Gongzi Yi was the first to raise his hand and say, "Master Yang, please teach us how to match [the characters]!"
Master Yang smiled knowingly upon hearing this, showing no surprise whatsoever; clearly, this wasn't the first time he'd heard his student make such a suggestion.
The crowd burst into laughter, yet they still unanimously agreed with Gongzi Yi's suggestion.
Master Yang said, “I can teach you how to prepare the medicine, but whether the medicine you prepare is effective can only be known by testing it. If each of you is determined to test the medicine on your own body, then I will teach you.”
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment and fell silent.
This was no joke. The entire Nanshu Academy only had the Madam and her two maids—three women in total. If the poison she concocted was too effective, how would she cope? This was a serious problem. The others began to back down, but Hua Wuduo had already retreated. He immediately took the lead, saying, "Teacher, let's learn something else. Can you concoct an antidote for 'Silent and Unseen' poison?"
Upon hearing this, the Master glanced at Gongzi Yi, seemingly casually, and sighed, "I cannot concoct an antidote for the 'Silent Poison.' This poison is colorless and odorless, and those afflicted show no symptoms and find it difficult to detect. The only sign is a faint yellow line under the eyes, which is barely noticeable without close inspection. This 'Silent Poison' primarily targets those skilled in martial arts. Anyone who is poisoned by this will immediately become delirious, go mad, or even insane upon using internal energy or encountering external internal energy. To this day, there is no antidote for this poison."
One student asked, "Does being poisoned by this mean that all your martial arts skills are ruined?"
The master shook his head and said, "This poison isn't that terrible. As long as you can detect it and avoid using martial arts for two months, the poison will disappear on its own."
Gongzi Qi said, "But how easy is it to discover this poison?"
The Master chimed in, “Indeed, to this day, almost all those in the martial world who have been poisoned by this poison have died a violent death.”
Hua Wuduo asked, "Master, is it true that we only have two months to wait for this poison to be cured? Is there no other way to cure it?"
The Master smiled and said, “Yes, there is one person in the world who can cure this poison.”
"Who?" Hua Wuduo, Gongzi Yi, and Gongzi Qi asked at the same time.
The Master said, "Tang Ye is one of the Four Young Masters of the Tang Clan."
"Tang Ye? Is that the Poison King, Young Master Ye?" Young Master Qi asked.
The Master nodded and said, "Only he can cure this poison."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi sighed softly. Even if Gongzi Ye saved him, he would rather endure another month and a half.
Hua Wuduo fell into a daze upon hearing this.
Tang Ye, known in the martial arts world as "Poison King Young Master Ye," was her betrothed since childhood.
As a child, she often heard her father talk about him. Gongzi Ye was the most promising successor of the Tang Clan in hundreds of years; the elders of the Tang Clan placed high hopes on him, intending to pass on the entire century-old foundation of the Tang Clan to him. Knowing this, she had even longed to grow up quickly and marry Tang Ye. But unexpectedly, her older sister, after returning from her travels, secretly told her that Gongzi Ye, known as the Poison King, had an unpredictable personality and was covered in poison. He was skilled in using poisons and also adept at antidotes, even healing the sick, but he was definitely not a benevolent person. Anyone seeking his antidote or treatment had to endure until their very last breath before he would intervene.
She was shocked to hear this, and only after verifying it from various sources did she realize that it was true. In the past, her father had only told her about the good side of Gongzi Ye, while he had always kept Gongzi Ye's true character a secret from her.
Ever since then, whenever she thought of Gongzi Ye, she would think of a hideous demon, such a cruel and terrifying person. She didn't understand why her father insisted on marrying her off to that poisonous man, and wasn't afraid that she might accidentally be poisoned to death by him one day. Was it really because of that ridiculous arranged marriage?
So when the Tang Clan suddenly sent people to deliver betrothal gifts and set a wedding date for her and Tang Ye not long ago, she hurriedly ran away from the marriage.
No wonder, when Gongzi Yi heard that only Tang Ye could cure this poison, he preferred not to seek a cure.
This pharmacology class eventually turned into a lecture on the ranking of the most notorious poisons in the martial arts world because of the endless stream of questions from the students.
Master Yang explained in detail the methods of administering each poison, the symptoms of poisoning, and the horrific state of poisoning when it takes effect. The ten most deadly poisons on the list are basically incurable. As for the poison 'Silent and Invisible', although it has a high mortality rate because it is difficult to detect, its use is limited: it requires someone with martial arts skills. Also, once detected, the poison can be prevented from taking effect, and it will automatically dissipate within two months. Therefore, it is not on the list at all.
During the lesson, everyone listened with great interest. Just as the bell rang and class was about to end, the teacher suddenly added, "The ten most deadly poisons in the world all originated from the Poison King 'Young Master Ye,' and only he himself can cure them."
One sentence caused an uproar.
