Tang San's Plan to Fight Poison with Poison

"I did my best!" Oscar said.

Then he walked out in silence.

Tang San spoke up.

"It looks like the only way to get the antidote now is to find Qin Yun."

At Tang San's words,

Dai Mubai said grimly, "Qin Yun's methods are underhanded. He does whatever he pleases and cares nothing for his fellow students."

"If you ask him for the antidote, he won't hand it over easily."

"Fatty here knows that better than anyone."

"Before you came to the academy, he poisoned Fatty again and again to torment him. No matter how much Fatty begged, Qin Yun just watched coldly and refused to give him the antidote. He let Fatty suffer and struggle through every moment of it."

"Do you really think someone like that would give up his leverage over us just because you asked?"

Dai Mubai mentioned only the times Qin Yun had poisoned Ma Hongjun.

He said nothing about Ma Hongjun provoking Qin Yun first.

Tang San looked toward Xiao Wu, who lay weakly on the bed.

Pain and anger churned in his eyes, and his fingertips trembled.

"Then I'll have to give him a taste of his own medicine."

"If he can poison Xiao Wu, I can poison him."

"Once I have something to hold over him, I'll trade it for Xiao Wu's antidote."

Dai Mubai's eyes lit up.

"That could work!"

"But Qin Yun is far stronger than either of us, and he's extremely cautious. Ordinary methods won't get near him."

"Your hidden weapons are excellent, but even they can't hurt him."

"How are we supposed to poison him?"

That was indeed their biggest problem.

Qin Yun was a formidable fighter and always on guard. A direct scheme had no chance of succeeding.

The two lowered their heads and thought, turning possible plans over and over.

About fifteen minutes later, Tang San raised his head.

"The academy meals!"

Dai Mubai understood at once, his eyes flashing. "Right!"

"We can poison the food. Everyone eats it, so Qin Yun won't suspect a thing!"

"No matter how strong or clever he is, he'd never expect us to tamper with the food he eats every day."

Tang San nodded slightly.

"Exactly!"

"I'm thinking we poison everyone, then give the others the antidote afterward!"

Dai Mubai nodded firmly and praised the idea in a low voice.

"It's foolproof. Discreet and reliable. We'll force him to hand over the antidote!"

Once they had settled on the plan, they headed to the academy cafeteria.

The cafeteria occupied one of the most inconspicuous corners of Shrek Academy.

It was a low gray-brick building, its outer walls blackened by smoke from the cooking fires.

The cooks were a middle-aged couple Flender had found in a nearby village. They were honest, hardworking people with little Soul Power.

They kept a regular schedule, going into town early each morning to buy supplies and preparing lunch by late morning. Afterward, they sat on low stools outside the kitchen, sorting vegetables and basking in the sun. They never wandered near the students' training grounds.

"I'll keep them busy," Dai Mubai said. "You work fast."

Tang San ducked through a small side door into the cafeteria.

He passed through a corridor crowded with firewood and rice jars, then reached the kitchen stove.

He took a thumb-sized porcelain bottle from his sleeve.

Breaking the wax seal, he slowly poured its contents along the rim of the pot of bone broth and into the staple dish beside it.

The liquid dissolved the instant it touched the soup.

The poison was a mixture of Eight Spider Spear Poison and Tang Sect poison that Tang San had prepared himself. He was certain Qin Yun could never cure it.

Tang San slipped out the way he had come. The whole thing took less time than half a cup of tea.

By the time he took his place behind the woodpile,

Dai Mubai had finished talking. He smiled and waved to the couple, then turned and walked over.

The two exchanged a glance.

Done!

About half an hour later, someone lifted the cloth curtain at the cafeteria entrance.

Qin Yun and Ning Rongrong walked in side by side.

After working together in last night's soul battle, and after she had spoken up for Qin Yun,

much of the politeness of a new acquaintance had faded between them.

They spoke to each other more casually than before.

Ning Rongrong peered at the row of plain dishes in the cafeteria and wrinkled her nose.

"Nothing here looks good."

"It's all so bland. Even the smell puts me off."

She turned to Qin Yun, her eyes brightening.

"Why don't we eat in Suotuo City today?"

Qin Yun had some things he wanted to discuss with Ning Rongrong.

Since she had invited him, he saw no reason to refuse.

"Sure," he said.

But when Dai Mubai saw that Qin Yun really was about to leave with Ning Rongrong,

he could not sit still.

If Qin Yun left, all their work would be for nothing.

He hurriedly called out, "The headmaster has classes scheduled today. You're just going to leave?"

Without waiting for Qin Yun's answer, Dai Mubai turned to Ning Rongrong.

"If you can't handle a little hardship, go home and play the pampered young lady. Don't set a bad example here."

Ning Rongrong had spoken up for Qin Yun yesterday, which had kept Zhu Zhuqing from believing Dai Mubai.

He held a grudge against Ning Rongrong for that too.

Ning Rongrong was not the sort to put up with that tone.

Her smile vanished, and she said,

"What we do is none of your business."

"You can boss the whole world around, but you don't get to tell us where to eat."

"And it's your own fault Zhuqing won't give you the time of day!"

The first two remarks barely stung, but the mention of Zhu Zhuqing struck a nerve.

Qin Yun stayed out of the argument.

Something about it felt strange.

Dai Mubai had never been friendly toward him.

In fact, after Zhu Zhuqing had refused to team up with Dai Mubai in public last night, the coldness in Dai Mubai's gaze whenever he looked at Qin Yun had become impossible to miss.

If Qin Yun left with Ning Rongrong now, he would miss the morning's classes.

Flender had always been lenient with Qin Yun, but skipping class without a reason in front of the other students would surely earn him a scolding.

For Dai Mubai, that should have been a golden opportunity.

He would have loved for Qin Yun to give Flender something to criticize him for. Better yet, Qin Yun would leave the academy.

Zhu Zhuqing would still be here.

With Qin Yun gone, Dai Mubai would have plenty of time to approach her without him around and try to mend the rift between them.

By all rights, their leaving would benefit Dai Mubai!

Yet Dai Mubai had tried to stop them.

He had baited Ning Rongrong by telling her to go home and play the pampered young lady if she could not handle hardship.

It was as though he did not want them going to Suotuo City.

Why?

Surely it was not just to trade a few harmless insults.

Qin Yun doubted it was that simple.

Besides, Tang San was sitting quietly beside Dai Mubai with a bowl of congee in front of him.

By Qin Yun's reckoning, Xiao Wu's injuries would last another three days.

Given how much Tang San cared about her,

he should have been at her bedside, unwilling to leave her for a moment. Why would he come to the cafeteria for congee?

Something was clearly wrong.

Qin Yun wanted to see what the two of them were up.

He caught Ning Rongrong's arm and said,

"Let's stay, then. You can try the cafeteria food too."

Ning Rongrong paused and looked at him.

"All right," she said.

She let go of his sleeve and turned toward the serving window.

"I'll have the pork rib soup."