Chapter 397: Poison Demon in Action

The poison was colorless and odorless, making it extremely difficult to detect. Even those with some knowledge of plants and herbs would not immediately sense it. Only individuals who specialized in the study of poisons would instinctively perceive its presence, like Xu Qing. He instantly detected the poison, his brow subtly furrowing.

It was a poison he had never encountered. He couldn't identify the herbs by smell, but he could sense the presence of biological toxins within. It seemed to be a mixed poison, not very effective on its own. “It needs other poisons to be activated,” he thought.

Xu Qing maintained a normal expression, but his heart was alert. Though he wasn't afraid of poisons, possessing even more potent toxins within his own body, his cautious nature prompted him to subtly flick his wrist, releasing his own poisons around him. This was for self-protection, ensuring he would have a countermeasure if the opponent's poison proved unexpectedly potent.

Having done this, Xu Qing remained expressionless and listened attentively to the lecture.

Around him, others watched as the sickly old man coughed up blood, exchanging bewildered glances. However, Sun Xianglong sat upright, his eyes showing clear reverence, indicating he recognized the man. Simultaneously, his internal vital energy instinctively circulated, forming a subtle protective barrier. A few others reacted similarly, but not everyone.

The sickly man in the black daoist robe in front coughed violently a few more times, a look of weakness on his face as he wiped his mouth. “It’s nothing,” he said. “This is an old injury from when I was a spy among the Saint瀾 Clan. Those scoundrels did it; I won’t die from it.”

“As for the Sword Holders’ secret method for concealing items, it's very useful. In your future tasks and battles, you will undoubtedly be involved in intelligence gathering and item transfers. Therefore, ensuring that what you hide doesn't fall into enemy hands or leak out if you are killed becomes crucial. This secret method will teach you how to create a personal mini-space.” The sickly man spoke slowly, his voice weak but clear to everyone present.

“This space also has a unique key for each person, like a true spirit incantation, which you can set yourselves. Of course, remember to submit your key for backup. Rest assured, only the Palace Master of the Sword Holding Palace is authorized to know all the keys; others will only be informed if a mission requires it.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing pondered, finding this method of concealing items somewhat unusual. In front of him, the Captain’s eyes lit up. “If only the Palace Master knows everyone’s keys, then if I change my key to a phrase like ‘Protect Humanity,’ wouldn’t it indirectly increase my goodwill and earn respect from others?”

While the Captain pondered the feasibility of his idea, the sickly man continued. “The purpose of this backup is to ensure that after you make the ultimate sacrifice, other Sword Holders can locate that storage space on your body and retrieve your last words and belongings.” The Captain blinked, realizing his idea felt a bit ominous, and promptly abandoned it.

After completing his introduction, the sickly man began teaching the relevant cultivation method. Though he didn't allow questions, his instruction was exceptionally detailed, explaining every step with great specificity. However, throughout the process, he frequently coughed up blood, his body swaying precariously, until he finally finished his lecture after a full morning. Soon, the Sword Holders present began circulating their internal energy, attempting the method.

“You can practice on your own once you return,” the sickly man said, standing up. He seemed to have risen too quickly, as blood welled up at the corner of his mouth. He nonchalantly wiped it away and walked towards the entrance of the Hall of Knowledge. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back to face the people inside and smiled. “Oh, and by the way, I wasn’t just teaching the Sword Holders’ secret method for concealing items in this class. I was also showing you, through my actions, that as Sword Holders, you must always remain vigilant.”

“Did none of you notice that I wasn’t wearing a Sword Holder’s daoist robe? Have you seen anyone not wearing a daoist robe in the Sword Holding Palace these past few days? Does someone coming here to teach necessarily mean they are a Sword Holder? Where is your vigilance? Your caution? Have you forgotten the sixty-nine rules, seven principles, and three regulations from before your Sword Holder oath? Even if there were plainclothes personnel, the standard procedure would involve a Sword Holder escorting them and introducing their identity. This was a very simple test, and the result is… some of you are still too green.”

As the sickly man spoke, he raised his right hand and waved. Instantly, over a dozen of the fifty-one Sword Holders collapsed with a thud, falling unconscious. The remaining ones immediately turned to look at him. The Captain, Qing Qiu, Sun Xianglong, and others were among those still standing.

“If I were truly an enemy infiltrator, all of these people would be dead by now.” The sickly man glanced at those still standing and smiled. “This generation of Sword Holders is indeed somewhat different from previous ones, but almost none of you noticed the anomaly in my attire from start to finish. Therefore, you are still unqualified.”

“Those who fainted are graded ‘poor,’ and you are ‘acceptable.’ This is your score recorded in the assessment.” The sickly man finished speaking, flicked his sleeve, and his clothes transformed into a Sword Holder’s daoist robe. He then took out some pills and tossed them towards the unconscious Sword Holders, before looking at Xu Qing and the others with a half-smile.

“However, a few of you have passed. Whose eye is this?” the sickly man said, pulling an eyeball from behind him. “And this wisp of evil spirit consciousness. And this suddenly appearing strand of hair. And this wisp of mist—boy, did you perhaps enslave a Yanmiao tribe member?” The sickly man’s gaze swept over the Captain, Yelingshi, Qing Qiu, Shanhezi, and Wang Chen, respectively. “You five, you passed!”

