by <unknown>
"Ma-Manor Lord, sa-save me." Liu An groaned and currently was lying feebly on the ground.
Liu An's words, as if it triggered Wan Donghai's sensitive nerves, made him frown even harder, almost like an upside down eight. 1
"Yiii? Manor Lord, why do I feel as if this friend over here knows you?" Ye Yuan acted as if he just realized something's odd.
He purposely said these words loudly so that everyone could hear them. Other people naturally felt nothing when they heard him, but these words held a different meaning in Wan Donghai's ears.
Wan Donghai felt extreme hatred in his heart, yet he displayed a nonchalant attitude. "Honorable Nephew, you must be joking. This Wan can be considered to have some fame within the Imperial City. My Drunken Star Manor also saved many demonic beast hunters before. Naturally, it isn't strange for him to recognize me."
Ye Yuan came to a realization and said, "So that's the case! But when I brought this friend over here, I've never mentioned that he is a demonic beast hunter. How did Manor Lord Wan manage to tell with one glance? This nephew is impressed by Manor Lord Wan's sharp eyes."
Initially, the crowd was still unclear about what's going on. But after Ye Yuan's insinuation, everyone suddenly understood what was going on, resulting in an awkward atmosphere.
Liu An was only an Eighth Level Essence Qi Realm martial artist. It was not odd for him to recognize Wan Donghai, but for Wan Donghai to recognize him as a demonic beast hunter at a glance was definitely something unusual.
However, this did not mean Wan Donghai cannot get to know demonic beast hunters. On the contrary, he knew several of them. However, with his status, the demonic beast hunters he knew were all at least Spirit Condensation Realm martial artists and outstanding ones at that. How could Wan Donghai recognize a small fry like Liu An?
There was not a wall in this world which did not have a crack. There had always been rumors about the Drunken Star Manor sending people to infiltrate demonic beast hunter teams and killing their companions. It was just that there was never any evidence found. Furthermore, the Drunken Star Manor was extremely powerful and had helped many demonic beast hunters. Hence, these rumors had always remained as just hearsay.
Ye Yuan intentionally baited Wan Donghai by purposely creating inconsistencies with what was said. This made it as if Wan Donghai had something to hide, which left the crowd to their imaginations.
At this point, Wan Donghai felt as if there were tens of thousands of horses galloping across his heart, yet he was unable to stop Ye Yuan at all. Ye Yuan purposely blew the matter out of proportion so that Wan Donghai would spare the rat to save the dishes, and not take action against him.
"Ha-Hahaha. Honorable Nephew misunderstood the situation. This person looks like he has some abilities, plus he is inflicted with a bizarre poison. Just a single glance and it's clear there is an 80% chance he is a demonic beast hunter," Wan Donghai explained with a forced laugh.
Ye Yuan's goal had been accomplished, so he did not choose to keep harping on it. Instead, he left the crowd to their own thoughts.
"So that's the case. Manor Lord Wan would have to forgive me. This Nephew, I, was just recently poisoned and nearly lost my life. Hence, the doubt. Maybe I'm overthinking it. After all, those rumors are obviously nonsense. Oh right, we've been chatting for so long we almost forgot to save the patient. Just look at the expression in this friend's eyes. He's practically seeing Manor Lord Wan as his relative. Oops. Wrong. It is his savior." Ye Yuan messed around for some time before finally returning to the topic at hand.
In any case, it's not like you have to pay with your life for grossing people to death. Ye Yuan naturally did not mind grossing Wan Donghai out a little more; he was also collecting some interest for his predecessor.
At this moment, Wan Donghai could not argue even with a hundred mouths; Ye Yuan would not give him the chance to do so either. Wan Donghai frowned as he looked at Liu An on the ground, and then instructed the servants, "Men, bring this . . . Friend to the back hall. I will diagnose him-"
Wan Donghai was only half-finished before being interrupted by Ye Yuan. "Manor Lord Wan, can't you see how many friends came today. All of us just want to witness the splendor of Manor Lord Wan's Alchemy Dao. Manor Lord Wan cannot disappoint us! Everyone says that Manor Lord Wan is the best in the capital, yet few had actually seen Manor Lord Wan demonstrate own skills. Hearing is deceiving, seeing is believing. Manor Lord Wan should just display own abilities, so everyone can broaden their horizons, as well as giving us juniors an opportunity to observe. Right, everyone?"
