Chapter 35: The Scarlet Poison Toad

That sound resembled a bull’s bellow, yet carried a piercing eeriness and something strangely sinister. Hearing it suddenly—it sent chills down one’s spine.

Fang Han’s expression shifted slightly, and he stood up at once.

Cheng Lingsu also appeared uncertain and slightly alarmed. “Brother Fang, what was that just now? What kind of creature made that sound?”

As soon as her voice fell, the cry—jiang-ANG, jiang-ANG!—rang out again.

This time, it seemed even louder.

Fang Han’s eyes flickered. He spoke in a low voice: “That’s a poisonous creature called the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad (莽牯朱蛤). Some call it the ‘King of Ten Thousand Poisons.’ Others say it’s the mount of the Plague God—bringing disaster wherever it goes!”

“Though a bit exaggerated, that Mang Gu Scarlet Toad is unimaginably toxic.”

As he spoke, Fang Han smiled slightly and turned to Cheng Lingsu. “Lingsu, doesn’t this feel familiar to you? Ring any bells?”

Hearing that, a trace of surprise crossed Cheng Lingsu’s face. She stood up, walked to a corner, and retrieved a thick medical tome. Using her hairpin, she flipped through the pages until she found a particular entry.

She read aloud from the page:

“In the region of Wuliang Mountain, there are legends of a scarlet toad. Its cry resembles a bull’s bellow; its body, red as blood; its poison—deadly beyond compare…”

“…After half a year of searching without success—how regrettable!”

“It’s recorded in the Divine Scripture of the Medicine King (《药王神篇》). Master once searched in vain for this creature. I never imagined we’d encounter it today—what a fortunate coincidence.”

Cheng Lingsu’s eyes were sparkling with interest, clearly intrigued by this so-called “King of Poisons.”

Fang Han smiled too, but quickly his expression turned serious. He said sternly, “This Mang Gu Scarlet Toad’s venom is among the fiercest. Even getting close can be fatal. It may well rival your Seven-Heart Begonia

. Are you confident? If not, we’d best leave it alone.”

Cheng Lingsu chuckled lightly. “But this time, it’s not us who provoked it—it’s the toad that came to us.”

Fang Han was momentarily stunned.

Cheng Lingsu continued, “Poisonous creatures often attract each other. The mountain cannot house two kings, especially not of this toxicity. That toad was probably drawn here by my Seven-Heart Begonia.”

Fang Han raised his eyebrows. Though surprised, he found it quite reasonable.

“Then doesn’t that mean…?”

Cheng Lingsu nodded. “If we do nothing, my Seven-Heart Begonia will most likely be destroyed by it.”

She hesitated a moment, then added, “Brother Fang, maybe you should…”

She meant to advise Fang Han to stay here while she went alone to investigate.

But before she could finish, Fang Han shot her a glare.

She lowered her head, pouting slightly. Then she quietly took out a bottle, poured out a faintly red pill, and handed it to him. “This is an antidote pill I prepared. It can counter most poisons. Just in case—keep it in your mouth, but don’t swallow.”

Fang Han took it, noticing the worried look in her eyes. He smiled and said, “I’m not being reckless. That Mang Gu Scarlet Toad is poisonous. There’s no way I’d let you go alone—it’s too dangerous. If anything happens, at least we’ll be able to react in time.”

“It’s either we both stay, or we go together. That way, we can look after one another.”

Cheng Lingsu furrowed her brows and said softly, “Then… maybe we shouldn’t go at all.”

Though she was highly interested in the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad, she didn’t want to risk anything. If anything happened to Fang Han…

It would be better not to go at all.

As for the Seven-Heart Begonia, it would be a shame if it got destroyed, but she’d saved seeds. She was confident she could cultivate a second one.

Fang Han was slightly taken aback, then sighed and smiled. “Lingsu, I want to see it.”

Cheng Lingsu was surprised. “Brother Fang, you’ve always kept your distance from poisons. Why now…?”

Fang Han replied, “It’s not about like or dislike. I’ve always stayed away from poisons—especially your Seven-Heart Begonia—not because I hate them, but because they’re so lethal. One slip, and it could affect me too. Why risk it? And besides, I didn’t want you to blame yourself.”

Cheng Lingsu nodded softly, her gaze tender. “I know, Brother Fang.”

Fang Han smiled and continued, “As for why I’m interested in the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad—well, here’s the strange part. Despite being known as the ‘King of Poisons,’ there are rumors that if one swallows it, not only will they not die—they will become immune to all poisons! It’s considered a miraculous remedy.”

In the original story, Duan Yu avoided countless poisonings thanks to it.

It was one of his many “cheats.”

Cheng Lingsu looked astonished. “Immune to all poisons?”

She pondered. “That is strange—to gain immunity from the most toxic thing in the world. But I suppose it’s not impossible. As the saying goes: extreme yin births yang, and great misfortune turns to great fortune.”1

Fang Han tugged gently on Cheng Lingsu’s sleeve. “Alright, let’s go have a look. If we wait too long, that Mang Gu Scarlet Toad might vanish.”

Cheng Lingsu was still a little hesitant, but since Fang Han pulled her along, she had no choice but to follow.

“Brother Fang, take that antidote pill now.”

“Alright. I’ll listen to you. But what about you?”

“I have my methods, don’t worry.”

The two left the cave, each activating Lingbo Weibu, and swiftly darted through the forest.

After traveling several li, the eerie jiang-ANG, jiang-ANG cry grew even sharper, like it was right in their ears.

They slowed their pace, holding their breath, and followed the sound.

About thirty to forty meters ahead, a strange sight appeared:

A toad, just two inches in size, lay crouched in the grass. Its body was blood-red, its eyes gleaming gold. Each time it inflated its throat, it let out a wailing, eerie cry.

Jiang-ANG!

All around it, the grass and plants had withered away.

And further down its path, every few meters, patches of earth were similarly dead and barren.

Utterly bizarre.

Fang Han’s brows furrowed tightly. He whispered to Cheng Lingsu, “Everywhere that Mang Gu Scarlet Toad passes, it ends up like this. Its toxicity is no joke.”

Cheng Lingsu nodded, also unnerved. “Indeed. No wonder it’s called the ‘King of Poisons.’”

Fang Han frowned. He was hesitating.

To approach such a highly toxic creature—was that truly wise?

In the original story, Duan Yu was able to swallow the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad and become immune to all poisons purely due to dumb luck.

The toad crawled into his mouth on its own—anyone who saw that would call it pure plot armor.2

Now, facing it in real life, trying to replicate Duan Yu’s miraculous encounter—

That was a whole different matter entirely.

Footnotes

1. 1. 1. 1. 否极泰来 (pǐ jí tài lái)– An idiom meaning “extreme misfortune turns into good fortune.” Often used to describe turning points when adversity gives birth to new hope or blessings. ↩ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/21a9.svg]

1. 1. 1. 1. 开挂 (kāi guà)– Internet slang meaning “using cheats/hacks.” Refers to someone seemingly having supernatural luck or an unfair advantage. Often used sarcastically in fan circles to describe protagonists who succeed through plot-driven miracles. ↩ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/21a9.svg]