Chapter Ten: Deliberation

As Lei Yan spoke, his gaze swept over the faces of Yuan Hou and the other two. Suddenly, the faint trace of blackness on Li Yun’s face caught his attention. This was a sign of poisoning. An ordinary person would hardly notice it, but who was Lei Yan? The grand-disciple of the Ghost Poison Master, Lei Yan’s understanding of toxins was profound; he recognized the symptoms at a single glance.

Lei Yan’s gaze remained fixed on Li Yun. Sensing something, Li Yun smiled and said, “Brother Lei, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you looking at me like that?” He held Lei Yan’s strength in some esteem, so his tone was polite.

“Brother Li, you’ve been poisoned,” Lei Yan replied with a smile.

Li Yun was startled by Lei Yan’s words. He had already found it odd that his left arm, though its acupoints had been sealed, was still bleeding. Now, hearing Lei Yan, he immediately understood the cause: it was all due to poison. He quickly circulated his innate energy throughout his body, but to his disappointment, he detected no signs of poison—only a slight blockage in his meridians.

“If I’m not mistaken, you should be feeling some stagnation in your meridians,” Lei Yan said, sensing the fluctuation of inner energy within Li Yun and instantly guessing his intention to use his cultivation to expel the poison.

Li Yun’s mind was in turmoil. Though he believed he was poisoned, the fact that not even his innate energy could detect it left him hesitating. Hearing Lei Yan’s words, he nodded and asked, “Brother Lei, since you can see I’m poisoned, do you know what kind of poison it is? And how can it be cured?”

“Brother Lei, do you know medicine?” Yuan Hou’s eyes gleamed, and he looked at Lei Yan with interest.

Sun Jin, too, regarded Lei Yan with curiosity.

Lei Yan chuckled. “I know a little. Brother Li, extend your right hand and let me take your pulse.”

Allowing someone to take his pulse was akin to placing his life in Lei Yan’s hands. Li Yun hesitated briefly, then extended his right hand. Lei Yan did not mind the hesitation and pressed three fingers to Li Yun’s pulse, closing his eyes to feel the rhythm of the pulse beneath his fingertips.

After a moment, Lei Yan opened his eyes and smiled. “Brother Li, you’ve been poisoned by the toxin secreted from the wall python’s body. If you trust me, take this pill.” As he spoke, Lei Yan produced a pill as if by magic. “Of course, this pill can only temporarily suppress the toxin within you.”

Yuan Hou and Sun Jin were both astonished to see Lei Yan produce a pill so effortlessly.

Lei Yan paid no attention to their amazement. Seeing Li Yun’s hesitation, he added, “Brother Li, you can hold onto it for now and take it when you first feel the effects of the poison. This pill will only suppress the toxin. To cure it completely, you’ll need an antidote.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yun no longer hesitated and accepted the pill with a smile. “In that case, I thank you in advance, Brother Lei. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word.”

“Well then, let’s discuss how to deal with the wall python,” Lei Yan replied with a smile. He was certain Li Yun would seek him out again that night, for the pill only offered temporary relief. In fact, Lei Yan could have provided the antidote, but he had another motive: he wanted to use Li Yun’s help to obtain the mutated Blood Orchid, so he had devised this plan.

Yuan Hou had wanted to say more, but Lei Yan’s words made him swallow his thoughts. He smiled and said, “In that case, let’s discuss our plan thoroughly.” Sun Jin nodded in agreement.

At that moment, several martial artists and villagers arrived. Lei Yan and the others discussed matters with the village chief, arranging for the villagers to search for the wall python on the Blood Orchid Slope behind the village the following morning.

Late at night, the lights of Wanjia Village still shone brightly. Many villagers patrolled the village with torches, while most martial artists snored away in their guest rooms. In one room, where only an oil lamp burned, Lei Yan did not rest. He preferred not to waste time sleeping, for he could replenish his energy through cultivation.

A rhythmic knock sounded at the door, followed by Yuan Hou’s voice from outside. “Brother Lei, are you still awake?”

“Come in,” Lei Yan responded.

Yuan Hou entered, smiling broadly. Seeing Lei Yan seated in meditation, he said, “Brother Lei, you are indeed diligent, cultivating even at this hour.”

“Brother Yuan, I doubt you came here just to praise me,” Lei Yan replied with a smile. He didn’t believe Yuan Hou had come without purpose; during their earlier discussion about dealing with the wall python, he had noticed a flicker of calculation in Yuan Hou’s eyes.

Yuan Hou grinned. “Of course not. I’m here to discuss something with you.” Seeing Lei Yan remain silent, he continued, “Here’s the thing—I could tell from your composure earlier that you’re highly skilled in medicine. I want to ask a favor: accompany me to the northern part of Qingzhou. I won’t let you go unrewarded. If you come with me, I’ll pay you one hundred taels of gold.”

“One hundred taels of gold?” Lei Yan was also surprised. That sum was equivalent to ten thousand taels of silver—enough to support an ordinary village for decades if spent frugally.

“That’s right, one hundred taels of gold. I’ve taken on a job that requires passing through the Poison Miasma Forest in northern Qingzhou. That forest is teeming with venomous insects and fierce beasts; a single misstep and you’ll be poisoned. That’s why I need someone skilled in medicine to accompany me. What do you say?” Yuan Hou smiled.

Though the offer was tempting, it didn’t sway Lei Yan. He needed to clarify matters first. “One hundred taels of gold is certainly tempting, but only if I survive to spend it. Tell me the details of this job.”

“This Lei is indeed no ordinary man,” Yuan Hou thought to himself, seeing Lei Yan’s calm expression. Most people would have scrambled for a hundred taels of gold, but Lei Yan remained unmoved. Smiling, Yuan Hou explained, “This time, I’m just delivering a letter for someone to Bafang Town in northern Qingzhou. Because of time constraints, we have to take a shortcut, and the fastest way is through the Poison Miasma Forest.”

Having heard Yuan Hou’s explanation, Lei Yan had already made up his mind. He had intended to head to northern Qingzhou anyway, and if not for the strange events here, he would have set out long ago. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. “I can accompany you, but I’ll need to bring someone with me, and we must wait until matters here are settled.”

“Agreed, no problem.” Yuan Hou immediately smiled, then produced a gold ingot from his robe and tossed it to Lei Yan. “Here’s an advance. I’ll pay you the rest once the job is done.”

Lei Yan accepted the gold without protest and nodded.

“Then I’ll let you rest. As soon as tomorrow’s business is finished, we’ll set out at once,” Yuan Hou said, heading out with a heart full of anticipation. He had initially hesitated to accept the job because he did not wish to risk his life in that notorious forest, but things were different now. With Lei Yan at his side, he could take the commission with confidence—for this was a deal worth a thousand taels of gold.