My Lady Always Lacks Ambition

Chapter 722 - 706: Finding a Way to Detoxify

Qin Liuxi loathed imperial power but harbored no thoughts of toppling it. As for Si Lengyue spending silver for peace of mind, Qin Liuxi could only mutter a minor complaint, yet her dislike for the Imperial Family was even greater.

The news of the draft selection was whispered last year, and unexpectedly, it was now confirmed to take place. It seemed the latter half of this year would be bustling everywhere.

Qin Liuxi said to Si Lengyue, "It’s acceptable to show weakness appropriately, but don’t overdo it; otherwise, those people will only become more demanding and oppress you to the very end."

"Alright."

"Also, regarding the matter of conceiving a child, I’ll give you a medicinal recipe later. Take care of yourself according to it, and you’ll succeed with one strike," Qin Liuxi added.

Si Lengyue laughed and cried at the same time, "You’re a virgin yourself, talking about this sort of thing without the slightest blush."

"I am a doctor." What’s there to blush about with the duties of marriage, isn’t it just the affairs between men and women?

Si Lengyue asked, "There’s a saying, ’no one visits the temple without a cause,’ did you go to Qinglan Temple in search of medicine or an elixir recipe?"

Qin Liuxi began talking about Quan Jing’s poisoning, "The Qinglan Temple Master indeed gave me some ideas. The Golden Scorpion is also a poisonous insect, and those in the Witch Clan who deal with poisonous insects know far more than I do. I’m thinking of visiting the Wuyang Clan Leader in Xiangnan to ask about it."

After beginning to study witchcraft, Si Lengyue also started learning from the Witch Doctors, not to mention about the poisonous insects.

"Why bother looking far and wide, I am also cultivating poisonous insects."

Qin Liuxi was surprised.

"Come with me." Si Lengyue took her to a secret place only accessible to the Clan Leader and trusted confidants, stopping in front of her pot for cultivating the poisonous insects, she tapped gently on the pot and said, "These I’ve just started cultivating, they’ll become fully-fledged gu within a year at most."

"What is this?"

"Golden silkworm poison," Si Lengyue replied. "The golden silkworm poison is bred from at least twenty-one different poisonous insects and is extremely toxic. I don’t have a mature one at the moment, but what about Gu Po and the Witch Doctors who specialize in cultivating gu? You say the Golden Scorpion is highly toxic, but how does it compare with the golden silkworm poison that has devoured twenty-one types of poisonous insects? I have an idea; if you want to weaken the Golden Scorpion’s toxicity, why not let it fight with the golden silkworm poison? If the golden silkworm poison wins, it will have already absorbed the Golden Scorpion’s poison, thereby obtaining its toxicity. We can then implant the golden silkworm poison into Quan Jing’s body, won’t that suppress those Red Flame Ants? Conversely, if the Golden Scorpion wins, then it would have absorbed the toxicity of the golden silkworm poison, and its original toxicity should have become balanced."

Qin Liuxi’s eyes lit up, "I think that’s feasible."

Si Lengyue said, "But the golden silkworm poison is extraordinarily toxic. If it devours the Golden Scorpion, its nature will be even more domineering. As you said, since Quan Jing is weak, it’s uncertain if he can endure the rampage of the golden silkworm poison – it’ll definitely be a more painful process than that Bone Erosion affliction."

"It’s up to his fate then." Everything that can be done has been done; if he still cannot endure it, then it must be that heaven doesn’t allow him to live.

Qin Liuxi looked at the clay pot, "How long before your golden silkworm poison matures, could you give it to me?"

Si Lengyue laughed, "This was originally prepared for you, but it’s not yet mature. To cultivate the golden silkworm, you must add the poisonous insects on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival, because the insects are the most toxic at this time. For this batch to become full-fledged gu, it will take at least a year."

Qin Liuxi felt somewhat disappointed, sighing, "It seems I can’t be lazy after all. I’ll have to make a trip to Xiangnan."

"I’ll accompany you?"

