This Person Is Poisonous

The Flying Bird City-wide Martial Hall Grand Tournament was the most lively and grand event of the year.

Two days before the tournament, the entire city was already boiling over. Martial artists from outside swarmed in, promotional flyers from every martial hall fluttered through the air like snow, and the merchant houses were shrewd—they stayed up all night compiling information on the participating martial artists from over a hundred halls, organized it into a Martial Artist Compendium, and sold it openly in taverns and teahouses, raking in hype and profit.

On the main street, Shen Zhou, disguised as a dark-faced, scrawny country boy, was flipping through a copy of the Martial Artist Compendium alongside Dongfang Pangpang, each holding one.

Their two purposes for entering the city this time were, first, to test Shen Zhou's disguise and see if anyone could really recognize him, and second, to scope out the strength of their opponents and get a feel for the tournament atmosphere.

"Splendid Martial Hall, Du Shuisheng, female, twenty-one years old, Coagulation Eighth Realm, proficient in dual blades. Has a record of holding her own against a Coagulation Ninth Realm opponent without losing."

"Chu Family Martial Hall, under the Chu Clan of the Five Great Families. Head disciple Chu Fei, who broke into the top eight last year at Coagulation Seventh Realm, has now reached the peak of Coagulation Ninth Realm and is considered a top contender for the championship..."

"There's also the Xu Family, the Yang Family, the Wu Clan... you gotta admit, they've got a pretty complete record."

Shen Zhou flipped through the book in his hands, feeling a strange sense of novelty—it reminded him of reading promotional pamphlets in his past life.

Dongfang Pangpang finished flipping through his copy and frowned in confusion. "Hey, how come I don't see our Flying Bird First Martial Hall's name in here? Are we so weak we're not even worth mentioning?"

Shen Zhou: "Yeah, I didn't see it either. And have you noticed? Everyone detailed in this book hasn't reached the Transformation Yuan Realm. What's up with that?"

A passerby chuckled and cut in, "I can tell you two are from out of town. You don't know—Flying Bird City's city-wide martial hall tournament is meant to train young martial artists. So there are three rules that absolutely cannot be broken.

First, only disciples of martial halls may compete. Second, anyone at the Transformation Yuan Realm or above cannot compete. Third, anyone with a notorious reputation or a criminal record cannot compete.

These three rules ensure fairness and safety in the tournament. That's why you don't see any martial artists at the Transformation Yuan Realm."

After hearing the explanation, the two of them suddenly understood.

Now that was what you called 'professional'!

They kept walking.

Just as they passed the Golden Roc Martial Hall, a young man suddenly sidled up and shoved a flyer into Dongfang Pangpang's hands, his words dripping with honey. "Young master, you have an air of distinction and extraordinary talent! With such excellent bone structure, it'd be a shame not to train in martial arts! Why not take a look at our Golden Roc Martial Hall? I guarantee you won't regret it!"

Dongfang Pangpang was instantly inflated with pride. He took the flyer, grinning from ear to ear. "I thought I was keeping such a low profile, but I guess excellence can't be hidden! Truly, gold shines wherever it goes!"

The corner of Shen Zhou's mouth twitched. This guy has no shame at all!

The martial artist handing out flyers was also stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, This guy actually bought it?

Seeing that the man was only paying attention to Dongfang Pangpang, Shen Zhou deliberately leaned in and said, "Hey, buddy, there's another person here! Why aren't you giving me a flyer? Not trying to recruit me?"

The flyer guy looked him up and down, a puzzled expression on his face. "Aren't you this young master's follower?"

"Pfft—hahaha!" Dongfang Pangpang doubled over laughing, pointing at Shen Zhou and teasing him. "See that? You're not even an ordinary person anymore—you're just a follower!"

Shen Zhou's face darkened. Internally, he cursed Bai Feizhan's disguise skills eight hundred times over—he'd said he'd only reduce his handsomeness by half, but instead he'd been turned into this shabby mess. What lousy craftsmanship!

Too annoyed to stay, he turned and walked off.

He'd only taken two steps when someone from the Flying Bear Martial Hall nearby rushed over, grabbed his arm, and urged, "Brother, don't leave so fast! What's so great about Golden Roc Martial Hall? Our Hall Master is ten times better than theirs. Last year, their senior disciple Kuang Yifei got his teeth knocked out by our Wang Jing! Come to Flying Bear Martial Hall—you won't regret it!"

Shen Zhou was already annoyed with Golden Roc Martial Hall, so he stopped immediately, putting on a curious look. "Oh yeah? So, with my talent, could I graduate from your place after a year of training?"

The martial artist took one look at Shen Zhou's unremarkable face and knew he was a country bumpkin. He smirked inwardly, pretended to think for a moment, and said, "Sure, you're not much to look at, and your bones are a bit lacking, but that's fine! Other halls might not be able to teach you, but Flying Bear Martial Hall can! Just pay half a year's tuition upfront, and you'll see the results!"

"..."

Shen Zhou's face darkened even further.

Is this guy trying to scam an idiot?

What the hell did he mean by 'not much to look at' and 'bones a bit lacking'?

Blind. Completely blind!

Dongfang Pangpang was laughing so hard he was practically convulsing, clutching his stomach and stomping his feet.

Shen Zhou's face hardened. He scowled and shot back, "Your martial hall has no standards at all! You'll say anything to recruit people! No wonder our Hall Master looks down on both Flying Bear and Golden Roc. He said you're both going to lose this year! When the tournament starts, I'll personally come challenge you and knock your teeth out!"