The crowd came to watch a show, and with such a great show starting they naturally would not leave. Instead, they echoed their support.
Now that Wan Donghai was riding a tiger, he found it hard to get off. Looking at Ye Yuan, he wished he could hack him to pieces. At any rate, he was a grandmaster class figure. Who would have thought he would be cornered to such an extent in front of so many people by a junior?
Isn't it just a detoxification procedure? I will detoxify for you to see! Within the State of Qin, what poison was he unable to treat? Not to mention this poison was concocted by a junior like Ye Yuan.
Wan Donghai understood Ye Hang quite well. This matter was definitely not instigated by Ye Hang. That fellow always competed openly and with honor. Even if it was to make trouble, he would not send his own son. This was definitely all Ye Yuan's idea.
Merely a silkpants. Did he expect he can flip the heavens?
Although there was nothing to be proud of with smacking a junior's face, since you already delivered yourself to the door, then isn't it a shame to not smack you?
Wan Donghai waved his long sleeve and instructed, "Since everyone's in such a good mood, I will detoxify this friend in front of everyone. Men, set him down."
Seeing this, the crowd acted as if they were on stimulants and flocked in at once. They really wanted to see how this super silkpants Ye Yuan, with his wide-spread notoriety, could challenge the Drunken Star Manor's Manor Lord.
By this time, even a fool would not believe that Ye Yuan just happened to bump into Liu An on the streets. This poison was most likely concocted by Ye Yuan himself.
As for the person who got poisoned . . . even if it was not like in the rumors, he definitely had a close and intricate relationship with the Drunken Star Manor.
Many of those present were professionals. They already found out about what happened in the morning over at the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion. Connecting the dots to the situation happening under their eyes, several brighter folks already guessed Ye Yuan came here to give the Manor Lord a dose of his own medicine.
. . . . . .
Wan Donghai looked at the half-dead Liu An and could not wait to kill him with a single blow. This incompetent thing not only failed to complete his mission but had also caused so much trouble for him.
At this moment, Liu An was already in agonizing pain, occasionally twitching, just like a dead fish.
Wan Donghai did not want to smash his own signboard. Hence, there was no choice but to save Liu An.
Wan Donghai occasionally lifted Liu An's eyelids, sometimes took his pulse, and at times loosen up Liu An's clothes to inspect his body. Tinkering for almost half the day, his heart gradually sunk to rock bottom; his brows locked even tighter together.
He was actually incapable of identifying any clues at all!
An Alchemy Grandmaster was actually unable to diagnose what poison the patient was inflicted with. This was completely inconceivable. Were it not for the fact Liu An was like a dead fish right now, Wan Donghai would even suspect that he was collaborating with Ye Yuan to tear down his stage.
"Big Brother, how is it?" Looking at Wan Donghai's knitted brows, Wan Dongyang had a bad premonition.
"Go, fetch my high-grade Detoxification Pill over," Wan Donghai instructed while gritting his teeth together as if he just made a difficult decision.
"What?! That high-grade Detoxification Pill was something you spent a great
effort to refine; it's intended for His Majesty. Now you want to use it on him?" exclaimed Wan Dongyang.
"Just go since I asked you to! What's with all the nonsense?" Wan Donghai had already lost his patience at this point and became very irritable.
Chapter 11. Silencing |
Wan Dongyang had never seen his big brother this anxious before. He did not dare to delay and quickly went to retrieve that high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill.
Detoxification Pill was a universal type of pill which meant it could treat any poison. But as for its efficacy, it depended on exactly what sort of poison the person was inflicted with.
A Detoxification Pill could cure virtually any ordinary poison. Hence, it was the most widely used, as well as being one of the most practical pills.
In Ye Yuan's eyes, Detoxification Pill was considered under the low-level category of pills. For this pill, there were several tiers; there were Tier 1 Detoxification Pill, Tier 2 Detoxification Pill, and all the way to Tier 5 Detoxification Pill. As for poisons above Tier 5, a Detoxification Pill was basically useless against them. That was because poisons above Tier 5 were either very unique or extremely rare; Detoxification Pills were ineffective on them.
