Wuxia Across the Heavens: I Collect Side Effects

The next day, just as dawn broke, Su Xin pushed open the door to his guest room.

Zhang Cuishan and Yin Susu were already waiting at the door, their eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation, and their expressions showed signs of exhaustion from not having slept all night.

Upon seeing Su Xin emerge, the two hurried forward. Zhang Cuishan's tone was urgent yet restrained: "Young Hero Su Xin, are you... are you ready?"

Su Xin nodded slightly, his expression calm yet full of confidence, and slowly said, "We can begin."

The three of them said no more and headed straight for the quiet room behind Wudang Mountain.

It is a quiet and undisturbed place, most suitable for healing and protecting the Dharma.

Pushing open the door, one could see Zhang Wuji sitting cross-legged on a futon. Although his face was still pale, it was no longer as bluish-black as before. Zhang Sanfeng sat beside him with his eyes slightly closed and his aura was calm and steady, clearly having already prepared to protect him.

Hearing the noise, Zhang Sanfeng slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Su Xin enter, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Zhang Wuji also opened his eyes, and his gaze towards Su Xin carried a hint of childlike timidity and a touch of dependence.

Su Xin walked to the prayer mat and cupped his hands to Zhang Sanfeng, saying, "Master Zhang, I trouble you to protect me. If I lose control of my internal energy, please help me in time." This was the first time he had used his internal energy to heal someone else, and in such a dangerous way as fighting poison with poison. Even though he was 70 or 80% sure, he dared not be careless in the slightest.

Zhang Sanfeng nodded emphatically, his tone solemn: "Young hero, rest assured, this old Taoist will definitely protect you and Wuji." After saying that, the warm internal energy around him slowly spread out, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the quiet room, isolating it from all external interference.

Su Xin took a deep breath, slowly sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes slightly, and focused his mind. He activated the fire poison of the Thousand Spider Poison Hand within his body, and a faint crimson layer gradually appeared on his fingertips. The scorching internal energy gathered in his palm and carefully covered Zhang Wuji's chest.

That place is where the Xuanming Cold Poison is most concentrated.

The fire poison slowly seeped into Zhang Wuji's body, instantly encountering the Xuanming Cold Poison hidden in his meridians.

One hot, one cold—the two forces collided and intertwined within Zhang Wuji's body, producing subtle sounds of energy surging.

The originally chilling Xuanming Cold Poison began to evaporate rapidly under the scorching heat of the fire poison, turning into wisps of white cold air that slowly seeped out from Zhang Wuji's pores.

Su Xin dared not be impatient in the slightest. He knew that Zhang Wuji was young and his meridians were extremely fragile. If the fire poison was activated too quickly, it would not only burn his meridians, but also cause a violent collision with the cold poison, damaging his internal organs.

With the help of Tai Chi principles and the internal energy of the Great Shift of Heaven and Earth, he guided the fire poison little by little, slowly guiding it along Zhang Wuji's meridians. Whenever he encountered a place where cold poison was gathered, he would use gentle fire poison to slowly roast and force it out, and then carefully guide the cold air out of his body.

Time passed slowly, and the only sound in the quiet room was the faint sound of internal energy circulating.

Fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Su Xin's forehead, sliding down his cheeks and soaking his clothes. His breathing also became somewhat rapid.

Precise control of internal energy over a long period of time has greatly depleted his mental and physical strength.

But he dared not pause for even a moment, his eyes fixed on Zhang Wuji's expression, constantly adjusting the strength of the fire poison.

An hour later, Su Xin suddenly withdrew his palm, slowly opened his eyes, let out a long sigh, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

He looked at Zhang Wuji and saw that the bluish-black color on the young man's face had faded considerably, and his breathing had become more steady. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

In the clash with the Xuanming Cold Poison just now, he unexpectedly discovered that the poison energy in his body had become increasingly cold and sinister, and his control over the Thousand Spider Poison Hand seemed to have slightly improved.

Zhang Sanfeng quickly stepped forward and examined Zhang Wuji's aura. A hint of joy flashed in his eyes. He turned to Su Xin and said, "Su Xin, you've worked hard! Most of the cold poison in Wuji's body has been removed, and his pulse has become much more stable."

