463: Chapter 463 Chain Reaction

When they returned to the command camp, the sky was just beginning to dawn.

It just so happened that Mu Wanying and Wei Kongming had also returned with their troops.

"Husband!"

As soon as Mu Wanying saw Lin Xiao, she was overjoyed and ran over quickly to embrace him.

However, as there were others present, they could only share a brief hug to soothe their longing.

Lin Xiao looked her over and found some superficial injuries, but overall she was fine.

However, she had grown noticeably thinner and had dark circles under her eyes, which was truly heart-wrenching.

"Husband, is everything okay on Caiwei's side?" Mu Wanying asked immediately with concern.

Lin Xiao nodded. "She's fine. The fighting wasn't as intense there as it was here. You've worked hard."

Upon hearing this, Mu Wanying shook her head gloomily. "Not at all. More than seventy percent of the Zhenbei Army soldiers who came with me were killed or wounded."

"In this battle, I have failed you, husband, and I am too ashamed to face our brothers in the Zhenbei Army."

Princess Li Xinglan hurriedly said, "General Mu, please don't say that. Without you and the Zhenbei Army's rescue, we would have lost our position long ago."

"Indeed, General Mu. This battle was out of the ordinary; we all fell for Khitan King Yelü Dachuan's schemes," Wei Kongming sighed.

Mu Wanying forced a smile; clearly, these words of comfort didn't make her feel much better.

"This battle was indeed fought in a pathetic manner."

Lin Xiao said solemnly, "However, it wasn't due to any individual's fault, but because all of us failed to take the enemy seriously enough."

"We all thought the Northern Barbarians and Western Qiang were under control, and that the Khitan were merely remnants and stragglers, nothing to worry about."

"But it was precisely this underestimation of the enemy that caused us to suffer heavy losses, with too many brave soldiers killed or wounded."

"I, as the Prince, bear responsibility just as you do."

"But now is not the time to discuss rewards or punishments. Only by completely annihilating the Yelü Family can we truly comfort those loyal souls!"

Hearing Lin Xiao's words, everyone couldn't help but nod heavily.

"Hey, are you done yet? Instead of wasting time, it would be better to explain things clearly sooner so fewer people die!"

Gu Zhiyao urged from behind.

"Divine Doctor Gu?"

Wei Kongming looked closely, his face full of pleasant surprise. "You've returned to Qizhou?"

"You know each other?" Lin Xiao was puzzled.

Wei Kongming nodded. "When I was still in the Cold Iron Guard, I met Divine Doctor Gu. She is Miss Cailing's master."

Lin Xiao was stunned. The system hadn't mentioned this to him?

Then again, Zhao Cailing wasn't a direct disciple of the Medicine King Valley, so this connection wasn't particularly important; it was normal not to mention it.

"Oh, it's you. You're still alive?"

Gu Zhiyao also seemed to just recognize Wei Kongming, but her first words left everyone speechless. What kind of thing was that to say?

Everyone took their seats, and Lin Xiao asked Gu Zhiyao about the specific origin of the holy water.

Gu Zhiyao's answer, however, greatly surprised everyone—

"That isn't holy water; it's the 'Corpse Refining Powder' from the Ten Thousand Poison Cave. It's a raw material for the Drug-Man Art."

Mu Wanying realized, "No wonder. I felt these people were very similar to Medicine Men. So there really is a connection?"

"But why would something from the Ten Thousand Poison Cave be in the hands of the Khitan Yelü Family? And why are you, a descendant of the Medicine King Valley, here investigating it?" Lin Xiao asked.

Gu Zhiyao sighed. "Starting from the beginning is such a hassle. I'll try to keep it short..."

Patiently, the woman gave a rough account...

It turned out that the ancestors of the Medicine King Valley hadn't learned their medical skills from the Heavenly Palace, but were disciples of the Five Ancestors of Celestial Beings from the Five Great Sects.

The Five Ancestors not only knew various martial arts but also possessed many medical skills far beyond those of ordinary mortals.

However, the Five Ancestors knew well that medicine was more dangerous than martial arts and more likely to cause calamities.

