44 Ten-Day Death Potion

When he finished speaking, Zhang Guangmu still did not bother to deal with the corpses of Fort Master Lin Yan and the Cub Wolf Guard on the ground.

He took the lead and headed toward the Wolf Riders' exclusive cafeteria.

"Lord Blood Thorn..."

Li Xiaoxiao, who had been called out to by the two traitors, could not be bothered to respond. He merely summoned his Flame Wolf and followed closely behind Zhang Guangmu.

"Hmph..."

Li Xiaoxiao hated these two so-called Flame Wolf Guards, feeling that their motives were impure.

Although they had all newly joined Tian Guang's faction, Li Xiaoxiao had done so for lofty goals and noble ideals. He believed he was completely different from these people.

Exactly how they differed, he could not explain, nor could he be bothered to think about it in depth.

In short, Li Xiaoxiao disliked spineless people.

Seeing this, the two Cub Wolf Guards no longer dared to grumble. After exchanging a glance, they kept silent and hurried after them.

Before long, the four people and four wolves arrived at the Wolf Riders' exclusive cafeteria.

It happened to be mealtime.

Many Wolf Riders were enjoying lavish meals that made the commoners of Wolf Fortress drool with envy, yet remained completely out of their reach.

As the Vice Fortress Lord, Zhang Guangmu had held power for only a short time, but he had both a title and authority, and had distributed benefits generously. He therefore held a fairly high standing in the hearts of many Wolf Riders.

Some clever people saw Li Xiaoxiao following behind him and looked shocked. After forming certain guesses, they hurriedly left the cafeteria.

The other Wolf Riders, upon seeing Zhang Guangmu, maintained their outward politeness and respect, calling out "Vice Fortress Lord" one after another.

Only a very small number of people thought they were exceptionally capable and impressive. They were also older, so they felt they could put on airs in front of this Young Vice Fortress Lord.

Not only did they fail to greet him proactively, they even snorted coldly to show their contempt.

The Wolf Riders' flattery and obsequious praise did not make Zhang Guangmu laugh with delight, nor could their disdainful looks dampen his spirits.

He maintained a calm attitude. Under the protection of Li Xiaoxiao and the two Cub Wolf Guards, he took a serving of honey-roasted goose, tore off a piece of meat, stuffed half into his own stomach, and shoved the other half into the mouth of Flame Wolf Bai Yue.

"Eat up. You need strength to fight."

After giving the order, Zhang Guangmu immediately began wolfing down his food without restraint.

Li Xiaoxiao and the two Cub Wolf Guards followed orders as well.

Before long, when Zhang Guangmu saw that Bai Yue had eaten and drunk his fill, he stood up and called out loudly, "Everyone, I have something to say."

Some of the Wolf Riders were willing to do him the courtesy, so they set down their bowls and chopsticks and listened attentively.

The others turned a deaf ear and walked straight out of the cafeteria.

Zhang Guangmu smiled faintly, completely unconcerned by their reactions as he continued speaking on his own.

"I have always acted for the public good. All I want is for everyone in Wolf Fortress to live a good life, to pacify this Chaotic World, and to return the world to peace."

"Yet Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan provoked me time and again and attempted to assassinate me."

At this, many Wolf Riders showed expressions that said, Just as expected.

When Lin Xuan first became known to everyone, it was because of his Wolf Phobia, which made him a famous wastrel throughout Wolf Fortress.

Later, Lin Xuan had an incredible stroke of luck and encountered a mutated Flame Wolf King capable of suppressing every Flame Wolf beneath the level of a Wolf King. He gradually began to receive people's attention.

But...

Recently, Lin Xuan's temperament had changed drastically. The image he had previously displayed was worlds apart from his current self.

He was no longer gentle and refined, nor was he low-key and patient. He was now filled with the majesty of a "future Fort Master" and the manner of someone born above others. He practically did not regard the people beneath him as human, ordering them around at will and treating them like pigs and dogs.

Even some Wolf Riders who were compassionate at heart found such behavior unbearable.

Recently, rumors had already begun circulating that Lin Xuan had always been like this. He had merely been good at disguising himself and had never exposed his true nature. Now that he had suddenly gained power, he had immediately revealed the face of a petty villain.

Although he was the Young Fortress Lord, Lin Xuan was not Fort Master Lin Yan's only child. He had many brothers and sisters.

In terms of character, power, and reputation, Lin Xuan was not the most outstanding among them.

It was only because his partner was an Exotic Flame Wolf King that he had become the strongest overall among the Fort Master's children.

