Zhou Qiming forced Song Quan into the carriage and led everyone toward Beacon Fire Pavilion without stopping, eager to complete the mission and return to cultivate.
He only hoped Song Quan's master would know better and not come causing trouble.
As soon as they passed through the Outer City Wall, Song Quan began acting up, shouting that he needed to relieve himself.
"Keep shouting, and I'll make you live as a woman for the rest of your life, only able to squat down to relieve yourself."
Zhou Qiming barked the threat and glared viciously at Song Quan, making him tremble in fear.
Song Quan could tell that this man meant what he said. He really might castrate him with a single slash.
"Hmph. I advise you to release me quickly, and you might still preserve your life. My master is the Poison Hand Crane Demon Sai Yanluo. He will certainly come to rescue his only disciple."
Song Quan snorted coldly, his face filled with arrogance. The Myriad Poisons Sect carried quite a reputation around Tianhe Prefecture. How could he be intimidated by a Blade Catcher from a mere County Town?
"You'd better pray he doesn't come." Zhou Qiming merely urged them onward, his tone icy.
"Hahaha, you're scared, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid that the two of you, master and disciple, will make a neat journey to the afterlife. The prefectural city never said whether you had to be taken dead or alive."
"Damn it! You're determined not to let me go. You really intend to make an enemy of my Myriad Poisons Sect." Song Quan ground his teeth. He had never expected the other party to be so impervious to reason, seemingly determined to carry out the mission faithfully.
He couldn't understand it either. Where did a mere Blade Catcher get the guts and confidence to risk his life for the County Yamen while earning barely enough to buy rice?
Yet the Blade Catchers and constables below all felt their hearts jolt. They saw fear and retreat in one another's eyes.
"What? It's actually Elder Sai, the Poison Hand Crane Demon! He's an Early Viscera Refining Martial Artist!"
"This is troublesome. His poisonous arts have reached a transcendent level and are impossible to guard against. He loves poisoning Heavenly Prodigies before they can mature."
"Several Human Ranking prodigies have already been brutally killed by him. I really hope we don't run into him. Hurry, let's move!"
Everyone was terrified, afraid that Song Quan's master would leap out of the mountain forest the very next moment.
Even Human Ranking prodigies were terrified at the mere mention of him, let alone low-level constables like them. They were on entirely different levels.
If a Gold-Rank Blade Catcher were here, they might have a chance of contending with Sai Yanluo, but Zhou Tailai was only at Silver Rank.
Everyone was already grumbling inwardly. Lord Li Shou was truly muddleheaded. How could he casually hand such an important mission to a Silver-Rank Blade Catcher? Now, they could only hope the people from the prefectural city were holding Sai Yanluo back, preventing him from intercepting and killing them.
Zhou Qiming took in all their expressions but said nothing, continuing onward.
"Now you know to be afraid, don't you? Untie me quickly. Once my master arrives, he'll certainly put in a good word for you all." Song Quan let out a sinister laugh, his face showing that he had gotten his way.
Just as everyone's attention wandered, several smoke canisters were thrown from the mountain forest on either side. Colorful smoke exploded across the ground, causing the trees and flowers to wither instantly. Several constables had only taken one breath before blood began bubbling from their mouths and noses.
"Damn it, people from the Myriad Poisons Sect are here!"
"Run! We're no match for the Poison Hand Crane Demon!"
"Forget Song Quan. Saving our lives is more important!"
The constables threw away their helmets and armor, scared witless by the scene before them.
Everyone moved away from the prisoner cart and scattered in all directions like a rabble of frightened dogs.
"Don't panic. All of you, gather within fifteen feet of me." Zhou Qiming remained calm and shouted at the constables.
The Myriad Poisons Sect's poisonous smoke was formidable, but it still couldn't take their lives in such a short time. If they lost their heads and scattered, his subordinates would die even faster.
Naturally, Zhou Qiming didn't want to lose too many men. It would be embarrassing to return like that.
The three Blade Catchers had at least seen blood before. They hurried to Zhou Qiming's side and guarded against attacks from every direction.
