Poison Doctor Roaming the Martial World

Night falls in the Imperial Study

"Your Excellency, quickly report to His Majesty that the Director of the Imperial Observatory, Wu Xiang, requests an audience!"

Holding the Ziwei Dipper, Wuxiang strode into the palace. He had rushed all the way from the Star Gazing Platform. The spring night was still a bit chilly, and Wuxiang managed to break out in a sweat.

Upon hearing Wuxiang's call, the young eunuch dared not delay in the slightest, replying, "Yes, sir, please wait a moment!"

Wuxiang Jianzheng is a direct disciple of Master Konghui, and His Majesty specially invited him from Anguo Temple.

Over the years, Wuxiang has never taken the initiative to request an audience with His Majesty. His arrival so late at night must mean something important has happened, and it absolutely cannot be delayed.

Soon, the eunuch sent word that Wuxiang should come to see him.

Wu Xiang entered the imperial study and, upon seeing Emperor Dongli and Empress Dongli, immediately knelt before them, his voice trembling: "Your subject Wu Xiang greets Your Majesty."

Emperor Dongli helped Wuxiang up, saying, "My dear minister, there's no need for such formalities. What brings you to this audience so late at night?"

Over the years, Emperor Dongli has worked diligently and conscientiously in the affairs of the state, but now his temples are already streaked with white, and he is no longer as spirited as he once was.

Back then, Master Konghui once peeked into the secrets of heaven and forcibly calculated the birth time of the Phoenix Star. As a result, he suffered a severe backlash, which caused him to be paralyzed on one side for ten years.

He was later treated by a mysterious person and his body recovered.

But since then, Master Konghui has stopped observing the stars and divining, and devoted himself to Zen meditation and enlightenment.

Left with no other choice, Emperor Dongli had to invite Wuxiang, a disciple of Master Konghui, to oversee the Imperial Observatory.

Kong Hui prophesied that the Phoenix Maiden was born in Dongli, and she must be firmly held in her own hands.

More than a decade has passed, and the three baby girls who were thought to be the Phoenix Girls back then have all grown up.

Of the three, Li Leru undoubtedly holds the highest position.

However, since getting married, she has become much more gloomy and has completely lost the charm and temperament that a phoenix woman should have.

How could someone like her possibly bring unprecedented prosperity to Dongli?

Jin Ling'er was a princess bestowed upon her by his own hand. Apart from her family having some wealth and being somewhat literate, she didn't seem to have any other outstanding qualities.

As for Yang Jianwu, who was disfigured... she was utterly useless...

I grew up on the frontier. I only met him briefly at a palace banquet two years ago. He could only sing a few songs and didn't seem like someone with great ambitions...

I've heard that because of his ugly appearance, no one has dared to propose marriage to him yet...

This made him sigh. If it weren't for the backlash Kong Hui suffered, he probably would have doubted whether the Phoenix Maiden really existed or was just a fabricated legend.

"Your Majesty, I observed the celestial phenomena last night. The Purple Palace in the eastern part of the city has shifted, and the omen of Mars guarding the heart of the sky has suddenly appeared!"

Dark clouds loomed overhead above the Grand Tutor's mansion, with glimpses of blood-red light shooting into the sky—an ominous sign of 'the earth's veins cracking and evil spirits roaming freely'!

Emperor Dongli frowned. If someone else had reported this, he would have suspected that they were trying to frame the Grand Tutor's family. But Wuxiang was someone he had personally invited...

Grand Tutor Yao had retired to his hometown many years ago, but recently he was suddenly brought back to the capital and even had his granddaughter attend the spring banquet hosted by Ye'er. Could this have been premeditated?

As the candlelight flickered, Emperor Dongli lightly tapped his fingertips on the imperial desk, pondered for a moment, and then ordered: "Issue an imperial decree, ordering the Imperial Guards to immediately surround and search the Grand Tutor's residence, without causing any disturbance—"

Before the words were finished, a muffled thunderous explosion suddenly came from the east of the city, making the bronze furnace inside the hall hum.

"Someone! Go and find out what just happened!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Wu Xiang knelt on the shore, turning the Ziwei Dipper with one hand while rapidly calculating with the fingertips of the other. Before long, his forehead was covered in sweat.

