Kapitel 69: Chapter 67 - Confrontation

Mao Ailum blinked several times at Ao Wen's request. Bloodstop Powder and Dead Knock Numbing Paste? Who carried around such expensive medicines with such limited use? Dead Knock Numbing Paste was called "Dead Knock" because if you used it on mortals or early first stage cultivators it would numb them all the way to death! It was considered a deadly poison in Turning Leaf town and the concoction of it was strictly controlled to prevent accidents from occuring. Bloodstop Powder was even more difficult to obtain. Without a high level refinement technique, the blood essence of the Sharp Fanged Leaches couldn't be broken down enough to extract the coagulating properties from the bleeding ones. A Sharp Fanged Leach, after it had fed, would excrete a substance that prevented the wound from bleeding further so the leach didn't accidently kill it's prey, ensuring that it could enjoy repeated meals before it's prey inevitably collapsed. Bloodstop powder required refining out the portions that helped blood flow more easily while the leach was feeding till only the powerful coagulant was left. It was a feat that could only be performed by Master Alchemists! Bloodstop powder was considered a vital life saving remedy that couldn't be acquired inexpensively by anyone in Turning Leaf town, even for a wealthy Alchemy Novice like Mao Ailum.

"Haha, Fairy Ao, surely you jest," Mao Ailum said, not wanting to lose face in front of Feng Xi. "I understand that Fairy Ao has just set her feet on the path of cultivation but while the remedies you mentioned seem common in the novels popularized among mortals, in fact, they're very rare and difficult to concoct elixirs that can only be obtained at great expense from powerful Master Alchemists," he explained patiently. He couldn't have Fairy Feng thinking that he was too cheap to pull out a simple medicine! He had to make sure that she and Fairy Ao understood that Fairy Ao had made a very unreasonable request but if he made Fairy Ao look bad that would only cause him further trouble.

"What kind of trash alchemist needs to go to a Master Alchemist for something as simple as Bloodstop powder?" Ao Wen said in shock. What was this fool trying to do? Extract an exorbitant price for his common medicines? Did he fleece mortals like this? "It's fine if you don't have any on you, if you can loan the use of your cauldron and provide me with a few of the ingredients then I can whip up a batch myself. Same for the Dead Knock Numbing Paste, I understand being reluctant to handle it if Alchemy Novice Mao isn't accustomed to processing the ingredients. It can be a little troublesome," she acknowledged. "I don't have spirit crystals on me at the moment but if you have sufficient ingredients in your spacial ring to concoct two batches of each, I'll gift you one of the completed batches of each as repayment for your components," she said. After all, it was common for alchemists to provide concocting as a service to people who had access to ingredients but not the ability to refine them. Both parties tended to gain in these exchanges and the practice had been common even within the Sacred Flame Celestial Temple where Alchemy Hall members would trade with Martial Hall members who went on dangerous missions to gather ingredients that the Alchemist would turn into useful elixirs and pills.

"Ah, Fairy Ao, I think perhaps there's been a misunderstanding, much like elixirs that seem common in novels sold to mortals, not every alchemist carries a spacial ring full of rare ingredients on their person. I have a small spacial treasure but it's mostly empty aside from a few ready made treatments. Mostly I cary it so I can harvest anything of note when I find it but right now, we were all on the most important mission to rescue kind Fairies Feng and Ao," he explained offaciously. "So I'm afraid…"

"You're utterly useless," Ao Wen said, bluntly. "Jin, hold on for a moment, I'm going to apply a basic nerve block but the wounds are on your shoulders and shoulder blades… I'm afraid that I can block pain but you won't be in fighting shape unless I remove the nerve block. If you'd prefer to tough it out, I can at least get your wounds bound for now and I'll see if I can scrounge something useful on our way home," she said.

"I feel like I'm always in Sister Wen's care," Tang Jin said looking sheepish. "If I won't be able to fight, I can just tough things out for a while longer. We should make it back to town tomorrow."

