Chapter 46: The Peng Family of Hebei (3)
Translator: bjgoofy
The elders of both families, including my father-in-law and those in charge of the Medical Hall, took turns checking the child's pulse, their expressions showing they couldn't understand what was wrong.
It seemed as if they could not find any issues that could explain the symptoms described by the Peng Family Head.
Aside from the fact that the child had a fondness for sweets, the child’s fair and adorable cheeks did not give the impression of someone who was unwell.
Personally, I was a bit concerned about juvenile diabetes, given the endless supply of candied fruit appearing from somewhere.
After all, the candied fruit the child was eating was packed with sugar.
Even in my past life, there were concerns about the rising incidence of juvenile diabetes due to excessive sugar consumption.
‘I’ve already seen three of them, so where are they all coming from?’
Just as I was watching the child happily licking the candied fruit from one side, the conversation between the Peng Family Head and the elders continued.
“The child sometimes experiences shortness of breath and develops large red patches on the skin? In severe cases, even losing consciousness?”
“Yes. The pulse weakens at times, and tachycardia also occurs.”
According to the Peng Family Head, the child exhibited symptoms of large red patches appearing and disappearing all over the body, along with shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, low blood pressure, and rapid heartbeat.
However, after some time, the symptoms would gradually subside, and the child would regain consciousness.
My father-in-law tilted his head in confusion before asking the Peng Family Head again.
“Have you shown the child to any physicians?”
“Don’t even mention it. Those swindlers! My child nearly stopped breathing several times, yet they claimed they couldn’t determine the cause….”
“What about the Medicine Immortal and the Herb Immortal?”
"We couldn't find out where they are currently.... I did manage to consult the disciples of the Herb Immortal once, but they said the child was healthy. However, one of them made an absurd remark at the end… I almost beat him to a pulp!”
“An absurd remark? What did they say?”
I wondered what exactly the disciple of the Herb Immortal had said to be considered absurd. But after hearing the explanation, it did not seem absurd at all, it was rather serious.
“Hmph… They suspected symptoms of poisoning….”
“Poisoning!?”
At the mention of poisoning, the atmosphere inside the Family Head’s Hall turned cold.
With that final remark, I finally understood why he had traveled all the way from distant Hebei to bring his daughter here.
Hearing about poisoning symptoms, he must have wanted a diagnosis from our Sichuan Tang Family, the foremost experts in poison.
Here in the Sichuan Tang Family, poisons were treated with the utmost sincerity. When it came to poison, no one surpassed the Tang Family.
‘So, he came to see a specialist? But we’re more in the business of funerals than treatment….’
While both had "or" in their names, what the Peng Family needed was a doctor, whereas we were more akin to morticians.
Our expertise lay not in poison treatment but in poison-related funerary practices, so I wondered how much help we could truly provide.
The Tang Family's medical skills were remarkable, and my father-in-law was highly skilled, but having lived here, I knew that our primary focus was poison-related burials.
“Hmm… I understand why you came. Based on your explanation, the symptoms do resemble poisoning.”
At my father-in-law’s response, the Peng Family Head’s eyes widened.
“You- do you truly mean that!? I never believed what the Herb Immortal’s disciple said, but for the Tang Family Head to say the same… This is… This is unbelievable….”
“A poisoning incident in the Peng Family…?”
“Poisoning within the Peng Family…?”
The Peng Family Head’s intense reaction and the increasingly tense atmosphere.
The other elders also spoke with grave expressions, their words trailing off in sorrow and concern.
‘What is this?’
It was true that poisoning symptoms in a child were serious, but the reactions of the adults seemed rather strange.
It wasn’t just concern for the child’s well-being, it felt as if the entire family was in deep trouble.
I couldn’t quite grasp the atmosphere until a quiet transmission from nunim reached my ears.
[If the Young Miss has been poisoned, that means there could be a culprit within the family. That’s why they’re taking this so seriously. It implies the presence of a traitor within their ranks.]
I turned to nunim with a shocked expression upon hearing her explanation.
Seeing that they also carried the "XX Family" title like us, it seemed they were a family of some repute. If a child had been poisoned within such a household, then as nunim suggested, it was possible that someone from within had betrayed them.
This was undoubtedly a grave matter.
