Mo Qingchen retorted with a look of disdain, "Did you foresee that you would suffer a bloody disaster today?"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly raised his fist to strike.
Seeing this, the fortune teller immediately dropped his previous air of superiority, his face plastered with a fawning smile, and he begged for mercy, saying, "Hero, spare my life! I'm just trying to make a living. Please have mercy on this old man."
"Let's go quickly," Chuanliu urged from ahead.
Mo Qingchen originally wanted to teach this charlatan a lesson again, but after hearing Chuan Liu's words, he had no choice but to give up and reluctantly followed the two.
Just then, an old woman carrying a basket hurried through the crowd. Just as she was about to brush past Chuanliu, she suddenly lost her balance and accidentally bumped into him.
The fruits in the basket instantly scattered all over the ground, rolling onto the street.
The old woman didn't immediately bend down to pick up the fruits and vegetables. Instead, she remained bent over and apologized repeatedly, "Oh, young lady, I'm so sorry. I was walking too fast. Did I bump into you and hurt you?" As she spoke, her hand was about to touch Chuanliu's arm.
Chuanliu's body tensed up instinctively, and then he immediately realized that something was wrong.
Just as Chuanliu was about to dodge, the old woman acted first. Suddenly, the old woman pulled a sharp knife from her basket and stabbed Chuanliu.
The sudden attack startled Chuanliu, but fortunately she reacted in time, shifting her body to the side and nimbly dodging the blow.
The tip of the knife grazed the hem of her clothes with a hiss, and the sharp blade instantly tore through her collar, a wisp of fabric fluttering down in the wind.
Seeing that her first attack had missed, the old woman did not hesitate at all and immediately pounced on the attack, attempting to continue.
Zhui Ming, quick as a flash, delivered a flying kick that struck the old woman squarely in the abdomen. The old woman cried out in pain and staggered back several steps, but a fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she gritted her teeth and charged at Chuan Liu once more.
At this moment, Mo Qingchen arrived and quickly stepped forward, engaging the old woman in a fierce struggle. After several rounds, Mo Qingchen found an opening in the old woman's defenses and delivered a side elbow strike, knocking her to the ground. The old woman struggled a few times but ultimately could not get up and was finished off by Mo Qingchen.
The sudden fight instantly caused a huge uproar in the market. The once bustling market became chaotic due to this unexpected violent conflict, and the group's original plan to quietly go up the mountain vanished in an instant.
Chuanliu's expression was grave. Although she had temporarily eliminated the threat of the assassin, the unease in her heart grew stronger, like rolling dark clouds. The fact that another assassin was attacking confirmed her earlier suspicions—Mandala had not yet made her move.
She quickly and silently gestured to Zhui Ming and Mo Qingchen, signaling them to act immediately.
While everyone was still in shock, the three of them took advantage of the chaos to quietly pass through the market and climb up the winding mountain path.
Sure enough, less than two minutes later, a terrifying scream came from behind.
"Ah—someone's dead!"
"Help!"
The three looked back and saw that the market below the mountain was in complete chaos. Villagers were fleeing in all directions, screams and shouts rising and falling.
Chuanliu took a deep breath and quickened his pace again.
The path up the mountain was deserted, quiet and secluded, a stark contrast to the bustling market at the foot of the mountain.
This was the first time Chuanliu had taken this path up the mountain, and it was much steeper than the path she had taken on her previous visits to Spade City. The steps were covered with thick moss, slippery and damp, clearly indicating that this path was not frequently used.
The three of them made steady progress along the winding mountain path. As they gradually ascended, the surrounding scenery became increasingly tranquil. Only the leaves rustled gently in the breeze; birds sang in the branches; and the sound of the waterfall grew clearer.
For some reason, Chuanliu suddenly felt a blur before his eyes, as if shrouded in a thin mist, and his pupils seemed to lose their ability to focus.
She stopped and gently pressed her forehead with one hand, trying to shake her head to dispel the sudden discomfort.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Zhuiming's voice rang in her ears, tinged with concern.
Chuanliu struggled to open her eyes, and the blurriness gradually faded, restoring her clarity. She gently shook her head, "It's nothing, I guess my head has been too tense these past two days."
After a brief rest, the three continued climbing.
Finally, we arrived at the top of the waterfall, and a breathtaking view unfolded before us. The village of Spade City at the foot of the mountain was spread out before us, and the rural landscape was laid out before us in its entirety.
The waterfall below was surging and powerful. The rushing water cascaded down, crashing against the rock face and splashing up white sprays.
Chuanliu stood in front of the two of them, and the next second, her body suddenly began to sway slightly. Then, her steps became unsteady, and the swaying of her body became more and more violent, until she suddenly lost all strength, as if all support had been drained from her body, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
In that instant, Zhuiming reacted swiftly, extending his arm to catch Chuanliu as she was about to fall. He felt that the girl's body was unusually heavy, her limbs had become limp and powerless, and she could no longer support him to stand up.
"Chuanliu! What's wrong?"
Zhuiming's voice was filled with anxiety and concern. He stared intently at Chuanliu's pale face, trying to glean clues from her reaction.
Chuanliu's eyes were slightly closed. She struggled to open them, but her eyelids seemed to be suppressed by an invisible force. Her lips moved, trying to make a sound, but only weak gasps came from her throat, and she could no longer utter a complete sentence.
Zhuiming felt a chill run down his spine, sensing something was wrong. Just as he was about to look around for anything unusual, Mo Qingchen suddenly collapsed to the ground with a thud, without any warning.
Mo Qingchen's face turned pale again instantly, as if all her strength had been drained away. White foam kept spilling from the corners of her mouth, as if the poison she had taken that morning had been triggered again.
Zhuiming immediately tried to stand up to check the situation, but the moment he stood up, everything went white and blurred before his eyes. When he refocused his vision, he found himself kneeling on one knee, his body bound by invisible chains, unable even to grip his knife.
I'm poisoned!
Zhuiming immediately realized the three's predicament. He forced himself to calm down, trying to regulate his breathing and stabilize the chaotic energy within his body. He quickly drank two large gulps of stream water, using the coolness to clear his mind. His eyes cautiously scanned his surroundings, searching for possible enemies or clues.
Chuanliu's symptoms of poisoning were the most obvious among the three. Her body was constantly being washed by the mountain spring, and although the icy water was bone-chilling, it brought her back to some of her senses. She struggled to sit on the slippery stone steps, her arms trembling as she propped herself up to lean against a nearby rock.
Her eyes were open, her mind replaying the scene at the market, the people she had met...
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