Chapter Sixty-one
Ying Zetian had already detected the medicine to have opium, a form of gu worm medicine in it. Ying Zetian dark troops has already given information that there are fields of opium poppy grown by the devotes of this secret society. Ying Zetian thus gives orders for her information web to search for the origins of this secret society, but she already has her suspicions.
In this world, gu medicine was strictly controlled by Rouran and it was rare that people from other countries will be able to practice it. And in Rouran, gu medicine is treated as sorcery by the Rouran and there is a special tribe responsible for the gu medicine in Rouran. In Rouran, it is a high honor to be chosen as the practitioners of gu medicine. But it was lucky that Fan Zhong had once saved an escapee from this special Rouran tribe who is escaping from an attempt on her life. This escapee is Xiao Ying and come into their lives when Fan Zhong had already meet Ying Zetian and in the end become Fan Zhong's wife. Ying Zetian had used her cover as the Rose to wash away any chance of the Rouran people being able to find Xiao Ying so she can have a peaceful live in Tai Ping. So, Tang Wudi and Ying Zetian have the honor of being the other two disciples of Xiao Ying.
Ying Zetian knew most likely why the secret society that is highly possible from Rouran is operating in Tai Ping. When Ying Zetian is free, she like to see street views from her room windows. So as per her usual habit, Ying Zetian was sipping on an iced watermelon juice while watching the street and mulling over the events that had happen when she reaches Yingan. Ying Zetian sigh in relief that she was rich enough to offer ice in this ancient world where ice is only for the really rich. Ying Zetian sat up when she caught the shop keeper opposite the inn praying to a wooden statue of a woman before opening his shop.
Ying Zetian knew that this wooden statue of this woman is the supposed god of this secret society based on the information given to her. Ying Zetian shook her head as she knew if the supposed gods of this cult-like secret society is overtaking the normal lives of citizens, it is not a good sign. If the two hundred thousand Qitan army is really true, Ying Zetian could use this chance to greatly weaken Qitan and settle this secret society. After all, Qitan as a whole country could come up with a three hundred thousand army force at any given time and that is provided that every able-bodied man is counted.
Ying Zetian pulls her thoughts back from the at the moment only maybe attack of the Qitan to the secret society. Humans once rich will have desires arising from other areas of this life like beauty, being stronger and so on, this is a purely human behavior. And the price of the medicine ensured that only the rich could afford it. the opium in the medicine ensured that the buyer is addicted and could only continue to use the medicine. While the gu medicine have two purposes.
One purpose, Ying Zetian believe is to control the rich and powerful who already have used the secret society medicine. And second is to mentally control the user to think that they are more beautiful and stronger after using the medicine even if it is not the truth. and even if someone else tell them the truth, they will also not believe. And once the rich and powerful of Tai Ping is controlled by the secret society, Rouran could conquer Tai Ping without using any soldiers. And not to said, they could let the poor of Tai Ping be control by freely giving them opium and thus have free labor to grow opium in which the Rouran could sell to other countries using the opium they grew on the land of Tai Ping.