Mad Doctor No. 9

With a flick of his left hand, Wang Tian sent out a special talisman that he had prepared beforehand, which then enveloped the gray mist.

The talisman instantly ignited, turning into a ghostly blue flame that hissed as it burned the ash before disappearing completely.

At the same time, Tang Yu coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of dark red blood. However, his breathing quickly became smooth, and his flushed face gradually returned to normal. Although he was still weak, his eyes showed a bit more spirit.

Wang Tian quickly administered acupuncture and massaged Tang Yu a few times to help regulate his Qi and blood.

"Very good. However, he also suffered a serious injury and needs to rest well." Wang Tian wrote out a prescription and handed it to Tang Wenyuan.

Having witnessed the eerie gray smoke and the strange changes in his grandson, Tang Wenyuan was already deeply impressed by Wang Tian's medical skills. He accepted the prescription with tears of gratitude: "The Tang family will never forget Doctor Wang's life-saving grace! The consultation fee..."

"Follow our clinic's rules," Wang Tian interrupted him. "However, Grandpa Tang, your grandson's Yin Qi is far too strange; it couldn't be naturally occurring. Have you offended anyone recently? Have you encountered anything unusual?"

Tang Wenyuan's face darkened. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Our Tang family isn't without competitors in business, but to use such vicious methods... If you want to be curious, it's probably because about two months ago, Yu'er and some friends went to explore a newly discovered 'ancient cultivation cave' ruin in the western suburbs of the city. He fell ill shortly after returning. At that time, I thought he had just caught a cold..."

"The cave dwellings of ancient cultivators?" Wang Tian's interest was piqued. "Where are they?"

Tang Wenyuan explained the exact location of the "ancient cultivator's cave dwelling," which was located at the foot of Luoxia Mountain, thirty miles west of the city. It was discovered by a few people who enjoyed wilderness exploration. After the news spread, it attracted many curious people, including Tang Yu.

Tang Wenyuan recalled for a moment and said, "We also sent people to check that cave. There was nothing inside, just some broken murals and stone platforms. There was nothing special about it, so we didn't think much of it."

"That should be it," Wang Tian analyzed. "Your grandson has a weak constitution, so he might have been infected by accident. However, the residual aura in an ordinary ancient cave shouldn't be this pure and poisonous..."

He had a feeling that this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

The Eternal Life Society, the Shadow Rat Clan, Starfall Valley, and an ancient cultivator's cave dwelling containing the Yin Sha of Erosion—the waters of Jiangnan are growing ever deeper.

After watching the Tang family grandfather and grandson leave, Wang Tian thought for a moment and said to Qin Yuwei and Zhang Qingyun, "Let's go to the cave on Sunset Mountain."

"Master, do you suspect there's something strange about this cave? Is it related to the Eternal Life Society or the Shadow Rats?" Qin Yuwei quickly realized.

"I'm not sure either, but it's better to go and take a look. Tang Yuzhong's Erosion Yin Sha is quite special; we might be able to find some clues." Wang Tian nodded. "Also, have Nightingale keep an eye out for anything unusual in that area."

The three drove to the foot of Luoxia Mountain, and it was already evening.

The mountain is not steep, but it is densely wooded and sparsely populated.

Following the route provided by Tang Wenyuan, the two found a winding path that led deep into the forest.

After walking about four or five miles, we came to the foot of a steep cliff, where there was indeed a cave covered with vines.

The cave entrance shows signs of being artificially carved, yet it is very ancient.

There was some modern trash scattered around the cave entrance, such as mineral water bottles and plastic bags, indicating that many people had been here before.

The cave was pitch black and quiet.

Wang Tian turned on his powerful flashlight and was the first to go inside.

Qin Yuwei and Zhang Qingyun did the same, turning on the lights.

The passageway was winding and filled with the smell of dirt and a faint musty odor.

There are indeed several blurry pictures on the stone wall, mostly depicting meditation, alchemy, and sword riding. They are in an ancient style, but are severely damaged.

There were some messy footprints on the ground.

After walking about a hundred meters, a spacious stone chamber came into view.

In the center of the stone chamber was a stone platform, on which were scattered some broken pottery jars, and nothing else.

Just as Tang Wenyuan said, this was just an ordinary abandoned cave dwelling, which had long been emptied out.

However, Wang Tian keenly sensed that the yin energy in the stone chamber seemed much denser than that in the passage, and... there seemed to be a trace of fresh human energy remaining, and not just a trace.

He walked to the stone platform and shone his flashlight down.

The stone platform was covered in dust, but he noticed something strange: the dust seemed to have been gently brushed away by hand. If he hadn't had excellent eyesight, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

Wang Tian said softly, "Someone has been here recently, very cautiously."

He bent down, approached the traces, activated his Medical Eye, and observed them carefully.

Sure enough, on one side of the stone platform, there was a very hidden crevice from which a faint gray aura emanated! It came from the same source as the Corrosive Yin Sha on Tang Yu's body, but it was more condensed and more concealed!

This is absolutely not something that formed naturally! It was deliberately created by someone!

"Watch out!" Wang Tian suddenly sensed a dangerous aura. He shouted and retreated rapidly!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" Several black lights shot out from the corner, heading straight for the backs of Wang Tian and the other two! These were the Shadow Rat's most commonly used poison darts!

Wang Tian was prepared. With a wave of his sleeve, a strong wind arose, blasting away all the flying darts.

"Heh, Chairman Wang, what a keen intuition!" Shadow Rat's hoarse voice came from the shadows. He was dressed in a gray outfit, his face covered with a black cloth, but his eyes held a hint of coldness. "So, you're the one who rescued that kid from the Tang family?"

"So it was you who did it." Wang Tian's gaze was icy. "Did you tamper with that stone platform? What was your purpose? To test the effects of the Corrosive Yin Fiend? Or are you trying to kill me?"

"Clever." Shadow Rat did not deny it. "This 'Erosion Yin Sha' is a little thing that I deduced from a forbidden fragment in the 'Star Medicine Treasure Mirror'."

"I was originally planning to try and find an unlucky soul to see if anyone in Jiangnan could solve this, but I didn't expect to attract you here." As he said this, a greedy glint flashed in his eyes, and he said, "Don't you have Starfall Spirit Essence on you? Hand over the spirit essence, and I can spare your lives."

"I see," Wang Tian said with sudden realization. "It seems you've made great progress since acquiring the 'Star Medicine Treasure Mirror,' daring to use such evil techniques. But do you really think you can compete with me?"

"Hehe, if it were before, I might have been afraid of you," Shadow Rat chuckled. "But now, I'm not the same Shadow Rat I used to be! Today, I'll show you just how powerful the 'Shadow Escape Technique' recorded in the 'Star Medicine Treasure Mirror' really is!"