Chapter 225 The Lady is Poisoned by Gu, Her Internal Qi is Completely Depleted (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

The tiger, deer, python, and dog escaped and gathered in the forest, gasping in shock, still in shock.

Tiger said, "Fourteen years ago, I was no match for her Gentle Breeze Sword, and I racked my brains day and night for a way to break the deadlock. Unexpectedly... fourteen years later, even with the four of us attacking together, we still couldn't defeat this sword technique."

"That sword technique was clearly just a basic one. But in that woman's hands, it evolved into endless variations, with countless changes hidden in a single strike. I have many powerful martial arts techniques, but I found that I had no room to use them at all. The sword's momentum was as continuous as sand, dragging people into it, and once they fell into it, they could never extricate themselves," the python said with lingering fear.

Every time he faced Wen Caishang, he felt endless frustration.

"Damn it!" the dog-man said. "Back then, the four of us were considered top talents in our region. Why are we so easily defeated by Wen Caishang?"

The four men used their blood-clotting and orifices to slow the progression of the injuries. However, the lingering qi energy from the wounds made them difficult to heal, leaving them looking like bloodied figures.

The dog-eater suddenly convulsed, his face paralyzed. He hurriedly circulated his internal energy, circulating it throughout his body to suppress the strange phenomenon. The gentle breeze, concealing a subtle evil wind within the sword, invaded his body, causing him to feel cold and feverish, and fall seriously ill.

The deer said, "If Wen Caishang wasn't so formidable, how could she have captivated us back then? Today, despite our deep-seated hatred, I must say, her charm surpasses even that of the past!"

The three hesitated, then fell silent. Tiger cursed, "Bah! A bunch of bastards from Sword Rain Pavilion, saying Wen Caishang was severely injured and her strength is less than ten percent. It's all a damn rumor!"

"Not necessarily!" The deer-like man, his arms gone and sleeves empty, said, "Wen Caishang is indeed injured. If she weren't injured, given her personality, wouldn't she have chased after the four of us? And what was her temperament like more than ten years ago? Her current restraint must be due to some concerns!"

Everyone agreed. More than a decade ago, Wen Caishang was a powerful and ruthless figure in the martial arts world. The four of them had already tasted her cruelty.

However, the four had misunderstood Wen Caishang. She had been cultivating herself in peace, using the Silkworm Jade Technique to seal her acupoints and lock her body in place, and had regulated her temperament. She was no longer as flamboyant as before, but she was still ruthless and reserved in her methods.

Tiger said, "The four of us tried to attack, but we couldn't even touch him. If this gets out, it will definitely damage our reputation."

The python said, "How about this? The four of us will announce to the outside world that we have injured Wen Caishang, making her injuries even worse."

The dog-man said, "Yes, first spread the news about Wen Caishang, then publicize our battle achievements."

The four hit it off immediately.

...

...

In the mountain road.

Seeing that Wen Caishang was growing weaker and weaker, seemingly on the verge of collapse, Li Xian was worried and asked, "Madam, what should we do now?"

Wen Caishang said in a deep voice, "If we avoid them, they will only come looking for us more often. Since we failed to kill the four thieves, we might as well do the opposite."

Li Xian said, "Does Madam intend to act openly and honestly?"

“You’re very smart; you understand my thoughts.” Wen Caishang nodded and said casually, “The more critical the moment, the more we need to stay calm. If I’m open and aboveboard and reveal my whereabouts, they will definitely send someone to find me. If I kill a few more groups of people, they will gradually become fewer.”

“If I try to avoid them, they spread rumors that I am seriously injured. Then people will harass me, once or twice, it becomes unbearable.”

"Hmph, even if I, Wen Caishang, am truly injured, do you think they would dare to bully me?"

...

...

Li Xian planned to choose a large city and settle in openly with Wen Caishang. However, there were already many spies in the city, and less than half an hour after they settled in, powerful figures surrounded them.

Wen Caishang, dressed in snow-white robes, sat serenely in the hall. Sipping her tea, she glanced indifferently at the newcomer and said, "Good, very good, another batch."

That day and night.

The inn was littered with corpses. Wen Caishang, her clothes unstained by blood, took lives as easily as taking candy from a bag, with utmost grace. The innkeeper fainted from fright, and the waiter cowered under the counter.

Wen Caishang stood gracefully with her hands clasped in front of her abdomen, her long sleeves hanging down, and said calmly, "Little Fairy, help me upstairs."

Her white dress fluttered as she took graceful, delicate steps. She passed by the corpse and peacefully fell asleep in the main room.

The next day.

"Witch, come and die!"

The corpses inside the hall were still warm, while outside, disciples from the Huangsha Sect and the Wuji Blade Sect surrounded the hall, forming a battle formation.

Wen Caishang descended the stairs slowly, her dignified and elegant demeanor standing out starkly against the backdrop of corpses scattered on the ground. She said softly, "Gentlemen, you have come so early to disturb my daughter's peaceful sleep. How rude of you!"

She asked with a smile, "Little Fairy, should we kill these people?" Her eyes held a sharp glint.

Li Xian thought to himself, "If I tell you not to kill, will you not kill?" He replied, "Of course I should kill."

