Poison Cultivator

In Ankang Ward, three streets away from the Red Sleeve Brothel, there was a small pharmacy facing the street called "Fukuda Pharmacy".

The shop's facade wasn't large, and there weren't many customers. Previously, a unique pill called "Sleeping Incense Pill" was quite famous for its miraculous effect in treating insomnia. The good girls of the Red Sleeve Brothel, whose days and nights were reversed, often had sleep problems and would come here to buy the medicine. However, last month, the shopkeeper suddenly announced that the ingredients for the Sleeping Incense Pill were gone and it hadn't been sold recently, causing the shop to become gradually deserted.

One day, the pharmacy shopkeeper was settling accounts behind the counter, and the young assistant was watching the door at the front, when a cool breeze suddenly blew in.

"Hmm?" The shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in brocade clothes with a mustache, looked up as the wind messed up his ledger and glanced outside.

A young man with a broad forehead and cloud-like hair walked in and asked gently, "Is the physician in?"

"Yes," the shopkeeper stood up. "Customer, please tell me your symptoms."

"Thank you," the young man walked in and said, "I heard your family has a famous medicine for treating insomnia. Is it still for sale?"

"The ingredients for the Sleeping Incense Pill haven't been sourced, so it hasn't been sold for a while," the shopkeeper replied.

"Is that so..." The young man nodded, then took out a porcelain bottle from hisin one's arms and placed it on the counter. "Then, is this bottle of medicine sold here?"

"This customer, the bottle is empty, how can I tell?" The shopkeeper said with a smile.

"One more thing," the young man asked again, "A couple of days ago, did you go to the Mystic Sound Pavilion? I think I saw you and this assistant from the shop there."

"This..." The shopkeeper took two steps back and smiled, "This kind of thing is hard to say..."

Before his smile faded, a cold killing intent erupted in his eyes as he glanced behind the young man.

The young assistant who had been waiting nearby suddenly erupted. A dagger appeared from his sleeve at some point and fiercely stabbed towards the back of the young man's neck, cutting through the air!

"Roar—"

This young man was none other than Shang Yunhai of the Evil Extermination Bureau!

When the assistant's sharp knife struck, he didn't dodge. A beastly roar suddenly burst from his throat, sounding like thunder! With this roar, his upper body surged violently, transforming into a rugged beast form, like a Vajra with a tiger's head and a human body.

Clang.

The knife struck his neck, actually making the sound of metal clashing and bending the blade of the dagger!

At this moment, the pharmacy shopkeeper slapped a grid on the medicine rack behind him, grabbed something from the popped-out grid, and threw out a handful of white powder.

Shang Yunhai leaped up, dodging the puff of white mist, and the assistant who had attacked from behind was exposed instead.

The assistant's hand was the first to touch the white mist, and immediately a sizzling burning sound was heard. He immediately screamed, "Ah—"

It was Shang Yunhai who, with a claw from mid-air, grabbed his collar and threw him out the door.

This action undoubtedly saved his life.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper had already pulled out another jar during this time, lifted the lid, and a buzzing sound arose. Countless flying insects swarmed out, each the size of a fingernail, instantly turning into a black mist.

"Ow!" Shang Yunhai roared again, his voice like an invisible wave, shaking off pieces of black insects. The insect mist that had been sweeping towards him immediately turned and spread in all directions.

And behind the black cloud, the shopkeeper's figure had disappeared!

Buzz—

Among the myriad of flying insects, there was an inconspicuous one mixed in with the main group, drilling through the window and leaving. It looked no different from the others in the insect cloud.

But just as it drilled out, a pretty girl with twin buns was seen guarding the rooftop, holding a small bronze mirror. She suddenly shone the mirror's light over and shouted, "Senior Sister Wen, here!"

The light from the bronze mirror shone, landing on the flying insect, but casting a human shadow on the ground!

This young girl was precisely Xu Luzhi. With her shout, a dazzling sword light sliced through the twilight sky, striking like a meteor!

Chii—

A sword broke through the air, blood splattering across the long sky.

The pharmacy shopkeeper revealed his true form, his chest pierced through, and he fell heavily to the ground.

"Take him down!"

"Be careful of hidden poisons, he's a Jiu Yang Poison Cultivator!"

"Restrain his divine soul first!"

"..."

Shouts rang out. The pedestrians on both sides of the long street pulled out their weapons; they were all disguised Knife Clerks from the Evil Extermination Bureau. A group of Knife Clerks surrounded him, iron chains, long hooks, talismans, and restrictions pressing down together, firmly suppressing the shopkeeper.

Only then did the shopkeeper realize that everything around him was fake. The entire Ankang Ward was enveloped within a mystical power array, forming its own separate world. And he, being inside it, hadn't even noticed when the change had occurred.

"Chen Su..." he mumbled indistinctly, "Mystic Sect Yin-Yang Vein, such powerful methods!"

Inside the Evil Extermination Division, Liang Yue, who had been waiting, finally let out the breath he was holding when he heard the good news brought back by Wen Yifan.

"That pharmacy was indeed run by Jiu Yang spies. We captured two spies," Wen Yifan said.

