Seeing this, Bao Butong and the others hurried over and helped Feng Bo'e to his feet.
"Fourth Brother, how are you?"
"Fourth Brother Feng..."
They asked Feng Bo'e anxiously. The muscles in his face had gone rigid, and he forced a strained smile. "It's nothing..."
Bao Butong was alarmed. He quickly pressed six acupoints along Feng Bo'e's wrist, elbow, and shoulder to stop the poison from spreading.
But the scorpion's venom was fierce. Feng Bo'e opened his mouth to speak, yet only managed a few unpleasant, hoarse sounds.
Seeing how potent the poison was, Bao Butong feared Feng Bo'e could no longer be saved. Overcome with grief and anger, he roared and lunged at the Long-Armed Elder, but the others held him back.
"Hmph! You want to take us on one after another? Let me meet the heroes of Gusu!" A nearby elder wielding an iron staff roared and joined the fight.
Qiao Feng told Elder Chen to detoxify Feng Bo'e. Elder Chen was unwilling, but under his chief's orders, he had no choice but to hand the antidote to the Three Women.
He also warned them that a woman must not suck out the poison, or Feng Bo'e's injuries would worsen.
Meanwhile, Bao Butong was locked in a fierce battle with two other elders and could not break away anytime soon.
Seeing this, Qiao Feng said at once, "Let me do it." He then headed toward Feng Bo'e.
Seeing the worry on Wang Yuyan's face, Duan Yu had wanted to help from the start. But he had just sworn brotherhood with Qiao Feng; helping Qiao Feng's enemy would be unjust.
Now that Qiao Feng was going to suck out the poison himself, Duan Yu hurriedly called, "Big Brother, let me do it!"
Zhu Danchen had known Duan Yu for years and understood his character perfectly. Like his own prince, Duan Yu was charming and handsome.
Back at Mount Wuliang, he had secretly pledged himself to Mu Wanqing, only to discover that she was his own younger sister.
Now, here, Duan Yu's gaze had not left one of the three young women opposite them. Clearly, he had fallen for her.
The moment he heard that a woman could not detoxify Feng Bo'e, Zhu Danchen had sensed trouble. Sure enough, Duan Yu volunteered to suck out the poison.
The scorpion's venom was exceptionally fierce. Even someone like Feng Bo'e, with his profound inner strength, could not withstand it. His young master knew no martial arts; if anything happened to him, it would be a disaster.
Thinking this, Zhu Danchen reached out to grab Duan Yu and stop him. But the instant his hand moved, Duan Yu stepped forward and, with a few quick strides, reached Feng Bo'e. He grabbed Feng Bo'e's hand and put his mouth to the wound, sucking out the poison.
After only a few mouthfuls, Feng Bo'e stirred and said, "Thank you."
A Bi hurriedly applied the antidote. In an instant, the swelling in Feng Bo'e's arm subsided, and his speech and movements returned completely to normal.
Everyone around them was astonished, especially Elder Chen. He knew just how potent his scorpion poison was. Even if someone sucked it out and applied the antidote, they should not have recovered so quickly.
Chen Feng knew that Duan Yu had consumed the Mighty Poison-Devouring Toad, the king of all poisons. It was the natural enemy of every venomous creature, and the scorpion's venom was far weaker. With a few sucks, Duan Yu had drawn it right out.
What happened next was just as it had in the original story. Qiao Feng defeated Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e with his martial arts, then let them go.
He then subdued Quan Guanqing and introduced Duan Yu to the other elders. Naturally, he also introduced Chen Feng and the others.
Only then did everyone learn that Duan Yu was the Heir Apparent of the Prince of Zhennan, and that the old man carrying a Go board was Chess Demon Fan Bailing.
Many members of the Beggar Clan had been treated by Divine Doctor Xue. They knew that the Hangu Eight Friends were as close as siblings, so one by one, they bowed to Fan Bailing.
Quan Guanqing, whose acupoints had been sealed, wore a gloomy expression. But when he thought of the trump card in his hand, his confidence surged.