As he finished speaking, footsteps echoed from outside the hall. Four figures radiating a grim aura suddenly appeared, their Sword Holder daoist robes slightly different, with a black sword embroidered on the collar. “Sickly man, your test has been exposed. Someone transmitted a message to our Enforcement Department, telling us to come arrest someone,” a middle-aged enforcer among them said blandly.

“Oh? Who was it?” The sickly man smiled, then looked at the crowd in the hall. Kong Xianglong stood up and cupped his fist towards him. “You, young man, are impressive. Even though you know me, you managed to break through the barrier of recognition and see the essence of the situation. That’s even more commendable than those who didn’t recognize me. Your score is ‘Excellent’!” The sickly man’s eyes lit up, and he nodded approvingly, about to leave.

The Captain coughed again, then spoke with a hint of embarrassment. “Sir, there’s still an eye…” The sickly man paused, looking at the Captain. “In your storage bag,” the Captain said, blinking.

After checking his storage bag, the sickly man waved his hand, and an eyeball was retrieved. He held it, examining it with a strange glint in his eyes, and then scrutinized the Captain carefully for a few moments. “Impressive. To have escaped even my notice, though it involved a bit of trickery, it’s still excellent. Your score is also ‘Excellent.’ By the way, what’s your name?”

“Chen Erniu…” the Captain replied cautiously.

The sickly man fell silent, then gave the Captain a deep look. He had heard that name before. Shaking his head, he turned to leave.

Xu Qing hesitated, looking at the pervasive traces of his own poison on the sickly man's weak body. He realized the man wasn't a poison master; rather, the toxic gas was naturally formed from his internal injuries and used by him as a weapon. Earlier, as the man repeatedly coughed up blood, Xu Qing, in his vigilance, instinctively released even more poison. He wasn't sure if these combined poisons would cause a drastic reaction within the sickly man's injuries.

But to be safe, Xu Qing still stood up. “Sir.” The sickly man paused again, turning to look at Xu Qing. He had actually noticed Xu Qing before, knowing his brilliance, but had ultimately felt a bit disappointed. In his view, while Xu Qing hadn't fallen for his trick, he also hadn't hidden any means on him, nor had he noticed the issue with his robe. This made him seem somewhat ordinary, even a bit rigid, lacking ingenuity.

However, being called out now, a sliver of hope arose in him. “Xu Qing, did you also secretly hide something on me?”

Xu Qing nodded.

“What is it?” The sickly man was curious; he hadn't detected anything, even checking his storage bag.

“Poison…” Xu Qing said apologetically.

The sickly man was stunned.

“A lot of poisons, mixed together. I'm not sure if it will affect your injuries, but poisons can easily cause drastic reactions when combined. Sir, you… you should quickly go back and find someone to detoxify yourself. And to my colleagues, the same applies to you. I apologize for this, but since you have no hidden injuries, the poison is merely on the surface and can be neutralized before I activate it.”

Xu Qing said all this in one breath, then took out a large quantity of antidote pills and distributed them to the stunned crowd, before looking apologetically at the sickly man, whose expression was rapidly changing as he stood there dumbfounded.

“Sir, the poisons on your body have already been activated by your own toxins. I don’t have an antidote for that. You should quickly find a master of alchemy…”

Silence fell over the surroundings. Everyone looked at Xu Qing with shock, whether it was Shanhezi, Wang Chen, or Kong Xianglong—all shared the same expression. Only the Captain, wearing an expression that said ‘I knew it,’ calmly swallowed handfuls of antidote pills.

Just as the sickly man was about to speak, he coughed up a mouthful of black blood, his face instantly turning ashen. He was quickly supported by the four enforcers beside him, who rushed away to find the Sword Holding Palace's alchemist.

Silence returned to the great hall. Then came the sound of swallowing. Everyone was taking antidote pills. Those who had been unconscious now awoke, and upon being told the situation, their faces also changed drastically as they hastily swallowed the pills. A scraping sound also emerged as the desks around Xu Qing were almost entirely moved away. Kong Xianglong instinctively did the same, and Qing Qiu moved even faster.

Xu Qing silently sat down. He had grown accustomed to this solitude, at least he still had his Senior Brother.

The Captain remained calm. Since meeting Xu Qing, the antidote pills in his storage bag had never dwindled. He now took out another handful and ate them like candy, while proudly looking at Kong Xianglong, thinking to himself: “What’s the big deal? Clearly, you don't have enough foresight.”

Swept by the Captain’s gaze, Kong Xianglong gave a wry smile, then, steeling himself, moved his desk back towards Xu Qing. He chuckled and then took out his remaining few antidote pills to eat.

Xu Qing remained silent. The atmosphere in the hall, amidst the relative quiet, now felt peculiar. Many Sword Holders secretly glanced at Xu Qing. It was conceivable that this incident would soon spread throughout the Sword Holding Palace…

Not long after, footsteps echoed in the great hall, and another Sword Holder entered. This was an old man, unlike the sickly one; he exuded a strong sense of authority and gloom. His heavy steps thumped on the floor as he walked, his vital energy surging violently. He walked to the front, then turned, his gaze sweeping coldly over everyone, finally resting on Xu Qing.

“Was it you who poisoned the sickly man?”