Difficult to Digest

"Tell me. What is your relationship with the Poison Immortal?" Liu Wushuang no longer wished to trade empty pleasantries with Chen Fan and got straight to the point.

The Poison Immortal? The Poison Immortal again? Amid his shock, Chen Fan more or less confirmed that his constitution truly had an extraordinary origin.

"This junior truly does not know who the senior speaks of as the Poison Immortal!" Chen Fan said helplessly. He genuinely did not know.

"You don't know?" Liu Wushuang asked doubtfully. "Then tell me everything about your life, one matter at a time. Do not conceal anything."

After giving it some thought, Chen Fan decided to be honest. However, he glossed over the matter of Golden Wheel Temple on the excuse that he had previously been poisoned and lost his memory. He merely said that one day, upon awakening, he had found himself in the Swordcry Mountains with all memories from before erased, which was why he had entered the sect. As for what happened afterward, he hid nothing, since it could be investigated easily enough. He also did not mention bleeding himself to save Ye Yun. He and Ye Wan had already agreed that they would not tell anyone about it.

"As expected of the Poison Immortal's successor." After hearing him out, Liu Wushuang showed no sign of doubting Chen Fan. She simply said this for no apparent reason.

Chen Fan was even more baffled. He knew perfectly well that he did not know any Poison Immortal, so how could he possibly be her successor?

"You needn't panic. The reason you lost your memory was likely that you were poisoned by something like Spirit-Drunken Incense. It seems those people had already discovered your identity and made a move against you. Fortunately, you survived a great catastrophe and hid yourself in Swordcry Mountain. In that case, perhaps it was simply fate."

Chen Fan found this utterly inexplicable. Liu Wushuang was becoming harder and harder to understand. What exactly did all this disconnected talk mean? Still, she was right in judging that he had been poisoned by Spirit-Drunken Incense.

"In truth, I had long suspected you. But rest assured, now that your identity has been confirmed, there is naturally nothing that cannot be told to you." Liu Wushuang seemed somewhat excited at this moment. It appeared that she attached immense importance to Chen Fan being the Poison Immortal's successor.

So that was it. He must have attracted Liu Wushuang's attention long ago. Still, this woman seemed to know certain secrets as well?

Before Chen Fan could ask, Liu Wushuang continued, "Among the eight experts who joined forces to deal with the Devil Master back then, the Poison Immortal was one of them, and she was even their leader. Legend said her cultivation was incomparably profound. She was the foremost cultivator under heaven, only one step away from ascending and becoming immortal. More miraculous still, the Poison Immortal entered the Dao through poison and had reached a realm where a hundred poisons could not invade her, which was how she earned that title. Furthermore, she was the object of Master Sword Saint's affection. Though the two never truly bore the name of husband and wife, everyone at the time regarded them as an immortal couple."

So there was such a story. Chen Fan secretly analyzed it. Liu Wushuang had likely judged that he was related to the Poison Immortal based on his resistance to poison, just like that black-clothed man had.

"You may rest easy. At present, only the two of us know your identity. It will absolutely not be revealed to outsiders." Liu Wushuang had risen to her feet, and her attitude toward Chen Fan was exceptionally gentle.

"Senior, could there have been some mistake? Perhaps this junior is not the Poison Immortal's successor at all. Maybe my previous memory loss had some other cause." Chen Fan did not wish to bear such a lofty title. As the saying went, the gunshot struck the bird that stuck its head out; keeping a low profile kept one alive longer.

"Originally, I was not entirely certain either. But considering everything that has happened to you, it should be eight or nine parts out of ten." Knowing Chen Fan had lost his memories, Liu Wushuang guessed that he might not remember his own background. "Even if you were not poisoned by Spirit-Drunken Incense before entering the sect, when you and Senior Brother entered that cave, the concentration of incense poison was extremely high. Even Senior Brother was badly poisoned. I refuse to believe you were not affected in the slightest. Of course, that alone would be far from enough to identify you. But by sheer coincidence, I also possess the identity of Black Dragon Envoy, and I learned what happened in Hundred Herbs Garden. Linking the two together, I came to fully understand your abilities to resist and neutralize poison. Furthermore, you possessed Venomheart Darts, which are specially made by Black Dragon Pool. Thus, I sent you to Black Dragon Pool once more. The news that arrived from Black Dragon Pool several days ago has completely confirmed your identity." As she spoke, Liu Wushuang gazed at Chen Fan with expectation in her eyes.

