IPW Chapter 9: Expelling the poison

“All the doctors who had examined him before had concluded that his meridians were blocked. That was why he couldn’t sense the spirit energy in the air, leaving him unable to cultivate. When his father brought him back, he mentioned that his mother had been injured, and that might have affected the fetus. It could have hindered the development of his meridians.

“But why bring this up again?” Sima Lie gave him a puzzled look.

“Grandfather, I suspect that the real reason behind my blocked meridians isn’t something congenital… but something else,” he said cautiously.

“You mean—” Sima Lie’s eyes widened in shock.

Sima You Yue nodded. “I’ve been poisoned. That’s what caused the blockage. After investigating further, I’m certain it’s directly tied to why I’ve never been able to cultivate.”

Bang! Sima Lie stood up so abruptly that the chair toppled over behind him.

“Is… is what you said true?” he asked, staring at his delicate grandchild.

In the quiet of the room, away from prying eyes, she nodded. “Yes, Grandfather. The poison is extremely rare and difficult to detect. From what I can tell, I’ve been poisoned since birth.”

“The Emperor sent many physicians and alchemists to examine you—some of the kingdom’s best! Yet they only found that your meridians were blocked!” Sima Lie exclaimed.

Sima You Yue understood. The Emperor of Dong Chen Kingdom, Xing Zhantian, had always favored Sima Lie. He must’ve sent the finest experts. That even they couldn’t detect the poison only proved its rarity.

“Perhaps the poison is unknown in our kingdom,” he said aloud. “And since there were no symptoms aside from blocked meridians, it was easy to overlook. Honestly, if I hadn’t found two small points under my arms, I wouldn’t have known either. So it’s not strange that no one else noticed.”

“When your father brought you back, he said your mother had been injured and feared it affected your development. But I never imagined it was due to poison!” Sima Lie sighed.

“Grandfather… wasn’t I born at home?” He tilted his head, feigning innocence. “What did you mean by ‘when your father brought you back’?”

Ahem. Sima Lie cleared his throat awkwardly. “When you were born, your parents weren’t in Dong Lin City. Your father only brought you back when you were about six months old. He said he had to find your mother and left you in our care… and never returned.”

“Yue’er, how did you discover you were poisoned? Who diagnosed you? Tell Grandfather—I’ll find them and get the antidote!”

“No one else examined me,” he replied smoothly in public voice. But once more in private tones, she added gently, “I found out myself, Grandfather.”

“You figured it out on your own?” Sima Lie looked at him in disbelief. “Don’t lie to your Grandfather. Are you being forced to keep it a secret?”

“This…” She hesitated, knowing full well the previous Sima You Yue was thought to be useless. If she claimed to have discovered it herself, Sima Lie wouldn’t believe it. So she took out a folded piece of paper. “Grandfather, here’s the formula for the cure. Please have the herbs gathered—and keep it secret.”

“Understood.” Sima Lie nodded. He took the prescription, examining the handwriting. It was crude, but given hisilliteracy before, Sima Lie nodded in quiet approval. “Men! Follow this prescription and prepare the medicine!”

“Yes, General!” Two guards entered, accepted the instructions, and hurried off.

Back in her room, Sima You Yue locked the door and returned to her books. She needed to study them thoroughly to prepare for what lay ahead.

Soon, the herbs were delivered. She examined them carefully before calling Yun Yue to prepare the medicine. She gave detailed instructions and waited until everyone had left before stepping into the crimson bath.

Hiss—! The moment she submerged herself, a searing heat spread through her body. It felt like flames licking at her skin, her entire body writhing in agony.

“Damn it… I didn’t think it’d hurt this bad,” she gasped through clenched teeth.

The medicine began to take effect. A surge of force pushed through her, intensifying the heat. She felt as if she might burst from within. The red bathwater slowly turned clear. Her vision blurred, and a bitterness rose in her throat. Then—blegh—she vomited thick, black blood.

Again and again, until she could spit no more.

Only then did the pain subside. She touched the two dots beneath her arms—they had shrunk.

“It’s smaller now,” she muttered. “Looks like I’ll need a few more sessions to cleanse it completely.”

After dragging herself out and dressing, she kicked over the tub, spilling the dark water and rinsing the blood-streaked floor.

“Young Master, is everything alright?” Yun Yue and Chun Jian called from outside, concern laced in their voices.

“I was careless and knocked the tub over. Come help clean up,” he replied lazily.

The two maids rushed in, saw the mess, and quickly wiped down the floor before removing the barrel.

The following days passed quietly. In public, he took meals with Sima Lie. In private, she buried herself in study, finishing the books she had previously borrowed from the Books Pavilion.

A week flew by, and the final medicinal bath arrived.

She stepped into the crimson water one last time. After fifteen minutes, a familiar choking rose in her throat. This time, the blood she expelled was no longer black—but a vibrant crimson.

She touched the area beneath her arms.

The dots were gone.

She checked her pulse—steady and clean. The poison had been fully expelled. Whether she could cultivate or not remained uncertain, but her heart surged with hope.

Following the usual cleanup, she dressed swiftly, grabbed the large key, and headed toward the Books Pavilion.

This time, she would search for cultivation manuals.

She had to know—now that her body was finally free of poison, could she at last begin her journey on the path of cultivation?