novelraw Chapter 681: 665: No Solution Does Not Mean No Salvation
Chapter 681: 665: No Solution Does Not Mean No Salvation
Chapter 681: Chapter 665: No Solution Does Not Mean No Salvation
There is no cure for this poison.
The short four words, like a thunderclap, boomed in the minds of Quan Jing and his companions, buzzing incessantly.
Quan Jing’s body swayed, his complexion turning even paler, like a corpse, his heart plunging into the abyss, eyes downcast, with self-mocking laughter he said: “I knew it, this more than a year of life has been stolen.”
“Master.” Quan An’s tears flowed down, saying, “There will be other ways, we can still seek out other Divine Doctors.”
Pah, what chance of survival, it’s all deception, I knew that old Taoist couldn’t be trusted.
Even this so-called Junior Temple Master, despite his grand airs, was unable to cure the poison, pitying the Master’s bumpy journey here seeking medical aid, all in vain.
Wang Yuqian was also somewhat stunned and said, “No solution? You have no means either?”
Qin Liuxi looked at Quan Jing and retorted, “Logically speaking, you’ve come a long journey upon merely hearing of my existence, who gave you the confidence that I could cure your poisoning?”
Quan Jing looked up, saying, “To be honest, since I was poisoned, I’ve sought medical advice and treatment, summoning every renowned Divine Doctor, even the Poison Lady of the Martial World with a hefty reward—but to no avail. Even now, I am still searching for a Divine Doctor who can cure the poison. Apart from that, I have prayed to gods and worshipped Buddha.”
It was a desperate act, the direct lineage of the main branch of his house had been reduced to him alone; if he could be saved, naturally he would grasp at that chance, after all, who would wish for death, especially the son of a family guarding the borders.
If he were to die, the main branch would be utterly severed.
“I have traveled this far because the temple master of Chongqing Temple, Daoist Jiu Mei, pointed me in the right direction. He told me to head south for a thread of hope, and the Wang family’s aunt sent word of your existence, so…” Quan Jing self-mockingly said: “It turns out that I was too eager, my apologies for the disturbance.”
He stood up, gave a bow to Qin Liuxi, and turned to leave.
From behind him, Qin Liuxi said, “That Daoist does have some merit to his name for finding you this thread of hope, it appears your life was not meant to end here.”
Quan Jing stopped in his tracks and turned around.
“The poison in your body cannot be cured, but being incurable doesn’t mean it can’t be saved.”
Quan Jing’s heart pounded fiercely as he sat down again: “What do you mean by that?”
Wang Yuqian couldn’t hold back and said, “Cousin, I am begging you, can you not speak all at once? With this suspense, you’re nearly driving us away, frightening us.”
Qin Liuxi gave him a disdainful glare.
Wei Xie fanned himself and said, “It’s really a waste for a scholar not to realize. She said it cannot be cured, so there’s only one thing left, add more poison to fight poison with poison, isn’t it obvious?”
Fight poison with poison?
“Correct, to fight poison with poison,” Qin Liuxi spoke: “All things in nature have their antitheses. Where this poison exists, there must also exist a poison or medicinal material that can suppress it. And the fact that you’re still alive is precisely because you’re suppressing it with medicine, albeit not potent enough to control it, which is why you’re gradually weakening, your body frail and wasting away.”
“Now, this poison has spread throughout your body, affecting all of your internal organs, diminishing their functions. Once they completely fail, no divine pill or miraculous medicine can save you. So, your skeletal and frail appearance is the least of your worries—if your internal organs fail, you will not even have the strength to sit here and speak with me, let alone open your eyes.”
The failure of the internal organs signifies the loss of the will to live.
“This poison has no cure at the moment, so we can only use a more domineering poison to suppress or even replace it. However, there is a risk in doing so. You may not survive the ordeal, After all, it’s a more terrifying poison, and your body is frail. I fear you won’t be able to withstand such pain.” Qin Liuxi looked at Quan Jing and said, “So this method of saving your life is also a nine deaths and one life gamble. If you make it through, you live. If you don’t, you die.”
