Poison God

Poison God

West Market in Jiangting Commandery was also the largest marketplace in River Prefecture.

Before dawn, the entrance to West Market was already packed with merchant caravans from every corner of the land, waiting for the market to open.

The street outside West Market's gate was crammed with carriages and horses. Rare treasures from every nation—spices, porcelain, and unusual curios—gathered here to await trade.

At the same time, the Poison God Altar and Mountain God Altar had also been established in West Market.

With merchant caravans from all regions and news from every corner of the land flowing through West Market, the Poison God Altar needed to rely on this place to gather intelligence. It also needed this place to consolidate the spies under the Poison God Altar scattered throughout Great Zhou.

The Mountain God Altar, meanwhile, was itself the Five Gods Cult's money bag. More than half of West Market lay under its control. Together with the golden waterway of the great river, which had once been controlled by the River God Altar, the Mountain God Altar was like a giant whale of the Western Sea, endlessly devouring wealth from every direction.

The Gu God Altar then used that wealth to build an enormous web of connections, creating this colossal force entrenched in River Prefecture.

The Mountain God Altar, Poison God Altar, River God Altar, and Gu God Altar were like four interlocking components, like the four wheels of a carriage.

The main altar stood high above, directing everything.

Now that the River God Altar was gone, the waterways had fallen out of control. Nothing had gone wrong for the moment, but if this continued, it could very well bring the whole situation crashing down, leaving men and horses sprawled in ruin.

Thus, the total annihilation of the River God Altar had greatly shaken the other altars of the Five Gods Cult.

Feng Yusheng knocked on the door of a trading house. After entering, he circled through several turns, passed layer upon layer of guards and hidden sentries, and only then met the Poison God Altar Master, who had just risen, in a great hall at the rear.

The Poison God Altar Master was a somewhat gloomy, lanky middle-aged man. He wore a drooping mustache, and his eyes were unlike those of ordinary people, faintly green and especially unnerving.

As soon as Feng Yusheng entered, he waited respectfully at the side. He did not speak until the Altar Master told him to sit.

"Altar Master, I have not failed my mission."

"That sword immortal Kongchenzi is already heading for Jiangting. He should arrive in Jiangting today. Once I discovered this, I hurried back ahead of time to report it."

The Poison God Altar Master picked up two beads from the box held by a maid at his side and rolled them in his hand. "You followed him all the way? That sword immortal Kongchenzi never noticed you?"

Feng Yusheng immediately assumed an unbending, iron-boned air, as if he could not bear such an insult. "Of course not. I, Feng Yusheng, am known in the martial world as Iron Legs Skimming Water. My lightness skill is peerless, and my Camouflage Technique is exquisite. There is no one under heaven who can discover me."

"This records everything Kongchenzi has done in the surrounding towns and villages these past days, as well as the full process and details of the River God Altar's destruction. Every last bit is written inside."

Feng Yusheng presented a booklet with certain parts removed.

The Poison God Altar Master immediately had someone take it and flipped through it.

"Even you could not be discovered. Then it seems his title of immortal is not worth much. He is merely a somewhat stronger Daoist." The Altar Master nodded in satisfaction. This newly recruited Protector of his seemed rather capable.

He might not have much of a brain, only a few petty tricks, but his lightness skill and Camouflage Technique were indeed formidable. More importantly, he carried out orders without cutting corners and possessed some loyalty. He could be put to great use in the future.

Feng Yusheng nodded repeatedly and flattered the Poison God Altar Master. "What immortals are there in this world? They are merely ordinary folk who have never seen the world, mistaking a few tricks of playing at gods and ghosts for Immortal Techniques."

"In my view, that Kongchenzi is nothing more than a demon Daoist who knows a few Unusual Skills."

Feng Yusheng spoke with disdain, yet he casually steered the topic toward whether immortals truly existed in this world. Not only did this lower the danger posed by sword immortal Kongchenzi in the Poison God Altar Master's eyes, it also alluded to the Five Gods Cult's five gods.

Sure enough, the Poison God Altar Master grew serious.

His expression became grave and stern as he rebuked him directly. "Do not spout nonsense. As a Protector of the Five Gods Cult, do you not know that True Lord Xuanzhu Huode of our Five Gods Cult is a true immortal? The other four gods were also divine beings enlightened by True Lord Xuanzhu Huode?"

As if only now recalling his own cult's five gods, Feng Yusheng hurriedly rose and bowed. "This subordinate spoke carelessly. Please forgive me, Altar Master."

The Poison God Altar Master raised a hand. "But I cannot blame you entirely. You have joined the Five Gods Cult only recently and do not yet know the strength of our Five Gods Cult or the vast divine powers of the True Lord."

As if he felt the time was right and the heat had reached the proper point, the Poison God Altar Master said to Feng Yusheng, "Yusheng, you have served as a Protector of my Poison God Altar for quite some time. It is time to let you see the true foundations of our Five Gods Cult. While I am at it, I will give you a task."

"Come with me."

Following the Poison God Altar Master, he descended by winch rope through a well in the rear courtyard. After passing through a hidden door and giving the password to the guards beyond it, they continued downward all the way.

The farther they went, the more alarmed he became. These tunnels stretched in all directions, as if they connected every ward and market in Jiangting Commandery.

They walked for nearly half an hour before finally stopping.

Before them stood an iron door. Only after giving another password were they allowed inside.

The sight before them suddenly opened up into a vast hollow like an underground city. Chains hung down from above, suspending flame lamps that illuminated the depths below.

