svetikya Chapter 135, Section 5: Ancestor Luo, the First Nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, Zheng Chun
Chapter 135, Section 5: Ancestor Luo, the First Nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, Zheng Chun
Chapter 135 Duan Wuluo Ancestor, the First Nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, Zhengchun
The king of all poisons, the Manggu Toad.
Legend has it that this beast is the mount of the plague god, feeding on all kinds of poisons in the world, possessing all poisons in its body, and spewing out crimson poisonous smoke that can turn people and animals into pus and blood.
For a divine physician like Cheng Lingsu, the difference between poison and medicine is not significant; the more poisonous the substance, the more likely it is to be used to refine miraculous elixirs and life-saving pills.
However, venomous insects such as the Manggu Toad, the Ten Thousand Poison Toad, the Different Ice Silkworm, the Jade Scaled Snow Python, and the Purple Jade Pipa Scorpion are extremely rare, appearing only once every hundred years.
Even if one were lucky enough to encounter these highly poisonous creatures, eight or nine out of ten would be poisoned to death because they didn't know how to catch them. Famous doctors who could use them to make medicine were extremely rare.
Even the Poison Hand Medicine King Master Wu Chen, the head of the Wen family, the Poison Master Wen Wan, the leader of the Five Poisons Sect He Tieshou, and the head of the Tang Clan, Old Madam Tang, had only seen a portion of them.
Apart from Duan Yu and Zhong Ling, everyone present had heard of the Manggu Toad's name, but had never seen it.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see a small toad, about two inches long, crimson red with golden eyes, lying in a crevice in the stone wall. Its mouth was open, the thin skin under its neck trembled, and its croaking sounded like an old ox drinking water.
The Manggu Toad feeds on poisonous creatures, and its favorite food is the venom sacs of various poisonous insects and beasts. This Manggu Toad originally came in pursuit of a large centipede, but unexpectedly, Cheng Lingsu caught the centipede first, which enraged the Manggu Toad.
Spirit beasts of this level are quite intelligent, but no matter how human-like they are, they are still beasts. Hunger and eating are the instincts of beasts, so they don't care about danger.
Holding the centipede in one hand and unfastening the leopard pouch from her sleeve with the other, Cheng Lingsu shouted, "Brother Xu, you must retreat quickly! The Manggu Toad is adept at spewing poisonous mist; inhaling even a tiny bit will paralyze your entire body!"
Xu Qingya encouraged her, "Ling Su, I'll pick up my brush here and paint a picture for you called 'The Goddess Physician's Clever Capture of the Plague God's Mount.' Everyone, step back behind me and leave the space for Ling Su. Ling Su will definitely succeed."
Everyone quickly hid behind Xu Qingya. Duan Yu wanted to watch the excitement, but Zhong Ling forcibly pulled him over.
"Brother Duan, are you out of your mind?! The Manggu Toad is the king of all poisons, the most poisonous creature in the world!"
"Shouldn't we help Miss Cheng?"
"Even with Brother Xu's martial arts skills, he still needed to retreat to the other side of the stone chamber, let alone us. Sister Lingsu's medical skills are superb; she must be adept at catching poisonous insects!"
Zhong Ling offered a few words of explanation, saying that she felt Xu Qingya was by no means a coward, but she still felt a little awkward about letting Cheng Lingsu face the Manggu Toad alone.
Xu Qingya grabbed Duan Yu: "Brother Duan, there is a sequence to learning, and everyone has their own expertise. Catching poisonous insects and beasts is Ling Su's specialty. If we go over there, Ling Su will have to take care of us as well, and we might even get into danger."
Yin Susu added, "Brother Duan, we sisters all have our own specialties. If someone who is an outsider messes up our area of expertise, we will feel very angry no matter how close we are."
Hua Baifeng said, "This is a matter of dignity! If we go to help, wouldn't that be disrespecting Madam Cheng?"
Qin Nanqin complained, "Bai Feng, use a different word next time you speak. The way you say it makes people think you're trying to use someone else to do your dirty work. To be honest, that's what I think too. That's really hurtful!"
When they introduced themselves earlier, the women only mentioned their surnames and not their given names. Duan Yu knew that these beauties were all "Madam Xu" and did not ask for their maiden names. When he heard Qin Nanqin's words, Duan Yu was stunned.
