Chapter 203: Chapter 172: Returning to Wutang Town

From the dense fog came Yisha’s cry of alarm: "Soul-Capturing Mist!" Her body instantly went limp, and she slumped against the doorframe before collapsing to the ground.

The moment their opponent threw the object, Ling Xiao had already sealed his nose and mouth. He quickly took out two Antitoxic Pills, pushed one into Ye Zi’s mouth, and, just to be safe, put the other in his own.

He then unsealed his nose and mouth, took a light sniff, and was instantly enraged! In a flash, he rushed toward Yisha, who was unconsciously tearing at her clothes, and quickly fed an elixir into her mouth.

"Shameless!"

Ling Xiao roared in fury. His vast, ocean-like Spiritual Power instantly crashed down on his opponents like a mountain!

The Grand Elder, who bore the brunt of the attack, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. His eyes bulged out like a dead fish’s as he stood there, frozen in shock.

None of the others escaped, either. Everyone within a thirty-meter radius of Ling Xiao was crushed by the sudden, immense pressure, forcing them to cough up blood.

Immediately after, a red light flashed from Ling Xiao’s hand. The dense fog, as if being inhaled, rapidly converged on his Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword. In a matter of moments, all the poisonous mist had been completely absorbed by the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword.

Ling Xiao shot out like a bolt of lightning. A series of sharp, piercing screams rose and fell. But immediately afterward, the men realized they weren’t dead. Instead, a tiny red dot had appeared on each of their wrists.

Then, they began to feel something was wrong. They started frantically tearing at their clothes, their eyes completely bloodshot. After ripping off every last shred of clothing, they began clawing at their own skin until it was a mangled, bloody mess. Only then did clarity return to the eyes of the Grand Elder, the one with the deepest cultivation. He glanced around, his eyes filled with utter terror. When he looked for the young man and woman, they were long gone.

Even Yisha was gone!

When everyone on the ground finally regained their senses, they were all scared stiff, just standing there foolishly. By now, even an idiot could understand that they had picked a fight with someone they couldn’t afford to offend.

If their opponent hadn’t been holding back for some reason, or perhaps showing consideration for Yisha, they would probably all be dead by now.

Money is a wonderful thing, but what’s the use of all the money in the world if you’re not alive to spend it?

"B-Boss... S-Should... should we still chase them?" the Ninth Elder, Moka, stammered, his teeth chattering. He shivered as he spoke, continuously rubbing the bloody chest he had clawed himself.

"Chase my ass!"

Maureen, looking like a beggar in his tattered rags, cursed angrily and stumbled back the way he came.

The highest-ranking Martial Artists in the Gandalf Clan were only Demon Swordsmen, and they weren’t even in the Imperial Capital. The strongest people Maureen had brought with him tonight were just two Mad Sword Masters. But looking now, one of them was still sitting on the ground in a daze! Besides that Third-rank Mad Swordsman, the only other one was Maureen himself, a Fourth-tier Mad Sword Master. When that pressure had washed over him earlier, Maureen felt as if a mountain was crushing him, and he had been completely unable to stop himself from spitting up a mouthful of blood.

’Just what was that young man’s level of strength?’ A chill shot up Maureen’s spine to the back of his head, and he couldn’t help but shiver. ’Maybe... I should push for Mosie to take the Clan Leader position again? That man’s power is simply terrifying!’

...

"Ling Xiao, what kind of poison was in that mist?"

In a small inn, Ye Wen Ni asked as she gently wiped Yisha’s face.

"If a large amount is inhaled, the person immediately falls into an Illusion Realm. They’ll feel an unbearable itch and start frantically clawing at their body. At the same time, the mist contains a powerful aphrodisiac poison. In the illusion, both men and women will see themselves having intercourse. If they aren’t treated within two hours, the men will die from seminal exhaustion. As for the women..." Ling Xiao trailed off, saying no more.

But Ye Zi’s expression had already changed drastically. She said angrily, "Then why didn’t you just kill those scumbags! They weren’t even sure we were the ones with the elixirs, yet they resorted to such a vicious poison!"

Ling Xiao gave a cold smile and said, "Kill them? There’s no need. I’ve already sent that very poison into their bloodstreams. Unless they can replace all the blood in their bodies, it will act up every half a month! As their blood becomes more corrupted, each relapse will be worse than the last! And they won’t die... This endless torture will follow them for the rest of their lives! Let this bunch of bastards who think they understand antidotes spend the rest of their days obsessed with researching an elixir to cure this poison!"

"That’s so satisfying!"

Ye Wen Ni said fiercely. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "But don’t they have their own antidote?"

Ling Xiao scoffed. "A poison processed by the Demon Blood Red Lotus Sword? You think *they* can cure it? What a joke!"

Just then, Yisha slowly regained consciousness. She looked at Ling Xiao and said weakly, "Brother... are you... are you all okay?"

Ye Wen Ni walked over and sighed helplessly. "Yisha, why do you put yourself through this? Look at them. Do they treat you like one of their own? Come with us. Don’t worry, with us here, you’ll be back on your feet in no time! When that happens, you can bring your father and... your grandfather out! It’s not unheard of for noble families to split. When the time comes, your branch will be the strong one, and the Gandalf Clan will naturally recognize you as the main lineage! So you don’t have to worry about the clan declining at all!"