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "My young master says they should be killed, so I'll kill them all." With a flick of her sleeve, she sent the wooden chopsticks off the table.

With several whooshing sounds, the eyes of the surroundrs burst open, chopsticks piercing their eyes. The formations of the Huangsha Sect and the Wuji Blade Sect were not weak, and with their numerical advantage, they should have been difficult to deal with. However, their leader was extremely foolish; once injured, he was terrified and unable to regroup, becoming like a pile of loose sand.

Wouldn't that leave Wen Caishang completely at her mercy?

Sword shadows flashed frequently in the hall, and after a few breaths…

Li Xian, supporting Wen Caishang's right hand, slowly walked out of the inn. Wen Caishang suddenly stopped and said, "Xiao Xian, you forgot to pay."

Li Xian said, "Yes." He ran back to the main hall, woke up the shopkeeper, and gave him a tael of silver. The shopkeeper was still dazed, the smell of blood was overwhelming, and he gradually came to his senses. When he saw dozens of corpses on the ground, he was so frightened that his vision went black and he fainted again.

Li Xian used his remaining money to buy a decent carriage. He traveled the official road, unafraid of attacks. But things were truly far from peaceful; several groups of men were all killed by his sword.

She remained unconcerned about the turmoil caused by the Sword-Slaying Alliance, her mind calm. Several days passed, and the ambushes along the way began to subside.

Inside the carriage, Wen Caishang sat cross-legged, focusing her internal energy. Although she intimidated the powerful figures, her injuries actually worsened. This was within her expectations; she remained calm and composed, still in control.

On this day.

Inside a stone pavilion in the mountains.

After several days of travel and defeating their enemies, Wen Caishang and Li Xian were exhausted. Seeing a stone pavilion by the roadside with beautiful scenery, Wen Caishang decided to stop and rest.

After the carriage stopped, Li Xian surveyed the terrain and found a stream a few miles away. He unscrewed the water pouch, drew the Chenjiang Sword, and played with the stream water. Suddenly, he flicked it upwards, and a line of water leaped up and landed precisely in the water pouch.

Wen Caishang sat in the pavilion, examining her own body. The injuries to her internal organs were still there. She tried to heal them with her internal energy, and every time she showed signs of recovery, an enemy would interfere, requiring her to circulate her Qi to fight back. This cycle repeated itself, and the injuries deepened.

He thought to himself, "If it weren't for these trivial matters, I would have prepared the medicine and rested quietly, and I should have recovered by now."

While he was deep in thought, he suddenly frowned and said softly, "Who is hiding? Come out."

In the distance, an old man in green robes appeared in the mountain path. He cupped his hands and smiled, saying, "Madam Wen, I never imagined that we would meet in this desolate place."

This person was one of the passengers on the dragon boat.

He carried a simple bag on his back, held a wooden cane in his hand, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He looked like he had just finished a long journey.

Wen Caishang asked with a smile, "Where are you going, sir?" The old man in blue replied, "Haha, I've traveled a long way to participate in the Dragon Appreciation Banquet. Now that the banquet has ended, I'm naturally heading home."

Wen Caishang said, "Caishang also wants to go home. I see that the old gentleman is dressed for a long journey. His clothes are simple, so I guess he is of noble character and frugal. But even if he is frugal, there is nothing wrong with taking a carriage. Why is he walking so hard?"

The old man in blue said, “It’s not that I’m frugal, but I’ve loved the beauty of nature since I was a child. Traveling by carriage is convenient, but it’s easy to miss a lot of scenery. Besides, I’m old now, unlike Madam Wen who is young. It would be best if I could see more of the world’s magnificent sights.”

"Sir, what a refined taste you have." Wen Caishang said with a smile, "Please have a seat, sir."

The old man in blue laughed loudly, "Hahaha, it is fate that I meet you, madam. Since you have invited me, I will not refuse." He took a seat generously, cupped his hands and smiled, "It is a great blessing to be able to sit at the same table as you, madam."

Wen Caishang said, "Please forgive my limited knowledge, I have not asked for your name before."

The old man in blue said, "I suppose my name is not well-known and I don't want to mention it, lest I be laughed at. My name is Ma Zhongguang, and I am from the Southern Frontier."

At this point, Ma Zhongguang asked, "If I remember correctly, there was always a young man by Madam Wen's side, whose name seemed to be Li Xian. Where is he now?"

Wen Caishang frowned slightly, but smiled and said, "Little Fairy, Senior Ma wants to see you. Wouldn't it be impolite not to come over and offer him tea?"

Li Xian ran back from the stream and recognized Ma Zhongguang. This man was taciturn and rarely showed himself on the dragon boat. When others asked him questions, he would only reply with an "uh-huh." The only time he spoke to anyone was when he and his wife decided who would stay last at the forty thousand li mark.

Li Xian said, "Senior Ma, what a coincidence to meet you here."

Ma Zhongguang said, "Haha, what a coincidence. You're heading south, and so am I. Although all roads lead in different directions, if we're all going in the same direction, we'll have a chance to meet, won't we?"