What is the name of this "Sister-in-law Hua"?
Is her name "Bai Feng"?
Although there are probably tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of women with "Phoenix" in their names, this is still too much of a coincidence.
While they were talking, Cheng Lingsu engaged in a fierce battle with the Manggu Toad. The Manggu Toad opened its mouth and spewed out a cloud of red smoke. Cheng Lingsu dodged it and popped two paper packets out of her sleeve. One contained realgar powder, and the other contained pungent and stimulating incense powder, which was the best counter to poisonous insects.
Cheng Lingsu's dress is called the Misty Cloud Robe, a masterpiece of the Divine Needle Xue family. It is specially made for women who are skilled in hidden weapons and poisons. The wide-sleeved robe is exquisite and elegant. The dress is made of two layers: the inner layer is made of fire silkworm silk and the outer layer is made of ice silkworm silk. It is warm in winter and cool in summer, and it is difficult to be harmed by swords. The sleeves have many pockets that can store various medicines.
With just a flick of her sleeve, she can throw medicinal powder, fling out silver needles, and even assist in wielding a grappling hook and lasso. Even Old Mrs. Tang likes to wear the Misty Cloud Robe.
Cheng Lingsu used realgar and musk to block the poisonous smoke. With her right hand, she reached behind her back and pulled out a leather bag that was more than a foot long and as thick as an arm. With a flick of her left hand, she threw the centipede into the leather bag. Then, with a light flick of her fingers, she took out a small white flower from her belt and laid out a path of petals.
One end of the petal pressed against the mouth of the Manggu Toad, while the other end revealed the leather pouch that had just been taken out. Cheng Lingsu took two steps back, waiting for the Manggu Toad to take the bait.
This trap is too simple; it can only fool mindless sparrows. Anyone with a little bit of sense, like a weasel or a fox, is almost impossible to fall for it.
Toads are naturally not as intelligent as foxes, but the Manggu Toad is a mythical beast with extremely high intelligence. How could the Manggu Toad possibly fall for such a simple trap?
Everyone held their breath and watched intently.
Even the sound of breathing felt noisy.
"Snapped!"
Cheng Lingsu snapped her fingers.
Provoked, the Manggu Toad couldn't help but stick out its long tongue and snatch away a small white flower. Instead of jumping with its powerful hind legs, it crawled step by step with its short forelimbs and swallowed the petals whole.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, the Manggu Toad slowly devoured the petals, following the path of the petals into the leather pouch. Cheng Lingsu tugged at her wrist; she wore a hollow bracelet containing gold and silver threads used for pulse diagnosis, the other end of which was tied to the leather pouch.
With a tug on the wrist, the spring of the leather pouch was pulled by the gold and silver threads, and the buckle was closed, trapping the Manggu Toad inside. The pouch was lined with fish skin inside, tanned with leopard skin on the outside, and covered with two layers of suede. Even if the Golden Silkworm Gu, which swallows gold and chews iron, were torn apart, it would take one or two days to break it open. Although the Manggu Toad was highly venomous, it had no sharp teeth or claws and could not escape no matter what.
The leather bag was made by Xu Qingya and is a common item for hunters in Liaodong. It is commonly known as "leather wonton" and is often used to trap weasels, with a success rate of about 60% to 70%.
Plucking a few feathers from a chicken's rear end, smearing egg white inside a leather bag, and placing it near the chicken coop, one could gather enough for a leather vest during the coldest winter months.
The small white flower that Cheng Lingsu used to lure the Manggu Toad was not an ordinary poisonous plant, but a Seven-Heart Begonia, the finest among poisonous flowers and plants. To this day, no one but Cheng Lingsu has been able to produce its petals; no one else has such an ability.
The Manggu Toad had expended a great deal of energy chasing the centipede and was already starving. How could it resist the temptation when it suddenly encountered the Seven-Heart Begonia?
After eating one piece, I couldn't resist any longer. My peanut-sized brain was completely blinded by the Seven-Heart Begonia.
By the time the giant toad realized what was happening, it had already been swallowed by the wonton skin and could no longer climb out.
Cheng Lingsu was quite looking forward to the poisonous creatures of Miao territory and asked Xu Qingya if he could make traps to catch them. Xu Qingya spent half a day making three wonton wrappers.
