Who Was Whose Gu?

The Five Poisons Palm was strong because of the poison it carried. As for its moves, they were truly pathetic.

But it was not without moves.

The basic palm forms of the Five Poisons Palm consisted of three moves: Face-Breaking, Heart-Pressing, and Elixir-Shattering.

Just from the names of those three moves, one could tell that they corresponded to three different targets.

Face-Breaking attacked high—the poison palm smeared across the face.

Heart-Pressing struck the middle—the poison palm assaulted the chest.

Elixir-Shattering went for the lower routes; it could also be called Egg-Shattering...

In short, however one could make the opponent's poison flare up and kill them faster, however sinister and vicious it was, that was how one did it.

Though its striking power was lacking, its palm forms were unpredictable, and the three moves could be switched between at any time. Thus, when there was truly no other choice, it could barely be used to meet an opponent head-on.

Fortunately, Zou Feng had cultivated the Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step. The weakness of his ability to fight head-on had long since been greatly improved.

And from his earlier probe of Xu Haoran, seeing that he had used the standard Five Poisons Heart-Seizing Palm, it was indeed just as Zou Feng had expected.

Xu Haoran really had cultivated the Five Poisons Palm.

No wonder that fellow had suddenly perked up while practicing the Five-Beasts Stance Exercise.

Zou Feng had been through it himself. No one understood better than he did how venom could improve one's physique.

Once one's physique transformed, cultivation of the Five-Beasts Stance Exercise, which was merely meant to lay a foundation, would naturally advance by leaps and bounds.

But a mere Yang Estate had three people cultivating poison arts, and all of them might be practicing the Five Poisons Palm.

That was very interesting indeed...

"Zou Feng, you... you... know the Five Poisons Palm too?!"

After falling back onto the ground, Xu Haoran stared at Zou Feng in disbelief.

When he saw that Zou Feng's palms were not pitch-black, but rather a faint bluish-black, his mouth opened wide enough to fit two goose eggs inside.

Having practiced the Five Poisons Palm himself, he naturally knew that when one circulated the art and one's palms turned bluish-black, it meant the Five Poisons Palm had already reached the realm of "entering the hall."

No way. I practiced as if treading on thin ice, enduring immense pain and the hidden danger of chronic poisoning, yet I still haven't even broken into the beginner realm...

"You can practice it, but I can't?" As Zou Feng spoke, he glanced around.

Only after confirming that the disturbance here had not drawn anyone else over did he continue, "Tell me. Who taught you the Five Poisons Palm?"

Xu Haoran stammered, "N-no one taught me..."

"Hehe, then you really are a genius, managing to comprehend it without a teacher!"

Before his words had even faded, Zou Feng vanished from before Xu Haoran in an extremely abrupt manner.

Just as Xu Haoran was still bewildered, a strong, powerful hand emitting a delicate fragrance gently rested atop his head.

When they had exchanged palms earlier, Zou Feng had not circulated his art with full force, so his palm had still carried a cloyingly sweet scent.

After all, if he had gone all out, Xu Haoran would most likely already have been a corpse.

Only now had he unleashed his poison power in full. The scent emanating from his palm had become this soul-refreshing fragrance.

Even knowing something was wrong, Xu Haoran could not stop himself from wanting to take a few more breaths.

And as soon as that uncontrollable urge arose, cold sweat swiftly soaked through Xu Haoran's back.

The poisonous aura from Zou Feng's palms is already strong enough to affect my mind?!

And how did he flash behind me? The Five Poisons Palm I practice clearly doesn't contain any movement technique...

"I'll ask you one last time. Who taught you the Five Poisons Palm?"

Zou Feng's tone was calm, yet it caused Xu Haoran to collapse completely.

"Brother Feng, really, no one taught me. I... I obtained the Five Poisons Palm manual by accident..." Xu Haoran explained what had happened in a trembling, tearful voice.

