: The Herbal Poison Scripture is Completed, Fang Zetao is Ambushed, Antidote Found, Deputy

Chapter 85 The Hundred Herbs Poison Classic is Completed, Fang Zetao is Ambushed, Antidote Found, Deputy Commander Ma! Assassin [Please Subscribe!]

The secret chamber of the General's Mansion in the North City.

Su Yang sat in the Golden Bell Medicine Soup, with a Cold Jade Brick beside him, and was efficiently practicing his skills.

He tilted his head back and drank the nourishing soup made from fifty-year-old ginseng slices that Chen Wenyuan had personally sent him. His eyes were fixed on the "Hungry Tiger Pouncing on Its Prey" painting. With his left hand, he used his true qi of the bright moon to condense frost and create snow, and with one foot, he stepped on the frost and snow.

[Proficiency in the Nourishing Life and Strengthening Qi Exercise +1!]

[Golden Bell Shield Proficiency +1!]

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[Overlord Blade Proficiency +1!]

[...]

.】

The panel flashed wildly, and the proficiency in various skills steadily increased.

After finishing the nourishing soup, Su Yang casually tossed the dregs of the soup into a corner and continued working on his liver proficiency.

[Proficiency in the Hundred Herbs Poison Manual +1!]

A moment later, Su Yang suddenly noticed that the simplified panel in his mind was flashing.

"Um?"

"How come I've gained a little more proficiency in the Hundred Herbs Poison Manual?"

Su Yang looked at the sudden appearance of the proficiency level on the panel and his heart stirred. He looked around and found a cockroach lying dead, belly up, next to the dregs of the medicine he had just poured out.

"This... counts as poisoning?!"

Su Yang was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly realized and laughed: "That's it! Every medicine has some toxicity, and an excessive amount of tonic is extremely poisonous! Extremes meet, and conflicting medicinal properties become poison! This cockroach was too small, and it ate the crumbs of the tonic and died."

He immediately had a flash of inspiration and ordered someone to quickly go to the market to buy some soap pods and boil them directly into a thick, boiling liquid.

Not long after.

The guards returned carrying a bucket of steaming, pungent soapberry water.

Su Yang took the soapberry water, dismissed the guards, and carried it to the corner of the wall where the ant hole was located. Without hesitation, he poured it down.

"Sizzle!"

With a bang, the scalding hot soapberry water instantly flooded the hole. Ants that came in and out were touched by the liquid and immediately convulsed and curled up, dying instantly. The ants that followed rushed in one after another, and all of them fell into the soapberry water.

[Proficiency in the Hundred Herbs Poison Manual +1!]

[Proficiency in the Hundred Herbs Poison Manual +1!]

[...]

The panel was instantly flooded with bright red notifications, one after another, making Su Yang's eyes light up.

With his mind completely opened, Su Yang carried a bucket and sprinkled water on the corners of the kitchen, the dark places in the warehouse, and the cracks in the ditches where insects and ants bred.

The pungent taste of soapberry powder is even more deadly to insects and ants, leaving corpses strewn everywhere it goes.

【The Complete Guide to Herbal Poisons (Full Version)】

About fifteen minutes later, when the soapberry water was poured over the last breeding ground for insects and ants, Su Yang's mind panel jolted.

A vast amount of toxicological knowledge flooded my mind like a burst dam. It wasn't a chaotic pile-up, but rather a clear and organized presentation. First, there were detailed formulas for preparing and detoxifying 572 kinds of poisons. The form, toxicity level, timing of harvesting the poisonous materials, and processing methods of each poison were clearly visible. From the mild poison of mosquito bites to the deadly poison that kills on contact with blood, everything was readily apparent.

Finally, several advanced ideas for using poison suddenly came to mind.

Mixed poisons combine three micro-toxins in a specific ratio to conceal the toxicity's trajectory, causing the victim to initially only feel weak, but later, when the poison takes effect, there is no cure.

Delayed-acting toxins can be encapsulated by carriers such as beeswax and oils, allowing for precise control over the timing of their onset, ranging from as short as one incense stick to as long as seven days.

The poison targeting a martial artist's meridians can erode meridian nodes, obstructing the flow of true qi. The poison can also pollute the dantian (lower abdomen) and cause internal energy to become disordered and run rampant.