After Qiao Feng accepted punishment on behalf of the four elders, one by one the key figures in the great drama at Apricot Forest made their entrances: Elder Xu, Tan Gong and Tan Po, Zhao Qiansun, Iron-Face Judge Dan Zheng, Mount Tai Wuxiong, Kang Min, the widow of Ma Dayuan, and Master Zhiguang of Mount Tiantai. The curtain was about to rise.
Chen Feng, meanwhile, carefully waited for his chance to intervene. He had come to Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils seeking the Xiaoyao Sect's martial arts. Whether he completed the mission or not had not mattered to him; after all, he had kept three thousand Reincarnation Points, which should be enough to cover the penalty for failure.
But after what had happened when Butcher Knife slaughtered that village, Chen Feng had decided to win this mission and teach a lesson to those who, having gained power, no longer held life in reverence. Apricot Forest would be the first step toward making his name known.
As long as his reputation did not exceed the highest level, he would not receive an SSS-Class rating. Chen Feng need not worry about drawing attention, so he planned to give it everything he had.
Earlier, he had quietly pleaded with Elder Fan, saying he wanted to help Qiao Feng and asking him to make sure Qiao Feng survived.
Interfering in another sect's affairs was a grave taboo in the martial world. But Fan Bailing greatly admired Qiao Feng's conduct, and Chen Feng might be their only hope of returning to their sect. So Fan Bailing had agreed.
As Master Zhiguang recounted the bloody battle at Yanmen Pass thirty years ago, events spiraled out of control. One piece of damning evidence after another pointed to Qiao Feng not being Han Chinese, but a member of the Khitan people.
Yet the Beggar Clan members remained more doubtful than convinced. The four elders in particular admired Qiao Feng for taking the blame and accepting punishment in their place, and they questioned the claim that he was Khitan.
"I can prove that Qiao Feng is Khitan!" Seeing the Beggar Clan's reaction, Quan Guanqing prepared to reveal his trump card.
That's the line I've been waiting for. Chen Feng had been waiting for his chance to step into the affair. The moment Quan Guanqing finished speaking, he cut in. "You mean the Wolf Head Tattoo, right?"
"Who are you? What business do you have interfering in the Beggar Clan's affairs?" Interrupted, Quan Guanqing paused in surprise. Then he turned toward Chen Feng and demanded the answer sharply.
"Not so fast. First, I interrupted you, not the Beggar Clan. Before Qiao, the chief, stepped down, he had already expelled you from the Beggar Clan. So this doesn't count as interfering in your clan's affairs, does it?" Chen Feng smiled and emphasized the word "your."
"Second, you just said Qiao, the chief, should kill you so you wouldn't have to live to see the great Beggar Clan fall into the hands of barbarians, and our Great Song's magnificent realm be lost to the foreign tribes. Is that right?"
"So what if it is?" Quan Guanqing asked.
"If this concerns the fate of Great Song, how can it be merely a matter for the Beggar Clan? As a Han Chinese, I have every right to get involved."
"You're the Heir Apparent of Dali's Prince of Zhennan. How can you be Han Chinese?" Quan Guanqing roared. Qiao Feng had sealed his acupoints earlier, so he had only known that Qiao Feng introduced Duan Yu to everyone. He had not seen Chen Feng.
Afterward, everyone's attention had been drawn to Master Zhiguang's story. No one had noticed the two identical men.
"The Heir Apparent of Dali is over there. I'm Xiaoyao, a Han Chinese. I've simply spent my life traveling all over the country with my father, who was an itinerant physician."
As soon as Chen Feng finished speaking, a crowd of people looked unconvinced. They were thinking that he looked exactly like the Heir Apparent of Dali's Prince of Zhennan. How could he claim they had nothing to do with each other?
But it was common knowledge that Prince Duan Zhengchun of Zhennan had only one son, so no one wanted to speak up and offend the Dali royal family.
Hearing Chen Feng's words, Kang Min looked from Duan Yu to him. Jealousy showed in her eyes, but she soon lowered her head to hide it.
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