Hao Ren approached the bed, and spotted the young man walking around anxiously. Other than that, he also spotted an old man talking to a few people mumbling something in a hushed voice. Hao Ren turned to look at Douglas who was walking towards the old Imperial Physician, and said, "Grandmaster Douglas, the Empress is Poisoned."
Everyone turned around to look at him with their faces filled with shock. The old Imperial Physician looked at him with uncertainty and Hao Ren sighed as he took out the six star Alchemist brooch and said, "I have Yin and Yang eyes. This is why I can tell what is going on inside the body without taking a pulse."
Douglas sighed and said, "Grandmaster Hao, I am not doubting your skills but we need to determine what kind of poison it is, after all, the blood inspection came out clean."
Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is natural, not all the poisons can be detected in the stream of blood."
The old imperial physician asked, "Could it be one of those poisons that attack the spirit?"
Hao Ren replied with a faint smile and said, "You are half correct, Grandmaster.."
The old physician said, "Kardiff. Lyon Kardiff."
Hao Ren nodded and clasped his fist to greet him and said, "The poison in her body is targeting her soul. It is far more dangerous than the poison that harms her spirit."
The people were surprised and the young man asked, "Can it be cured?"
Hao Ren nodded and replied, "It can be, but before that, I would like to ask you all to seal your cultivation and stand aside. Once the treatment begins, any of you who inhales even a wisp will die for sure."
Douglas raised his brow and asked, "The soul dispersing poison. How could this be?"
The young man shrugged and said, "I had detected the signs when the Empress's convoy crossed paths with me on the way."
One of the sword fairies raised her brows and asked, "Since you knew it that time, why didn't you help her?"
Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Fairy, I have come from lands far south. Didn't hold the identity brooch of an alchemist. Who would let me help the Empress even if I wanted to? Also, I am not foolish to place my neck under the sword."
His words were logical and reasonable. Lyon Kardiff said, "Get to it then. Do you need anything?"
Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "A stalk of soul nourishing lotus, thousand years old. It would play a vital role in rejuvenating the damage to her soul."
Douglas nodded and said, "I have one stalk at the association. We can get it and the palace can pay us later."
Lyon Kardiff clenched his fist and said, "Damn you Douglas. Even in a time ."
The association head was a money grubber, that was clear. Hao Ren cleared his throat and said, "Let me get to it. May I trouble the two Grandmasters to watch out for the wisps of poison that may escape me?"
He could have handled the poison on his own, but he didn't want to sound too arrogant among these people. He looked around and asked the maid, "Lady, may I trouble you to remove the blinds? That would be an easier way to handle the poison."
The maid nodded and they quickly removed the blinds around the bed, revealing the face of a beautiful lady laying on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her vitality was strong as well. She didn't give the vibe of a sick person. Hao Ren stood at the foot of the bed and said, "Grandmaster Douglas, Grandmaster Kardiff, please stand on the sides and be ready with the strongest spiritual seal you can muster up. Also, make sure it is of fire element."
The two people nodded and they prepared the seals with their fingers and began to chant. Hao Ren gazed at the Empress and said, "May I ask one of the sword fairies to cut open an inch long incision on the left middle finger of the Empress? That would be the point where I extract the poison from."
The fairies hesitated and the young man said, "Ladies, please go ahead."
They exchanged gazes and then one of them approached the lady. Hao Ren said, "Cut it open when I tell you too, and use your sword intent, don't touch that spot with your blade or the weapon spirit will be corroded instantly."
The lady was shocked but she nodded. Hao Ren looked at the two old men who nodded, and the young man made a few seals with his fingers, and said, "Phoenix, come forth."
At the tip of his fingers appeared a small bird as big as a nail, and then Hao Ren controlled the small flame bird to move through the void and enter the body of the Empress through her nostril. The people were shocked because they could sense the rising temperature in the void when the small bird was hovering over the tip of his fingers.
The bird moved through the meridians and the Empress began to sweat. The young man asked Old Lao, "Physician Lao, is she okay?"