Even within our own Tang Family, being part of a noble family carried a meaning beyond simply living under the same roof. If one of our own had committed betrayal, it would not be a trivial matter.
As expected, the Peng Family Head raised his voice, his expression stern as if he refused to even entertain the thought.
“Let’s not speak of that anymore! I do not wish to suspect my own family members!”
“Yes, we should not jump to conclusions just yet. After all, poisoning does not always occur due to malicious intent.”
“I-Is that so? Then what other possibilities are there?”
“There could be an unknown poisonous plant within the household, or perhaps some decorations made from poisonous wood. Please tell us more details.”
Sensing the heavy atmosphere, my father-in-law attempted to lighten the mood while offering comfort to the Peng Family Head.
He then began asking more detailed questions.
After all, medical diagnosis always begins with an inquiry.
“Thank you, Tang Family Head. And what kind of details do you need?”
“Things like when these symptoms occur and where they usually happen.”
“Hmm….”
The Peng Family Head fell deep in thought at my father-in-law’s question.
After a moment, he began to answer based on what he could recall.
“Most of the time, it happened within the Peng Family estate. Either in my child’s quarters or inside the inner courtyard. There was also an incident where she collapsed at the training grounds. It happened twice at night and about four times during the day.”
“There doesn’t seem to be any common pattern.”
My father-in-law seemed to be looking for a connection through his inquiries, but the answers provided no discernible pattern.
As the conversation continued, my father-in-law’s expression grew increasingly rigid.
In the end, we could not reach any conclusions on the first day. For now, the Peng Family members were assigned an empty small inner courtyard.
It was a scenic location near Tang Family Mountain, but with the Tang Family currently overflowing with guests, assigning them a vacant courtyard was the only option.
The guest hall was already packed with people from the Murim Alliance, as well as those from Emei, Qingcheng, and Wudang Sects who had arrived earlier.
For the time being, it was decided that the child’s condition would be monitored.
It was still unclear whether this was poisoning or some kind of strange illness.
As much as no one wished for it, the consensus was that unless the child exhibited symptoms again, it would be difficult to make a proper assessment.
***
After dinner, nunim visited my room.
She had brought several books and a small medicine chest containing a few vials.
-Pop!
Each time she opened the lid of a vial, a pleasant fragrance wafted through the air.
She opened two of the vials among the many inside the medicine chest and had me smell them, then asked if I could discern the difference.
“Can you tell the difference between these two scents?”
“Hmm… aren’t they the same?”
“No. This one has the scent of a green apple, and this one has the scent of a ripe apple.”
Both smelled like apples, yet nunim insisted on distinguishing between the scent before and after ripening.
The reason why I was suddenly sniffing different fragrances was because nunim had officially begun training me to become a poison sommelier.
‘Am I supposed to be some kind of poison perfumer now? Whatever….’
To become a Ten Poisons Warrior, I had to pass a test on distinguishing different poison scents.
That was why I was now receiving specialized tutoring from nunim, who had already passed this test with outstanding results.
“Can you sense any difference?”
“No, not at all….”
Apple scent was apple scent, how was I supposed to differentiate between green apple and ripe apple scents?
I awkwardly smiled with an apologetic expression, but nunim raised a finger, her face turning stern as she explained.
“I know it might be hard to understand why we practice identifying scents in the Tang Family, but if you listen carefully, you’ll understand why it’s absolutely necessary. Pay close attention, Soryong.”
“Yes, Young Miss.”
“The reason we distinguish apple scents is because the paralysis poison commonly used by unorthodox factions smells like green apples. However, the scent of a ripe apple is not from paralysis poison but from Energy-Scattering Poison. That’s why, out of all scents, this is the first one you must learn to differentiate.
Also, the Tang Family’s sense of smell serves as an identifying mark for our members. Identity tokens can be forged, but the Tang Family’s nose is something that cannot be imitated.
If someone outside ever doubts that you are a member of the Tang Family, you can prove it with your nose.”
‘Oh… so that’s what it means?’
Nunim’s explanation made it clear that the ability to distinguish scents was proof of being a Tang Family member.
Realizing this, I thought to myself that I should take this training even more seriously.
Just then, a commotion broke out beyond the inner courtyard. Through the open window, I saw a servant hurriedly running toward my father-in-law’s quarters.
