200: Chapter 200 Spirit-Severing Pill

Chen Shanzhi was slightly taken aback, his pupils suddenly dilating. A flash of near-ecstatic light erupted in his eyes, only to be forcibly suppressed by him.

He pressed his hands tightly against the edge of the table in front of him, leaning his body forward. Because he was pressing so hard, his knuckles turned somewhat white.

"You can cure it?"

Chen Shanzhi's breathing grew noticeably heavier. He kept his voice very low, as if trying his best to restrain his inner excitement, but the tremor in his tone could not be hidden.

"Why should I believe you? That is a Child Gu personally planted by the Saintess of the White Lotus Sect.

You, a fellow who doesn't even dare to state your name, expect This Heir to believe you on your word alone?"

Looking at Chen Shanzhi's losing composure, the middle-aged man's smile widened.

He thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of being in control of the situation.

"His Highness the Heir, since I dared to come find you, I have naturally come prepared."

The middle-aged man reached into his robes, fumbled around for a moment, and then slowly pulled out a palm-sized, entirely black profound wood box.

With a gentle flick of his long finger on the lid, the wooden box emitted a crisp click, and the cover popped open.

A faint medicinal fragrance, carrying a trace of chilly air, instantly spread throughout the private room.

Inside the wooden box lay a round, dark red pill about the size of a longan, its surface faintly shimmering with strange patterns.

"This medicine is called the spirit-severing pill."

The middle-aged man gently pushed the wooden box forward, sliding it in front of Chen Shanzhi.

"Taking this pill can completely sever the Divine Soul connection between the Child Gu and the Mother-Gu within six hours.

During these six hours, even if the White Lotus Saintess activates the Mother-Gu, the Child Gu inside Your Highness will not make the slightest movement."

He looked up, meeting Chen Shanzhi's suspicious and uncertain gaze, and said with calm composure:

"This pill is merely a semi-finished product, and its effect only lasts for six hours.

I present it to Your Highness today just to prove that the person behind me indeed has the ability to completely purge the Gu from your body."

Chen Shanzhi's gaze was locked onto the dark red pill.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as if he were locked in a fierce mental struggle.

After quite a while, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the profound wood box in his hand.

He even slammed the lid shut with a sharp snap, his movements rough and eager.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man thought Chen Shanzhi would impatiently swallow it on the spot.

After all, the moment anyone tormented by Gu obtained an antidote, their rationality would be swallowed by the desire to survive.

However, it was beyond his expectations.

After getting the wooden box, Chen Shanzhi merely stuffed it into the deepest pocket inside his robes, with no intention of swallowing it immediately.

He patted his chest and let out a cold, wary snort:

"Although This Heir is anxious, my mind is not broken.

What if this pill of yours is some kind of gut-rotting poison? If This Heir eats it on the spot, wouldn't that play right into your hands?

Once This Heir returns and has the mansion's people test it, I will naturally take it."

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed the middle-aged man's eyes.

He had not expected that this profligate heir, notorious in the capital for doing nothing but indulging in wine and women,

could actually maintain such vigilance when faced with the temptation of life and death.

However, he quickly came to terms with it.

No matter how useless, he was still of the Marquis of Zhenguo's bloodline; it was only normal for him to have some wariness against others.

But the middle-aged man was not worried.

The recipe for this spirit-severing pill was extremely special, developed by the person behind him specifically to counter this Gu.

Not to mention the ordinary physicians of the Marquis Mansion, even the imperial physicians in the palace would absolutely fail to see any issues with it.

As long as Chen Shanzhi went back, had someone test the medicine, and confirmed it was non-toxic, he would definitely take it.

And once he took it, the effect of severing the connection with the Gu would make him cling to them like a drowning man grasping at a life-saving straw.

"Your Highness is wise. It is naturally good to act with caution."

The middle-aged man smiled slightly and did not press further, merely raising his teacup in a gesture.

At this moment, the eagerness and anxiety on Chen Shanzhi's face still had not dissipated.

Shifting restlessly in his chair, he gritted his teeth and asked:

"If This Heir goes back and finds that this medicine works, how can I contact you afterwards?"

The middle-aged man put down his teacup and stood up with an easy demeanor.

"His Highness the Heir, there is no need to rush. Tomorrow at noon, I will host another banquet here, quietly awaiting Your Highness's grand arrival."

He gave Chen Shanzhi a deep look and cupped his hands: "I hope that by this time tomorrow, Your Highness and I can become true friends."

Chen Shanzhi let out a cold snort, not even bothering to utter a polite word.

Flicking his long sleeve, he grabbed his folding fan from the table, hurriedly pushed open the door, and walked out.

Hearing those hurried footsteps, one could easily tell how flustered his state of mind was at this moment.

The private room fell silent once more.

The middle-aged man sat back down on his stool, looking exceptionally relaxed.

Picking up his chopsticks, he grabbed a piece of already cold soy-sauce beef, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, his eyes filled with mockery.

"The Marquis of Zhenguo had a lifetime of illustrious fame, yet the grandson he produced is ultimately just a mortal who fears death.

As long as this pill is on him, tomorrow... he won't be able to escape our grasp."

The middle-aged man smiled with absolute confidence.

...

On the other side, Chen Shanzhi strode out of Zuixian Restaurant. The panic and anxiety on his face vanished without a trace the very instant he stepped out of the entrance.

He climbed into the carriage. Coachman Zhao Da cracked his whip, and the carriage wheels began to roll once again.

Returning to the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion.

Chen Shanzhi went straight into his study and closed the door behind him.

He pulled the profound wood box from his robes and tossed it onto the desk, producing a soft thud.

Leaning back in his chair, Chen Shanzhi looked at this so-called spirit-severing pill, a playful curve tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Do they really take This Heir for a fool, thinking I would dare stuff any medicine of unknown origin into my mouth?"

He sneered.

He had absolutely no intention of taking this pill.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if this pill was indeed laced with some slow-acting exotic poison or some kind of Divine Soul mark used for tracking,

the moment he swallowed it, he would truly be delivering his own leverage and life directly into the hands of the Grand Elder and his people.

What's more...

there was no Child Gu in his body to begin with!

If there were a Child Gu, could he have interacted so intimately with Jiang Yingrao on that soft daybed in Yihong Pavilion?

And the so-called control by the Child Gu was merely Jiang Yingrao cooperating with him.

The fake news was intentionally spread in the capital just to cast a hook for the Grand Elder's spies in the city.

Therefore, Chen Shanzhi did not need to test whether the pill worked at all.

Since the other party sought to cooperate with him anyway, this pill had to be effective in their eyes.

As long as he acted well enough tomorrow at noon, performing the excitement and urgency of the medicine taking effect, it would be more than enough.

"Trying to get something for nothing, and even wanting to secretly manipulate This Heir... Tsk, the Grand Elder's people certainly have a nice scheme going."

Chen Shanzhi tapped his fingers on the table, a cold, icy glint flashing in his eyes.