Chapter 95: Unforeseen, surprise appearance of snake venom (2/2)

Even so, she took large strides forward. Caution flitted past Third Madame’s eyes, though she didn’t stop her. Han Yunxi stopped before the wooden building’s door and started her detox system scanners. The results were shocking!

Heavens!

Snake poison!

Even her heartbeat had quickened. After some more analysis, the detox system determined that there were three types of snake poison present. Although they weren’t the hypertoxic trio of Ten-Thousand Snake Poison, they matched three from the other seven common snake poisons involved in its composition!

Han Yunxi’s heart thumped wildly. It was impossible not to be suspicious! She never thought that she’d find snake poison here. Why were things so convenient? What was hidden in this wooden building? Just by scanning, she could tell there were only trace amounts of poison present. It was very possible that these were leftover remnants of poison powders. If she didn’t have the detoxification system, she might not have found them even after a thorough examination.

Such trace amounts might be impossible to find once hidden in a person’s body, or dissolved in water. Neither could they pose a risk to one’s life. But as a powder, it was still detectable by the detox system’s ‘golden-gaze fiery-eyes.’[1] Han Yunxi wasn’t satisfied and scanned the premises again. But she discovered that besides the three snake poisons, there was nothing else!

The rest of the group was bewildered at seeing her standing unmoving before the wooden door. Madame Li’s hands curled into fists inside her sleeves. That place was exactly where she made her poisons. But a few days ago, she’d ordered her subordinates to clear out all the poisons and clean up all the medicine cabinets. Why would Han Yunxi be interested in there now?

Han Yunxi cured the young general and discovered his slow-acting poison. Of course the general’s estate would be searching for the mole that poisoned him. It couldn’t be that Han Yunxi was helping out as well? That damned girl Han Yunxi might be able to treat poisons, but did she know how to examine them as well?

Even if she took ten thousand steps back to consider the possibility, even if there was poison inside that room, Han Yunxi had no reason to suspect her. Nor did she have cause to take interest in this little wooden house! Third Madame clenched her fists again and decided that she had to be overthinking things. Han Yunxi was probably interested in the building itself, that’s all. She’d always been the calm type, so she wouldn’t lose her footing here.

“Esteemed wangfei, what are you doing?” Han Ruoxue asked. This little thatched cottage was her mother’s practice site for making medicine. It really was odd that Han Yunxi would suddenly be interested in such a thing.

Han Yunxi turned, her eyes carelessly sweeping over Third Madame without stopping. She smiled and said, “I thought this wooden building was built very well and found it appealing.”

At this, Third Madame finally calmed down. She knew she was overthinking things. Han Ruoxue was about to speak when Third Madame beat her to it. “Esteemed wangfei, that’s where I go to make medicine. It was built a few years ago.”

So it was a medicine making house!

The Han Family was a medical family, so its sons and daughter all had to learn how to make medicine. Concubines who married into the family had to study medicine as well. Most of them learned about pharmacology, medical knowledge, recognizing medicines and making up prescriptions.

As Third Madame spoke, she walked over. “If esteemed wangfei finds it appealing, why not go inside for a look? The old master liked my shed as well when he saw it in the past.”

Han Yunxi was currently suspecting Third Madame, but who knew she’d be so calm in turn? How interesting. A complicated look flitted past her eyes before she smiled. “Then let’s see what’s inside.”

When the door was open, a fragrance of medicinal plants wafted out. The space inside wasn’t very large and filled with medicine cabinets on both sides. In the center was a long table and a stove used to boil medicines. Everything was tidied up neatly and was very clean. Han Yunxi walked over, casually open and closing a few drawers to find medicinal ingredients inside. She kept a leisurely pace as she noiselessly activated her detox system to slowly search out the locations of the three snake poisons.

The wooden house was too tiny, so the rest of the people stood outside to watch from the door. Only Third Madame stepped in personally, walking behind Han Yunxi at a sedate pace with perfect composure. But it wasn’t long before Han Yunxi stopped and rested her hands on a drawer before her. Third Madame felt apprehensive at the sight. She remembered very clearly that this was where she’d stored one of the snake poisons.

As Han Yunxi slowly pulled it open, Third Madame’s heart started racing. Of course, there was no more snake poison left in the drawer, but other ingredients instead. But she was still afraid for no reason.

Medicinal ingredients?

Han Yunxi was surprised. She clearly pinpointed the snake poison here, so why had it changed into medicine? Without a doubt, the original snake poison must have been cleared out, and probably recently. That’s why her detox system could still pick up its traces. Han Yunxi wanted to ask questions, but decided not to in the end.

She continued to walk forward, quickly focusing on another drawer. At this, Third Madame felt another tremor in her heart. That drawer had held snake poison too. Han Yunxi opened it up and found it full of medicinal ingredients again. But the detox system kept warning her that there were trace amounts of poison here, collected from a poisonous snake.

Was this changed out too? Just a coincidence?

Han Yunxi was full of doubts as she carelessly turned to look at Third Madame. The latter didn’t expect her to turn around and didn’t have time to react. Her face was all afluster as she asked, “Esteemed…esteemed wangfei, what’s the matter?”

-o-

[1] golden-gaze fiery-eyes (火眼金睛) – huoyan jinjing, literally fire eyes and diamond pupils, phrase to describe discerning eyes, in reference to the novel Journey to the West, where the Monkey King gained these very eyes after spending 49 days being refined in Laozi’s eight-way trigram Crucible with samadhi fire.