Wen Caishang said, "Little Fairy, I have some tea leaves here. Why don't you brew some for Senior Ma?"

Li Xian took the tea leaves, ran back to the carriage, and retrieved a copper teapot. The teapot was exquisite and small, about the size of a palm, with delicate patterns. He poured in water, lit the charcoal fire, and boiled the water before sprinkling in the tea leaves.

Before long, a delicate fragrance filled the air. Wen Caishang took the kettle, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Li Xian, saying, "Please offer this to Senior Ma." Li Xian held the cup with both hands and offered it to him.

Ma Zhongguang stared at the tea, hesitating for a long time. Wen Caishang smiled and said, "What, Senior Ma, are you worried that Caishang might have poisoned it?"

Wen Caishang poured herself another cup and drank it while it was still hot. She smiled and looked at Ma Zhongguang. Ma Zhongguang laughed and said, "Hahaha, Madam Wen's tea is expensive. This old man is a rough fellow, so I won't drink it. I don't want to waste Madam's kindness."

Wen Caishang said regretfully, "Caishang originally thought that she had met a kindred spirit, but now it seems that he is nothing more than a skeleton."

Ma Zhongguang said, "Madam Wen, what do you mean?" His body tensed. He tried to create distance, but felt weak all over, his body aching and numb; a poisonous substance had spread throughout his body.

Wen Caishang laughed and said, "You, you, why did you come all this way?"

"You!" Ma Zhongguang was furious. "You didn't know my purpose, yet you used such a vicious attack?" He used martial arts and Gu techniques to try to cure the poison, but all his resistance was completely useless.

Wen Caishang said softly, "It's not a good thing in the end. I'll kill you and torture you, but I will never wrong you."

"Don't struggle. You are from the Southern Frontier, so you must have some kind of Gu poison. But you absolutely cannot cure this poison of mine."

"Little White, show yourself."

Then a white silkworm crawled out from Ma Zhongguang's body. Wen Caishang reached out and took it, gently teasing the silkworm.

This is the "ancestral silkworm." It is the key ingredient in the silkworm garment inlaid with jade.

Wen Caishang's "silk" fabric and her mulberry garden silkworm farm are all related to this silkworm, as they are bred from this silkworm. Therefore, the silk is tough and highly sought after, making her unique in the world.

This is one of her trump cards.

Her old wounds hadn't healed, and she was unwilling to fight. Sensing Ma Zhongguang's approach, she had already arranged for the ancestral silkworm to attach itself to him, bite him, and inject a strange poison.

"You poisonous woman! You poisonous woman!" Ma Zhongguang's face turned bluish-purple, and all the Gu worms in his body had died.

Wen Caishang, exuding charm, said, "Why did you follow me here? Tell me quickly."

"If I tell you, will you cure me?" Ma Zhongguang was no longer able to fight.

Wen Caishang smiled without saying a word. Ma Zhongguang said, "I...I know you are plotting to seize Dihua. This trip...is to discuss with you the exchange of Dihua. I have no hostility, Madam...please...please spare my life."

Wen Caishang narrowed her eyes slightly: "How do you know that I am plotting to seize Dihua?"

“It is because…” Ma Zhongguang took out a Gu worm from his ear and said, “This is a Dragon Gu, which needs to be nourished by the heart blood of a dragon beast in order to transform. I helped it travel through the water because of the old dragon’s heart blood.”

"But when I asked for blood at the Old Dragon Pool, the old dragon said that his heart's blood had already been given to someone else. Although he didn't say who it was, I guessed it was you. At that time, I was puzzled. The python and dragon successfully walked on water and received a blessing from heaven. Only then did the dragon scales turn into a dragon's molt. The heart's blood was far less useful."

"I recall an ancient text about a method of stealing the essence of the earth, vaguely related to dragons moving through water. This leads to some speculation... Madam, please spare my life."

"It was my greed that led me to this death. Please spare my life."

Wen Caishang smiled and said, "So that's how it is. You're quite clever." She sipped her tea and watched Ma Zhongguang struggle with great interest.

"You wicked woman!" Ma Zhongguang's vision blurred, knowing there was no hope, his breath fading, he uttered his last words: "You...you...will regret this. You...did you think I dared to come to you...that I had no means? Look...look at your Qi Lake, hahahaha..."

After speaking, he shook his heart and breathed his last.

Wen Caishang frowned, suddenly feeling her internal energy dwindling. Focusing her mind and looking inward, she discovered that a Gu worm had somehow attached itself to her Qi lake.

He sucked her inner energy, and the speed increased.

"When? When did it happen? Ever since Ma Zhongguang appeared, I've been on guard, wary of his Gu techniques. When did it happen? My internal energy is dwindling, what should I do? Now I'm surrounded by powerful enemies, and my injuries are already quite severe. I need to use my internal energy to suppress my injuries and recuperate. If this Gu continues to drain my internal energy, I...I...I'll truly be in an extremely dangerous situation!"

Wen Caishang immediately checked Ma Zhongguang's pulse; he was already dead. Her vital energy dwindled, her strength waned, her delicate body trembled, and for the first time, her beautiful face lost all composure.

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(End of this chapter)