Southern Kingdom Royal Palace
"Father, I heard that famous wandering doctor from the north is coming to our Southern Kingdom. Aren't we going to see him?"
Huan Du Luolan stood atop the palace walls, gazing at the scenery beyond as she spoke to her father, Huan Du Qingtian.
"You're curious about that doctor, Luolan?"
"Of course! They say he's famous across the east, west, and south. And I heard he once faced tens of thousands of humans and youkai all on his own!"
"He didn't even draw a weapon—he just relied on his aura to suppress them! Don't you think he's incredible?"
Luolan's eyes sparkled with curiosity at the thought of Kei.
"He's very powerful, yes… sigh…"
Huan Du Qingtian let out a breath. A strong healer entering the Southern Kingdom was sure to stir up unrest among the rebellious youkai.
"When he arrives, I want to challenge him. We'll see whose skills are better—his medicine, or my poison!"
"If I beat him, my name will spread across the entire land! Maybe someone will finally take me seriously!"
Purple toxic mist coiled around Luolan's hands. She looked eager—if she defeated that wandering doctor, wouldn't that prove how strong she was?
Huan Du Qingtian looked at his adorable but stubborn daughter and shook his head.
"Don't cause trouble. If you get bullied, don't expect me to step in for you."
"I won't get bullied! I'm super strong! Look how potent my poison's gotten!"
She proudly raised her little hand to show off.
"Yes, yes, you've improved," Qingtian said.
Elsewhere in the Southern Kingdom, the Young Prince was excited beyond words.
"Finally! Finally, my chance has come!"
"This human entering the Southern Kingdom… it's my opportunity to bring down that old poison freak! All I have to do is pit them against each other!"
"No—if I can just injure that old man even slightly, I can finish him off myself and take the throne!"
He'd been waiting for centuries for this moment. Pacing nervously, he racked his brain for the perfect plan.
Eventually, he composed himself, took a deep breath, and stepped outside wearing a warm, welcoming smile.
"Step one: poison the doctor."
Though he smiled kindly, in his heart he was already planning how to kill Kei with lethal toxins.
Meanwhile, with Kei and the husky…
"Aaaaaahhh! Boss, I can't take it anymore!!"
The husky rolled around on the ground, howling, "This cursed weather—it's hot, humid, and full of poisonous bugs! I'm going insane!"
He'd been born and raised in the icy north. Cold? No problem.
But this steamy heat? Pure torture for a northern dog!
"I told you, keep your heart calm and the body cool."
Kei wasn't bothered in the slightest. With his current constitution, temperature didn't affect him anymore.
As for poisonous insects? A little aura release and they fled. Skin rashes? They were no worse than a whiff of air freshener to him.
Back in the Fairy Tail world, he'd absorbed the power of the Poison Dragon, whose diet was pure venom.
Now, with that power fused into his Gourmet Cells, Kei wasn't just poison-resistant—he was effectively immune. He could absorb most toxins like seasoning—and weak poisons didn't even have flavor!
"Keep calm… stay cool… okay, I've cooled down a bit…"
"Ughhh, I should've stayed in Beishan! Why did I come to this hellhole?!"
The husky sobbed—he could handle most hardships, but this humidity was hell.
"You're something else. Quit whining. There's a herbal tea vendor up ahead. Go drink something cool."
"Roger!!"
Before Kei even finished speaking, the husky bolted over to the tea stall.
"Ten bowls of herbal tea, please!"
"Coming right up!"
The shopkeeper soon served them. He stood nearby, watching the two and saying, "This herbal tea is famous around here. It cools you down and clears heat. A must-have for travelers."
The husky didn't even listen. He grabbed a bowl—but paused when the scent hit his nose.
"Boss, I think there's—"
Before he could finish, he watched Kei gulp down two full bowls.
"Boss?! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine. It tastes pretty good."
Kei looked completely unaffected.
"Wait… is my nose broken from this heat? No way…"
Still suspicious, the husky dipped a paw into the tea and tasted a tiny sip.
The next second—he collapsed, twitching on the ground.
"B-Boss… i-it's… poisoned…"
"…You knew it was poisoned, and still tasted it? What is wrong with you?"
Kei gave him a pitying look and turned to the vendor.
"I drank your tea. Don't you think you should drink some too?"
"M-Me? I… I'll pass…"
The vendor began to sweat. His secret poison hadn't done anything to this man.
Panicking, he took a step back—only to feel a crushing pressure slam down on him.
His instincts screamed danger. Facing Kei's aura, which now resembled a primeval beast, he couldn't even speak.
"If you won't drink it, I'll help you."
Kei walked over and forced the tea down the vendor's throat.
The moment it touched his lips, the man convulsed. Blood poured from his seven orifices.
Within seconds—dead.
"The Southern Kingdom really lives up to its title as the land of poison. This brew was actually kinda tasty."
Kei shook his head and walked over to the husky, tapping him twice on the body.
"Woof!"
The husky jumped back to life. "Boss, don't drink it—it's poison!"
"I know. I'm immune."
"…Huh?! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
"You didn't ask."