To ensure accuracy, he took out tortoise shells and copper coins from his waist and repeatedly deduced the meaning, with the trigram Li below and the trigram Kun above, indicating that internal difficulties could be overcome by rectifying one's will.

Wu Xiang's voice was hoarse as if tearing silk, "Your Majesty, the Grand Tutor's mansion is shrouded in blood and evil spirits, which is... an omen of treason."

Emperor Dongli's fingertips trembled slightly; a veteran of three dynasties... and now...

Imperial Guards rushed in from outside to report: "Your Majesty, the loud noise just now came from the Grand Tutor's residence. It seems that lightning struck a phoenix tree inside the residence, causing a celestial fire..."

Emperor Dongli moved outside the palace, and sure enough, crimson smoke rose from the direction of the Grand Tutor's residence, and one could almost hear the incessant neighing of the Imperial Horse Stables...

When Han Zhao, the commander of the Imperial Guards, led his troops to break down the gate, the inner courtyard of the Grand Tutor's mansion had already turned into a sea of ​​fire and was in complete chaos.

Yao Yusheng's status was so different from Han Zhao's that she couldn't stop him. Helpless, she could only follow Han Zhao closely and enter the inner courtyard together.

A flustered thought crossed his mind: a whole incense stick's worth of time had passed since the thunderclap started and the fire had spread; Nangong Fu should have already escaped...

Amidst the acrid smoke, countless snakes, rats, insects, and ants surged out of the cracks in the ground like a black tide, their dense swarms sending chills down one's spine.

Centipedes climb pillars, scorpions burrow into tiles, and even a green python as thick as a bowl coils on the beam, its scarlet tongue hissing and gesturing at people running to and fro.

"what--"

Yao Yusheng finally couldn't contain her fear and screamed. She knew Nangong Fu kept a few things in the yard, but she never expected so many terrifying poisonous creatures!

What does Nangong Fu take the Grand Tutor's mansion for?!

The servants in the inner courtyard were terrified by the poison, screaming and fleeing in all directions, almost losing their minds.

"The earth has turned upside down! It's...it's a demon causing trouble!"

"The Grand Tutor's Mansion is cursed! Cursed!!"

"Run! The inner courtyard of the Grand Tutor's mansion is a den of poison!!"

……

Terrified screams rose and fell, plunging the entire inner courtyard into chaos.

Although Yao Yusheng was afraid, she absolutely could not let rumors detrimental to the Grand Tutor's Mansion spread!

"Stop talking nonsense! How dare you slander the reputation of the Grand Tutor's Mansion! Guards, seize them all!"

Han Zhao's Imperial Guards ignored Yao Yusheng's orders, and the people from the Grand Tutor's mansion were either carrying water or putting out fires, so no one responded to Yao Yusheng for a while.

Yao Yusheng was both angry and anxious, and she paced around calling for help.

"Help! Help!! Ah—!"

Han Zhao swung his sword and severed a red-chained snake that was lunging at Yao Yusheng. The snake's head was separated from its body, but it was still wriggling toward Yao Yusheng. Its dark, bright eyes were fixed on Yao Yusheng, revealing a chilling aura.

Startled by the sudden shock, Yao Yusheng felt her vision go black and almost fainted.

Just as she was about to lose consciousness, Han Zhao's words were like ice water poured over her head.

"Miss Yao, please don't faint. Think about how to explain this to His Majesty!"

Yao Yusheng's consciousness was instantly pulled back to reality. She forced herself to stand up and looked at Han Zhao in astonishment, stammering, "Explain what??"

Han Zhao's lips curled up slightly, revealing a cold smile. He did not answer Yao Yusheng's question directly, but instead pointed to a spot not far away.

"Look over there!"

Yao Yusheng looked in the direction Han Zhao pointed and saw two Imperial Guards escorting a person out of the sea of ​​fire.

"Reporting to Commander Han, a maid has been captured in the secret passage of the side room!"

One of the Imperial Guards shouted loudly.

Nangong Fu's heart sank. She couldn't see the woman's face through the smoke, but she hoped it was just a maid from the manor who had mistakenly entered the secret passage...