Chapter 58

Chapter 58: The Poison of Qian Ji Powder

But now, Sheng Zhi Wan clearly had no intention of saving Zhang Da Hu.

Whip marks covered Zhang Da Hu’s body. Even if Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to save Zhang Da Hu, could Sheng Zhi Wan cut away his whole body?

Zhang Da Hu screamed until his throat went raw. The dungeon filled with Zhang Da Hu’s miserable howls, but Sheng Zhi Wan did not react at all.

One lash.

Then another.

Then another.

Only after thirty lashes did Sheng Zhi Wan stop. Aside from Zhang Da Hu’s face, Zhang Da Hu was nothing but a man drenched in blood.

Zhang Da Hu could not curse anymore. Zhang Da Hu only glared at Sheng Zhi Wan with bloodshot eyes.

Sheng Zhi Wan took a step closer.

A guard said, “Princess-” and tried to block her. These men had seen torture and prison for years. No one understood better than them how terrifying a dying man’s last lunge could be.

Sheng Zhi Wan, in the end, was only a woman with no strength.

Shang Xing Yu lifted a hand in a small gesture.

The guard retreated at once.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Do you think you’re definitely going to die?” Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone stayed mild. “After all, this is Qian Ji Powder. Did Meng Yang tell you that Qian Ji Powder had no cure, and that the only way to stay alive after being poisoned…”

Sheng Zhi Wan paused. Sheng Zhi Wan’s gaze fell on Zhang Da Hu’s empty sleeve, and her expression turned mocking.

Sheng Zhi Wan finished, “was to chop off the poisoned part completely?”

Zhang Da Hu’s lips trembled. “What… are you trying… to say?”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “I only want to tell you that Zhang Er Hu died for nothing, and you were foolish enough to believe her.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes stayed cold. “Why did you accept whatever Meng Yang said? Did you never ask any other Military Physician? Did you never doubt her words?”

Zhang Da Hu shook his head hard. “Impossible!”

Miss Meng had been that incredible. Miss Meng could even stitch Zhang Da Hu up and stop the bleeding after Zhang Da Hu lost an arm. How could Miss Meng be worse than those useless Military Physicians?

Zhang Da Hu refused to believe it.

Zhang Da Hu had to believe the woman in front of him was only trying to drive a wedge between Zhang Da Hu and Miss Meng. Sheng Zhi Wan wanted Zhang Da Hu to betray Miss Meng, but the more Sheng Zhi Wan pushed, the less Zhang Da Hu would ever speak.

Zhang Da Hu spat out a mouthful of bloody phlegm. “Pah! Give it up! Kidnapping you was my own idea. It has nothing to do with Miss Meng! Don’t you dare drag Miss Meng into this, you filthy bitch!”

Sheng Zhi Wan looked at Zhang Da Hu with pity and ridicule. “Heh. You really are a good dog Meng Yang raised.”

Qian Ji Powder was a toxin extracted from a poisonous plant called the Qian Ji Tree.

Because the Qian Ji Tree only grew within the Yan Jue Six Tribes, the Yan Jue Six Tribes had used it in every war. To make their weapons deadlier, they coated arrows and blades with a special solution brewed from Qian Ji Powder.

Sheng Kingdom suffered badly because of it for many years.

Then, more than twenty years ago, Imperial Physician Song’s father developed an antidote for the Qian Ji Tree’s poison and publicly spread the recipe.

From then on, every healer in Sheng Kingdom knew how to counter Qian Ji Powder. Even doctors who were not Military Physicians knew it.

But Meng Yang…

Meng Yang probably did not belong to this world at all, much less to Sheng Kingdom. Meng Yang knew nothing about Sheng Kingdom’s past, so when Meng Yang first encountered Qian Ji Powder, Meng Yang truly had no idea what it was.

That was why Meng Yang could confidently tell every poisoned soldier that the poison had no cure.

And that was why, during that Cang Nan battle, many soldiers who were struck by Qian Ji Powder chose to kill themselves after losing hope of survival.

Zhang Er Hu was only one of them.

In her previous life, Sheng Zhi Wan learned the truth only because of Ruan Ruan.

Back then, Sheng Zhi Wan had been demoted by Imperial Father to a commoner and confined inside a small courtyard. Sheng Zhi Wan’s body had already begun to fail.

Ruan Ruan did not know where Ruan Ruan found the method, but every night Ruan Ruan secretly climbed onto the roof and prayed for blessings, hoping Sheng Zhi Wan would get better.

Because of that, Ruan Ruan accidentally caught Meng Yang burning paper offerings, and Ruan Ruan overheard Meng Yang’s scattered words of confession.

That discovery made Meng Yang want Ruan Ruan dead. In the end, Qi Fei Yan beat Ruan Ruan to death.

Sheng Zhi Wan even suspected Ruan Ruan’s death was not that simple, but by then Sheng Zhi Wan was already dying. Sheng Zhi Wan never uncovered the truth before Sheng Zhi Wan died.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Since you don’t believe it, then test it yourself.”

Sheng Zhi Wan took out another square bottle. This one had a red cap.

Sheng Zhi Wan dissolved the powder in water, then smiled and signaled the guards to pour the water all over Zhang Da Hu.

Zhang Da Hu had been tortured by that bone-deep torment until Zhang Da Hu was barely breathing. Even so, Zhang Da Hu still believed Miss Meng, that kind and gentle woman, would never lie.

But when the basin of water splashed over Zhang Da Hu’s body-

After a brief sting, Zhang Da Hu froze.

The pain was still there. Yet the gnawing itch that sank into bone, the feeling that made Zhang Da Hu want to die immediately, eased in an instant.

Now Zhang Da Hu only felt the raw pain from the whip wounds.

How… how could this happen?

Zhang Da Hu opened his mouth, trying to speak, but all Zhang Da Hu met was the woman’s mercilessly mocking gaze.

Zhang Da Hu forced out, “It can’t be! You’re a Princess. It isn’t strange that you could find an antidote.” Zhang Da Hu’s thoughts spun desperately. “But back then, in that situation, Miss Meng only had that one method if Miss Meng wanted to save our lives!”

Yes. It had to be that way.

Otherwise, what did everything Zhang Da Hu had done mean? What did Er Hu’s death mean?