"What news came from Black Dragon Pool?" Chen Fan was deeply puzzled. Still, judging from Luo Gang's attitude toward him back then, he had already sensed that there were many suspicious details.

"Do you know where Venomheart Darts and God-Sealing Needles truly came from?" To Chen Fan's surprise, Liu Wushuang asked this.

Chen Fan thought for a moment, then suddenly jolted. "Could it be related to..." He stopped halfway through. At this rate, would the matter of the Treasure Record also be exposed?

"The Poison Immortal was said to wield poison to its deepest extreme, slaughtering gods and extinguishing immortals. Yet after her battle with the Devil Master, she was grievously injured and had no hope of becoming immortal in this life. It was rumored that she compiled her lifelong cultivation insights and her comprehension of the Dao of poison into a work titled the Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons, passing it down to later generations." Throughout these words, Liu Wushuang never took her eyes off Chen Fan, likely wanting to observe his reaction.

Chen Fan forced himself to remain calm on the surface, but his heart had already exploded. Poison to its deepest extreme, slaughtering gods and extinguishing immortals—it had not been empty boasting. This Treasure Record was the Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons? What he had heard today was truly enough. Chen Fan felt that he could scarcely digest all this information at once, and for a time, he did not know what to say.

"The methods for crafting and using Venomheart Darts and God-Sealing Needles came from this Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons," Liu Wushuang added.

Chen Fan had in fact been quite confused about this, so he asked, "It is said that the methods Black Dragon Pool used to develop these two hidden weapons were passed down by one of their predecessors. Could that predecessor of Black Dragon Pool also have been the Poison Immortal's successor?"

"No." At this, Liu Wushuang's expression suddenly turned grave. Chen Fan saw the same look on her face that she had worn when she first saw his Venomheart Dart. "I presume you have learned something of what happened at Black Dragon Pool in those years. But that is another story altogether, and best left untold. Speaking of which, several disciples of the sect suffered because of the matter of Black Dragon Pool this time. What a sin... ah."

Liu Wushuang let out a long sigh, seemingly unwilling to say much more about Black Dragon Pool. "You only need to know that what Black Dragon Pool records is merely incomplete information from the Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons. No one knows where the true Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons is now, or even whether it was passed down at all. As the Poison Immortal's successor, you presumably received some true teachings. Unfortunately, you have already lost your memory, so many things can no longer be known." By the end, Liu Wushuang was staring at Chen Fan again. Her words were clearly laden with implication.

Since Liu Wushuang did not wish to speak of it, Chen Fan did not ask. Moreover, it seemed Liu Wushuang already suspected that the Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons was in his possession. He was not worried that she would force him to hand it over, but this meant that his connection to the Poison Immortal would likely be impossible to shake off.

On second thought, though, this was not necessarily a bad thing. It sounded as if his status had suddenly risen again, and he now had two more experts in the sect watching over him. That left him feeling rather pleased with himself.

"Also, there is something else that I had never been able to understand before, but now I have finally figured it out." Liu Wushuang's tone suddenly became extremely solemn, as though this matter was the true focus of today.

"What is it?" Chen Fan faintly sensed something ominous.

"For those black-clothed people to retreat without anyone noticing while under the watch of all the major powers, it would be absolutely impossible for them to have no informants. Heaven and Earth Gate is the best example. Even sect experts turned out to be their people."

"Could Swordcry..." Before Liu Wushuang could finish, Chen Fan cried out in alarm. But he immediately realized something and hurriedly fell silent.

"You guessed correctly." Liu Wushuang appeared very calm. "What do you think of Shi Dehao?"

