The Shadows of Blackstone Post Station (2)

The vegetable cart moved slowly, the driver humming a country tune as he drove, completely unaware that a deadly object had been stuffed into his pile of cabbages. An hour later, the cart entered another, more bustling market.

The cart driver began shouting loudly as he unloaded the vegetables. Just as baskets of cabbages were being unloaded, a fishmonger woman wearing a dirty apron and with hands reeking of fish happened to pass by the cart. She spotted a decent-looking cabbage that had fallen onto the muddy ground, and naturally bent down to pick it up.

As she straightened up, she tossed the vegetable into the fish basket behind her, while the deadly glass vein had silently slipped into her wide sleeve.

Half an hour later, the fishmonger woman, carrying an empty fish basket, walked into a dilapidated wine shop that reeked of cheap, lees-filled wine. She ordered a bowl of the cheapest, cloudy yellow wine and drank it all in one gulp. When she came out of the wine shop wiping her mouth, the scent that Dugu Bo sensed had shifted again.

The item disappeared once again.

Dugu Yan finally frowned, her expression turning serious. "This is the third time they've moved. These people are as cunning as eels."

Ling Yun nodded coldly. "Moreover, I'm certain that these three people in front of us—the old man, the vegetable truck driver, and the fishmonger—are likely just pawns that can be discarded at any time. They don't even know what they're transporting, let alone who the real contact is."

Dugu Bo's expression also became unusually serious, his aged face tense. "This kind of meticulous and watertight handover method is definitely not something that ordinary, low-level forces in the underground Black Market could pull off."

Ling Yun raised his head and looked at the bustling street ahead. "Old Poison, you're right. All those convoluted schemes weren't actually to guard against the Heaven Dou Empire's government."

"Who are you guarding against?" Xiao Wu asked.

"Defend against us. Defend against high-level Soul Masters, defend against Titled Douluos."

Dugu Bo's eyes suddenly turned cold, but he did not utter a word in rebuttal. Because the other party's level of caution had indeed reached an outrageous level.

Following the scent, the group continued their pursuit. After walking more than ten miles from the market and arriving at the edge of a deserted forest, the true target holding the blood vessel finally surfaced.

He was an ordinary-looking middle-aged Soul Master, around forty years old. There was no strong fluctuation of Soul Power on him. Judging from his pace and aura, he was around level fifty, a Five-Ring Soul King. He wore an inconspicuous gray outfit and walked very steadily, his steps as even as if he were measuring the land.

He never looked back or frequently observed his surroundings, appearing just like an ordinary passerby completely unaware that he was being followed.

But just as he was about to enter the dense, secluded forest, he suddenly stopped.

The gray-robed Soul Master took out a brown paper packet from his pocket, untied the rope, and casually sprinkled a packet of grayish-white powder evenly into the roadside grass he had walked through.

Seeing this from a distance, Dugu Bo was about to gather his strength and continue following when Dugu Yan suddenly changed her expression and grabbed his sleeve tightly.

"Grandfather, don't go over there!"

Dugu Bo was startled, abruptly stopping in his tracks, and turned to look at his granddaughter with a puzzled expression. "What's wrong?"

Dugu Yan squatted down, pointed to the inconspicuous grayish-white powder on the ground in the distance, and said in a deep voice, "That's Snake-Repelling Powder."

Dugu Bo's brows furrowed instantly. "What Snake-Repelling Powder? Those cheap insect-repelling trinkets on the market can't possibly stop me?"

"No, this isn't your average product." Dugu Yan took a deep breath, a cold, sharp smile curving her lips. "Grandfather, can't you tell who created this prescription?"

Dugu Bo was startled. "Who?"

"Who else could it be? You."

Dugu Bo: "..."

Ling Yun, who was standing to the side, almost burst out laughing. He quickly covered his mouth with his hand and coughed twice to cover it up.

Dugu Bo's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He angrily lowered his voice and roared, "Bullshit! When have I ever taught such a life-saving secret to an outsider? Even if this basic prescription was circulated in the past, not just anyone can concoct it!"

Dugu Yan shook her head, her tone grave. "He not only formulated it, but he used it with far more care than most. I can smell that he increased the dosage of the Three-Leaf Withered Vine in the original formula."

So what?

"Ordinary Poison-type Soul Masters won't react at all when they pass by here. But this powder is extremely sensitive. As soon as the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor's poison gas Grandfather your body gets close, even just a trace, the powder on the ground will instantly turn into a blinding fluorescent green."

Ling Yun raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, immediately understanding the implication. "This thing is specifically designed to defend against you?"

"To be precise, it's specifically to guard against my Grandfather, a Titled Douluo." Dugu Yan stood up, her gaze icy. "It seems this organization hidden in the shadows not only possesses extraordinary methods but also an extremely sophisticated intelligence network. They've already figured out exactly who the troublesome figures are within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect in Heaven Dou City. They know you're helping Sect Master Ning."

Dugu Bo's face turned completely cold, and a terrifying green aura surged within his turbid eyes, causing the surrounding vegetation to wither rapidly under this murderous intent.

"Fine. Very well." The Old Poison laughed in fury, his voice like a chilling wind blowing from hell. "Using something I played with back in the day to guard against me. These shady characters certainly have a lot of guts."

Ling Yun ignored the enraged Old Poison and turned to Dugu Yan: "Can this powder break through? We need to get there."

"Yes." Dugu Yan took out a delicate celadon bottle from the Soul Tool at her waist, uncorked it, and said, "This is Concealing Breath Liquid I prepared using Ice Heart Lotus."

She quickly applied a layer of clear liquid to the soles of her shoes and the trouser legs of Ling Yun and Xiao Wu. When it was Dugu Bo's turn, her hand froze in mid-air.

"Grandfather."

Dugu Bo stared wide-eyed. "What are you doing?"

"Don't follow me."

Dugu Bo: "?"

Why? Do you despise this old man?

"The poison in your body is too strong; it has seeped into your bones," Dugu Yan said expressionlessly, showing no mercy. "Even if my medicine can temporarily suppress the leaking poison, as long as you get within a hundred meters of that Soul King, his sensory Soul Tool or Martial Soul instinct might not fail to Frisk the danger. This powder is only the first line of defense."

Dugu Bo was so angry his beard stood on end. "Then what am I supposed to do? Just stand here in the cold wind?"

Ling Yun stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder affectionately, and said earnestly, "Old Poison, you are our trump card, and trump cards are meant to be saved for last. Your mission is—backup."

Dugu Bo stared disdainfully at the hand resting on his shoulder and coldly uttered two words: "Take it off."

Ling Yun withdrew his hand very naturally, without the slightest embarrassment. "Anyway, the three of us will go in first to scout ahead, while you stay outside and keep watch to prevent anyone from jumping over the wall to escape."

Dugu Bo snorted coldly, his body surging with green energy. "If anything goes wrong, shout immediately. No matter what kind of demons and monsters are down there, within ten breaths, I guarantee I'll turn that place into a barren graveyard."

Xiao Wu muttered softly beside her, "Uncle Ning repeatedly told us before he left to try to leave a few survivors."

Dugu Bo rolled his eyes, speaking with righteous indignation, "That's why I said ten breaths. Poisoning them half to death within ten breaths will at least leave them alive."

Everyone: "..."