Chapter 37: Capturing the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad

Fang Han pulled Cheng Lingsu back a little further, his expression solemn.

His medical skills mostly dealt with relatively ordinary ailments—even rare or difficult ones. But this scenario, involving exotic toxins, possibly the most poisonous being on earth, was completely beyond his current level.

In the first life simulation, he had never encountered anything like this.

At most, it was villagers accidentally ingesting poisonous herbs or mushrooms, or being bitten by common snakes.

Those were just ordinary poisons, and he could easily manage them.

But facing a creature like the Mang Gu Scarlet Toad (莽牯朱蛤), with no real knowledge of its physiology, his medical expertise was clearly limited.

In this regard—he was far inferior to Cheng Lingsu.

Fortunately, the poison wasn’t completely irrational. After retreating some distance, the nausea and dizziness no longer intensified, and the bitter taste of the antidote pill in his mouth also began to ease.

Fang Han thought to himself: Duan Yu’s case was clearly just dumb luck.

If he hadn’t first been poisoned with Duan Chang Cao, then bitten by the Lightning Mink, all that layered toxicity combined—by the time the Scarlet Toad approached, even one or two breaths would’ve killed him.

How else could he have survived being crawled into by a centipede and a poisonous toad without dying?

In the original, the two disciples of the Wuliang Sword Sect guarding Duan Yu even discussed that encountering the Scarlet Toad meant having your brain flooded with poison and turning into pus and blood—though it was a rumor, it was likely not far from the truth.

Cheng Lingsu clearly also sensed the overwhelming toxicity. She obediently followed Fang Han back some distance, then carefully examined his complexion.

Afterward, she poured out some medicinal liquid and applied it to a few of his acupuncture points.

Only then did she relax.

Fang Han let her do as she wished. As the cool liquid touched his skin, he instantly felt a wave of clarity. The dizziness faded significantly. With his internal energy flowing, he felt almost fully recovered.

He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Lingsu, what kind of medicine is that? It’s incredibly effective!”

Cheng Lingsu smiled sweetly. “Not long ago, after successfully cultivating the Seven-Heart Begonia (七心海棠), it started attracting all kinds of poisonous insects and snakes to linger nearby. So I developed some detoxifying medicine. The antidote pill I gave you earlier and this liquid were part of the same batch. They’re quite effective against a wide range of poisons. It’s nothing much.”

Fang Han: “……”

Only someone truly skilled could say something that casually.

What else could he say?

He could only sigh again:

My wife, Lingsu—she truly possesses the potential of a Medicine King!1

Cheng Lingsu continued, “Brother Fang, that Scarlet Toad isn’t dead. It probably fell into a coma after ingesting the Seven-Heart Begonia’s flower and leaves.”

After a brief pause, she added, “This Scarlet Toad seems to feed on poison. It tried to consume the Seven-Heart Begonia, not realizing that my flower is not to be trifled with. The toxins in its petals and leaves are among the deadliest in the world. Even the so-called King of Poisons had to pass out temporarily.”

“Brother Fang, if you want the Scarlet Toad, now is the best time. I’ll go retrieve it.”

“Are you confident?” Fang Han’s brow furrowed slightly. Seeing Cheng Lingsu’s eager expression and sparkling eyes, he swallowed any words of dissuasion and instead asked seriously.

Cheng Lingsu beamed like a blooming flower, her voice clear: “You know my skills well enough~”

Fang Han hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly. “Be careful—every step.”

He didn’t say anything foolish like “let’s go together.” He himself had nearly passed out just by approaching—if he insisted on following, he’d only be a burden.

Cheng Lingsu responded softly, then pulled out silver needles and a small jade bottle from her chest pocket. Her steps light, she approached the Scarlet Toad and the Seven-Heart Begonia, crouching down.

Facing the colorless, scentless poisonous mist around the area, Cheng Lingsu seemed completely unaffected. Unlike Fang Han, she showed no dizziness or distress.

She calmly extended her fair hand, silver needle poised, and examined the Scarlet Toad for a moment before striking.

Whatever method she used, she managed to pierce the toad without it reacting. A faint stream of red liquid seeped out—barely noticeable against its scarlet skin—but Cheng Lingsu’s sharp eyes caught it instantly. She gently brought the jade bottle forward to collect it.

After about fifteen minutes, the bottle was full. Through the translucent jade surface, one could faintly see the blood-red fluid inside.

The Scarlet Toad didn’t move at all. It had shrunk in size—from over two inches to significantly smaller.

Cheng Lingsu sealed the bottle tightly, then rose, stepping back several meters—but did not return to Fang Han’s side.

“Brother Fang, just wait a bit longer.”

Then, she searched nearby for some vines and creepers. Her elegant fingers quickly began weaving.

Soon, she had fashioned a small, breathable cage.

Returning to the Scarlet Toad, she used the vines to lift it into the cage and secured the opening.

She didn’t carry it in her hands—instead, she placed it gently on the ground. Then she stepped back, scattered some medicinal powder over it, and only then returned to Fang Han.

“Are you alright?”

Fang Han carefully observed her expression and complexion. Seeing no signs of poisoning, he was still uneasy.

“I’m fine~” Cheng Lingsu smiled softly, clearly enjoying his concern.

Still unsettled, Fang Han gently took her hand and checked her pulse.

Only after confirming everything was normal did he finally relax.

Cheng Lingsu didn’t speak through the entire process—just looked at him, her face glowing with happiness and affection.

FOOTNOTES

1. 1. 1. 1. 药王之资 (yào wáng zhī zī)– “Potential of the Medicine King.” A phrase used to describe someone with extraordinary talent and destiny in medical arts. Refers to legendary figures like the historical Shennong or the fictional “Poison Hand Medicine King” in wuxia lore. ↩ [https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/15.0.3/svg/21a9.svg]