Chapter 80: Conspiracy

After leaving the Yang family household, Shi Yu first returned to the Shi household before going straight to Xiao Chen, one of the top ten medicine masters in the Chu royal city.

Xiao Chen was an intermediate-level medicine master who had not joined any family, and he had opened his own pharmacy in the city. As the poison expert among the top ten medicine masters in the Chu royal city, Xiao Chen had a monopoly over the whole market for poison detoxification in the city.

Xiao Chen hadn't joined a family not because none of them wanted him, but because he wanted the freedom of not being tied down by a family. If he wanted to, he could even join the household of the Chu king and become a royal physician there.

Of course, if he joined the royal household, his position would not be as high as those who had joined a tycoon family, because the Chu royal household already had many intermediate-level medicine masters. If he joined the household of the Chu king, it would simply be the icing on the cake for the royal household. And if he joined a tycoon family, his position would not be as high as if he had joined a grand family. Whereas if he joined a grand family, it would be akin to providing much-needed help in a time of need.

"Medicine Master Xiao." Although Shi Yu was spoiled, he was extremely courteous and respectful before Xiao Chen.

"Young Master Shi, why have you come to find me? If you are asking for help to treat someone's poison, then please leave." Because of the incident two days ago at the grand Yang family, Xiao Chen was also unhappy at Shi Yu, who had invited him to the Yang family. Upon seeing him, Xiao Chen had been prepared to send him away immediately.

After he had told the Yang family that he could not treat the poison in their chief, they had gotten a basic-level medicine master to take a look at their chief. Clearly, they were doubting his abilities and were mocking him.

"Medicine Master Xiao, allow me to apologise for what happened two days ago," said Shi Yu with a sincere smile. "Today I've come to you not to ask for help, but to help you."

"Help me?" Xiao Chen found this laughable. He questioned incredulously, "Why would I, Xiao Chen, need help from Young Master Shi?"

"Medicine Master Xiao, I believe you haven't heard... two days ago, that sixteen or seventeen-year-old basic-level medicine master whom the Yang family found managed to detoxify some of the poison in Yang Yunji," Shi Yu said as his eyes narrowed.

"Impossible!" interrupted Xiao Chen. "Even I was unable to treat Yang Yunji's poison. How could a basic-level medicine master possibly do anything?" Clearly, Xiao Chen did not believe Shi Yu's words.

"Medicine Master Xiao, if I had not seen it for myself, I would not have believed it either," said Shi Yu as he shook his head. "Today, after he detoxified the poison in Yang Yunji, I took a look for myself. Half of Yang Yunji's head full of white hair turned black again... Furthermore, he originally looked at least seventy years old, but now, his wrinkles have lessened and he looks sixty at most."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed as he stared at Shi Yu and asked in a low voice, "Are you serious?"

Shi Yu shook his head and said, "Medicine Master Xiao, if you don't believe me, you can take a look for yourself... I have no reason to lie to you. Yang Yunji also said... that kid will continue treating him for a few days, and he will not only be purged of the poison in five to six days, but will even recover all his original strength!"

Shi Yu looked at Xiao Chen seriously and said, "Medicine Master Xiao, if that kid really manages to heal Yang Yunji, your reputation will be tarnished. By then, news will spread around the Chu royal city that you, as the poison expert among the top ten medicine masters in the Chu royal city, are not even as capable as a teenager! Your pharmacy business will definitely be affected seriously."

Hearing this, Xiao Chen's expression flashed.

Xiao Chen was not only concerned about his pharmacy business, but more importantly, his reputation was at stake.

"I will head to the Yang household right now!" Xiao Chen declared.

"I'll accompany you," said Shi Yu with a smile.

On the way, Shi Yu remarked, "Medicine Master Xiao, actually, even if the deed is already done, it is not the end for you."

"How so?" Xiao Chen asked curiously as he looked at Shi Yu.

"Medicine Master Xiao, think about it... even if that kid manages to treat Yang Yunji's poison, as long as the Yang family tells everyone that you were the one who did the detoxification, and not him, then everyone will applaud your capability," Shi Yu said with a smile. "If the rest of the top ten medicine masters in the city were all unable to treat the poison, but you managed to do it... then, your reputation will be elevated!"

