owlsbooks 58. Source of poison
58. Source of poison
Lin Mo, carrying Cui Mian who was like a dead dog, quietly left Hongxiuzhao. He didn't return to the previous inn, but instead found an abandoned local temple in the west of Baihua City. This secluded place, rarely visited, was the perfect location for interrogation.
He left Cui Mian beside the dusty offering table, and casually pressed a few acupoints on him to prevent him from escaping or committing suicide, and also to bring him back to his senses. However, he was sore all over and could not muster any strength.
Cui Mian slowly awoke, initially bewildered, but then, seeing Lin Mo's cold, handsome face in the dim light and the dilapidated surroundings, he was instantly terrified: "You...who are you? What do you want? I am the second young master of the Cui family of Qinghe! If you dare to lay a finger on me, the Cui family will tear you to pieces!"
The blustering threats had no effect on Lin Mo. He crouched down, looking calmly at Cui Mian, his voice low but carrying a chilling pressure that pierced to the core: "Where did the poison that Elder Xuan Chengzi of the Seven Absolutes Sect suffer from come from? Where is the antidote?"
Cui Mian's pupils contracted sharply, a flicker of panic crossing his face, but he quickly regained his composure: "What poison? What antidote? I don't know what you're talking about! Elder Xuan Chengzi has been poisoned? What does that have to do with me?"
"Incense burner, dark red fragments." Lin Mo uttered two words, his eyes sharp as knives, as if they could pierce through his disguise. "You visited three days ago and placed this item at the bottom of the burner as ashes. Do you need me to help you recall in more detail?"
Cui Mian's face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembling as he tried to argue, "You...you're slandering me! What evidence do you have?"
Lin Mo, too lazy to waste words with him, simply flicked his fingers lightly at an acupoint under Cui Mian's ribs. An indescribable sensation of soreness, numbness, itching, and pain instantly exploded within Cui Mian's body. It wasn't excruciating pain, but it was far more unbearable than any other pain, as if countless ants were crawling and gnawing at his bone marrow.
"Ah—!" Cui Mian let out a piercing scream, his body curling up uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down his face. "Stop! Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk!"
Lin Mo loosened his grip slightly, and the terrible sensation subsided a little, but the aftertaste remained, making Cui Mian tremble with fear.
"It's...it's a fragment of 'Soul-Eating Incense'..." Cui Mian gasped for breath, no longer daring to hide anything, "It's...it's what I put in the incense burner..."
"Soul-Eating Incense?" Lin Mo frowned slightly. He seemed to have heard of this name vaguely in his previous life, but his impression was not deep. "Source? Antidote?"
"It...it was obtained from a Western Region monk..." Cui Mian stammered, "About half a year ago, I met a Western Region monk named 'Kumara' at a black market transaction. He...he had some strange things. This Soul-Eating Incense was sold to me by him. He said it was colorless and odorless, and could slowly erode the meridians of experts, making it difficult to detect...He...he also gave me a relief medicine to suppress the effects of the poison, saying that if...if I accidentally came into contact with it, it could temporarily suppress the symptoms..."
"Where's the antidote?" Lin Mo pressed.
"No... there's no antidote that completely cures the poison..." Cui Mian said hurriedly. "That Tibetan monk said that the Soul-Eating Incense is a rare poison from the Western Regions, and the main ingredient for the antidote, the 'Heavenly Heart Lotus,' is extremely rare. It only grows on the peaks of specific snow-capped mountains in the frigid lands of the Western Regions, and is guarded by ferocious beasts... He didn't have a finished antidote, only that palliative medicine..."
Lin Mo's eyes turned cold: "Where is the relief medicine?"
"In...in the pouch I always carry with me..." Cui Mian tried to twist his neck, indicating that it was at his waist.
Lin Mo took a finely crafted brocade pouch from his waist, opened it, and found a small jade bottle inside, along with some silver notes and loose silver. Pulling out the stopper, a cool, bittersweet aroma wafted out.
"That's all?" Lin Mo weighed the jade bottle in his hand; there wasn't much medicine inside.
"That's...that's all. The Tibetan monk said this remedy can only suppress the symptoms for three months...After three months, if there's no real antidote, the poison will fully erupt, and even a god couldn't save me..." Cui Mian cried, "I...I was forced into this! It was my uncle, Cui Wenyuan! He forced me to do it! He said Xuan Chengzi was hindering the family's grand plan and had to be eliminated...If I didn't do it, he would strip me of my status as a direct descendant..."
Cui Wenyuan, the younger brother of the current head of the Cui family, wields immense power within the clan. Lin Mo sneered inwardly; he was all too familiar with the infighting within aristocratic families.
"Where is that Tibetan monk Kumarajiva now?"
"I...I don't know! He disappeared after that transaction, and I've never seen him again..." Cui Mian pleaded, "I've told you everything I know, please...please spare my life!"
Lin Mo ignored his pleas for mercy, carefully examined the potion in the jade bottle, and after confirming it was correct, knocked Cui Mian unconscious, tied him up securely, and stuffed him into a hidden corner behind the statue in the dilapidated temple. This man is still useful; he cannot be killed for now.
Without lingering, he took the bottle of relief medicine and the information he had obtained from Cui Mian and rushed back to the Seven Absolutes Sect overnight.
When Lin Mo returned to the Seven Absolutes Sect, it was just dawn. He went straight to the medicine hall, where Elder Sun and several other elders who were well-versed in pharmacology were already waiting, each with a worried expression.
