Lin Xiao Tian followed Xiao Ming all the way, eventually stopping in front of a pavilion.
The Lin family had many such pavilions, resembling a small palace. Lin Xiao Tian was unsure whom Xiao Ming intended to introduce him to.
As the grand door of the pavilion opened, Lin Xiao Tian first saw an elder.
The elder was the Lin family's butler and a confidant of the old madam.
As an outsider, many within the Lin family did not truly support the old madam, their outward respect often masking their inner dissent. The elder before them was one of the few people the old madam could truly trust.
The elder had Xiao Ming step aside, then motioned for Lin Xiao Tian to follow him.
Lin Xiao Tian vaguely sensed that the person he was about to meet might be the old madam herself.
But why would the old madam choose to meet him in such a manner?
Driven by curiosity, Lin Xiao Tian was led by the elder into the inner rooms.
Seeing the door to a room open, the elder gestured for Lin Xiao Tian to enter, while he himself remained by the door.
Upon seeing the person inside, Lin Xiao Tian confirmed his suspicions.
"Xiao Tian, you're here," came the old madam's weak voice.
Lin Xiao Tian was startled and quickly stepped closer.
The old madam before him had a sallow complexion, her lips tinged with a purplish-red, clearly indicating she had been poisoned.
"You're poisoned, quickly sit down, I'll give you acupuncture," Lin Xiao Tian said urgently.
But the old madam raised her hand to stop him. "No need. This is the Origin Gu. Even with Golden Needle Acupuncture, there's no hope of saving me."
Lin Xiao Tian was stunned.
Origin Gu!
This was the most potent type of Gu poison. As the name suggested, it was the very first form of Gu.
Every Gu master, from the beginning, would refine their own Origin Gu. All subsequent Gu poisons were developed and evolved based on this initial Origin Gu.
As this process continued, the Origin Gu would subtly change. Most Gu poisons had countermeasures for the Gu master, but the Origin Gu, due to its continuous evolution, would eventually reach a point where even the Gu master could not undo it.
Nearly eighty percent of Gu masters perished from their own Origin Gu.
Origin Gu also had varying levels of potency. The more Gu poisons a Gu master refined and the longer they persisted, the more dangerous the accompanying Origin Gu became for the Gu master.
Undoing an Origin Gu was extremely difficult. It required knowledge of all the Gu poisons the Gu master had refined throughout their life, as well as consideration for whether the Gu had mutated. If it had mutated, the method of resolving it would differ. This presented a problem: other Gu masters would generally be unable to resolve an Origin Gu.
Even the Gu master harboring the Origin Gu was not certain they could undo it.
"Do you know? The Origin Gu I contracted comes from the oldest individual in Miao Jiang, and not long ago, he died."
After speaking, the old madam calmly looked at Lin Xiao Tian. "Do you know? That day just happened to be the date of my birthday banquet."
"Then his corpse should still be here? If we can find his corpse, there might still be a chance," Lin Xiao Tian said sternly.
Lin Xiao Tian was confident in his ability to handle the vast majority of Gu poisons.
However, this Origin Gu was incredibly complex in its origin. While Lin Xiao Tian had a method to resolve it, it would require a significant amount of time.
The old madam's current condition did not afford him much time.
Lin Xiao Tian's medical experience was still relatively short. Even though the Shen Nong Medical Codex had forced knowledge upon him, he still lacked extensive experience. Facing a Gu poison of this magnitude, he was not confident of resolving it in a single attempt. Hence, Lin Xiao Tian suggested finding the Gu master's corpse.
"Although Origin Gu is potent, it also requires time to manifest. I can prolong this period. During this time, I will strive to understand the Gu master's Origin Gu, and then I can thoroughly eliminate the poison," Lin Xiao Tian added.
"It's useless. That Gu master's corpse has already been disposed of. My people have tried every method, but they couldn't find it," the old madam sighed.
"Then we can only try our luck," Lin Xiao Tian said helplessly.
Without the Gu master's corpse, it wasn't impossible, but now Lin Xiao Tian would have to rely on luck. If he guessed correctly, the old madam's Gu poison could be resolved. But if he guessed wrong, the old madam would have almost no hope of survival.
Lin Xiao Tian was unaware that the old madam had been observing him intently as they spoke.
"Lin Xiao Tian, tell me the truth, did you poison me with this Origin Gu?" the old madam suddenly asked.
"No," Lin Xiao Tian replied.
"During this period, I've been closest to you. If anyone had the opportunity, it would be you." The old madam looked into Lin Xiao Tian's eyes.
"While I might be the one with the most opportunity, I am precisely the one who would never harm you," Lin Xiao Tian looked at her. "To me, you being alive is far more important than being dead!"
Seeing Lin Xiao Tian's serious expression, the old madam grinned.
"Haha! It's been many years since anyone dared to speak to me like that. You are one of the very few in so many years."
"Lin Xiao Tian, less than two people in the family know about my poisoning. You are now the third."
"I know you are very capable. Perhaps even my Lin family cannot restrain you. However, if I find out that you have leaked this matter, I cannot guarantee the safety of those around you."
"Qin Yu Xiang might be fine, but that Bai Xue, and the female doctor from the National Medical Hall, oh, and those people from your village, and your friends..."
"Lin Xiao Tian, you wouldn't abandon them, would you?"
The old madam's words successfully struck Lin Xiao Tian's soft spot.
This was the first time Lin Xiao Tian had witnessed the ruthlessness of this elder. No wonder, as an outsider, she had held the top position in the Lin family for so many years. It seemed this ruthlessness had helped her significantly.
"I'm saving you, yet you're threatening me?"
"I'm merely purchasing insurance."
"Alright! I promise not to divulge this matter."
The old madam nodded with great satisfaction.
Following this, Lin Xiao Tian used his golden needles to temporarily suppress the Gu poison.
"The Gu poison has been temporarily suppressed, but it won't last long. To prolong its suppression, blood transfusion is needed to replace the poisoned blood. However, this requires not only a compatible blood type but ideally a transfusion from a direct blood relative," Lin Xiao Tian continued.
"Direct blood relative?" The old madam chuckled after hearing this.
Her son was no longer around. She did have two daughters, but their blood types didn't match. Her only hope lay with her grandchildren.
But if she suddenly asked these grandchildren for blood, they would undoubtedly become suspicious, and perhaps the secret she had so painstakingly hidden would be exposed.
There was also the matter that this incident was very likely related to these grandchildren.
"Forget it, just find someone with the same blood type! Tell me, how much longer can I hold on?"
"Seven days!"