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo felt a chill run through her. She thought Gongzi Ye was a cold-hearted and ruthless man, capable of creating so many terrifying poisons. She became even more convinced that running away from her arranged marriage was the right thing to do, and she was even more determined not to be caught by her father and forced to marry Tang Ye. If she married such a person, she would surely go mad.
Even as people went to bed that night, they could still hear people talking about it. Most of them were marveling at how Young Master Ye was a genius in the use of poison and truly deserved the title of Poison King, and their words inevitably contained a blind admiration.
Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Yi tacitly avoided mentioning Gongzi Ye at all.
Hua Wuduo was engaged to him, while Gongzi Yi was poisoned by the 'Silent Poison'. The two chatted casually before going to sleep. In Hua Wuduo's hazy state, she suddenly heard Gongzi Yi shout loudly. Startled, Hua Wuduo jumped out of bed and onto Gongzi Yi's bed, her face covered in medicinal mud, looking around suspiciously like a ghost.
Hua Wuduo looked around warily and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
The young master Yi, standing behind him, replied, "I forgot to write down the article that Master Deng asked me to copy..."
Hua Wuduo immediately deflated. He stretched out his hand behind him and said, "Give me ten taels of silver."
She always helped Gongzi Yi with his homework, charging him ten taels of silver each time. It was an exorbitant price, but it was a willing buyer and a willing seller, so who could stop her?
By candlelight, she was copying an article with her head down. Gongzi Yi, wrapped in a quilt, watched her from the side. Her imitation of his handwriting was eight or nine parts similar, and even Master Deng couldn't tell the difference. Gongzi Yi said, "Flower Bud, are you short of money? You're working so hard to earn money."
Hua Wuduo sighed, "Yes, my family was poor. When I was a child, even my pants were patched."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi sighed deeply, "Alas, Huaguduo had such a pitiful childhood."
Hua Wuduo said, "Yes, when I was a kid, I even fought with a beggar for a cold, hard, and smelly pancake that he dug out of the garbage."
Gongzi Yi sniffed and said, "Your childhood was so miserable!" Gongzi Yi wiped the corner of his eye with his sleeve.
Hua Wuduo sighed and said, "Yes, do you think everyone is like you, dressed in fine clothes and surrounded by servants since childhood?"
Gongzi Yi asked, "Then how come you know martial arts and can write?"
Hua Wuduo said, "Alas, this is a long story. When I was ten years old, I was taken in as a child bride by a man from the martial arts world. He promised that when I grew up, I would marry his mentally challenged son. He taught me to read and write, and also taught me martial arts, hoping that I would protect his son in the future and give him a grandson. Unfortunately, when I grew up, that mentally challenged young master died. The man from the martial arts world said that I had cursed his son to death, and in a fit of anger, he kicked me out. You know, it's not easy for a woman to be alone in a foreign land, let alone earn money. So I must earn a lot of money so that I can buy a house and some land and be self-sufficient."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi sighed, "How beautiful are the dreams of a flower bud." After a moment of reverie, Gongzi Yi said, "Flower bud, how about I help you fulfill your wish in two months?"
“No.” Hua Wuduo shook his head and refused, “I want to build my own empire with my own efforts and hard work!” Hua Wuduo said with great conviction.
Gongzi Yi's eyes flickered, a cunning smile flashing within them. He thought to himself, "Flower Bud, you're definitely hiding something from me. Do you think I'll believe your story? Your skills, how could they be taught by an ordinary family? And your demeanor, your fearless confidence, your ability to remain unmoved even when facing Gongzi Qi and Gongzi Xiu—how could a woman who grew up fighting beggars and wearing tattered pants possess that? Flower Bud, you're definitely the same kind of person as me."
Gongzi Yi suddenly thought of a question and asked impatiently, "Flower Bud, how do you take a bath?" She stayed by his side all day long, and they could do everything together except take a bath, so he was very curious about how she took a bath.
Hua Wuduo looked at him strangely upon hearing this and said, "I haven't taken a bath."
What?! Gongzi Yi's eyes widened. At first, he didn't quite believe it and examined her for a long time. But then he gradually began to believe it. She really seemed to have never left him. Could it be... that she really hadn't taken a bath in the past ten days?! As soon as this thought took shape in his mind, he was so shocked that he hugged the quilt tightly and backed away, covering his nose with a corner of the quilt and looking at her with a strange expression.
"You haven't showered for over ten days! Are you even a woman?" Gongzi Yi, who showered every day, rebuked him mercilessly.
Unexpectedly, Hua Wuduo snorted coldly without any concern and said, "What's so special about this? It was normal for me not to take a bath for a year when I was a child." The implication was that Gongzi Yi was simply making a fuss over nothing.
Gongzi Yi trembled in the corner of the bed, beginning to believe that she had indeed been poor and destitute since childhood.