The husky felt so stupid. He'd clearly smelled poison. Why in the world had he still tasted it?
He suffered for nothing!
Suddenly, he remembered something and shouted—
"Boss! Someone tried to poison us the moment we entered the Southern Kingdom! That clearly means some youkai are targeting us!"
"It's dangerous here! We should go east! Let's head to Tushan!"
"I heard they've started a new business there—people are lining up just to taste their food!"
Kei raised a brow. "Tushan started a new business? When?"
"A few months ago. Remember the merchant caravan we ran into? I overheard some gossip from them."
"Apparently, Tushan teamed up with the Millionaire Guild to open a place called 'Demon Aroma.' They sell weird but popular stuff."
"That Millionaire Guild only popped up recently, but they've already expanded to both east and west!"
The moment Kei heard "Millionaire Guild," he knew it had to be that glutton Moneybags again. Gotta say, the guy had skills. In such a short time, he'd built a whole business empire.
But what about Tushan? Why were they really doing business now?
Could it be that Shanshan finally convinced the other fox demons?
That girl's got talent, huh?
"Let's go."
"You mean—we're heading to Tushan?"
"No. We're going deeper into the Southern Kingdom."
"I want to see who exactly is trying to poison me."
"…Sigh."
The husky had no choice but to follow. As they left, he glanced at the tea.
"Tastes pretty good… such a waste…"
"What? Not drinking it would be a waste."
Kei picked up the remaining tea and finished it all before hopping back onto the husky's back.
Southern Kingdom Royal Palace
The Young Prince was accompanying Huan Du Qingtian, while the Poison Old Man sat across from them playing chess.
"Your Majesty, what do you want from me?"
"Nothing in particular."
"Then I'm leaving. My old wife's waiting for dinner."
"Don't rush. Let's play a little longer."
"Seriously, if you've got something to say, say it. You know you suck at chess."
"I think I'm alright. I've improved these past years."
"Your Majesty, please… let's be honest. If you need help, just say it. But don't ask me to play this garbage game."
The Poison Old Man stood up. They'd played all day and Huan Du Qingtian hadn't even captured a single piece!
"What I need is… a small favor."
"A small one?"
"Well, maybe a bit big…"
"Can you stop beating around the bush?"
"That famous hero is entering the Southern Kingdom. I just got word—they've crossed the border."
"I want you to go check on him… and if possible, convince him to leave."
Finally done with the long-winded talk, Huan Du Qingtian got to the point.
"…That's all? You spent half a day on that?"
"Well, it's tricky…"
"Enough. I'll handle it."
The Poison Old Man couldn't take it anymore and just left.
"Sigh… so stubborn," Qingtian muttered.
The Young Prince watched his father leave, followed him for a bit, then suddenly received some intel.
"I'll stop here."
"Alright."
The prince returned to his room and sneered.
"Useless fools. They couldn't even poison one man!"
He raged for a moment, then calmed down.
"…Still, he must really be something. Fame like his isn't built on nothing."
"Guess normal methods won't work."
He wrote a message and sent it to his master's disciple—the Poison Hermit Ku Mu.
"Before the old poison freak gets there, kill Kei for me!"
"Sorry, Dad… but if he doesn't die, I'll never become king—not in four hundred years or even four thousand."
He mumbled to himself, knowing full well that if his father found out, he wouldn't be angry.
He'd probably support it quietly.
The Southern Kingdom might carry the Huan Du name, but the current king—Huan Du Qingtian—was an outsider married into the clan.
Back atop the palace wall—
Luolan had overheard the conversation between her father and uncle.
She watched as the Poison Old Man flew off and quietly followed.
"Hmph! I will beat that doctor. I'm not a child!"
"I'll prove it—I'm the future queen!"
Clumsily, Luolan clambered over the wall and quickly chased after him.
"Anyone need a doctor?"
"Ten coins? Five? Just one coin?"
"Nope."
"I'm not sick."
"We don't need outside doctors."
Kei had just entered a border town and walked the streets, offering treatment.
But no one responded—not even when he lowered the price to one coin.
"Boss, see? They don't need treatment. Let's just go."
"There's no such thing as people who don't need doctors."
"Everyone here has problems. Like that man just now—qi and blood are stagnated. That's why he coughs, especially in the mountains. It's long-term poison damage."
"That woman with the child—pale face, blank eyes. Her baby cries and she barely reacts. That's neural numbness."
Kei's eyes could see everything. This town was full of illness—and serious ones at that.
But why wasn't anyone seeking help?
The husky listened and turned to look at the old man—who soon started coughing blood.
Then at the woman—her child fell to the ground bawling, and she didn't even flinch.
"This place… it's wrong…"
The husky's fur stood on end. He no longer felt hot—only chilled to the bone.
"Let's go. Let's investigate somewhere else."
Kei hopped onto his back and they headed deeper into the town.
Outside the town, a man in withered yellow robes with a sinister smile stepped inside.
"Perfect timing. I'm already nearby. This'll be easy."
"My master's orders—kill the human."
"Doesn't matter how strong you are. All humans… fear poison."
So said the Poison Hermit, Ku Mu.
(End of Chapter)
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