This knowledge is etched into my mind like a brand.

At this moment, Su Yang felt as if he had been immersed in the path of poison for thirty or forty years!

Just as Su Yang was basking in the joy of perfecting the Poison Scripture, Chen Wenyuan's voice suddenly came from outside the secret chamber, his tone somewhat urgent: "General, Military Advisor Wang of the City Lord's Mansion summons you with a secret order to go to the City Lord's Mansion immediately, saying that there is important matter to discuss."

Su Yang's eyes narrowed. Fang Zetao's secret summons at this time clearly indicated that there was something extremely private going on.

He immediately changed his clothes, wrapped the Cold Abyss Blade around his neck, instructed others to seal the secret room, and then quietly followed Wang Yanzhang into the study in the side courtyard of the city lord's mansion.

The study in the city lord's mansion.

The doors and windows were tightly closed, the curtains were drawn low, and a faint smell of medicine filled the air.

Fang Zetao leaned against the soft couch, his face pale and his brows furrowed with a sense of dejection.

After dismissing everyone, he gestured for Su Yang to close the door and sit down. Then he rolled up his sleeves, and Su Yang saw a very thin, bluish-black vein on the inside of his wrist, extending towards his heart.

"Hair entwined around the veins!"

Su Yang's pupils suddenly contracted.

This is a slow-acting poison recorded in the "Hundred Herbs Poison Classic". It is colorless and odorless, specifically targeting the heart meridian, ultimately causing a silent death.

"Do you recognize this poison?"

Hope ignited in Fang Zetao's eyes.

"Um!"

Su Yang nodded: "This poison is cold and insidious, specifically designed to corrode the heart and meridians of martial artists. When did the city lord notice anything unusual? Did he come into contact with anything special?"

"I experienced palpitations and night sweats half a month ago, and three days ago I felt a sharp pain in my heart meridian while practicing Qigong."

Fang Zetao's eyes hardened with coldness as he said, "There are no problems with food or medicine. I spend most of my time sitting in that general's chair dealing with military affairs every day."

Upon hearing this, Su Yang immediately got up and walked to the general's chair in the center of the study.

He first focused intently on discerning the residual scent on the chair surface, and then made a preliminary judgment based on the "cold and sticky" medicinal properties of the Green Corrosion Vein Poison. Finally, he gathered the Bright Moon True Qi at his fingertips to carefully examine and verify the information.

really.

The moment the true energy touched the chair surface, it sensed a faint trace of a cold, yin toxin that shared the same origin as the toxins in Fang Zetao's body.

He said in a deep voice, "The poisoning point is this chair! It still contains the Blue Corrosion Vein Poison. Because you sit in it for a long time, the poison slowly seeps into your body and entangles your heart meridian. The person who could poison the chair in your study must be someone familiar with you who had the opportunity to come into contact with it."

"A familiar face—Huang Zhenggang! It must be him!"

Fang Zetao slammed his fist on the edge of the bed in anger, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. He said, "He has won over Deputy Commander Ma Qun. Ma Qun controls military supplies and provisions, and has many followers. He has long coveted the position of city lord and the military power of Jingling! He has access to the items in the study, and he has ample motive to poison me and seize power, or even collude with foreign enemies! This matter must not be leaked, otherwise he will surely resort to desperate measures!"

"This subordinate understands."

Su Yang nodded solemnly and said, "This poison is cold and treacherous, penetrating deep into the flesh. Completely detoxifying it is by no means easy, and making too much noise would easily expose us. For now, we can only control the spread of the poison and proceed slowly. I will use acupuncture to seal the acupoints to block the poison's invasion, and then prescribe a formula to strengthen your body and nourish your vital energy. On the surface, this will treat your fatigue, but in reality, it will neutralize the poison. Also, leave this chair as is for now. You can pretend to continue using it, but secretly replace the cushion with a thinner one to block the poison and lull Huang Zhenggang into a false sense of security. At the same time, we will investigate evidence of his manufacturing of poison and contaminating the chair surface."

"Alright! I'll leave everything to you!"

Fang Zetao perked up and nodded.

"By the way, General, why are the horses obeying his orders? Could it be... that he too has been poisoned?"

Su Yang's eyes flashed, and he asked again.

