From the beginning of Swordsman, he created a legend in the martial arts world.

Sha Xiong raised his eyes, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, and stared directly at Sha Luo: "An opportunity? Perhaps, but it could very well be a double-edged sword, or even an uncontrollable tiger."

"Luo'er, have you considered this? If we use the clan's treasures to detoxify and heal him, and he recovers, given the swordsmanship you witnessed that day, who in Black Stone Village can stop him if he wants to leave? Wouldn't we have ended up with nothing?"

Upon hearing this, Shaluo was speechless. He had only thought about how Meng Fei's swordsmanship was so powerful that he could use it. He was also blinded by the life-saving grace and the possible assistance he might receive, and had not thought deeply about the issue of control and backlash.

"This... Father is absolutely right. It was my oversight. In Father's opinion... what should we do? Should we just give up?"

"give up?"

Sha Xiong curled a cold smile at the corner of his mouth and slowly shook his head: "How can we easily give up such a rare 'sharp weapon'? Since we cannot guarantee that he will work for us willingly, then we will make him 'have no choice' to stay and serve my Black Stone Village."

"What does Father mean...?"

Sharo seemed to understand something, but he wasn't sure.

Sha Xiong stood up, walked to a cabinet on one side of the secret room, and took out a small bottle, no bigger than a thumb, from a hidden compartment. The bottle was made of neither jade nor stone, and its body seemed to have a faint light flowing around it, exuding an ominous tranquility.

"This poison is called 'Qianji'."

Sha Xiong's voice was deep and steady, yet it carried a chilling quality that sent shivers down one's spine.

"I spent ten years of my life collecting seven kinds of extremely poisonous substances from the Miao region and combining them with three kinds of exotic poisons. I used a secret method to refine it, which is specifically designed to target... those martial arts practitioners in the Central Plains with profound internal strength."

At this point, a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "The most intriguing aspect of this poison lies in its interplay with the characteristics of Central Plains internal energy. The deeper one's internal energy, the more deeply the poison takes root. If the poisoned person overexerts their energy or attempts to forcibly expel the poison with their internal energy, it will only stimulate the poison to spread faster, eroding the meridians, ultimately rendering it incurable. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

Sharo was listening intently and couldn't help but ask further questions.

"Unless one abandons their martial arts and dissipates all the internal energy they have painstakingly cultivated, the poison of 'Qianji', which has lost its support, can be gradually expelled from the body during the period of weakness caused by the abandonment of their martial arts."

Sha Xiong sneered: "But for martial artists, especially swordsmen with superb swordsmanship, what difference is there between crippling one's martial arts and death? Even if he breaks free from the 'tethering' at that time, he will have become a cripple, no longer a threat, and of no value."

Sharo gasped, his eyes filled with awe as he looked at the small black bottle.

"Father, are you saying... that while we were treating his existing injuries and the deadly poison, we secretly administered this 'Tethering Poison'?"

"good."

Sha Xiong carefully put away the small black bottle and turned to look at Sha Luo.

"On the surface, we did everything we could, using the best medicines to neutralize the poison and treat his internal injuries, so that he could feel our 'sincerity' and 'kindness'."

"Secretly, the poison of 'Tethering Mechanism' was mixed in. This poison's properties do not conflict with the medicinal properties of most poisons, and it is extremely difficult to detect, even if his swordsmanship is superb."

Sha Xiong returned to his seat, his tone regaining its original composure and decisiveness.

"Once his injuries gradually heal and his internal energy resumes circulation, 'Qianji' will coexist with his internal energy. If he's sensible enough to serve our Black Stone Stronghold, I'll provide him with relief medicine regularly. If he insists on leaving, hehe, then don't blame me..."

Although Sha Xiong did not finish speaking, his unspoken meaning was already crystal clear.

Upon hearing this, Sharo's eyes shone brightly, as if all her previous concerns had vanished.

"Brilliant plan! Father, this plan is brilliant! In this way, Meng Fei's 'sharp sword' will truly be in the hands of our Black Stone Village!"

"This matter requires utmost caution."

Looking at the excited Shaluo, Shaxiong solemnly gave him some instructions.

"The dosage of 'Qianji' and the timing of the poisoning must be controlled by Father. You should make the arrangements tomorrow, and let Elder Long do his best to treat him and stabilize his injuries as soon as possible, so as to create a suitable opportunity to administer the poison."

"In addition, you need to play your role well in front of him, and be careful not to arouse his suspicion."

"Yes, Father, I understand!"

Sharo's face revealed a confident smile.

The following morning, Sha Xiong personally led several of the village's most skilled doctors to treat Meng Fei.

"Did you rest well last night, Young Master Meng?"

Sha Xiong's face was kind, and his concern was evident in his words. At the same time, he did not forget to introduce the several doctors beside him.

"These are the most skilled elders in the Black Stone Village, each with their own expertise. Young hero's injuries are complex and cannot be treated by one person alone. Therefore, we have invited them to come together to find the best treatment for you."

Meng Fei immediately stood up to greet them. Although he was still wary, the other party's lineup and "posture" showed great sincerity.

"Thank you for your trouble, Chief and all the seniors."

After the pleasantries were over, the diagnosis and treatment began immediately.

The veteran doctors gathered around, taking turns examining Meng Fei's pulse and checking his old injuries. One of them showed particular interest in the potent poison in his body.

During the diagnosis, the doctors would sometimes talk in hushed tones, and sometimes they would argue because of their different opinions. Their conversations included a lot of names of poisons unique to Miao areas, pathological terms, and some strange theories. Meng Fei listened from the sidelines and was secretly alarmed.

Although he had some knowledge of Central Plains medicine and toxicology, the Miao people's techniques were very different from those in the Central Plains. He had never heard of many of the terms used, and their methods were far more bizarre than he had ever known.

This made him think more highly of Black Stone Village's heritage, and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude.

Despite the debate, the group was clearly very concerned about Meng Fei's injuries. Sha Xiong remained silent, only occasionally trying to calm the heated arguments. In the end, a treatment method that combined the opinions of several people and seemed extremely safe was determined.

From then on, different doctors came to the bamboo house every day.

Their methods varied: some were skilled at brewing decoctions with rare herbs to strengthen the body and neutralize some of the toxicity; others were proficient in acupuncture and massage, using special techniques to stimulate acupoints and clear internal energy and accumulated toxins; still others were adept at using poison, and actually tried to "fight poison with poison," using the venom of some poisonous insects with special properties to neutralize and counteract some of the toxicity in Meng Fei's body.

The treatment process was slow and cautious, and Meng Fei also endured various discomforts and pains during the detoxification process.

But the effect was obvious. His complexion gradually regained some color, and even the toxins in his body were completely contained, no longer spreading or worsening.

This gave Meng Fei a real sense of hope for his recovery, and he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Heishizhai, especially the dedicated doctors.

However, on the tenth day of treatment, the taciturn doctor, whom Sha Xiong called "Old Dragon," brought a bowl of medicine that was said to be made from herbs treasured by the village chief, used to powerfully draw out the toxins.

Meng Fei, without suspicion, took the bowl of medicine and drank it down.

When the medicinal soup entered my stomach, I initially felt a spicy, hot current spreading out, which clashed with the remaining toxins in my body, bringing an unbearable cramping pain. However, it quickly transformed into a strange, warm sensation, which seemed to have indeed played a significant role in eliminating the remaining toxins.

After carefully observing Meng Fei's reaction, Elder Long nodded silently, then packed up the medicine bowl and left.

However, within that bowl of medicinal soup, a colorless, odorless, and peculiar poison called "Qianji" had silently seeped into Meng Fei's meridians and blood.