Bab 70: Chapter 68 - Making Things Clear
"I have a few questions that I hope the heroes gathered here can help me with," Zhang Bai began simply. "Alchemy Novice Mao, it is fortunate that you're with us today. Can you describe for us the effects that Insatiable Night has on people who consume it?"
Mao Ailum blinked several times, still ready to hand a jar of Ethereal Yew Cream over to Ao Wen but struck still by Mo Yan's accusation. Now he turned to Zhang Bai with a slightly exasperated look. Why was this puffed-up Brawler acting like he could understand the answer anyway? Still, the matter concerned Fairy Feng and even if he was one of the few alchemists in town, there were limits to how much Mao Ailum would abuse his status against the City Lord or his children. "Insatiable Night is a complex Aphrodisiac because it works differently on Yin and Yang bodies," he began, taking the opportunity to appear more erudite in front of Fairy Feng. "In Yang bodies, it provides both a surge of yang energy and guides the flow of that yang energy. The energy is guided both to the flesh and the heart, the result is that any male consuming Insatiable Night comes to possess an 'insatiable' lust and the empowered virility to release that lust. This would be entirely unacceptable in a Yin body, however. In Yin bodies, Insatiable Night acts as a strong suppressive Yang presence. It makes it harder for a woman to resist the advances of a person with strong Yang energy, increasing the desire of a woman by enhancing her natural wish to be conquered and making it easier for a man with dominant Yang energy to conquer her. It can be said that Insatiable Night amplifies the natural state of man and woman to make men greater conquerors and to enhance a woman's natural need to submit," he finished, smiling in pride as he delivered a textbook perfect recitation of the aphrodisiac in a way that even utter morons like the City Lord's eldest son could understand.
"I see," Zhang Bai said with a smile. He'd never needed to resort to such methods to bed any woman he'd desired to conquer but some of his friends had done so which had reminded him of a very important facet of most aphrodisiacs. "Tell the assembled heroes here, how does Insatiable Night work against different types of cultivators? Does it work better on some than others?"
"Obviously," Mao Ailum said with a snort. "Martial Cultivators and Scholars are most prone to its effects for different reasons. Martial Cultivators who focus on their physical body possess vast stores of bodily energy that Insatiable Night can use to fuel the rampaging Yang energy. Scholars who develop their mind instead of their body are equally prone to it because they have developed few counters against the body's needs. Artists have some ability to resist if they are aware of what's happening, after all, they're masters of the heart and emotion who will not easily be swayed by desires that do not align with their own, but they can only resist if they know they need to," he said still concerned for Fairy Feng. Perhaps, if she was suspicious of the food she could have resisted the aphrodisiac, but would such a pure fairy think of such a devious plot against her? How could she?
"You didn't mention Mystics," Zhang Bai pointed out, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Of course not, everyone knows that an aphrodisiac will only function on a Mystic that allows themselves to be affected by it or by a handful of very rare aphrodisiacs made by fellow Mystics rather than through the practice of pure alchemy," he said with a scoff. "A mystic has cultivated their soul around a concept of what they are," he continued to explain. "The only mystics in Turning Leaf town belong to the Holy Light Abode, they all cultivate soul concepts like Holy, Light or concepts that are illuminated by those concepts. To use an aphrodisiac on such a person is a waste of herbs," he said firmly.
"Then Fairy Ao, I wonder if you could answer a question that may be slightly personal," Zhang Bai said turning to look at Ao Wen, whose gaze had gone from furious at Mo Yan to puzzled as Zhang Bai asked his questions and now held a slight smile that mirrored Zhang Bai's own. "When Fairy Ao walked through the air on flames, I felt my soul stir," Zhang Bai said with a hand placed lightly on his chest. "While I could claim to simply be enchanted by such grace and beauty descending upon our party, I believe that's only part of what I felt. Fairy Ao's martial prowess stood out clearly on the stage against Aesthete Qing that I'm afraid we've been remiss in noticing this Fiery Dancer's other talents," Zhang Bai said with genuine flattery. He'd been so very wrong to think she was as the rumors had said. This wasn't a savage brute who would maul an Artist and bully him with her cultivation. This was an icon of a woman with the complexity to have strength and to also wield deep mysteries! "Am I correct in observing that Fairy Ao is a Drifting Mystic?"
Shock rippled through the assembled crowd. A Brawler and a Mystic? If that was true the Holy Light Abode would likely accept her as a disciple! They might even send her directly to the Holy Light Temple. Fire wasn't a pure form of light but since flames could be a source of illumination, even if the Holy Light Temple turned her away for not being a pure Light cultivator, the Holy Light Abode would surely accept her. To the minds of many of the Brawlers here who had no hopes of joining either, Ao Wen's future ascendance seemed assured!
