Qin Zhao asked, "Do you have any other recipes?"

"Huh, the entire Central Plains and even the current emperor want to know the other recipe. If it really exists, how could it be kept secret until now?" The old man sneered.

Qin Zhao lowered his eyes.

He didn't say anything, and the old man didn't say anything else. Only Jing Li stood behind Qin Zhao, confused and puzzled.

"What are you talking about?" Jing Li vaguely sensed something and asked, "What kind of disease is this?"

Qin Zhao hesitated: "This..."

"Your husband is devoted to you, there is nothing to hide." The old man said leisurely, "Young Master, let me tell you, your husband is not sick, but has taken a certain medicine."

"...an addictive, banned drug."

"This medicine is called Shen Huan. You may not know it because you are still young, but ten years ago, this medicine was popular in the Central Plains." The old man explained, "After taking Shen Huan, blood and energy surge, the whole body becomes hot and tingling, and it can make people excited. If the dosage is too large, it can even cause hallucinations, as if they are in ecstasy."

Jing Li was stunned.

Isn't this just another kind of drug?

Qin Zhao...why did he take this medicine?

Qin Zhao lowered his eyes and said nothing, but the old man smiled gently and continued, "It's nothing special to have taken this medicine. During the decades when this medicine was popular, the people who used it most often were the nobles and wealthy sons."

Jing Li didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that there was a hint of pride in the old man's expression when he said this.

This feeling made Jing Li feel a little uncomfortable. He glanced at Qin Zhao, who still had his eyes lowered and his face pale.

The old man continued, "This drug originally only brought temporary pleasure and was not addictive. However, people are greedy and gradually increase the dosage they take. The more they take, the more they become dependent on it, and the more pain they suffer after stopping. During the period when Shen Huan was at its peak in the capital, people with crazy expressions and unclear consciousness could be seen everywhere on the streets. They had either just finished taking the drug or were rushing to buy medicine."

"During that time, countless people lost their families and reputations."

"Later, the previous emperor died of a serious illness, and the new emperor ascended the throne. The court listed this medicine as a banned drug and also promoted a prescription for withdrawal, which is... the medicine that the young master is currently taking."

The old man looked up at Qin Zhao and said, "But you should have discovered that the medicine is ineffective for you."

"Yes." Qin Zhao said, "According to pharmacology, it only takes half a year at most to quit Shen Huan, but I..."

Qin Zhao has been taking that medicine for three years.

"That prescription is incompatible with Shen Huan's medicine. It's a method of fighting poison with poison. Although it has a withdrawal effect, it also contains toxicity. It's fine to take it for two or three months, or even half a year, but if you take it for three to five years..."

The old man paused and said, "Your current weakness and illness are just the beginning. If you continue to eat, the poison may attack your heart and you will die soon."

Jing Li's fingers hidden in his sleeves trembled.

He subconsciously grabbed Qin Zhao's sleeve. The latter felt it and raised his hand to gently pinch his hand.

Qin Zhao asked again, "Sir, may I ask why this medicine has no effect on me?"

"There are only two possibilities," the old man said. "Either you've been taking Shen Huan for a long time, at least ten years, causing the toxicity to accumulate in your body and become ineradicable. However, as far as I know, no one has ever been able to take Shen Huan continuously for ten years, because before that, they would have died from the reverse flow of blood and qi. Then there is only one other possibility..."

Qin Zhao: "What?"

"You took an overdose of Shen Huan Powder, causing the poison to enter your lungs. Furthermore, since this drug can cause hallucinations and damage the brain, your memory loss is likely due to this."