Poisoned!

Lu Chen's steps were unsteady, his face somewhat pale. This was no act, but the genuine aftermath of the fierce battle just now.

"...My stomach felt a little off, so I found somewhere to relieve myself," he answered softly, his tone natural and carrying a touch of embarrassment.

His bedraggled appearance perfectly matched the image of someone who had been frightened into falling earlier, arousing no one's suspicion.

Foreman Wang could not even be bothered to look at him again. This round of investigation had yielded no clues, leaving him unable to claim further credit. He was thoroughly disappointed.

Foreman Wang impatiently urged, "If you're done resting, then get the hell out! Back to the Division!"

The group set off once more on its return journey.

Lu Chen silently followed at the very back of the group, the wound on his arm throbbing faintly with pain.

The road back to the city was even quieter than the journey there.

The atmosphere in the group was oppressive to the extreme. Although the Imperial Guard who had fallen victim to a baleful qi illusion had awakened, he was still listless and deathly pale, clearly having suffered a grievous loss of vital energy.

Foreman Wang's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He had no interest in boasting along the way, merely keeping a gloomy expression and occasionally casting an emotionless glance from his triangular eyes at Lu Chen, who trailed at the rear.

Relying on that piece of trash had truly been a case of being blind.

Lu Chen did not care in the slightest. With his head lowered, he hid himself perfectly within the group's shadow, all his attention focused on his injured arm.

The numb itch at the wound was gradually turning into a piercing, icy pain.

The Corpse Badger's corpse poison was weak, yet exceptionally stubborn. Like leeches, it was bit by bit eroding his qi and blood.

The strand of Turtle Breath Inner Qi in his dantian, which had only just grown stronger with great difficulty, was now circulating at full force, barely suppressing the poison's spread to an extremely slow rate.

This stalemate lasted for an hour.

At last, the towering, oppressive city walls of Nanling Prefecture appeared before them again.

The moment he entered the gates of the Demon Suppression Division, the familiar scent of blood mixed with medicinal herbs washed over him, loosening Lu Chen's taut nerves slightly.

The group dispersed on the spot. Several Imperial Guards supported their injured companion and hurried away. From beginning to end, not a single person gave Lu Chen another glance.

"Get back to your doghouse!" Foreman Wang squeezed out one final sentence through gritted teeth, venting all his disappointment and fury on Lu Chen. "Don't stand here getting in my goddamn way!"

With that, he strode toward the depths of the Division without looking back, clearly intending to report to Captain Li.

Lu Chen remained hunched over until Foreman Wang's figure had completely vanished around the corridor's bend. Only then did he slowly straighten up, the panic and cowardice on his face vanishing without a trace.

He turned and quickly returned to his own cold, damp Corpse Handling Room.

Bang!

The heavy door shut.

Lu Chen impatiently tore open his sleeve. The crude strip of cloth around his arm had already been soaked through with black, tainted blood.

After unwrapping it, he saw that the three claw marks had turned dark purple-black. The skin around the wounds was slightly swollen, and a bone-chilling cold kept seeping from their depths.

He immediately sat cross-legged and activated the Turtle Breath Technique with all his strength, attempting to force the corpse poison from his body.

However, after half an incense stick's time, he had no choice but to stop, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.

No.

The Turtle Breath Technique was ultimately only an entry-level breathing method. Though the inner qi it produced was pure, both its quality and quantity were far from sufficient.

It could slow the poison's spread, but it could not eradicate it. If this continued, his inner qi would be exhausted before the poison even took effect.

Lu Chen's heart sank. He summoned the System Panel.

[Host: Lu Chen]

[Remaining Lifespan: Twenty-three years]

[Demon Devil Lifespan: One year]

[Martial Arts: Demon Suppressing Saber Technique (Mastery), Turtle Breath Meditation Method (Beginner), Body Evasion Steps (Minor Mastery)]

[Realm: Mid-stage Mortal Bone.]

He looked at his arm, and a line of text quietly appeared on the System Panel.

[Detected a trace amount of corpse poison within the host. Two years of Personal Lifespan may be consumed for complete removal. Execute?]

Two years of lifespan!

Just to clear such a minor injury!

Lu Chen's pupils abruptly contracted, and without the slightest hesitation, he rejected the option in his heart.

His life was not meant to be spent like this.

He had to find another way!

A flash of inspiration struck Lu Chen. He recalled that after earning merit previously, aside from medicinal pills, there seemed to be something called "contributions" recorded in his file.

He immediately rose to his feet and, without the slightest hesitation, pushed open the stone door once more.

This time, his destination was not anyone's room, but the most secluded and inconspicuous corner of the Demon Suppression Division—the storeroom.

Rather than a room, the storeroom was more like a massive cellar.

A strange smell of medicinal herbs, metal, and dust filled the air. Beneath dim oil lamps, rows of crude wooden racks were piled with all sorts of miscellaneous things—broken weapons, used talismans, low-quality medicinal pills, and countless unknown jars and bottles.

This was the Demon Suppression Division's rubbish depot, and also the only place where low-ranking personnel could exchange for cultivation resources.

An old clerk with thinning hair and a face full of wrinkles was dozing over the counter. Only upon hearing footsteps did he lazily raise his eyelids.

"Exchanging something? Hand over your waist token and contribution record." The old clerk's voice was as hoarse as two sheets of sandpaper rubbing together.

Lu Chen respectfully handed over his identity waist token and a small booklet recording his merits.

The old clerk took the booklet and swept his cloudy old eyes over it. His lips curled. "Oh? The Vengeful Fox case, the Imperial Guard case... Not bad merits. Tell me, what do you want to exchange for?"

"Senior, I would like to exchange for some medicinal powder that can cure corpse poison," Lu Chen said quietly.

"Cure corpse poison?" The old clerk's gaze swept over him before settling on the arm hanging unnaturally at his side. He gave a chuckle, his smile filled with the indifferent detachment of someone who had seen it all before.

"New here, are you? Got caught so quickly. We've got antidote powder. Top-grade Jade Purity Powder, five contribution points per packet—take the medicine, and the poison is gone. Mid-grade Three Yang Powder, two contribution points per packet—effective within three days. Low-grade Lime Powder... half a contribution point. Whether you live or die depends on your own fate."

Lu Chen opened his contribution record. The total recorded within was a pitiful single point.

That was all that remained after Foreman Wang had stripped layer upon layer from the rewards for his two corpse examinations—the scraps left after a feast.

"...I'll take two packets of Lime Powder."

A trace of surprise flashed through the old clerk's eyes, but he said nothing. He merely took two crude paper packets from a dusty wooden box at the very bottom and tossed them onto the counter.

"Take them."

Lu Chen crossed off his one contribution point, picked up the two packets of Lime Powder, and turned to leave.