Chapter 4 | Poisoned
"Where is that container of blue dust flower?" Yuan asked.
The attendant pointed toward the container in front of the group of people, still arguing. Yuan looked in the container and saw some blue dust flowers in it. He inspected the flowers before lifting them to his nose and smelled them. The smell was unmistakable—the same as the blood he had found on the crane's beak.
A frown appeared on his face. this didn't add up. Blue Dust Flowers were not poisonous, even beneficial for beast in long term. Why, then, was the crane in this state?
Yuan's mind raced. He knew in his mind that he was on the right tract, but couldn't put his finger on it. Suddenly, a spark ran through his mind, and he stood up straighter with a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He asked the attendant a few more questions to confirm his speculation.
He decided to tell Mother Bing about it and glanced toward her. The group was still in a heated discussion. He heard the group talk for a moment and realized that none of them knew the problem, and they were randomly guessing and arguing over it.
He shook his head and decided to treat the crane himself. It would be a hassle to prove his speculation to other.
After making up his mind, without any hesitation, he stepped forward. He gestured toward the empty containers and ordered the attendant, "Bring them here."
Soon attendant brought the containers before him. He carefully positioned one beneath the leg of the black crane. Holding his breath, Yuan drew a dagger from his waist and, with practiced precision, slashed the bird's leg.
Blood started flowing like a stream. He immediately adjusted the container to collect the blood.
"Awwww" The attendant who had been standing by shrieked, "What are you doing?!" His voice cracked with panic.
Everyone in the hall turned toward the voice and was dumbfounded by the scene. A collective gasp rippled through the hall.
They saw Yuan kneeling beside the crane. His hand gripped the bird's wing, while his other hand held the bloodied dagger, the crane's blood flowing steadily into the container beneath its leg.
Before anyone could react, an elder of the Golden Crane Sect strode forward, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Stop!" the elder roared, and with a flash of motion, he lunged toward Yuan. Yuan shuddered under the overwhelming pressure of the elder's qi and blood spurted from his mouth.
Elder attacked yuan, but Mother Bing appeared in front of him, shielding him from the oncoming attack. "How dare you touch my son?" With a swift motion, she threw a kick at the elder in anger, her foot connecting with his chest.
"Bang!" The elder's body shot through the air like a cannonball, crashing against the stone wall with a deafening crash.
The Golden Crane Sect members froze, their hands at the hilts of their swords while their faces filled with fury. In the blink of an eye, they surrounded Mother Bing and Yuan, their eyes blazing with hostility.
Sect master Gong aura erupted, heavy and cold, causing the air to grow intense. His gaze, like ice, landed on Yuan.
"What are you doing?" His voice was sharp, laced with killing intent. ""What are you doing? Are you trying to kill our guardian beast?"
If it weren't for Pavilion Master Meng Hao's sake, he would have already killed Yuan for just laying hand on the crane.
Bing Shang standing before him, stared at yuan with disbelief in her eyes. She knew him like the back of her hand. He was a kind and gentle young man, especially when it came to beasts. She never saw him hurting the beast, much less injuring one.
Yuan nodded at Miss Bing, saying he was alright, though his breathing was still uneven.
He raised his head, his eyes locking onto Sect Master Gong with a calm, almost challenging expression.
"I am doing what you all aren't doing." Yuan said evenly, his voice cutting through the silence
Gong Zhao's brow furrowed, his fists clenching as he took a step closer. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice thick with intimidation.
"What do I mean, huh? Yuan tilted his head, his voice sharp. "I mean, I am treating your bird here."
The hall fell into a stunned silence.
Yuan turned toward the crane as he continued, "I've listened to you all argue over treatments. Some of you said the crane was poisoned. Some of you said it was because of some unknown internal injuries. Yet none of you people know the real cause, nor do you have any evidence to support your claim. It's like a blind person shooting an arrow in the dark to hit the target. How stupid."
His words sliced through the tension, the audacity of his speech making the air feel heavier.
Yuan shook his head as he continued checking the beast. But he didn't notice people's faces turning red with anger. His words, though true, but nobody liked be called an idiot. Even Mother Shang's face changed a little as he was calling her an idiot as well.
"I'll deal with you later, you brat." She muttered under her breath.
An elder from Thousand Pills Sect roared, "Brat, who are you calling idiots, huh?"
Voices echoed from Thousand Beasts Sect side and other people in the hall, all furious. Yuan's words had stirred the pot, and no one liked to be called a fool—especially by someone half their age.
Bing Shang sighed, rubbing her temples "Yuan," she said softly, though her tone held a thread of warning. "Explain yourself."
"What is there to explain?" Yuan rolled his eyes. But seeing the angry look on Mother Bing's face, he added, "Alright, fine," he said, relenting. "The bird is poisoned."
Yuan's words caused the hall to once again turn silent. Murmurs spread like wildfire through the hall, disbelief filling the air. Many had speculated that the bird might be poisoned, but had no supportive evidence. His words caused their confidence to grow.
"See, I told you the bird was poisoned, but nobody believed me." a low voice said, but others quickly shut him down.
"Where is the evidence?" someone asked skeptically.
"Didn't the boy just say that?" He argued back, though his voice lacked conviction.
"Still, there is no evidence." another insisted.
Yuan shook his head, exasperated, before pointing to an empty Blue Dust flower container. "You all know how a Blue Dust flower works, right?" he asked, his tone almost mocking. "It helps regulate the energy in spiritual pets."
A murmur of agreement passed through the crowd. They all knew that was a common practice among beast tamers.
Someone catched yuan point when he mentioned Blue Dust Flower. "Young man, are you saying the bird was poisoned with a blue dust flower?"
Yuan nodded lightly.
"Hahaha, brat do you think we are idiots?"
"Sect Master Gong, throw this brat outside if you want to save your Guardian Beast."