Chapter 378: Chapter 371: 371 Someone Poisoned (3rd Update)

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Experts ascending to the Innate realms could stabilize their state quite quickly, with five to ten days being quite normal, and even a shorter period was possible.

But even if the realm was stable, adapting to the state of Innate was not something that could be accomplished in a short time. After connecting the bridge between heaven and earth, one’s body would undergo a series of drastic changes from the inside out.

The various changes associated with this process were generally understood by cultivators before ascending to Innate, but after ascending, gaining proficient control and usage required a long-term exploratory process—this was what was known as “easier said than done.”

In the eyes of the Yongyi Duke’s Princely Heir, Feng Jun had only ascended to Innate for about ten days. Briefly hovering in the air could be considered unproblematic, but to steadily float in the air for the duration of an incense stick while simultaneously preaching—such finesse would normally require at least three to five months of practice.

The Princely Heir’s attendant gave a bitter smile, “People are inherently different, and that’s especially true for this one.”

The Princely Heir thought about it and silently nodded, thinking to himself that it made sense. After all, ascending to Innate for the other was merely a side pursuit.

Feng Jun preached for about half an hour and then stepped down.

Magistrate Han, in charge of the ceremony, stepped forward and announced loudly, “The banquet begins!”

The banquet here was also a buffet, but with a distinction between internal and external. The internal banquet catered to one’s own people, while the external banquet was… open to anyone; even passersby were welcome to partake.

For the internal banquet, Feng Jun had prepared a hundred tables, replenished as needed, and the external banquet had as many as three hundred tables—this was still due to the remote location he was in, or else it might not have been enough.

As for whether such extravagance was in line with the consumption level of this plane… don’t be ridiculous, this was an Innate celebration, understand?

When an Emperor ascended the throne, he would grant amnesty to the entire world. Who would say that was inappropriate?

The buffet lasted until evening, and people from within a hundred li had almost all rushed over; Zhige County City was practically empty—as long as you came, you were guaranteed an ample serving of meat and fish.

Those from beyond a hundred li came in fewer numbers, as the news did not spread as easily, and a round trip of two hundred li would not be outweighed by the amount one could eat.

However, the buffet lasted for three days. If someone was willing to rough it outside overnight, then eating for three consecutive days would not be considered a loss.

During this time, aside from eating and drinking, one could also enjoy plays and storytelling.

Such entertainments were expected at a celebration. Over the past half year, Feng Jun had transformed this place into a small market town, and there was no lack of relevant facilities and personnel.

That night, over thirty thousand people gathered here, making for an extraordinary scene.

Fortunately, the Tian Family members had long perfected their cooperative efforts. Together with the assistance of Yu Family and Mi Family disciples in maintaining order, no significant oversight occurred. The soldiers brought by the Magistrate, the Princely Heir, and Lord Beiyuan were merely on standby.

Actually, the Magistrate had intended to leave in the evening because he wouldn’t be able to return to Xiyin City by the next day otherwise. However, Deng Yifu told him that it would be a great pity not to see the nighttime scenery here and that his son mentioned there would be entertaining programs at night.

Ever since the Hall of Heroes was eradicated, the two men—one as the Sage of the Prefecture and the other a local authority—worked so well together that the Judicial Commissioner took sick leave to recuperate.

Therefore, the Magistrate did not dare to undervalue Deng Yifu—more importantly, he did not dare to underestimate the two young members of the Deng Family, and so he decided to stay another day.

That night was indeed bright with lights adorning the skies. Feng Jun operated three diesel generators and added two Boiler Camel Motorcycles—using the Boiler Camel Motorcycles was mainly to advertise them.

The Magistrate was also someone who enjoyed fun and could not help but exclaim, “Truly, it is a night that does not sleep, an awe-inspiring spectacle, such a good time should not go to waste… Are there any young ladies here who can play the flute and recite poetry?”

“Sage of the Prefecture is indeed cultured,” Deng Yifu praised with a thumbs up, “We don’t have poetry recitations, this is not a special business area, but you can watch the fireworks.”

“Fireworks?” The Magistrate raised his eyebrows inquisitively, “Will they be fascinating?”

This plane did have fireworks, but most often, they would just emit a “squeal” before popping, resembling warning flares on Earth, used mainly for alerting.

There were also ornamental fireworks that produced red and white flames, evolved from the warning fireworks. They were lively and entertaining to watch, but the Magistrate was not someone unacquainted with the world.

“I am not sure about that,” Deng Yifu honestly shook his head, “It was my second son who mentioned it.”

The fireworks Feng Jun had prepared did not disappoint. As night fell, dazzling fireworks were set off in waves, eliciting round after round of applause, with many declaring it immensely satisfying.

Fireworks produced under an industrial system boasted colors, brightness, and precision far superior to those of an agricultural society. The well-travelled Yongyi Duke’s Princely Heir and the Magistrate were both impressed, not to mention the locals.

Zhige County was after all, a remote place, and many had never seen fireworks in their lives. The impact they had was imaginable.

The Tian Family Disciples were responsible for setting off the fireworks. Among them were those who had seen the world. As they launched the fireworks, one exclaimed loudly, “I’ve seen the Prince’s Mansion celebrating a birthday, but it wasn’t nearly as exquisite as the Divine Doctor’s fireworks… Should we save some for family events in the future?”

