"Poison mist opens the ghost gate, talisman path reveals true flame." Not far away, a gaunt man in black robes gazed coldly in their direction—none other than Ghost Doctor Night Crow.
A short, stout middle-aged man stood beside him, grinning viciously. "They say the Mu Family of Dark River excels in sinister arts—indeed, the rumors hold true. Had we not obtained intelligence in advance, we truly wouldn’t have been able to deal with them."
"Brother Fulü, you speak too soon," Night Crow sneered. "You may have ambushed them in advance, but the current situation is no longer in your favor."
Amid the poison mist, the leader of the black-clad figures shouted, "Activate the formation!"
"Yes!" the others responded. The group swiftly retreated to the four directions, encircling Mu Qingyang and Mu Xuewei. Then, they each hurled a black stone into the air. The stones blazed fiercely as they flew, flashing red before vanishing. Yet, the poison mist around Mu Xuewei was torn open, and another wave of black poison mist began closing in around the two.
"This is the Tang Sect’s Four Directions Blackwater Formation." Mu Qingyang swung his talisman sword, slashing through a tendril of poison mist and sending it flying back.
"Using poison before the Poison Flower? Ridiculous." Mu Xuewei snorted coldly, then clapped her palms together forcefully. A small white flower flew out from the folds of her robe, spinning gently before her. The black poison mist swirled and condensed, gathering before her.
"Breathtaking," Night Crow murmured, his eyes widening.
Tang Fulü was equally astonished. "This woman... to have refined poison arts to such an exquisite level."
"Poison arts? No, no, it’s more than that," Night Crow shook his head. "What comes next should be even more interesting."
No sooner had he spoken than Mu Xuewei suddenly inhaled deeply, drawing all the poison mist before her into her mouth in one gulp. Then, she closed her eyes, and a wisp of purple vapor rose from her head before dissipating.
"This..." Everyone present stared in shock. Even those from the Tang Sect had never witnessed such a bizarre sight.
"I understand now—this woman is a Poison Puppet!" Tang Fulü frowned deeply. "To think the Mu Family of Dark River has cultivated such a being."
"Dark River’s Poison Flower." Night Crow flicked his wrist lightly, and three Medicine Puppets appeared behind him. He tilted his chin slightly. "I want her."
The three Medicine Puppets vanished from his side in an instant.
On the battlefield, Mu Qingyang chuckled. "Well done, well done. Though I am the head of the Mu Family, Xuewei, every time you display your Poison-Transforming Divine Art, you manage to shock these poison sect disciples far more than I ever could. You bring me more face than I do myself."
"Enough talk. Our opponents aren’t limited to poison arts," Mu Xuewei whispered.
"Leave the rest to me." Mu Qingyang leapt into the air. The black-clad leader reacted swiftly, flipping his palm to release three Dragon Whisker Needles. Mu Qingyang blocked them mid-air with his sword, and upon contact with the talisman flames, the needles turned to dust. Landing beside the leader, Mu Qingyang pressed forward with a flurry of strikes, forcing his opponent to retreat. Raising an eyebrow, Mu Qingyang remarked, "For disciples of the Tang Sect’s Poison Division, your hidden weapon techniques are rather lacking."Mu Qingyang was about to raise his sword to swiftly end the battle when he suddenly sensed a gust of fist wind behind him. His sharp instinct for danger made him immediately withdraw his sword and retreat. As he turned, he saw a pale face staring back at him. Frowning, he muttered, "What is this..."
Meanwhile, Mu Xuewei noticed two similarly pale-faced men appearing beside her. They reached out and clamped their hands onto her shoulders. Xuewei smirked—her entire body was laced with deadly poison. Ordinary people would perish instantly upon touching her, their very existence erased. Clearly, these two hadn’t witnessed the earlier fight, or they wouldn’t have acted so recklessly. However, what happened next left Xuewei astonished: the two men showed no reaction whatsoever and simply lifted her, darting away with her in tow.
"Mu Qingyang!" Xuewei cried out in alarm.
Qingyang, equally shocked, tried to pursue but was blocked by the Medicine Puppets and the Tang Sect members.
With no other choice, Xuewei jerked her head violently. The red flower on her hairpin exploded, sending six blood-red petals shooting into the skulls of the two Medicine Puppets beside her. Yet, the puppets only staggered slightly before continuing unfazed.
"Blood petals entering the body, sealing the throat upon contact." Qingyang watched from afar, puzzled. Could the Tang Sect also have Poison Puppets like Xuewei?
"They’re dead men!" Xuewei suddenly realized and shouted.
"Dead men?" Qingyang’s eyes widened in understanding. When Su Changhe had returned to Dark River, he’d mentioned encountering Ghost Doctor Night Crow and Medicine Puppets. Xuewei’s words instantly reminded him of Changhe’s account. After exchanging a few more blows with his opponent, his suspicion solidified: these were indeed Medicine Puppets!
In the blink of an eye, Xuewei was brought before Night Crow by the two puppets. The Ghost Doctor grinned, scrutinizing her from head to toe before nodding approvingly. "How rare. I never thought such a perfect Poison Puppet still existed in this world."
Though Xuewei ranked first in poison arts within the Mu Family, her martial skills were less formidable. Now restrained by the two puppets, she was completely immobilized. Glaring furiously at Night Crow, she demanded, "Who are you?"
"You’ll find out soon enough," Night Crow replied with a chuckle before turning away. "Take her."
On the other side, Qingyang’s talisman sword decapitated the Medicine Puppet before him. With another swing, he repelled ten incoming Bone-Penetrating Nails and gave chase. However, Night Crow and his puppets had already retreated, leaving Tang Fulu standing defiantly in their path, robes fluttering. "Don’t underestimate the Tang Sect!"
Meanwhile, in Nan’an City, Bai Hehuai was lounging on a chair, basking in the sunlight, when she felt a tickling sensation at her feet. Looking down, she saw a small, snow-white snake licking her ankle. She froze.
"Where did this white snake come from?" Su Zhe, seated nearby, noticed it. Pinching a drop of water from his teacup, he prepared to strike it down.
"Don’t!" Hehuai hastily stopped him. "This is the Life-Seeking Snake from Medicine King Valley!"
"Life-Seeking Snake?" Su Zhe paused, frowning slightly."The Pursuing Life Snake is something every disciple of our Medicine King Valley lineage keeps as a lifesaver. When facing grave danger, we secretly release it. The snake will traverse mountains and rivers, stealthily making its way to find another disciple of Medicine King Valley." Bai Hehuai stood up and picked up the small snake. After examining it carefully for a long time, she finally said solemnly, "My dear junior nephew, even someone as cautious as you could encounter danger?"
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