Quan An’s face changed dramatically: “Is there really no other way?”
“Right, you’re a Daoist doctor, aren’t you? Can’t you use the magic you just performed on Wan Bai to cure his poison?” Wang Yuqian’s face turned pale as well.
Just hearing about this method, it sounded like a risky bet. And the stakes were one’s life.
Qin Liuxi laughed derisively: “I’m a Daoist doctor, and I practice the Xuanmen Five Skills. I can perform exorcisms and capture ghosts, but I’m no Immortal. I can’t just blow a breath and have him bouncing around alive and well.”
Wang Yuqian’s face flushed with embarrassment, and he dared not speak.
Quan Jing pursed his lips and looked towards Qin Liuxi, asking, “Nine deaths and one life, could this really be the slim chance of survival mentioned by Daoist Jiu Mei?”
Qin Liuxi raised an eyebrow: “You might think of it that way, but whether you can seize that chance depends on fate.”
Quan Jing’s eyes flickered slightly: “The Junior Temple Master just mentioned the Taisu Pulse Method, which can predict good or ill fortune. I wonder what my destiny holds?”
“Mountains pile up and waters multiply, where the path seems nonexistent; yet as willows darken and flowers brighten, another village appears.”
The crowd: “…”
Can you stop being so mystical and profound, and just give a clear, straightforward answer?
“I understand,” Quan Jing laughed wryly, “In summary, it’s all a gamble, betting on that slim chance of survival.”
“As long as you understand.”
Standing by and watching the two spar with words, Wang Yuqian thought to himself: I don’t understand; your cryptic talk makes me feel stupid!
Quan Jing looked at the porcelain bowl containing the poison blood and said, “Then, may I ask, with what poison does the Junior Temple Master plan to fight poison? To be honest, when the poison acts up, it feels like myriads of ants gnawing at my bones, like fire scorching me, followed by an icy chill to the bone, alternating between hot and cold as if in a realm of ice and fire. My Quan family sent people deep into the territory of the Turkic Barbarians, losing countless lives, to discover that this poison named Bone Erosion was developed by a local Priest named Atupu.”
“Is there no antidote?”
Quan Jing shook his head: “If there were, we wouldn’t have come to seek medical help from the Junior Temple Master. According to the information obtained by our agents, the enemy only uses captives and slaves to test poison, and most of them are the common folk of Da Feng.”
Saying this, his eyes turned cold, with a hint of helplessness: “What I’m afraid of is, if this poison were to be used extensively on the battlefield with no cure, countless soldiers would die.”
“You’re overthinking it. The Black Desert is legendary for its inscrutability, venturing into it is like entering a dark ghost city, and the trails of the Red Flame Ant are even harder to find. Even if you track down its nest, to capture these ants requires tremendous effort and resources, because they carry potent venom themselves. A single bite and the victim is inflicted with burning poison, as if on fire. Therefore, to create the poison in your body, they are essential.”
Qin Liuxi gently flicked the porcelain bowl with a fingertip and said, “Furthermore, that Atupu enjoys crafting poisons, and such a Poison Priest is likely to have pride in his work. If a poison is common and easily cured, it holds no value; the harder it is to cure, or if it’s incurable, the more self-satisfaction and value he has, as he’s beyond compare. Rarity is prized in all things.”
Hearing this, Quan Jing breathed a sigh of relief. That’s right, he had been poisoned for some time and hadn’t seen anyone else afflicted with this poison, which meant those damned Turkic Barbarians didn’t have much of it. Otherwise, the Northwest Army would be in grave danger.
“So, what other poison could be more domineering than the one afflicting He Qi?” Wang Yuqian asked anxiously.
Qin Liuxi shook his head: “I do not know.”
The crowd: “?”