The execution by burning of the sinner, Yi Yi, ended as a tragic disaster. Many perished from the poison, and those who survived suffered grotesque burns.
Even ten days after the incident, the heavy pall of despair still hung over the imperial harem.
“You are Cai Fei Ling , aren’t you?”
Hearing her name called out in a passing corridor, Fei Ling turned around. The concubine, accompanied by her maids, concealed her face with a thinly veiled fan.
“I heard you were at the execution ground. Then why is it that you bear no burns? …Even now, I am tormented by these burns and cannot even sleep.”
“I am a food physician. I simply administered the appropriate treatment,” Fei Ling replied with a humble bow.
(…Though that’s a lie.)
Fei Ling was immune to poison. The burns caused by the poison were swiftly neutralized, leaving no trace. In other words, without detoxification, these burns would not heal.
“I had the court physicians treat me! Yet my wounds show no sign of closing… Even when I ask them, they say the scars will remain for some time. How long is ‘some time’? If I can no longer stay in the harem, what am I supposed to do… Ah!”
The concubine, speaking rapidly without pause, clutched her head and stumbled. Her attending maids screamed in alarm.
“Lady Hudie!”
“What a pitiful sight!”
Hudie… That name sounded familiar. Yes, Fei Ling remembered—she was the concubine who had once mocked her mercilessly, laughing at her when she was caught in the rain. Her rank was third class, Jie Yu, wasn’t it?
“You… have a special medicine, don’t you? In that case, give it to me.”
It was possible to create an antidote for the fire poison. Bowing modestly, Fei Ling replied carefully:
“Forgive me, but I am merely a condemned woman. For someone as shunned as I am to prepare medicine for a Jie Yu of your standing would be far beyond my place. It would surely be disrespectful.”
“Th-that’s absurd!”
“You had once said you would rather die, after all.”
At that, Jie Yu Hudie’s body trembled, perhaps recalling those words. The despair of her burns seemed to have thoroughly broken her spirit. She abandoned all pretense and bowed her head deeply.
“I… I apologize… I have said such cruel things… I beg your forgiveness. Please, save me!”
Her thin voice clung desperately to Fei Ling . Raising her brows slightly, Fei Ling gazed at the concubine.
“Please, look at me… It’s so painful… Every time I glance in the mirror, I wish I had died that day…”
Hudie lowered the fan that hid her face.
What appeared was indeed tragic—a face marred by terrible disfigurement. From her left brow to her cheek, her skin appeared melted, as if molten iron had been poured over it. The burns were festering, showing no signs of healing. Her eyelid was taut, and her lashes had fallen out.
Because she had once been a radiant beauty, her distorted appearance stood out all the more.
But what made Fei Ling catch her breath was not the burns, but the cursed-like fiery patterns that adorned her skin, as if etched in crimson ink.
Even so, Hudie had survived. Many others had perished that day.
“If I may, I will offer one piece of unsolicited advice,” Fei Ling spoke quietly.
“‘It would have been better to die,’ ‘I wish I had died’… I suggest refraining from saying such things aloud. Those words are poison.”
Hudie’s lips parted in a small gasp, and she fell silent.
“Please, rest assured,” Fei Ling said, her face softening into a smile.
“I will sever any poison for you.”
“Y-you truly will… save me?”
“Yes, even lies are poison. And I will not let poison prevail.”
Though Fei Ling ‘s words carried a slight barb earlier, perhaps it was forgivable once in a while. Hudie, confused and distraught, didn’t seem to remember, but it was Fei Ling who had brought her to shelter back then. Even if she had known Hudie’s identity, Fei Ling likely would have helped regardless.
(Even without her request, I intended to prepare the medicine.)
That very morning, Empress Xinhua herself had asked Fei Ling to help. Save those who have been harmed.
Severing poison—that was her role. Whatever it took, she would fulfill it.
For that was what made her a healer.
◇
“So, what business does the food physician have with me? I doubt I can be of much help in matters of feng shui.”
“I have a request for you, as a poison master.”
Under the roots of the vibrant crimson blossoms of the crepe myrtle, she had summoned him. The Summer Palace was bustling with preparations for selecting new seasonal consorts, leaving little time for anyone to admire the flowers. The secluded island on the outskirts, however, was particularly quiet.
“I need a few freshwater crabs.”
“There should be plenty around here.”
The waters of the Summer Palace were home to turtles, carp, crabs, and the like.
“No, I need poisonous crabs.”
The toxicity of crabs depends on what they consume. In other words, poisonous crabs can be cultivated. They were precisely the kind of toxic creatures suitable for a poison master to raise, and she surmised he must have some among his collection of venomous creatures.
“You’re right, I do keep poisonous crabs… but I can’t just give them to you for free.”
“Of course not. But I have nothing to offer you in return. You have no need for medicine right now, either. So, this is all I can give.”
Fei Ling tugged on Zhen’s sleeve and, standing on tiptoe, pressed her lips to his.
“Mm…”
Their tongues entwined as though fighting for breath. Their saliva mixed, creating a wet sound. Momentarily stunned, Zhen widened his eyes before abruptly pushing her away.
“Wh-what did you just make me ingest?”
Holding his throat, Zhen groaned.
“What do you think?” Fei Ling teased, sticking out her tongue slightly.
She had kept something in her mouth. Even for someone like him, immune to many poisons, it was something that would take immediate effect. She had no intention of sparing any means to eliminate poison. Whatever could be used, she would use.
“Poisoning a poison master… you’ve got some nerve,” Zhen remarked.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Fei Ling replied with a smile, extending her hand.
“Surely you need medicine now. If you want the antidote, hand over the poisonous crabs.”
Though caught in her trap and poisoned, Zhen laughed as though amused. The reflection in his murky, mirror-like eyes glinted with a venomous purple.
“No matter how much you insist it’s medicine, your essence is still ‘poison.'”
It was a clear provocation. Fei Ling kept her composure as she replied calmly.
“They’re one and the same. Poison and medicine are but two sides of the same coin. It’s simply a matter of perspective.”
“True enough. Haha… what a problem. I think I might genuinely be falling for you.”
With a shrug of surrender, Zhen reached into the sleeve of his hanfu, letting a few crabs drop to the ground. They were unmistakably toxic, their shells a vivid blue.
“Fine. Give me the medicine.”
“Warm up some cow’s milk and drink it.”
“What?”
Zhen furrowed his brow, puzzled.
“A pill made of Sichuan pepper. It won’t harm you. Your throat will feel numb for a while, though.”
Placing the crabs in a net, Fei Ling brushed off her sleeves and turned away. She hadn’t poisoned him—at least not this time.
(To be honest, I don’t know how much resistance a poison master has to poison. Competing in poison would be far too risky.)
Behind her, Zhen’s laughter echoed endlessly, chasing after her as she walked away.
