Chapter 22: Poison in the Feces

Following the command, the pack of fierce black jackals quickly adapted their strategy. Some continued to harass the target from the front, distracting it, while others circled around to attack its rear.

The Red-eyed Dire Rhino roared in fury. Why was everyone attacking *that* spot today? Despite its incredibly tough hide and bones—so strong that the fierce black jackals couldn't even bite through them if it stood still—its most vulnerable point was certainly not as well-defended.

It desperately tried to gore the repulsive creatures, but its agility was far inferior to that of the black jackals. Each lunge missed its target. After dozens of rounds, the rhino was panting heavily, dizzy from constantly spinning around.

Sensing the opportune moment, the fierce black jackals transitioned from tentative probes to a full-scale assault on the rhino's vulnerable rear.

The Red-eyed Dire Rhino began to panic. It regretted coming to this cursed place and blamed that wretched human.

Red-eyed Dire Rhino's Rage: 2222...

Despite its rage, escape was imperative. It bolted, but the fierce black jackals, unwilling to let such a large meal get away, swarmed forward to block its path.

From the hilltop, Ji Xiaoxi observed the scene with a pang of pity. "The Red-eyed Dire Rhino is clearly outmatched by the fierce black jackals," she commented. "If it were other high-attack, high-agility beasts of the same level, these jackals wouldn't stand a chance."

"Didn't that foolish rhino bully you? I'm simply getting even for you," Zu An lied without batting an eye.

"But it looks so pitiful," Ji Xiaoxi interjected. "It doesn't seem like it can hold on much longer. Should we help it?"

Zu An quickly grasped her arm, marveling at both her overflowing compassion and her slender limb. "Don't worry, it won't die so easily. Just keep watching, you'll see," he assured her.

Ji Xiaoxi watched the scene with a doubtful expression, then gasped as an unexpected development unfolded.

A sturdy black jackal found an opening and bit the Red-eyed Dire Rhino's rear. Elated, it prepared to rip out the rhino's intestines as it usually would, but then its body suddenly spasmed, and it dropped dead to the ground.

Then a second, a third, a fourth...

After nearly twenty black jackals had fallen, the pack finally sensed something was terribly wrong. They began to retreat, huddling together and whispering.

In their language:"What's happening?""I don't know!""I know!""What is it?""That creature's excrement is poisonous!"

The leader of the fierce black jackals was enraged. "Have we eaten any less excrement over all these years? When have we ever been poisoned by it? This beast must possess some unknown ability. Everyone, be cautious."

The other black jackals were relieved. The idea of poisonous excrement would completely upend their understanding and ruin their hunting methods for good.

The Red-eyed Dire Rhino apparently realized something as well. *Does my rear possess an ability I'm unaware of? But Mother never told me!*

Noticing that the previously arrogant black jackals were now cautiously avoiding its rear, the Red-eyed Dire Rhino abandoned its defensive posture. It deliberately lifted its tail, exposing its vulnerable spot, almost daring them aloud, "Come on, try me!"

Zu An chuckled, observing the Red-eyed Dire Rhino deliberately taunting the black jackals. "Who knew this creature could be so provocative?"

Ji Xiaoxi's cheeks flushed crimson. As a lady, such a sight was difficult for her to bear, and she turned her face away. Yet, her curiosity was too strong to ignore. "How did you manage that? Was it because of that dagger?"

Zu An nodded. "I applied a potent, fast-acting poison to the dagger's tip," he explained, "so when the black jackals bit the rhino and were pricked by the blade, they were poisoned and died." He offered this plausible explanation, unwilling to reveal the true secret of the dagger's inherent venom.

"I see," Ji Xiaoxi murmured, her face still red as she nodded. Internally, however, she pondered: *What kind of poison could possibly last that long? The dagger tip is so small, and so many jackals have bitten it. Surely, the poison should have been significantly diluted by now.*

Meanwhile, in the valley, the fierce black jackals, enraged by the Red-eyed Dire Rhino's taunts, furiously lunged to bite it. Unfortunately for them, each time they bit its rear, the hidden dagger inside would cut their mouths and tongues, activating its lethal poison. Consequently, the number of dead jackals rapidly increased.

Oh.

While the Red-eyed Dire Rhino had initially found the dagger's insertion painful, it soon grew accustomed to it. Each time a black jackal bit the blade's tip, the hilt would churn inside its body, quickly inducing a strange, novel sensation—as if a new door had opened for it.

The pack of fierce black jackals was now genuinely panicking. They retreated ceaselessly, whispering among themselves:

"That creature's excrement truly is poisonous!"

The leader of the fierce black jackals roared, "How can excrement be poisonous? Are the thousands of years of experience passed down by our tribe false?"