Su Xin waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "It was nothing. That's about it for today. Most of the cold poison has been eliminated. We'll come again tomorrow to completely remove the remaining cold poison."

Zhang Sanfeng was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly: "Good! Good! Go back and rest first, I will wait for you here tomorrow."

He had been worried that using poison to fight poison might have some unforeseen complications, but to his surprise, it went so smoothly. His admiration for Su Xin grew even stronger.

In the following days, Su Xin would go to the quiet room every day to remove the cold poison from Zhang Wuji.

As the remaining cold poison was gradually cleared away, Zhang Wuji's complexion became rosy, and his spirits improved. He was able to get out of bed and walk around, calling Su Xin "Brother Su Xin" repeatedly with gratitude.

On this day, after Su Xin finally infused the fire poison in his palm into Zhang Wuji's body, forcing out the last wisp of Xuanming Cold Poison hidden in his bone marrow, he slowly finished his practice, stood up, and let out a long sigh.

Zhang Wuji skipped and hopped over to him, bowing deeply: "Thank you, Brother Su Xin, I feel so much lighter!"

Looking at the boy's vibrant appearance, Su Xin smiled faintly. He turned to Zhang Sanfeng beside him and said solemnly, "Master Zhang, I have not failed you. The cold poison in Wuji's body has been completely removed."

Zhang Sanfeng's eyes were filled with satisfaction and admiration. He stepped forward, patted Su Xin on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Young hero, Wudang will never forget your great kindness! Starting tomorrow, you will join me in seclusion. We will open our hearts to discuss the true essence of martial arts and verify each other's learning. What do you say?"

He had long been impressed by Su Xin's talent and comprehension, and had already decided to nurture him as a junior.

Su Xin was overjoyed and immediately cupped his hands in thanks, saying, "Then thank you very much, Master Zhang! It is an honor for this junior to be able to discuss martial arts with you." One of the purposes of his trip was to spar with Zhang Sanfeng and verify his martial arts skills. Now that Zhang Sanfeng had taken the initiative to suggest it, he naturally would not be pretentious.

Su Xin secretly calculated that discussing martial arts and sparring with a top master like Zhang Sanfeng would be an enormous advantage for him.

Zhang Sanfeng was kind and honest, and if you owed him a favor, you would surely repay him tenfold.

This is just like what later generations said: as long as you have a conscience, there will always be things to do.

He merely saved Zhang Wuji with a simple act and gave him the secret recipe for the Black Jade Bone-Mending Ointment, and in return, Zhang Sanfeng taught him everything he knew. It couldn't be more worthwhile.

Moreover, taking advantage of the healing opportunity, his Thousand Spider Poison Hand technique was also improved, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.

Late that night, in a guest room at Wudang, Su Xin was sitting cross-legged on a futon, meditating, circulating his internal energy to regulate his body's energy and recover the power he had expended during the day.

The night was deep and quiet in the guest room, except for the faint sound of internal energy circulating. Suddenly, a dark figure burst in through the window like a ghost, its aura chilling. It was Crane Pen Elder, one of the Xuanming Elders.

Hebi Weng stared coldly at Su Xin, getting straight to the point with a hint of urgency and coercion: "Su Xin, help my senior brother Lu Zhangke detoxify, and I will give you the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment as payment."

He knew that only Su Xin could cure the poison that Lu Zhangke had been poisoned. Although he was unwilling, he had no choice but to humble himself and take the initiative to come to Su Xin's door.

Su Xin slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm, a faint smile playing on his lips, and replied indifferently, "Sorry, I also have Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment here, so I don't need your payment."

He had already "borrowed" the secret recipe from the Vajra Sect and had no shortage of the Black Jade Rejuvenating Ointment, so he was naturally not moved by this offer.

Hebi Weng's expression darkened, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. Knowing he needed Su Xin's help, he suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, "Then state your conditions. As long as I can fulfill them, I will not refuse!"

Su Xin raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp as he looked at Hebi Weng, his tone decisive: "I want the manual for the Xuanming Divine Palm."

"You...you've gone too far!" Hebi Weng was so angry that he trembled all over and could not even finish his sentence.

In the martial arts world, martial arts manuals are a martial artist's lifeblood and the foundation for survival. The Xuanming Divine Palm is the unique skill of the two brothers, so how could they easily hand it over to others?