Chapter Twenty-Nine: Poisonous Arts

Xue Mu woke up in a daze, the day already bright. He reached out to pull someone close, but the space beside him was empty; Qianqian had long since vanished without a trace.

In his grogginess, he wondered if last night had been a dream... but as his mind cleared, he knew it hadn't. He had truly, casually played with a rising star coveted by the masses in the Capital City, and without spending a cent.

He shook his head, unsure of what to make of it all. He rolled over and sat up, but just as he was about to get out of bed, he froze.

Xue Qingqiu was sitting at the table in his room, holding a book. The sunlight streaming through the window lattice gave her a scholarly, almost sacred air, a sharp contrast to her usual image as the Demon Queen. Yet, the way she freely entered a man's room was brimming with demonic allure; these two conflicting temperaments fused perfectly within her at this moment, making one's heart skip a beat.

The thought that she might have been watching the entire erotic performance last night made his heart itch. Xue Mu let out a forced breath and swung his legs out of bed.

"Awake?" Xue Qingqiu asked casually, not looking up from her book.

"Yeah." Xue Mu fetched a basin of water to wash up. "Is there something you need, Sister, coming here so early?"

"It's not early. A round of major events has already passed."

"Uh... what happened?"

"Xiahou Di has officially conveyed her willingness to cooperate. The first step was releasing Yin Ye to show her sincerity; Chan'er has already gone to pick her up." Xue Qingqiu finally looked up and smiled at Xue Mu. "The Star Moon Sect cannot do without Yin Ye. We have you to thank for this success."

Xue Mu rubbed his face and laughed. "We're family. It's only right."

Xue Qingqiu gave a soft "hm," seemingly accepting the "family" sentiment, and continued, "Xiahou Di will host a banquet for us tonight to discuss the details of our cooperation. Is there anything you need to address beforehand?"

Xue Mu shook his head. "Nothing else. This is a first for this world; I'm no deity who can foresee everything. I have to cross the river by feeling the stones, taking it one step at a time. However, I'd like you to give me the bottom line on the Star Moon Sect's situation in various regions so I can have a clear picture."

"From today on, you may review all ledgers, including the sect's regional assets and rosters," Xue Qingqiu smiled. "You'll have your hands full."

Xue Mu chuckled. "I don't fear being busy, as long as you trust me, Sister."

"Naturally, I trust you. You are my younger brother." Xue Qingqiu said it as if it were a casual remark. Xue Mu couldn't tell how much sincerity was behind it, so he just smiled. "That's true."

Their current relationship was at a strange juncture—one step forward and they were as close as family, one step back and they were worlds apart. There were too many factors at play, and Xue Mu didn't know how to handle such complexity, so he could only take things as they came.

Xue Qingqiu tapped the book in her hand. "I studied this Hundred Herbs Record all night and have some thoughts on your condition."

"You didn't sleep all night?" Xue Mu sat opposite her, his voice soft. "Why push yourself so hard?"

"It's normal for me to go a month without sleep." Xue Qingqiu laughed dryly. "Are you concerned about the health of someone who could kill ten thousand of you with a flick of a finger? Don't make me laugh. It's you I'm worried about—with zero cultivation, you should take it easy during 'that' kind of activity. Do you think you're some kind of pile driver?"

Xue Mu: "..."

Xue Qingqiu didn't dwell on the banter and turned to the main topic. "This book has three parts. The first is the identification of various poisons, and the second is the compounding, manufacturing, and neutralizing of them. We'll set those aside for now; you can study them later as a means of self-defense. It is this third part, the practice of poison arts, that is highly applicable to your current situation."

Xue Mu listened intently.

Satisfied with his attitude, Xue Qingqiu continued, "Simply put, the hallmark of Foundation Establishment in martial arts is using true energy to clear the meridians, cleansing the marrow and expelling all impurities to return the body to its innate essence. Your situation is problematic; if we forcibly expel the toxins that have reached your vitals, it will likely cause severe damage to your foundation and backfire. Poison arts, however, work in reverse. They absorb toxins into your true energy, making them one and the same. The more impurities and toxins you absorb and fuse, the more powerful your poison arts become. It's a path of harming oneself to harm others, which is quite compatible with your condition."

It was indeed a world that valued practical written heritage; the explanation was so simple and clear that even Xue Mu, who had no foundation at all, understood it perfectly. He couldn't help but say, "This is truly perfect for me. If I can control the toxins myself, I won't have to keep taking medicine."

Xue Qingqiu said, "There are three main problems with practicing poison arts. First, it cuts off your path to advancement through your own efforts; your strength depends entirely on how much poison you absorb. However, even if you absorbed every poison in the world and fused them into the ultimate toxin, it still wouldn't kill me..."

Xue Mu waved his hand and laughed. "The ceiling is too low, I get it. Besides, what's the point of becoming heaven-defying? I have no interest in the standard grind of leveling up."

Xue Qingqiu shook her head with a smile. "Second, practicing poison arts isn't something you can do by just meditating in seclusion; you need to test every poison in the world... well, that's actually an advantage for you. Most of the toxins in your body are ones I've never even heard of, enough for you to absorb and fuse for years. Furthermore, with the sect's resources, it won't be hard to help you collect poisons. Combined, your poison arts might be quite easy to train."

Xue Mu felt a weight lift from his heart. This was the benefit of having a powerful backer—someone to vet his techniques and provide resources. Which other transmigrator had it this good? Most were stepped on by everyone and lived lives of deep resentment...

Xue Qingqiu's expression remained grave as she said seriously, "The crucial part is the last point: practicing poison arts is incredibly dangerous. One wrong move and you're courting death, beyond the reach of any medicine. Even with the talent of Young Master Zhao, he didn't survive it, and you..."

That was indeed a major problem... Xue Mu grew cautious and asked earnestly, "Where does the primary danger lie?"

"First, while the poison arts themselves provide strong resistance, a mortal body can barely withstand the onslaught of a thousand poisons. The more you absorb, the more your body will collapse, shortening your lifespan. But in my view, this isn't a major issue for you. You're still jumping around despite the poison reaching your vitals—that in itself is a miracle."

Xue Mu: "..."

"The basic heart methods of any sect emphasize calming the mind and focusing. Some sects have such intense inner demons and hallucinations that they require an Ice Heart Formula to suppress them. Yet, the poison sect's heart method lacks this effect because its path has nothing to do with the soul or spirit. If you are distracted or even just lose focus thinking about something annoying during your practice, the poison energy will spiral out of control, and you'll die without even knowing why. Others who practice poison arts have already built a solid foundation before starting; there's no one like you, riddled with poison and zero foundation..." Xue Qingqiu looked troubled. "I need to think of a way to solve this."

Xue Mu was stunned for a moment, then hesitated. "If that's the biggest problem, I think I might be able to try..."

Xue Qingqiu raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The pattern on his palm seemed to have that effect of calming the mind and resisting interference. Xue Mu wasn't entirely sure, so he said, "Why don't we run a test?"

"How?"

"Didn't Meng Lan use her charm arts on me last time? I really didn't feel my mind being affected. Why don't you try it, Sister? Add a little more force, and I'll see if I can resist. If I can withstand that, then it shouldn't be a problem."

Xue Qingqiu looked at him with a half-smile. "With major business at hand, you still have the mood to tease me. Should I call you lustful or something else?"

Xue Mu was caught between laughter and tears. "This time it's really not that. I genuinely want to test it."

"Test it?" A playful smile curled the corners of Xue Qingqiu's lips. "If you are seduced by me and fall madly in love with me, I won't undo it for you."

Xue Mu smiled faintly. "Then let me fall."