"It was just around the corner, I could sense its arrival,
However, I ignored it purposely because I can't accept it.
Even if I am unwilling to invite it still knocks on my door,
Reluctantly, I let in, surrendering before the cruel fate,
Those who live must die, and the remnant must learn to live.
Gulp down the antidote to cure the poison of loss,
Wait patiently for their day to come,
Passing down the pain of losing loved ones,
To those who live on for the sake of the deceased or living.
Time shall heal the wounds and you shall smile again.
But how long will it exactly take for that day to come?
Must the wound be green and bleed every day until then?
It breaks my heart to even think of tears trailing against the pale cheeks,
If only one could forget the departed ones as they leave the world,
How nice of fate it would be, but it won't be cruel then." Zhao Ming recited a free-style poem, sitting in the Study of his underground base. Just then Officer Pei entered the room with a man.
"Your Highness, Li Quan is here," Officer Pei reported, as a man was brought in blindfolded inside the underground base.
He was given a seat across the table in front of Prince Ming, he was supposed to jump and dance in his heart, finally capturing the man behind Duyi, probably a puppet and the only person who knows about Poison Master.
But there was a dull and pale tint on his face, a gloomy expression, still lost in his thoughts, he raised his eyes as the man settled down.
He was apparently kidnapped but he looked too calm and relaxed for a person who had been held captive by some strange people.
"This man was hard to find...
Your Highness after he fooled us and escaped, he didn't find him until now," Officer Pei complained angrily.
However, Zhao Ming gestured for him to stop pushing the man and scare him again.
"Do you know who Poison Master is?" Zhao Ming asked after a moment, rubbing his two fingers against each other.
"Yes," he replied, with no hesitancy in his tone.
"How do you know her? And where can we find her?" Zhao Ming asked, anxious, and scared of hearing an unfavourable answer.
"I used to work for her and created a formation to exchange the request and prescriptions from all our branches which are connected to our Yuchang Branch.
However, I am afraid I can't help you find her...as our masters have been changed, it's Duchess Wan of Duke Ying's Household who runs the business.
Probably, she was tired of all the work and sold Duyi Pharmacy for her convenience, I didn't hear from her since she left for the sea," he explained the situation each word appeared to be the truth while suspected to be a lie at the same time.
People like Li Quan are indeed true gems and that gem belonged to a collector named Xuan Cheng, his direct master and saviour, who not only granted his family a chance to earn big but also flourished his daughter's wedding with a fortune.
"Does this Duchess Wan know anything about medicine?" Zhao Ming asked frustration clearly visible on his face.
"No, but we have a physician who is taking care of everything now, she is a direct disciple of our Poison Master and has excellent skills...
If you want, I can make an appointment for you," he suggested, even though he could not see, the atmosphere around him was pressing his heart.
Zhao Ming was pushed to a dead end; he had taken down many treacherous beings and had always achieved victory, though he never claimed his credits but rather passed them to his subordinates who worked under him.
It was his first time losing to someone, it wasn't the poison master against whom he lost, it was fate, the cruel and blind fate. He had no words left; all he could see was his mother's death.
"Let me be honest, I heard your poison master can heal internal injuries like the one cultivator gets or people who are attacked by evil cultivators," Officer Pei frankly questioned.
"Isn't it a legend? I wonder where you heard that rumour..." Li Quan feigned his laugh and asked.
"What do you mean? Does that mean you don't have any cure for such injuries, wounds, or anything?" Zhao Ming's eyes widened from shock, unwilling to believe his words, he got up from his place and asked.
"No- If you can tell me about the symptoms maybe I can go back and bring a prescription to you," Li Quan offered.
"What if you run away?" Officer Pei suspected.
"Sir, you know I work for Duyi and since you have kidnapped me, there is no need to say that you aren't aware of how important I am.
Moreover, you must have no idea how important Duyi is to me, it's my life, and I will not run away again.
Instead, I will be glad to help you," he explained, in a low and convincing tone.
His words reminded Zhao Ming of Eunuch Su's words, that Li Quan helped a pregnant woman and it wasn't his first time helping needy people. This made him trust Li Quan and he proceeded to explain.
"Ocean Fire Poison...do you have any antidote?" he gasped and sighed deeply before letting the words out of his heavy lips.
There was a strange silence surrounding them after Zhao Ming mentioned the deadliest poison. Li Quan knew this term as he had been working closely with cultivators, he was taken aback because he surely knew that it was poison from Evil Lord's palace.
Importantly, it had no cure even the physicians who specialized in Qi injuries and illness had no antidote; the name of Ocean Fire Poison was often used as the substitute name of 'Merciless Death'.
"There is no cure...." he spoke after a long while. Leaving Zhao Ming hopeless and devastated.
"But you can minimize her pain..." he spoke after pausing for a moment.
Zhao Ming's gloomy face changed, he came closer to Li Quan and asked desperately, "How? do you have something that can-"
"The Ultimate Antidote," he cut Zhao Ming in between and blurted out.
"What is it? Where can I find it?" Zhao Ming asked like a madman looking for water in the desert.
"Our poison master has a unique antidote named 'The Ultimate Antidote' Just a pill can cure even the deadliest poison.
However, the thing is....only our master can make it and only she can give the dose, so even if have the pill, we still need my master to supervise the intake.
Since there has not been a single case needing this antidote, we don't have it with us either.
It's just that I heard it from a maid that our master could make such a thing," he elaborated.
"Didn't you say your poison master has left for the sea?" Zhao Ming asked, clenching the chair on which Li Quan was sitting.
"Yes...but I will try to approach her and explain your situation," he explained, trembling.
"You are fooling us again!" Officer Pei yelled at him, but Zhao Ming gave him a death glare stuffing his words back.
"Let him go..." he ordered and returned to his seat, injecting patience into his heart.
He had no choice but to trust Li Quan, it was his last resort, he had invested too much time in this case, and he had to wait patiently for the fruit to appear on the tree he sowed.