Chapter 35: Poison Duel
Moments later, servants had set up two wooden tables in the hall as instructed.
Each table was equipped with identical sets of pharmacy equipment.
The tools were minimal: a cauldron, a heating furnace, charcoal, scales, containers, knives, etc.
Even the pharmaceutical materials were identical, with ten types of ingredients, including a large amount of poison arrow tree roots.
The poison arrow tree is a long-lived shrub.
The plant is not tall, with narrow leaves and a well-developed root system.
The branches and leaves of the poison arrow tree are non-toxic and can be eaten by cattle, sheep, horses, and deer.
However, the roots of the poison arrow tree are highly toxic.
Especially the bark of the roots, which is extremely poisonous!
Whether ingested or applied externally, it can cause a person to fall into a coma in a short time and then die of a high fever.
Except for some reptiles, the poison arrow tree is a universal poison.
Hunting tribes in the rainforest are skilled in using poison arrow tree venom for hunting.
Applied to arrowheads, it ensures that any injured prey has no chance of escape.
However, consuming prey killed by poison arrow tree venom requires careful removal of large chunks of poisoned meat to ensure safety.
The black-robed potion maker, trained by a shaman from a hunting tribe, had extensive experience with the poison arrow tree.
He had never lost in various contests, which led to his recruitment by the Obion family as a potion maker.
Seeing Allen, a commoner, suddenly rise to a position above him, he couldn't tolerate it.
Harboring deep resentment, he was determined to poison Allen to death on the spot!
This would eliminate a competitor and solve the biggest obstacle for Beck, the eldest son, gaining Beck's trust in one fell swoop!
"Begin!"
With Bergrey's command, the black-robed potion maker started first.
Allen remained still, quietly observing the black-robed potion maker's actions.
"Hmm? Why isn't he starting?" The black-robed man frowned in confusion.
After a long while, Allen began to move, mimicking the black-robed man's actions!
"Hmph! A charlatan indeed, resorting to copying! Fine, today I'll show you that copying leads to no good!"
"Light the charcoal..."
Allen also lit the charcoal...
"Boil the poison arrow tree roots to extract the venom..."
Allen also boiled the poison arrow tree roots to extract the venom...
"Add malachite powder..."
Allen also added malachite powder...
...
In short, whatever the black-robed man did, Allen copied exactly!
Seeing Allen's actions, the black-robed man sneered, already sentencing Allen to death in his mind.
"Copy all you want. You'll see the consequences once you drink the poison!"
The observing servants were all worried for Allen.
It seemed Allen was at a disadvantage. Even if he copied perfectly, the chances of winning were slim.
"Mr. Allen..." Bergrey was about to speak.
"What's the matter, dear brother? Can't sit still? Didn't you say Allen is the best potion maker?"
Bergrey coldly glanced at Carl, sensing Allen's silent command to wait, and eventually sat back down with a snort.
...
Soon, the poison was ready.
At this moment, the black-robed man suddenly flung his wide robe, blocking everyone's view.
His hands moved rapidly, throwing all the antidote ingredients into the cauldron in order.
The spectators gasped, realizing this was bad news!
Allen had only copied the poison-making process. Without an antidote, he would surely be poisoned to death!
"Heh, still copying?" The black-robed man mocked, looking at Allen like a dead man.
Carl also looked pleased, finally getting a chance to regain his dignity after Bergrey's surprises.
Unexpectedly, Allen remained calm: "The outcome is still uncertain..."
"Stubborn! Beg for mercy now, and it might not be too late. Once you drink the poison, it'll be too late for regrets!" The black-robed man, confident of victory, thought Allen was just putting on a brave face.
At that moment, Allen's hands moved at lightning speed, creating a blur that was hard to follow.
His actions were smooth and skilled, far from the earlier clumsiness.
The black-robed man was astonished; Allen's technique was no less than his own.
In fact, Allen's skills far surpassed his, though he refused to admit it.
"Hmph! No matter how good your antidote is, your poison is a copy of mine. I have ways to ensure your death!"
In reality, while making the poison, the black-robed man had subtly altered some steps.
This ensured that Allen's poison wouldn't kill him, and the antidote Allen made for his own poison would be useless.
Smirking inwardly, the black-robed man was confident. With Allen's high potential, killing him would be even more satisfying!
Thinking about another talented potion maker falling to his poison, the black-robed man almost laughed out loud.
As time passed, both men stopped their actions simultaneously after a quarter of an hour.
The contest was over.
Allen and the black-robed man each had a black and a white bottle of potion in front of them.
The black one was the poison, and the white one was the antidote.
The black-robed man took a small monkey from a small box behind him. This expensive test animal closely mimicked human reactions. He fed the poison to the monkey with a small spoon.
Squeak! The monkey let out a cry and died shortly after.
Allen, however, took a green lizard from his pocket.
The black-robed man sneered, knowing that lizards' pharmacological properties were vastly different from humans, making this test laughable.
Moreover, the green lizard only fainted briefly after drinking the poison, then flipped over and revived.
"Hah, is this your poison?"
"I advise you again, surrender now while you still can!" The black-robed man mocked.
Allen shook his head, "Enough talk!"
"You! Hmph! If you want to die, don't blame me. Swap the poisons!"
Carl was eager, while the others were worried.
The black-robed man was confident, while Allen remained expressionless.
Gulp!
Gulp!
Both men drank each other's poison.
Then, they each took their own antidote.
The black-robed man, confident of victory, gloated, "Too late to beg for mercy now... Hahaha... Ugh—ah!"
His triumphant laughter turned into a painful groan.
Meanwhile, Allen showed no change, smiling at the black-robed man: "Don't worry, it will be quick..."
As Allen said, the black-robed man didn't suffer long. He soon vomited blood and collapsed, lifeless. Everyone in the hall stared at Allen in shock!
At this moment, no one doubted Allen's prowess as a powerful potion maker!