"Knock, knock, knock." Li Chuan stood outside Luo Zheng's room and tapped lightly on the door.
With a creak, Luo Zheng opened it.
When he saw Li Chuan, he froze for a moment.
"Junior Brother Li, what brings you here?"
Li Chuan glanced around, then lowered his voice.
"Senior Brother Luo, let's go inside to talk."
Luo Zheng was confused, but he did as asked and quickly shut the door.
"Junior Brother Li, did you come to ask about the price? I haven't had a chance to discuss it with my father yet..."
"Senior Brother Luo," Li Chuan interrupted him, his expression grave. "Does your family's medicine shop have any poison that can take effect quickly and kill a large number of Bright Force fighters?"
Luo Zheng straightened at once and gave Li Chuan a long, searching look.
But he didn't ask anything. He only explained, "It's easy to kill a Bright Force fighter individually. A venomous snake's fangs or a poisonous bee's stinger can do the job.
"But if you need something that acts quickly and can affect a large area, then there's only Five-Poison Powder.
"Five-Poison Powder is a colorless, odorless poison. Once scattered into the air, it disperses quickly and takes effect in less than half an hour."
Luo Zheng paused.
"But there's inevitably a tradeoff in its potency. It can kill martial artists who haven't reached Bright Force.
"As for Bright Force fighters, it can leave them dizzy and confused, with pain in their limbs. It won't kill them, though."
Luo Zheng stared into Li Chuan's eyes.
"Junior Brother Li, how many people are we talking about? Is it urgent?"
Li Chuan calculated for a moment.
"At least thirty or forty. I need it tonight."
Luo Zheng nodded.
"All right. Wait here. I'll be right back with it!"
Warmth flickered in Li Chuan's heart.
"Thanks, Senior Brother Luo."
Luo Zheng could have asked what Li Chuan intended to do with the poison.
After all, if an accident happened while using his family's poison, he wouldn't escape responsibility either.
But he didn't ask a thing.
That alone was a sign of trust.
Half an hour later.
Luo Zheng hurried in and locked the doors and windows.
He took out two white jade bottles.
"Junior Brother Li, the bottle on the left contains Five-Poison Powder. Just scatter it into the air, and it'll take effect.
"The patterned bottle on the right contains the antidote pills. Take one fifteen minutes before using the Five-Poison Powder, and you'll be safe from its effects!"
Luo Zheng hefted the jade bottles.
"I brought you extra. As long as you're indoors, this bottle of Five-Poison Powder is enough to deal with sixty or seventy people."
Li Chuan knew that poison like Five-Poison Powder had to be expensive.
He'd only asked for enough to deal with thirty or forty people, but Luo Zheng hadn't said a word.
He'd simply brought him nearly twice as much!
"Senior Brother Luo, I won't forget this kindness!" Li Chuan clasped his hands solemnly.
Luo Zheng smiled.
"Why are you thanking me? We're brothers."
Li Chuan clasped his hands again and prepared to leave.
"Wait." Luo Zheng grabbed his arm.
"What is it?"
"Whatever you're planning, be careful. If things really become impossible, come find me.
"I'll ask my father. He should be able to save your life."
Li Chuan stepped out of Luo Zheng's room and drew in a breath of cold air.
Back in the common dormitory, he put on a set of black clothes beneath his regular outfit and tucked a face covering into his chest. He hid the Five-Poison Powder inside his loose robe.
Still uneasy, he stuffed a pouch of quicklime into his clothes as well.
Once he'd made all his preparations, he closed his eyes to rest, running through his plan for what came next.
The sun sank in the west, and the bright moon climbed higher.
When night finally blanketed the sky, Li Chuan moved.
It was now the hour of the Rat, and most of the disciples had returned to the common dormitory to rest.
Only a few were still wandering outside.
As a Dark Force fighter, Li Chuan could deliberately rein in his aura and control his footsteps. They had no chance of detecting him.
Before long, he was out the gates of Pine Wind Martial Hall.
"Brother Huang, how long do you think that guy's going to hide before he comes out?" Flathead yawned.
The man called Brother Huang shook his head.
"You think I want to wait here? The boss gave us a strict order to keep an eye on that brat!"
Flathead yawned again and rubbed his face hard.
"Hey, wait... Brother Huang, did that brat just come out?"
Brother Huang narrowed his eyes. In the faint moonlight, he saw a furtive figure leaving Pine Wind Martial Hall.
The figure kept looking around, his steps quick and urgent.
Brother Huang spat.
"That cowardly dog. His brother must've tipped him off. He's trying to escape under cover of night!"
Flathead snickered.
"He'd never guess we've been watching him the whole time. When we reach somewhere deserted, we'll jump out and stick him with a knife!
"Once the job's done, we can go collect our reward!"
Brother Huang shook his head, his expression stern.
"Don't let your guard down. Until his head's chopped off, don't get careless."
Flathead muttered an unhappy "Oh."
"Follow him." Brother Huang waved his hand.
The three of them set off, trailing far behind Li Chuan.
"That brat's trying to run!" Flathead said anxiously when he saw Li Chuan pick up his pace.
Brother Huang narrowed his eyes.
"He won't get away."
The three of them started running too.
But when they rounded a corner, they found no one ahead.
Brother Huang's face darkened.
"He spotted us. He knew we were following him all along."
Flathead looked miserable.
"How are we supposed to explain this to the boss..."
"Were you looking for me?" Li Chuan's voice suddenly rang out behind them.
Alarm bells went off in Brother Huang's head. He spun around at once.
But somehow, Li Chuan had appeared behind them!
Brother Huang smiled bitterly.
"Brother, this is all a misunderstanding."
"Bang!"
The moment he finished speaking, the three men charged Li Chuan from three different directions.
Brother Huang even pulled a handful of quicklime from his back pocket, intending to throw it in Li Chuan's face.
"That's not how you use quicklime."
Li Chuan had somehow appeared behind them.
He pulled out a handful of quicklime and rammed it into Brother Huang's eye socket, crushing the bone beneath!
"Argh!"
Brother Huang clutched his right eye and howled like a slaughtered pig.
"Bang!"
Li Chuan drove a Through-Arm Fist into his chest, concentrating the Dark Force inside his body into a single point before unleashing it.
One punch was all it took to shatter Brother Huang's heart meridians!
As Brother Huang's body crumpled to the ground, Flathead swallowed and put on a fawning smile.
"Big brother, I'm not with him."
"Save it for your next life."
"Bang! Bang!"
Li Chuan sent the other two men flying with another two punches.
After killing them, Li Chuan tied a large stone to each of their bodies.
Then he threw all three corpses into the river.
When he was done, Li Chuan hurried back to the Li Family Breakfast Shop without stopping.
Seeing figures flicker outside the shop, Li Chuan's gaze turned cold.
He crept up behind one of them and crushed his windpipe.
Then he did the same to the others, killing them one by one.
The whole thing happened swiftly, without drawing anyone's attention.
Li Chuan carried the corpses into the courtyard, then shut the gate.
Li Qing hadn't slept well these past few days. At the faintest sound, he woke at once.
He quietly picked up a cleaver and was about to go see what had happened.
In the moonlight, six corpses lay neatly arranged in the courtyard.
Li Qing's heart pounded. He was about to cry out—
A hand suddenly clamped over his mouth.
"Big Brother, it's me!"
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