Chapter 10

Zhou Xingyun didn't care anymore. He explained the herbal medicine formulas that came to mind in a clear and orderly manner. As for whether these medicines could treat cholera, that would be left for the court physicians to determine.

"Six Harmony Decoction, Huoxiang Zhengqi Powder, Fuzi Lizhong Decoction, intravenous infusion..." Xu Ziqian murmured, these were all formulas she had never heard of, especially the last one, intravenous infusion. According to Zhou Xingyun's explanation, it seemed to involve directly injecting liquid into the human meridians to replenish fluids for patients in decline. This was simply a wild and extremely bold idea!

"There are a few herbs I've heard the doctor mention, which indeed have the effect of treating diarrhea. But there are a few herbs I've never heard of..." Han Feng frowned, already considering whether the formula would work.

Zhou Xingyun patiently explained the characteristics and effects of each herb to the two of them, so that the court physicians could gather the ingredients.

At this moment, the ink, paper, and inkstone prepared by Xu Ziqian finally came in handy. She listened intently and took notes, afraid of missing any of the herbs.

"Master Xingyun, Ziqian will definitely hand this formula to my father, so he can quickly send it to the court physicians for evaluation. If the formula you mentioned is practical, even without going to the capital for the interview, you have enough qualifications to join the First-Class Academy."

"I don't care..." Zhou Xingyun had exhausted his words, his throat was already hoarse, and he couldn't help but pick up the fish soup beside him and drink it down.

Seeing this, Xu Ziqian's face turned red, because that was the fish soup she had already drunk. However, Zhou Xingyun's next action left Xu Ziqian and Han Feng speechless...

"Spit!" Zhou Xingyun spat out the fish soup, his face pale and panicked as he fished out the ingredients in the soup and examined them carefully.

"What's wrong, Brother Zhou? Did you get a fish bone stuck in your throat?"

"Poison! There's poison in the sour and spicy fish soup!"

Zhou Xingyun hurriedly got up and ran to the main guest table, the soup contained the flavors of toxic herbs like Datura, aconite, and pinellia. Although consuming it wouldn't be fatal, it would cause weakness and even loss of mobility, a traditional anesthetic formula. If this soup wasn't an accidental creation, someone must have planned to harm the righteous martial arts community. He had to inform his uncle and elder brother immediately...

"Uncle! Elder Brother! Don't eat anything here! The food and drinks at the birthday banquet are poisoned!"

At the Su family's birthday banquet, the elders of various sects let their disciples eat, drink, and play to foster camaraderie. They themselves, adhering to guest etiquette, sat around the banquet table, reminiscing about their adventures in the past.

Zhou Xingyun, with great trepidation, interrupted the elders' reminiscences, rudely declaring that the banquet food and drinks were poisoned. His outrageous behavior was shocking, and not only did Su the Magistrate and the elders of various sects frown, even Yang Xiao and Tang Yanzhong were furious, scolding the young man.

"Xun, don't be impolite! It's fine if you talk nonsense in the mountain villa, but today is Senior Su's birthday. Don't cause trouble here!"

"I'm not causing trouble, it's true, the fish soup is poisoned! I'm very familiar with the smell of this anesthetic..."

"Ridiculous! Jiewen, take your third senior brother away!"

Yang Xiao angrily shouted, Wu Jiewen, panic-stricken, rushed forward and forcibly dragged the reluctant Zhou Xingyun away.

"Brother Su, don't take offense, my nephew's mind is not sound, he occasionally says shocking things. I apologize for any offense."

"Forget it, forget it. Today is a joyous occasion, we won't hold it against the young ones."

Su the Magistrate sighed, disappointed. He didn't expect such a farce on his birthday. To avoid making everyone wary, he still instructed the servants to test the food and drinks with silver needles.

The test results showed that the silver needle did not turn black or change color, indirectly proving that Zhou Xingyun was making a fuss over nothing.

"Third senior brother, what's wrong with you today? Master told us not to cause trouble at the birthday banquet, why did you..."

"Jiewen, believe me, the fish soup is really poisoned!"

"But you saw, Su the Magistrate tested the fish soup with a silver needle, and there was no poison."

"Silver needles are not omnipotent!"

"Brother, are you letting strange fantasies deceive you again?"

"I..."

Zhou Xingyun was speechless. Honestly, he wasn't sure if his judgment was correct, but his unease made him believe it was better to be safe than sorry.

At that moment, a chicken bone suddenly flew and hit Zhou Xingyun on the back of the head.

"What are you doing!"

"You're not welcome here! Get out!"

"Right! Throw better! Get rid of the impolite one!"

Zhou Xingyun turned around angrily to see Zhao Hua and Hu Dewei openly throwing leftover food at him. The other disciples saw and some applauded, some laughed, and some joined in, throwing trash at Zhou Xingyun.

"You've disgraced the Sword Sichuan Villa." Tang Yuanying was even more ruthless, splashing a pot of wine on Zhou Xingyun, drenching him and making him look miserable.

"Third senior brother, let's go!" Wu Jiewen, fearing that the others would attack, quickly pulled him to hide behind the lake and trees to avoid further harm.

