Mixed Poison

"I'm a herb gatherer here. I was really scared when I saw all that blood and the bodies before. Did you perhaps run into a bear..."

The young man rambled on, a little simple-minded.

Han Shou, a martial artist by training, only needed to smell the medicinal soup to know there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. He couldn't help but drink it in small sips, feeling a slight warmth spread through his belly. He looked at the young man with a hint of malice in his eyes.

Even though this kid saved him, he'd have to silence him after he recovered to maintain secrecy.

He said gratefully, "My brother and I suffered a great calamity. We are truly grateful for your rescue, little brother. You mentioned bodies... could it be that my elder brother... is dead?"

His face went blank, and tears began to fall in large drops. It was truly heartfelt, and even Fang Yuan couldn't help but silently give him a thumbs-up in his heart.

"Alas... there's nothing that can be done. I've already buried your elder brother. When you're feeling better, I'll take you to recognize the path, so you can retrieve his bones and bring him home..."

Fang Yuan comforted him.

"That's truly more than I could ask for. Your life-saving grace is something I can never repay. My brother and I will be your oxen and horses in the next life to repay your kindness!"

Han Shou, completely unaware, was putting on a great act.

"Heh heh... no need, no need!"

Fang Yuan rubbed his head and smiled genuinely.

At this moment, Han Shou was like a vegetable, needing Fang Yuan's help even to move. Naturally, he couldn't plot anything malicious.

However, after observing his surroundings and confirming he was in a deep mountain location, he relaxed. Seeing Fang Yuan engrossed in reading a book, he grew curious. "Little brother, what are you reading?"

"This is a treasure passed down from my father!"

Fang Yuan held the book forward. "It's just that there are many characters I don't recognize..."

He looked at Han Shou, a flicker of embarrassment flashing in his eyes. "Could you read it for me?"

"Hmm... bones, tendons, and joints, with tendons being the most important, followed by form and intent... like a fierce eagle, swooping swiftly..." Isn't this the Eagle Claw Skill?"

Han Shou glanced at a few lines and felt a little disdain in his heart.

But seeing the young man's somewhat eager expression, he chuckled inwardly, though he feigned hesitation on his face. "This... this is a martial arts manual. Is it okay for me to look at it?"

"I can't understand it anyway. Why don't you teach me, big brother!"

Fang Yuan deliberately showed a hint of urgency on his face.

Hmph, you're digging your own grave. You can't blame me!

Han Shou thought to himself, but his face showed righteousness. "Little brother, you saved my life. What's the big deal about deciphering a few words?"

"That's great! How do you read these few characters?"

Fang Yuan's face showed impatience.

"Hmm, this is Guanyuan, representing an acupuncture point on the body!"

"And this one?"

"Bone Sea!"

"Qi Yuan!"

Han Shou explained casually, a cold sneer in his heart.

If one were to truly practice according to his interpretation, it wouldn't be long before this mountain bumpkin would suffer qi deviation and die.

This person... truly has a heart as venomous as a scorpion!

Little did he know that Fang Yuan was also thinking coldly in his heart, On the other hand, the one given by Steward Lin is fine.

The logic was simple: he himself was literate and knowledgeable in medicine. If the manual from Steward Lin had any issues, Han Shou, with his expertise, could have interpreted it by the book.

But now, he was deliberately misinterpreting it, which made the other party seem more innocent.

"Oh, Brother Han, how do you read this character?"

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes.

"This one, it's read Mingmen, a vital point on the body!"

Han Shou casually made something up, then his expression suddenly changed. "How did you know my surname is Han?"

"Not only that, but you weren't interpreting it like this before!"

Fang Yuan jumped back several steps, a cold smile on his face, and brazenly revealed himself.

Han Shou's face flushed. He knew that in his haste, he had spoken casually without careful consideration, which conflicted with his earlier interpretation and exposed him.

But in the next instant, his expression changed. "Brat, you were pretending to be foolish to trick me?"

"Han Shou, you disgrace to your sect! We're just playing each other!"

Fang Yuan leaped out the door in a few steps, shouting from a distance.

"Damn it, what a slippery brat!"

Han Shou recovered extremely quickly. By now, he had already palmed a copper button. He was waiting for the other party to get closer, planning to use a few self-harming techniques that stimulated qi and blood to suppress his injuries, and shoot that kid. He never expected the other party to be so slippery and disappear in an instant.

"Wait a moment, it was Han's fault just now. Little brother, if you are willing to treat me, Han is willing to impart the true divine skills and wondrous methods of my sect to you!"

Now the enemy is hidden and we are exposed. Even if I don't set the house on fire, if they just stop bringing me food every day, Han Shou will be in trouble. He could only surrender and say:

"Enough, if I dare to learn such 'divine skills and marvelous methods' after daring to do so with a few rudimentary martial arts?"

Fang Yuan's voice was laced with mockery: "Brother Han, your strength is astonishing. Please just go and die obediently."