"Guest Elder Lin, how is it?" Elder Sun asked anxiously as he stepped forward.
Lin Mo handed the small jade bottle to Elder Sun and briefly recounted the interrogation of Cui Mian, as well as key information such as "Soul-Eating Incense," "Western Region Monk Kumarajiva," and "Heavenly Heart Lotus."
"Soul-Eating Incense? It's this poison!" Elder Sun's expression grew even more grave upon hearing this. He took the jade bottle and carefully poured a drop of the emerald green medicine into the white jade plate. He first carefully observed its color and viscosity, then brought it close to his nose to smell it. He then used a silver needle to pick up a small amount and used his internal energy to catalyze the change in its medicinal properties.
The other elders also gathered around, each using their own methods to investigate.
"This medicine is cooling in nature and contains the properties of various detoxifying herbs. It does indeed have the effect of suppressing yin toxins and protecting the heart meridian..." an elder pondered.
"But some of the auxiliary medicines seem to be quite different from the common pharmacology in the Central Plains. They have a dry and pungent nature, like the volcanic ash fern and sea buckthorn coral that are unique to the Western Regions..." another elder added.
Elder Sun remained silent for a moment, then turned and took out an ancient book with yellowed pages and torn edges from the medicine cabinet, quickly flipping through it. Soon, he stopped at a certain page, pointing to the text and an illustration depicting a strange lotus pattern, and said in a deep voice, "Found it! The fragment of the *Records of Strange Poisons of the Western Regions* does indeed record it... Soul-Eating Incense, originating from the Western Regions Demon Fire Sect, is made by mixing various rare poisons. Its nature is insidious, specifically corroding the meridians and soul of martial artists. It is not easily detected in the early stages of poisoning, but it suddenly erupts when it accumulates to a certain level... The antidote requires the 'Heavenly Heart Lotus,' a highly yang and pure substance, as the main ingredient, supplemented with rare spiritual materials such as Snow Soul Essence and Earth Vein Milk, to refine the 'Soul-Purifying Pill'..."
He pointed to the illustration: "This is the Heavenly Heart Lotus. It is said to grow only in the extremely cold spiritual springs at the top of the Great Snow Mountain in the Western Regions. It blooms once every hundred years. The lotus heart contains the power of ultimate yang purification, which is the nemesis of insidious things like Soul-Eating Incense."
Everyone's hearts sank. The Great Snow Mountain of the Western Regions was not only remote and extremely harsh, but also guarded by ferocious beasts that protected the Heavenly Heart Lotus. Moreover, the Heavenly Heart Lotus bloomed only once every hundred years, and finding one in its prime was even more uncertain.
"How long do you all think this relief medication will last?" Lin Mo asked.
Elder Sun carefully examined the drop of medicine again and estimated, "This medicine is of acceptable quality. If used properly, combined with acupuncture, it might... might be able to suppress the toxicity for two months. Within two months, we must find the Heavenly Heart Lotus and refine it into a Soul Purifying Pill. Otherwise..."
He didn't say what he was going to say next, but everyone understood. Two months—time was extremely tight.
Elder Han clenched his fists, his knuckles white: "The Cui family! What a Cui family! To resort to such insidious methods!"
"The most urgent task is to head to the Western Regions as soon as possible to find the Heavenly Heart Lotus." Lin Mo's calm tone broke the oppressive atmosphere. "I have some knowledge of the terrain of the Western Regions and am willing to go there."
Elder Sun looked at Lin Mo with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude and worry: "Guest Elder Lin, the journey to the Western Regions is long and treacherous, and the Great Snow Mountain is a legendary place, fraught with danger... You've only just entered the Seven Absolutes Sect, yet you're already taking such a risk..."
"As a guest elder, I should naturally fulfill my responsibilities," Lin Mo interrupted. "Moreover, saving the Grand Elder is related to the stability of the Seven Absolutes Sect, and also to... some of my subsequent plans." He thought of the sealed magic artifact. Saving Xuan Chengzi and gaining deeper trust and resources from the Seven Absolutes Sect was crucial for him to find a way to break the seal.
"Excellent!" Elder Han slammed his hand on the table. "Guest Elder Lin, your generosity is admirable! The sect will prepare a detailed map of the Western Regions and travel expenses for you, and will send two capable disciples familiar with the routes to the Western Regions to accompany you and lend you a helping hand!"
"No need," Lin Mo shook his head. "Too many people will make us a bigger target and cause inconvenience. I alone am enough. Please prepare for me a detailed map of the Great Snow Mountain area, as well as enough clean water, dry food, and warm clothing."
Seeing that Lin Mo's attitude was firm and his words made sense, the elders no longer insisted.
"There's no time to lose. I'll make some preparations and set off immediately." Lin Mo acted swiftly and decisively.
Elder Sun solemnly handed the small bottle of remedy to Lin Mo: "Guest Lin, take this medicine with you. If... if we really can't find the Heavenly Heart Lotus, perhaps it can temporarily protect you in a critical moment." He meant that if Lin Mo himself was also poisoned by a similar poison, this medicine might be useful.
Lin Mo understood his good intentions, accepted the medicine and put it away: "Thank you, Elder Sun."
An hour later, Lin Mo, carrying the prepared supplies and map, quietly left the Seven Absolutes Sect once again. His destination: the Great Snow Mountain in the Western Regions.