Chapter 1260

"Since you knew what it was, why did you touch it?" Dominic blinked, suddenly understanding. "You did it on purpose!"

"I didn't! I was curious if its toxicity had changed, given its cultivation and improvement." She held her cheek, gazing at the wilford root's yellow blossoms among the other ferns.

The herb appeared unremarkable, its tender green buds resembling tea leaves. Who would guess this was the poisonous wilfordi root?

Most people are unfamiliar with the wilfordi root, a member of the infamous heartbreak grass family. Legend speaks of a farmer who perished after tasting it—a fatal poison with no known cure.

While merely a myth, the wilfordi root's toxicity is undeniable. Ingesting its buds, leaves, or branches causes nausea, diarrhea, and irreversible damage to the nervous and vascular systems. It's arguably the world's most poisonous herb.

"Cultivation and improvement?" Dominic found the idea intriguing. "Have you tried it?"

"Nope," Lily replied, maintaining her composure. "But I wondered if it were possible."

"Theoretically, anything's possible. Nothing is absolute. But based on my extensive experience, it's impossible!" He mimicked twirling his beard, forgetting Galen had removed most of it. He'd shave it off entirely soon.

His chin was smooth, yet the habit persisted.

"Oh, I thought the institute had cultivated a non-poisonous variety," Lily said casually, idly playing with a tea pet on Dominic's tray.

Dominic narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Lily tilted her head. "You insisted I join, saying their work held special significance, potentially revolutionizing healthcare. They used the wilfordi root in one experiment."

"Oh," Dominic replied thoughtfully. "Nothing unusual. While its leaves and buds are poisonous, they have medicinal applications. Poison is medicine, depending on its use. I've told you this before. They'd use other poisonous herbs in new medication experiments, even if not the wilfordi root." He dismissed it as typical industry practice.

Lily smiled faintly. "That's true. But they used the buds, not the roots."

"To extract the medicinal components of the poison? Didn't you say they wanted to mask the herbs' scent with fragrances?"

"Yeah," she replied, continuing to play with the tea pet.

Dominic's pieces clicked together. "They're trying to create an odorless poison, easily concealed?"

Lily put down the tea pet, protesting, "I didn't say that! That's your conclusion!"