Now that he has mastered the Hundred Herbs Poisoning Manual, the horses are very likely also poisoned. If he can cure them, wouldn't he not need to go to the Green Pine Academy?

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Fang Zetao's eyes. He said, "Speaking of Ma Qun, I have a guess—Deputy Commander Ma Qun has been acting strangely lately, completely obedient to Huang Zhenggang. Previously, when I tried to review the grain and fodder accounts and allocate military supplies, he made excuses to obstruct me. Perhaps—he has also been poisoned by Huang Zhenggang! That's why he's acting against his will!"

He slammed his hand on the edge of the bed and said, "Why don't I use the pretext of discussing military affairs to bring Ma Qun into the city lord's mansion! You can take the opportunity to check if he's been poisoned. If you can cure him, Ma Qun's control over the allocation of military supplies and provisions will naturally be restored. With the lifeline of the army in hand, we won't need to seek outside help from Qingsong Academy, and we can also avoid alerting the enemy. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?"

"Lord, your plan is brilliant! As the deputy commander, Ma Qun controls the lifeline of the army, such as military supplies and food distribution. As long as we cure him of his poison and persuade him to defect, we can easily regain control of military supplies. At that time, Huang Zhenggang will lose his most important support. We should not delay. Lord, you can immediately summon Ma Qun to the Lord's Mansion under the pretext of discussing military supply distribution matters," to avoid any unforeseen complications.

I'll administer acupuncture to stabilize the toxicity first. Once he arrives, I'll assess his condition so I can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Su Yang's eyes lit up, and he immediately agreed.

After saying that, he took out a silver needle and, with a surge of true qi, precisely pierced a major acupoint on Fang Zetao's chest.

Half an incense stick later, the acupuncture was completed. Fang Zetao's expression eased slightly, and the tightness in his chest lessened. He solemnly instructed, "Su Yang, I never expected that you would not only be skilled in martial arts but also proficient in medicine! You have truly impressed me! The safety of Jingling rests on your shoulders. Secrecy is paramount; strike with lightning speed!"

"This humble general will certainly not fail in the great trust placed in him!"

Su Yang clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and solemnly agreed.

Fang Zetao issued an order, under the pretext of discussing military supplies, to summon a herd of horses.

After an incense stick's time, Ma Qun arrived at the city lord's mansion as ordered, his steady footsteps echoing outside the door.

"Horses, we pay our respects to the city lord!"

The voice outside the door was hoarse, with a hint of hesitation.

"Come in."

Fang Zetao leaned back on the soft couch, deliberately softening his tone to maintain his usual dignified demeanor, though his face remained pale.

The door opened, and Ma Qun, dressed in armor, strode in with his head held high. He was tall and straight, but his eyes were dim and his brows were tired—Su Yang could tell at a glance that he was poisoned.

Ma Qun caught sight of Su Yang, his pupils contracted slightly, and he bowed respectfully: "This humble general, Ma Qun, greets the City Lord. May I ask what military matter warrants your summons?"

Fang Zetao softened his tone: "Vice Commander Ma doesn't look well. Could it be due to overwork in military affairs?"

Ma Qun's heart tightened, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Thank you for your concern, City Lord. I'm just a little tired, it's nothing."

"Yeah?"

Su Yang stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Have you been experiencing chest tightness or stagnation of internal energy lately? Do you experience convulsions or stabbing pains in your meridians at the beginning of each month, requiring medication to relieve them?"

"How—how did you know?"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, making the horses tremble. They looked up at Su Yang with shock and wariness in their eyes.

Seeing his tacit agreement, Fang Zetao's eyes grew even colder, and he said in a deep voice, "Ma Qun, tell me honestly, have you been poisoned by Huang Zhenggang?"

Ma Qun trembled, his face turning deathly pale, and he said bitterly, "This humble general has indeed been poisoned. This poison is colorless and odorless, and it takes effect at the beginning of each month, causing unbearable pain. Only Huang Zhenggang has the antidote to prolong my life."

"It really was him!"

Fang Zetao slammed his fist on the edge of the bed in anger, cursing, "That traitor actually used such insidious methods to control you!"

Ma Qun, his face contorted with humiliation and resentment, cried out, "Lord, I did not truly pledge allegiance! Huang Zhenggang not only poisoned me, but also my elderly mother and only son at Qingsong Academy. He used this to blackmail me, leaving me no choice but to submit!"