Therefore, they only allowed their disciples to establish the Medicine King Valley, taking in a small number of disciples each generation, just enough to pass on the legacy.

Yet even so, as the Medicine King Valley was passed down through the generations, some "traitors" appeared.

In the process of studying medicine, they gradually lost their way, believing they possessed the truly greatest power.

"The founder of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave was a traitor from our Medicine King Valley."

"Many poisons of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave were originally intended to save people and treat illnesses, but with medicine, just changing the dosage slightly makes it something completely different..."

Gu Zhiyao sighed, "To be honest, most disciples of our Medicine King Valley are used to being idle. Many never leave the valley in their entire lives, or after finishing their studies, they wander the world and disappear without a trace."

"The mediocre ones are fine, but once someone with wicked intentions emerges and hides too deeply, they inevitably become a scourge upon the land."

"Back then, Earl Yushan's ancestor, Yu Guyao, was a disciple of our Medicine King Valley. For the sake of wealth and glory, he joined forces with the Ten Thousand Poison Cave to create the Drug-Man Art."

"Laughably, after the Li family seized the world, even they felt the Drug-Man Art was against heaven and humanity. They only gave Yu Guyao the title of Earl, not the Dukedom they had promised."

"The Ten Thousand Poison Cave had it even worse. Not only did they receive no rewards, but they were also suppressed within the Southern Border. Their records of the Drug-Man Art were stripped away, and later they didn't even know how to refine Medicine Men anymore."

Lin Xiao thought to himself: No wonder the Medicine Man sent by Great Elder and the others was a two-hundred-year-old monster; it turns out they didn't know how to make them afterward.

"Actually, starting over a hundred years ago, the Medicine King Valley strictly forbade its disciples from touching research related to Medicine Men."

"But there are too many lost classics out there, so it's difficult to completely eliminate it."

"Just a few months ago, the Great Elder of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, Great Elder Chaka, died. The interior of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave fell into a chaotic struggle for power."

"Many believed that the Ten Thousand Poison Cave still hid the secret methods of the Drug-Man Art, so they all went in to fight for it."

"Although the complete method for the Drug-Man Art wasn't found in the end, some things related to it were leaked..."

By the time Gu Zhiyao reached this point, everyone understood.

The method for making Corpse Refining Powder was leaked then!

Lin Xiao and Mu Wanying glanced at each other, feeling somewhat helpless.

Who would have thought that killing one Great Elder would trigger such a chain reaction!

Although Liao Meier had been sent to reorganize the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, it seemed it was already too late.

"The reason I came here is that while I was in the Southern Border, I discovered someone was conducting large-scale experiments with Corpse Refining Powder."

"As a descendant of the Medicine King Valley and a physician, I have a responsibility to sever all roots of the Drug-Man Art's evil, so I couldn't just stand by."

"Compared to the Drug-Man Art, this stuff is much simpler and the cost is very low. Once you have one bottle, in time, you can use human bodies to cultivate thousands more."

Gu Zhiyao frowned and said, "I thought there was a high probability someone wanted to use it for war, so as soon as I heard about the border conflict here, I came over."

"Unexpectedly, I was right. I'm just not sure how the Yelü Family reached into the Southern Border and got involved with the Moon Worship Cult..."

Lin Xiao frowned. "What did you say? The Moon Worship Cult? The ones who stole the classics from the Ten Thousand Poison Cave and made the Corpse Refining Powder were from the Moon Worship Cult?"

Gu Zhiyao nodded. "From what I know, it was done by a group from the Moon Worship Cult, but after they succeeded, that group vanished from the Southern Border."

"I've heard of the Moon Worship Cult; they have great influence in the south. It's not surprising they could get the formula for Corpse Refining Powder."

Wei Kongming was puzzled. "Didn't the Prince also visit Nanling? Why are you so surprised?"

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, many thoughts flashing through his mind...

These things must have happened before he went there. Could it be a disaster left behind by Crown Prince Xiao Shian?

Had that guy been collaborating with the Khitan for a long time?

In that case, did Xiao Ya know about this?

Or perhaps there's another power within the Moon Worship Cult? Like the Left Protector I've never been able to catch?