Chapter 26: Poison
"Hmm... Doctor Fang. I believe you. But surely you understand—I can't just arrest or execute Doctor Niu on your word alone. He's also from the Academy. I need evidence. Would you be willing to testify in court?"
"My lord, you know as well as I do—this is a delicate matter. It might be wiser not to take it to court at all. Think about it. Who will the judges be? Academics? Can you really be sure this poisoning isn't being orchestrated by the Academy itself?"
"You don't trust the Academy?"
"As a graduate of that very institution, I can tell you with certainty—it's a den of the most unscrupulous, cunning, and corrupt bastards in the Empire."
For a moment, silence settled over the tent. After curfew, the military camp had gone quiet, and the cool night air carried the faint chirping of crickets, muffled by the thick fabric walls. Bai Xiao wasn't worried about eavesdroppers—he'd already tested how much could be heard from outside with the tent flaps and observation curtains closed. The answer was: nothing.
"What if it wasn't the Academy? What if someone else bribed him?"
"Then the Academy won't care if something... happens to Doctor Niu. They're unlikely to kick up a fuss."
"Hmm... So what do you suggest?"
"If I were in your position... after the interrogation, I'd just drown the snake in a river somewhere. Then send the Academy a letter saying their doctor got drunk, went for a swim, and never came back. No need to send a replacement, I'll write, because my health miraculously improved right after his disappearance—thanks to the excellent work of Doctor Fang Wei. That would serve as both a warning and a message: if they send investigators, the same thing might happen to them. And that I might have an expert witness ready."
"You can remove the poison?"
"Of course. It hasn't progressed too far. I can't promise a full recovery, but your condition will improve significantly. I'll write you a prescription—garlic-based, with a mix of local herbs. But as for keeping your food safe going forward... that's your problem."
"Aren't you afraid the Academy might come after you first?"
"I stopped being afraid a long time ago. The Academy will find out it was me either way, no matter what you choose to do next. If you have a better plan, by all means."
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this. But know this, Doctor Fang—you have my gratitude, and I won't forget your courage or honesty."
Doctor Fang said nothing. He silently wrote out the prescription and handed it to the duke.
"Any idea why they'd want you dead?"
"The person who wants me gone the most is that impostor Ji Hu. But I brought in an academic from the north specifically to guard against poisoning by his agents. Who would've thought the new physician himself would try to poison me? Although..." The Duke of Ran trailed off in thought. The orange lamplight made the sharp angles of his nose seem even more pronounced.
"Hm?" Bai Xiao raised an eyebrow with interest.
"Recently, there have been strange disappearances in my lands. I sent trusted people to investigate. The first investigator vanished without a trace. Then I sent Doctor Niu, who had just arrived. He launched a loud, public inquiry and assured me everything had been resolved—that a local madman had been caught and killed. But... the first investigator did manage to gather some clues before disappearing. Among them were signs of a struggle. One of the victims was a martial artist—he fought back. From the tracks, we concluded there were at least two attackers. That's when I started suspecting Niu. He kept insisting there had only been one assailant."
"So these incidents started before he arrived, if I understood you correctly?"
"Exactly. Why would he cover for the attackers? Most likely, he realized I planned to continue the investigation and decided to get rid of me. And if someone from the Academy is protecting the attackers... maybe there is a connection?"
"Could be. Maybe they're abducting people for experiments."
"Experiments?"
"Yes. Officially, human experimentation is forbidden. But I've always suspected it's still being done—there's too much in our textbooks that couldn't possibly have been learned without experimenting on people."
"Hmm... for now, it's all just conjecture. When I return to the castle, I'll try to seize Doctor Niu while he's sleeping and interrogate him... if he hasn't already fled in my absence."
"Good. I hope we meet again, my lord. I'll await news."
"You have my debt, Doctor Fang. That's a promise."
***
Meanwhile, while the rest of Southern Hou's armies were holding the mountain passes of the Green Peaks in the west of the northern frontier, closer to the Sea of Hidden Reefs (暗礁海), five legions had set out on a punitive expedition—marching against the traitorous Duchy of Ran and in support of the Duchies of Huan (桓) and Bo (薄).
After several days camped near the city of Ironstream, General Fang received reports of enemy and allied troop movements. The armies of Yuan and Yu, bogged down in sieges within Huan and Bo, needed relief. The general struck camp and set off for the crossing at the Wu River, where Duke Ran's forces had already begun building defensive lines in preparation for the coming legions.
Bai Xiao had already familiarized himself with army life and received a full briefing from the acting head of the medical corps. He had hired workers and guards for his garden, and left Auntie Sun and one of the assigned quartermasters to manage the estate as part of the corps' holdings. Everything seemed in order back in the rear.
In his official capacity, he had adjusted several items in the army's medicinal supply lists—drawing on his knowledge of local herbs and their cost-efficiency. Many ingredients previously shipped from the capital had regional substitutes in Southern Hou, often far cheaper.
He also conducted several alchemical trials in preparation for crafting the Spiritual Root Elixir. Ordinary cinnabar wouldn't do for this. That's why he went to the mines—to find True Cinnabar, which appears in a ratio of roughly one in a hundred within regular ore. The recipe described how to identify it. One had to sense Qi and run it through a chunk of ore in a particular way, watching how the flow responded. Within True Cinnabar, the Qi would twist and shift, forming distinct vortices.
From the batch he had processed, Bai Xiao managed to collect a dozen viable pieces. In exchange, he paid with purer and larger pieces of standard cinnabar. The mine administrator didn't care about the distinction—True or not, the cinnabar Bai Xiao offered more than satisfied him.
The sheer number of variables that needed to be accounted for—things mortal alchemists had no knowledge of—was staggering. No wonder the Academy had failed to produce true alchemical medicines all these years.
After practicing the Jade Dragon Stars Dance at the prescribed time mentioned in the treatise, Bai Xiao immediately sensed the appropriate Qi flow. According to the text, that meant the seed of his Spiritual Root had already formed—a promising sign. It could save him ten years of effort. With the elixir and regular cultivation, he could build both the Spiritual Root and his Jing within five years.
The treatise also warned that mortal alchemists living outside the Immortal Isle must never open the Heavenly Eye before forming the Minor Internal Elixir—and only with guidance from a proper teacher, either of the mortal world or from the Celestial Realms. Once the elixir was formed, one could hope for a Heavenly Mentor's grace—to lift the demonic seals discreetly and offer protection. But even before that point, utmost caution was required. The demons could still interfere.
Rereading the treatise that appeared before his inner vision, Bai Xiao sat cross-legged, focused on the hidden point along the Dragon Meridian, and sank into internal perception.