"Your body is a walking compendium of lethality," Baishe began, his voice grim as he started to tally the toxins. "Qi-Blocking Powder, Soul-Breaking Ember, Spider's Limiter, Frost-Vein Decay..." He continued to rattle off names like a never-ending grocery list of death.
"Enough! I get the point. I'm a human toxic waste dump. I hear you," Bai Xifeng interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. She realized that if she didn't stop him now, he would spend the entire day reciting a chemical encyclopedia. Besides, half of those names would probably slip her mind within the hour anyway.
"Do me a favor," she added, "write every single one of those down on paper. I want to research exactly what's swimming in my veins later." If she was going to be filled with poison, she might as well understand the "ingredients."
"Now, before we continue, would you mind slipping back into your python form?" she asked casually. "I'm still not a fan of the human look."
Baishe didn't argue. With a silent shimmer of energy, he shed his handsome human facade and returned to the sleek, majestic form of the great white python.
"So, how do I scrub this mess out of my system?" Xifeng asked, getting straight to business. "How do I detoxify?"
"You have two paths," Baishe explained, his red eyes glowing. "You can seek out an expert Alchemist and a Pharmacist... or you can master both crafts yourself."
"Alchemist? Is that just a fancy word for a doctor?" Xifeng asked, blinking in confusion.
"Absolutely not. Do not insult the crafts by assuming they are the same," Baishe corrected her sharply. "A doctor is a mere practitioner of medicine—a pharmacist. An Alchemist operates on a much higher plane of existence, manipulating spiritual essence and matter."
'Wait, they're separate? Interesting,' Xifeng thought. In her world, chemistry and medicine were often two sides of the same coin, but she was starting to realize this world had its own set of rules. 'Well, if I can learn one, I can learn both. It can't be that hard.'
"And why exactly do I need to be both?"
"Because your condition is unique. You require pills that only an Alchemist can forge and herbal solutions that only a Pharmacist can brew," Baishe stated. He then added a point he knew would appeal to her: "Furthermore, masters of these professions command staggering amounts of wealth."
"Money? Say no more. I'm in," Xifeng said, nodding with sudden enthusiasm.
"Then start with these," Baishe said. Out of thin air, he produced a small satchel of pills and handed them to her. "These are basic antidotes for common toxins. Nullifying the minor poisons will clear enough of your meridians to allow you to begin cultivation. Though, in your current state, these will likely only neutralize about 0.5% of the filth in your body."
"Or," Baishe added thoughtfully, "you could eventually learn to refine and store the poison within your body, using it as your own power."
Xifeng took the pills, but she didn't swallow them immediately. Instead, she brought one to her nose and inhaled deeply, her eyes closing as she analyzed the scent. Within seconds, her mind began cataloging the ingredients.
"Winter Cloud leaf, Jinxie flower, a hint of Ground-Shaker root..." she listed the herbs one by one.
"You can identify the components simply by scent?" Baishe's head reared back, his eyes wide with genuine shock.
"Well, I did pick up a few things about greenery in my time," Xifeng said, scratching her cheek with a modest, if slightly mischievous, grin.
In truth, her master in the modern world had been a tyrant when it came to her training. He had drilled her relentlessly, insisting that to master the art of the kill (poison), one had to first master the art of the cure (herbs). She had been forced to memorize the scent, texture, and profile of thousands of plants until it became second nature.
"This is an incredible advantage," Baishe noted, his respect for her growing. "To be a pharmacist, such a heightened sense is a godsend. But for now, enough talk. You must consume the pills."
Xifeng looked down at the ten small spheres in her palm. "All of them at once?"
"That is entirely up to your own discretion," Baishe replied.
Without a hint of hesitation, Xifeng tossed all ten pills into her mouth and swallowed. At first, there was nothing but a slight herbal aftertaste. But ten minutes later, a strange sensation began to bubble up from the pit of her stomach.
"I feel... something," she whispered, her voice tinged with wonder. "It's like moving air, but it's heavier... thicker."
"That is the Qi of the world," Baishe instructed urgently. "You are finally sensing the spiritual energy around you. Close your eyes. Visualize that energy entering your body and guide it to your core. Hold it there."
Xifeng didn't fully grasp the metaphysics of what he was saying, but she was a quick study. She shut her eyes and focused. The "thick air" seemed to respond to her will, swirling around her like a slow-moving whirlpool before beginning to seep into her skin.
***This novel is a contracted work with w e b n o v e l. c o m. If you do not read this novel on w e b n o v e l. c o m, that means it has been stolen. It breaks my heart when someone steals my hard work. Can you consider reading it on the original website for those who read my novel on another website besides w e b n o v e l .c o m, as your support to me? Thank you, from, your shameless author, ZerahNeko***
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