"Well said."
Daoist Kum Mu nodded deeply, fully agreeing with Mr. Zhang's words.
In his opinion, a monstrous talent like Lin Xiao Tian was indeed someone he couldn't afford to offend. The only one who could possibly contend with him was the old master who was still in seclusion upstairs.
After a brief discussion, the two parted ways.
As soon as Mr. Zhang separated from Daoist Kum Mu, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. He was not like Daoist Kum Mu and would not so easily submit to Lin Xiao Tian.
Immediately, he took out his phone and called an old acquaintance: "Hello, Valley Master Zhou, it's Zhang Jin Zhong. I need your help with something..."
"What? Someone poisoned Mr. Zhang with蛊毒 (gǔ dú -蛊 poison)?"
The other party listened to Mr. Zhang's poisoning with surprise. After a moment, he asked, "Who is this person? In a small city like Song Zhou, no one should dare to harm Mr. Zhang in such a way."
"This is a long story. The one who poisoned me is a young master. Let's meet and talk in detail."
"Alright, Medicine King Valley welcomes Mr. Zhang's arrival at any time."
After the voice on the other end finished speaking, Mr. Zhang had his subordinate drive him to Medicine King Valley.
The person he had just spoken to was none other than the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, Zhou Si Tong.
He was a reclusive master and the 400th generation successor of the Medicine King family. His mastery of medicine was unmatched in the world, especially his attainments in detoxification, which had long surpassed the heavenly realm. There was no poison in the world he couldn't cure, including蛊毒.
Mr. Zhang was an old acquaintance of his, though their relationship was not known to most people. This was because Zhou Si Tong had a peculiar temperament and was not good at making friends. Few people could see him except for a few old friends.
"Master, Mr. Zhang has arrived."
Twenty minutes later, a medicine boy from Medicine King Valley arrived at the Medicine King's medicine pavilion and respectfully reported to him.
"Please invite him in quickly."
Zhou Si Tong stopped his research on medicine, and after speaking, he stroked his beard and hurried out.
At this time, Mr. Zhang had already arrived at the side hall of Medicine King Valley, being entertained with good tea and pleasant scenery.
As soon as he drank a cup of fragrant medicinal tea, Zhou Si Tong walked in from outside, cupped his hands, and said respectfully, "Mr. Zhang's esteemed presence truly makes my humble abode shine."
"Valley Master Zhou is too kind. I'll trouble you with the poison on my body."
Mr. Zhang said little, put down his teacup, stood up, and greeted Zhou Si Tong.
Zhou Si Tong invited him to sit down, seriously took his wrist, and felt his pulse. After a moment, his brow furrowed, showing no signs of relaxation.
"Valley Master Zhou, do you have a way to cure the poison I've contracted?" Mr. Zhang asked gravely.
"This..."
Zhou Si Tong did not know how to respond to Mr. Zhang. After a few seconds of silence, he continued, "The poison Mr. Zhang has contracted is very peculiar. This蛊 is called Wan Du Zhu Si (万毒蛛丝 - Ten Thousand Poisons Spider Silk). It is made from feeding poisonous insects with eighty-one different toxins."
"Moreover, each of these poisonous insects is extremely venomous. An ordinary person who contracts this poison would not live for more than fifteen days."
"Yes, exactly."
Zhang Jin Zhong nodded repeatedly, a look of joy appearing on his face. He said directly, "Valley Master Zhou is absolutely right. The person who poisoned me said the same thing. Valley Master Zhou, since you know the name of this poison, you must have a way to cure it, right?"
"There is a way to cure this poison, but it's just..."
"But what?" Zhang Jin Zhong asked, his eyes wide with confusion.
"But it will take at least a month to develop the antidote. By the time I develop the antidote, Mr. Zhang will probably already..."
"What? A month? Is this蛊 poison so potent that even Valley Master Zhou needs a month to develop an antidote?"
Zhang Jin Zhong could not believe it. In his impression, Zhou Si Tong was a successor of the Medicine King, and his mastery of medicine allowed him to easily develop antidotes for various poisons. How could it take so long for this particular蛊 poison?
"Mr. Zhang, you may not know, but this Wan Du Zhu Si poison is the most venomous thing I have ever seen. The toxins it contains are ever-changing. If there is even the slightest mistake, the antidote prepared will not only be ineffective but could also cause a backlash to the poisoned person."
"Therefore, to ensure safety, a minimum of one month is required."
"Are there any other ways to alleviate the poison to buy a month's time to develop the antidote?" Mr. Zhang asked after a few seconds of thought.
"This... there are ways, but I don't know if Mr. Zhang can endure extreme pain."
Zhou Si Tong's gaze was deep as he looked at Mr. Zhang seriously and asked.
He knew Mr. Zhang's capabilities, but he also knew that even a master at the immortal realm would find this method difficult to endure. Clearly, Mr. Zhang's strength was insufficient, making it even harder for him to bear.
"I can. As long as I can live, no matter how painful, I can endure it," Zhang Jin Zhong said without hesitation.
"Good. Since Mr. Zhang has so resolutely agreed, I can try for you."
After speaking, Zhou Si Tong waved his sleeve, stood up, and went to the side to write a prescription.
After writing it, he handed the prescription to a medicine boy in the valley, asking him to gather the herbs and prepare a medicinal bath.
Zhang Jin Zhong needed to soak in this water continuously for forty-eight hours to inhibit the spread of the poison.
During the soaking period, the medicinal power would permeate every meridian in his body, generating an immense pulling force, as if every meridian were about to break.
In addition, the medicinal properties of this medicine would cause him to experience various sensations, all of which were painful scenes akin to entering a sea of swords and flames or being thrown into a pot of oil. The suffering his body would endure was unbearable for ordinary people.
When Zhou Si Tong explained these details, the medicinal bath was already prepared and placed before Zhang Jin Zhong.
He looked at Zhang Jin Zhong seriously and said, "Mr. Zhang, please. As long as you enter this medicinal bath and endure the pain for forty-eight consecutive hours, the spread of the poison in your body can be temporarily suppressed."
"Alright, I'll soak."
Zhang Jin Zhong looked at the seemingly boiling blue medicinal bath, gritted his teeth, cast aside his clothes, and stepped in.
Hiss!
As soon as his front foot stepped into the medicinal bath, he immediately felt the meridians in his leg being stretched to their limit, as if his bones were about to be torn apart. Sweat flowed from his body uncontrollably.
He clenched his fists, enduring the pain, and then stepped in with his other foot. The pulling sensation soon engulfed his entire body, causing him to let out a mournful cry to the sky.
Even the medicine boy outside the door, upon hearing this cry, could not suppress his discomfort, and goosebumps instantly appeared all over his body.
Zhou Si Tong comforted him for a while, then left the hall, closing the door for him.
He endured the pain in the medicinal bath, his eyes quickly turning red. He gritted his teeth and said, "Lin Xiao Tian, you just wait. As soon as this poison is cured, I will make sure you have nowhere to be buried."