Mo Qingchen, seeing Ye Yun’s actions, coughed lightly twice and said, “Little girl, are you sure you want to keep standing here in this position?”
“Is Wang Ye afraid of being looked at?” Ye Yun smiled, then stepped away from Mo Qingchen. Noticing the occasional glances from people nearby, she remarked, “We’re quite the center of attention, Wang Ye. Do you think it’s because of me or because of you?”
“You, this girl…”
“Never mind, let’s go in first.” With that, Ye Yun entered the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion. As soon as they stepped inside, Manager Xu, who had assisted her during her previous visit, promptly came forward to greet them.
“Greetings, Prince Chen.” Manager Xu stood respectfully to the side. “Your Highness has graced the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion. May I ask if there is something important you require?”
Given Prince Chen’s esteemed status, the medicinal herbs needed by Prince Chen’s Mansion were always retrieved by the mansion’s Elixirists. Why had Prince Chen come in person today? If Manager Xu failed to serve him properly, his position as manager would surely be at risk.
Ye Yun couldn’t help but laugh and said to Mo Qingchen, “It seems it’s Wang Ye who’s drawing all the attention.”
Hearing this, Manager Xu glanced over. “Miss Ye, this…” He hadn’t expected Miss Ye to be accompanying Prince Chen. Could the rumors circulating in the Imperial Capital lately—that Miss Ye had grown close to Prince Chen after her engagement with the Crown Prince was dissolved—hold some truth?
Mo Qingchen spoke coldly to Manager Xu, “This prince is accompanying her here. There is no other matter.”
“Accompanying”? Manager Xu immediately addressed Ye Yun, “Miss Ye, regarding the herbs you asked us to keep an eye on last time, the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion has been monitoring them closely. We will notify you as soon as there is any news.”
“Just continue keeping an eye on the herbs I mentioned before. Today, I need something else. Manager Xu, you seem quite nervous today.”
“N-No, not nervous. May I ask what herbs Miss Ye requires today?” Manager Xu hurriedly inquired, though his claim of not being nervous was far from true.
Ye Yun had no intention of making things difficult for him and casually handed a prescription to Manager Xu.
Manager Xu took the prescription. “Please, Prince Chen and Miss Ye, wait in the reception room. I will fetch the herbs right away.”
In the reception room, Manager Xu quickly gathered the herbs according to Ye Yun’s prescription. Holding the tray of medicines, he said, “Miss Ye, the venom core of the Six-Eyed Sand Spider, Spider Emperor Grass, and Illusion Mist Flower are all poisonous herbs. If an ordinary Elixirist mishandles them during Elixir making, they could poison themselves. May I ask, are you purchasing these for the Elixirist in your residence to refine?”
“There’s no need for you to inquire. I buy the herbs, you sell them—the transaction ends there. Even if something goes wrong, it has nothing to do with you.”
Ye Yun looked at Manager Xu. “The Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion provides Elixir making rooms for Elixirists, right? Take me there.”
Not daring to say more, Manager Xu could only comply.
In the Elixir making room, only Ye Yun and Mo Qingchen remained.
Although Mo Qingchen didn’t understand Elixir making, he could still identify medicinal herbs, especially the ones Manager Xu had mentioned. “What kind of medicine are you planning to refine?”
“Poison!” Ye Yun, already familiar with the Elixir making procedures of this world, went straight to operate the mechanisms. The fire beneath the Elixir furnace instantly ignited. She smiled at Mo Qingchen and said, “Wang Ye, you don’t think Elixir making is only for saving people, do you?”
“Of course not. Medicine can be poison, and poison can likewise be medicine. But as far as I know, concocting poison is far more difficult than preparing ordinary medicines. As the steward said, one careless move could lead to self-poisoning.”
“It’s simple—just be careful. It’s just Elixir making; as long as no mistakes are made, it’ll be fine.”
Ye Yun was brimming with confidence. If she were to fail in concocting such a simple poison, would she even qualify as a top-tier Elixirist?
Ye Yun carried the medicinal ingredients over. The Elixir furnace was already heated. She first placed the venom core of the Six-Eyed Sand Spider into the furnace, followed by all the supplementary ingredients. After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she added the Spider Sovereign Grass. Once the Spider Sovereign Grass had fully integrated, she finally tossed in the Illusion Mist Flower. The entire process had to be timed precisely—not a second more or less than the duration of a cup of tea. Then, the furnace fire was extinguished, and the Elixir was left to cool.
Mo Qingchen stood by, watching Ye Yun. To her, Elixir making seemed as natural as breathing. The entire process flowed seamlessly—her control over the furnace fire and the timing of adding ingredients were both precise and flawless. Every step was executed in one smooth, continuous motion.
At this point, Ye Yun retrieved the Elixir from the furnace and stored it in a white porcelain bottle.
“Might I ask, what is the effect of this medicine?”
Ye Yun poured out one pill and placed it in her palm. “This Elixir uses the fragrance of the Illusion Mist Flower as a carrier. The real potency lies in the venom of the Six-Eyed Sand Spider, which is amplified under the catalysis of the Spider Sovereign Grass. Crush this pill, and its scent will spread within a thirty-meter radius. The moment you smell it, the fragrance enters your body, and that’s when the poisoning begins. The victim’s tendons will soften and bones will weaken, instantly losing all mobility. Without an antidote, they’ll be as good as crippled.”
“Of course, this only works on those with low resistance to toxins. Some experts possess extremely high resistance, rendering the Six-Eyed Sand Spider’s venom ineffective. In most situations, though, this is more than sufficient.”
In her previous life, as a top-tier Elixirist, she had many skilled bodyguards around her, yet she still concocted poisons for self-defense. In this life, even with the protection of the Protectorate Duke’s Residence—and though she knew Elixirists in this world also employed methods of using poison to counteract poison—directly concocting lethal poisons was still rare. Most Elixirists’ understanding of poison remained at the level of inherently toxic medicinal ingredients. The poisons she brewed were beyond the reach of most Elixirists in this world, yet she couldn’t afford to be careless.
Having been granted a second chance at life, she certainly intended to live it well.
“Little girl, you’re bold enough to concoct a poison that can soften tendons and weaken bones right from the start. What if you accidentally poison yourself…?”
Ye Yun placed the pill back into the white porcelain bottle, sealed it with a stopper, and tucked it into her sleeve. Then, she leaned close to Mo Qingchen, practically draping herself over him. “Bold? I’ve always been bold. And I have even bolder tricks up my sleeve. Would Wang Ye like to see for himself?”
Mo Qingchen looked down at the little girl in front of him. “What?”
“Of course…” As she spoke, Ye Yun’s hand stealthily moved to Mo Qingchen’s chest, her fingertip lightly poking him. “Ahem, have I ever complimented you, Wang Ye, on your excellent physique? Not bad pecs.”
After a brief pause, Ye Yun’s fingers drifted lower. Oh my, these abs are impressive. Even through his clothes, she could feel the defined ridges of his muscles—one, two…
Incredible, eight-pack abs. She thought to herself, If these clothes came off, it’d be a visual feast. Hmm, that sounds a bit pervy.
Just as she was getting fully immersed in the sensation, suddenly her hand was caught by a broad, large palm. “Little girl, you’re quite bold indeed. Had enough touching?”
Without a second thought, Ye Yun blurted out, “Of course not. It’d be even better without clothes in the way.”