As it turned out, just like Zou Feng, he had "coincidentally" discovered a Five Poisons Palm manual in some concealed place.

He had hesitated over and over at first, but in the end, he still gritted his teeth and began practicing.

Moreover, Xu Haoran also possessed the basic conditions needed to cultivate the Five Poisons Palm.

There was no need to mention the five common household poisons. Those things were easy enough to find.

The most important thing was the antidote medicinal broth used to assist cultivation.

Without it, one truly could not practice the art at all.

And Xu Haoran, as the servant who had come to the estate to replace the dead man Li Rui, happened to be helping out in the back kitchen.

That gave him the chance to secretly take the necessary medicinal ingredients.

Thus, Xu Haoran at least possessed the conditions needed to cultivate the Five Poisons Palm to the level of "slight success."

After listening to the fellow's account, Zou Feng slowly removed his palm from atop Xu Haoran's head.

That soul-refreshing fragrance vanished along with it.

Xu Haoran felt as though he had been granted a reprieve. His tightly wound nerves finally went slack.

Yet he still did not dare move, afraid that Zou Feng would change his mind again.

It was truly too terrifying. Xu Haoran felt that what stood behind him was not a person at all, but a gigantic humanoid poison creature that could choose someone and devour them at any moment.

Meanwhile, Zou Feng sank into thought.

It was too much of a coincidence. Every single link was too damned coincidental.

It was not only he and Xu Haoran who had "coincidentally" obtained the Five Poisons Palm manual.

The servant who had lived in the woodshed before Zou Feng entered the estate, and who had died suddenly, had apparently been the same.

Zou Feng had previously thought that obtaining the Five Poisons Palm manual meant he had picked up what that man had left behind.

But now that he learned the coincidence had also happened to Xu Haoran, the conclusion was actually obvious.

How could there be so many coincidences in this world? Someone was absolutely doing this deliberately.

Then who was stirring things up?

For now, Yang Yanpeng was naturally the prime suspect.

Most likely, this man had arranged for the Five Poisons Palm manual to "coincidentally" fall into the hands of servants who had the conditions to cultivate it.

As for that fellow's purpose...

At that thought, Zou Feng's gaze sharpened. Why did Yang Yanpeng's actions look so much like he was raising gu?!

Once someone who had not originally carried poison cultivated the Five Poisons Palm, they could indeed be considered a humanoid poison creature.

And if they were poison creatures, then naturally they could be used to refine gu!

Zou Feng suddenly felt as though a great light had dawned on him.

No wonder he had always felt that the Five Poisons Palm manual was incomplete. It actually did not contain a cultivation method for after "entering the hall."

That had forced him into all sorts of experiments. He had placed all his hopes on raising gu, yet it had still been difficult to improve his cultivation progress.

And judging from the glimpse he had caught of Yang Yanpeng practicing last time, that fellow had most likely already cultivated the Five Poisons Palm to the level of "integrated mastery."

The reason he had not yet entered the ranks and advanced into the Internal Qi realm was likely because the "human gu" he was raising had not matured yet.

Once the gu poison matured, he would refine and absorb it in an instant. Only then would his poison art truly reach great completion. How terrifying would the quality of his Internal Qi be after entering the ranks...

Having figured out these doubts, Zou Feng not only felt no fear—he was instead overjoyed.

Yang Yanpeng was raising him and Xu Haoran as gu to bring his poison art to great completion, but in truth, wasn't he making Zou Feng a bridal gown instead?!

Zou Feng was not indulging in wild fantasy. Yang Yanpeng had already made it onto the transfer list, and Zou Feng could ruthlessly fleece him, greatly weakening the bastard's strength.

Not to mention that Zou Feng did not rely on the Five Poisons Palm alone.

With the Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step and the Passion-Chaos Finger added in, when all three evil arts exerted their force together, why would he worry about being unable to handle Yang Yanpeng?

So Yang Yanpeng was the humanoid gu Zou Feng would use to bring his poison art to great completion!