"Then you go!" challenged another black jackal, nearly the leader's size and long an adversary.

"I'll go then!"

The fierce black jackal leader knew its rival coveted its position. Noticing the fearful expressions of its subordinates, it understood that its authority would be severely undermined if it didn't act. Thus, it resolved to intervene personally and reassert its dominance.

It continually circled behind the Red-eyed Dire Rhino, finally spotting the perfect opportunity. In a flash, it darted forward like lightning, confident that in the next instant, it could easily rip out the large beast's intestines and internal organs.

Just then, the Red-eyed Dire Rhino's body suddenly stiffened. Its rear had been obstructed for so long, and combined with the gas built up during the struggle, its lower abdomen began to churn. Then, with a drawn-out "poof," it released a large, loud burst of gas, expelling a mass of old excrement and dislodging the dagger along with it.

The fierce black jackal was splattered with excrement all over its face. Just as it was about to erupt in anger, its body suddenly seized up, and it collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

It turned out that the dagger, though not propelled with enough force to inflict a fatal wound, had still sliced an opening on its face, which was sufficient to kill it.

Fierce Black Jackal King's Rage: 10!

"The excrement really is poisonous!""The King was killed by excrement!"

The remaining fierce black jackals, already terrified, now scattered in disarray, frantically fleeing into the forest.

The Red-eyed Dire Rhino shook its head, unsure of what had transpired, but its recent brush with death and the swarm of black jackals attacking its rear left it thoroughly traumatized. It stumbled away, now having no desire to seek revenge on the human.

With tranquility restored to the valley, Zu An descended the steep slope. At the bottom, he spread his arms. "Xiaoxi, be careful. I'll catch you."

Ji Xiaoxi, blushing, shook her head. "There's no need."

With that, she executed a graceful flip, landing lightly at the valley floor with impeccable style and elegance.

Only then did Zu An recall that her cultivation was superior to his. He let out an embarrassed laugh and headed straight to the center of the battlefield, first retrieving the poisoned dagger.

Fortunately, that deceased rhino had expelled it, otherwise he would have needed to use a bottle of paralysis poison to retrieve it later.

"Ugh, that smell..."

Even wrapped in a handkerchief, the dagger still carried an extremely pungent odor. Zu An took out his water flask, poured a generous amount of clean water over it, and washed it thoroughly for a long time before finally tucking it back into his pocket.

Ji Xiaoxi followed him, initially intending to ask to see the dagger and the potent poison on it. However, seeing him tuck it away, she felt too awkward to ask. In her mind, everyone had their own life-preserving secrets, and such a request from her would be somewhat inconsiderate.

Noticing her standing there, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating, Zu An misinterpreted her intentions. He picked up a corner of the handkerchief from the ground and offered it to her. "Here, this is yours. See if it's still usable after a wash."

Ji Xiaoxi stared at the handkerchief in front of her, covered in greenish-yellow, unidentifiable stains and emitting a foul stench. She was speechless.

Ji Xiaoxi's Rage: 1!

Zu An was amused. This young woman had an incredibly good temper; even in that situation, her rage value was only 1. *Does she never get angry?* he wondered.

"Just throw it away; I don't want it anymore," Ji Xiaoxi managed a strained smile. Noticing his earnest gaze, she felt a slight pang of guilt for her words.

Zu An casually tossed the handkerchief aside. "I'll get you a new one next time."

He had no intention of secretly keeping the handkerchief. Even if she might want it after it was clean, the thought of cleaning it was repulsive enough.

Ji Xiaoxi hummed in acknowledgment, seemingly not overly concerned. Looking at the black jackal corpses scattered around, she said, "We should quickly check for 'dog pearls.' It would be problematic if the pack returned later."

"Don't worry," Zu An chuckled. "Those black jackals are thoroughly terrified; they probably won't dare return anytime soon." He couldn't have known that the escaped jackals were so traumatized by the incident that they questioned their very existence, and for months afterward, they avoided attacking the rear of any target, nearly starving to extinction.

Despite his words, Zu An's hands were busy. He quickly disemboweled the jackal corpses, and including the one he already had, he ultimately collected a total of twelve "dog pearls."

To his disappointment, there were no magic cores or crystals. Having read so many novels in his previous life, Zu An had been quite hopeful of such a find. He meticulously searched the fierce black jackal leader's corpse countless times, but there was nothing.

"You're truly impressive," Ji Xiaoxi said, her large eyes wide with admiration. "To have killed so many fierce black jackals all by yourself!"

"Haha, you flatter me, you flatter me," Zu An said, feigning modesty while his face practically pleaded for more compliments.

Watching him collect the "dog pearls" one by one, Ji Xiaoxi hesitated. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Um, I have a rather bold request. I wonder if you'd mind."