Chapter 454: Buying Medicine at a Low Price (Part 2)

"Playing tricks? You're overthinking it!"

Seeing their faces turn green, Zhang Xuan smiled calmly instead of panicking: "What I said earlier was 'Since you want to refine the Emerald Linglong Pill, I'll say you bought a fake,' not that this isn't Emerald Bamboo."

Hearing such a convoluted statement, the old man and Liu Chang exchanged glances. The latter couldn't help asking, "What do you mean?"

The attendant, Zhao Feiwu, and the others were also baffled, unable to figure out what trick this guy was playing.

"It's simple. This is indeed Emerald Bamboo, but if you use its leaves to refine the Emerald Linglong Pill, I guarantee that not only will it be ineffective, but it will also cause death!"

Zhang Xuan said.

"Death? What a joke. At the Mortal Transformation realm, one communicates with heaven and earth, the soul perceives nature, and inner demons are most easily bred. The Emerald Linglong Pill grants a person a limpid heart, greatly reducing the influence of inner demons even if they exist. It's only beneficial—how could it cause death?"

Liu Chang waved his hand, full of disbelief.

Even the old man couldn't help shaking his head.

At the Mortal Transformation realm, one communicates with nature, merges with heaven and earth, and the mind expands boundlessly. At this time, inner demons are easily bred. The Emerald Linglong Pill is the best medicine to eliminate inner demons. He had even taken one himself, and its effects were beyond words. How could it cause death?

If that wasn't nonsense, what was?

Moreover, as a highly skilled appraiser, he had not only taken the Linglong Pill but also appraised it for others and seen them take it in his presence—absolutely no problem.

Death from taking it... unheard of.

"Can you prove it?"

The old man snorted and looked over.

If he couldn't prove it, he was just talking nonsense.

"For anyone else, besides refining the pill and having someone take it, there really is no other way... but I do have a method!"

As if expecting the question, Zhang Xuan curled his lips and looked at Liu Chang: "I'll trouble you to pick another leaf."

Liu Chang glanced at the old man, and only after the latter nodded did he walk over and pick a tender leaf.

"Try burning it!" Zhang Xuan said without intervening.

"Master..."

"Do as he says!" The old man waved his hand.

Although he didn't quite believe this guy, the other party was far too composed.

If he were spouting nonsense, facing his strength and authority, he would have panicked long ago. But this guy not only didn't panic, he was calm and confident, even making him feel a bit puzzled.

Could it be... this Emerald Bamboo was really fake?

Impossible!

He had examined it several times—the branches, leaves, emitted aura, hardness... none had any issues.

"Yes!"

Hearing his master's reply, Liu Chang nodded, took out a tinder, glanced at the young man not far away, and snorted: "This single bamboo leaf is worth at least dozens of spirit stones. If you're lying, you'll have to compensate for the loss..."

This Emerald Bamboo had only a dozen or so leaves, worth three hundred spirit stones. Each leaf was extremely valuable.

One leaf would be more than enough to buy a city in the Tianwu Kingdom.

It was no exaggeration to say it was priceless.

Now, just because this guy said it was fake, they had to burn one leaf. The loss was so great that even he, a two-star appraiser, felt pained.

"Don't worry. If there's a problem, I'll compensate you. But... in a moment, you might not say that..."

Zhang Xuan said.

"Let's see what trick you're up to!"

Seeing his confidence, Liu Chang snorted and held the tinder under the leaf, burning it continuously.

Hum!

After burning for about two minutes, just as he was about to say nothing happened, he felt his palm shake. The originally emerald-green leaf suddenly turned black, and the jade-like veins became foul and stinking, like a ferocious demon, eerie and gloomy.

"Ah..."

Startled, Liu Chang lost his grip, and both the tinder and bamboo leaf fell to the ground.

"This..."

On the side, Jin Conghai and Gu Mu exchanged glances, both filled with shock.

"Hmm?"

The old man had been expressionless, watching Zhang Xuan, but now his face changed color. With a swift movement, he grabbed the falling leaf in his hand, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, as if unable to believe it: "Such a potent poison! If this is refined into the Emerald Linglong Pill, not only will it fail to eliminate inner demons, but it will also merge with true qi, invade the heart and lungs, and cause instant death..."

As he spoke, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

If the other party hadn't spoken and he had taken the thing back, once it was refined into pills, it would inevitably kill many people, and his reputation would be ruined!

Especially himself—he had originally planned to refine it and take one to break through to a higher realm...

If he had actually eaten it... it was conceivable that not only his reputation and status, but even his life would be lost.

"What's going on?"

His face grim, the old man lost his previous composure and turned to look at the attendant selling the items nearby.

Clang!

Liu Chang's face also darkened. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his sword and pointed it at the attendant, as if ready to kill him if he spoke nonsense.