Seeing Zhou Xingyun being humiliated, Xu Ziqian and Han Feng wanted to stop the others but were powerless. The disciples of various sects were too drunk to listen to their advice.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Xu Ziqian took out a handkerchief and carefully cleaned the stains on Zhou Xingyun's body, while Han Feng asked seriously.

"Brother Zhou, are you sure the soup is poisoned?"

"Eighty to ninety percent sure." Zhou Xingyun nodded, feeling defeated. He didn't expect even his uncle and elder brother wouldn't believe him, calling him mentally unsound...

"Third senior brother, I think it's your illusion. I've already drunk two large bowls of fish soup, and I'm fine."

"Master Xingyun, Ziqian also drank some soup and didn't feel uncomfortable."

"You'll regret it soon!"

"Brother Zhou, do you have an antidote? I also ate a lot of fish..."

"I don't know where to find an antidote, but I have a way to detoxify."

"Please explain."

Since there was a way to detoxify, Xu Ziqian and Han Feng both breathed a sigh of relief. In the entire Su family, probably only they believed Zhou Xingyun and suspected the fish soup might be poisoned.

"Follow me." Zhou Xingyun led Xu Ziqian and the others to the well, drew a large bucket of water, and placed it in front of Han Feng.

"Brother Han, drink this bucket of water quickly."

"Drinking water can detoxify?"

"Yes, drinking it will detoxify." Zhou Xingyun smiled mischievously, leaving Xu Ziqian and the others with blank faces.

Han Feng hesitated for a few seconds, then lifted the wooden bucket and drank a bucket of water. After all, it was just drinking water...

"...I've finished."

"Good, open your mouth. Wider..."

Han Feng couldn't understand Zhou Xingyun's intention, but he followed his instructions and opened his mouth wide. Xu Ziqian watched intently, wondering what method Zhou Xingyun would use to detoxify Han Feng.

The moment of truth arrived. Zhou Xingyun directly inserted his index finger into Han Feng's mouth and gently hooked his tongue root...

"Ugh!"

Splash...

The disgusting sensation immediately made Han Feng vomit, the food in his stomach spilling out onto the ground. Everything he had eaten was vomited out.

"Hehe... Master Xingyun is truly talented, Ziqian is very impressed." Xu Ziqian, unable to hold back her laughter, pinched her nose and stepped back. Now she understood Zhou Xingyun's detoxification method.

Seeing the handsome and elegant Han Feng vomit with tears and snot streaming down his face, Zhou Xingyun felt a sense of satisfaction.

"Brother Han, don't stop, keep drinking and vomiting. At least three to five times."

"Is... Is there any other way to detoxify?" Han Feng, tears streaming down his face, found this method effective but too exhausting.

"No. This is the universal detoxification method. If you accidentally ingest poison in the future, you can try it. It's very effective!"

Zhou Xingyun chuckled, finally making the handsome man look foolish in front of the beauty.

"Miss Xu, you also drank some fish soup, how about..."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'd rather die than use this method." Xu Ziqian was intimidated. Unless it was a matter of life and death, she wouldn't use this method. Fortunately, Zhou Xingyun said the soup's toxicity was mild, only causing dizziness, fatigue, and weakness, but not fatal.

"Jiewen, you should also drink water."

"Me too?"

"One more person, one more hand. I feel that today's birthday banquet is very unusual. If you consider me a brother, trust me this time."

"But... Okay. As a condition, Third Senior Brother must help me with chores for a week!"

"No problem!"

Under Zhou Xingyun's persuasion, Wu Jiewen also followed Han Feng's example and vomited several times, even the steamed buns he had eaten at the inn at noon came out.

As Xu Ziqian said, Zhou Xingyun initially seemed very ordinary, not like someone with knowledge. But as they got to know him better, Han Feng increasingly felt he was not simple.

Han Feng began to trust Zhou Xingyun's intuition, suspecting that someone was trying to harm the righteous martial arts community. So he found Xu Zijian and gathered the disciples of the Leshan Sect to follow Zhou Xingyun's detoxification method, "gastric lavage."

The disciples of the Leshan Sect were resentful towards Zhou Xingyun, but they dared not disobey Xu Zijian's orders and had to follow the instructions to detoxify.

However, the Leshan Sect disciples, after being tortured, all threatened Zhou Xingyun. If nothing happened tonight, they would make him pay.

To be honest, Zhou Xingyun also hoped nothing would happen tonight. If the elders were poisoned, they, as young disciples who had not yet left their sects to explore the world, would be unable to resist any enemy ambush.

The birthday banquet started at 5 PM and had been going on for two hours. Although it wasn't completely dark, the sun had set.

The maids of the Su family lit the lanterns in the garden, the glow like stars in the sky, illuminating the entire mansion.

The disciples of various sects, having eaten and drunk their fill, couldn't resist the urge to practice martial arts and swordsmanship on the lawn. The elders, seeing the friendly atmosphere in the garden, all nodded in approval.

However, just as everyone was enjoying themselves, Xu Ziqian's eyes became hazy, and she swayed and collapsed into Zhou Xingyun's arms.