Chapter 41 041 "You've been abandoned, do you understand?..."
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farmhouse.
The ground was littered with the foul-smelling carcasses of venomous snakes, the severed limbs of dolls strangled by venomous snakes, and countless silver needles everywhere.
"It's a pity you're not your master after all. Little one, you're still a long way from being your master."
Huo Wu chuckled, then strangled the last two venomous snakes and tossed them in front of the little poisonous creature.
The foul-smelling snake blood splattered onto the little venomous creature's plain white shoes.
The little poison is very bad now.
His thin lips were pale, and even with his superb lightness skill, his body was still stained with specks of sticky blood and needles.
He had grown up immersed in poison vats by the old poison master since childhood. Although the needles at the back of his head wouldn't kill him, the rapid, fierce attacks from Huo Wu inevitably struck him in the chest and back. The silver needles, imbued with Huo Wu's precise force, were no less severe than a knife wound to the chest, perhaps even worse. With a pale face and a soft hiss, he pulled out the silver needles one by one. With each needle removed, his face grew paler, until, after the last needle was removed, his handsome face was completely devoid of color.
The little venomous creature glanced at the blood-stained silver needles in its hand, scoffed, and tossed them to the ground. The green snake, which had been wriggling on the ground, immediately turned black and died the moment the needles touched its tail.
Even now, he could still laugh. He looked Huo Wu up and down, and it seemed that apart from her head and hands, the rest of her body was made of mechanical wood. It was probably not ordinary wood, and even thousands of green snakes could not cut through it, let alone poison her.
Little Poison rarely admits defeat, but at this moment he is truly convinced: "I've heard that there's an immortal tree in Penglai that's impervious to swords and spears, and unaffected by water and fire. I never imagined that you, senior, would be so ruthless, even to yourself... I've never heard of such a thing before, and I humbly admit defeat."
No matter how much she planned, she never expected that Huo Wu would create a bunch of wooden figures, which would ultimately lead to her own demise.
To be this insane is truly befitting of a member of a demonic cult.
The little poisoner expressed his sincere admiration, but then his tone shifted, and Xiuya's brows furrowed, as if she were puzzled:
"Although the Longevity Manual contains the Great Dao of Immortality, you are already close to immortality. What use is this tattered book to you? Even if the Longevity Manual contains supreme martial arts, there are countless treasures in the world, such as the immortal divine wood on your body. Why would the Demonic Sect search for it with such a vast net?"
"Testing my old lady, huh?" Huo Wu chuckled, her face quite kind. "The old poison master sent you, didn't he? This young brat, relying on his youth, speaks so lightly of the four simple words 'the path to immortality.' Who doesn't want immortality? The old poison master has been retired from the martial world for years, never showing his true colors, yet the 'Longevity Manual' has suddenly appeared out of the world… It seems your master is also interested in the 'Longevity Manual,' isn't he?" Huo Wu paused, then suddenly asked, "What are you looking at?"
The little poisonous creature paused almost imperceptibly, a faint smile still lingering at the corners of its mouth, its demeanor cheerful and relaxed.
"It's only natural for a junior to chat with a senior..."
Huo Wu interrupted him, her sharp eyes fixed on the little poisoner's handsome face, even though it was pale:
"Grandma, I've eaten more salt than you've walked roads, don't try to fool me. You've been staring outside more than once. What's wrong..." Huo Wu turned her neck and followed the little poisonous creature's gaze. She saw a well right in front of the window frame. Most people couldn't see it clearly, but martial artists are usually sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. Once their skills reached a certain level, they could see it clearly.
The well cover had been lifted at some point, and a thick rope hung forlornly over the well opening, still wet and dripping with water.
"Was the wellhead open when we came?" Huo Wu pondered for a long time but couldn't remember. She shook her head and sighed, "Oh dear, I'm getting senile. I can't remember, I really can't remember."
Meanwhile, Little Poison stared intently at the thick rope still dripping with water from the well opening, his handsome face more grotesque than ever before. His hands, clasped behind his back, were clenched into fists with such force that his knuckles turned white, his nails dug deep into his flesh, and the veins on the back of his hands stood out like dragons lying in wait.
Huo Wu suddenly asked, "Where's that little boy who plays the flute? Did he run away from you?"
