Great Tonic Pills, Sinister Guests

Zhou Shan explained Su Mu's situation to the shop owner, Li Tie. Li Tie was surprised but agreed without hesitation. It would be a good thing for the shop to have another blacksmith capable of forging weapons.

Especially since Su Mu was so young, he would undoubtedly become the pillar of the blacksmith shop in the future!

Li Tie took this matter to heart and soon ordered enough materials to forge two weapons to be delivered.

The ones delivering them were Li Xiaohu and Sun Li.

As soon as Li Xiaohu put down a small basket of iron ore with a grunt, he became animated. "Su Mu, you're amazing! Congratulations. Dad said our blacksmith shop has found a promising talent and told me to learn well from you."

"I'm so envious. I wish I could forge weapons by myself. It's so much more interesting than forging farm tools."

"Brother Li, Sun Li, thank you," Su Mu said, then added, "I was just lucky, really lucky."

After finishing the delivery, Sun Li offered a perfunctory congratulation, but a venomous glint flashed in his eyes as he turned away.

Clang, clang, clang!

Amidst the clash of metal and sparks flying, a day passed.

Three months ago, Su Mu had become a probationary blacksmith at the shop, earning three hundred copper coins a month. Su Mu meticulously used the money to buy meat, eggs, rice, and flour to supplement his nutrition.

After practicing the Five Animal Frolics for over half a year, Su Mu felt his body had surpassed the limits of ordinary people. His steps were light, and he could easily cover the ten-odd miles from town back to the village in less than fifteen minutes.

This day, after leaving the shop, Su Mu didn't rush back to the village. He first bought several large meat-filled buns from an old bun shop in town. While buying the buns, Su Mu casually inquired about news from the surrounding shops.

However, he still had no leads. That man in black seemed to have no connection to Executioner Street. At least, no employees or staff from the surrounding shops had left in the past few months.

"Five meat buns, all wrapped up, here you go, kid."

"Thanks."

Afterward, Su Mu carried the buns to a house on the east side of the village, flying a flag with the character "Medicine".

Outside this small courtyard, several medicinal herb fields had been cultivated. Currently, in the spring, medicinal seedlings were sprouting from the soil, a vibrant green with a hint of tender yellow, and a faint fragrance wafted through the air.

This was the home of Physician Xiao, the only physician in Dongbian Village.

"Is Physician Xiao home?"

"It's you, kid. You're back from town so early today. Come in quickly."

Creak------

The wooden door opened, and a kind old man with a long beard, about fifty years old, dressed in a simple white medical robe, beckoned Su Mu over.

The physician turned around, and after confirming no one was behind him, Su Mu entered the house.

"Young Su, I've carefully studied the medicinal pill you gave me yesterday. The medical skill of the person who made it is far superior to mine. I definitely cannot replicate such a pill."

Physician Xiao returned a white pill, about the size of a thumb, crystal clear all over but with a small piece missing, to Su Mu.

Hearing this, Su Mu showed no disappointment. Someone who could save him from the execution ground in Qingzhou Prefecture and dare to cultivate death warriors could not be an ordinary person. Those people must have a significant background.

The poison used to control the death warriors would certainly not be simple.

Previously, he had been afraid of being monitored and dared not show the pill to the physician. Now that the person in charge had left, Su Mu seized the opportunity to give the pill to Physician Xiao.

"Old Physician, can you identify the ingredients of the pill?" Noticing the small notch on the pill, Su Mu asked again.

"The physician who refined this pill had excellent skills. I can only identify a few of the medicinal ingredients," Physician Xiao hesitated, a flicker in his cloudy old eyes.

"It contains Blood Ginseng, Angelica, White Peony Root, and Astragalus Root... and they are quite old, likely twenty to thirty years or more. As the saying goes, a hundred-year-old wild ginseng is worth an ounce of silver per year. That's not an exaggeration. A single Blood Ginseng of this age would cost at least twenty taels of silver on the market."

As he explained, a hint of confusion flashed in Physician Xiao's eyes. Su Mu had returned to the village about half a year ago, brought by a carriage.

He was said to be the son of Su Daniu, who joined the army from the east of the village. Su Daniu had died on the battlefield, and the military had sent his only son back to the village, preserving the lineage of the Su family.