"Brawler Zhang Bai is very perceptive," Ao Wen said with a smile. "But now I have a question of my own," she continued, her gaze becoming intense with smoldering flames. "Just who exactly said that Jin had drugged Xi and I? I want to know who's responsible for this slander so they can die without a corpse!"
"I also want to know," Tang Jin said, radiating an aura of murderous fury. "How does everyone here seem to know about the Insatiable Night?" Looking at Alchemy Novice Mao Ailum, Tang Jin's aura flared from golden to bloody red. "I thought Alchemists were bound to keep secret the prescriptions they provided to others. It can't be that Alchemy Novice Mao said things that shouldn't be spoken of, can it?"
Mao Ailum gaped at the feeling of impending savagery that emanated from Tang Jin. "I didn't… I mean, I did but… City Lord sent…" he stammered, visions of Tang Jin ripping the entrails and heart of the Thunderclap Black Bear flashing through his mind as he collapsed to his knees before falling in an undignified sprawl on his backside.
"You see?" Mo Yan said triumphantly, still seeing a path to salvaging things. Perhaps he couldn't convince anyone that Tang Jin had succeeded, but he could ensure that the crime of making an attempt was punished. Since Mo Yan had fabricated the whole thing anyway, thrashing Tang Jin and getting rid of this suddenly powerful rival would be enough of a victory for him. "Criminal Tang isn't denying his use of Insatiable Night! He's angry he was caught! Arrest him before he silences another witness!"
"Jin, can you help me understand what's happening?" Feng Xi asked, her soothing voice carrying hints of the melody she'd used earlier to calm his rampaging bloodline.
"I will, but not to everyone here," Tang Jin snarled. "Since City Lord sent Zhang Bai to handle this matter, he can stay. So can Novice Mao. All other men need to withdraw. NOW!" Tang Jin finished with a roar that contained the genuine rage of a Blood Rage Cougar. To have to expose this shameful matter in front of outsiders and worse, his newfound true friends… blood had already started to spill from his clenched fists where his energy surged into claws biting into his palms. It was a wonder he hadn't torn Mo Yan's head from his shoulders for his repeated provocations.
"Alchemy Novice Mao and I will be enough to hear your testimony," Zhang Bai said. "Of course, as parties to the matter, Fairy Ao and Fairy Feng can stay as well. Everyone else," Zhang Bai snapped with an extra fierce glare at Mo Yan, "can retreat by at least one hundred meters."
Once most of the gathered young men had left, Tang Jin unclenched his fists, body trembling but determined to make things clear and prevent any further misunderstanding. "Let me explain. The Insatiable Night was purchased by my father. He purchases some from Alchemist Wai twice a year, and he's done so every year for… well, a long time," Tang Jin said, embarrassment starting to overcome his fury. "This time of year, it's for Mother's birthday. He'll buy some again for the New Year festivities."
"So he's been using an aphrodisiac on your mother this whole time?" Zhang Bai said in shock.
"Whatever you're thinking, it's not that!" Tang Jin said, face now red as a pepper with embarrassment. "Mother is a gentle soul, she has a very thin Snow Swallow bloodline. Father is gentle too, he won't even do his own slaughter! But, sometimes, when they want to have a more, um, unrestrained night," he began to stammer, powerfully embarrassed to be talking about this in front of Feng Xi and Ao Wen. "They…"
"Stop," Zhang Bai said, realizing the direction the conversation was headed. "Your mother is using the aphrodisiac to match up to your father's Radiant Mountain Lion's rampaging Yang. No wonder she was so angry when Mo Yan accused your father of using it to capture her body all those years ago. Your father is an honorable man to care so much for his wife," he said, heaping praise on Tang Jin's father. It's not like his own father had never taught him about situations where a medicinal aid might be needed to overcome some bloodline reflexes. A Snow Swallow's natural reaction to the fierce predatory aura of a Radiant Mountain Lion would be to flee a predator before being devoured! This wasn't a story of a predator capturing unwilling prey through vile deception, it was a story of dedication to overcome bloodlines that wouldn't normally ever mix in the name of genuine love. Even Zhang Bai felt embarrassed to have pried into the bedroom secrets of such a couple. How must it have felt for Tang Jin to be forced to reveal it to near complete strangers?
"Zhang Bai," Feng Xi asked in a frosty tone as she stepped up to rest a comforting hand on Tang Jin's arm. "Several women have been slandered, outlandish accusations have been made and a couple's trust has been betrayed by a respected Alchemy Novice," she said, clearly enunciating each of their grievances. "And all this time, a Soldier has been left standing bleeding because people refused to allow him to receive treatment. Just how, exactly, are you going to make this right?"
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