ATPnovel Chapter 404: Is there a problem with the poison?
Chapter 404: Is there a problem with the poison?
Han Zhong spoke extremely fast, as if he were racing against Qin Mu for time, emphasizing each word urgently.
His face was still beaming with a smile, a smile as radiant as peach blossoms in March.
Qin Mu's brows twitched slightly, and a look of realization flashed in his eyes.
He nodded, his tone indifferent.
"So that's how it is. No wonder it looked familiar."
The weight that had been hanging over Han Zhong's heart for so long finally lifted.
His back was soaked with cold sweat, and the wind blew in through the gaps in the tent curtains, chilling him to the bone.
Fan Li was also filled with emotion. Han Zhong truly deserved to be called a great general, and his ability to adapt to changing circumstances was extremely fast.
If it were anyone else, they would have been exposed long ago.
He breathed a sigh of relief, his fingers slowly loosening their grip on the teapot, the blood returning to his fingertips little by little.
He lowered his eyes and turned to leave.
"Wait a moment."
Qin Mu's voice rang out again, not loud, but like a mountain, crashing down on their hearts.
Fan Li stopped in his tracks again, as if he were nailed to the ground.
Han Zhong clenched his fist tightly again under the table.
What did he discover this time? What did he discover this time?!
Qin Mu picked up the teapot in front of him, spout facing down, and filled the teacup in front of Han Zhong with tea.
The amber-colored tea swirled in the cup, and wisps of steam rose, blurring his face.
He put down the teapot, his tone indifferent.
"General, it would be best if you didn't drink. If drinking causes a delay in the task His Majesty has assigned, none of us can bear the responsibility."
He looked up at Fan Li.
"Go and pour tea for General Han as well."
Han Zhong felt a sudden shock, as if he had been hit hard on the back.
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat and he couldn't get them out.
He had no reason to refute it. Liu Bai was right; drinking alcohol leads to trouble, so substituting tea for alcohol is only natural.
Fan Li paused for a moment while holding the teapot, then turned around, lowered his head, and walked up to Han Zhong.
He held the teapot with both hands and filled the teacup in front of Han Zhong.
His fingers were trembling, and a few drops of tea spilled onto the table, gleaming dimly in the candlelight.
He raised his gaze, glanced quickly at Han Zhong, and then quickly lowered it again.
Han Zhong's Adam's apple bobbed as he picked up his teacup.
He felt uneasy; the tea was poisoned, and he would be poisoned if he drank it.
But when his gaze swept over Fan Li, he saw him nod slightly, a nod so light it was as light as if a breeze had blown it.
Han Zhong instantly understood that he would provide him with the antidote.
He felt a little more at ease, brought the teacup to his lips, but didn't drink.
He turned his head to face Qin Mu, a warm and sincere smile spreading across his face, like a rough man apologizing to a master.
"Mr. Liu truly lives up to his reputation as a swordsman. I, Han, am but a mere martial artist, and I have offended you! I beg General Liu not to mention this matter to His Majesty upon your return to the capital!"
Qin Mu waved his hand, his tone indifferent.
"Of course not."
Han Zhong then drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.
As the tea enters the throat, a bitter taste spreads from the tip of the tongue to the throat.
He put down his teacup, picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and put it in his mouth.
He didn't know what the food tasted like. He just chewed and chewed, then swallowed.
Upon seeing this, Fan Li finally breathed a long sigh of relief.
He bowed deeply, picked up the teapot, and turned to walk out of the tent.
The curtain fell behind him with a soft "snap".
Han Zhong sat in the main seat, chewing his food, but his heart felt like a jumble of emotions, a mixture of sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, making it impossible to distinguish what flavor it was.
On one hand, he wanted Liu Bai to be killed, to remove this thorn in his heart; on the other hand, he didn't quite want to.
It's such a pity that such a humble, powerful, and admirable person died here.
He was caught in a dilemma.
But he also knew that there was no turning back for him.
If Liu Bai doesn't die, then he will.
He has no choice but to continue down this path to the bitter end.
He picked up his teacup and took another sip.
The tea had gone cold, and its bitterness had intensified.
After eating for a while, most of the dishes on the table were gone.
Han Zhong picked up the teacup and put it down repeatedly, his palms were sweaty and the cup was slippery, almost slipping from his hands several times.
He made an agreement with Xu Longxiang, Fan Li, and others to use smashing a cup as a signal.
Once Liu Bai shows signs of poisoning, he will immediately smash the cup, and then Xu Longxiang, Yue Shen, Fan Li, and the Yue Shen cult members who are hiding outside will rush in and surround and kill Liu Bai.
Strangely, Liu Bai did not show any signs of discomfort.
He ate his food and drank his tea, his expression was normal, his breathing was steady, and he didn't even frown.
Han Zhong's hand holding the cup seemed a little lost.
He began to suspect that there was something wrong with Fan Li's poison. Was it fake? Was it expired? Had Liu Bai discovered it and secretly switched the tea?
Just then, a strange discomfort surged up from his chest and abdomen, like a cold snake slowly crawling up from his stomach, along his esophagus, and into his limbs and bones.
The true energy in his dantian began to dissipate, like a punctured ball, hissing and leaking out.
He tried to circulate his internal energy to suppress it, but his internal energy was like stagnant water, and he couldn't stir it up no matter what he did.