Xiao Chen's eyes narrowed sharply, "You mean, once the kid treats Yang Yunji, I jump in and claim the credit?"

"That's right," responded Shi Yu with a nod.

"Why would that young man or the Yang family do that?" Xiao Chen asked seriously.

"Don't bother about that kid... as for the Yang family, as long as my Shi family gives them some benefits or threaten them a little, they will easily betray that young man," Shi Yu answered with confidence.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen seemed to realize something and stared intently at Shi Yu. "Young Master Shi, you're digging my grave... are you trying to make me join the Shi family?"

"That's right," agreed Shi Yu.

"Hmph!" Xiao Chen snorted. "Even if I wanted to win the Yang family over, I can do it myself, without your help." As an intermediate-level medicine master, he too could bribe the Yang family without the help of the Shi family. As long as the Shi family got involved, he would definitely be trapped by them. That was not what he wanted at all.

"Medicine Master Xiao, the problem is... you may be able to bribe the Yang family, but can you buy me over?" Shi Yu laughed, his threat hardly concealed within his words.

"You?" Xiao Chen's eyes flashed murderously.

Noticing this, Shi Yu said nonchalantly, "Don't you think that I would have discussed this with my family before looking you up? After all, this concerns an intermediate-level medicine master joining our Shi family, and not just any intermediate-level medicine master, but one of the top ten in the Chu royal city." Unless Xiao Chen was willing to give up his whole career in this city, he would definitely not dare to kill him.

"Hmph!" Xiao Chen's eyes flashed as he said with a low voice, "Let's talk about joining the Shi family after the kid actually treats Yang Yunji!"

"Medicine Master Xiao, once you take a look at Yang Yunji, you won't have to wait any longer to confirm that the kid will probably be able to treat him," replied Shi Yu with a laugh.

Till now, he could still remember his shock upon seeing Yang Yunji in the room; his drastic change was almost like the reversing of aging in the legends.

Soon, Shi Yu and Xiao Chen reached the Yang family household. The two Yang family disciples guarding the front door recognized Shi Yu and naturally did not dare to stop him. Shi Yu and Xiao Chen entered the household.

"This... How is this possible?!" When Xiao Chen saw Yang Yunji again, it was like seeing a ghost. His face was filled with fear, his eyes widened in disbelief. Unless he had seen it for himself, he would not have believed that a person could undergo such a huge change in just two short days.

Now, he was certain that Shi Yu had not been exaggerating. Everything was exactly as he had described.

"Yang family chief, let me test the poison in your body." Breathing deeply and suppressing his agitation, Xiao Chen used his own method to test the level of poison in Yang Yunji's body. To his surprise, the amount of poison had decreased by almost thirty percent, was well controlled and was no longer spreading.

"Yang family chief, that young man... did he tell you what poison you had been infected with?" asked Xiao Chen.

Although Xiao Chen could not help to treat his poison, he was still one of the top ten medicine masters in the city. Yang Yunji did not dare to offend him, and he answered truthfully, "Medicine Master Zhou said it was a snake poison."

"Snake poison?" Xiao Chen said firmly, "Impossible!"

Two days ago, when he had tested the poison in Yang Yunji, he had not noticed any bite marks anywhere on his body. Furthermore, if he had been bitten by a snake, Yang Yunji would have definitely felt it and told him.

"At first, I did not think it was possible either," said Yang Yunji with a sigh. "After all, I had not been bitten by a snake, and there were no bite marks anywhere on my body. But Medicine Master Zhou said that it was a snake which spit its venom and made its victim breathe the poison in, not through a bite. He also said... I had been infected by the Russell's viper," finished Yang Yunji.

"The Russell's viper?" Xiao Chen frowned. He was sure that he had never heard of such a snake before.

Looks like he happened to know what poison it was and treated it accordingly, to detoxify Yang Yunji of the poison, thought Xiao Chen to himself, feeling relieved. This did not mean that the kid was more capable than him, just that he was lucky and happened to know how to treat this particular poison.

"Yang family chief, farewell." After bidding farewell to Yang Yunji, Xiao Chen left the household with Shi Yu.

As they walked out, Shi Yu asked with a laugh, "Medicine Master Xiao, do you now believe that that kid can treat Yang Yunji?"

"I'll return to the Shi family with you," responded Xiao Chen seriously.