the Poisoned Path

Tyler stood just outside the hallway, arms crossed, leaning slightly against the whitewashed wall of the hospital. His eyes were locked on the chaos unfolding just ahead. A few nurses scurried past him, trying to pretend the shouting wasn't shaking the very atmosphere. The hallway echoed with frustration and arrogance.

"You idiot! Do you think you can just barge in and ask to heal Old Master Lin?" one man screamed.

Tyler's eyebrow arched. "Hm. That guy must be one of the fancy doctors they called in," he muttered under his breath. He noticed another man standing nearby, younger and dressed in branded clothes, his nose turned up like a snob.

"Rich heiress's cousin. Probably thinks he's entitled to walk on air," Tyler mumbled, scratching his chin. A couple of guards stood firm at the corners, clearly elite with the way they carried themselves.

His gaze shifted to the center of the chaos — a young man standing still amidst the fury. Kyle.

White bandages loosely covered his eyes, though one could see they'd been untied recently. His demeanor was calm, too calm, as if he had read about this exact scenario before. Tyler squinted at him.

"Let me guess… He's gonna say something dramatic right about… now," Tyler smirked.

Kyle remained silent.

10…

A breath.

9…

More arguing.

8…

The cousin yelled again, this time cursing Kyle for wasting their time.

7…

Kyle clenched his fists.

6…

The guards started moving forward.

5…

The heiress gasped.

4…

A single tear slipped down her cheek.

3…

She stepped in front of Kyle.

2…

The cousin tried to pull her back.

1…

"Please!" the girl finally shouted, voice cracking with emotion. "Just give him a chance! Grandpa's condition hasn't improved in months. Kyle saved my life three days ago… We have to try!"

Tyler burst out laughing. Not loud enough for them to hear, but enough to get a few passing nurses to glance at him weirdly.

"Oh yes! I knew this cliché was coming. Same script, different manhua," Tyler said to himself, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let me guess, now he heals the old man, becomes the future son-in-law, and starts some spiritual journey bullshit."

[System: Are you enjoying yourself, Host?]

"Immensely. But let's mix things up a bit."

[System: How may I assist?]

"Show me some poisons. Preferably something his miraculous technique won't fix."

[System: Displaying poisons now...]

Hundreds of deadly toxins appeared in his mental interface. Glowing, sinister names lined up like a villain's dream shop.

"Woah, calm down. I said cheap ones. I'm not trying to wipe a sect here," Tyler muttered.

[System: Cheapest poison – 300 Reputation Points. A slow-acting internal decay toxin, undetectable by normal methods.]

"Perfect. Gimme that. Also, show me the antidote. We don't want him actually dying yet. Let's keep it spicy."

[System: Antidote – 700 Reputation Points. Transaction complete. Remaining Reputation Points: 14,900.]

Tyler watched as Kyle pulled out a set of needles, each gleaming with a strange energy. He began inserting them into the old man's acupoints with methodical precision. Ten minutes passed in silence, broken only by the occasional scoff.

Suddenly, the old man began to cough — violently. Guards gripped their weapons. The cousin stepped forward with fury.

Kyle raised his hand. "This is normal. It's the purge. His body is expelling toxins."

The old man's body jerked again… and then suddenly relaxed. He opened his eyes slowly, looked around, and smiled faintly.

"What's wrong?" he asked, confused.

The heiress — let's call her Lin Yue — broke into sobs of relief.

"Grandpa! You're awake! You're really awake!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

Kyle stood up, wiped sweat from his brow, and gave a weak smile. "He's stable now. He should rest."

"Thank you… Thank you so much," Lin Yue whispered.

Tyler's smile faded into something colder.

"No fun if he gets away with it," he muttered.

Slipping into the crowd, Tyler changed his appearance using the 100-point disguise item he'd bought. In moments, he looked like an ordinary doctor.

He casually entered the room. The guards nodded at him, and he moved to the bedside.

"Just going to check vitals," he said calmly.

In the split-second nobody watched, he slipped the poison under the old man's gown and tapped it to his skin.

"Good day," he said, then walked out. In the corridor, he removed his disguise and stepped into the shadows.

Then came the sound of chaos.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Gurgling. Vomiting. A body crashing into equipment.

"What's going on!?" Lin Yue shouted.

The cousin roared, "Get Kyle! He must've messed something up!"

The guards grabbed Kyle, slamming him to the wall. "What did you do?!"

"I healed him! I swear! I don't know what's happening!" Kyle shouted, panic on his face.

Just then, Tyler walked in, slow and composed, voice laced with concern and sarcasm.

"Is this how one of the most prestigious families in the country operates?" he asked aloud. "Letting random street doctors experiment on their elders? Tsk tsk."

All heads turned.

"Who… who are you?" Lin Yue asked.

Tyler gave a charming smile. "Just someone who values standards. Something this entire situation seems to lack."

Kyle stared at him with confusion and dread as if sensing the aura of a true villain.

Tyler looked back at him with a smile that never reached his eyes