This Detoxification Pill, refined by Wan Donghai, naturally was not an ordinary item within the State of Qin. This high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill was his life's most exceptional work. Not even Ye Hang could refine a Detoxification Pill of this grade.
Even though both were Alchemy Grandmasters, they had their own specializations. Ye Yuan knew that his father, Ye Hang, was inferior in terms of dealing with poisons. That was why Ye Hang could only let Ye Yuan consume a low-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill while Wan Donghai could take out a high-grade Tier 3 Detoxification Pill.
This Detoxification Pill essentially represented the pinnacle standard of this specialization within the State of Qin. Even the Imperial Uncle cannot be compared with Wan Donghai on this aspect.
When Wan Dongyang handed the pill over to Wan Donghai, his face twitched violently. To use such a pill on a lackey such as Liu An was a waste of God's gifts.
Wan Donghai received the pill, looked at Ye Yuan, and gave a cold humph . Regardless of the result today, he was already bested by this junior.
Yet Ye Yuan just stood there watching Wan Donghai with a nonchalant expression.
Wan Donghai rolled his sleeves, and Liu An involuntarily sat up. Following this, Wan Donghai's fingers rapidly jabbed Liu An with extreme speed. The crowd only saw an afterimage of fingers before hearing a series of puffing sounds.
Each of Wan Donghai's finger jabs made Liu An groaned in anguish. As the last finger jab landed, Liu An opened his mouth in excruciating pain. Wan Donghai did not hesitate and hastily threw the Detoxification Pill into Liu An's mouth.
After Liu An swallowed the pill, Wan Donghai then ceased his actions. Liu An who had lost his balance slumped down once more.
Clap . . . Clap . . . Clap . . .
At this moment, slow applause echoed. Ye Yuan sighed with a smile. "I've long heard Manor Lord Wan's Profound Phantom Finger technique is exceedingly wondrous, capable of reviving the dead as well as granting a fate worse than death. Seeing it today truly broadened my horizons. How extraordinary!"
Wan Donghai lightly gasped for air. Clearly, the bout just now was not so easy for him. Hearing the ridicule in Ye Yuan's praise gave him the impulse to want to kill someone.
"Humph! Who cares what poison was it. In front of my Profound Phantom Finger and the Detoxification Pill I refined, he will be as good as new."
It was not that Wan Donghai was wildly arrogant. But within the State of Qin, he indeed had never encountered any problem he could not resolve.
"That would be for the best. Just look at the state this friend is in. I also hope that he can be safe and sound." Ye Yuan then sighed.
Ye Yuan sounded very sincere, as if Liu An was an old friend for many years. But to Wan Donghai's ears, it conjured a faint premonition.
As if confirming his thoughts, after those words, Liu An suddenly threw up a mouthful of blood.
Wan Donghai's face changed color. Supporting Liu An, he asked, "Are you alright?"
"Ma-manor Lord, pain . . . argh . . . The pain is killing me!" Liu An's initially alleviated symptoms had flared up once more. It hurt so much that he rolled off the bed onto the ground.
It was clear that Wan Donghai's actions failed to remove the poison from his body but instead stimulated the toxin inside him resulting in tormenting pain.
"Why . . . Why is it like this?"
Wan Donghai was utterly befuddled. Although the display just now did not seem very impressive, it was actually his limits. Who would have guessed that not only Liu An's poison was not cured, it actually became even more intense.
Liu An rolled on the floor in agonizing pain, yet nobody stepped forward to help him.
"Yiii? Manor Lord Wan, looks like your Profound Phantom Finger and Detoxification Pill failed to have any effect. Instead, it worsened this Friend's condition. Just take a look at that painful appearance; I can't bear to stand it. Don't tell me Manor Lord Wan has no other methods to ease his pain? The Drunken Star Manor is known as the number one in the capital!" Ye Yuan exclaimed questioningly.
Wan Donghai could no longer keep up appearances. Pointing at Ye Yuan, he bellowed, "Stinky brat! What on earth did you make him eat? Want to frame our Drunken Star Manor? You are still not qualified!"
