Chapter 6 - Quack Doctor (1/2)

After they left the theatre house and were walking back to the carriage, as they passed by doctor Lou's shop, Lei Xing stopped and looked at the entrance for a while.

...Might as well, you never know...

”Xiao Ting, you head to the carriage first...I'm just going to quickly check on something...” Lei Xing said and quickly walked away before Xiao Ting could protest, one of the guards followed her. Xiao Ting stood for a while and watched her sister leave and then continued on as she was instructed.

When they got to the shop, the guard stayed outside and Lei Xing went in. She was grateful to see there were no customers around and happily walked up to the old man sleeping on the reception desk and knocked on the desk.

”Oy, Doctor Lou I'm back.”

The old man m.o.a.ned, frowned and raised his forehead a bit, squinting at the intruder, when he saw who it was, he perked up with widened eyes and said, ”Young miss, you came back...?”

...should I not have?...

”Ah...yes, so...”

”So what kind of poison do you want? Who do you want to poison? Do you want fast acting or slow poison? How much do you want them to suffer?”

Lei Xing inwardly rolled her eyes and flatly said, ”...I don't want to kill anyone, I want to find out methods to test for poison...”

”Test for poison...” Doctor Lou repeated seemingly disappointed in her purpose.

”So do you know any methods, I know of the silver testing method...but other than that one, do you know any?”

The old man looked at Lei Xing skeptically, ”Why?”

”Why? Why what?” Lei Xing was confused by his question

”Why do you want to test poison?” Doctor Luo shrugged his shoulders and looked at her waiting for her answer.

”To protect myself.”

”From?”

”Poisoning.”

”By whom?”

Lei Xing shrugged, ”No one in particular.”

Doctor Luo squinted his eyes and scrutinized her and she looked blankly back at him.

”Looking at you...you must be a daughter of a noble house...a minister?” Doctor Luo looked at her bright-eyed, feeling smug.

”Okay.”

...can you just answer my inquiry and stop wasting my time? -_-)...

”So...you must be entering the palace tomorrow, right?” He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at Lei Xing.

Lei Xing lips twitched, she was fed up of his games, ”Can you help me or not?”

”Ahh, so that's why you want to test for poisons...for one so young, you sure think far...” He said folding his arms and nodding his head solemnly.

”Okay...so do you have any method?” Lei Xing asked again, she was already fed up and was ready to turn and leave but she held out on the possibility that he had a solution.

...You never know...he may be the weird wise old man that always seem to exist in the novels...

”I have...but...” Doctor Luo slowly moved his head from left to right, then repeated it again and continued. Lei Xing looked at him, getting more irritated.

...what's up with the suspense? Do you have it or not?!...

”How much do you want?” Lei Xing asked looking at him skeptically, ready to bargain for his information.

Doctor Lou stopped moving his head, looked at her and scratched his head, ”How much...? Hmm....I haven't thought of a price...hmmm, a price?” Doctor Lou finished and resumed moving his head, this time tapping a finger on his chin.

...haah, is he messing with me? -_-)'...

Doctor Lou suddenly stopped moving, then creased his eyebrows and seriously looked at Lei Xing's face, she was taken aback and slightly moved her shoulders back and stared back at the old man skeptically ...then he burst out laughing. Lei Xing frowned.

...he's definitely a crazy quack...I should leave before I lose my mind too...

As Lei Xing was finally about to turn and leave, Doctor Lou regained his composure and said, ”I have a device that can detect poison and alert you, without even touching the poison too, as long it nears poison it will react, isn't it the perfect item for you?” He asked with a smirk.

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow and looked at him disbelieving, Doctor Lou noticed her disbelief and made a shocked expression, as if she was the abnormal one here and asked, ”You don't believe me?!”

...who would? Do I look like an idiot? -_-)'...even in modern times it'd still have to somehow make contact with the poison to react, there's nothing like that and there doesn't seem to be magic in this world either...but even if there was magic I don't think I've heard of a poison seeking device that works without even touching it, isn't he just delusional?...but then again...who knows, the world...worlds...universe is large and mysterious, so I guess it could be possible...

”Hmph! If you don't believe me then I'm not talking to you anymore.” Doctor Luo said in a dismissing tone, turning his head away from her.

”It's not that I don't believe you...but you have to show proof for something like this...” Lei Xing explained in a coaxing tone.

”Hmm, I guess that is somewhat reasonable...” Doctor Lou murmured...

”...” -_-)'

Doctor Lou reached into a drawer and then pulled out a ring, with a sky blue jewel attached and held it towards Lei Xing. Lei Xing looked at it, then at his expectant face...

...um, a topaz, I think?...

After a while of prolonged silence, Lei Xing eyes roamed around and then went back at Doctor Lou holding the ring and said, ”Um, it looks good...”

”Just good? This is a masterpiece! It took thousands of years to create it!” Doctor Lou roared, he was offended that Lei Xing did not understand the magnificence of his precious creation, he withdrew his hand pet the ring like as if it got hurt by her words and needed comfort.

...okay, crazy confirmed, next thing he'll start going ”my precious”...

Lei Xing was confused by his outburst as well irritated at the course of events and flatly said, ”...O-kay...” Doctor Lou shot darts at her with his eyes and then turned away.

”So about the poison, can you show me the item?” Lei Xing asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the main issue at hand.

Doctor Lou glared at her and mimicked her flat tone, ”I just did, but you being blind could not see...”

Lei Xing raised an eyebrow then scrutinized doctor Lou and the ring in his hands, ”Ah I see...not everyone has an extraordinary sight like you.” Lei Xing said with a sarcastic tone.

”That is true.” doctor Lou, nodding his head proudly, he obviously missed her sarcasm, and continued to ”enlighten” her, ”This jewel has been soaked in the essence of all the poisons in this world, so it can detect the aura of any poison as it gets close enough to it.”

...all poisons? What sort of dumb ad campaign is this? Even a small child wouldn't believe it...

”All poisons? How is that possible?” Lei Xing

”The stone has been exposed to and consumed the essence of all the poisons in the world...” Doctor Lou continued to explain.

”Do you know all the poisons in the world? Have you been everywhere in the world? Even if you want to say it is powerful, at least remain within the realms of reason...and say all known poisons or something like that...making such a grand claim is absurd.”

Doctor Lou's frowned at the interruption and his lips twitched, ”Fine say whatever you want, at the very least I assure you that this is more reliable than some stupid silver.”