Chapter 121: Tang Clan's Paper Flower

Everyone holds onto certain taste memories, etched so deeply in the brain they never truly fade.

However, whether that delicious memory persists because the food itself was objectively transcendent, or if it was merely a temporary euphoria triggered by a specific physical or emotional state at the time…

Well, that can usually only be determined by trying it again later under different circumstances.

It's like those fondly remembered snacks from the school cafeteria back in the day—were they actually good, or were you just starving and hopped up on adolescent hormones?

Qing found herself grappling with just such a situation regarding the citron honey cold tea she'd drunk the previous night.

Was the tea, potentially containing some secret Tang Clan ingredients, genuinely that delicious? Or was her body, utterly exhausted and drenched in sweat after intense training, simply going crazy with delight over the influx of any cool, refreshing liquid? She honestly couldn't distinguish the two possibilities.

So, Qing decided she absolutely had to ask for another cup, just for comparative analysis, of course. Thus, she found herself visiting the Tang Clan Clinic in search of Tang Nanah.

Whoa. Were there always this many patients here?

The lines stretched out from the clinic's famous Seven Great Gates, filling the vast courtyard. Servants and maids rushed frantically back and forth, carrying trays laden with medicinal herbs and steaming decoctions. It was a scene of organized chaos.

Perhaps because of the overwhelming workload, Tang Nanah herself looked incredibly haggard.

Her skin, usually meticulously powdered and flawlessly clean, appeared pale and strangely translucent, completely devoid of makeup. Her hair, clearly unwashed, was just roughly tied up in a messy bun.

Her lips, lacking their usual rouge, looked dry and slightly chapped, and dark circles shadowed her eyes, making her look as if she hadn’t slept properly in days.

Right, Qing remembered. She disappeared last night clutching her stomach after drinking that tea…

Did she actually get sick from her own concoction?

It fit the old adage: doctors often can’t cure their own illnesses.

“Hey,” Qing approached Nanah cautiously. “You really don’t look well. Are you okay?”

“Wh-Wot?!”

Tang Nanah jumped violently, startled, whirling around to face Qing.

Her eyes were instantly filled with palpable resentment, and worse, they immediately started to moisten, welling up with fresh tears.

“You—You ask if I’m okay?!” Nanah choked out, voice trembling. “Last night… because of you… Yesterday…”

Her mouth opened and closed several times as if she couldn’t bring herself to articulate the full extent of her suffering. Finally, abandoning words, a single, large, perfect tear broke free and rolled dramatically down her cheek.

“Look,” Qing said, slightly taken aback by the intensity, “if you’re feeling that rough, why don’t you just take a break? Go rest.”

“Hmph!” Nanah sniffed disdainfully, drawing herself up slightly. “Do you think I’m as idle and carefree as someone like you? There’s absolute chaos breaking out because of that damned Oyangjeuk Juice situation! I can’t just abandon my duties simply because I’m feeling a little tired!”

“Oyangjeuk Juice?” Qing repeated, confused. “You mean that carp juice stuff?”

“That’s right,” Nanah confirmed, looking grim. “Right now, symptoms of a mild Combination Poison are spreading rapidly throughout the city, but we still don’t know for certain where the catalyst—the bee venom—is coming from…”

She explained the complex situation: Oyangjeuk Juice [^(Bungeo-jeup - Likely Crucian Carp juice, often used medicinally)], true to its name, possessed no inherent toxicity on its own; it was completely harmless when ingested.

However, when combined with the specific poison derived from the Red Twin Hornet's stinger[^(- Unknown specific entity, potentially fictional, using same T/L as chapter 116)], it triggered high fevers and severe rashes, incapacitating victims for days. If a third component, blue ant venom , was added to that mix, it transformed into an extremely deadly poison, often leaving victims struggling between life and death.

Because they suspected the Five Poison Sect might be secretly bringing the Red Twin Hornets into the region, the Tang Clan had undertaken extensive preventative measures—discreetly sprinkling boric acid on flower beds throughout Chengdu, shaking down trees, searching for any trace of unusual bee activity.

Yet, despite finding absolutely no evidence of the the Hornets catalyst, over the past few days, people presenting with mild symptoms of the combined poisoning had begun appearing at the Tang Clan Clinic’s Seven Great Gates in steadily increasing numbers.

“How?” Qing asked, baffled.

“Those crazy bastards…” Nanah muttered darkly, “…they seem to have cultivated poisoned vegetables.”

Since the Tang Clan Clinic was effectively the only medical institution in Chengdu, they had examined all the afflicted patients. By comparing testimonies and analyzing samples, they’d identified a common factor: consumption of specific types of locally grown vegetables. Subsequent tests on samples of those vegetables revealed traces of the necessary bee venom component.