During this period, with Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang rising to power, the Young Fortress Lords had been engaging in fierce internal strife and even assassinating one another. Lin Xuan's handiwork was clearly involved in it.

Now was a turbulent time!

"Assassinated, slandered, and targeted... For the sake of the bigger picture, I can endure it."

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Zhang Guangmu directly began smearing mud: "But there is one thing I absolutely cannot tolerate!"

"And that is..."

"How could Lin Xuan, as a son, scheme to kill the old Fort Master and murder his own father, Lin Yan!"

The Blood Thorn played by Li Xiaoxiao had originally belonged to Lin Xuan's faction. When he killed Lin Yan instantly, he had not yet pledged allegiance to Vice Fortress Lord "Tian Guang." Therefore, Zhang Guangmu felt he was not distorting right and wrong. At most, he was merely stating part of the truth.

"Lord Lin Yan once showed me great kindness."

Zhang Guangmu's tone was calm, as if he were recounting a story he had just made up. He displayed little emotion. "If not for Fort Master Lin Yan, I, a war orphan, would never have survived to this day."

"So..."

"I absolutely cannot allow Lin Xuan to continue acting recklessly!"

"I must stop his atrocities!"

No matter how gentle Zhang Guangmu's tone was, it could not beautify the cold, fundamental truth of what he had said.

—Fort Master Lin Yan of Wolf Fortress was dead!

Anyone with a normal mind would never say something like that recklessly.

As for whether the truth was really as Zhang Guangmu claimed, no one knew.

Nor did anyone care.

After all, ever since Vice Fortress Lord "Tian Guang" had risen to power, everyone had gradually realized that Fort Master Lin Yan had begun to fall out of favor and had become a figurehead in name only.

The key was...

Once Lin Yan died, the forces throughout Wolf Fortress would be reshuffled!

This was a crisis, but it was also an opportunity!

As long as they seized it properly, they might yet rise to prominence in the future!

After a burst of commotion in the cafeteria, a Wolf Rider broke the oppressive atmosphere.

"What do you mean by all this? If you want to cause trouble for Lin Xuan, go do it yourself. I won't be going!"

His words were like dropping an effervescent tablet into a carbonated drink, instantly making the atmosphere boil over.

The other Wolf Riders began voicing their opinions one after another, making their positions and attitudes clear.

"Lin Xuan is still the old Fort Master's son. I don't want to attack him."

"Until the truth is uncovered, I won't help either side!"

"You have no evidence, just empty words. How am I supposed to believe you? I'm staying out of this!"

An interesting situation emerged.

Everyone declared themselves neutral. They would not help Lin Xuan, but neither would they attack him.

During this process, two or three people shifted their eyes and stealthily slipped out of the cafeteria.

"They must be going to warn him."

Li Xiaoxiao said this as his gaze sharpened, a fierce aura blazing around him. "I'll follow them right now and kill them all!"

Zhang Guangmu, however, reached out and grabbed his confident good brother.

"No need."

There was a trace of amusement in Zhang Guangmu's voice. "Don't bother with this."

"Lin Xuan and I will have a decisive battle sooner or later. As the saying goes, better to act now than choose a date."

"Today is perfect."

"You and I will join hands and crush them openly and honorably."

There was a somewhat showy air to those words, but that was truly what he thought.

After rising to power, Zhang Guangmu had done quite a few things. He had built his own faction and power base. These scattered Wolf Riders were merely an added bonus.

After letting everyone present make a commotion for a while, Zhang Guangmu suddenly chuckled.

When they saw him laugh, the Wolf Riders' voices gradually faded away.

"You may have misunderstood me."

Zhang Guangmu gave a wicked smile, his tone sounding exactly like a villain's. "What I mean is..."

"Everyone here must come with me today."

Before anyone who refused to believe him could jump out and object, he added lightly, "Why do you think I chose this place for pre-battle mobilization?"

His voice echoed through the room.

Some of the faster-reacting Wolf Riders' expressions changed drastically. They immediately bent over and began hooking their fingers into their throats to induce vomiting.

"I began laying out my plans from the day Lord Fort Master supported me in rising to power."

Zhang Guangmu spoke in an unhurried tone. "It wasn't only here. Every bit of food throughout Wolf Fortress had something added to it beforehand."

Only then did someone belatedly roar, "Poison!"

Gagging sounds rose and fell one after another without end. The lofty Wolf Riders all knelt on the ground and forced themselves to vomit.

Li Xiaoxiao and the two Wolf Riders beside Zhang Guangmu went pale, cold sweat pouring from their foreheads as an emotion called apprehension arose in their hearts.

