“I have an investigation file for everyone working here. It would be easy to check” She said
“You should start with the ones closer to you. Wait, a file for everyone? Even me? Can I read it?” I was curious what was in there.
“As long as you promise to read it with uncle Huai and me present” she said mischievously. Her smirk made me change my mind, ignorance was a bliss
After lunch, I went to boost the plants at Li Yao’s orders1Decades later, Li Yao still recalled the time he could order his boss around
Then I set up an alchemy room next to mine with the materials I just purchased and the fire plants provided by aunt Yan. I would be allowed to keep 5% just like the school but I was planning to donate the extra later on. By the city team's estimation, in 2 months, there would be enough fire plants to make fire pills for everyone as all households were encouraged to grow and store some for safety.
I was scheduled to go to the nearest village tomorrow with students Wong and Ang to set up heating arrays. We would be going with teacher Hong and a lot of bodyguards. Weather was getting colder but with the heating arrays the villagers could continue growing some of the fire plants and extra food in their courtyard until the first snow. They could exchange them for points and fire pills when needed.
Our first objective was for everyone to have at least one fire pill in case they got sick but with everyone’s work, we would reach that target quickly. Thanks to that, the objective increased to make at least 4 fire pills per person. The freezing winter was for 4 months; one pill a month would be the bare minimum.
Alchemist masters in the city were making higher level Fire pills. I, as a 5th level of Qi condensation cultivator, would need level 2 fire pills. Everyone under foundation establishment could get the cold sickness so those alchemists had to make up to level 3 pills. There were enough masters, disciples and AnNan students to meet demand. However, arrays were a problem
Array masters were working overtime within the city to make different types of arrays on the shelters and slum areas to be turned on by foundation establishments cultivators like the patrol officers. Some city households could also afford them with points already and were next to the list. Too bad there were not many cultivators volunteering to make arrays in villages. Apart from AnNan students, there were only two disciples of array masters who joined in. This outing was to practice with teacher Hong but after that, each of us would be dispatched by ourselves to other villages. Wong, Ang and I volunteered for that so there were, so far, only five array students/disciples who could make level 1 heating arrays for about 50 villages.
It was an impossible task! Uncle Huai told me that he was working on it. There were free array lessons given to his officers to see who could be added and hiring messages were sent to other cities. In the meanwhile, students Wong and Ang would get their time extended at school after they reached the maximum age as we had to take leave from school to go to those villages.
After making a dozen fire pills, it was dinner already. I went to aunt Yan’s courtyard and we waited for uncle Huai. As soon as he arrived, food was served. All servants were sent out and a sound barrier was set up before I checked the food with the analyzer;
red fire leaves and green fire leaves - combinations lead to fire heart poisoning after long exposure.
I had checked all the food at the same time so I rechecked one dish at the time. The soup had the green fire leaves as a spice and the dumpling - my uncle's favorite - had the red fire leaves in the stuffing.
Uncle and aunt's faces were dark. Uncle Huai contacted a member of his team who was a poison specialist. He came in minutes to check the dishes and explained.
“Both leaves can be eaten as long as they are not together. It does not matter if they were taken together once in a while. The problem is the constant exposure. This is not enough evidence to arrest anyone. Only if we see this combination everyday for a month could we have a valid proof”
“So it takes a month to start seeing its effects?” Asked aunt Yan
“Not really, after a month expect temporary infertility. After a year your body gets warmer. Five years later, you would see obvious signs of poisoning, by then it would be too late. That is for foundation establishment cultivators. It could take longer than 30 years for you both” he said looking at uncle Huai and aunt Yan
“Is there a way to know if they were poisoned and for how long? Can they be cured” I asked. Healers could not find out before
“Well, now that we know which leaves were used I can test the blood. But I last checked both of you a month ago and there was nothing so you might be in the drugged phase instead of poisoning phase” He answered
After checking their blood this time, nothing showed. It was normal, it took them another 10 years to be affected in my previous life
“Are there other ways to combine other ingredients with those leaves?” I asked “Uncle Huai and aunt Yan don’t always eat from the same cook or use the same maids so there should be other ingredients with the same effect”
“Let me check my books to make sure. I would suggest you to not use anything with fire attributes until I find out” He answered after getting a nod from uncle Huai.
To not startle the snake, aunt Yan put all the food in a box to throw away and I put snacks I had from grandma Li. I used the analyzer to be safe.
“Mmm I has been a while since I had dessert as a meal” said uncle Huai to lighten the mood
“Aunt Yan, do you think candies are still available at the stores?” I asked. There was a food shortage. Villagers were keeping the food for their family and wealthy families bought the rest in bulk. Luckily, merchants were bringing food from afar and selling them to the city for points so the average and poor families could afford to stock up but food was rationed to avoid extreme shortage.
“You want candies? I can buy you some” offered uncle Huai
“Not for me, tomorrow I am going to villages nearby and I was thinking of giving out candies to kids. I just need simple candies” I saw it with my own eyes after I ran away from the city in my first life. Kids would get scared of city security guards as they only came to arrest or look for criminals. Some sweets would soothe them faster than empty talk.
“That is a great idea! I will ask my servants to go bring some early morning. The candy factory is mine and we have a lot of unsellable ones due to minor defaults. The taste is the same” said aunt Yan and I nodded my thanks.