“What’s going on?”
Nunim approached the window and asked.
The servant, looking urgent, answered breathlessly.
“Young Miss, the Peng Family’s Young Miss has collapsed.”
“Young Miss?”
The child, Peng Yingying, had collapsed.
Nunim turned to me and spoke.
“Soryong, let’s go.”
“Understood.”
We immediately left our quarters and headed to the inner courtyard where the Peng Family was staying.
Since the child had collapsed, I was curious to see what was happening.
A short while later, we arrived at the inner backyard, where a large zelkova tree stood.
In the pavilion, illuminated by lanterns, the child lay pale-faced.
The Peng Family Head had his hands under the child’s clothing, channeling energy into her, much like how my father-in-law had revived the village chief’s granddaughter on Haenam Island.
“What happened!? Peng Family Head.”
Soon after, my father-in-law and the elders of the Medical Hall arrived.
The Peng Family Head, after stabilizing the child’s breathing, shook his head and answered.
“I don’t know. She was just sitting in the pavilion when she started coughing and suddenly collapsed.”
“Let me check her pulse.”
My father-in-law took the child from the Peng Family Head and examined her pulse.
After a moment, he spoke with a puzzled expression.
“This is truly strange. The symptoms resemble poisoning….”
-Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Suddenly, the Peng Family Head started slapping himself across the face like a madman.
“F-Family Head!”
“Peng Family Head!”
“What are you doing all of a sudden!?”
People gasped in shock at his sudden outburst.
He had struck himself so hard that blood streamed from both nostrils.
Spitting out a tooth, he spoke.
“Ptoo! I’m sorry! I momentarily doubted my own people, and I cannot forgive myself for that!”
“F-Family Head….”
His words implied that he had suspected the warriors who had accompanied him.
They must have been men he trusted enough to bring along, but since his daughter had been poisoned even here, in the courtyard where only Peng Family members resided, the only possible suspects were the warriors who had followed him.
‘Well, that’s understandable. It’s his daughter we’re talking about.’
His daughter had collapsed from poisoning, and only Peng Family members were living in the inner courtyard.
Although the servants delivered the food, if the poisoning had started back at the Peng Family estate, then his warriors were the only ones left to suspect.
The atmosphere grew solemn at his words and actions.
And then, it happened.
The enormous warriors of the Peng Family, their eyes brimming with tears, suddenly started following their leader’s example.
-Thwack! Thwack thwack!
The Peng Family warriors immediately fell to their knees and began striking their own faces just like the Peng Family Head.
“We failed to prevent the Young Miss from being poisoned despite being here! Our guilt is immense!”
“Immense!”
One patient was more than enough, but now the Peng Family members were mass-producing patients.
My father-in-law, alarmed by their sudden actions, shouted.
“Peng Family Head, stop your warriors! Everyone, calm yourselves! We haven’t even confirmed if this is poisoning yet! We still need to examine her blood….”
But the Peng Family members showed no signs of stopping.
The Peng Family Head even resumed punching himself, turning the scene into utter chaos.
“S-Soryong, what should we do?”
Nunim’s voice was filled with distress.
The Peng Family truly had some eccentric characters.
And they were incredibly troublesome people.
Thinking that, I raised my voice and shouted.
“Everyone, please calm down! We will first determine whether the Young Miss’s symptoms are from an illness or poisoning! There is a way to prove everyone’s innocence!”
Only then did the relentless self-punching come to a halt.
The Peng Family warriors, now looking as if they had just fought a life-or-death battle despite no actual enemy being present, turned their gazes toward me.
Then the Peng Family Head rushed toward me, his voice urgent.
“What is it!? What method!?”
Even though I wasn’t a medical expert, this was a basic diagnostic technique, something even used when treating sick pets.
It was the best way to identify the cause of an illness.
“Yes, first, we need to remove all of Peng Yingying’s clothing and- cough!”
“What did you just say!?”
Before I could finish my sentence, the Peng Family Head, instead of listening to the end, grabbed me by the collar as if I had uttered something outrageous.
His eyes were bulging in disbelief, and nunim stared at me as if she, too, couldn’t believe what she had just heard.
‘No, that’s not what you think it is!’
I felt utterly wronged.
*****
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