northernbook Chapter 499
Chapter 499
Inside the medicine hut, the candlelight flickered, casting intermittent light on the three people's faces. A tense and focused atmosphere permeated the air, broken only by the occasional rustling of pages turning and the grinding of powder in the mortar.
“Let’s begin.” The master’s voice was deep and firm. He carefully used a silver needle to pick out a trace of “Heart-Corroding Powder” from the porcelain bottle. The powder gleamed with a ghostly blue light under the candlelight, as if it contained some mysterious and evil power. The moment the powder fell into the mortar, it made a faint rustling sound, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, sending chills down one’s spine. The master squinted, leaning closer to observe carefully, his focused expression as if he wanted to see through this evil powder. He gently turned the mortar, observing the flow and texture of the powder, occasionally picking up a bit with the silver needle and examining it repeatedly under the candlelight, trying to find a clue to decipher it from these subtle details.
Ye Jiuchen stood before the bookshelf, his gaze sharp. His hands moved rapidly through the thick medical books, the rustling of the pages urgent and chaotic. With each page he turned, his eyes were filled with anticipation, yet a flicker of disappointment crossed his face when he found no clues. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his collar, but he paid it no heed, his mind focused on only one thought: to find any record of "Heart-Eating Powder," even just a few words.
Dongfang Wan'er was busy at the medicine table on the other side. Her hands moved deftly among the various herbs, like butterflies fluttering in the air. Weighing, mixing, blending—every movement was precise and practiced. She added the prepared herbs one by one to the porcelain bowl containing the "Heart-Corroding Powder" solution, her eyes fixed on the changes in the bowl, not missing a single subtle reaction. Sometimes she frowned, sometimes she showed a thoughtful expression, trying to find the key to breaking the poison from these chemical reactions.
Time ticked by, and the atmosphere inside the medicine hut grew increasingly heavy. However, no matter how hard they tried, the "Heart-Eating Powder" remained a stubborn mystery, refusing to reveal even a single clue. All attempts ended in failure, hope gradually faded, and a sense of dejection spread among the three.
Just then, a commotion broke the oppressive silence outside the medicine hut. Hurried footsteps, frantic shouts, and the sound of heavy objects being dragged approached. Ye Jiuchen instantly became alert, his hand instinctively gripping his sword hilt. Like a cheetah poised to pounce, he strode towards the door.
Pushing open the door, a gust of cold wind rushed in. In the darkness, several villagers carried a person, stumbling and staggering, into the clinic. The person's face was black, lips purple, and contorted with pain. He uttered intermittent groans, his voice filled with despair and fear. Ye Jiuchen's heart tightened; realizing something was wrong, he immediately told everyone to carry the injured man into the clinic.
The master quickly stepped forward, grabbed the injured man's wrist, and took his pulse. A moment later, his expression changed drastically, a look of shock and worry flashing in his eyes. "It's 'Heart-Corroding Powder'!" the master's voice was filled with barely concealed anxiety. "The symptoms are exactly the same as before!"
This news struck everyone like a hammer blow. Ye Jiuchen clenched his fists, his eyes blazing with anger: "The black-robed man's evil deeds have begun to spread; who knows how many more will fall victim to his cruelty!" Dongfang Wan'er bit her lip, her eyes filled with rage and resentment: "We can't let them continue like this!"
The atmosphere inside the medicine hut grew even heavier and more urgent. They knew a greater crisis was creeping closer. Every moment of delay meant more people could be plunged into the abyss of suffering and death. The method to break the "Heart-Corroding Powder" had become the key to their battle against the evil forces, and the hope for saving countless lives. The three exchanged a glance, their eyes rekindling with unwavering resolve. No matter how many difficulties and dangers lay ahead, they would fight the evil forces to the very end, without hesitation.
Ice-based survival
Inside the medicine hut, the painful groans of the wounded mingled with the gasps of the onlookers, the air itself seeming to be ignited by despair and anxiety. The master gazed at the villager convulsing on the bed, his aged knuckles white from gripping the edge. After a long silence, he took a deep breath, a fire burning in his chest: "The most urgent task is to stabilize the wounded! Jiu Chen, prepare the silver needles; Wan'er, prepare the basic antidote!" His hoarse voice carried an undeniable authority, yet also concealed a barely perceptible tremor.
Ye Jiuchen dashed towards the medicine cabinet like an arrow released from a bow, the clatter of porcelain bottles colliding echoing around him. As he retrieved the silver needles, his fingertips nearly crushed the bamboo box, and he trembled as he held the needles above the flickering candlelight. The blue light of the flame licking the needles reflected his tense jaw—this was the first time he had felt such panic while treating someone; the black-robed man's poisoning range far exceeded his expectations, and every second held the lives of many more at stake.
Dongfang Wan'er's skirt swept past the medicine counter, the glass medicine bottles and bronze weights clattering softly. She bit her lower lip, her pale fingertips darting like butterflies among the medicine cabinets, the herbal concoction tinged with an eerie dark green. As she brought the medicine to the injured person's lips, the person suddenly coughed violently, blackish-purple blood splattering onto the back of her hand, stinging her eyes. But she quickly wiped away the blood and continued to slowly pour the medicine into the injured person's mouth.
Candle wax dripped down, congealing into pale beads on the blue bricks. The injured man's breathing grew heavier, then suddenly his back arched and he convulsed violently, spitting a mouthful of black blood onto the bed curtains like a grotesque ink flower. The master's hand, which was probing the pulse, froze abruptly, veins bulging on his forehead: "This 'Heart-Corroding Powder' is more troublesome than we imagined!" As he turned, he knocked over the medicine pot behind him, the sound of shattering porcelain sending everyone's hearts clenching.
Ye Jiuchen stared at the fragments on the ground, his pupils suddenly contracting. Memories flashed through his mind like lightning—three days ago, when he was sorting through ancient books, he had seen what appeared to be patterns of a ghostly blue powder in the worn-out copy of the *Poison Classic*! He staggered towards the bookshelf, his rough fingertips scraping against the spines with a harsh sound, books falling like withered leaves. Finally, the yellowed pages unfolded in his palm. Beside the dark brown hand-drawn illustrations, a few lines of tiny characters read: “The most Yin poison requires a thousand-year-old icy herb from the Ice Abyss as a catalyst…”