Very quickly, Eighth Master Mu's men brought back a stray dog from outside the estate.
Eighth Master Mu dipped a bone in some brown powder and threw it to the stray dog.
After the dog gnawed on the bone with the brown powder, a long time passed without any reaction. It was still lively, showing no signs of poisoning.
Mu San Niang sneered, "What did I say? He's just a charlatan. Eighth Brother, what else do you have to say?"
Eighth Master Mu retorted angrily, "Are you an idiot? Didn't Master Su just say that it takes nine laughs before the poison takes effect? This dog hasn't laughed at all. How could the poison activate?"
"Are you the idiot? How can an animal laugh?" Mu San Niang shot back sarcastically.
Eighth Master Mu thought for a moment and ordered his men to bring in a beautiful, snow-white female dog.
The stray dog, upon seeing the pretty female dog, immediately lit up and started barking and circling around her excitedly.
"Does this count as laughing?" Eighth Master Mu muttered to himself uncertainly.
After a moment.
Just as Mu San Niang was growing impatient and about to mock again, the stray dog suddenly foamed at the mouth, kicked its legs, and died!
This scene made Mu San Niang's eyes widen in disbelief.
Even the old man beside her had his eyes shining brightly as he stared at the Purple Jade Coral Plum, remaining silent for a long time.
"How is this possible?"
After a while, the old man finally spoke. Although his expression remained calm, the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Impossible! How could the Purple Jade Coral Plum be poisoned?"
Mu San Niang shrieked, "Not to mention that Marquis Anyang wouldn't poison it, the Purple Jade Coral Plum was strictly inspected before being presented to the old man. If it were really poisoned, it should have been detected then, shouldn't it?"
At the end of the day, Mu San Niang still couldn't believe that under everyone's watchful eyes and the Mu Family's tight security, a clearly poisoned Purple Jade Coral Plum could be delivered to the old man.
Not just Mu San Niang, even the old man looked at Terra Su with a hint of doubt, hoping for an explanation.
"It's actually quite simple," Terra Su said calmly. "When this Purple Jade Coral Plum was first brought to the Mu Family, it was not poisonous. It only became poisonous after a few months."
"What? You mean it grew poisonous?"
Mu San Niang's face was full of disbelief. How could this be? The Purple Jade Coral Plum isn't a poisonous plant. How could it grow poison, especially the deadly Nine Laughing Powder?
Ignoring Mu San Niang, Terra Su used a small shovel to dig up the roots of the Purple Jade Coral Plum.
A flash of understanding crossed the old man's eyes. He seemed to realize what Terra Su was doing but remained silent, watching quietly.
Soon, Terra Su unearthed some brown powder from the roots of the Purple Jade Coral Plum.
"This is… Nine Laughing Powder buried at the roots of the Purple Jade Coral Plum?"
Eighth Master Mu asked in shock.
"Exactly. By burying the Nine Laughing Powder in the soil around the roots, there's no visible sign of anything wrong. Even if inspected, unless the soil at the roots is dug up, nothing unusual would be found."
"But over time, the Purple Jade Coral Plum absorbs the Nine Laughing Powder through its roots and distributes it throughout the plant. This originally non-toxic Purple Jade Coral Plum thus becomes poisonous."
Terra Su explained calmly.
"How insidious!"
Eighth Master Mu slammed his fist on the nearby tea table, his face full of anger. "Who would use such a vile method to harm the old man? If it weren't for Master Su's discovery, the old man might have been killed!"
After speaking, Eighth Master Mu glanced at the old man, who still appeared calm, but his hands on his knees were trembling, clearly indicating his inner unrest.
Eighth Master Mu knew that anyone in the old man's position would be unsettled. The old man had dedicated his life to serving Marquis Anyang, only to have her son attempt to poison him. Anyone would be heartbroken.
"Old man, it might not be Marquis Anyang. It could have been tampered with during the transportation of the Purple Jade Coral Plum," Eighth Master Mu quickly added.
"I know,"
the old man gradually calmed down. After all, there were too many uncertainties in this matter to directly accuse Marquis Anyang.
Regardless of who was behind this, the Mu Family had to get to the bottom of it. Someone daring to poison the Mu Family Patriarch was no small matter.
Terra Su remained indifferent, as these matters had little to do with him and didn't interest him.
Suddenly, the old man stood up, walked over to Terra Su, and unexpectedly bowed deeply.
"Thank you, young friend, for pointing out the poisoning today. Without your help, I would have remained in the dark and might have died without knowing why!"
The old man's voice was filled with sincerity. This matter was indeed thanks to Terra Su. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be the old man's problem. If the old man fell, the entire Mu Family would face a tremendous upheaval.
Mu San Niang looked incredulously at the old man, who she had always revered like a deity, bowing respectfully to Terra Su. If this scene were to spread, no one would believe it.
Given the old man's status, he didn't even need to bow to Marquis Anyang, yet he was bowing to a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy!
More importantly, the old man's attitude was a slap in the face to her earlier behavior.
She had repeatedly mocked Terra Su, but now the old man's actions were like countless burning slaps on her face.
"If Master Su is willing to detoxify the Nine Laughing Powder, you may make one request. I promise that as long as it's within the Mu Family's power, no matter what you ask, it will be granted."
The old man's voice was firm.
Immediately, Eighth Master Mu gasped.
In all of Anyang City, aside from Marquis Anyang's estate, the Mu Family's wealth and power were second to none. And the old man, as the Patriarch of the Mu Family, was absolute in his authority.
If anyone else heard the old man say they could make one request, they would be overjoyed, if not ecstatic.
But Terra Su's face remained calm and composed, as if the old man's words couldn't stir any waves in his heart.
This young man was definitely not simple!
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