Chapter 22
Barging Through the Gates of Hell
Bei Shuo nodded as she stuffed a bun into her mouth. Her hand was already reaching for another bun.
Xiaoling felt sorry for Bei Shuo. “Slow down, slow down. Don’t choke yourself.”
Bei Shuo gestured OK at Xiaoling and smiled.
After Bei Shuo finished two buns and a bowl of porridge, she finally felt better. She leaned back in her chair and heaved a sigh of relief. “Is Grandpa awake? Has he eaten breakfast?”
Xiaoling nodded. “Yes, Old Master is well taken care of. Uncle Liu replaced the maids and servants at home last night. There are only the two of us left now. We can expect new servants today. Don’t worry.”
Bei Shuo nodded. “Alright, ask Uncle Liu to come over later and help Young Master change his clothes. Let’s change the bedsheets and blankets. I think he’ll have a fever in the afternoon.”
Xiaoling went to look for Liu Ming with admiration.
When Liu Ming showed Old Jiang the pajamas that Mu Ci had worn, even though Old Jiang knew about it beforehand, his expression could not help but change. The sweat stains on the snow-white pajamas were actually faintly green.
“What kind of poison is this?” Old Jiang asked.
Liu Ming shook his head. “I don’t know. According to Young Madam, this poison has accumulated for many years. If it weren’t for the recent poisoning, the old poison in his system would not have gotten activated. I’ve tested that bottle of milk. It contains something called aconitine in it and it’s highly toxic.”
Old Jiang was shocked. Someone was trying to kill Mu Ci.
“But aconitine should have a taste. Didn’t Young Master feel that something was wrong when he drank the milk?” Old Jiang could not help but ask.
Liu Ming could not answer.
Just like Young Madam, when he saw the cup, Young Master was already poisoned. He did not even see how he drank it.
“Because Brother Mu Ci’s sense of taste has long disappeared.” Bei Shuo’s faint voice suddenly came from behind.
The two of them could not help but turn around in unison.
Bei Shuo crossed her arms and stood at the door of the bedroom. “Mrs. Zhang prepared a plate of seasoning for Brother Mu Ci when we were eating. She said that Brother Mu Ci liked strong flavors, but in fact, he can’t taste anything else other than the saltiness. When I was taking his pulse, I was just suspicious, so I made mushroom soup for him. That soup was flavored using the umami of the plant itself. He could taste it, so he ate a little more.”
Liu Ming was enlightened. “Young Master has had a poor appetite for the past two months. Could it be because he has lost his sense of taste?”
Bei Shuo did not answer his question and continued, “The poison in his system is called Soul Erosion Powder. It corrodes the five senses of the patient bit by bit. When all five senses fade, the person would have reached the end of his life. That’s why it’s called soul erosion. Such a vicious poison has long been banned. Someone who can concoct this poison is not that simple.”
Liu Ming said anxiously, “Is he alright? Can you cure the poison?”
Bei Shuo glanced at the sleeping robe in front of them. “The detoxification has already begun. However, this process is very painful. Just now, it was the first round of expelling the poison. Brother Mu Ci is in a coma and doesn’t feel anything. As his body slowly recovers, this detoxification process will be very difficult. Uncle Liu, Uncle Jiang, when he has another wave of fever this afternoon, I need you to help me suppress him.”
“Alright, no problem,” the two of them replied in unison.
The two of them did not have a clear understanding of how difficult it was.
It was not until Mu Ci’s fever flared up again in the afternoon that the two of them understood what Bei Shuo meant.
Bei Shuo had brewed the medicine in advance, but Mu Ci could not take it immediately. Taking the medicine would affect the detoxification process.
As his body temperature rose, Mu Ci, who was in a coma, began to hum softly and frown.
Bei Shuo sighed and said, “Now, every pore in Brother Mu Ci’s body feels like it’s being pricked by needles. You have to control his limbs to prevent him from hurting himself when he’s not awake.”
She took a cork from her medicine box and pinched Mu Ci’s mouth open so that he could bite it sideways and not hurt his tongue.
Bei Shuo continued to cool Mu Ci down.
The two of them saw with their own eyes. Every time Bei Shuo washed the towel in her hands, the water in the basin would turn greener.
Liu Ming felt his face turn green.
Beads of sweat dripped down from Bei Shuo’s face onto Mu Ci’s exposed skin. It was as if it had landed on a hot stone slab and was instantly absorbed and evaporated.
After more than an hour, Bei Shuo finally gave Mu Ci the medicine. After a while, Mu Ci relaxed and stopped struggling. Liu Ming and Old Jiang could not help but heave a sigh of relief. When Bei Shuo asked them to let go, the two of them sat on the ground and heaved a sigh of relief.
Bei Shuo wiped the sweat off her forehead and said with a smile, “Alright, we’re halfway there. That was not easy.”
Liu Ming and Old Jiang finally knew what it meant to take a walk through the gates of hell and come back.