At those words, people from both martial halls immediately surrounded him, faces dark as iron. "So you're a martial hall disciple too! Which hall are you from, talking so big, saying our halls are no good?"

Shen Zhou puffed out his chest and deliberately raised his voice. "Me? I'm from the Xu Family Martial Hall! What of it? Halls as low-tier as yours aren't even fit to carry our shoes!"

Hearing that, the people from Flying Bear and Golden Roc couldn't take it anymore.

"Tch! So what if you're a family-affiliated hall? Does that give you the right to look down on other halls?"

"Enough talk—let's get him!"

The two of them turned and called out, and in an instant, dozens of people poured out from both halls, chasing after Shen Zhou and Dongfang Pangpang.

Seeing the situation, Shen Zhou immediately turned and ran, shouting insults as he fled. "You second-rate halls are all trash! When the tournament starts, you'll all lose to our Xu Family Martial Hall anyway!"

At first, only two halls were chasing them. But those words dragged in all the other second-rate halls nearby.

And just like that, they'd poked a hornet's nest.

The nearby halls immediately joined the chase.

"What?! You dare say we second-rate halls are no good? Who do you think you are, kid? Stick around and spar with us!"

"Damn it, if I catch those two bastards, I'll break their legs!"

"Your Xu Family Martial Hall better watch out—once the Grand Tournament starts, I'm coming for you Xu bastards!"

The street instantly erupted into chaos.

Before long.

Inside an alley.

Shen Zhou and Dongfang Pangpang stopped, gasping for breath.

Dongfang Pangpang panted as he said to Shen Zhou, "I've figured it out—you're cursed! A nice stroll and we end up getting chased. I'm never hitting the streets with you again; nothing good ever comes of it!"

"How's that my fault? They started it!" Shen Zhou shot back, utterly unrepentant.

"By the way,"

Dongfang Pangpang suddenly remembered something, "Hasn't the Xu Family already made nice with the Qin Family? You just framed them like that—are you sure that's okay?"

Shen Zhou curled his lip. "Have you ever seen a meat-eating wolf switch to greens? Even if they've really turned over a new leaf, they're already buddy-buddy with the Qin Family. What's one more black mark on their back?"

At Shen Zhou's bizarre logic, Dongfang Pangpang could only give a thumbs-up and praise him: "You're something else!"

After a moment, Shen Zhou poked his head out to check the street. Confirming no one was still chasing them, he and Dongfang Pangpang left the alley.

A few steps later, a familiar figure approached—Qin Mingyue.

Shen Zhou quickly tried to put distance between himself and Dongfang Pangpang, hoping to blend in as a passerby. But as he drew near, Qin Mingyue called out, "Shen Zhou, I know it's you."

Shen Zhou's face fell. "I'm in disguise like this—how did you recognize me?"

"Your face changed, but your mannerisms and expressions didn't,"

Qin Mingyue said, holding back a laugh. "Besides, when you two were being chased earlier, I spotted Dongfang Hongyu, so I naturally guessed it was you."

Shen Zhou smacked his forehead in annoyance. "Careless!"

The three of them walked to a roadside snack stall and ordered three bowls of tofu pudding. As he ate, Shen Zhou asked, "You came looking for me—must be something important, right?"

Qin Mingyue's smile faded, her tone turning serious. "The Qin Family got word that for this Grand Tournament, the Yang Family and the Wu Clan have joined forces. They're sending elite clan members who haven't reached the Transformation Yuan Realm to compete, ganging up on our Qin Family and the Flying Bird First Martial Hall. They've also roped in the Lin Family, the Xu Family, and the Chu Family. The Xu Family pretended to agree—they're the ones who passed the message. The other two families' stance is unclear. The Grand Aunt and the clan head sent me to tell you to prepare in advance."

Shen Zhou smacked his lips. "The Wu Clan just won't give up, huh. Too scared to fight head-on, so they pull these petty tricks—small-time! But wait, the message came from the Xu Family?"

"Mm," Qin Mingyue nodded. "Ever since the North Mountain Mine incident, the Xu Family has been especially close to the Qin Family. They've helped a lot in business, often invite our Qin disciples to spar, and guide their training."

Dongfang Pangpang immediately teased, "Shen Zhou, regretting framing them now?"

Shen Zhou furrowed his brow. "Regret? Not a chance. If anything, I think they're like a weasel paying a New Year's visit to a chicken—no good intentions. And... doesn't this routine feel a bit familiar?"

Qin Mingyue instantly understood—back when she had schemed for the Taixuan Sword, she had also deliberately ingratiated herself with Shen Zhou like this.

Her expression sharpened. "You mean the Xu Family's friendliness is a front? I'll report this to the Grand Aunt and the clan head right away."

Shen Zhou nodded, a glint of sharpness flashing in his eyes. "Since the Wu Clan and the Yang Family want to stir trouble, I'll settle accounts with them as soon as the Grand Tournament starts! As long as I knock all their people flat, they won't be able to cause any trouble.

Perfect timing—I just came up with a fake name for this face. I'll use it then!"

Qin Mingyue looked at his confident demeanor and found herself oddly looking forward to the Grand Tournament.

Dongfang Pangpang, however, asked curiously, "What's your fake name?"

Shen Zhou gave a mysterious smile. "You'll find out when the time comes."

Dongfang Pangpang: "..."

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