, leave this notebook of yours with me for a few days; I want to study it carefully. May I?"

Shang Xiangyu's tone was one of consultation.

Duan Rong said, "In my hands, this notebook is a pearl cast into darkness. Only if Master Shang can read it can it be said to have fulfilled the aspirations of the teacher who passed this path to me."

Duan Rong's words were not entirely just for show. The last few pages of Shen Ping's notebook were indeed difficult to understand; it would likely take a lifetime of effort to study them and glimpse their mysteries. But Duan Rong's ambition did not lie in the Poison Path.

Shang Xiangyu's eyes flickered, and he said, "May I ask for that teacher's name?"

Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat. After thinking about it, he felt there was no need to hide it, so he said, "Shen Ping!"

Shang Xiangyu had been sitting at the desk, but upon hearing this, he stood up straight with a start, his eyes filled with astonishment. "Shen Ping?!"

As Shang Xiangyu rose, he knocked the lid off the large stone pot on the desk.

At this moment, the white mist was no longer rising from the large stone pot. Although the lid had fallen to the ground, the original strange smell of rot mixed with pungency was gone, and instead, a captivating, refreshing fragrance wafted out.

Duan Rong's nose twitched.

Shang Xiangyu barked, "Don't smell it! This fragrance is poisonous!"

Duan Rong was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to hold his breath, he suddenly felt his vision go black, and the next moment he lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground with a thud.

Shang Xiangyu put the lid back on the large stone pot and looked at the unconscious Duan Rong on the floor, his eyes flickering.

Duan Rong had only sniffed it from a distance, and with the stone window open and the airflow, the toxicity had already been diluted to be extremely faint. He should be in no danger to his life and would wake up after a few hours of unconsciousness.

Shang Xiangyu looked at the notebook in his hand and thought back to the Wandering Physician Duan Rong had mentioned.

To be honest, let alone being a Wandering Physician, even if that fellow had become a monk, Shang Xiangyu wouldn't have been the least bit surprised!

Many memories flooded into Shang Xiangyu's mind, and he murmured with a wistful look in his eyes, "The opportunities of the world are truly wondrous! Here in these great mountains, I have actually encountered the successor of an old friend..."

Shang Xiangyu and Shen Ping were both obsessed with the Poison Path.

The two had known each other since their youth.

However, Shang Xiangyu was from a prominent family with a deep heritage, having walked the path from Registered Disciple, Outer Sect Disciple, to Inner Sect Disciple within the Taiyi Sect, practicing with single-minded devotion.

But Shen Ping was a wanderer of the world.

Shang Xiangyu knew best of all the talent Shen Ping had for the Poison Path!

However, there is a saying in the opera world: it is not the lack of skill that is feared, but the lack of vision.

There are some things you have never even seen. No matter how talented you are, you have no way to display it!

Shen Ping does not know that many poisonous substances simply do not appear in the world.

This is a secret of the Sect!

Within the God-Demon Relic in the Sect's Mustard Space, there is not only God-Demon Medicine, but also God-Demon Poison!

And this kind of secret, you only have the chance to know once you become an Inner Sect Disciple of the Sect.

"Brother Shen, your Poison Path is, in the end, nothing more than a dream and a bubble..."

(End of this chapter)