A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 312: Business Language

Duan Rong followed Old Man Qin into the cave.

The entrance of the cave is narrow, but once you walk in, you will find it is a fairly large stone chamber.

As soon as he entered, a strange smell of various medicinal herbs entered Duan Rong's nostrils.

In this rather large space, the stone wall in the back was filled with various bulging sacks, and the rest of the space was occupied by a dozen old wooden shelves, each of which was filled with various bottles and jars...

On the stone wall on the east side, between two wooden frames, there is a narrow stone door, which seems to lead to another stone chamber.

Old man Qin coughed deliberately before walking through the shelves and towards the stone door.

Duan Rong followed Old Man Qin, and the two of them walked into another dim stone chamber.

The stone chamber outside was quite bright because of the light coming in from the cave.

Duan Rong suddenly entered a dark room from a bright place, and he felt a darkness in front of his eyes. It took him a while to adapt to the darkness.

The dark room was not completely dark, there was a faint yellow candlelight.

The candlelight was very weak and could only illuminate a dim circle of light about the size of a person's belly.

There seemed to be a dark figure standing next to the candle, his face submerged in darkness. Only his two hands were visible in the dim yellow light.

Those were two wrinkled, old hands!
The two hands were holding a black pottery jar.

The lid of the black pottery jar was opened, and a triangular snake head with its tongue sticking out popped out.

As soon as the snake's head came out, it was firmly grasped by an old hand. The venomous snake twisted and turned, and in the dim light, one could see that its body was covered with red scales.

The other old hand reached into the darkness and seemed to pull out a toad with abscesses all over its back from another pottery jar.

The old hand pinched the two hind legs of the festering toad and brought it closer to the twisting and rolling red snake.

The other old hand loosened slightly, and the triangular snake head bit the back of the festering toad with a whoosh.

The toad's back began to turn black at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a moment, the entire toad was as black as ink.

But at this moment, the red snake suddenly fell off the toad's back and fell into the darkness.

The old hand, grabbing the inky black toad, suddenly threw it into a stone pot in front of it. After a slight splashing sound, thick white mist began to rise from the stone pot.

At the same time, Duan Rong stood at the door of the dark room and smelled an unpleasant odor mixed with stench and spiciness.

Duan Rong immediately held his breath. If he smelled this smell any longer, he was afraid he would vomit.

But the black shadow in the circle of light was standing next to the stone pot. When he saw the steaming white mist floating up to his face, the man was like petrified and had no reaction.

But Old Man Qin obviously couldn't stand the smell anymore. He pinched his nose and begged for mercy, shouting, "Pharmacist Shang, Pharmacist Shang..."

Duan Rong saw that as Old Man Qin shouted, the black shadow trembled noticeably, as if it had just noticed the two of them.

The black shadow picked up the pot lid and put it on the stone pot. The still rising white mist was then pressed into the pot.

The black shadow took a few steps and walked to the stone wall behind him. With a whoosh, he pulled open the animal skin curtain.

There was actually a narrow stone window there, and outside the window was a thousand-foot cliff.

The sunlight coming in from the narrow stone window instantly illuminated the dark room.

The space of this dark room is not large, only about one-third of the stone room outside.

There was a stone bed against the wall on one side. The ground next to the stone bed and on the stone bed were piled with various messy yellowed books and some scattered bamboo slips.

On the other side there was a simple table made of bamboo tubes, and the ground next to the table was filled with various bottles and jars.

At this moment, on the simple table, there was a dying candle and a rather large stone pot, covered with an obviously mismatched wooden lid that was covered in greasy dust.

At the foot of the crude table, the red poisonous snake was curled up on the ground motionless, obviously dead...

Shang Xiangyu stood by the stone window, his voice hoarse. "What? It's been less than a month, and you've finished the medicine I gave you last time?"

Shang Xiangyu's voice was extremely harsh and piercing, as if his throat had completely rotted away. It didn't sound like a human voice at all, but rather like a demon screaming in hell...

As the animal skin curtain was pulled open, the moisture in the valley blew in, and the unpleasant smell in the dark room had mostly dissipated.

Duan Rong adjusted his breathing and stared at Shang Xiangyu who was standing by the stone window.

The man was wearing a robe with wide sleeves and a high collar, and his long hair was hanging loosely behind him.

What was strange was that Duan Ronggang had seen his hands through the dark yellow light circle next to the stone pot. They were a pair of old hands full of wrinkles and calluses.

But Shang Xiangyu's face did not look old at all. His skin was tight and pale, without a single wrinkle. He looked like the face of a twenty-year-old boy.

If it was just this jade-like face, coupled with the wide-sleeved and high-collared robe, it might really make people dazzled, and the person standing in front of them was a handsome young man? But Shang Xiangyu's long hair was pale as snow.

