I am the Holy Poisoner, the Empress advised me to calm down

The host, Dean Zhang, walked onto the stage. "Fellow practitioners, we are gathered here today to discuss the inheritance of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In particular, there have been some recent…" He paused, giving Li Mingxuan a meaningful look, "controversies."

There was a slight commotion in the audience.

"First, let's invite Mr. Wang to the stage."

Old Master Wang walked onto the stage tremblingly, but he looked much more energetic than before and was obviously well prepared.

"My fellow practitioners," said Old Master Wang, his voice soft but clearly audible under the amplification of the microphone. "My Wang family has been practicing medicine for a hundred years. The family secret manual 'Hua Tuo's Divine Prescriptions' is a precious medical text passed down from our ancestors."

There was an immediate buzz of discussion in the audience, and Li Mingxuan cursed in his heart: What "Hua Tuo's Magic Prescriptions" is pure fabrication.

"But not long ago," Old Master Wang said tearfully, "this secret manual was stolen! The person who stole it was Li Mingxuan!"

He pointed and everyone's eyes turned to Li Mingxuan.

Li Mingxuan stood up suddenly and said, "Master Wang, you are slandering me! I have never seen any secret manuals, let alone stolen them."

"You're still quibbling!" Old Master Wang trembled with excitement. "Your medical skills were mediocre before, so how did you suddenly become able to bring people back to health? You must have stolen my family's secret techniques!"

There was an uproar in the audience, and many people began pointing and talking.

Dean Zhang stepped forward at the right moment and said, "To be fair, let's invite several authoritative experts to conduct an appraisal."

As soon as he finished speaking, several middle-aged men wearing glasses walked onto the stage and introduced themselves as experts from the Beijing Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The leading expert cleared his throat. "Our investigation has shown that Li Mingxuan's medical skills have indeed improved significantly in a short period of time. This is indeed suspicious. We've also discovered that some of the prescriptions he used match those recorded in the legendary Hua Tuo's Divine Prescriptions."

"This is pure slander!" Li Mingxuan angrily said, "The Hua Tuo Magical Prescription doesn't even exist!"

"If you say it doesn't exist, then it doesn't exist?" The expert on the stage sneered. "Then explain why you suddenly became able to treat those difficult and complicated diseases?"

Li Mingxuan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "My medical knowledge comes from studying ancient books and practicing. I have never stolen anyone's secret manual. And if the Wang family really has such a secret manual, why can't Mr. Wang cure his own illness?"

This statement hit the nail on the head, and there were voices of agreement from the audience.

Mr. Wang's face changed, and he stammered, "That's because... because I'm old, my eyesight is not good, and I can't see the words in the book clearly..."

"Ha!" Li Mingxuan couldn't help laughing. "Mr. Wang, your reason is too far-fetched, isn't it?"

At this moment, Dean Zhang spoke again: "Since both sides have their own opinions, why don't we have a live competition to see how good Li Mingxuan's medical skills are."

As soon as he finished speaking, several people carried a patient onto the stage. The patient's face was pale, his breathing was weak, and he looked very ill.

"This is a patient we specially brought in," Dean Zhang introduced. "He has a rare disease, and many famous doctors are helpless. If Li Mingxuan is really capable, he should be able to cure him."

Li Mingxuan went forward to check on the patient. He found that the patient was indeed seriously ill, but he soon saw the clues. This was not some rare disease, but symptoms of poisoning, and it was a deliberate poisoning!

He was startled, realizing it was a trap, but in front of so many people, he couldn't back down.

"I need silver needles." Li Mingxuan said in a deep voice.

The Liu family breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Liu's condition improved. The male protagonist visited him daily, carefully observing the changes in the old man's complexion and adjusting the dosage of his medication. The herbs provided by the mountain elder were of excellent quality, some of which were wild species rarely seen on the market.

"This Polygonatum odoratum has been used as a medicine for at least ten years." The male protagonist picked up a piece of the herb and said to the eldest son of the Liu family.

Liu Da nodded, "The old man said it was an inherited herbal medicine that had been stored for decades."

The hero placed the herbs into the medicine jar, thinking to himself that meeting the old man this time was truly a coincidence. However, he also noticed that the Liu family's attitude was a little subtle. They seemed to be hesitant to speak several times, as if they had something to say but were afraid to say it.

"Uncle Liu, just say whatever you want to say." The male protagonist spoke while decocting the medicine.

Liu Da hesitated for a moment, then finally shook his head, "Nothing, I just think your medical skills are amazing."

The male protagonist didn't think much about it and concentrated on decocting the medicine. Little did he know that after he left, the Liu family gathered together and whispered.

"Do you think what those people from the Wang family said is credible?" Liu Da's wife asked in a low voice.

"No matter what they say, let's just look at the results. Dad's condition has indeed improved, and this is more important than anything else." Liu Er is straightforward and waved his hand disdainfully.

Liu Da pondered for a moment. "That being said, the Wang family is still very well-known in this area. If there really is a dispute, it would be difficult for us to get caught in the middle."

"Dad is awake now. You can ask him what he means and you'll know." The Liu family's daughter-in-law suggested.

They walked into the bedroom, where Old Man Liu was leaning against the headboard, looking much better than a few days ago. Seeing his children and grandchildren come in, he gestured for them to sit down.

"I heard everything." The old man spoke slowly. "I know a little about the Wang family. I was quite familiar with Old Man Wang back then. His family does have some ancestral prescriptions, but I've seen those prescriptions before. They're all for treating common illnesses, not secret manuals."

"Then why did the Wang family say that?" Liu Er was puzzled.

The old man smiled bitterly, "It's nothing more than jealousy. I've personally experienced this young man's medical skills over the past few days. It's not something he learned by stealing, he's truly capable."

After hearing this, the Liu family's doubts finally dissipated a little.

At the same time, the Wang family's conspiracy is also intensifying. Several "famous doctors" contacted by Wang Laosan have begun to spread rumors on various occasions, questioning the protagonist's lineage.

"This guy is nothing but a charlatan. He has no real skills," an old Chinese doctor named Huang shouted in the teahouse. "I've been practicing medicine for 50 years and have never seen such a treatment. Either he stole someone else's secret recipe, or he just got lucky."

"That's right. The Wang family has been practicing medicine for generations, and they have a long tradition of family medicine. They say this kid stole the secret book, so it's probably true." Another Chinese medicine doctor echoed.

These rumors quickly spread, causing some discussion in the medical community. However, the male protagonist focused on treating patients and did not pay much attention to these rumors.

Until one day, he met an acquaintance on the street - Li Ming, his senior who had studied medicine with him.

"Junior brother, I heard that you have become very famous recently." Li Ming smiled and patted the male protagonist's shoulder, but there was a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

"I've only cured a few patients, so I can't say I'm famous." The male protagonist answered modestly.