A group of people followed the tracking butterflies through the entire valley but found no trace of Mo Sigui.
They halted, and one of them asked, "Doctor Ning, could there be an issue with the tracking butterflies?"
"Impossible!"
Before Ning Yanli could finish her words, the burly man beside her let out a pained cry, his body swaying unsteadily.
"What's happening?" Ning Yanli pulled out a jade vial from her sleeve, which contained a piece of luminous stone that instantly illuminated their surroundings. The others then saw the man's entire body seeping with blood, a horrifying sight as if his skin had been peeled off alive!
"Ah!" The person standing next to Ning Yanli screamed in agony and, before collapsing, grabbed the hem of her robe. "Doctor Ning, save me!"
Soon, the others began experiencing the same symptoms one after another. Ning Yanli also felt a sharp pain and itching on the soles of her feet, as if countless ants were gnawing at them. She looked down and saw blood seeping from her shoes, staining the ground in a crimson circle. The pain spread up her legs like blades slicing through flesh—first a surge of warmth, then an escalating agony that made her legs tremble so violently she could barely stand.
The tracking butterflies around them seemed to combust in flames, instantly turning to ashes that fluttered down like snow.
"Long time no see." Mo Sigui's amused voice suddenly sounded behind her.
Ning Yanli whipped her head around.
In the faint glow of the luminous stone, Mo Sigui stood clad in jade-colored robes, his black hair half-tied and half-loose. His peach-blossom eyes brimmed with mirth as he lightly tapped a half-opened dark-purple folding fan against his palm. "I’ve specially prepared this medicine for you, Doctor Ning—'The Sleepless Night of Parting,' or simply 'Flesh-Melting Powder.' I hope you’ll appreciate it."
Ning Yanli's face paled as she retrieved a pill, about to swallow it, when Mo Sigui chuckled. "Doctor Ning, I wouldn’t take random medicine if I were you. Some drugs can... greatly enhance its effects, you see."
Mo Sigui didn’t seize the chance to silence them permanently—he wanted to see just how skilled Ning Yanli truly was.
Originally, he had prepared a different poison. But while reforging An Jiu’s body, inspiration struck, leading him to concoct this toxin capable of reducing a living person’s muscles to sludge. However, the Flesh-Melting Powder only had the "melting" effect, unlike the reforging medicinal bath that also regenerated flesh. Once contaminated, the victim’s skin and muscles would continuously rot. If no antidote was administered within three months, only a skeleton would remain—with excruciating pain persisting until death.
"So the Miracle Doctor revered by the Great Song is this ruthless. Well done!" Ning Yanli gritted her teeth.
"Your praise is too kind." Mo Sigui smiled faintly and cupped his hands in a mock salute. "Until we meet again."
Ning Yanli clenched the jade vial in her hand so tightly that it finally shattered under the force. The luminous stone inside fragmented into tiny specks, scattering like falling stars into the grass.
The surrounding light abruptly dimmed.
Two Crane Control Army assassins, carrying medicine baskets, witnessed everything from the woods, their hearts trembling with fear. When they saw Mo Sigui approaching, they immediately lowered their heads in deference—a stark contrast to their earlier attitude.
"Let’s go back," Mo Sigui said.
One of them cautiously ventured, "Miracle Doctor, why not...?"
Mo Sigui cut him off. "Those burly men possess extremely high Internal Energy. The Flesh-Melting Powder won’t even need three months to finish them—unless Ning Yanli can brew an antidote within half a month. If she manages that, I’ll write my surname upside down."The more one resisted with Inner Force, the more potent the Muscle-Dissolving Powder became. Yet even if Ning Yanli realized this, it was of no use—when in pain, people instinctively fought back. They couldn't control it, unless they were... a freak like An Jiu with such formidable Mental strength.
Midnight.
Over the dockside town, a silent storm of blood and violence had already begun to rage.
Under Chu Dingjiang's leadership, they had successfully assassinated thirteen people. Though a few were merely fourth-rank Martial Arts Masters, the fact that they could assassinate even a single person within Misty Villa was extraordinary in itself.
Through these thirteen battles, the group gradually gained confidence and fighting spirit, approaching each mission with full vigor.
The people of Misty Villa never imagined that a mere twenty-odd individuals would dare to come here and kill. These past days, they had focused most of their attention on inspecting large merchant caravans of a hundred or more, as well as dealing with the provocations of the Yu Clan. Even in Yangzhou, the Yu Clan dared to challenge them—if they didn’t teach them a lesson, the entire martial world might start thinking Misty Villa was easy to bully.
Meanwhile, Chu Dingjiang ensured that after each assassination, the doors and windows were tightly shut to prevent the scent of blood from spreading.
But the north wind howled fiercely, and as the bodies piled up, the smell gradually became impossible to contain. Carried by the wind, it drifted toward the docks, where several shadowy figures swiftly approached in the dead of night.
Just then, a passenger ship docked.
Only two people sat aboard: a pale, delicate-looking scholar and a stunning woman in red.
The overseer with a whip was shouting orders when he caught sight of the scholar. His expression abruptly changed, and he hurriedly bowed in greeting. "Second Master, Miss Ru Yan."
Mei Ru Yan ignored him, lowering her gaze as she unfolded a cloak and draped it over Wei Yuzhi.
The black fox fur made Wei Yuzhi's face appear even more refined, his scholarly demeanor faintly exuding the authority of a superior. "Was it you who dispatched a large group of assassins to hunt down Yu Pianfei?"
"Yes." In the bitter cold, a bead of sweat slowly trickled down the man's temple.
"Did you succeed?" Wei Yuzhi's tone was gentle, devoid of any anger.
Yet the man's fingers began to tremble uncontrollably, his tongue stiffening with fear.
The whip in his hand suddenly lashed out on its own, coiling tightly around his neck. The barbs pierced his skin, and bright red blood sprayed onto the wooden planks beneath his feet.
Wei Yuzhi adjusted his collar slightly and said calmly, "Answer."
"Y-yes... I was wrong, my lord!" The man's face turned deathly pale, his voice hoarse and broken. "P-please... Second Master... spare me..."
The whip loosened. Wei Yuzhi caught the scent of blood in the wind—blood that didn’t belong here. His gaze sharpened as he pieced together the information he had received over the past few days, and a clear pattern emerged: someone had been scouting the docks, the Yu Clan had suddenly rerouted shipments, Sang Nu had gone missing, the Yu Clan had provoked them without reason, and the Crane Control Army in Bianjing had abruptly launched an attack...
The Yu Clan had coexisted peacefully with Misty Villa in Yangzhou for so many years—they wouldn’t act like this without cause. The Crane Control Army must have discovered Misty Villa’s headquarters and sought to eliminate them in one fell swoop. But given Misty Villa’s deep roots in Yangzhou, they couldn’t act recklessly, so they had allied with a local power!
As for Sang Nu...Wei Yuzhi couldn’t immediately guess where he had gone, but the Crane Control Army wouldn’t dare act without backing beyond the Yu family. That backing… was likely Sang Nu, who had discovered the truth and, in a fit of anger, betrayed the manor!
“Halt operations here. Everyone, return to the main manor at once!” Wei Yuzhi’s handsome face darkened as he coldly stared at the foreman clutching his throat. “I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself—immediately recall the assassins sent to kill Yu Pianfei!”
“Yes!” The man obeyed, still clutching his neck as he hurried away. (To be continued…)
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