Yisha sat up, leaned against the headboard, and nodded through her sobs. "Sister Yezi, am I very stupid?"

Ye Wen Ni chuckled softly. "Everyone is foolish sometimes. You have familial love in your bones, but they don’t see you as family. So, Yisha, you don’t need to care so much about them anymore."

"I understand, Sister Yezi!" Yisha sobbed for a little while longer before gradually stopping. She wiped her teary eyes and said with a resolute expression, "Let’s go. Let’s leave this place!"

The night was vast and deep. By the time a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon, Ling Xiao and the others had already left the majestic Imperial Capital, its tall walls growing ever more distant behind them.

To be safe, Ling Xiao didn’t go home. Instead, he entrusted Shangguan Yutong with delivering a letter to his family to let them know he was safe.

The journey was uneventful. Ling Xiao seized every spare moment to cultivate. The Canglan Continent was rich in Spiritual Qi and had countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Moreover, Ling Xiao’s mental state had already been cultivated to the peak of the Mid-Golden Core Stage.

He believed that soon, he would be able to break through the Golden Core stage and enter the Fusion Stage!

Wutang Town had a completely different feel from the Imperial Capital. It seemed there was never a shortage of Adventurers here. As such, the three newcomers dressed as Adventurers drew no attention at all.

Ye Wen Ni had lived in Wutang Town for over a decade and was familiar with every blade of grass and every tree. Although a pang of sadness would occasionally strike her heart when she thought of her adoptive father, Xu Daoxuan, she deeply loved this land.

Ye Zi led the other two through a series of twists and turns, gradually leaving the bustling town center and heading west. This area was mostly filled with low, one-story houses, and the people on the street had sallow complexions, looking as if they had lived hard lives.

The trio paid no mind to the surprised stares they received and, led by Ye Zi, walked straight toward a large, free-standing courtyard home.

The residence was very large, with courtyard walls more than a hundred meters long! The walls were about the height of an adult—not particularly tall, but in this poverty-stricken area, it was definitely considered impressive.

The main gate was shut tight. A look of excitement appeared in Ye Zi’s eyes as she hurried forward and raised her hand to knock.

After a moment, the black gate opened a crack. A boy of about seven or eight with a sturdy, robust look poked his head out. He gave Ye Zi a suspicious glance and asked in a clear voice, "Who are you looking for?"

Ye Wen Ni’s eyes reddened. She whispered, "Xiaohu, it’s your sister. Don’t make a sound, let us in quickly!"

A flash of joyful surprise crossed the little boy’s, Xiaohu’s, eyes. He quickly pulled the gate open wider to let the three of them in, then curiously sized up Ling Xiao and Yisha behind Ye Wen Ni. "Sister, who are they?"

Ye Wen Ni replied, "They’re your sister’s friends. Is everyone home?"

Xiaohu shook his head. "Some people came yesterday. They said our adoptive father sent them and asked if you had come back. We said no, and then they took Sister Xiaoyu and the others away!"

"Damn it!"

Ye Wen Ni’s face turned ashen as she swore viciously.

Just then, more than thirty children, boys and girls, rushed out from a row of houses. None of them were old; the eldest, a boy of twelve or thirteen, stared coldly at Ye Wen Ni’s group. When his eyes met Ye Wen Ni’s, he faltered for a second, but then his voice turned cold again. "Xiaohu, who are they? Why did you just let outsiders in! Don’t you know it’s not safe for us right now?"

Xiaohu looked aggrieved. "But... she’s our sister!"

"Eldest Sister?" The boy frowned, calmly studying Ye Wen Ni.

Ye Wen Ni couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into tears. "Little Dog, it’s me, Ye Zi!"

"Ah, it really is Eldest Sister!" The boy’s expression lit up with joy. He quickly walked over and said urgently, "Eldest Sister, you have to go, quickly! Those bastards are no good!"

Just then, the sound of hoofbeats came from all directions. In an instant, several hundred knights in black clothes and black armor had surrounded the entire courtyard! Every knight held a standard-issue heavy crossbow, aimed at everyone inside.

The black-armored knight in the lead reined in his magnificent warhorse and kicked the gate open before walking in. A dozen or so personal guards followed him.

He said coldly, "By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, we are to arrest enemy spies! All of you, drop your weapons immediately, put your hands behind your backs, and squat on the ground! Otherwise... don’t blame our crossbows for being blind!"

Ling Xiao and Ye Zi exchanged a look, both inwardly cursing the Southern King for his shamelessness. ’He took the older children, left a large group of younger ones behind, and even dug a trap for us!’

’These people are the Crown Prince’s men? That Crown Prince is a complete idiot!’ Ling Xiao cursed in his mind before saying aloud, "You must have made a mistake. This courtyard is full of children. How could there be any spies here?"

The knight’s long, sharp lance glinted blindingly in the sun. He pointed it at Ling Xiao. "Cut the crap! One more word and I’ll kill you!"