They thought catching a few spiders and snakes would be enough to make their efforts worthwhile, but they never expected to catch a giant toad. With Cheng Lingsu's medical skills, she would surely be able to fully utilize the medicinal properties of the giant toad.
If you eat it directly like Duan Yu did, you risk being poisoned and wasting a lot of the medicine's potency.
Xu Qingya flattered, "Excellent! As expected of the Poison Hand Medicine King's personal disciple, who else in the world can capture the Vermilion Toad with such composure and ease as Ling Su? I've certainly broadened my horizons!"
Yin Susu asked, "Lingsu! I've heard that if you make a pill from the Manggu Toad and refine it with your true qi, it can change your constitution, making you immune to all poisons. Do you know how to prepare the medicine? What kinds of auxiliary ingredients are needed?"
Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "We need white sugar!"
"Can white sugar be used to make elixirs?"
Xu Qingya rubbed his chin, thinking to himself that this was a good project. Most poisons are hard to taste and can be detected with just one bite. Poison masters pursue colorless and odorless deadly poisons. If he could make the poison sweet and hide it in sweet and sour carp, no one should be able to find it, right?
Cheng Lingsu asked mischievously, "Brother Xu, what's something sweet, sticky, and that bounces around in your mouth? Do you remember that riddle?"
Xu Qingya's face darkened.
Zhong Ling asked, "What is it? Is it some kind of precious candy? Is it delicious?"
Duan Yu shook his head. He remembered that when his father coaxed his mother when he was a child, he used the same tone. The two of them were obviously flirting and saying some intimate words.
Xu Qingya patted Zhong Ling on the shoulder: "It's a toad dipped in sugar. It tastes sweet, and its skin is sticky and tingly. It's also very good at hopping around."
Zhong Ling: Ugh... Ugh...
Duan Yu: Your family's sweet talk is really interesting!
Cheng Lingsu smiled and said, "There are two basic uses for the Manggu Toad. One is to refine Gu worms, which are called Toad Treasures in Miao territory. It is the king of Gu worms. Only two people in the history of Miao territory have succeeded in making it!"
Another use is in refining elixirs to cleanse the marrow and strengthen the body, greatly enhancing poison resistance. While it cannot be claimed to be immune to all poisons, it can effectively neutralize 99% of plant and animal toxins in the world.
Hua Baifeng asked, "Refining elixirs requires rare medicinal herbs as auxiliary ingredients. What are they?"
Cheng Lingsu patted the wonton wrapper: "It requires the inner core of a hundred-year-old centipede, also called the Hundred Herbs Pearl. The centipede's Hundred Herbs Pearl and the Manggu Toad's toxins are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. The Manggu Toad chased the centipede earlier, presumably because it was eyeing the centipede's Hundred Herbs Pearl; it's an animal's feeding instinct!"
This time, upon entering Wuliang Mountain, they not only obtained the Northern Darkness Divine Skill and the Lingbo Steps, but also captured the Manggu Toad. Instead of leaving, the group decided to have a picnic there.
Xu Qingya carried a wine pouch on his back and had condiments in his belt. He caught some fish and shrimp in the water, grilled them by the lake, and chatted about interesting stories from the martial arts world. He was quite happy and carefree, embodying the spirit of the "Free and Unfettered Sect".
Xu Qingya was in charge of catching, killing, and grilling the fish, and then feeding the grilled fish to the beauty. Even Hua Baifeng and Qin Nanqin did not offer any help, but waited to eat on the side. They were hardly acting like maids.
Duan Yu asked cautiously, "Brother Xu, everyone in your family has their own duties, right?"
Xu Qingya nodded.
"Brother Xu's job is—to cook?"
"My senior apprentice is a chef, and I'm quite confident in my culinary skills, especially when it comes to grilling wild game."
As he spoke, Xu Qingya handed a skewer of grilled shrimp and a grilled fish to Zhong Ling: "Little Ling'er, try Brother Xu's cooking skills, it's so delicious you'll eat your tongue off!"
Zhong Ling covered her mouth: "No, no! If I eat my tongue, how will I speak now?!"
Duan Yu asked, "Brother Xu, are you really an envoy from the Han Dynasty? How come I didn't know?"
