Chapter 1868: Spring Jiuniang

Zu'an called out several times, but there was no response from next door. His heart sank, and he quickly threw on his clothes, going to the adjacent room's door.

He knocked on the door. "Sister Ling'er, are you alright?"

He had reserved the best room in the inn. It was an independent courtyard with a hot spring flowing into the bath, and various bamboos and flowering plants adorned the garden. The environment was exceptionally tranquil, which was precisely why he chose it, confident that no outsiders would come.

He had just used his divine sense to cover the entire courtyard, making sure no one had entered.

Given his current cultivation level, only someone of Zhao Hao's caliber might have been able to sneak in undetected, but how could that be possible?

Yet, he asked several times at the door, but there was no reply from Xie Daoyun inside, only faint gasping sounds.

"Sister Ling'er, I'm coming in." Concerned for her safety, Zu'an announced his entry before shattering the door lock.

This was the best room in the best inn on the outskirts of the capital, so its lock had been reinforced with some formations. However, in front of the current Zu'an, it was as flimsy as paper.

After opening the door, he saw steam swirling around the bath, where a graceful figure lay slumped. Her beautiful hair was now coiled up, revealing a long, slender neck. It was none other than Xie Daoyun.

Zu'an walked to her side. "Sister Ling'er?"

He noticed she appeared to be in a semi-conscious state. Her usually fair and delicate skin was now an abnormal flush of peach, like a cooked shrimp.

"Brother Zu?" Xie Daoyun heard the voice and groggily opened her eyes, which seemed to well up with moisture.

As she spoke, she instinctively reached out to embrace him.

The hot spring water, smooth as silk, had cleansed her delicate skin, leaving her frail as if a servant needed to help her up.

Xie Daoyun had originally been bathing in the hot spring, naturally without clothes. Although most of her body was still submerged, as she fell into Zu'an's arms, he could feel every inch of her skin up close.

Moreover, the hot spring water was clear, and although there were a few petals, they did little to obscure the boundless beauty beneath.

Zu'an's heart jolted, and in that instant, he understood why Xie Daoyun had become this way.

The only thing he didn't understand was when he had been poisoned.

With his current cultivation, it was impossible for someone to poison him without his knowledge.

The food he'd just eaten?

Impossible. He was very cautious; he would have detected any poison in the food immediately.

Or the hot spring water?

Still impossible. The hot spring was flowing water; what kind of trickery would it take to poison a moving current?

As for the items in the room, that was even less likely. He had specifically checked them just now, and his cultivation art, the Primordial Genesis Scripture, was exceptionally sensitive to poisons.

Suddenly, a light flashed in his mind: the wall covered in flowers when he entered the inn's courtyard.

He had stayed at this inn before, and those flowers hadn't been there then. He had assumed the owner had recently planted them, as he hadn't visited in over half a year.

Now, he suspected there was something amiss.

But he had specifically checked the flowers at the time; they weren't poisonous.

Wait. If they weren't poisonous individually, could it be a compound poison?

He remembered having a similar experience before.

He looked up at the surrounding candles and faintly smelled the scent of burning wax. This scent alone was indeed non-toxic, but if it mixed with the floral fragrance from outside...

His mind raced like lightning, but he didn't delay his actions. He found the fresh clothes Xie Daoyun had prepared near the screen, intending to help her change.

She squirmed and rubbed against him uncontrollably, completely uncooperative. Not only could Zu'an not get her dressed, but her sudden movements also caused him to accidentally touch inappropriate places.

Helpless, he hastily wrapped her in the clothes, then reached out and pulled the blanket from the bed, wrapping her in it several times.

He then quickly carried her to the open courtyard outside, allowing her to breathe fresh air, while also taking out a Tranquility Pill and feeding it to her.

The seductive woman laughed, shaking like a blossoming branch, clearly very pleased with her handiwork.

Zu'an thought to himself that poisons in this cultivation world were truly bizarre and impossible to guard against.

It was strange, though; after being tempered by the Primordial Genesis Scripture, his body was practically immune to all poisons. Yet, he wasn't immune to aphrodisiacs because, strictly speaking, they weren't poisons. They merely amplified the body's natural desires and reactions.

"If I'm not mistaken, we don't know each other, so there's no grudge between us," Zu'an asked in a deep voice.

"People in our line of work don't kill based on grudges. If the money's enough, we'd even kill our own fathers; if there's no money, we wouldn't touch our enemies," the seductive woman said with a smile.

Zu'an thought to himself that someone had indeed sent her. From the looks of it, she wasn't a fanatic loyalist but a professional assassin.

"Are you from the Phantom Tower?"

The seductive woman did not answer. "Don't waste your breath. I know you're deliberately stalling for time, but so am I."

"Unfortunately, this poison cannot be forced out. The longer it stays, the deeper it goes. Soon, you won't just be consumed by desire, but your entire body will become weak, and your vital essence will be frozen."

"You're quite a handsome pretty boy. This old lady will have some fun with you. As for the delicate beauty in your arms, you were reluctant to touch her just now, but she'll be a bargain for my brothers next."

As she spoke, several figures in black appeared around the courtyard walls. Their eyes gleamed sharply, clearly indicating they were skilled practitioners.

"Spring Jiuniang, don't play around and delay the mission," one of them barked.

The seductive woman named Spring Jiuniang toyed with the flower in her hand. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. We'll kill the woman first, and you can enjoy her while she's warm. But we can't kill this pretty boy right away; after all, men aren't like women—once they're dead, they're useless. So, we'll just chop off his hands and feet, leaving only his 'fifth limb'."

Zu'an's face grew cold. This woman's tone suggested she had taken countless lives over the years.

"I don't think your cultivation is particularly high. Did your organization only send a few of you?"

Hearing his words, the assassins burst into laughter. "Our cultivation isn't high? Each of us has at least a seventh or eighth-grade cultivation. You, who can't even tie a chicken, dare to boast so wildly?"

Spring Jiuniang, however, chuckled. "Young master, you might be mistaken. Assassination isn't a sparring match. We don't always need high cultivation to complete a mission. With clever planning, we've even killed Grandmaster-level figures."

"Spring Jiuniang, have you really taken a liking to this pretty boy, to be explaining so much to him?"

Zu'an felt a hint of doubt. Although Spring Jiuniang's words weren't entirely baseless, sending them to deal with him still seemed somewhat preposterous.

Just then, one of the assassins tugged at his collar.

"That little hussy is too beautiful. Since you're not making a move, I'll enjoy her first."

With that, he lunged directly at the two. He wasn't overcome by lust; instead, he wielded his sword to directly target Zu'an's limbs and Xie Daoyun's qi sea. An assassin would never let down their guard, regardless of the situation.

Seeing that the man was still holding the woman with one arm, he sneered inwardly. As expected, he was just a pretty boy, still trying to act cool at a time like this.

Just then, a streak of sword qi appeared before his eyes. He swore he had never seen such a dazzling sword strike in his life.

He was known in the circle for his fast sword, capable of decapitating forty-nine mosquitoes with a single strike.

He loved using his swift sword to gain the initiative. Even against stronger opponents, once caught in his rapid sword rhythm, they would be constantly on the defensive, taking increasing damage until they could only despair and wait for him to finish them off.

Furthermore, every time he attacked, he went all out, like a lion hunting a rabbit, never relaxing just because his opponent seemed weak.

He had absolute confidence that his recent five swift sword strikes were enough to instantly sever the man's limbs and pierce the woman's qi sea.

In the end, hands and feet were indeed severed, and a qi sea was indeed shattered. However, it was his own hands and feet that were severed, and his own qi sea that was shattered.