Chapter 174: The Meat Reishi Mushroom

"What was it?" Walter and Jared asked in unison.

"It was a reishi mushroom," Kieran confessed, embarrassment evident on his face. "A gigantic one, somewhat different from the usual type. My wife thought it would be valuable, so she brought it home."

"Where is it? Let me see," Jared said.

Kieran nodded and left the room. He soon returned with a large glass bottle. Inside, something resembling a reishi mushroom lay nestled. However, it didn't look like a plant.

"That's not a reishi mushroom. It's rotten meat!" exclaimed Josephine, nearly recoiling in disgust.

"No, it's a plant. It grows in the ground, but it looks like meat," Kieran countered, opening the bottle to remove it.

"Careful, Kieran! It might be poisonous!" Walter warned, seeing Kieran handle it with his bare hands.

"I've already touched it. I'd be poisoned by now if it were," Kieran said unconcernedly, removing the mushroom-like object.

"Then your wife shouldn't be poisoned either," Walter observed.

"Skin contact is fine, but eating it is poisonous," Jared explained, taking the object from Kieran and examining it. He noticed a small bite mark at the bottom.

Surprise washed over Kieran. "I told her not to eat it! I never imagined she'd secretly take a bite. If I'd known, I wouldn't have let her keep it!" He thumped his chest in regret.

"Don't blame yourself, Kieran. Mr. Chance can treat your wife," Walter said, stopping Kieran's self-reproach. Turning to Jared, he asked, "What exactly is it, Mr. Chance? It doesn't look like a reishi mushroom."

Jared gently squeezed the object; it seemed to twitch. "This is an aconite, or meat reishi mushroom," he explained. "It grows where geomancy is extreme and nature is unbalanced. Although a plant, it has animal-like eyes and can see. It's named differently as its eyes increase; with five senses, it becomes an aconite mushroom. It's incredibly rare, often eaten by animals or mistakenly picked when young. Few reach maturity."

He continued, "It's highly poisonous, absorbing nutrients from decaying meat in the soil. It often grows in cemeteries. Your wife is lucky she only took a small bite; otherwise, no one could have saved her. Despite its rarity, it has little medicinal value. Making it into medicinal wine would likely kill anyone who drank it."

Kieran trembled. "Fortunately, I didn't have time to make wine before my wife got sick! Otherwise, I'd be doomed too!"

"So, is there a cure for Kieran's wife, Mr. Chance?" Walter asked softly.

"Yes," Jared replied, returning the meat reishi mushroom to Kieran. He then swiftly used his silver needles to treat Kieran's wife.

After a short time, Kieran's wife regained consciousness and coughed up black blood.

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