Xu Qingya joked, "Because you sneaked out before the official letter arrived in Dali's capital. But don't worry, I sneaked out too. We'll give each other false testimony, saying we were sightseeing in Dali, discussing poetry, songs, calligraphy, and painting, and lost track of time!"
Duan Yu was very interested upon hearing this. Ever since he met Xu Qingya, Xu Qingya seemed to be omnipotent.
He can jump off a hundred-foot cliff without hesitation, even while holding someone, and emerge unharmed. He has a remarkable understanding of martial arts sects, poisonous insects and beasts, the I Ching and Bagua, and even physiognomy. He is definitely not an ordinary person.
Duan Yu was a highly learned scholar, so he naturally knew how difficult it was to learn so much knowledge. He studied day and night, but even now, he only had some expertise in subjects like Go and the I Ching, and he didn't know any martial arts. Xu Qingya was a year or two older than him. How did he learn so much cultural knowledge while practicing martial arts so diligently?
Putting everything else aside, just considering his calligraphy and painting skills, a painting he casually made impressed Duan Yu.
Duan Yu never dreamed that one day he would be willing to hang his self-portrait in his study.
Most people decorate their rooms with paintings that depict landscapes, everyday scenes, or flowers and birds; who would hang their own?
However, Xu Qingya's painting of "Duan Yu" was so exquisite that Duan Yu thought long and hard and felt that none of the famous paintings in his collection could compare to it!
Furthermore, this is a gift from the Marquis of Jing'an of the Han Dynasty to the Crown Prince of Dali. It would be perfectly reasonable for him to hang it in his own study, or even in the imperial palace.
Thinking of this, Duan Yu had a sudden thought. Given his uncle and father's temperaments, they might really hang these paintings and calligraphy in the Imperial Study or the Prince of Zhennan's Mansion. If they could leave him two or three paintings, it would already be a blessing from his ancestors.
Zhong Ling asked, "Brother Xu, I snuck out to watch the excitement, Brother Duan was forced to learn martial arts by his father, but what's Brother Xu's reason? Could it be to travel and enjoy the scenery with your four sisters-in-law?"
Xu Qingya said, "Little Ling'er is really smart. I just came here to travel and enjoy the scenery. Brother Duan, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't value Dali, but I received news that the sorcerers of the Heavenly Mandate Sect want to stir up trouble in Dali and plot a grand conspiracy to change the dynasty. They also want Dali to send troops north. If they succeed, the border will inevitably be filled with bloodshed. I'm here to find clues."
Duan Yu asked, "Brother Xu, what kind of sect is the Heavenly Mandate Sect? Why did they start a war?"
Xu Qingya stretched out his fingers and counted: "About a hundred years ago, the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty ordered the extermination of demons. The two sects and six paths of the demonic sects suffered heavy losses. Some fled to distant lands, while others went into hiding and endured. A large number of surviving demonic sect masters gathered their unique skills and formed the Heavenly Mandate Sect!"
The Heavenly Mandate Sect, primarily based on the Yin Gui School, claims to follow the will of Heaven and act according to divine will. In reality, they excel in the art of the bedroom, cultivating handsome men and beautiful women to enter the inner quarters of important figures, either as concubines or mistresses.
The Heavenly Mandate Sect has perfected the art of using beauty traps, even sending disciples to the imperial harem to become the emperor's favorite concubines and bewitch him into neglecting state affairs.
The Yin Gui sect worships outstanding figures like the Eight Immortals and Empress Lü, while the Tianming sect worships wicked concubines like Meixi, Daji, and Baosi. From the moment they established their beliefs, they were destined to bring disaster to the country and its people.
Brother Duan, don't underestimate the Heavenly Mandate Sect.
You don't understand these people's methods.
Countless righteous heroes and chivalrous figures have been tricked by the Heavenly Mandate Sect. At best, they are devastated and live in seclusion, drinking away their days. At worst, they become lackeys of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, fall into the demonic path, and their lifelong reputation is ruined.
If the Heavenly Mandate Sect wants to scheme against Dali, having a member of the royal family is their best breakthrough point!
This royal nobleman was notorious for his womanizing. In his youth, he traveled the world, leaving behind countless lovers and numerous romantic tales. If a few of his former lovers were to come looking for him, he would likely fall for them.
Brother Duan, please be very careful!