"Huh? The Third Elder?" Chen Fan had not expected Liu Wushuang to suspect the Third Elder. Shi Dehao was the name of Swordheart Hall's Third Elder, and after entering the inner court, Chen Fan had long been taught such common knowledge.

"That's right. Before, I always thought he deliberately targeted you over those trivial, chicken-feather and garlic-skin matters involving his disciple. But later, Bai Shuang truly intended to kill you. That became exceedingly difficult to understand." Liu Wushuang once again fell into thought.

"No way?" Chen Fan believed that the black-clothed people should not know that he possessed the Compendium of Ten Thousand Poisons. The only person who had discovered his connection to the Poison Immortal had died in that cave. Even if there was an informant for them in the sect, there should have been no reason to suspect him.

"It seems we can only find out by testing it." Liu Wushuang's eyes shifted, and a plan sprang into her mind.

Three days later, within Pingliang City, Chen Fan strolled about leisurely. He had not expected to return here so soon. This trip down the mountain was not to purchase anything, but rather to cooperate with Liu Wushuang.

Today, the sect had issued notice for inner court disciples to gather for training. Every disciple at the Fourth Stage and above would remain in the sect to participate. Therefore, if someone wished to harm Chen Fan, they would have to act personally. Chen Fan was not too worried. Though he could not see them, he knew that two experts were protecting him at this moment, making him quite safe.

Since he had nothing better to do, Chen Fan decided he might as well visit the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

The Myriad Treasures Pavilion was no different from the last time he had visited. Its goods were a dazzling jumble of every kind, while customers streamed through its doors without end. The moment Chen Fan entered, a clerk came forward to greet him. Taking a closer look, Chen Fan found it was precisely the young clerk he had encountered last time. The clerk recognized Chen Fan at once and, without another word, led him directly toward the inner hall.

Whether the chief shopkeeper happened to be there today or had received word of Chen Fan's arrival in advance, Chen Fan soon met him in the inner hall. Compared to before, the man looked more spirited. It seemed that after the child disappearance incident had passed, the tense mood among the city's residents had eased. Though the children could not be recovered, life still had to move forward.

The chief shopkeeper greeted him warmly, and after exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Chen Fan produced some pills for trade. Naturally, they were only ordinary-quality pills. After receiving forty Spirit Stones, Chen Fan took his leave. To outsiders, it would appear that he had come down the mountain this time simply to exchange a few items.

After wandering around the city for a while longer, Chen Fan looked up and saw that it was getting late. It was time to handle serious business. He set off back toward the sect. His heart began to tense. According to the plan, if anyone intended to make a move against him, the journey back to the mountain would be the best opportunity.

Would someone really come to kill him? Chen Fan did not truly believe it. He had gone up and down the mountain many times before without encountering any danger. But according to Liu Wushuang's analysis, if Shi Dehao truly intended to kill him, he could never let the matter rest. Bai Shuang's killing intent had already been exposed that day; the next time, he would likely strike without mercy. And today, Chen Fan was returning alone, while the Third Elder had no one he could send. Could it be...?

Chen Fan's heart thudded uneasily, and his steps began to tremble. By the time he entered the mountains, the sky had darkened, his vision had blurred, and the surrounding trees blocked much of the view. This place was still some distance from the gate leading down the mountain and would not alert the sect guards. It was the best possible place to strike.

Would they really come? Chen Fan slowed his pace, tensing every nerve in his body as he carefully sensed the movements around him.

Suddenly, a rustling sound arose from the forest, mixed with the force of yuan energy sweeping toward Chen Fan's position. Terror surged through his heart. He had not expected someone to truly come!

Chen Fan hurriedly fled in another direction. What a joke—if the Third Elder was truly making the move, then even if one strike did not kill him, it would leave him gravely wounded. Though Liu Wushuang had sworn with absolute certainty that nothing would happen to him, who knew whether she might be overconfident? These were Seventh Stage experts, after all. Chen Fan had no desire to place his fate entirely in someone else's hands.