He knew his own capabilities. In terms of strategy, cunning, and even martial arts, he was no match for Han Shou.

Moreover, although the opponent's injuries looked serious, there was no telling when he might recover or forcefully suppress them. Therefore, it was best not to be tempted and to send him to his death directly.

He would rather start from scratch and practice rudimentary martial arts without any issues than to scheme with a tiger.

"You little brat!"

Han Shou's eyes darted around, undoubtedly plotting some new scheme.

At this moment, Fang Yuan's faint voice drifted in: "Mr. Han, you don't need to think of any schemes. Your life is now in my hands!"

"In my hands?!"

Han Shou chuckled coldly: "The previous medicinal soup had no problems whatsoever. How could I..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because he suddenly remembered that he had fainted and fallen into the other's grasp. Wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wanted with him?

"That's right. I mixed Qi Luo Fragrance into your previous bandages. This fragrance originally only had the effect of cleansing blood and stopping bleeding and was harmless to the human body. However, if it encounters Can He Zi in the medicinal soup, it becomes a little troublesome, causing the limbs to stiffen and even partially rot..."

"Poison?!"

Han Shou's expression turned solemn. He circulated his Qi slightly and indeed felt his limbs stiffen, but a cold smile appeared on his face.

No matter how cunning the opponent was, he was still just an ordinary person. How could he know the terror of a martial arts master like himself, who had overcome five trials?

A mere mixed poison, with his internal energy and physical condition, would naturally dissipate after a period of time.

What he needed to do now was to lure this detestable brat in and eliminate him in one fell swoop, or to stabilize the situation and buy himself time.

"Oh? You seem very confident!"

Fang Yuan's voice came through, with a hint of surprise: "It seems that martial arts masters are indeed confident in dealing with such toxins?"

Hearing this, Han Shou's heart sank as if into a bottomless abyss.

Because the other party's tone was confident, seemingly without any fear or apprehension.

On the contrary, after briefly suppressing the poison, he was horrified to find that the stiffness in his limbs had reappeared, and even his flesh had begun to visibly rot.

"I forgot to tell you... I added other ingredients to the mixed poison I prepared, making its efficacy even more extraordinary!"

Listening to the astonishing screams constantly coming from inside the room, Fang Yuan's expression was indifferent, almost as calm as ever. He glanced at his own stats:

Name: Fang Yuan
Essence: 1
Qi: 1
Spirit: 1.4
Age: 18
Cultivation: None
Skills: None
Specialties: Medical Skill [Level 1], Planting Skill [Level 3]

"Medical Skill [Level 1] - Can treat simple injuries, including minor external wounds. With herbs, additional healing bonuses can be obtained."

"Additional healing bonuses, conversely, can also be amplified when made into poison! However, the most crucial factor is probably the Pearl-tailed Snake venom, right?"

After waiting for a while, there was no more sound from the room, only a chilling corrosive sound continued to emanate.

Fang Yuan, covering his mouth and nose with a white cloth, walked in leisurely. He immediately saw the wooden bed, riddled with holes by corrosion, and a pool of pus on the ground.

"The effect is so good?"

Such a terrifying effect stunned even Fang Yuan, the instigator: "This saves me the trouble of dealing with the corpse..."

He picked up the scattered clothes, preparing to burn them to completely destroy the evidence.

Han Shou's background was clearly not ordinary, and he represented trouble. After using him, Fang Yuan intended to wash his hands of the matter completely, not wanting to get involved at all.

"But... for what treasure did he betray his sect?"

He looked at Han Shou's boots, a smile appearing on his face.

The other party had hidden the item very well. If he hadn't instinctively glanced at the boots the moment he regained consciousness, even Fang Yuan might have overlooked it.

He immediately stepped forward, took out a dagger, and dismantled Han Shou's Cloud Boots.

In the interlayer of the sole of the right boot, a piece of black cowhide paper appeared.

"Is this the treasure he was willing to betray his sect and kill his senior brother for?"

Fang Yuan looked at the scribbled lines on the black paper and couldn't help but wonder speechlessly: "A treasure map? It seems to be incomplete... Damn it..."

This item was hidden very securely. Without dismantling the boots, it would have been impossible to find any trace of it, making Fang Yuan clearly aware of how much Han Shou valued it.

It was just a tattered Treasure Map. Even if he got his hands on it, what good would it be?

Fang Yuan was utterly baffled by this, but he still decided to put it away safely. He then started a fire and completely burned Han Shou's clothes. After washing himself, he threw the clothes into the deep Valley.

From this moment on, Han Shou, as a person, had truly and utterly vanished from the world, beyond anyone's ability to find him again.

"I just forgot to ask which sect he belonged to. The only major sect nearby seems to be the Gui Ling Sect?"

After disposing of the body and destroying the evidence, Fang Yuan finally had the mood to let his mind wander: "It's a bit of a shame I didn't get any divine cultivation manuals, but compared to the risks involved, this is completely worth it."