This man was terrifying!

Had he gone this far just for the position of Fort Master of Wolf Fortress?

But if so, he would surely offend everyone. It made no sense at all!

"Everyone should know that I'm a little clever and like researching strange and unusual things."

As he spoke, Zhang Guangmu raised both hands and displayed his combat gloves. "For example, the Flame Artifact."

At this, some people's gazes focused on Li Xiaoxiao.

Li Xiaoxiao, however, looked as though he were contemplating something with his eyes lowered. He did not react at all, seeming to completely acknowledge Zhang Guangmu's claim without the slightest intention of refuting it.

There even seemed to be traces of shame and guilt in his eyes.

This performance made some Wolf Riders who did not know the truth ponder thoughtfully.

"Another example..."

Zhang Guangmu drew out his words and spoke in a strange tone: "The Ten-Day Death Potion."

After speaking, he cheerfully explained, "The so-called Ten-Day Death Potion is a delayed poison. On the tenth day after consuming it, the victim's intestines and stomach will rupture, resulting in death."

"My advice to everyone is..."

"Do not harbor any false hopes."

"Even a tiny amount of the poison I developed, no larger than a fingernail, can kill a Flame Wolf King."

"If you think your constitution is stronger than a Flame Wolf King's, by all means, treat my words as wind passing your ears."

Many people felt that something was wrong.

If Zhang Guangmu was telling the truth, then if he wanted to kill Young Fortress Lord Lin Xuan, he only needed to pretend to be innocent and wait for the poison to take effect!

No...

Actually, that was wrong too!

If he did that, everyone in Wolf Fortress would die, leaving behind nothing but an empty shell!

He was the Vice Fortress Lord, and an established beneficiary. Surely he would not dig a pit for himself?

He did not look like an idiot, either...

Everyone present felt that they might have overlooked something important. No matter how they thought about it, something seemed vaguely wrong. They simply could not keep up with the Young Vice Fortress Lord's train of thought!

Just as they were racking their brains in confusion, the White Light Clusters floating in the air had nearly filled the cafeteria.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! This young man!"

"I don't know what to say. My feelings are so complicated. How did this little Extra even get this far?"

"Why does this guy get to steal Brother Yang Chi's scenes? Is the Production Team poisoned?"

"What is the director doing? Brother Yang Chi is eliminating those competitors for the Fort Master's position. He's handsome and domineering, and the plot is fantastic! Why did you cut over to this?"

"Are Yang Chi's fans really this loyal? His Character Setting as a hot-blooded youth who made a comeback has now directly become that of an old schemer who toys with power. His subconscious conflicts with his Character Setting, and it's collapsed this badly, yet you're still here cheering for him?"

"Although eighty percent of the fake fans have already left the group, as long as us true core fans are here, Brother Yang Chi will be able to charge forward bravely without fear and overcome every difficulty!"

"When all is said and done, Mu Zai is still the strongest! There's nothing to worry about at all! Just watch him get beaten—ah, no, just watch him breeze through everything and enjoy yourself!"

"What does it mean to be a Werewolf? It means being even more ruthless than a ruthless person!"

"This Vice Fortress Lord Tian Guang... How should I put it? Personally, I think he's undoubtedly the winner of this year's Most Antagonistic-to-Human-Instinct Award!"

"He poisoned everyone in Wolf Fortress! When did he do it? I don't remember that at all!"

"Could Brother Mu be lying? After all, something like the Ten-Day Death Potion sounds completely unreliable..."

"You think the Flame Artifact is scientific? He made it with his bare hands."

"A Wise Man like the Vice Fortress Lord, who plans ten steps ahead for every step he takes, shouldn't make a joke like this. I suspect he began setting up this game back during the Water Prison Trial!"

"The Deified Actor's behavior is inadvisable. After all, everyone's subconscious will eventually collapse. The only difference is whether the collapse is major or minor."

"Bullshit. My Brother Zhengrong has stayed the same for decades and has never collapsed!"

"Brother Zhao, forever the God!"

"I got into Endless Food Bag because of Zhao Zhengrong. If not for him, I probably wouldn't even know Mu Zai existed..."

"Don't interrupt! So, have you all forgotten that scene where 'Tian Guang' conned Lin Yan earlier? This guy hardly ever tells the truth. He's the ultimate Drama Queen!"

"Let me sort out the plotline... All right, done. Simply put, if Mu Zai doesn't provide the antidote, Lin Xuan's Protagonist Group will be completely wiped out. That's the logic, right?"