Li Pingsheng turned and walked into the covered corridor behind the arena.
The Ice Marrow Fluid's effects had worn off.
The hidden injury left by activating Thunderclap Explosion flared up. A cold, numb sensation pulsed through the meridians in his right arm.
He pressed his left hand against his trembling right arm, suppressing the qi and blood within him.
The price of defeating Chen Tieshan had come due.
"Pingsheng! Something's happened!"
Lu Qingshan ran over.
"S-something's happened. Your sister, Yunmei... Yunmei, she..."
"Those people from the Zhao Family tricked Yunmei into the Inner City!"
Li Pingsheng turned and asked, "What? Where is my sister now?"
"Just outside the Martial Practice Field, at the entrance to the corridor," Lu Qingshan said. "I heard people outside saying they told Yunmei you were badly wounded and about to die after your match, and that you wanted to see her one last time... So I hurried over to find you..."
"Is she hurt?"
Li Pingsheng asked.
"Not yet, but..."
"Show me."
Li Pingsheng set off as soon as he finished speaking.
On the way, Lu Qingshan hurriedly explained what had happened.
The Zhao Family's people hadn't taken Yunmei to the middle of the Martial Practice Field. Instead, they had cornered her at the entrance to a corridor.
It was a spot where they could block her off without easily drawing the attention of the Hall Master and Pei Guang up on the platform.
"I saw two Zhao Family guards watching Yunmei. Their temples bulged like crazy—they're clearly tough fighters."
"They're prepared in case you try to snatch her back by force."
They rounded a corner.
Li Pingsheng saw them.
Yunmei was trapped in the corner by two guards, with a brick wall behind her.
The two men stood on either side, completely blocking her escape.
The little girl's face was pale, her eyes rimmed red, but she neither cried nor called out.
When she saw Li Pingsheng, she bit her lip. Her little hand, pricked by the needle while sewing the Peace Talisman, clutched a piece of red string tightly.
The siblings met each other's eyes from a few yards away.
Li Pingsheng saw the fear in her eyes, and how hard she was trying not to cry.
He gave her a slight nod.
"Well, if it isn't our Martial Hall's Junior Brother Li! Congratulations, congratulations. One battle, and you're famous!"
Several of Zhao Ming's lackeys stepped out of the shadows. Their leader wore a fake smile as he spoke in front of the passing disciples.
"Junior Brother Li must have used up a lot of energy in that last match, right? And the injury to your right arm has gotten worse?"
"Our Young Master Zhao loves talented people. He specially asked us to bring you a precious medicine that can stabilize your meridians, so it won't affect your later matches."
The lackey in the lead took out a jade bottle.
But with his Synesthesia talent, Li Pingsheng "saw" wisps of black qi drifting inside the bottle. Beneath the medicinal scent, there was a fishy stench.
This wasn't a precious medicine.
It was poison!!
"Junior Brother Li, please 'sign for' this."
The lackey spoke.
A voice transmission entered Li Pingsheng's ear.
"Now, drink it in front of us. If you do, your sister can sit safely by the arena and watch your next match. If you don't, she won't be leaving the Martial Practice Field today."
Li Pingsheng quickly assessed the situation. His right arm was injured, and the two guards had positioned themselves cunningly.
If he tried to snatch her back by force, all it would take was one moment's hesitation for their hands to clamp around Yunmei's neck.
He couldn't take that chance.
He forced his murderous intent back down and reached for the jade bottle.
"Brother..."
Yunmei seemed to sense something. She leaned forward a little, her eyes growing redder as she clenched the piece of red string from her Peace Talisman.
Li Pingsheng didn't look at her. He pulled out the stopper and drank the entire bottle in one gulp.
The liquid was bitter as soon as it touched his tongue.
A cold, numbing qi slid down his throat into his stomach, then surged toward his heart.
The lackeys beside him saw him actually drink it and looked smug.
It worked!
The mission was complete!
As soon as the liquid entered his body, his Martial Wisdom talent went into overdrive.
Li Pingsheng immediately analyzed the poison.
It specifically targeted people with vigorous qi and blood who had also used lightning-type spiritual power.
The poison would burrow into the old wound in his right arm and tangle with the remaining thunder force, merging with it.
The moment he activated Thunderbolt Fist again, the poisoned force would tear through his meridians, cripple his right arm, and might even damage his internal organs.
He couldn't purge it.
Trying to purge the poison now would send his qi and blood into chaos.
Li Pingsheng immediately came up with a plan.
First, he activated his Blood Strengthening specialty.
The power of his qi and blood scattered the poison surging toward his heart. Then he used his Tiger Bone talent to endure it.
His bones and internal organs began to resist the poison.
Finally, he forced most of the poison into the already injured meridians of his right arm.
This wasn't detoxification.
He was trading an arm for the rest of his life.
The searing pain drained the color from his face. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his right hand trembled violently.
To the Zhao Family's lackeys, he looked like the poison had taken effect.
"Very good, hahaha..."
The lackey in the lead nodded and sent him a voice transmission. "Junior Brother Li, you know what's good for you."
Enduring the tearing pain in his right arm, Li Pingsheng started forward to take his sister back.
"Hey, don't rush."
The lackey raised a hand to stop him.
"Our Young Master Zhao gave us another special instruction."
"Since the little girl is so worried about her brother, why not leave her by the arena to enjoy Junior Brother Li's next match—and watch you 'show off your might'?"
Another voice transmission followed.
"When they break your bones in the arena and you're flat on the ground, she'll be free to leave."
Li Pingsheng understood.
The poison he'd swallowed hadn't bought his sister's safety. It had bought humiliation.
Zhao Ming wanted Yunmei to watch her brother get beaten into a cripple with her own eyes.
"You!!"
Lu Qingshan's eyes reddened, and he was about to charge forward.
Li Pingsheng held him back with his left hand.
The two guards "escorted" Yunmei over to the Zhao Family's viewing stand.
To an outsider, it looked as if they were just helping a fellow disciple's little sister find a good seat.
In truth, they were moving her somewhere more convenient for keeping an eye on her—and threatening Li Pingsheng.
Yunmei kept looking back at her brother with every step. Tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't make a sound.
Before they took her away, Li Pingsheng said softly, "Don't be afraid. Keep your eyes on me."
After Yunmei was taken away, Li Pingsheng leaned against a pillar. His throat turned sweet, and he nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
In his right arm, the poison had mixed with the thunder force from his old injury.
"Pingsheng! How are you holding up?" Lu Qingshan asked. "I'll get Master Pei to take a look. I'll even go to the Hall Master!"
"Don't."
Li Pingsheng grabbed him. "If we make a scene now, Yunmei will only be in more danger."
He quickly examined his condition.
The poison hadn't been neutralized; it had only been temporarily confined to his right arm.
In his next match, if he used Thunderbolt Fist, his meridians would be shattered at best, and his right arm crippled at worst.
But he'd also discovered that the poison had a property called Injury-Inducing Explosive Force.
It was poison, but it was also medicine.
Li Pingsheng looked toward the stands.
Yunmei had been "assigned" a seat. She kept looking toward the arena, watching him.
Up in the high stands, Zhao Ming received word from his men that the job was done.
He picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.
A cripple with a ruined right arm, and poison in his veins.
Next came the good show he'd prepared for that cripple.
The poison hadn't been neutralized.
His sister was still there.
The next match in the arena.
He, Li Pingsheng, had to knock Zhao Ming flying!!
Before you continue