The shocking, almost unbelievable conclusion? Someone was deliberately cultivating tainted produce, likely by mixing bee venom into the water used for irrigation.

“Then can’t you just warn people, stop them from eating those specific vegetables?” Qing asked reasonably.

“We’ve already identified several tainted types,” Nanah sighed, frustrated. “But if they keep switching the specific items they’re contaminating—different greens one week, different roots the next—our response will always be tragically late. As an emergency measure, we’ve issued warnings advising people not to use river water directly for cooking or drinking, and we’re attempting to neutralize the wells with counteragents, but…”

Since the river water supplying the wells wasn't stagnant, constantly flowing, it was like trying to fill a broken pot with water—ultimately futile.

“Okay, then can’t you just eliminate the other part of the equation?” Qing suggested. “Get rid of the Oyangjeuk fish themselves? Isn’t there, like, a poison that selectively kills only Oyangjeuk?”

Nanah stared at Qing as if she’d just sprouted a second head. “Are you going to keep saying such incredibly stupid things? Where in the world would a poison that specific possibly exist?”

“Well, what if you just mobilize all the fishermen? Pay them to catch every last one?”

“We’ve already tried that!” Nanah snapped, clearly exasperated. “We put out a bounty—one silver piece per fish—just trying to reduce the overall population! We’ve already paid out over ten gwan worth of gold, and the water contamination level hasn’t changed at all! It seems like those bastards responsible aren’t catching the fish locally near Dujiangyan anymore; they’re probably just buying them in bulk directly from suppliers down in Yunnan province.”

“Then,” Qing tried again, “what if you just explain the whole situation publicly and ask for cooperation? Tell everyone to stop buying or eating Oyangjeuk for a while?”

At this suggestion, Tang Nanah looked at Qing with an expression of profound, almost pitying contempt.

“If we did that,” she explained slowly, as if to a child, “half the population of Chengdu would immediately panic and flee the city. Half of those who remained would likely turn into opportunistic bandits and looters. And the small fraction left would just end up shedding blood needlessly over dwindling resources and suspicion. Isn’t that obvious?”

“Ah. Right.”

Qing finally realized her mistake, feeling slightly foolish.

Right. Primitive, uncivilized, barbaric, lawless China.

It was a world where one couldn’t possibly expect—and shouldn’t expect—mature civic consciousness or rational collective action.

Then, suddenly, another thought occurred to her.

“Okay, okay. But anyway… the core problem is the Oyangjeuk fish, right? We just need to get rid of them somehow, correct?”

Nanah rolled her eyes. “What are you planning to do now? Slaughter every fish in the river with that ridiculously oversized Dao technique of yours?”

“No,” Qing grinned slyly. “Much simpler. We just need to spread a rumor that Oyangjeuk is incredibly good… for male virility.”

Tang Nanah frowned, utterly confused.

“What the…? What does that even mean? How does that make any sense whatsoever?”

“Why wouldn’t it?” Qing countered enthusiastically. “Just look! Behold those vigorous and special salmon—no, wait, carp—that have journeyed all the way up here from distant Yunnan, fighting against the powerful current! Surging upstream! Ascending towards the heavens! Clearly, something powerful is rising! Who knows exactly what it signifies, but it’s surely a sign of potent Yang energy ascending! Ah,” she added dramatically, “it’s truly such a potent effect, but I simply lack the words to adequately explain its profound benefits!”

Tang Nanah’s face turned bright crimson.

“S-Such… v-vulgar words!” she stammered, deeply embarrassed. “How can you possibly say such shameless, embarrassing things out loud?!”

“Anyway,” Qing shrugged nonchalantly, “there’s no real harm in trying it, right? If the rumor works, great. If not, then whatever, no loss.”

“And,” Nanah protested weakly, “if we spread such a rumor, won’t the people who eat the fish end up properly pickled in Oyangjeuk Juice themselves?”

“Didn’t you just say there was some kind of counteragent?” Qing replied dismissively. “Just tell everyone to boil the fish thoroughly together with the counteragent before eating it. Problem solved.”

“Hmm…?”

Tang Nanah seemed to ponder this for a moment, processing the bizarre logic. Then, her eyes suddenly lit up with cunning realization.

“Wait a second! Okay! But if we do this, I’m definitely going to say it was your idea, understand?”

“Then what else would you say?” Qing shot back instantly. “Were you actually planning to take credit and pretend this ridiculous idea was yours?”

Is it just because her eyes resemble a cat’s? Qing mused, observing Nanah’s expression.

Why does she automatically look so damn evil just from her eyes lighting up like that?

Or is her face itself just naturally kind of hateful?