Ye Yuan deliberately gave a shocked expression and said, "Why did you say that, Manor Lord Wan? As the saying goes, saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda. Are you telling me now that this friend is suffering like this, I have to be indifferent to it? Or is the Drunken Star Manor undeserving of its reputation, unable to even diagnose what this friend is poisoned with?
"You!" Were it not for his last trace of reason, Wan Donghai would have stomped off instantly.
Ye Yuan gave a look of pain while leaning down to say to Liu An, "This Brother, I've already tried my best. In the capital, if even Manor Lord Wan can't save you, then there is nothing I can do. When you arrive at the Underworld, don't blame me for it."
Liu An was originally half dead already. But after hearing Ye Yuan's words, it was as if he regained terminal lucidity; his initially dull, lifeless eyes gained a trace of brilliance.
"Ma-Manor Lord! Sa-Save me! I helped you to se-sell . . ." Enduring the pain, Liu An forced out a few words between the gaps of his teeth.
At this point, Liu An only had his instinct for survival stimulated by Ye Yuan, but the second half of his words were like lightning bolt during clear weather to Wan Donghai. Initially, Wan Donghai was filled with wrath towards Ye Yuan. But right now, it was as if he was drenched from head to toe in cold sweat.
Without waiting for Liu An to finish speaking, Wan Donghai quickly leaned down and told Liu An, "Don't worry. I will save you no matter what."
Wan Donghai's eyes were filled with sincerity, completely different from Ye Yuan's phony sincerity. The feeling it gave Liu An were as if they were life and death comrades.
At this moment, that sense of uneasiness stirred up by Ye Yuan got suppressed, and what replaced it was serenity.
"Ma-Manor Lord, h-he . . . said this poison . . . is called Heart Inch Fissure."
After saying this, Liu An ceased all movements just like a deflated ball.
"Heart Inch Fissure . . . Heart Inch Fissure . . ." Wan Donghai muttered it over and over while his brows furrowed even harder.
The more he repeated it, the more he felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.
"Heart Inch Fissure? HEART INCH FISSURE?! It's actually Heart Inch Fissure?! Th-This! How could a brat like him knows Heart Inch Fissure?" A trace of astonishment flashed across Wan Donghai's eyes.
Wan Donghai finally recalled where he had heard that name before. It was during his early years where his master once mentioned that name!
Thinking back on it now, his master had even said that thi
s sort of poison was abnormally tyrannical, practically without any cure. A Heart Inch Fissure Pill was not some high-tier pills. In fact, it was the opposite; it was only merely a high-grade Tier 1 Pill. Yet, his master, a Tier 4 Alchemy King, back then had said it was incurable. It was evident just how terrifying this poison was.
How could Ye Yuan possibly refine such a terrifying poison? Unless it was Ye Hang's work?
Right now, Wan Donghai could not be bothered to think about it. After being stunned for a while, he knew that no matter what he did, Liu An was beyond saving.
Since that was the case, he could only sacrifice Liu An!
His own reputation might be important, but if the matter of spies among demonic beast hunters were to be exposed, the impact on the Drunken Star Manor would be even more significant. Liu An's incomplete sentence just now made it clear that if Wan Donghai failed to save him, he would undoubtedly expose the ugly side of the Drunken Star Manor in front of all these people. When that happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Choosing the lesser of two evils.
Wan Donghai took a deep breath and sighed, "This poison is indeed remarkably overbearing. This Wan is incompetent. I only have one last move left."
Finishing, he ordered people to hold up Liu An. Rolling his sleeves, the Profound Phantom Finger was executed once more. Only this time, the commotion was greater than before.
Flashing around Liu An and engulfing him in afterimages, Wan Donghai caused a gale to blow so fiercely that the crowd almost could not keep their eyes open.
As Ye Yuan looked at Wan Donghai giving it his all for this performance, a cold sneer appeared on his face. The Profound Phantom Finger might be a martial technique, but it could also be categorized as a technique under the Alchemy Dao. In Ye Yuan's view, it was clumsy. But he had some understanding of this finger technique.
This finger technique could save lives while also harming others. Furthermore, the way it harmed people was incredibly vicious. This finger technique was used on the acupuncture points in order to stimulate the body. But right now what Wan Donghai was executing was precisely the malignant version of the technique.