The Path of the Martial Arts BOSS
Chapter 107 - 104 Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Chapter 107: Chapter 104 Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell

Doctor Lin stepped out from the inner room and saw Ouyang Yan waiting with two unfamiliar people.

"Doctor Lin, let me introduce you. This is the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Li Renjie," introduced Ouyang Yan.

A young man silently followed behind Mr. Li, evidently a subordinate, making an introduction from Ouyang Yan unnecessary.

"Mr. Li is courteous."

"Doctor Lin is also courteous," answered Li Renjie with a smile. This Mr. Li showed none of the arrogance typical of officials.

"Doctor Lin, I have heard that someone at your academy was found frothing at the mouth and collapsing, which seems to be related to a major case I am currently investigating. Therefore, I have come to gather some evidence," said Li Renjie.

"This..." Doctor Lin looked toward Ouyang Yan.

Ouyang Yan nodded.

"I have thoroughly examined the student and found that his condition was not due to illness but was caused by a certain medication," Doctor Lin pulled out a blue small medicine bottle, "I found this on the ground just now. The bottle is empty, but from its scent, it must be the medicine that caused the student’s condition."

Saying this, Doctor Lin passed the medicine bottle to Li Renjie.

Li Renjie took the bottle and then handed it to the young man following him, "Xiao Yang, take a look."

"Yang Bai, an apprentice of the old forensic doctor from the Ministry of Justice, Song Ci, is also well-versed in medicine," informed Li Renjie to Ouyang Yan and Doctor Lin.

Yang Bai opened the bottle, held it near his nose, and sniffed with his eyes closed, "Cinnabar, realgar, Zeng Qing..."

"Sir, it is Longevity Powder, but it’s the kind that has been circulating in the market recently with weaker efficacy," mentioned Yang Bai.

"Mr. Li, may I ask what Longevity Powder is?" Ouyang Yan inquired.

Li Renjie took the bottle back and explained, "Recently, the young nobles in Divine Capital have started using a new substance called ’Longevity Powder’. Consumed in small amounts, it can be beneficial to one’s health. Whether it leads to longevity, I cannot say, but it certainly doesn’t reduce life span."

"If consumed in large amounts, however, it can make one feel as if they are ascending to the Immortal Realm. Few can resist addiction to such a sensation. Thus, the more they consume, the more they crave, until eventually, this Longevity Powder becomes their deadly poison. Just a few days ago, the young master of the Xu Family, Xu Mingfeng, died at home from an overdose of Longevity Powder."

"This is preposterous," Ouyang Yan said angrily, with his True Qi involuntarily surging and his hair and beard bristling. "Such a calamitous substance that harms the nation and the people, and yet someone dared to develop it, it’s outrageous."

Ouyang Yan, being a great Confucian scholar of the age, was acutely aware of the immense calamity this mere Longevity Powder could unleash, "Mr. Li, since this Longevity Powder is so harmful, why has it not been eradicated yet?"

"Mr. Ouyang, please calm yourself," Li Renjie replied with a wry smile. "How could I not want to eliminate such a calamity? But the Longevity Powder sells at a high price, only affordable to the wealthy and powerful. There are so many such people in Divine Capital that it affects everything else."

"Moreover, the sellers of Longevity Powder build their sales networks in the manner spiders web, expanding quickly from the inside out. Promoters recruit sub-promoters, multiplying their benefits according to a ’diamond’ level system with seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple. It develops very quickly and the network is complex and intricate, which makes it extremely difficult to tackle."

"The issue of the wealthy and powerful will be handled by Mountain River Academy, and I believe His Majesty will grant Mountain River Academy this face," declared Ouyang Yan decisively.

"Mr. Li, I only hope that you can catch the culprits and cut off the source of this endlessly harmful Longevity Powder before it spreads to the common people."

Li Renjie smiled broadly, "If His Majesty intervenes in the matter, I, Li Renjie, will definitely eradicate this menace."

"It’s a promise!"

...

Li Renjie and Yang Bai walked out of Mountain River Academy.

"Sir, with Mountain River Academy stepping forward, His Majesty will definitely issue an order to thoroughly investigate Longevity Powder. Those wealthy and powerful can no longer stop us," said Yang Bai joyfully.

"Sir..."

Li Renjie was unresponsive for a long time; Yang Bai looked at him and noted that instead of joy, his face showed concern.

"Xiao Yang, recently many inferior Longevity Powders have appeared on the market, while the quality ones have become even rarer. Do you think the creators of Longevity Powder might..."

"Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell," Qing Yu snapped his folding fan shut, clapping his hands.

"The problems with Longevity Powder are too significant, and its toxicity spreads far and wide. Selling it to those idle nobles looking for thrills is one thing, but if it spreads to the common people, it will cause serious problems. Eventually, even Divinity Realm warriors might investigate, and at least the Great Grandmaster from Mountain River Academy won’t ignore it."

"The formula for Longevity Powder is not difficult to deduce for those accomplished in medicine. Even without my methods, it is easy to produce a slightly inferior version. Therefore, it’s only a matter of time before it reaches the people. The inferior quality also has its advantages; at least, it’s cheap and affordable for some of the common folk. I believe some have already discovered the formula."

"So, you’ve sold the formula ahead of time to those blue diamond members, harvested a wave of benefits, and let them muddle the market, attracting the attention of various parties as scapegoats," Feng Jiu continued.

"But what about those purple diamond members? Forgive my bluntness, but they are not known for keeping tight-lipped."

No matter how high their membership level, it can’t mask the fact that these purple diamond members are all spoiled brats. Unlike others, they wouldn’t stay silent if caught. Given their status, as long as they are willing to confess, they could definitely save their own skins.

Moreover, since this sales network has not been established for long, the chances of catching the purple diamond members, especially with Mountain River Academy’s involvement, are high.

"Those purple diamond members only know the identity of the Pharmacist, not ours. And I won’t give him any chance to betray me," Qing Yu said, his eyes flashing coldly.

"And as long as they don’t expose themselves, they won’t have a chance to confess, right?"

"What do you mean?" asked Feng Jiu.

"Since we can’t keep Longevity Powder under wraps eternally, nor should we, let the Pharmacist take the real high-quality Longevity Powder formula and seek refuge with someone who can protect him. The stakes involved with Longevity Powder are too high, and with enough depravity, countless benefits will come rolling in. The world will never be short of depraved individuals," Qing Yu stated.

"So whom do you want the Pharmacist to seek refuge with?" Feng Jiu inquired.

"Let’s see who comes up with the inferior Longevity Powder. I think those people will soon be drawn to the surface..."