The constables and their chiefs, however, had been scared out of their wits by Sai Yanluo. They wished they could flee straight back to the County Town—how could they care about Zhou Tailai's orders?
"If you want to die, don't drag us down with you."
"Madman! Don't tell me you really think you can stop a Viscera Refining Martial Artist?"
"This Zhou Tailai has completely lost his mind. He clearly wants money more than his life."
The constables had no confidence in Zhou Qiming's strength and feared they would die alongside him if they fled too slowly.
Suddenly, several black-clothed figures leaped from the bushes, each holding a Poison Water Gun and aiming at the constables' backs.
Black poison sprayed rapidly from the water guns, striking everyone's bodies in an instant.
The poisonous water was terribly corrosive and toxic. It tore through their clothes and the flesh of those at the Skin Grinding level, leaving gaping wounds that made the blood run cold. The constables toppled one after another amid their screams, twitching and frothing on the ground, their lives already hanging by a thread.
Zhou Qiming shook his head, respecting their choice of fate.
The three Blade Catchers swallowed hard as well, stunned by the gruesome sight before them.
The Poison Gun and Poison Smoke Squad were far too formidable. Forget Muscle Cultivation and Skin Grinding—even the three of them, Muscle Tendon Changing experts, didn't want to take a direct hit.
The next moment, the black-clothed people walked toward the prisoner cart and aimed their weapons at Zhou Qiming.
"Put down Song Quan, and you can leave." The black-clothed person's voice was cold and carried no room for argument.
"The Myriad Poisons Sect sent only a few lackeys like you? Where's Sai Yanluo? Get out here and face your death." Zhou Qiming stood calmly. His few words left the black-clothed subordinates stunned.
How arrogant! This brat was only a Silver-Rank Blade Catcher. Did he think he was a Human Ranking Expert? He actually dared to shout for their Elder Sai to come out and die.
"You're courting death!"
"Why would we need the Elder to deal with you?"
"Young people these days truly don't know the immensity of heaven and earth."
The black-clothed disciples' killing intent surged as poisonous water sprayed from their weapons.
"Lord Zhou, watch out!" The three Blade Catchers hurried forward and swung their swords to block. In the blink of an eye, however, the poisonous water struck their weapons, corroding them with a sharp crack and breaking them into two pieces.
The Blade Catchers trembled in terror, feeling despair creep over them. This was merely the Poison Smoke Squad under Sai Yanluo, yet it had already left them struggling desperately. If they faced the Poison Hand Crane Demon head-on, what could they possibly do?
Then a sight that made everyone's scalp prickle appeared before them, causing their pupils to contract and their hearts to stop for a second.
Zhou Qiming activated his Iron Cloth Skill, and the rebound attribute of Triple Limit Breaking opened with brutal force!
Under the dumbstruck gazes of both sides, he moved through the poisonous rain like an Ascetic Monk, his expression unchanged and his bearing utterly composed.
He did not even need to draw his blade to defend. The poisonous water merely landed on his clothes before being flung away by the rebound force and the techniques of Hua Jin.
Hiss, hiss, hiss!
Endless poisonous water crashed down like a waterfall striking a massive rock, ringing with metallic thunder. Then it rebounded at a terrifying speed, raining down on the black-clothed people.
"Ah!"
"Not good! This fellow is a demonic monster! How can he be immune to every poison?"
"This is heaven-defying! What kind of hard skill does he cultivate? Even the Indestructible Vajra Divine Skill is probably no better than this! When did a Silver-Rank Blade Catcher from a small County Town gain such terrifying strength?"
The black-clothed people were all struck by the rebounding poisonous water. The moment it touched them, it injured them, and the venom instantly invaded their wounds and hearts. They collapsed on the ground, twisting and hopping like grasshoppers.
If not for the pain from their injuries upon being struck, they might even have suspected that the Poison Water Guns they brought were fake. Otherwise, how could they have no effect on Zhou Tailai—not even corroding or tearing his clothes?
Before you continue