"No need to panic."

Su Yang spoke with certainty and calmness, "The poison you've been given is Thousand Machine Powder, which I can cure. I will also treat your family members; I will never let them use it to blackmail me again!"

Hope ignited in Ma Qun's eyes, then turned to doubt: "General Su...you...you really can cure this poison? Huang Zhenggang said that only his antidote can alleviate the symptoms!"

Su Yang didn't argue with him, but simply stretched out his hand: "Please stretch out your hand, I will first examine the depth of the poison before I can detoxify you."

The horses hesitated for a moment before reaching out their hands.

Su Yang used his fingertips to sense the pulse and instantly confirmed that the poison was Thousand Machine Powder, a complex and intertwined toxicity that would erupt at regular intervals every month.

After a moment, Su Yang withdrew his hand and said calmly, "The Thousand Machine Powder is extremely troublesome and requires detoxification in stages. It will take a month to recover. I will first administer acupuncture to alleviate your symptoms, and then prescribe medicine to regulate your condition. As for your family, we will find a way to treat them after this matter is settled."

Su Yang took out silver needles, disinfected them, and precisely inserted them into several acupoints in the horse herd.

The horses felt their meridians were clear and their chest pain was greatly reduced.

"This feels so much better!"

The horses' voices trembled with excitement.

After half an incense stick's time, Su Yang stopped the acupuncture and said, "I didn't bring any medicine today. I'll prepare the first stage of the antidote as soon as I get back, and send a trusted guard with a letter as the code to deliver it to your residence. He'll inform you of the details of the medication then. During the medication period, do not be impatient and slow down your internal energy circulation."

Ma Qun's eyes reddened, and he knelt down heavily, kowtowing: "Thank you, City Lord! Thank you, General Su! You saved my whole family; I will never forget this kindness!"

Fang Zetao waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "Ma Qun, you were originally a pillar of Jingling, but you were controlled by others. Now that Su Yang has cured you of the poison, do you know what to do?"

Ma Qun raised his head, his eyes resolute: "This humble general has never considered betraying the city lord! Now that the general has saved my entire family, I am willing to follow the city lord's lead! I will secretly gather evidence of Huang Zhenggang's crimes, control the allocation of military supplies, report his movements daily, and bring this traitor to justice!"

Su Yang helped him up: "Huang Zhenggang has many henchmen, and any move he makes will have far-reaching consequences. We must strike decisively and fatally. Remember, don't be greedy for a lot of evidence, but focus on quality—for example, secret letters or orders regarding his embezzlement of military rations or collusion with foreign enemies. These are the fatal ones. After you return, continue to pretend to be under his control, and do not alert him. Do you have someone in your household whom you absolutely trust? Have him receive the personal guards delivering the medicine to prevent leaks."

"good!"

Ma Qun solemnly agreed.

Fang Zetao nodded: "There's no time to lose, let's go back immediately, and remember, secrecy is paramount!"

"yes!"

After bowing again, Ma Qun turned and quietly left the study.

After the horses left, Fang Zetao breathed a long sigh of relief and looked at Su Yang approvingly: "You cured me of the poison and also turned the horses against you to regain control of the military supplies. This is a great achievement!"

Su Yang solemnly replied, "The city lord flatters me. Huang Zhenggang is treacherous and cunning; he must have a backup plan. We must remain cautious and wait for the right opportunity."

The night was deep, the moon and stars were hidden, and the clapper struck nine times.

Su Yang rushed back to the General's Mansion in the North City, quickly prepared medicine for Fang Zetao and Ma Qun, and ordered Chen Wenyuan to secretly deliver it to Ma Qun's Mansion under the code of "sending a letter home". He then packed the medicine and took two personal guards to the City Lord's Mansion overnight.

The study in the side courtyard of the city lord's mansion was brightly lit. Fang Zetao leaned against a soft couch, his face still pale. He was discussing with Wang Yanzhang the investigation of Huang Zhenggang's henchmen when he suddenly saw a dark shadow flash past the window, and the cold wind was biting.

"Be careful!"

Wang Yanzhang shouted and drew his sword, trying to stand in front of Fang Zetao.

.