Huo Wu truly lived up to his reputation as the fifth-ranked martial arts master among the seven great assassins of the Demonic Sect. Even though the needles had been removed from her tail, the stinging pain still pierced his heart and lungs, making even his breathing feel like it was on fire. The burning sensation made his eyes red, especially the small tear mole under his eye, which looked like it had been scalded and turned a glaring red.
The little poisonous creature pursed its lips and remained silent. Standing tall and elegant on a pool of foul-smelling flesh, it did not lose any of its charm. Its face was as white as snow, and its body was stained with bloodstains like plum blossoms. Its dark eyes were covered with a layer of blood mist like a spider web. It looked like a lonely, beautiful ghost that had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, which only added to its eerie and tragic beauty.
"Yes, you must have accomplices. I'm old, but I'm not deaf or stupid. Your green snakes are controlled by the sound of the flute. Once the sound stops, even the most venomous snakes become as weak as shrimps. It's been hard for you to stall for time. What, are you waiting for your accomplices to come to your rescue?"
Huo Wu coughed softly and chuckled, her aged voice echoing in the small house filled with the stench of blood:
"Cough cough... This little kid seems pretty smart, how come he can't see it? He needs this old woman to point it out. You..."
"You've been abandoned, do you understand?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the last trace of a smile vanished from the little poisoner's handsome face. His dark eyes were deep and bloodshot. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his hands, which were clasped behind his back, suddenly tightened, revealing faint traces of blood.
"Are you angry? Your companion is a smart man, but he made the wisest choice. No one has ever survived my needles, let alone you? Even your master would have been no match for you." Huo Wu spoke like a wise and reasonable elder, "Little one, you are quite remarkable. At such a young age, your kung fu, courage, and wisdom are unparalleled. You are one of the few young talents in the martial arts world. You have not disgraced your master, the Old Poison Master. I, your grandmother, also value talent. As long as you hand over the 'Longevity Manual,' I will spare you this time, and we can pretend that nothing ever happened, how about that?"
Huo Wu was very patient, waiting for him leisurely. After all, she was old and seemed extremely tired, her eyelids drooping. She was just waiting for the little poisoner to nod before curling up in her wooden wheelchair to catch up on sleep.
The little poisoner pursed his pale lips, remaining silent. His brows were furrowed, as if he were pondering the feasibility of Huo Wu's words. After a long while, he finally parted his lips, but not to answer Huo Wu's question; instead, he muttered to himself:
"Even if you replace all the mechanical wooden parts from head to toe, as long as you still use the same internal energy cultivation method and martial arts style, there will definitely be a weak point that can break your strength. So where is that weak point... or rather, where can the weak point be..."
Huo Wu paused, then lifted her eyelids. The last trace of kindness and weariness vanished from her aged face, which resembled dried orange peel. Her gaze darkened, and her hoarse voice deepened.
"It seems you're not planning to hand it over."
The little poisoner chuckled and gave a forced smile: "It was my fault for being ungrateful. Please forgive me, sir."
Secretly, his whole body was tense like a fully drawn string, his dark eyes watching Huo Wu's every move warily.
Huo Wu sighed softly, lowering her eyes: "Grandma, I don't have that much time to waste on you or play with you. I've had my fill of playing around too, and I'm tired of it. It's such a pity that the old poison master has such a good disciple."
The moment the words left his mouth, his eyelids snapped open, revealing a pair of gleaming eyes. At the same time, he extended two fingers from each hand and slightly raised them together. The little poisoner thought to himself, "Oh no!"
But it was too late to run away. Unexpectedly, the puppets that had been cut and dismembered into a pile of useless rotten wood were still equipped with mechanisms. At Huo Wu's command, the heads of the puppets that rolled on the ground opened their mouths. The little poisonous creature subconsciously covered its head and face. It thought that the puppets would spit out tail needles, but instead it was a crimson poisonous mist that filled the small farmhouse in an instant.
Instantly, a strange itch arose on the spot where he had been pricked by the tail needle, as if countless ants were biting him. However, as long as he inhaled a breath of poisonous mist, the strange itch would be relieved to some extent, and then it would turn into an indescribable... somewhat ethereal yet heavy discomfort that made his feet feel unsteady, and he staggered and almost fell to the ground.
