Chapter 97: Poisoned
"Elder Chen?"
Ye Chen and Liu Yuchan turned around. The newcomer was none other than an Elder from the Treasure Pavilion, Chen Jue!
Chen Jue was panting as he said, "Elder Ye, I've found a lead on the Juedi Sacred Orchid!"
Hearing this, Ye Chen's interest was piqued. He immediately said, "Please tell me, Elder Chen."
Chen Jue looked at Ye Chen and hesitated for a moment. "Sect… Sect Leader Ye…"
"You can address me as you usually do," Ye Chen said faintly.
He was the Sect Leader of the Demon Sect, but he was also a guest Elder of the Treasure Pavilion. That hadn't changed.
Chen Jue let out a sigh of relief. "Elder Ye, according to a reliable source, the moment the Dragon Prison Cave opened, a Great Power sensed the aura of the Juedi Sacred Orchid from within!"
"If you want to get the Juedi Sacred Orchid, I'm afraid you'll have to enter the Dragon Prison Cave and search for it!"
Chen Jue's news undoubtedly confirmed the authenticity of that ancient map.
Ye Chen felt a surge of excitement and said at once, "No matter. I will go and see for myself."
"But Elder Ye, you must be extremely careful!"
"I've heard that many major forces from outside the region have come this time. The Dragon Prison Cave will not be easy to enter!"
Chen Jue said, his face etched with worry.
"Thank you for the warning, Elder Chen. I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay long."
After bidding farewell to Chen Jue, Ye Chen followed Liu Yuchan and Liu Yanran to one of the Liu family's strongholds.
"Is that… the Sect Leader of the Demon Sect, Ye Chen?!"
Along the way, many members of the Liu family cried out in shock.
They never would have imagined that this terrifying god of slaughter would actually visit the Liu family!
For a moment, many grew tense, shrinking away in fear.
Ye Chen, however, ignored the various stares from his surroundings. He simply followed beside Liu Yuchan, walking past as if no one else was there.
Soon, the group arrived at the end of the residence.
Deep within the stronghold was a dimly lit room.
On a bed in the room lay an old man with a sallow face and pale lips!
His hair was a mess, his face was gaunt, and his aura seemed to have withered to an absolute extreme!
Ye Chen was somewhat surprised that even the Three-Corpse Soul-Returning Pill he had refined before had no effect.
"Master Ye, this is our Liu family's Old Master. Once upon a time, he was the strongest expert in the Liu family!"
"But at some point, he fell gravely ill and never recovered. His Primordial Mansion Realm cultivation is almost completely gone. Now, I'm afraid he couldn't even defeat a mortal!"
Liu Yuchan's expression was heavy. Beside him, Liu Yanran was just as worried, her delicate hands clenched tightly.
Ye Chen stared at the old man on the bed. After a long moment, he suddenly said, "He's been poisoned."
"What?"
At these words, Liu Yuchan and Liu Yanran both cried out in astonishment.
"If I'm not mistaken, this poison should be from a kind of nameless, potent toxin…"
"This poison doesn't exist in the Eastern Wilderness. It must have come from Nanling."
"Tell me about the Old Master's symptoms after he was poisoned."
Ye Chen said calmly.
Hearing this, Liu Yuchan quickly told Ye Chen everything he knew in great detail.
Ye Chen fell into deep thought.
"This poison is incredibly difficult to deal with. It destroys the life force within a person's body, and it's almost like it has a parasitic quality. Once it enters the body, it's very hard to dispel."
"Furthermore, the dosage must be carefully controlled. Too much would kill the person on the spot. Only a small amount could create this situation where the victim withers away day by day but never actually dies."
"In my opinion, the poisoner didn't dare to use too much at once. If Old Master Liu had died on the spot, you would have easily noticed something was wrong."
"So, they most likely added the deadly poison to his food, bit by bit, for Old Master Liu to consume over time."
"But what the poisoner didn't expect was that as a Primordial Mansion Realm Cultivator, Old Master Liu's life force is exceptionally vigorous. It wouldn't be depleted so quickly, which is how he has managed to hang on for this long."
Listening to Ye Chen's words, Liu Yuchan's face gradually turned pale.
"So, you're saying, Master Ye, that you think…"
"I think the person who poisoned Old Master Liu is right here in your Liu family!"
"And it's very likely someone who has access to Old Master Liu every day!"
Ye Chen spoke calmly, his voice low and firm.
"Our Liu family… has a traitor?!"
Liu Yuchan felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. The words left him dizzy, and he couldn't recover for a long time.
"Brother, you have to hold on!"
"Grandpa's health is failing! You're the pillar of our Liu family now!"
Liu Yanran quickly supported Liu Yuchan, her tone urgent.
"Master Ye, this poison… can it be cured?"
Liu Yuchan took a deep breath.
The most pressing matter wasn't finding the traitor in the Liu family, but saving the Old Master's life!
He asked the question he most desperately wanted an answer to, but also the one he was most afraid to face.
"It can be… but…"
Ye Chen hesitated, frowning. "With my current strength, I can't yet refine a pill to remove this poison."
"That means there's still hope to save the Old Master!"
Hearing this, Liu Yuchan's eyes widened.
"Correct." Ye Chen nodded slightly. "It's just that the grade of this pill is quite high. With my current strength, it would be rather difficult to refine."
"Master Ye, then when can you save our grandfather?" Liu Yanran asked timidly from the side.
"…I'm afraid it will have to be after I return from the Dragon Prison Cave."
Ye Chen thought for a moment.
To refine the poison-removing pill, even he would need to have a cultivation level above the Primordial Mansion Realm.
He had a feeling that he might obtain a shocking opportunity in the Dragon Prison Cave.
He had also received quite a few benefits from the Ye family, so for both personal and logical reasons, he had to save Old Master Liu.
"If Master Ye can truly save Old Master Liu… in the future, our Liu family would willingly become a vassal of the Demon Sect!"
Liu Yuchan said with great emotion.
Even Liu Yanran, standing to the side, covered her mouth in surprise, clearly not expecting her brother to say such a thing.
"There's no need for that. Saving Old Master Liu is something I already promised you."
Ye Chen took out a bottle of medicinal pills. "I can't remove the poison for now, but you can give him one of these pills every day to sustain his life force. It will allow him to hold on until I return."
"Also, it would be best if you don't let anyone get near Old Master Liu for the time being."
"We understand." Liu Yuchan respectfully accepted the medicinal pills.
As he looked at the pills in his hand, a glint of astonishment flashed through his eyes.
The pills in the bottle were all Top Grade!
Within the dense medicinal aura, they even seemed to be developing a Spiritual quality. Strange creatures appeared to be forming within the hazy white mist, a sight so breathtaking it left one speechless with admiration!