"Alchemy Novice Mao," Feng Xi said, throwing a life saving rope to the shocked Mao Ailum. "Do any of the medicines you're already carrying work on Martial Soldiers? If you have something we can apply to his wounds I would be most grateful."

"I do yave some Ethereal Yew Cream," Mao Ailum said with a blinding smile. "If Fairy Feng desires it, I'd be happy to gift it to her."

"I can work with that," Ao Wen said simply, holding out her only working hand expectantly.

"No!" Mo Yan shouted before Mao Ailum could make a move. "Can't you all see? Look at how Fairies Ao and Feng are practically fawning over Tang Jin. They're clearly under whatever spell he placed on them when he drugged them at his family's restaraunt. If you need proof of it, look no further than his sudden gains in cultivation!" Mo Yan said, pointing an accusatory finger at Tang Jin. "He's clearly plundered their Vital Yin Essence, robbing them of their virtue to fuel his own cultivation. Now they're desperate to see him live so their sacrifice isn't wasted but we can't allow this trash to benefit from his perversions! Men," he said looking at the other cultivators who had accompanied them "Sieze this criminal!"

The faces of many of the gathered young men darkened at the reminder that a flower picker had already done the deed, spoiling the two Fairies they'd come so far to rescue. It wasn't right that a loser like Tang Jin could benefit from foul means when so many of them had been interested in Fairy Feng. Why couldn't they bed the lovely women for cultivation gains that were so Heaven defying? Several of them drew weapons, preparing to follow Mo Yan's orders. This injustice couldn't stand!

Half a dozen men surged forward to surround Tang Jin, Ao Wen and Alchemy Novice Mao Ailum, swords pointed at Tang Jin. "Fairy Ao, Alchemy Novice Mao, you should both stand back while we aprehend the criminal!" one of the young men with flashy silver white robes and a matching ivory hilted sword shouted.

"That's right," the next one added, brandishing twin massive hammers that carried a thick earthen might. "When we six make our moves, innocents might be harmed. Please step away so we can bring this vile monster to justice!"

"Fairy Ao, no one blames you or Fairy Feng for being his victims," a third man said, apparently just as eager to appear as an ally to the Fairies who had been wronged as he was to leap forward with his long horsetail tassled spear. "You don't need to shield this wretched beast posing as a man, we promise to restore your honor with his death!"

"Little friend Mo," Zhang Bai said sharply. "Have I become air in your eyes? I seem to recall my father asking his eldest son to lead this mission, and as near as I can recall, your surname isn't Zhang." his tone became icy as he swept his eyes across the gathered young men, pinning them in place with his gaze before returning to look at Mo Yan. "Perhaps you've been adopted and placed in command of these men while I wasn't looking? It couldn't be that they're following your orders instead of mine could it?" Zhang Bai already felt he had made a terrible mistake by letting Mo Yan come along when he arrested Tang Qui. The explosive altercation had expanded to include Tang Jin's mother Yao Ya who had been furious at the accusations leveled against her husband. Mo Yan had asserted that she may be an accomplice and Zhang Bai had been forced to imprison both parents of Tang Jin. Now, here was Mo Yan again, jumping out to control the narrative.

While Zhang Bai lacked his father's ruthless cunning, he wasn't a fool. City Lord Zhang had his reasons to be suspicious about these charges and he'd sent Zhang Bai to investigate and to rescue the young ladies if needed. His father was testing him and Zhang Bai new it. Failing here would only be a setback with his father. Worse, if Mo Yan stole the lead here, it would demonstrate to his father that he was dangerously easy to manipulate, something that couldn't be further from the truth!

More than any of that, however, Zhang Bai didn't want to believe that this Fiery Dancer in front of him had actually been spoiled by Tang Jin. In his mind, she was the purest of Heavenly swans, no, a Divine Phoenix dancing on multicolored flames. Such a celestial being couldn't be trapped by a simple aphrodisiac. The aphrodisiac! Many pieces fell into place for Zhang Bai in that instant but the pieces weren't the truth, at least not yet. A few things still had to be made clear.