In the darkness, Hua Wuduo, still engrossed in writing at his desk, caught a glimpse of Gongzi Yi out of the corner of his eye and couldn't help but smile secretly.
As the weather grew warmer, some people started clamoring to go swimming, inviting Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Yi to go together. Hua Wuduo advised Gongzi Yi against it, saying that if he went swimming, she wouldn't be able to keep an eye on him. Gongzi Yi, however, didn't seem to care, saying that there was no need to be so careful in the academy. Helpless, Hua Wuduo had no choice but to ask Xiao happy to watch over Gongzi Yi.
Hua Wuduo claimed that he couldn't swim and didn't go with them, but he was still a little worried and lingered near the back of the mountain.
While strolling around, I unexpectedly encountered Gongzi Qi, who was reading under a locust tree.
Hua Wuduo strolled over and saw him studying medical texts, so he sat down beside him.
A mountain breeze blew by, and the locust tree leaves danced in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if they were singing. Hua Wuduo's mood suddenly improved.
Hua Wuduo asked softly, "Qi, do you want to become Master Xu's disciple?"
"Who said that?" Gongzi Qi asked in confusion.
"Isn't that so?"
"Was it Yi who said that?" Gongzi Qi put down the book in his hand, leaned lazily against the locust tree, and said with a smile.
Hua Wu nodded.
"Don't listen to his nonsense," Gongzi Qi said with a smile.
"Aren't you?"
"Of course not. I've been learning the zither since I was a child. Although I'm very interested in it, that's not my lifelong goal."
"Can you tell me about your goal?" the girl asked softly.
A mountain breeze blew by, ruffling the hair at the boy's temples. After a long silence, the boy said softly, "I want to become a divine physician, surpassing the Poison King Tang Ye, a divine physician who can cure all poisons and all diseases in the world!"
That year, a gentle spring breeze caressed their faces. Under the old locust tree, a young girl's heart suddenly warmed. She wanted to become a divine healer, a healer surpassing even the Poison King Tang Ye, to relieve the suffering of everyone in the world!
Beauty, I'm here.
The arts class's archery and horseback riding lessons, which only happened once every two weeks, were to be held at the same time as the martial arts class. The martial arts class was unwilling, and the arts class was also unhappy. After a series of open and covert struggles and heated debates, an archery competition was forced to begin.
Not everyone will compete; each side will select one representative to compete.
Gongzi Yi, with his big mouth, immediately nominated Hua Wuduo. As soon as Gongzi Yi finished speaking, he was greeted with applause and cheers. Gongzi Yi bowed and left the stage like a hero, while Hua Wuduo looked helpless and had no choice but to go on stage with everyone's expectations.
When Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Xiu simultaneously drew their bows and nocked their arrows, the only sound was the mountain wind blowing past their ears. It seemed that the others outside the arena were even more tense than the two inside.
Young Master Xiu said, "I finally have a chance to compete with you!"
Hua Wuduo said, "I am very honored to have the opportunity to compete with Young Master Xiu."
Upon hearing this, Young Master Xiu snorted coldly, showing no sign of pride, and continued to focus intently on what lay ahead.
Hua Wuduo's usually infallible strategy of winning hearts and minds failed for the first time on these arrogant young noblemen.
The first arrow, a single arrow, hit the bullseye at the same time, resulting in a tie.
The second arrow, a double arrow, both players hit the bullseye with both arrows at the same time, resulting in a tie.
Cheers erupted all around. Gongzi Xiu glanced at Hua Wuduo, and Hua Wuduo also glanced at Gongzi Xiu.
The young master said, "You are the first person to hit the bullseye with both arrows at the same speed as me."
Hua Wuduo asked, "Should we change to three arrows?"
Young Master Xiu said, "No, let's try a different way of comparing."
How do we compare them?
"We shoot three arrows at the same time, but they must arrive in sequence. The first arrow must hit the bullseye, the second arrow must pierce the first arrow, and the third arrow must pierce both the second arrow and the bullseye."
Seeing Gongzi Xiu's confident demeanor, Hua Wuduo remained silent.
"How about we increase the stakes?" Young Master Xiu suggested again.
"What's the stake?" Hua Wuduo asked.
"You and me," Gongzi Xiu said, enunciating each word clearly.
"I don't gamble," Hua Wuduo replied with a smile.
"You wouldn't dare."
Hua Wuduo smiled and said, "Indeed, I dare not. In fact, I could not possibly hit the bullseye with all three arrows at the same time, let alone in sequence." After saying that, Hua Wuduo bowed to Gongzi Xiu and said, "I admit defeat. Gongzi Xiu is still the best."
Gongzi Xiu reached out and gently helped Hua Wuduo up, whispering above her head, "Actually, I can't do it either."
What?! Hua Wuduo immediately looked at Gongzi Xiu, only to see the corner of his mouth slightly upturned before he returned to his usual indifferent demeanor. He then turned and strode away.