Who Was Plotting Against Whom?

Though it was early summer, rainy days still carried no small amount of chill.

Yet Zou Feng, having left Yuan Guang County, was burning hot all over.

After holding it in for so long, with the hunt about to truly begin, even he found that stirring excitement alarming.

After all, even if Jade-Cross Tower's top courtesan used every trick in her arsenal to seduce him, he probably would not have been this impatient.

To put it plainly, his state of mind had likely still been affected by the vile art.

It was true that the cultivation side effects could be transferred away, but what about when he was not cultivating?

Even when he was not cultivating, the vile arts in his body would inevitably influence him little by little.

Fortunately, it was not a major problem.

His desire for slaughter might have surged, but there was no sign of him losing his reason. Instead, it merely kept his fighting spirit at a fever pitch.

And when dealing with enemies, he would become even more cruel...

Thus, following the mother parasite's reaction, Zou Feng arrived outside the bamboo fence of a farmhouse in about the time it took to finish a meal.

The area around Yuan Guang County was dotted with farmhouses and villages.

The house before him was backed by mountains on three sides, easy to defend and hard to attack, with no neighbors nearby.

The mother parasite's reaction grew increasingly intense. Xu Haoran was clearly here.

Zou Feng did not rush inside. Instead, he carefully inspected the surroundings.

He needed to make sure there were no mechanisms or traps nearby, and whether several dozen burly axemen might be lying in ambush.

After investigating, he found no major issues. Zou Feng then nimbly flipped over the bamboo fence.

When he landed, although rainwater had pooled in the courtyard, the footwork granted by the Drunken Immortal Gazing at the Moon Step still caused almost no visible splash.

Looking around, everything was silent, as though the household had long since fallen into deep sleep.

Only the main room, its door shut tight, showed some activity.

Someone inside was groaning softly in agony.

Staring at the door, Zou Feng revealed a faintly teasing smile.

At this point, he could not be bothered with any flashy tricks.

The people inside obviously knew he was coming. Forget about trying to ambush or assassinate him.

After licking his lips, Zou Feng directly pushed open the door...

Several oil lamps had been lit inside, so Zou Feng immediately saw the situation clearly.

First, placed in the center of the room was a large earthenware basin big enough for two people to bathe in together.

The basin was filled with an unknown jet-black liquid.

The smell given off by that liquid made even Zou Feng feel utterly intoxicated the moment he caught a whiff.

Beside the basin sat a rattan chair. Yang Yanpeng reclined in it, watching Zou Feng with a smile that was not quite a smile.

At this moment, Yang Yanpeng gave off a heavy medicinal scent.

Clearly, in order to resist those transferred side effects, he had spent these past days seeking out all manner of treatments.

Fortunately, he was the son of a wealthy family. Only then could he afford vast quantities of precious medicinal ingredients and hire Yuan Guang County's famous physicians.

Therefore, while the effects brought about by the side effects could not be eradicated, they had at least been temporarily suppressed.

Xu Haoran was there as well. Terror and pain were intertwined across his face as he lay whimpering at Yang Yanpeng's feet.

It looked like he had been beaten badly earlier.

"Brother... Brother Feng... save me... save me..." When Xu Haoran finally saw Zou Feng arrive, tears and snot came pouring out.

Yet there seemed to be little of the brightness that came with seeing hope in his eyes.

Yang Yanpeng's displayed strength must have frightened him into despair earlier.

"You're here?"

Yang Yanpeng narrowed his eyes. There was even a trace of appreciation in the way he looked at Zou Feng.

"You knew I was coming?" Zou Feng asked casually, though in truth he was observing whether there were any other ambushers in the room.

The next moment, Yang Yanpeng casually picked up the small bamboo cage containing the "child parasite."

"You didn't think this young master wouldn't even notice something like this, did you?"

Yang Yanpeng laughed. The smug delight of one about to pluck the fruit of victory could no longer be contained.

"I truly want to know who gave you the confidence to deliver yourselves to my doorstep when you knew this young master intended to refine you?"

"Did practicing poison arts turn your brains to mush?!"

"You lowly slave, so what if you cultivated the Five Poisons Palm to the level of entering the hall and ascending the chamber... You thought that meant you could turn the tables... Heh heh heh..."

It was no wonder villains all loved popping champagne at halftime. It truly was a common failing for most people.

When someone believed victory was already in the bag, who would not want to show off a little and flaunt their brilliance and martial might?

Otherwise, it would be like walking at night in brocade robes, losing the ultimate pleasure of showing off.

Yet just as Yang Yanpeng was about to follow the usual script and smugly explain his exquisite plan, along with why he had Zou Feng completely in his grasp...

A sudden change erupted!

Xu Haoran, who had seemingly already been seriously injured, suddenly sprang up!

Without the slightest warning, he shot up from the ground.

"You mongrel, die!"

As he roared, Xu Haoran drove the Five Poisons Palm to its utmost limit.

His gleaming black palms moved like two peaks striking the ears, slamming viciously toward Yang Yanpeng.

Clearly, Xu Haoran had pretended to be gravely wounded and despairing, secretly lying dormant as he waited for this very opportunity.

At this moment, Yang Yanpeng's attention was almost entirely fixed on Zou Feng, who had just arrived. With this sudden ambush, the chances of success were high!

Had he succeeded?

Seeing his palms about to smash into Yang Yanpeng's head, Xu Haoran was overjoyed.

Unfortunately, a sharp pain immediately tore through his chest.

At the critical moment, Yang Yanpeng's Five Poisons Heart-Seizing Palm, launched later yet arriving first, struck solidly into his chest.

"Pwah!!"

Xu Haoran let out a miserable scream, spat blood, and flew backward.

He was sent crashing heavily right before Zou Feng.

Naturally, Zou Feng immediately reached out and caught Xu Haoran.

"Brother Feng... I... I..." Xu Haoran continued vomiting blood, clearly on the verge of death.

Zou Feng supported him as he slowly lowered him down, soothing him, "It's fine. Leave it to me!"

While Zou Feng supported him, a high-quality dagger that had clearly been coated in poison somehow appeared in Xu Haoran's right hand.

And at this moment, his right hand rested behind Zou Feng's back, completely outside Zou Feng's field of vision.

This time, he had truly succeeded!

"Brother Haoran, what are you doing?"

Unfortunately, it was as though Zou Feng had eyes in the back of his head—or perhaps he had long known that this fellow had become a traitor.

At the instant the dagger was about to stab him, Zou Feng merely swayed slightly. With a dodge and a grab, he seized Xu Haoran's dagger-wielding wrist.

At this moment, there was no surprise in Zou Feng's gaze as he looked at Xu Haoran, nor any fury at being betrayed.

Instead... he was thrilled beyond measure!

What he had wanted to see even more was Xu Haoran walking right into the trap and becoming a traitor.

That way, he could refine him together with Yang Yanpeng without any reservations.

Seeing the inexplicably delighted yet clearly man-eating look in Zou Feng's eyes, Xu Haoran was shocked and terrified, utterly at a loss.

"Brother Feng, you... you... how did you know... I..."

Zou Feng sneered. "Your acting is even worse than the girls in the pleasure houses pretending they're reaching the peak!"