The lights were dim in Glass City at night.
The crane flew into a deep street with winding paths. Black bamboo trees stood on both sides of the street, and there was only one mansion around.
Glazed tiles and red painted columns filled the area, and at one glance, the courtyard of the mansion seemed empty. But if one listened carefully, one would find that guards hid in every corner of the courtyard.
If one did not take notice of the plaque 'Feng Manor' placed at the gate of the mansion, one would have mistaken it for the chief's manor in Glass City.
Inside Feng Manor, an old man in blue was diagnosing a young man on the bed. The old man was thin with white hair and beard, and his eyes glimmered from time to time.
"President, how is Young Master's body?" Standing beside the bed was the old man in yellow whom Ye Lingyue met by the river during the day. On the bed lay the sick Young Master Feng Shen.
"Don't worry, Young Master Feng is feeling unwell because he caught a cold, and still suffers from the cold illness. I have ten heart nourishing pills here. Take one every morning together with a warm wine on an empty stomach, and within ten days he will feel better." The old man in blue was the president of Glass City's Alchemist Association, Liao Chen. He was an eighth level alchemist that Ye Huangxuan mentioned earlier on.
He and Old Mr. Mu had been good friends for many years. They invited him to Feng Manor because Feng Shen was not feeling well.
"Then what about Young Master's cold illness?" Old Mr. Mu looked at the president with a hopeful face.
President Liao shook his head, looking helpless.
Feng Shen was also pitiful. Although he was of high status, he had been suffering from a cold illness since he was born. From the look of it, he might not live to be twenty years old.
No wonder the Northern Qing Emperor would let him stay in Great Xia, which had a warmer temperature, to recuperate.
"Teacher, don't make it difficult for President Liao, I know my body." Feng Shen sat up, his long eyelashes lowered and a glum expression appeared on his face.
He looked like a porcelain doll that was about to break.
Even the Master Alchemist, Chen Hongru, known as the number one alchemist in Northern Qing, could do nothing about his illness. What more with the Alchemist Association?
Suddenly, there was a sound of wings flapping inside the room and a small crane flew in. Under the light, it circled President Liao.
Feng Shen heard that the alchemists of the Alchemists Association differed from ordinary martial arts practitioners. They used cranes to transmit messages and linked it with their psyche, and it would then report the message after it had found the specific person the message was for.
"It's a message crane from the Alchemist Association." President Liao smiled and the crane fell into his hands.
"An unknown poison affected Alchemist Huang from the association. Please hurry back to the association." After he had spread out the crane, a line of small characters was written in it.
After reading the letter, the small crane burned and became ashes.
Master Song, a level three alchemist, could only use their crane psyche just once.
Feng Shen was looking at it with bright eyes and a face full of interest.
He had a weak body since he was a child, so he seldom went out. This time, coming to Great Xia to recuperate was the farthest he had ever gone out.
It was a pity that his illness acted up after he fell into the water.
After reading the crane's message, President Liao was visibly moved.
"I'm sorry, there's something urgent in the association and I have to hurry back. Young Master Feng seems to have some interest in the crane. I have an idle crane with me. If Young Master Feng doesn't mind, I'll give it to you." President Liao was an observant person. He knew that this weak Feng Shen had a very special status in Northern Qing and Great Xia. At any opportunity to get close to him, President Liao would instantly grab at it.
The crane President Liao gave Feng Shen was not comparable to the crane Alchemist Song made. It was made of gold paper and under the light, it shone and looked exquisite.
Feng Shen did not refuse and accepted the crane.
Since President Liao was concerned with what had happened in the association, he rushed back to the association.
At that moment, Huang Zhi was dying—bones were the only ones left in his lower body.
"President, you're back." When Alchemist Song and the others saw President Liao, it was as if seeing their savior.
"This is…? A poison from the evil side of the central plains?" President Liao's expression clouded over as he recognized the poison on Alchemist Huang's body.
Evil side?
The alchemists present had a change of expression.
They knew that there were several kinds of alchemists in the mainland, including those who specialized in making pills, weapons, poisons, and curses. The so-called evil side referred to those evil alchemists who specialized in using poisons and curses to harm people.
Alchemists who cultivated evil methods mostly lived in the central plains, but why would they come to Glass City?
"Huang Zhi, tell me quickly. Who did you provoke this time?" Alchemist Song questioned Huang Zhi.
"President, I'm wronged. I didn't provoke anyone. I was only having a meal in the Drunken Immortal House. Everyone saw it, too." Huang Zhi's face was pale and his words were feeble. How would he dare provoke evil alchemists from the central plains? "President, you must save me."
"You are poisoned with a soft water-type poison. It already penetrated your bones and it's hard to get rid of it. If you want to live, you have to cut off your lower body." Presiden Liao was also helpless. He knew that Huang Zhi had offended many people because of his attitude and this time, it would serve as a lesson for him.
He just did not know which cult from the central plains would make such a powerful water-type poison.
As soon as Huang Zhi heard this, he fainted because he could not accept such a reality.
But little did President Liao expect, the 'evil alchemist' he was talking about had arrived at Ye Huangxuan's home.
Ye Lingyue sneezed loudly. She rubbed at her nose and walked into the house.
Ye Huangxuan had already established his business in Glass City. After they got out of the restaurant, they went back to his house.
Fifth Uncle's family was very warm. After a few greetings, Ye Lingyue returned to her room.
"I wonder how Master Huang is doing." Ye Lingyue recalled the incident about Huang Zhi's poisoning, and she raised her eyebrows at the thought of it.
This was the first time Ye Lingyue had used poison on people. She had to say, Poison Supremacy Jadehand's poison was indeed amazing.
If she could make good use of the poison, it would protect her life if ever she encountered strong opponents.
Because Autumn Maple town did not have a variety of herbs, Ye Lingyue had no chance of making poison.
But since she was already in Glass City, things would be different.
There were all kinds of herbs in Glass City and one could buy if only they had the money.
Ye Lingyue decided that tomorrow morning, she would go and have a look around Glass City and canvass raw items to make some poison as a means of self-defense.