Chapter 10

It was Liu Ye, the white-haired Liu Ye.

Chang'an was surprised. Liu Ye's hair hadn't been white before; now, more than half of it was suddenly white. It seemed the abduction of his wife and the death of his son had struck him too hard. Chang'an could even feel the violent and despairing aura emanating from Liu Ye, a sense of having nothing left to live for.

"Ning Family's Chang'an!"

Crimson Blood Fortress's lord, Liu Ye, his eyes glinting fiercely, roared, "Why did you kill my son?"

Chang'an forced a smile. "I have no inner energy. There's no way I could have killed your son."

Liu Ye sneered, "So you used poison? Ning Family's Chang'an, I never imagined you were such a treacherous person. I originally sent my son to personally invite you to help me kill a villain. Why did you poison him?!"

Chang'an said, "But your son overheard things he shouldn't have on the way. Someone told him the secret of my lost inner energy. He then harbored malicious intent towards me. Not only did he lack sincerity in inviting me, but he also stole my Green Ox and Erhu. Lord Liu, how could you recognize me at a glance? Did you already know this secret? If you knew I had lost all my inner energy from the start, why would you ask me to kill someone? Could it be that there's a hidden, meticulous plan of yours within this?"

Chang'an fired off questions.

Liu Ye swiftly drew out a portrait. It depicted Chang'an as he looked now. Liu Ye also seemed to realize something, his expression turning puzzled. "Shortly after Tang Ying left, someone delivered this portrait, saying it would be very useful. It was with this portrait that I recognized you. I've only met you once, and I'd actually forgotten what you looked like."

Chang'an was startled and asked, "Who gave you the portrait?!"

Liu Ye said, "I was drunk that day! The person who gave me the portrait seemed to be a woman. I can't recall clearly, I only remember she had a captivating scent..." A hint of confusion appeared on Liu Ye's face.

Women always had different scents; this wasn't a clue at all.

Chang'an couldn't guess either.

Suddenly, a woman walked gracefully along the stone path, her hips swaying, a smile on her lips, her laughter as clear and pleasant as a lark in a mountain stream.

A fragrance drifted in with the wind.

Liu Ye's nose twitched. "That's it, it's this scent," he declared loudly.

Chang'an also smelled it. It was indeed very fragrant and distinctive, unforgettable once smelled.

Chang'an looked at the graceful woman. He had never seen such a seductive woman, like a temptress. Every part of her body exuded allure as she walked, a peerless beauty.

The woman was looking at Chang'an.

Chang'an asked, "Who are you?"

The woman, who had been smiling, turned cold when Chang'an spoke. "The one who will kill you!" she said, an icy chill in her voice.

Chang'an was confused. "Why?"

The woman asked, "Guo Qingshui, does that name sound familiar?" Her voice, though originally soft, always carried a venomous edge.

Chang'an exclaimed, "You're Guo Qingshan's sister?!" Guo Qingshan was the leader of the Twelve Tiger Wolf Village, a notorious bandit who committed murder and arson. He had died under Chang'an's Dragon Head Sword, in what was Chang'an's most famous battle.

Guo Qingshui said, "It's good that you remember Guo Qingshan died by your hand. That's right, I am Guo Qingshan's sister. You killed my own brother, you deserve to die! And you..." Guo Qingshui pointed at Liu Ye. "Killed my mother. You both deserve to die. I have waited too long for this day."

Liu Ye snorted, "When did I kill your mother?"

Guo Qingshui replied, "Thirteen years ago in Sanhe County, you rode your horse and trampled a woman washing clothes by the river, then rode off. You probably didn't know that the woman's orphaned children deeply remembered you and swore to make you pay with blood!"

Liu Ye fell silent. He had seen too many such revenge plots.

But Chang'an still had doubts, so he asked, "How did you know the secret of my lost martial arts?!"

Guo Qingshui tilted her head. "Because the night before you fought Lu Jing, I was in Lu Jing's bed. I was the one who made him cripple you."

Yu Fu suddenly released Chang'an's hand, her own hand now resting on her sword's hilt, her gaze fixed on Guo Qingshui.

However, Chang'an gently clasped her hand again.

Chang'an said, "So, everything was a trap you set?"

Guo Qingshui replied, "That's right, including Liu Bao'er eloping with someone. It was all my design. Killing two birds with one stone!"

Liu Bao'er was Liu Ye's woman.

Liu Ye roared in fury, "Where is Liu Bao'er now? What did you do to her?" He deeply loved Liu Bao'er, the only woman he had ever married, cherishing her like a treasure.

Guo Qingshui gave an eerie, cold laugh. "Of course, she's having a good time in bed."

Liu Ye trembled all over, his face pale. He let out a roar to the heavens and spat out blood, his features becoming twisted and ferocious. He glared at Guo Qingshui. "You, why did you poison my son? What grudge did my son have against you?"

Guo Qingshui said coldly, "He thought I was beautiful and wanted to do indecent things to me. He deserved to die ten thousand times over. I gave him a chance, but unfortunately, he couldn't reach the Hundred Herbs Divine Doctor alive!"

"Ah!"

Liu Ye lunged at Guo Qingshui like a ferocious wolf. His woman was gone, defiled, his son murdered. It was like his heart had been ripped out. He would risk his life to kill the culprit before him.