While Xu Qingya said "be careful," he was thinking that if the Heavenly Mandate Sect sent a disciple to plot against him, given the methods of the "Five Luo Ancestors," he would most likely fall completely in love and betray his sect for "Duan Lang."
This is absolutely not an exaggeration.
No matter how dazzling the methods of the Heavenly Mandate Sect may be, it is still a demonic sect. All that is seen and heard is bloodshed and violence, and all that is thought and felt is conspiracy and intrigue. From top to bottom, where is there even a trace of sincerity? Who can receive even a sliver of warmth?
Unfortunately, Duan Zhengchun is extremely two-faced when it comes to love. He is both a scumbag among scumbags and a devoted lover among devoted lovers. He says different things to different lovers, but all of them are sincere.
Duan Zhengchun was an "impulsive and infatuated man"!
In front of Qin Hongmian, he said, "Even if I die under the Shura Blade, I will still be romantic as a ghost." In front of Gan Baobao, he said, "I am willing to live in seclusion with you in the deep mountains." In front of Ruan Xingzhu, he said, "Although you have abandoned your two daughters, I will still love you dearly until death." Even after Kang Min and the two met, they still had a deep affection for each other.
Even though Kang Min poisoned Duan Zhengchun, trying to kill him bit by bit, Duan Zhengchun still marveled at how beautiful Kang Min's hands were, truly delicate and graceful!
If a beautiful woman were to die in front of Duan Zhengchun, Duan Zhengchun would immediately commit suicide by sword, without lingering for even a moment.
However, if the beauty is not by his side, he will fall in love with every new woman he meets and will never reminisce about her.
This intense emotion might be annoying to others, who might think this person is trash.
When facing the disciples of the Heavenly Mandate Sect, as long as Duan Zhengchun gives them a moment of tenderness, a few points of sincerity, and a few points of warmth, most of them will willingly fall for him, not to mention that what Duan Zhengchun gives to beauties is always extremely passionate.
Having been separated for over a decade, Qin Hongmian and Gan Baobao might harbor resentment, but the disciples of the Heavenly Mandate Sect would not. They desperately hoped that their beloved would stay far away, not come looking for them, and live safely under the protection of the Imperial Guards.
The witch's nemesis is "sincerity".
Unfortunately, Duan Zhengchun was sincere all along.
The Heavenly Mandate Sect sent ten of its direct disciples to try every means to seduce Duan Zhengchun. In the end, at least eight of them failed miserably. Duan Zhengchun, a seemingly dissolute but actually devoted eccentric, was the nemesis of the Heavenly Mandate Sect.
If the Heavenly Mandate Sect were to analyze the problems of the Dali court using the concepts of the Central Plains, and scheme against Duan Zhengchun from the perspective of romantic philanderers and lovesick men and women, they would suffer a terrible defeat.
You can't say that to Duan Yu!
We can't say it directly, at least not for now!
Duan Yu asked, "Brother Xu, who is this member of the royal family you're talking about? Something seems off about them."
"Brother Duan, have you read 'A New Account of Tales of the World'?"
"I've read it!"
The "Upright and Honest" section of *A New Account of Tales of the World* records a short story about Chen Taiqiu making an appointment to travel with a friend—
"Brother Xu, I understand!"
Duan Yu shook his head with a wry smile.
"A New Account of Tales of the World" is both a collection of jokes and a collection of unofficial histories. Many "famous unofficial histories," especially those from the Three Kingdoms period, come from this book.
The biggest victim was none other than Cao Pi.
The author is a staunch hater of Cao Pi, who has fabricated countless unofficial histories. The famous "Seven Steps Poem" was first recorded in "A New Account of Tales of the World," and there are also stories about imitating a donkey's braying, but there are hardly any good words about it.
Xu Qingya's story is as follows: Chen Taiqiu made an appointment to go out with a friend. When the time came, his friend did not arrive. At that time, there were no cell phones, so it was impossible to communicate in time. Chen Taiqiu left on his own. Not long after he left, his friend arrived and happened to meet Chen Taiqiu's son. He couldn't help but complain a few words. In order to defend his father, Chen Taiqiu's son left a classic angry retort: "To scold one's father is disrespectful!"
With Duan Yu's extensive knowledge, he naturally knew that Xu Qingya was indirectly saying, "I really want to curse your father!"
Duan Yu: Brother Xu, you are truly refined!