Those who suggested such a thing were immediately scolded by others, “Don’t even think about that improper idea; you’re thinking of embezzling the Divine Doctor’s property. If you’re looking for death, go ahead, but don’t involve the Tian Family.”

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The speaker originally thought, Divine Doctor isn’t omnipotent, I’m in charge of setting off fireworks, so what’s the harm in hiding some away—the old saying goes, in lean years the chef won’t starve.

However, seeing how the clanspeople were so wary of the Divine Doctor, he remembered the Divine Doctor’s other hidden qualities, so he could only force a dry chuckle, “Well, just let the Divine Doctor know about it then, he’s always been generous in his affairs, he might just give us some.”

The Divine Doctor was known for his generosity, which everyone acknowledged. Although his wares were exorbitantly priced, they were unseen on the market before, and no one knew the cost of those items. Rare things were of course not cheap.

Yet, someone reminded him, “Fireworks are expensive to begin with, the more beautiful ones are even more costly, not to mention those brought by the Divine Doctor.”

This time, Feng Jun had brought a significant amount of fireworks. Despite the high intensity of the display and having more than ten people dedicated to transporting and setting them off, it would last an hour or two without any issue.

In short, for the ordinary residents of Zhige County, there had never been such festivity in the county. Magistrate Han sat in his courtyard, drinking with Feng Jun and others, and when he heard the waves of cheers outside, he couldn’t help asking.

“I have never seen the commoners under my governance this happy, how long can the Divine Doctor stay?”

Feng Jun smiled, “That’s hard to say, I actually enjoy traveling and roaming around.”

“Ah,” Magistrate Han sighed in frustration, “If only we had this day every year, if the Divine Doctor would agree to stay, you can name your terms.”

Feng Jun just smiled noncommittally. Fireworks of course look good, but they’re burning my money.

It was Mr. Shi, an aide to the Prefectural Governor, who spoke, “The Lord of the County thinks this way, which is somewhat selfish. To read thousands of books and travel thousands of miles is our pursuit. You have already registered Mr. Feng here, to ask for too much is to be never satisfied.”

Lord Beiyuan also spoke, “The Divine Doctor is destined not to stay in your small place forever, just hope that when he travels around Donghua Land, he can make time to pass by my estate, Brother Bao… this matter you must take to heart.”

As several people were chatting casually, a disciple of the Yu Family walked over and whispered a few words in the ear of Yu Changzhu, who was sitting at the end.

She turned to Yu Zhengqing—having arrived the day before, Yu Zhengqing, the second master Yu, was naturally the core of the Yu Family.

Yu Zhengqing tilted his chin and spoke solemnly, “If it’s about the matters here, just say it outright.”

Yu Changzhu glanced at Feng Jun again and lowered her voice a bit, “The family’s disciples discovered that someone is poisoning the food.”

Today’s festivity for Feng Jun’s Innate Celebration was primarily managed by members of the Tian Family, but the Yu Family, the Mi Family, and even the followers Brother Bao brought along also provided plenty of help.

The Yu Family’s Antidote Pills were very famous in Donghua, it was evident that their understanding of poisons far exceeded others.

Feng Jun, coming from the Earth Realm, of course knew what kind of preparation should be made for a large celebration. Congestion and stampede was only one aspect; food hygiene must also be attended to, as there are plenty such cases on Earth.

Therefore, he asked Yu Family Members to help monitor the process of serving meals—not that he was afraid of being poisoned, but rather because the food he provided, although mostly from the Earth Realm, also included a good amount purchased locally.

If it was locally sourced, he had to be concerned about whether the food was fresh, as there were no refrigerators here.

The precautionary arrangements actually allowed the Yu Family Disciples to discover someone attempting to poison the food. Feng Jun felt secretly relieved, “What kind of poison is it?”

The Yu Family disciple replied, “Blue Blossom Umbrella Powder mixed with Crimson Ant Eggs.”

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table cursed in unison.

Blue Blossom Umbrella is a highly toxic fungus with a bizarrely fragrant scent; a tiny amount is enough to be fatal.

Fortunately, its distinct fragrance is too peculiar and most seasoned travelers know how to protect against it.

However, with the addition of Crimson Ant Eggs, a lot of this fragrance can be masked, making it extremely rare for someone to still detect it.

Feng Jun, who had read quite a few books recently, understood this as well, “Where is the poisoner from?”

The Yu Family disciple looked at him and cautiously replied, “We haven’t captured the two of them, just had people watch them. We didn’t rush the serving of dishes… we came to report first, to see what the procedure would be.”

Feng Jun nodded slightly upon hearing this. Sure enough, worthy of being from an esteemed family, they handled things methodically. Upon discovering something amiss, they knew not to startle the snake and came to report after following the suspect.

However, Yu Zhengqing didn’t share this view. He slapped the table and stood up, muttering lowly, “Nonsense!”

As he said this, he walked outside, still chiding softly, “Is a poisoner the same as an ordinary spy? Never underestimate a poisoner because you do not know their limits… Take me to catch them!”

“Well said,” Lord Beiyuan clapped his hands and turned to a thin, old man with a bow, “Please, Cultivator Wu, lend your aid.”

(Third update, calling for monthly votes.)