"Maiden?"
Little Fairy Doctor's expression turned peculiar.
A maiden's duties typically involved serving tea and water, while a personal maiden might also massage shoulders, knead legs, or warm the bed—none of which had anything to do with talent.
His claim about her having extraordinary bone structure sounded more like an excuse for being attracted to her beauty.
Yet Little Fairy Doctor felt Gu Han wasn't the type to do such things.
Although she was a striking beauty, given Gu Han's current status and position, finding someone with better qualifications than her wouldn't be difficult.
"Correct, a sword-bearing maiden." Gu Han's gaze was serious. "I will be responsible for all your daily necessities and cultivation resources. Normally, you only need to focus on cultivation or pursue your own interests."
"The only requirement is that you accompany me when I go out, carrying my sword."
"Sorry, I'm not interested." Little Fairy Doctor shook her head decisively, her eyes resolute. "Though I'm just an ordinary woman, my life in Qing Shan Town is fulfilling and comfortable. I don't wish to become anyone's maiden."
Gu Han's expression remained completely unchanged as he asked directly, "When you were young, did you ever suddenly fall unconscious and wake up to find everyone around you dead from poisoning?"
Little Fairy Doctor's ethereally pale face instantly turned ashen. She subconsciously took a step back, her eyes filled with terror and inexplicable hope. "How... how do you know that?"
When she was three years old, her mother brought her to live in a small village where residents made their living gathering herbs. Though life was modest, it was warm and happy.
But one day, after touching a poisonous plant, she suddenly fell unconscious. When she woke up, she discovered her mother and all the other villagers had died with agonized expressions—their foreheads darkened and lips purple—all victims of poisoning.
Since then, she had lived a wandering life. Afraid of harming others again, she desperately studied medicine, hoping to fill the void in her heart.
After years of drifting, she arrived in Qing Shan Town three years ago. Because the Hall of Thousand Medicines Master had helped her once, she agreed to stay and serve as the resident physician.
Never did she expect that today, someone would know the secret buried deep in her heart.
"It's written in a book." Gu Han answered with complete seriousness.
"A book?" Little Fairy Doctor hadn't expected such an answer. After a brief moment of astonishment, she asked, "What book?"
Of course, it's Dou Po.
Gu Han answered silently in his heart, then with a thought, retrieved the "Seven-Colored Poison Scripture" from the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm.
"This one."
Whoosh!
Little Fairy Doctor rather rudely snatched the "Seven-Colored Poison Scripture" from Gu Han's hand.
Without waiting for his permission, she hurriedly began flipping through it.
The beginning recorded a cultivation method.
Profound High-Rank, suitable only for Poison Masters to practice.
If cultivated by someone with the Woeful Poison Body, the method's effectiveness would be no less than that of a Low-Level Earth Rank Exercise.
The middle section of the book documented some characteristics of the "Woeful Poison Body," methods to verify it, and ways to fully awaken it.
[The Woeful Poison Body, also known as the Innate Poison Body, is a natural constitution for Poison Masters. It can convert toxic power into Poison Battle Qi by consuming poison, with stronger toxins yielding more significant enhancement effects. Breaking through in strength doesn't require conventional cultivation, but the dependency on poison is extreme. As cultivation level increases, ordinary poisons have almost no effect on enhancing the Poison Body's power.]
"Once the Poison Body awakens, a seven-colored hidden line will appear below the navel, growing with the accumulation of poison power. When it extends to the heart, the peak state is reached, but the toxins within the body will also accumulate to an uncontrollable level, triggering a toxin eruption. Ultimately, this leads to death by myriad poisons devouring the body, while also bringing calamity to all living beings within at least a thousand-mile radius."
"Hence, this constitution is more commonly known as the Woeful Poison Body."
"If the constitution has initially awakened, the following method can be used to circulate Dou Qi to check whether there is a seven-colored hidden line below the navel."
Reading this, Little Fairy Doctor lowered her head, eagerly about to lift her long skirt to examine her lower abdomen.
"Ahem." Gu Han coughed lightly upon noticing Little Fairy Doctor's movement.
He had to admit, Little Fairy Doctor's legs were straight and fair-skinned. With her dress lifted to the upper thigh, there was a unique allure to her.
"You—why haven't you turned around!?"
Little Fairy Doctor hurriedly pulled down her skirt, a blush spreading across her fair cheeks, her ears turning terribly red.
Hearing information about her constitution had excited her so much that she hadn't considered the situation in her haste.
"I didn't expect you to be in such a hurry either." Gu Han met her gaze without changing expression. "There's no need to check right away. You can wait until you're bathing or when no one is around."
"I can confirm you have an innate poison constitution. My soul perception wouldn't be wrong."
"Otherwise, how do you think I noticed you and even guessed at the experiences you might have had in your childhood?"
Little Fairy Doctor didn't doubt Gu Han's words, but she grew even more puzzled. "Since you have this 'Seven-Colored Poison Scripture,' you should know this isn't an innate poison constitution but the Woeful Poison Body."
"Indeed, just by consuming poison you can grow stronger without any upper limit. It sounds impressive, and before death, I would indeed be qualified to serve as your Sword-bearing Maiden."
"But the stronger you become, the more addicted to poison you'll be. The more potent the poison, the greater its attraction to one with the Woeful Poison Body—it's even a fatal attraction."
"To die in agony from poison eruption while bringing disaster to countless others—that is the fate of the Woeful Poison Body."
"And you still want to take me as your maid?"
Little Fairy Doctor's tone unconsciously grew agitated, her eyes hiding a trace of hope beneath despair and stubbornness.
Over the years, because of her Woeful Poison Body, she would occasionally cause effects similar to a Poison Master's attacks.
Those who had initially gotten along well with her would keep their distance upon discovering she might be a Poison Master.
This had made her increasingly withdrawn, until she became the Little Fairy Doctor supported by the mercenaries in Qing Shan Town, which slightly improved her situation.
Yet she knew clearly that these mercenaries supported her because of her physician status and a bit of her beauty. If they learned she "was a Poison Master," they would look at her differently too.
And now, knowing she possessed the Woeful Poison Body, she felt she was more terrifying than even those great Poison Masters.
"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"
A faint smile curled at the corner of Gu Han's mouth as he answered frankly.
"As you said, you have exceptional Talent and can quickly become combat-ready. Having you as my Sword-bearing Maiden would bring me great face and a strong sense of security."
"As for the Woeful Poison Body, you've already initially awakened. Complete awakening is inevitable whether you become my Sword-bearing Maiden or not."
"But by following me, I will search for a way to resolve the Woeful Poison Body together with you, whereas you'd have to rely on yourself alone."
"Of the Great Dao's fifty aspects, forty-nine are derived by heaven, while one escapes—this is the single thread of hope left for all living beings under heaven."
"The Woeful Poison Body may be treacherous, but I don't believe it's unsolvable."
"With my talent, the Jia Ma Empire cannot confine me. By following me, you will have opportunities. What do you think?"
These words were resolute and powerful, filled with confidence and determination.
Little Fairy Doctor subconsciously clenched her hands, with inexplicable tears glistening in her eyes.
Her lips trembled slightly as she spoke in a quivering voice: "You... don't you despise me for having the Woeful Poison Body, for having to constantly deal with poison in the future?"
"Aren't you afraid that I might lose control of my craving for poison and harm you? That my constitution might hurt you beyond my control?"