However, most of the pension for Su's father's death in battle had likely been swallowed by those corrupt officials. When he arrived in the village, the boy looked ashen-faced and thin as a monkey.

Fortunately, those officials weren't entirely heartless. They found an apprenticeship for the boy at a blacksmith shop in town, providing him with food and lodging, which saved him from dying that past winter.

Where could such a destitute, orphaned boy have obtained such a precious medicinal pill?

"This pill appeared after a large red horse pulling a carriage passed by in town. I picked it up, thinking I could exchange it for some money, but I was afraid it might be some kind of poison, so I wanted to ask Old Physician Xiao to take a look."

Su Mu casually fabricated a reason, but it was a plausible one. Qingshui Town was the center of the surrounding area, adjacent to a medicinal mountain, and connected to the official road of Qingyun County. Many medicine merchants came and went in town to purchase medicinal herbs.

Indeed, upon hearing this, Physician Xiao's wrinkled face relaxed a bit. "I've looked at this pill. It's most likely not poisonous, but it's generally difficult to sell pills of unknown origin. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

"Thank you, Old Physician, for clearing my doubts. Physician, please accept these meat buns."

Su Mu thanked him and left the meat buns he had bought. The old physician sighed inwardly. This child was exceptionally intelligent, possessing a maturity far beyond his peers, but he was also an unfortunate soul.

"I don't have much appetite today. Just leave one for me, and take the rest back yourself."

Back in the courtyard, Su Mu sighed inwardly. As expected, things weren't that smooth. From the respectful tone the old physician used when mentioning the person who refined the pill, it was evident that the pill was not easy to make.

The antidote was difficult to replicate, and the identity of the man in black couldn't be found. The situation was at a standstill.

"According to the Old Physician, this small pill uses precious ingredients, refined from Blood Ginseng at least twenty years old..."

Su Mu examined the pill in his palm, a sense of doubt arising. Such a pill made from highly nourishing medicinal ingredients, yet why had he not seen much effect after taking it for the past half year?

Back at the manor, someone had examined his bones. Was it really necessary to expend such resources on a Rank-D death warrior with such poor bone structure?

There must be something fishy going on.

Su Mu vaguely felt that the poison in his body was not simple. Those people must have a motive, but Su Mu knew very little for now, and the information he possessed was extremely limited. Thinking too much would be useless.

"Let's cultivate first."

Regardless of wind or rain, Su Mu practiced the Five Animal Frolics in the courtyard. He only stopped after breaking out in a fine sweat that soaked through his clothes. Afterwards, Su Mu ate meat buns heartily.

"Mmm, cabbage and pork filling, thin skin, lots of meat, and juicy. These old brand meat buns are really delicious... but five copper coins each isn't cheap. Nowadays, I can only afford to buy sixty a month, which works out to only two a day."

"But it's much better than not being able to eat meat before. I'll take it one step at a time."

The young man ate with gusto, a look of satisfaction on his face.

The next day, at noon during lunch, Su Mu felt like something was missing. After a moment's thought, he realized he hadn't seen Sun Li today.

"Sun Li took leave today to visit his family."

"Oh."

While eating, Su Mu learned this information from Li Xiaohu. Su Mu gnawed on his not-so-white steamed bun and responded.

Ever since he became a probationary blacksmith, his lunch had changed from sweet potatoes to steamed buns. Three steamed buns, slightly larger than his fist, and a bowl of rice porridge.

This was the difference between an apprentice and a probationary blacksmith.

The setting sun cast its afterglow upon the world. At one point, Zhou Shan called out, "Su kid, that's all for today. Seal the furnace."

"Yes, Master Zhou!"

"Go back and rest early."

Zhou Shan said softly.

Unfortunately, the heavens did not cooperate. On the way back, the weather changed abruptly. A light rain drizzled under the night sky. Fortunately, it was spring, and Su Mu always carried a straw cape and a bamboo hat.

After putting on the straw cape and bamboo hat, Su Mu quickened his pace. The rain caused the poison in his body to act up. He felt like insects were crawling and gnawing inside him, causing unbearable itching, and his limbs felt cold and weak.

Plop.

His foot landed in a small puddle. The puddle reflected Su Mu's suddenly narrowed pupils and his wary expression.

Under the continuous drizzle, near a tree not far away, a man with a long saber at his waist and a ferocious scar on his face cast his gaze. He was standing directly in Su Mu's path home.