Physician Lao nodded and said, "While Her Majesty is sweating, she is fine. Grandmaster Hao has controlled the flames very delicately, they haven't harmed the Empress at all, the rise in temperature is obvious."
The young man nodded, and suddenly, a screeching noise echoed in the room. Hao Ren opened his eyes and said, "Got you, motherfucker." Googlᴇ search NoveI~Fire.net
He split the flame in different portions to target the poison which was still hidden in her heart and drove it toward the left arm. The poison moved through the arm slowly, and Hao Ren took a deep breath as he pushed the poison out slowly. The poison was sentient and was trying to devour the flames. Had it been something other than a different flame, and that too something as high level as Phoenix Flames, they would have been devoured completely.
Hao Ren waited till the poison was pushed to the tip of the Left middle finger. The tip had turned completely black as if obsidian. The screeching noise in the room was growing stronger. Hao Ren's forehead was covered with cold sweat. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Fairy, now."
The sword fairy controlled her thoughts and she flicked her finger very lightly. It almost felt like a twitch but the incision was made and the black substance began to flow out. Hao Ren grasped the void and a flame hand manifested around the wound. The black substance kept blobbing and twitching as it was forced inside the flame bubble. The two grand masters super imposed the bubble with their own spiritual seals.
The screeching noise gave everyone goosebumps. The people shivered and the two grandmasters let out a breath only after Hao Ren finished extracting all of the black substance. He said, "Please feed her the stalk of lotus. I need to destroy this poison first."
He walked towards the window while the poison floated inside a flame bubble before him. The young man didn't stop, and increased the heat of the flames and the screeching sound changed into that of a wailing. Hao Ren snorted and replied, "Evil thing, you dare to protest. I will kill you today."
The wailing increased and so did the temperature. Hao Ren held the bubble outside the window of the room and at a point the people were all sweating badly, the whole thing continued for ten minutes before the poison was resolved. It was directly refined into nothing but spiritual energy.
Hao Ren took a deep breath and panted for a while to catch his breath before he turned around to look at the people. The two grandmasters have refined the stalk of lotus and then fed it to the Empress. Her soul energy was replenished and Hao Ren said, "She should wake up in a few minutes time."
The two people nodded, and everyone waited, before five minutes passed and the Empress opened her eyes slowly. The young man dashed over to her bed side and asked worriedly, "Mother. Thank heavens, you opened your eyes. How do you feel?"
Hao Ren realized that this man must be the prince of the nation. Looking at him again, he found that the young man was just a teenager. Douglas and Kardiff sighed, and they cast a gratifying gaze at Hao Ren. The young man shook his head.
The lady sat up in her bed and looked at old man Kardiff as she said, "I knew that you would find a way to save me, Chief Physician."
Kardiff bowed his head and shook his head as he said, "This old man was unable to even diagnose your ailment, Your Majesty. It was Grandmaster Hao."
He pointed at Hao Ren and the Empress looked at Hao Ren for a prolonged second and asked, "Senior, could you be the one from the path?"
Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Your Majesty has a bright memory. I am indeed the one from the path."
The Empress sighed and said, "I cannot thank you enough Senior. However, owing this life debt doesn't fit my image well. Please tell me, what can I do for you."
Hao Ren smiled, this was what he wanted all this time, he said, "Since, Your Majesty has asked for, I would like to ask you two things, please fulfil them if it doesn't disturb or harm your nation."
The people were surprised, and the Empress nodded. Hao Ren said, "First, I would like you to gather a thousand books on sword dao. They can be of any grade, and any type. I wish to read them and add them to my collection."
The lady was surprised but she nodded, since it was just normal sword dao books. Then she asked, "Senior what is your second wish?"
Hao Ren replied, "I would like to have a sword sparring session with the three Sword Fairies."
This shocked everyone, as none of the people realized that Hao Ren was a sword cultivator. The three generals frowned, but the next moment, they sensed a sword intent radiating from Hao Ren it even left fine marks on the floor.