Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (27????)

Story 10 - The Spy Who Rocked Too Hard (27????)

Before I solved the side effects of the Beast Blood Contract, I needed to get the baths prescription. Fortunately, there was a convenient poison master outside the room who knew it.

I waited for Little Spring to return to looking like his 13-year-old disguise only with white hair and husky-like ears on top of his head. Once he nodded to me that he was ready, I stormed out of the bathing room and right into Teasing Mouse. She bounced off me and sprawled onto the tiled floor.

I loomed over her and picked her up using spiritual energy. While she was hanging there, wide-eyed and forced to listen to me, this seemed like a good position for a necessary lecture. Especially since I couldnt let her stupidity go after I had just brought the kid back from the brink of fucking death.

Let me ask you a question.

Y-youre very close.

Is your head completely empty?

No! She hiccuped and struggled. It was my fault that Verdant Spring went to the bath, but him dying wasnt! Poison Master Swift Hands explained it to me.

I closed my eyes for a second so I didnt punch more brain cells out of her head. That would have the opposite effect I was going for. Listen up, you dumb little shit.

Hey

In the future, before you suggest that someone goes through with a bath like this, you better make sure their cultivation base is compatible with it. You better think before doing anything and everything from now on, or else youll end up murdering someone.



It was an accident!

Do you think accidental murder doesnt give you negative karma? No wonder she fucking failed her tribulation in my last life. Too many people died because of her dumb ass.

Her lip trembled.

Swift Hands used his own spiritual energy to pull her away from me. How dare you bully Little Teasing Mouse!

He hid her behind him and she peaked out at me.

N-no. Its okay. She wiped her eyes. I understand. After all, Junior Linlin and Verdant Spring were f-friends.

Little Spring must have taken his sweet time getting Xiao Bai because he finally left the room with a very confused expression on his face.

Swift Hands and Teasing Mouse froze. Youre alive?!

They finally noticed?

The girl stopped crying and jumped over as if she were going to hug the kid. I used my spiritual energy to grab her and move her next to the poison master.

I dont care how happy you are that Verdant Spring is healthy. Youre not tackling someone who almost died a few minutes ago. Didnt I just tell you to use your brain?

I thought that was reasonable advice, but the poison masters face turned red with anger, and pulled the girl behind him.

I couldnt help rolling my eyes. A bit of scolding wont hurt her. If anything, everybody being overprotective is preventing her from learning.

He glared at me. Little Teasing Mouse absorbs things at her own pace.

That was just him calling her dumb using different semantics. Fine, whatever you say. But you need to set things right.

Me?!

Your messed up bath hurt my Senior. Take responsibility and tell us the ingredients.

Ha! I didnt mess anything up. The bath was perfect. It was Junior Verdant Spring who was incompatible with it. Thats not my problem.

This fucker. If we have the ingredients, we can cure his side effects. Giving us that information is the very least you could do.

He sneered. I wont provide any information to a bully like you!

Fuck.

Little Spring stepped forward, looking adorable. Senior, can you please give it to us? Junior Linlin really has a good chance at solving the baths side effects. She could help the whole sect!

He huffed and turned his head. If those side effects could be solved, our genius poison masters would have done it by now. Besides, she made Little Teasing Mouse cry.

The kid and I shared a look. Apparently, we both couldnt believe how unreasonable this guy was being.

There was no getting through to him. Unfortunately, people being unreasonable assholes to the universes protagonist couldnt be helped. This was a Xianxia, after all.

You know what? Im done here. There are other poison masters I can turn to. Ones who hadnt turned braindead due to the little girls black hole of adoration.





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The pill used a highly toxic spiritual herb called the Blood Feather Grass, which was a red leafy plant that looked a lot like red feathers. Next, it would use the combination of the spiritual herbs 10,000 Spines Cactus, Morphing Rhododendron, and Pink Ink Cherry Pit in order to prick the skin of the host and hold the feathers in place as they grew.

Chances were, after the poison had left the victims system, it would leave ugly welts on the body that would have to be healed and detoxified. It was really vicious, even if it was non-lethal.

Other than those herbs, there were 7 more that enhanced the effect and provided energy for the strange effect to work.

Winter Fox started by throwing in the cherry pit and its pair herb, Yin Ice Grass. Immediately, I saw a problem, but I decided to keep watching to see where the poison master took this.

As I watched, I found several more errors that could affect the concoction.



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Just before he finished adding the last plant, the 10,000 Spines Cactus, the glowing solution fizzled out. There it was, the final mistake.

He gestured to the cauldron, then waved his hand to remove the failed liquid.

I have seen others concoct this poison, but I cant seem to get it right.

I see several issues already.

He nodded.

I walked over to one of the cherry pits, picked it up and broke it in half, exposing its smooth fuschia interior.



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His eyes grew wide.

I pointed to the small rotten spot inside of the pit. It wouldnt have been noticeable to his divine sense, considering his cultivation level. Whoever gave you this batch of pits is not your friend.

Oh, my... His jaw tightened. Couldnt she have made a mistake?

I shook my head. It would have been obvious when the cherry was ripe that it was infected with a seed rot disease. The only way you could receive this pit was if theyd purposefully selected the seeds that didnt show the infection.

That explained the discount I received. He grimaced. Is that the main reason it failed?

Yes, but thats not the only one. You still would have concocted a poison even with a slightly rotted pit, but the effect wouldnt have been very good. I doubt that poisons need to be as precise as medicine since the point is to harm.

I disagree. If a poison isnt exact, then it can hurt those its not intended for. A poison master has to be even more careful and precise at what they do than an alchemist. A poison that harms everything equally without regard to its target is, in my opinion, a failed product.

I grinned. What a kind fox. He was much better than Bloodswords spirit-beast-wife.

Not a bad point of view! I like it! Any good practitioner of the scientific method should be able to change their point of view when presented with solid, peer-tested evidence. Since I wasnt as practiced with poisons as these poison masters, Id follow their lead on this until I could form my own tested conclusions.

He smiled gently at me. Then what is the other reason?

This next part could make me his enemy, but I had to explain it. ::You either have a Pure Yin Body physique or are practicing a cold yin cultivation method, right?::

::I dont have any special physique. But thank you for worrying about me.::

I nodded. Well, you need to be more careful. Your cool energy is affecting the temperature of the cauldron and increasing the yin nature of the plants.

Ah... His face turned red. I know about that issue but, usually I just increase the heat I use in the furnace and that takes care of it.



I pointed to the Purple Viper Snow Grass. This herb is the largest problem. Its supposed to be paired with the cactus which has a too subtle yang energy. Your cultivation increases the grasss yin energy too much. This causes the concoction to fail just before it receives the necessary heat from the cactus.

He nodded. So, I should put the cactus in before it.

I nodded. Most other cultivators dont have this issue, but you need to be aware of this the higher your realm reaches, unless you change your cultivation method.

Ill pay closer attention to it, He said, then bowed. Thank you for your instruction. Ill get you the recipe and those herbs soon.

Before I could say anything else, a massive, human-sized cauldron slammed down on top of me, caging me in like an inconvenient spider. My shoulder smashed against the side of the cauldron and I flipped upside down as it accelerated at speeds my body could barely handle.