Qing thought this as she gave Nanah a decisive nod of agreement.

A few days later, back at the Dujiangyan irrigation complex…

Countless fishermen lined the riverbanks, ankles dipped in the cool water, casting their fishing rods with fervent intensity.

And it wasn't just the banks; numerous small boats dotted the river itself, fishermen spaced at regular intervals, all casting lines, their eyes bloodshot with avarice, resembling nothing so much as desperate gold prospectors during a gold rush.

“Oooh! Got one! It’s coming, it’s here!” one fisherman suddenly yelled triumphantly.

His sturdy fishing rod bent sharply, almost double, like a drawn bow.

After a brief but intense struggle against the thrashing resistance at the end of his line, a plump, healthy-looking Oyangjeuk fish was finally pulled from the water, a hook pierced firmly through its forehead region.

Amidst a chorus of envious glances from nearby anglers, several other fishermen immediately began to subtly, almost imperceptibly, inch closer to the successful spot.

Originally, there existed a basic, unwritten code of conduct among anglers—a fundamental rule not to invade another fisherman’s established territory or cast lines too close to theirs.

Ignoring this etiquette inevitably led to tangled lines, heated arguments, escalating discord, and usually resulted in the fish smartly eating the bait off both hooks and swimming away unharmed.

Breaking this fundamental rule of angling etiquette, however, seemed almost exclusively the purview of one specific demographic—inexplicably, it was always old bastards dressed in casual neighborhood strolling attire who flagrantly ignored personal space.

This phenomenon, Qing noted with amusement, appeared to be true for the Central Plains as well.

Or perhaps, she mused, this particular irritating trait originated on the continent and subsequently spread its obnoxious influence to various other regions throughout the world?

The truth lay hidden deep within the river’s currents, unknowable.

Meanwhile, some enterprising individuals were even employing large fishing nets, dragging them through the water. Tellingly, they were simply releasing most of the miscellaneous fish they pulled up; the only species they were actively targeting was the newly famous, highly sought-after Ascending Oyangjeuk.

Ascending Oyangjeuk!

The rumor had spread like wildfire: if you thoroughly boiled and consumed this specific fish, your own ‘lower region’ would also ascend along with it, granting unparalleled virility.

Where else could such potent Yang energy possibly come from, the rumor went, after the fish had valiantly journeyed all the way upstream from distant Yunnan province, fighting against the powerful current?

Furthermore, as supplementary proof, it was whispered that the esteemed Tang Clan Lord himself had sired seven sons in a row precisely because his own Yang Qi had ascended to unprecedented heights thanks to consuming this miraculous fish!

The rumor had spread far and wide with astonishing speed. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of men were already claiming to have personally experienced its efficacious effects, further cementing its legendary status.

(However, even demonstrably fake medicine can sometimes produce significant effects purely due to the power of human belief and the placebo effect, so one couldn't definitively declare the rumor entirely false based solely on anecdotal evidence.)

There were, naturally, some who claimed the fish had absolutely no effect whatsoever.

But the prevailing counter-theory was that those unfortunate individuals must have mistakenly purchased counterfeit Oyangjeuk, mere fakes being sold unscrupulously in the bustling marketplace.

And so, right in the middle of the busy harvest season, an entirely unexpected, wildly popular ‘Wild Ascending Oyangjeuk’ craze swept through Sichuan province like a sudden storm.

In Tang Nanah’s eyes, Ximen Qing was like a wild dhole [^Asiatic wild dog)]—no, wait, not quite that dangerous. More like… perhaps a six-month-old kitten possessed of an unexpectedly feral nature, constantly looking for opportunities to scratch, bite, and generally embarrass her.

Therefore, Nanah had conveyed Qing’s utterly ridiculous ‘virility rumor’ suggestion to the Tang Clan’s leadership conference call with the utmost seriousness and powerful conviction.

“Everyone listen! That Young Lady Ximen! She came up with a brilliant solution! And she’s putting her name on the line! Her honor too! She even invoked her Master’s name! Said she’d take full personal responsibility if it doesn’t work!”

“Ah, right, so, her ingenious plan is… well… Oyangjeuk fish is apparently incredibly good for… that… so, we should spread a rumor to that effect.”

“Yes! Good for that! You know… that thing down there… So, like… what it does is…”

“Well, you know… that… the… uh… you know…”

“Ugh, fine! The COCK! …The phallus! The Yang Thing! Happy now?!”

…the Yang object, that is.

She had felt incredibly embarrassed relaying the plan alone afterward, not knowing quite what to do with herself.

Anyway, the initial reaction from the Tang Clan elders and her brothers had been overwhelming skepticism. Surely people wouldn’t abandon their work and rush out to go fishing based on such a simple, vulgar trick?