The pale hair, jade-like face, and the piercing voice made Duan Rong feel a chill in his heart.

What kind of monster is this?! Could it be that the old fox in this mountain has turned into a spirit?

Old Man Qin smiled and said, "There are still some left, but since I'm already here, I'll just take one bottle back. When that one is gone, I can get a new one."

Shang Xiangyu heard this and cursed: "You old dog, you have a good plan!"

Shang Xiangyu cursed while rummaging through the bottles and jars by the wall. He then picked up a green porcelain bottle slightly smaller than his palm. He uncorked it and sniffed it. Then he walked over and handed the bottle to Old Man Qin, saying, "Although this medicine can cure your stubborn illness, it can also cause considerable damage to your body. Eat as little as possible. Control the dosage well, and you, old dog, can still breathe for another ten years."

Shang Xiangyu kept calling Old Man Qin an old dog, but Old Man Qin didn't seem angry at all and kept grinning on his face.

Old man Qin took the porcelain bottle, opened the stopper, put it to his nose and sniffed it, and immediately an intoxicated expression appeared on his face.

After sniffing it, old man Qin's eyes even showed strong greed. He put the cork in the bottle, suppressed his greed, and said, "I'm not here just to get medicine. I sent a medicine boy over for you!"

"Medicine boy?!"

Shang Xiangyu picked up the dead red snake on the ground and threw it out through the hole in the stone window. After hearing what Old Man Qin said, he suddenly turned his head and looked at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong has a dark complexion and looks honest.

Shang Xiangyu looked him up and down.

Old Man Qin asked, "Duan Rong, you haven't met Pharmacist Shang yet?"

Duan Rong clasped his fists and said respectfully: "Duan Rong greets Master Shang!"

Shang Xiangyu looked at Old Man Qin and asked casually, "Which one did he recognize?"

Shang Xiangyu left the three medicinal herbs with Old Man Qin and told him that if he could recognize one of them, he could send it to him as a medicine boy.

Old Man Qin said, "I recognized all three."

Shang Xiangyu's expression changed, and he glanced at Duan Rong again. Old Man Qin said, "This kid said those three plants are poisonous weeds."

Shang Xiangyu smiled and said, "The bottle I just gave you is also poison, but it can cure diseases!"

Shang Xiangyu paused for a moment and continued, "When it is used to treat illness, it is a medicinal herb. When it is used to kill people, it is a poisonous weed! Plants and trees have no aura. It is up to humans to control their behavior!"

After hearing what Shang Xiangyu said, Old Man Qin just stood there in a daze.

Shang Xiangyu sighed inwardly when he saw the old man Qin's expression. Why did he talk to this old man like this? Wasn't it like playing the lute to a cow?
"Old Qin, you go ahead. I'll keep this kid here for now. If he's useful, I'll keep him. If not, I'll kick him out."

"Okay." Old Man Qin agreed. "Pharmacist Shang, I'll be leaving first."

Old Man Qin turned his head and whispered to Duan Rong, "It's okay. If Pharmacist Shang doesn't want to keep you, you can go to the Lower Court to find me and I will arrange a new place for you."

As Old Man Qin spoke, he patted Duan Rong on the shoulder and walked out.

After Old Man Qin left, Shang Xiangyu looked at Duan Rong and asked, "What's the matter? Is there anyone in your family using poison?"

The three poisonous herbs that Shang Xiangyu gave to Old Man Qin are not common poisons in the world. It’s not that there are no people who can recognize three of them, but they are probably very rare.

And this kind of person must be someone who specializes in poisons.

Considering Duan Rong’s age, the only explanation is that he has a family background in education.

Duan Rong said: "Master Shang, I am following a traveling doctor."

"Itinerant doctor?"

"The itinerant doctor was sued and imprisoned. He was nearly beaten to death, but the case was later closed. He was thrown on the street, half dead. I felt sorry for him, so I carried him back home and nursed him for half a year before he recovered."

"During the past six months, the traveling doctor taught me everything he had learned. Before he left, he even left me a notebook."

Duan Rong made up this lie on the spur of the moment, but he thought it was a good one. Half-truths are the hardest to detect.

But Shang Xiangyu sneered after hearing this and said, "It's a good story. But you underestimated the three poisonous plants I left with Old Man Qin. Do you think a traveling doctor can identify all three poisonous plants?"

Duan Rong's face changed, and he said, "There are many strange people in the world..."

Duan Rong was talking, but suddenly he stopped talking because he saw Shang Xiangyu's face was angry and he was staring at him with eyes as sharp as knives.

Duan Rong's eyes flickered, and he said, "Master Shang, I have the notebook with me. If you don't believe me, I can show you the notebook."