Qin Liuxi shook her head: "No need, you’re already busy with so many things, both learning witchcraft and dealing with those disgusting schemes. How could you find the time? I can get there quickly via Yin Road."

Si Lengyue was indeed busy; after the Blood Curse was lifted, she received an inheritance and absorbed the Witch Clan’s Magic like a sponge. For some reason, she felt an urgent need to become more powerful in order to protect those she wished to safeguard.

That’s why she didn’t want to think about matters like the continuation of her lineage.

But now, she had no choice but to make arrangements.

Neither were like the typical girls from boudoirs who only knew about music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and discussing new jewelry or which young man was most handsome. Both were bothered by mundane matters. After an all-night discussion by candlelight, Qin Liuxi didn’t linger and took advantage of the pre-dawn darkness to take a shortcut to the Wu Family Group in Xiangnan.

Arriving at the Wu Family Group, the sky was faintly bright. The village was shrouded in mist, like a land of immortals.

Qin Liuxi effortlessly made her way to the home of the Old Clan Chief of Wuyang, exchanged pleasantries, and even managed to snag a free breakfast before explaining her purpose for the visit.

The Old Clan Chief of Wuyang was a Witch Doctor with extensive research into poisonous insect venom; even the poisonous insect venom that Jing Xiaosi was afflicted with had been cured here.

Upon hearing Qin Liuxi’s explanation, Wuyang, holding his old smoking pipe, said, "According to what you say, the venom of the Golden Scorpion is comparable to Bone Corrosive Water. It might corrode the Golden Silkworm Poison during battle. If so, why not use this Golden Scorpion and have it fight other poisons to cultivate a new Golden Silkworm?"

"I heard it takes a whole year to cultivate the Golden Silkworm Poison. I’m afraid Quan Jing does not have that much time to spare," Qin Liuxi said with a wry smile. But it actually might be worth trying to take a Golden Scorpion to Si Lengyue to see if she could cultivate an even more potent Golden Silkworm Poison.

Wuyang was surprised: "Has it reached this stage?"

Qin Liuxi nodded: "That’s why the antidote is urgent."

"I might be a Witch Doctor, but I have not cultivated a Golden Silkworm. When it comes to cultivating this, our Wuyang Village has a Gu Po who has raised poison for a lifetime, and she has the Golden Silkworm Poison," Wuyang explained. "However, because Gu Po cultivated the Golden Silkworm, she has also violated the Heavenly Laws. The three outcomes are poverty, premature death, or living alone; she got the latter. Her temperament is very odd, and nobody in the village interacts with her."

Qin Liuxi asked, "Even you can’t command her?"

"Of course not," Wuyang said with a bitter smile. "Even as the Clan Leader, I can’t oppress others with power, and bullying a lonely old woman would be disgraceful. Also, smart people do not antagonize Gu Po. Although people avoid her, they would not intentionally court death, for who knows if they would be afflicted by gu?"

Qin Liuxi frowned; with such a temperament, Gu Po would likely be even more unwelcoming to outsiders.

"But at the end of last winter, Gu Po picked up a child to take care of, a little girl. The child has a weak constitution. I have seen her; she has congenital deficiencies from inside the womb and it is very unlikely she will survive. If you can somehow help improve the child’s condition, Gu Po would not only give you one Golden Silkworm Poison, she might cultivate several for you."

Qin Liuxi couldn’t help but laugh: "If even you couldn’t do anything, what makes you think I can cure her? You’re really flattering me."

Wuyang shook his head: "I come from a line of Witch Doctors, where the medicine is an evolution of witchcraft. There are some diseases that I may not treat as well as the masters out there. You may not match me in treating poisonous insect venom, but when it comes to children’s ailments, I might not be as good as you. Besides, there’s something strange about the girl’s weak condition. It may not only be caused by congenital deficiencies, but I’m limited in my vision and can’t spot what it is."

Qin Liuxi was intrigued upon hearing this: "If that’s the case, would you please lead the way to Gu Po’s place to take a look?"