Guo Qingshui, looking delicate and alluring, as if she couldn't even lift a chicken, showed no fear. Instead, she smiled.

As she smiled, Liu Ye let out a tragic scream and fell to the ground, foam spewing from his mouth, which then turned bloody.

Chang'an exclaimed in alarm, "Poison!"

Guo Qingshui smiled and said, "It's too late. The Asura Blade is useless, the Ghost Shadow is mediocre. They couldn't kill you, so I had to do it myself."

Liu Ye shouted with all his might, "Guards! Guards, where is Wang Meng..."

Guo Qingshui's eyes were like poisoned daggers, yet she said softly, "No need to call. There are no survivors in Crimson Blood Fortress. While you were talking to Ning Family's Chang'an, everyone died. My scent, doesn't it smell good?!"

Liu Ye's eyes widened, his mouth like a blood-red spring, blood gushing out incessantly. He died with his eyes wide open.

Chang'an gasped. The entire Crimson Blood Fortress had been poisoned to death?! Yet he himself didn't feel any severe discomfort. The poison seemed to have no effect on him. He felt a heat spreading through his body, a force secretly flowing, neutralizing the poison.

But Yu Fu's body suddenly went limp. The poison had taken effect.

Chang'an repeatedly said, "This is the Poison Dragon Cult's Heartbreak Poison Incense. Don't use your inner energy, or the poison will act faster."

Everyone in Crimson Blood Fortress, from top to bottom, was dead. Hundreds of people perished. Standing before Chang'an was practically a deadly female demon. Chang'an felt both anxious and enraged.

Guo Qingshui sneered, "Ning Family's Chang'an, are you surprised?"

Chang'an said coldly, "Who are you from the Poison Dragon Cult?"

Guo Qingshui snorted, "You're not qualified to know. It's useless for a dead person to know." She then smiled happily and sighed, "There are people who will do anything, no matter the cost, to achieve their goals. Offending such a person leads only to death. Unfortunately, I am that kind of person. It's all your fault. For years, I've been willing to do anything for revenge. Watching my enemies die one by one before my eyes is truly a comfortable and happy thing."

Chang'an supported Yu Fu and sneered, "You've become inhuman, a demon."

Guo Qingshui laughed heartily, "I was forced! I like it this way. Demons have their own carefree freedom, being lawless."

Chang'an said coldly, "I will kill you."

Guo Qingshui's expression changed. She suddenly realized something was amiss and exclaimed in surprise, "Why haven't you been affected yet?"

Chang'an, supporting Yu Fu, walked step by step towards Guo Qingshui and said word by word, "Because I am Ning Family's Chang'an, because my inner energy is still here, and even more because I was wary of you from the start. Hmph, you thought Lu Jing really obeyed you and dispersed my inner energy?!"

Guo Qingshui's expression became flustered. She felt a bone-chilling killing intent.

She knew that Ning Family's Chang'an was good at desperate fights.

However, she suddenly burst into laughter, "Ning Family's Chang'an, you can't fool me!"

Guo Qingshui moved swiftly. Poison needles and pills flew out from her sleeves like a torrential rain. A cloud of pink smoke rose, engulfing Chang'an and Yu Fu.

Chang'an and Yu Fu emerged from the smoke, but Guo Qingshui was nowhere to be seen.

Chang'an was covered in hidden weapons and poison needles. He shielded Yu Fu with his body. He was too fat, too large a target, and became a target. The Poison Dragon Cult's poisons were unparalleled and extremely insidious. Chang'an already felt his whole body numb and swollen, like a piece of wood, about to lose consciousness, his head splitting with pain. He grabbed the portrait on the ground, stuffed it into his bosom, and was about to take Yu Fu to find Miao Suyi.

Miao Suyi's grandfather was a famous divine doctor, no less than the Hundred Herbs Divine Doctor. One eccentric, one evil, he could detoxify Yu Fu.

The carriage was not far from the roadside.

As Chang'an turned, he saw a dark mass of people rushing towards him.

Leading the group was Cao Jing, with a panicked woman beside him. The woman's hair was disheveled, her body covered in blood. She screamed when she saw Chang'an from afar, "It's him! The murderer! The murderer who poisoned everyone in Crimson Blood Fortress..." As she shouted, she coughed up blood, looking utterly miserable.

Chang'an's heart tightened, a sense of unease washing over him. His eyes turned cold.

Heroes from all walks of life in the martial world instantly surrounded Chang'an and Yu Fu, drawing their swords and glaring at them.

Cao Jing, clearly the leader, confronted Chang'an and demanded, "Who are you? What sect do you belong to? Why did you poison everyone in Crimson Blood Fortress?"

Chang'an looked directly at the disheveled woman and asked, "Who are you? Why are you framing me?"

At this moment, he was extremely anxious. Yu Fu was in mortal danger, and his heart was twisted into a knot. He had been too careless. He had let down his guard when Liu Ye mentioned smelling the fragrance and being fine.

The woman, looking miserable, cried out hoarsely, "I am Liu Ye's wife, Liu Bao'er! Why did you murder my son, my husband, my family?! Sob sob, heroes from all paths, you must uphold justice for me... Young Master Cao, you must dispense justice and never let this person go! This person is vicious and cruel. Fortunately, I escaped by chance and revealed the truth. Otherwise, everyone in Crimson Blood Fortress would have become vengeful spirits, dying tragically!"