Shang Xiangyu's eyelids twitched and he said, "Bring it here for me to see."

Duan Rong walked out and took out a notebook from the bag at the entrance of the cave.

Shen Ping's three notebooks were arranged in chronological order according to his study of poisons, from the simplest to the most complex. The one Duan Rong brought was the last one, which recorded Shen Ping's journey to the top of the poison world.

Duan Rong brought this notebook with him because he had never been able to fully understand the contents of the last few pages of the notebook.

Duan Rong took the notebook and walked back to the stone chamber, holding it in both hands and bowing in front of Shang Xiangyu.

Shang Xiangyu's face was still grim. He reached out for the notebook and opened it. On the yellowed title page, there was a sentence written in messy handwriting: The way of poison has not been passed on for a long time.

Shang Xiangyu's eyes changed, his whole body turned cold, and the contempt in his eyes disappeared completely.

He solemnly opened his notebook and read through it page by page...

The more Shang Xiangyu looked at it, the more frightened he became! He actually entered a state of mind-flow and ecstasy!
When he suddenly woke up, half an incense stick of time had passed.

He saw that Duan Rong's expression had relaxed.

This note is enough to prove that what Duan Rong said was true. It seems that he was too suspicious!
Shang Xiangyu looked at the notebook in his hand and said, "This traveling doctor is indeed a strange man who has been wandering around the world. He has great ambitions! The art of poison has not been passed down for a long time! Damn it, I dare not say such big words!"

Shang Xiangyu said, "Duan boy, leave this notebook with me for a few days. I want to take a closer look. Is that ok?"

Shang Xiangyu is a language of negotiation.

Duan Rong said: "This notebook is like a pearl in the dark in my hands. If Master Shang can read it, it means that the intention of the master who taught me this is fulfilled."

Duan Rong's words were not just for show. The last few pages of Shen Ping's notes were indeed difficult to understand. I'm afraid it would take a lifetime of study to get a glimpse of its mysteries. But Duan Rong's ambition was not to learn poison.

Shang Xiangyu's eyes moved slightly, and he asked, "May I ask the name of that gentleman?"

Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat, and after thinking for a while, he felt that there was no need to hide it, so he said, "Shen Ping!"

Shang Xiangyu was originally sitting in front of the desk, but upon hearing this, he stood up straight with a look of astonishment. "Shen Ping?!"

When Shang Xiangyu stood up, he knocked off the lid of the big stone pot on the table.

At this time, the big stone pot was no longer emitting white mist. Although the lid had fallen to the ground, the original strange smell of rottenness mixed with spiciness had disappeared, and instead there was a kind of intoxicating and refreshing fragrance.

Duan Rong's nose moved.

Shang Xiangyu shouted: "Don't smell it! This fragrance is poisonous!"

Duan Rong was stunned for a moment, and just when he was about to hold his breath, he suddenly felt a black screen in his eyes, and the next moment he lost consciousness, and fell to the ground with a bang.

Shang Xiangyu put the lid of the big stone pot back on and looked at Duan Rong who was lying unconscious on the ground, his eyes flickering.

Duan Rong only sniffed a few times from a distance. The stone window was open, the air was flowing, and the poison had been diluted to a very low level. His life should be fine, and he would wake up after being unconscious for a few hours.

Shang Xiangyu looked at the notes in his hand and thought of the traveling doctor that Duan Rong mentioned.

Honestly speaking, Shang Xiangyu wouldn't be surprised even if Shen Ping became a monk, let alone a traveling doctor!
Many past events suddenly came to Shang Xiangyu's mind. He murmured with a sad look in his eyes: "The opportunities in this world are really amazing! In this mountain, I actually met the descendant of an old friend..."

Shang Xiangyu and Shen Ping are both obsessed with poison.

The two had known each other since their youth.

However, Shang Xiangyu is a descendant of an aristocratic family with a profound family background. He has been a registered disciple, outer disciple, and inner disciple. He has been practicing in Taiyi Sect with great concentration.

But Shen Ping is a down-and-out person.

Shang Xiangyu knew best Shen Ping's talent in the art of poison!

However, there is a saying in the opera industry: I am not afraid of poor ability, but I am afraid of poor eyesight.

There are some things you have never seen before. No matter how talented you are, you can't show them off!

Shen Ping didn't know that many poisonous substances simply did not exist in this world.

This is the sect’s secret!
In the ruins of gods and demons in the sect’s mustard seed space, there are not only medicines for gods and demons, but also poisons for gods and demons!

And you will only have the opportunity to know this kind of secret if you become an inner disciple of the sect.

"Brother Shen, your poisonous way is nothing but a fantasy after all..."

(End of this chapter)