His head began to spin, the scenery before his eyes swayed, the candlelight flickered, the curtains spun, and even Liu Bai's face became blurry.
One figure became two, and two became four.
His limbs began to go weak, and the teacup in his hand felt as heavy as a mountain. His fingers loosened, and the teacup wobbled on the table but did not fall over.
He quickly steadied him, but his hands were trembling, causing the tea to spill all over the table.
His heart sank; the poison was taking effect! Fan Li's poison was real, but it was taking longer than he had expected!
His expression changed slightly, but he quickly suppressed it.
He glanced at Liu Bai across from him. Liu Bai was still eating, his expression was normal, his breathing was steady, and there was nothing unusual about him.
A deep chill ran through him.
Liu Bai's strength is too great. This poison won't take effect so quickly, and it might even be suppressed by his powerful internal energy, making it impossible to detect from the outside.
He took a deep breath, put down his teacup, and stood up, holding onto the edge of the table.
His legs felt a little weak, his knees bent slightly, but he forced them to straighten again.
"Mr. Liu, I need to go out to use the restroom."
His voice was steady, and there was nothing unusual about it.
Qin Mu nodded without saying anything and continued eating.
Han Zhong turned around and walked out of the tent.
His steps were steady, each step firm and solid, but his hands, which were holding the curtain, were trembling, and they were trembling again when he lifted the curtain.
He stepped out of the tent, and the night wind rushed towards him, carrying the smell of gunpowder and blood.
He took a deep breath, and the cool air filled his lungs, making him more alert.
He strode quickly toward the tent where Fan Li was.
His pace quickened and quickened until he was almost running.
The black iron armor clanged as it ran, making a series of loud clattering sounds that were particularly jarring in the silent camp.
Halfway there, a figure emerged from the shadows of the tent and blocked his path.
Fan Li was dressed as a soldier, with a thin face and his three long wisps of beard already hidden.
His hand emerged from his sleeve, holding a brown pill in his palm, which gleamed dimly in the moonlight.
He didn't say anything, but simply handed the pills to Han Zhong.
Without hesitation, Han Zhong grabbed the pill, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without even chewing it.
The pill went down his throat, bitter and spicy, like swallowing a lump of chili powder, burning his throat painfully.
He bent over, covered his mouth, and coughed violently a few times, tears welling up in his eyes.
A moment later, the cold discomfort receded like the tide.
The true energy in his dantian returned, his limbs regained their strength, and his dizziness gradually disappeared.
He straightened up, panting heavily, like a fish that had been stranded for too long and was finally thrown back into the water.
Fan Li stared at him, her voice urgent.
"How is it? Has the poison taken effect on Liu Bai?"
Han Zhong shook his head, his expression grave.
"No. He ate and drank well, his complexion was normal, and he didn't even frown!"
Fan Li's brows furrowed sharply, forming a deep "川" (river) shape between them.
"That can't be! I personally prepared the poison, administered it myself, and watched him drink it! There's no way there wouldn't be a reaction!"
Han Zhong thought for a moment, then hesitated before saying, "Isn't this medicine slow to take effect for people with high levels of strength?"
Fan Li shook his head, his tone resolute.
"No. As long as it's a person, the onset time is the same. Because this poison doesn't target strength; it only targets the body. As long as it's a person, they will be poisoned, and the effects will take hold at the same time."
Han Zhong frowned, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.
"So what's going on?"
Fan Li's expression suddenly changed, turning deathly pale in an instant.
His lips were slightly parted, and his voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from deep in his throat.
"There's only one possibility. Liu Bai has been poisoned, but he's forcibly suppressed the poison with his powerful internal energy, so you can't tell from his appearance!"
Han Zhong also realized this, and his expression suddenly changed!
His pupils contracted slightly, and his fingers clenched tightly.
That old fox, having lived for so long, must have sensed something was wrong the moment the poison took effect!
Then, without making a sound, he used his internal energy to suppress the poison, pretending that he knew nothing, and continued to eat, drink tea, and deal with them.
He knows everything! He's noticed everything! He just doesn't say anything!
He was like a cat lurking in the shadows, watching these rats scurrying around in front of him, a cold smile on his lips, waiting for them to slip up on their own!
Han Zhong's back was covered in cold sweat, and it felt icy cold.
Fan Li stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and her fingers turned white from the force.
"This is terrible! Go back to the camp immediately and check!"
Han Zhong's feet didn't move, as if they were nailed to the ground.
His lips were trembling, and his voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible.
"What if he did it on purpose? What if he was just waiting for us to make a move? A dying immortal's last stand is not to be underestimated! I could very well die there!"
Fan Li released his arm, took a step back, and stared into his eyes.
His voice was steady, and every word was like a nail driven into Han Zhong's ears.
"Don't worry. If he's already severely poisoned, he'll be less than a tenth of his current strength and definitely can't beat you! Besides, we'll go in immediately if there's any movement! Moon Goddess and my lord have already arrived!"
Han Zhong's Adam's apple bobbed, and a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.
He gritted his teeth, his cheeks puffed out, and his teeth clenched so hard they made a grinding sound.
He turned around abruptly and walked towards the main tent.
The pace was fast and heavy, each step feeling like walking on a knife's edge.
Han Zhong lifted the tent flap, bent down, and went inside.
When he saw what was inside the tent, he was instantly stunned!