I went to sleep early, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
“I have an investigation file for everyone working here. It would be easy to check” She said
“You should start with the ones closer to you. Wait, a file for everyone? Even me? Can I read it?” I was curious what was in there.
“As long as you promise to read it with uncle Huai and me present” she said mischievously. Her smirk made me change my mind, ignorance was a bliss
After lunch, I went to boost the plants at Li Yao’s orders1Decades later, Li Yao still recalled the time he could order his boss around
Then I set up an alchemy room next to mine with the materials I just purchased and the fire plants provided by aunt Yan. I would be allowed to keep 5% just like the school but I was planning to donate the extra later on. By the city team's estimation, in 2 months, there would be enough fire plants to make fire pills for everyone as all households were encouraged to grow and store some for safety.
I was scheduled to go to the nearest village tomorrow with students Wong and Ang to set up heating arrays. We would be going with teacher Hong and a lot of bodyguards. Weather was getting colder but with the heating arrays the villagers could continue growing some of the fire plants and extra food in their courtyard until the first snow. They could exchange them for points and fire pills when needed.
Our first objective was for everyone to have at least one fire pill in case they got sick but with everyone’s work, we would reach that target quickly. Thanks to that, the objective increased to make at least 4 fire pills per person. The freezing winter was for 4 months; one pill a month would be the bare minimum.
Alchemist masters in the city were making higher level Fire pills. I, as a 5th level of Qi condensation cultivator, would need level 2 fire pills. Everyone under foundation establishment could get the cold sickness so those alchemists had to make up to level 3 pills. There were enough masters, disciples and AnNan students to meet demand. However, arrays were a problem
Array masters were working overtime within the city to make different types of arrays on the shelters and slum areas to be turned on by foundation establishments cultivators like the patrol officers. Some city households could also afford them with points already and were next to the list. Too bad there were not many cultivators volunteering to make arrays in villages. Apart from AnNan students, there were only two disciples of array masters who joined in. This outing was to practice with teacher Hong but after that, each of us would be dispatched by ourselves to other villages. Wong, Ang and I volunteered for that so there were, so far, only five array students/disciples who could make level 1 heating arrays for about 50 villages.
It was an impossible task! Uncle Huai told me that he was working on it. There were free array lessons given to his officers to see who could be added and hiring messages were sent to other cities. In the meanwhile, students Wong and Ang would get their time extended at school after they reached the maximum age as we had to take leave from school to go to those villages.
After making a dozen fire pills, it was dinner already. I went to aunt Yan’s courtyard and we waited for uncle Huai. As soon as he arrived, food was served. All servants were sent out and a sound barrier was set up before I checked the food with the analyzer;
red fire leaves and green fire leaves - combinations lead to fire heart poisoning after long exposure.
I had checked all the food at the same time so I rechecked one dish at the time. The soup had the green fire leaves as a spice and the dumpling - my uncle's favorite - had the red fire leaves in the stuffing.
Uncle and aunt's faces were dark. Uncle Huai contacted a member of his team who was a poison specialist. He came in minutes to check the dishes and explained.
“Both leaves can be eaten as long as they are not together. It does not matter if they were taken together once in a while. The problem is the constant exposure. This is not enough evidence to arrest anyone. Only if we see this combination everyday for a month could we have a valid proof”
“So it takes a month to start seeing its effects?” Asked aunt Yan
“Not really, after a month expect temporary infertility. After a year your body gets warmer. Five years later, you would see obvious signs of poisoning, by then it would be too late. That is for foundation establishment cultivators. It could take longer than 30 years for you both” he said looking at uncle Huai and aunt Yan
“Is there a way to know if they were poisoned and for how long? Can they be cured” I asked. Healers could not find out before
“Well, now that we know which leaves were used I can test the blood. But I last checked both of you a month ago and there was nothing so you might be in the drugged phase instead of poisoning phase” He answered
After checking their blood this time, nothing showed. It was normal, it took them another 10 years to be affected in my previous life
“Are there other ways to combine other ingredients with those leaves?” I asked “Uncle Huai and aunt Yan don’t always eat from the same cook or use the same maids so there should be other ingredients with the same effect”
“Let me check my books to make sure. I would suggest you to not use anything with fire attributes until I find out” He answered after getting a nod from uncle Huai.
To not startle the snake, aunt Yan put all the food in a box to throw away and I put snacks I had from grandma Li. I used the analyzer to be safe.
“Mmm I has been a while since I had dessert as a meal” said uncle Huai to lighten the mood
“Aunt Yan, do you think candies are still available at the stores?” I asked. There was a food shortage. Villagers were keeping the food for their family and wealthy families bought the rest in bulk. Luckily, merchants were bringing food from afar and selling them to the city for points so the average and poor families could afford to stock up but food was rationed to avoid extreme shortage.
“You want candies? I can buy you some” offered uncle Huai
“Not for me, tomorrow I am going to villages nearby and I was thinking of giving out candies to kids. I just need simple candies” I saw it with my own eyes after I ran away from the city in my first life. Kids would get scared of city security guards as they only came to arrest or look for criminals. Some sweets would soothe them faster than empty talk.
“That is a great idea! I will ask my servants to go bring some early morning. The candy factory is mine and we have a lot of unsellable ones due to minor defaults. The taste is the same” said aunt Yan and I nodded my thanks.
I went to sleep early, tomorrow was going to be a long day.