Ahead, quite a few Five Gods Cult disciples were opening the passage doors above and below, guiding people from the various surface altars down.

As an expert skilled in tracking and lightness skill, Feng Yusheng had a strong sense of direction. Moreover, he had memorized every ward and market of Jiangting Commandery.

He vaguely felt that the place directly above them should be Yuande Square.

At the mention of Yuande Square, everyone in Jiangting Commandery would immediately think of one place. Prince Jian's Estate? Could this be beneath Prince Jian's Estate?

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

That was the loudest sound in the distance. At once, Feng Yusheng knew that in another excavated hollow at the center, a large number of craftsmen were working in full swing. He could already imagine them forging blades, spears, iron armor, and stirrups.

Feng Yusheng looked over curiously, but the Poison God Altar Master immediately said, "That is not our altar's territory. Do not look around blindly. Everything here is strictly forbidden from being leaked."

The Poison God Altar Master stepped into the hollow. The disciples all came forward to pay their respects, but he paid them no mind and walked directly past the disciples kneeling in a sea before him.

This underground hollow belonging solely to the Poison God Altar was divided into small spaces. Each one held a great number of bookshelves containing intelligence gathered from all over Great Zhou, with a single person assigned to organize each area.

At last, when they reached the front, a chasm more than ten meters wide suddenly appeared before them.

Mist swirled beneath the abyss, spreading everywhere around it, like an Immortal Realm.

"This is the most important place in our Poison God Altar—the dwelling place of the Poison God. Only by holding this pill in your mouth can you approach the Poison God." At this moment, the Poison God Altar Master took out a porcelain bottle, poured out one pill for each of them, and only after placing them in their mouths did they dare step forward.

"Croak!" A sudden cry rang out, and even the ground seemed to begin trembling.

The moment Feng Yusheng heard the sound, his entire body went weak. It was as if the memories and terror of the Human Race facing those irresistible beings in ancient times had surged from his bloodline and descended upon his mind.

"Not good! Retreat—it's time for the Poison God to feed." The Poison God Altar Master immediately seized Feng Yusheng and pulled him back.

"Dong dong dong dong!" The sound of bells rang out.

An iron door beside them opened, and a group of Five Gods Cult disciples wearing iron masks pushed out prisoners covered in blood-red markings. They whipped and beat them, as though deliberately tormenting them.

The naked people wailed and screamed, dropping to their knees and crawling.

The iron-masked people brandished their whips and, as if driving cattle and sheep, herded them toward the abyss.

"No! No!" As a woman neared the mist, she tried to flee, only to be whipped several times and knocked to the ground.

"Please, let us go." A man knelt and begged, knocking his forehead bloody against the ground.

"I was wrong. I'll never dare oppose the Five Gods Cult again. I'll work for you like an ox or horse—I'll do anything."

"Please spare our children. I'll jump down instead." A middle-aged woman clutched two youths, weeping until snot streamed down her face. She tried to crawl forward and embrace an iron-masked man's leg, but was kicked hard enough to cough up blood.

"Croak-gurgle!" A strange cry from a beast rang out, and the mist rapidly swelled.

The iron-masked people grew somewhat anxious and hurriedly shoved those people into the abyss.

"Ah!"

Beneath the shroud of mist, each time someone fell, a shadow could be seen stretching out from below the abyss. The shadow swept past, and the person vanished, followed by a satisfied gurgle.

That was the Poison God's tongue.

In the blink of an eye, all the men and women above had been devoured without a trace—not even bones were spat out.

Witnessing the horrifying scene, Feng Yusheng could not help swallowing repeatedly, cold sweat streaming down his back.

Yet the Poison God Altar Master was accustomed to it. "Humans possess the greatest spiritual essence. Demons possess powerful fleshly bodies."

"Only by sacrificing human spiritual essence, while possessing a body as powerful as a demon's, can one become a god. Otherwise, why did those ancient dynasties endlessly offer human sacrifices?"

Once the Poison God had eaten its fill, the pervasive mist gathered back in and sank to the bottom of the abyss.

Only then did the Poison God Altar Master lead Feng Yusheng forward.

Only then did Feng Yusheng see what kind of monster lay below.

It was a Golden Toad the size of a three-story building, white vapor radiating from its entire body. Only part of its enormous form could be seen.

At that moment, the monster opened its eyes and glanced at Feng Yusheng.

Feng Yusheng instantly felt his whole body go limp and nearly fell into the abyss. Fortunately, the Poison God Altar Master held him in place.

"Good. The Poison God has remembered your aura. Your task is to keep an eye on Kongchenzi."

"This Daoist is no easy opponent. Our Five Gods Cult has important matters at hand lately, so it is not suitable for us to draw attention. If he is merely passing through River Court, then we will lower our heads and send this god of plague away."

"But if he truly intends harm against our divine cult, then, if we have no other choice, we will need you to guide the Poison God along the route and kill him."

Feng Yusheng hurriedly dropped to one knee. "This subordinate will certainly handle it properly. Even if I must die ten thousand deaths, I will not refuse."

The Poison God Altar Master smiled in satisfaction. "That River God was only enlightened by True Lord Xuanzhu Huode in recent years, and receives sacrifices only once a year. Among the Five Gods, he is the weakest. If that Daoist fails to recognize what is good for him and truly thinks us weak enough to bully, then we are not so easily provoked."

"Even if he truly is an immortal, we have divine spirits protecting us."

"If he dares come, then let us have a fight."