Only then did he realize that the true power of the "wasp stinger" could only be unleashed by using both the stinger and the poisonous mist simultaneously.
No wonder she said, "No one has ever survived the tail needle." He thought that his body, which had grown up in the poison vat, could resist the deadly poison of the tail needle. In fact, it was only at this moment that he experienced the true "tail needle."
Those who experienced the tail needle were likely all dead, or perhaps they didn't even make it to the second stage, which is why the story of the poisonous fog didn't circulate in the martial arts world.
“Little one, I know you are immune to all poisons, but you also know that poison is the most superficial layer. The more skilled a poisoner is, like your master and me, they can use poison as an antidote. You can’t escape. Your master and me are the Poison Kings of the North and South. One of us is skilled in Gu poison and snake control, and the other specializes in making puppets and poison needles. We are different in our approach but the same in our endeavors: manipulating people’s hearts.”
While Huo Wu was still talking to herself, the little poisoner covered his mouth and nose and used his lightness skill to dash to the door. The stronger the poison, the more hallucinatory it would cause. He knew that the more he inhaled this poisonous fog, the more he would be entangled in hallucinations, and the closer he would be to death! He had to leave this small house shrouded in poisonous fog as soon as possible; perhaps there was still a glimmer of hope!
He kicked open the wooden door and nearly leaped out into the dark, rural courtyard, only to find himself inside a high-walled compound under the bright sun!
The force of his lunge caused him to fall into the snow!
It was early autumn... but the sudden, overwhelming snow felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over him. It took him a long time to slowly emerge from the snow, looking at his stiff, cold little hands, his dark eyes blinking in confusion.
"I……"
Who is it?
A soft, chuckled sound, tinged with a cough, drifted from the air:
"Little one, the real competition is just beginning..."
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Lakeside.
Dusk was falling.
Jiang Ling'er gripped the hairpin and slowly plunged it deeper into Di Qing's throat. Half her face was splattered with blood, making her look like a vengeful demon. She stared at Di Qing's single eye, covered in spiderwebs and as large as a copper bell, and spoke each word with utterance:
"Do you remember who I am?"
"you……"
Di Qing uttered a single word, seemingly unable to speak further due to the thorn stuck in his throat. Blood was gushing from his wound and the corner of his mouth, and terrifying veins bulged on his forehead. His single eye, glaring at Jiang Ling'er, seemed to want to devour her alive.
Jiang Ling'er snorted coldly, showing no mercy whatsoever:
"You've been too lenient with the evil you've done."
The ghostly fire left by the bamboo flute on her body was rapidly dissipating like sand in an hourglass. In order to save time, she tried to quickly finish off Di Qing with her hairpin. She exerted a sudden force, trying to completely bury the hairpin into Di Qing's throat, but it seemed to encounter resistance, as if blocked by a boulder. The hairpin could not go any further. She was slightly stunned, her brows furrowed, and she used 30% of her internal force on the hairpin. However, not only did it not move at all, but a powerful force rebounded, blasting her and the hairpin away three steps away!
The hairpin fell to the ground and shattered in two. Jiang Ling'er fell to the ground, spitting out blood. Her mind went blank for a moment before she finally came to her senses. She looked up and saw—
Di Qing, who had been pinned to the ground by her, stood up like a mountain. He twisted his neck left and right, and a terrifying "crackling" sound came from his neck, the sound of bone replacement! The huge hole in his neck that had been gushing blood immediately stopped bleeding!
Jiang Ling'er suddenly remembered what Uncle He Yong had once said: there is a type of person in the martial arts world whose muscles, bones, and even acupoints can be displaced, such as the "Dislocating Tendons and Bones Hand" and the "Golden Bell Cover." The so-called "copper skin and iron bones" are all based on this principle.
Dealing with someone like that is like farting and popping your own heel – pure bad luck!
Ordinary killing techniques are not enough; the key is to find the weakness that breaks their defenses.
Jiang Ling'er spat out the remaining blood in her mouth and cursed under her breath, "What bad luck!"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, then suddenly flipped up from the ground and raised his hand to strike Di Qing with a "Thunderclap" palm strike!
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