Liang Yue showed a satisfied smile.

This proved that his conjecture was completely correct. Yu Wenlong had always been prepared for capture, which was why he had taken the Heart-Destroying Gu long ago.

And Phoenix Butterfly was harmed by another Jiu Yang spy. They had been watching her for a long time, and once Yu Wenlong was in trouble, they would eliminate her without anyone knowing.

Why?

It should be that Yu Wenlong had some secret that Phoenix Butterfly knew.

Or possibly could have known.

The Jiu Yang accomplices had no feelings for his lover, so naturally, they eliminated her early to prevent future trouble.

The specific reasons would have to be determined by the Evil Extermination Division's interrogation.

The two people from the pharmacy going to the Mystic Sound Pavilion that day might have calculated that it was the day Phoenix Butterfly was supposed to die and wanted to confirm it. Unexpectedly, they encountered people from the Evil Extermination Bureau, were discovered while secretly observing, and then quickly left.

The Evil Extermination Division's trip to apprehend them was indeed worthwhile.

The Jade Mirror Divine Official and the Divine Blade Coroner had both left. The Evil Extermination Division had grandly invited the two of them, but the result was not even as good as a subordinate guard, making them feel ashamed.

"This time we conducted a secret arrest and will conduct a secret trial, so we cannot publicly commend you. We apologize for this, but it is also a form of protection for you," Wen Yifan added. "We will privately compensate you for your merits."

"I understand," Liang Yue said.

With his current strength, if hiscredit (merits) in helping to capture Jiu Yang spies were widely publicized, it would be a death sentence for him.

The Evil Extermination Bureau had always been generous, and they would certainly not shortchange him on the rewards.

After thinking for a moment, he asked again, "Regarding the reward, can I make a request?"

Wen Yifan said, "Just say what you want."

Liang Yue replied, "I want a high-grade movement technique manual."

Since his contribution needed to be kept secret, they naturally couldn't promote him within the Imperial Capital Guard.

While monetary rewards were practical, he would soon become a full-fledged member, which would be enough to support his family. More money wouldn't be immediately useful.

Compared to getting promoted and rich, what he needed most now was an improvement in his cultivation.

The people from the Evil Extermination Division all came from the Mystic Sect Eight Veins, the most powerful immortal cultivation sects in the human world, the root and ancestral home of countless martial world forces. Compared to the resources available to the Mystic Sect Eight Veins, Old Hu's saber technique might not be much.

Liang Yue had to consider if this was his only chance in this life to access top-tier cultivation methods.

With the help of Miss Wen's top-tier connections.

"No problem," Wen Yifan readily agreed. "I'll go back and look for one for you. I'll have it delivered to you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Miss Wen," Liang Yue thanked her.

Wen Yifan said, "We should be thanking you. Chief Xie even said he wanted to recruit you into the Evil Extermination Division, but I don't think it's suitable for you. If your strength were a few realms higher, I might invite you to join, but the Evil Extermination Division is still too dangerous for you right now."

Liang Yue nodded, knowing that everything she said was the truth.

The conflict between Jiu Yang and the Yin Dynasty was the most dangerous vortex in the world today.

Ordinary people who got involved would be crushed to pieces, leaving not even a trace.

Not to mention dealing with the hidden dangers of the Jiu Yang spies, just the struggle with the various government offices in the court could lead to an unclear death if one didn't have enough backing.

The people from the Evil Extermination Division dared to do this because they were a group of immortal officials from outside the world, who would leave after completing their task.

Moreover, although they seemed young, each of them had the most powerful master elders from the human martial world behind them. Few people dared to lay a heavy hand on them. If they suffered a loss, the next time someone made a move, it would be a powerful figure.

No matter how strong the enemy was, could they be stronger than Master Chen Yandao of the Xuan Palm?

An ordinary person like himself, with a family and no master, was ultimately not on the same path as them. While his strength was still weak, it was more suitable to honestly be an Imperial Capital Guard.

After leaving the Evil Extermination Bureau, Liang Yue returned to Fukang Ward feeling refreshed.

At the station, facing the puzzled looks of Chen Ju and Pang Chun, he shrugged, having been gone for most of the day, and explained, "I just saw the sky was getting a bit cloudy and remembered I had clothes drying at home that I hadn't taken in yet."

Chen Ju looked up at the bright sky, where the sun was still a bit dazzling, and murmured, "Is it that cloudy?"

"And does it take you several hours to get home?" Pang Chun scratched his head.

Liang Yue said seriously, "I took the waterway."

"Ah?" This one sentence confused Da Chun. He and Liang Yue both lived in Peaceful Lane, and he had never heard of a waterway home in all these years.

"Oh, did you hear?" Chen Ju was too lazy to dwell on it. Anyway, he often skipped work to go to the Red Sleeve Brothel, so whether he took the waterway or the land route was nothing strange.

He excitedly pulled Liang Yue and said, "Zou Huainan is in trouble!"

Thanks to "Li Dakang, Legal Scholar", thanks to Dakang, for becoming the 11th Alliance Leader of this book.