If it were really a fake, that would be one thing—it would mean their eyesight was poor, and they couldn't blame anyone else. But clearly, someone had placed a deadly poison on the leaves. This young man had only spoken, never touched it; from start to finish, only the attendant had contact. If not him, then who?

"Ah... Master Sai, spare me! I'm just a receptionist. I don't know what happened. Besides, even you, sir, couldn't detect this poison—I certainly don't have the skill..."

The attendant's knees went weak, and he fell to the ground, kowtowing incessantly.

Others might not know this old man's identity and power, but he knew them very well!

If the old man truly got angry and killed him, it would be a death in vain.

In such a situation, how could he hesitate? He immediately knelt and admitted fault.

"Enough, he really doesn't know!"

The old man snapped out of his shock, realizing he had wrongly blamed the other. He waved his hand, signaling Liu Chang to withdraw his weapon.

This deadly poison was hidden within the leaves of the jade bamboo, completely undetectable. Its grade was at least fourth-rank.

That is, the poisoner must be at least a four-star poison master. How could such a person be willing to work as a mere attendant in the First Grade Pavilion? Moreover, if such a person truly wanted to harm him, there would be no defense, and they wouldn't go to such complicated lengths.

After all, he might not even buy the jade bamboo. Poisoning it in advance to harm him was clearly illogical.

"Hmph!"

Withdrawing his weapon, Liu Chang was still furious.

If word got out that the medicinal herbs his teacher had purchased contained deadly poison, the trouble would be unimaginable.

The prestigious First Grade Pavilion actually had such an item—who was behind it?

And what did they intend?

"Young friend, thank you for your help!"

The old man recovered and looked at Zhang Xuan again, no longer with disdain or scrutiny, but with praise and admiration.

This jade bamboo—even he hadn't spotted the problem. Yet this young man, with just a glance, without even approaching, could determine it. Such eyesight was too terrifying!

He was probably even higher in appraisal skill than the old man himself.

Terrifying!

"Now you're sure it's fake?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"It is... fake!" The old man hesitated, then nodded.

Jade bamboo could be used to refine pills, calming the mind and greatly increasing cultivation. But this one could kill people—calling it fake was not unreasonable.

"Actually, you don't need to blame him or the First Grade Pavilion. This jade bamboo wasn't poisoned by them—in fact, no one poisoned it!" Zhang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back, lifting his chin slightly, and said calmly.

"No one poisoned it?"

The old man was puzzled, and even Jin Conghai and Gu Mu couldn't help but look over.

Others knew little about poison, but these two were true poison masters, familiar with it since childhood, knowing it inside out.

The poison just now was extremely strange, merging into the meridians without detection, with such fierce toxicity and effect that it could easily kill even a Mortal Transformation Triple cultivator. If not specially prepared by a four-star poison master, it was inexplicable.

If no one poisoned it, then... where did the poison come from?

"Go get the purchase records and origin information for the jade bamboo!"

Without answering everyone's doubts, Zhang Xuan looked at the attendant.

"Yes..."

Hearing the young man speak up for him and the First Grade Pavilion, the attendant cast a grateful glance, quickly withdrew, and after a short time, returned with a notebook.

Some large markets would carefully inquire about the history of purchased treasures and their origins, recording them in a book to prevent questions from buyers.

First, to highlight the value of the treasure; second, to facilitate inquiries if problems arose.

"Read it out loud!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Mm!" The attendant nodded and opened the records: "Jade bamboo, origin: Hongxu Marsh, discovered by a merchant caravan, harvested four months ago using special methods, and delivered here..."

The records in the First Grade Pavilion about the jade bamboo were very detailed, including who dug it up, who delivered it, where it was traded, and what methods were used to keep it fresh...

The introduction was several hundred words long.

However, after hearing this introduction, instead of becoming clearer, everyone was more confused.

Because these records, as the young man had said, were almost entirely handled by people, with no opportunity to encounter a poison master, so naturally no one poisoned it.

But if no one poisoned it, what was that just now?

"That deadly poison seeped into the branches and leaves without harming the plant, and even the exterior showed no sign. Even a four-star poison master would need considerable time to accomplish this!"

Jin Conghai's expression was grave, and he was also puzzled.

If these records were true, there was indeed no opportunity to poison.

After all, even a four-star master would find it no easy task to conceal poison so perfectly.

Poison can not only kill people; potent poison can easily kill plants as well.

"What exactly is going on?"

The more he listened, the more confused he became. Unable to figure it out, Liu Chang the appraiser couldn't help but look at Zhang Xuan.

"Don't understand?"

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly: "Alright, I'll explain it to you. Everyone must be clear about what Hongxu Marsh is famous for, right?"

"Famous for? That place is famous for [Dried Leaf Tea]... Could it be related to that?"

The old man couldn't help but look over.