"I'm back!"
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Xiao Ze stepped inside.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, the fragrant aroma of food greeted him.
He glanced around and saw all kinds of sumptuous delicacies spread across the table in the middle of the courtyard.
"Wow! You made such a lavish spread today?"
"Hm? There's even Tier 2 Magical Beast meat?"
"Xiao Yi Xian, why'd you go to so much trouble? Is today some kind of important holiday?"
Xiao Ze plopped down at the table and looked over the delicious dishes, unable to resist praising them.
"???" At the sight of Xiao Ze suddenly appearing, the worry in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes vanished. She said excitedly, "Senior, you're back! How did it go? Are you all right? Nothing happened, did it?"
The string of questions left Xiao Ze a little surprised.
"Hm?" He gave Xiao Yi Xian a teasing smile. "You... were worried about me?"
"I... I wasn't!" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes darted about, her pretty face flushed red.
"All right, don't worry. Whatever happens to you, nothing will happen to me!"
Xiao Ze tossed off the remark, picked up his chopsticks, and began sampling the food.
He picked up a piece of roasted Tier 2 Magical Beast meat and popped it into his mouth. Its crisp, rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture burst across his tongue, drawing an involuntary gasp of delight.
"Delicious!"
"Xiao Yi Xian, your cooking's gotten so much better!"
"In your hands, this Tier 2 Magical Beast didn't die in vain!"
Watching Xiao Ze wolf down the food, Xiao Yi Xian's elfin face softened into a faint smile, like a flower in high summer—so beautiful she was beyond compare.
After eating and drinking to his heart's content,
Xiao Ze sat in the courtyard, admiring the moon.
Xiao Yi Xian finished tidying everything away, then came and sat beside him, joining him in watching the moon.
After some time,
Xiao Ze spoke slowly. "Xiao Yi Xian, I've been staying here with you for quite a while, but you've never asked who I am, have you?"
"So? Do you want to know?"
"Since we've known each other for a month,"
"I can tell you who I am!"
"R-really?" Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian grew nervous. Her eyes darted around, and her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
"Of course!" Xiao Ze said solemnly.
"Then... who are you?" Xiao Yi Xian asked cautiously.
"Actually..." Xiao Ze's lips curled into a smile. "I'm your ancestor!"
"I came to your rescue back then because I sensed the bloodline within you."
"Now, call me Ancestor."
"I'll let you experience the warmth of family!"
As Xiao Ze spoke, he saw that Xiao Yi Xian's expression remained perfectly calm, with none of the excitement he'd expected.
"What? You don't believe me?" Xiao Ze was surprised. Had his grand deception, pretending to be her ancestor, failed?
"I don't." Xiao Yi Xian shook her head.
"Why not?"
"I'm an orphan. I have no parents, and no ancestors!"
Xiao Ze: ...
"Uh..." Xiao Ze scratched his head, then said cautiously, "Actually, my true identity is your father. Come on, don't be shy. Hurry up and call me Dad!"
Stare—
As soon as he finished speaking, the usually gentle Xiao Yi Xian shot him a look that could kill.
"I'm joking, I'm joking!" Xiao Ze said with a laugh, waving his hands. "All right, my name is Xiao Ze."
"Let's get properly acquainted."
"Xiao Yi Xian..."
"Xiao Ze..." The murderous look gradually faded from Xiao Yi Xian's eyes as she quietly savored his name.
Just as a smile returned to her face,
suddenly—
Her face turned deathly pale.
An excruciating pain surged through her body in an instant, as if every inch of muscle and every bone were being torn apart. Terrifying black poison marks spread rapidly across her entire body. The agony was unbearable, and sweat beaded on her tender skin.
She curled up, her lips pale, and let out one pained moan after another.
"Is this... the Woe Poison Body acting up?"
Xiao Ze's expression changed.
Without another thought, he carried the unconscious Xiao Yi Xian back to her room.
Then, without a word, he sent Dou Qi into her body, helping her steady her mind and suppress the poison's eruption.
Fortunately, Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation was still low, and the poison accumulated within her was not yet extensive.
After a flurry of activity, Xiao Ze managed to suppress it.
If her cultivation were any higher—if she were at Xiao Ze's level—then when the Woe Poison Body erupted, it would be far harder to suppress.
"The Woe Poison Body..."
"Looks like it really is a major problem."
"I have to resolve it as soon as possible."
Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's complexion return to its rosy hue, Xiao Ze let out a sigh of relief.
Before long, Xiao Yi Xian woke from her faint.
Feeling a warm, comfortable sensation within her, she relaxed.
Looking at Xiao Ze in the room, she gave a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, Senior. This is an old problem of mine. I must have frightened you."
Xiao Ze poured her a glass of water and asked, "Do you know what causes it?"
Xiao Yi Xian shook her head. This problem had plagued her for as long as she could remember. It had probably been with her since birth, and after more than ten years, she was already used to it.
This illness flared up every so often.
Although the pain was unbearable, her strength would surge every time she made it through.
It was something she both loved and hated.
"This is the Woe Poison Body," Xiao Ze said gravely.
"The Woe Poison Body?" Xiao Yi Xian froze, then looked delighted. "Senior, you know about it?"
She excitedly jumped out of bed and gazed at him with bright, lively eyes.
"I know a little," Xiao Ze replied.
"Please tell me everything, Senior," Xiao Yi Xian pressed.
"Ahem." Xiao Ze cleared his throat and explained, "The Woe Poison Body is an extremely powerful ancient constitution. First of all, it's immune to all poisons. No poison can harm its host."
As he spoke, Xiao Ze glanced at Xiao Yi Xian.
The reason she hadn't died when she swallowed poison to kill herself in the mountain stream earlier was the Woe Poison Body.
"Not only that, someone with the Woe Poison Body can increase their cultivation by consuming Poison Pills. The higher the grade of the Poison Pills, the faster their cultivation grows."
As Xiao Yi Xian listened to Xiao Ze's explanation, her eyes gradually lit up.
She could grow stronger just by consuming poison?
"However..." Before she could get too excited, Xiao Ze changed the subject. "Although the Woe Poison Body allows you to cultivate by consuming poison, the consequences are severe!"
The smile that had just blossomed on Xiao Yi Xian's face froze.
Her path of cultivation had just hit a dead end!
"W-what are the consequences?" Xiao Yi Xian asked, trembling.
"You'll die, of course." Xiao Ze glanced at her. "The more poison you consume, the more your cultivation will improve, but those toxins will also accumulate inside your body."
"When they reach a certain limit, all those toxins will erupt."
"If I'm not mistaken, there should be a thin, multicolored line on your lower abdomen, right?"
Xiao Yi Xian's heart tightened at his words.
She really did have such a multicolored line on her abdomen.
It was her secret. No one knew about it.
Then she heard Xiao Ze continue, "This multicolored line grows as the concentration of poison in your body increases. Once it reaches your heart..."
"Bang!"
"You'll die as the poison erupts and devours you from within."
Before you continue