Fang Liu walked aimlessly on the street, utterly bored. In his hands, a bag wrapped in everything he would need for school that was set to open in three days. Recollecting the past half month, things seemed so surreal as if he was living a dream.
Originally, he wasn’t Fang Liu – he was a top-tier poison master living on the Poison Life Continent. As the name suggests, the inhabitants of this continent were all proficient in poison-making and poison-training, where they gain abilities by continuously consuming various poisons. They used poison to attack, defend, and even to save others.
At ten, a fortunate event led him to a book that everyone else in the world longed for, the Poison Life Compendium. This record contained not only the full spectrum of poison-concocting and detoxing methods, but also explained how to enhance oneself through poison. However, in order to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and trouble, he burned the invaluable book after memorizing every detail within it.
"Back in the day, I was the only one on the continent who reached the Poison King level. Regrettably, while attempting to ascend to Poison God level, I suffered the separation of soul and body, ultimately landing on this insignificant continent, tainting the great name I've earned throughout the years,” said Poison, who has now become Fang Liu, mumbling to himself as he walked.
Fang Liu was an average high school graduate, about to step into university life. He was a bit introvert and even timid in the face of troubles. When Poison’s soul entered Fang Liu, it devoured the original soul seamlessly and took over as the new master of the body in an instant.
It took Poison only a day to adapt to his new identity. And he inwardly swore, now that he had taken over Fang Liu’s body, he would live in his stead and moreover, live brighter than he did in the Poison Life Continent.
"It seems someone has fainted ahead, hurry up, check it out."
"Looks like an old man, frail and weak because of old age."
Voices of the concerned passerby wafted to Fang Liu who was about to head home, carrying his bag of essentials and paying no heed to the drama unfolding around him. He was not the type to meddle in others' affairs.
"Grandpa, don't scare me. Wake up, you were just fine, why did you suddenly collapse like this? Somebody, please help my grandpa," cried a female voice from the crowd.
"Miss, we've already called the ambulance, it will be here sooner. You need to be patient," a middle-aged man replied helplessly to the girl.
Fang Liu raised an eyebrow and was about to walk away. His past in the Poison Life Continent had made him reluctant to intervene in others' issues. However, a group pushed forward, bumping into Fang Liu, forcing him to notice a girl of about 17-18 years old and an elderly man of about 60 lying on the ground.
The young girl, with waist-length hair, was dressed in a light blue dress. Although Fang Liu wasn't familiar with fashion brands, he was good at reading people and knew her family was far from ordinary.
Just as Fang Liu was about to step forward, the ambulance arrived, and several doctors in white coats hopped down. It was clear they too recognized the man lying on the ground.
"Oh no, the old chap’s chronic condition has relapsed, but why is he unconscious this time?"
"Could it be an issue with his trigeminal nerve? That shouldn’t be the case though, his health was indeed weak during the check-up yesterday, but not to the point of unconsciousness. Quick, prepare CPR."
After a few minutes of consultation among the doctors and considering the old man’s condition, they quickly drew a conclusion.
"This old man's problem isn't what you all said! Even if the CPR goes on until tomorrow, you won't be able to revive him. If we're unlucky and keep delaying, this old man might be in danger." Fang Liu said, looking at the doctors.
"What do you, a child, understand? Move along, don't get in the way of our treatment." One of the doctors impatiently waved off Fang Liu with a gesture.
"You doctors are only able to see his superficial condition. This old man indeed suffers from a problem with his nerves, but that's not his primary issue here. It's a wonder you're doctors when you can't even diagnose the real underlying issue." Fang Liu retorted without hesitation.
"Who are you? Did you study medicine? Do you know how to treat patients? Given your age, you must still be in high school. Don't obstruct us from saving lives or I'll call the police." One of the older doctors replied, his tone slightly altered.
"I don't care. This person has no connection to me, I'm just reminding you all that his unconsciousness, his rapid breathing, his pallid complexion – all these symptoms indicate one thing: poisoning. With your medical skills? There’s no way you can help." Sneering, Fang Liu turned to leave.
"Wait, wait, did you say my grandfather is poisoned?" The girl addressing Fang Liu spoke up suddenly.
"Look at your grandfather; he is breathing rapidly, his face is drained of color, he can hardly breathe – do you think these are symptoms of a typical condition? This is obviously poisoning. But judging by your reactions, you don’t believe me. I can’t be bothered to deal with this." After his speech, Fang Liu turned to move towards the crowd.
"Wait up. I believe you. Since you can tell my grandpa is poisoned, you must know how to cure him. I'll consent to whatever you ask if you can save my grandpa." The girl said anxiously to Fang Liu.
Fang Liu saw no signs of deception in her eyes; the person seemed credible. This was the conclusion he drew after the brief interaction.
"Miss, this man of unknown origin hasn’t even studied medicine, how would he know that the old man is poisoned? For the sake of your grandfather's well-being, you shouldn’t easily trust such unprofessional people." An anxious doctor nearby said.
"You all stop talking. Regardless of the outcome, I'm willing to give him a try." The girl bit her lip subconsciously as she spoke.
This bared to show her internal hesitation, but for her grandfather's sake, she was compelled in such a situation to believe that Fang Liu had the ability.
"Young lady, this is the first token of faith I've harvested here. Don't worry, if I can say it, I can certainly do it. Clear the people around, make room and let the patient breathe fresh air." Having said that, he tossed his bag aside and stepped forward.
"Huh? It’s actually the ivy gourd, what a nice thing!" Fang Liu mumbled while chewing on something, as if he had acquired delicious food.