Blazing Fire Brew

He kowtowed like a pounding garlic.

Zhang Kuangfeng no longer possessed even a shred of the majesty of a sand-sea overlord. All that remained was a coward begging to live.

"This lowly one failed to recognize Mount Tai and offended you, Senior!"

"I am willing to offer up all the treasures of the Gale Bandit Group, so long as you spare this dog's life!"

Shen Che stretched out both hands and pressed them against either side of Zhang Kuangfeng's head.

Feeling the terrifying strength in those hands, Zhang Kuangfeng was swallowed by the shadow of death.

"No..."

He only had time to utter one despairing syllable.

RIP!

A scalp-numbing sound of flesh tearing apart rang out.

Shen Che forcibly tore off a fine head, along with a section of spine, straight from his neck.

Warm blood gushed from the headless cavity like a fountain, staining the yellow sand red.

[Time Value absorbed +1000]

Shen Che casually tossed aside Zhang Kuangfeng's corpse and raised that dead-eyed head high with one hand.

He faced the several thousand bandits, who had already gone rigid with shock.

"Zhang Kuangfeng is dead."

"Those who surrender will not be killed. Within three breaths, get out of my sight."

"Run!"

No one knew who reacted first, but someone wheeled his horse around and fled desperately into the distance.

One person's escape set off a chain reaction.

Several thousand bandits scattered like headless flies, throwing aside their armor and scrambling away, only hating that their parents had not given them two extra legs.

They no longer dared to look back at that demon god.

The steel torrent that had been overwhelming just moments ago scattered like birds and beasts in the blink of an eye, vanishing beyond the dunes.

Elder Bai and Bai Fengling remained crouched on the ground, staring foolishly at everything before them.

One man had driven back an army of thousands.

What divine might was this?

Elder Bai rose to his feet trembling. Looking at the black-clad young man holding a head, not a speck of dust staining him, his Adam's apple bobbed.

With such strength, Shen Che had likely already touched upon that legendary realm.

Perhaps this Young Master Shen would truly one day stand shoulder to shoulder with someone like the Prince.

The three of them did not linger there.

From among the warhorses abandoned by the bandits, they selected three with the best stamina and replaced their exhausted camel-horses.

They traveled eastward and encountered no further obstacles.

Two days later, they finally emerged from that despair-inducing Forgotten Sand Sea.

When their horses' hooves stepped onto solid ground and they saw the rolling greenery in the distance, Bai Fengling was so excited he nearly burst into tears.

"We're out! Grandfather, we're out!"

The sight before them stood in sharp contrast to the world of yellow sand behind them.

The air was no longer scorching, carrying the fragrance of earth, grass, and trees.

The trees were lush, and flowers and grasses flourished.

"This is the territory of our Great Sun Kingdom."

Elder Bai also let out a sigh of relief, and a long-lost smile appeared on his face.

"At our current pace, we will reach Dolin County, where the Prince's residence is located, in another three to five days."

Along the way, Shen Che had also been observing this unfamiliar kingdom.

The customs of the Great Sun Kingdom seemed more open than those of the Great Jing Dynasty. From time to time, women in scanty clothes could be seen by the roadside, chatting and laughing without avoiding the gazes of passersby.

Its architectural style was also rougher and grander, lacking some of Great Jing's refinement.

The group spurred their horses onward, drawing closer to their destination.

By evening, the setting sun had dyed the sky orange-red.

A fairly sizable town appeared at the end of the official road.

Elder Bai reined in his horse.

"Young Master Shen, Fuyue Inn lies ahead. It is the largest and finest inn within a hundred miles."

"How about we rest here for the night?"

"We can reach Dolin County tomorrow. It will also give us time to tidy ourselves up and wash away the dust of the road."

Shen Che had no objections and nodded.

If you can't find the book by searching its title, try searching for the author. It may simply have been renamed!

The three entered the inn, and a lively atmosphere rushed over them.

The main hall was packed with guests from all walks of life.

"Have you heard? The Barren Mountain Range has been anything but peaceful lately. A Black Bear Demon that has become sentient wiped out an entire mercenary group!"

"That's nothing. Things are even stranger over at Black Wind Mountain. The people of several villages were drained dry of blood overnight. It must have been demons at work."

"Tsk, tsk. These times are becoming more and more unsettled."

The grand talk of martial wanderers mingled with the aroma of wine and meat, full of the bustle of mortal life.

A waiter with a white towel draped over his shoulder hurried over with sharp eyes.

"Three honored guests, are you dining or staying the night?"

"Three superior rooms. Prepare hot water, then bring up every specialty dish you have."

Shen Che spoke directly.

The waiter's smile grew even brighter.

"Certainly! Three honored guests, please come upstairs!"

After settling in, the three returned to a private table in the main hall, ready to eat.

The dishes were quickly brought over, complete in color, aroma, and flavor.

Bai Fengling had long been starving, his chest practically stuck to his back, and he picked up his chopsticks to dig in.

"Wait."

Shen Che stopped him.

Elder Bai and Bai Fengling both looked at him.

"The closer we are to the finish line, the less we can afford to let down our guard."

Shen Che picked up a clean pair of chopsticks.

"I'll try them first."

As he spoke, he sampled every dish.

They tasted good. Nothing seemed amiss.

Elder Bai and Bai Fengling also relaxed.

Shen Che picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup.

The tea was fragrant and sweetly refreshing.

But the instant it slid into his stomach—

A burning sensation abruptly erupted in his lower abdomen, like a roaring inferno.

The heat was incomparably tyrannical, threatening to burn his five viscera and six bowels to ashes.

Shen Che's expression did not change as the Horizontal Training True Qi within him began circulating on its own.

The crimson-gold true qi was like a cool stream, instantly wrapping around that blazing fire, forcibly dissolving it until it vanished without a trace.

He set down his teacup, his voice calm.

"The food has been poisoned."

"What?"

The chopsticks in Bai Fengling's hand fell onto the table.

Elder Bai's expression changed drastically as well. He abruptly raised his head and swept his gaze around.

"Were... were they the eldest young master's people?"

Elder Bai's voice was somewhat dry.

As they spoke—

The originally noisy chatter throughout the inn's main hall ceased.

Every guest stopped moving.

Hostile gazes converged upon their table in unison.

Those martial wanderers, so enthusiastic just moments ago, had all become expressionless assassins.

This was no inn. It was clearly a dragon's pool and tiger's den, painstakingly arranged.

"Blazing Fire Brew..."

Someone spoke softly from a corner, his voice filled with disbelief.

"He drank the Blazing Fire Brew. How could he be completely fine?"

Shen Che lightly tapped the tabletop with his knuckles.

His gaze swept over those frozen "martial wanderers."

"Just you crooked melons and cracked dates?"

Shen Che picked up the teacup and drained the remaining Blazing Fire Brew in one gulp.

"Bring out whoever is behind you."

"Sending trash like you after me—is that looking down on me, or looking down on himself?"

At those words, the assassins throughout the hall looked at one another in dismay.