Especially during the busiest part of the harvest season? No way.

One particularly conservative Elder had even expressed profound discomfort, arguing that such a plan treated the hardworking people of Sichuan like complete, gullible idiots.

So, it had been with considerable malicious glee that Tang Nanah, her face flushed with triumph, had inwardly rejoiced just two weeks later when the reports started pouring in.

“Ho ho! Brilliant! That’s right! Since that is indeed what men care most about, the Ximen child has struck precisely upon the perfect weak spot! She truly made such bold claims for a valid reason after all!” declared the Tang Clan Lord.

“I never realized Young Lady Ximen possessed such wisdom in addition to her beauty,” another Elder admitted, impressed. “I had mistakenly assumed her words and actions were merely frivolous.”

“Isn’t it now as if everyone living in Chengdu owes a debt of profound grace to the Young Lady?” commented another.

“To think! She solved a critical problem that twenty gwan of gold couldn’t fix, simply by strategically spreading a single, well-crafted rumor!”

Thanks to the undeniable success of Qing’s vulgar plan, Nanah’s status within the clan skyrocketed almost vertically—from being viewed as merely a pretty, spoiled freeloader who just ate food, she was now perceived as a wise, insightful young woman whose true nature was difficult to fathom.

No! WHY?! Why the hell did that actually WORK?! Only Tang Nanah fumed alone in frustrated disbelief.

However, once the Oyangjeuk population plummeted and the water quality returned to normal, causing the clinic to become significantly less busy, another unwelcome side effect immediately emerged.

“So… Young Lady Ximen… perhaps tonight, you would care to join me on a private boat ride under the stars…?”

“You punk! How dare you try to make a move on her right in front of me?! Huh?! How dare you!”

“No, wait, Elder Brother! How can you interfere like this?! It’s unfair!”

Because the Ascending Oyangjeuk craze had nearly wiped out the entire invasive fish population in less than two weeks, the Tang Clan Clinic quickly returned to its normal, relatively quiet state.

Which meant, unfortunately for Qing… the burdensome, unwanted flirtations of the five competing older brothers (plus the perpetually chagrined youngest, and the eldest constantly trying to run interference) had begun anew, with renewed vigor.

If these guys were actual bad guys, Qing thought irritably, I would have already slapped the shit out of them and told them to lower their damn eyes.

But these were the very same brothers who had apparently worked tirelessly, even sacrificing their own sleep, to care for patients when the chaos first broke out due to that Combination Poison involving carp and double-killer bees. She couldn't exactly beat them up for being annoying after they'd acted relatively heroically.

Fortunately, there was still one guaranteed safe haven from her unwanted suitors within the sprawling Tang Clan compound: the women’s clinic, located in a quiet corner of the main Tang Clinic building.

Officially, there were no recognized female physicians in the Central Plains.

This wasn’t due to a lack of skilled women, but simply because the established (male-dominated) medical societies refused to formally acknowledge women as legitimate physicians.

Instead, women who practiced medicine were often referred to dismissively as “Medicine Hags” (yakpa [^(Derogatory term, lit. "medicine seller/hag")]), implying they were just old women capable only of decocting basic medicines,

or perhaps visually likening them to lowly beggars hunched over gathering herbs in the mountains.

The phrase, "Hey, you Medicine Hag old woman," was often used as a common insult.

However, anyone foolish enough to utter such words within Sichuan province likely wouldn’t survive to die peacefully of natural causes. Because the women of the Tang Clan were, almost without exception, highly skilled female physicians who had undergone rigorous medical training from childhood.

As a result, they collectively detested men entering the designated women’s clinic space.

The pressure from the female physicians was so intense that even the seven direct descendants of the Tang Clan Lord himself were extremely reluctant to set foot inside.

Consequently, Qing immediately took refuge within the women’s clinic whenever her ‘brothers-in-law’ became too burdensome.

Choi Leeong, accompanying her, initially received some cold treatment from the female physicians, but being an old man who always presented a gentle expression and naturally lowered himself to show courtesy (at least, towards everyone except potentially rival young men), he was eventually accepted and treated with respect after a short while.

And so, Qing spent her days comfortably hiding out behind Tang Nanah, observing medical examinations, simultaneously taking refuge while also managing to embarrass and annoy both the physician (Nanah) and the patients with her unsolicited commentary and questions. It was during one such session…

As the next patient quietly entered the examination room and approached Tang Nanah’s table, only Qing, with her ability to perceive such things, could see the overwhelming aura of Evil Karma radiating from the newcomer. And that very patient suddenly locked eyes with Qing and snarled…

“Nemesis of the Eldest Senior Brother! DIEEE!”