Chapter 50: Taking the Vidyadhara Elders as Dogs (Patreon)

【When that Pearlkeeper tried to snatch it, he found the antidote was already gone.】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran took the antidote, and the intense itching all over his body was instantly relieved. It was then he realized something was wrong.】

【'There are seven of us, why did you only give us six antidotes!?' Vidyadhara Elder Taoran asked, stunned.】

【You looked at him with a half-smile.】

【'If I didn't let you see for yourselves what happens to someone who doesn't take the antidote, how would you learn to obey?'】

【'You!' Vidyadhara Elder Taoran pointed at you, his face filled with shock.】

【You kicked him to the ground, stepped on his chest, and looked down on him condescendingly. 'Also, I don't like your attitude. The next antidote is delayed by a month.'】

【Now the sycophantic Pearlkeeper panicked. He quickly grabbed Vidyadhara Elder Taoran's clothes and pleaded, 'Elder, save me!'】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran could barely save himself, how could he dare to anger you again for a subordinate? He gritted his teeth, placed his hands on the man's shoulders, and said with heartfelt sincerity, 'You are dying for me. I will personally perform the secret art to let you reincarnate with your memories intact…'】

【Before Vidyadhara Elder Taoran could finish his promise, you kindly reminded him, 'Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. Even using the molting ritual to have him revert to a Vidyadhara egg will be useless. This poison will cling to him like maggots to bone, making it impossible to escape even in his next life.'】

【You had studied toxinology targeting races like the people of Abundance and the Vidyadhara, taking all their respective strengths and weaknesses into account long ago. How could you possibly leave such an obvious loophole for them to exploit?】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran raised his head in anger. Just as he was about to question you, he instantly recalled the scene of angering you before. He quickly suppressed the rage in his heart, and even his gaze became much clearer.】

【Seeing that his superior was unreliable, the Pearlkeeper hurriedly knelt on the ground and begged you. But neither of you paid him any more attention.】

【'Alright, it's late. I'm going to rest.' You waved your hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly.】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran could only suppress his anger and leave with his subordinates, dragging along that sycophant who didn't know when to flatter.】

【Afterward, Vidyadhara Elder Taoran personally witnessed the process of that unlucky fellow going from enduring unbearable itching to being unable to stand it any longer, finally scratching himself to death.】

【Looking at the bloody, mangled corpse, Vidyadhara Elder Taoran was terrified. The moments when the poison acted up were truly a fate worse than death.】

【But he didn't give up. He secretly sought out the current Cauldron Master of the Alchemy Commission, Yunhua, trying to get her to detoxify him.】

【Yunhua was known as the most genius physician of her generation, especially skilled in refining medicinal elixirs.】

【However, after she took a blood sample from Vidyadhara Elder Taoran for analysis, she came to a conclusion that drove him to despair: the poison's design was too complex and ingenious; she couldn't cure it.】

【The thought of the poison's horrific effects, coupled with the next antidote being delayed by a month, meant it would be his turn to endure a month of torment worse than death.】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran decisively gave in and made a decision that went against his ancestors.】

【The next day, he came to your home early, knelt respectfully on the ground, and begged for your forgiveness.】

【You said nonchalantly, 'I am a person who rewards merit and punishes fault.'】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran immediately understood the meaning behind your words and hurriedly said, 'This humble one will do everything in my power to clear the obstacles for you, my lord, and help you control all the Vidyadhara of the Luofu. I implore you, my lord, to allow me to atone for my mistakes with meritorious deeds.'】

【You asked him, feigning curiosity. 'How do you plan to do that?'】

【Vidyadhara Elder Taoran said with confidence, 'Naturally, by 'gifting' your medicine to all the Vidyadhara Elders.'】

Reading this, Victor almost laughed out loud.

These Vidyadhara Elders really only thought of themselves. Once they were poisoned and suffering, they couldn't wait for everyone else to suffer with them.

With a turncoat like this, achieving the goal of controlling the Vidyadhara Elders would be much easier.

【Taoran's first target was Yunhua.】

【Who else but the one who lacked the ability to cure the poison, yet happened to know the secret?】

【Yunhua was obsessed with medicine, upright and honest, a naive idealist. Taoran easily tricked her into taking the poison.】

【After securing his first target, Taoran was full of motivation. He immediately invited the Vidyadhara Elders on good terms with him under the guise of a private gathering.】

【In the span of a single meal, he had taken care of all of them.】

【A small number of dissenters remained. These individuals were very wary of Taoran, making the chances of poisoning them secretly slim. However, once they became the minority, their fate was already sealed.】

【During a meeting, Taoran poisoned the tea. Two dissenting Vidyadhara Elders sensed something was wrong and didn't drink, but they were still forcefully fed the poison by the other Elders present.】

【From then on, to save his own life, Taoran desperately engaged in internal competition, betraying his own kind. He poisoned every single Vidyadhara Elder on the Luofu, sparing no one.】

【You barely had to lift a finger and easily handled everything, taking control of the Luofu Vidyadhara.】

【However, you didn't think this was secure enough. As the saying goes, 'threats and inducements.' With only threats and no inducements, there was no guarantee some fool wouldn't take a desperate risk.】

【So you brought out the second chain to control the Luofu Vidyadhara Elders: the art of life extension.】

Don't think that just because the Vidyadhara Elders possess the secret art of awakening past-life memories, they aren't interested in life extension.

In fact, it's quite the opposite.

From Dan Heng's condition, one can tell that the secret art of retaining memories has significant flaws and cannot be used casually.

In the subsequent incident of Hoolay's escape, Vidyadhara Elder Taoran rejuvenated, even growing a branch-like protrusion on his forehead similar to the Ambrosial Arbor, and he himself admitted to becoming 'neither human nor ghost.'

Vidyadhara Elder Taoran would rather cooperate with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus than choose to reincarnate with his memories intact.

This shows that using the secret art to reincarnate with past-life memories must carry great risks and flaws.

For example, fragmented memories, or the two personalities influencing each other, causing a split personality, and so on.

Therefore, the Vidyadhara Elders don't dare to use the secret art lightly.

Now that they could extend their lives without reincarnating, their choice was obvious.

【Sure enough, when you revealed that you possessed the art of life extension, the Vidyadhara Elders' resistance plummeted to its lowest point. They began to compete madly amongst themselves to curry favor with you.】

【Life extension was the inducement. The torment of the poison was the threat. Using both medicine and poison, you forged two fine dog leashes and held the Vidyadhara Elders firmly in your grasp.】

【However, you knew that the Vidyadhara Elders were your overt means of control; you still needed a covert force.】

【So you set your sights on the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.】

【Ever since Yaoshi bestowed the blessing of Abundance, granting the Xianzhou people long life, they have been intricately and inextricably entangled with the Abundance.】

【You knew full well that unless the Xianzhou people completely severed their own blessing from the Abundance, it would be impossible for them to escape Yaoshi's influence.】

【And if they couldn't escape Yaoshi's influence, it would naturally be impossible to completely eradicate the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.】