Chapter Ten: Do You Dare to Poison?

“Mr. Wang comes from a distinguished family and is unwilling to befriend us of the Path of Heaven—such things are hardly uncommon,” the envoy in the hemp robe said with a smile. “Yet I wonder, should the authorities learn that you once aided someone from the Path of Heaven, what would they think?” The threat in his words was unmistakable.

Now, at last, the hidden blade was revealed. But Wang Zhenling only smiled, his tone calm as he replied, “The dead cannot speak.”

“The dead? You—” The envoy began to laugh, but suddenly felt a suffocating tightness in his chest. Alarmed, he tried to rise, but dizziness overwhelmed him, and he knocked over the cup of tea before him.

“You actually poisoned the tea? Impossible! I have the divine talisman bestowed by the master; I am immune to all poisons…” He had drunk the tea without suspicion, confident in the protection of his talisman, heedless of any attempt at poisoning. But he had never anticipated the potency of Wang Zhenling's poison.

Now Wang Zhenling rose as well, backing away steadily. Though the envoy was clearly poisoned and unlikely to recover, the son of a noble house never sits with his back to the hall. To guard against any desperate final attack, Wang Zhenling prudently kept his distance.

“You wretch—such ruthless methods!” The envoy, skilled in cultivation, had never taken Wang Zhenling seriously; from beginning to end, he believed he had him firmly in his grasp. He had not guessed Wang Zhenling would poison the tea at the outset, nor could he imagine the poison would be so deadly. Now, reeling and barely able to stand, he hated Wang Zhenling fiercely, determined to drag him down in death if need be.

With a shout, he lunged at Wang Zhenling. But Wang Zhenling, ever alert, had anticipated a dying attack. As the envoy surged forward, Wang Zhenling did not hesitate, crashing through the wall and fleeing the house.

After all, this was but a thatched hut. Its walls were framed in wood and smeared with clay, hardly sturdy. Wang Zhenling broke through them with ease, sacrificing a wall of his own home without regret.

The envoy’s lunge missed its mark. He swiftly drew a paper talisman from his robe, flicked it in the air, and it caught fire. Without fear of the burning heat, he thrust it into his mouth.

This was a lifesaving talisman bestowed by the Grand Marshal of Xun Prefecture of the Path of Heaven—not capable of raising the dead, nor of restoring flesh to bone, but so long as one had a breath left, it could save a life.

As soon as the talisman entered his mouth, it felt as if fiery energy surged through his body, burning away the virulent poison tormenting him. Streams of black smoke poured from his pores as the toxins were expelled.

Once cleansed, he was confident he could pursue Wang Zhenling and tear the ruthless youth limb from limb.

But at that critical moment, a cold glint flashed like lightning. Before the envoy could react, it pierced his throat.

His last sight was Wang Zhenling outside the broken wall, bow in hand, the string still vibrating.

In that instant, as Wang Zhenling crashed through the wall, he had seized the bow hung upon it...

To live in such remote wilds required skill, if nothing else. Besides, Confucian scholars mastered the Six Arts; in such classical times, archery was esteemed. As a scion of the Wang clan of Danling, Wang Zhenling’s archery could hardly be lacking—especially at a range of barely a dozen paces.

“You—” The envoy tried to speak, but the arrow blocked his throat. Not a word escaped; he could only make a few guttural sounds and died.

“That was close…” Only now did Wang Zhenling feel a surge of fear. His legs trembled, cold sweat soaking his back. Yet he remained cautious, taking up another arrow and approaching step by step, probing until he was certain the envoy was truly dead before finally relaxing.

It was not excessive caution, but the Path of Heaven was famed for its unpredictability. The envoy had nearly survived even Wang Zhenling’s throat-sealing poison; who could say he was truly dead? Better to be safe.

Just as Wang Zhenling breathed out in relief, the envoy’s corpse suddenly moved. A shadowy figure, wreathed in mist, lunged at Wang Zhenling.

“I’ve been waiting for you…” Wang Zhenling showed not a hint of surprise, his expression one of anticipation.

After the Qi Refining stage comes the Out-of-Body stage, when the soul can leave the flesh and wander for a time.

Wang Zhenling had long mastered such power and had prepared accordingly. As the envoy’s soul rushed at him, Wang Zhenling’s Sun Ghost-Slaying Sword struck out.

The five realms of Qi Refining are Qi Accumulation, Qi Extension, Qi Descent, Qi Stabilization, and Qi Consolidation.

The five realms of the Out-of-Body stage are Spirit Emergence, Spirit Growth, Spirit Concealment, Spirit Darkness, and Spirit Clarity.

The envoy was formidable, having reached the Spirit Concealment realm. Even struck by the Sun Ghost-Slaying Sword, his soul only let out a wail and did not dissipate, still lunging at Wang Zhenling.

But Wang Zhenling raised his hand and struck again with the Lunar Demon-Cleaving Sword.

The powers of the sun and moon greatly nourish the soul, but when used to attack, their destructive force is equally astonishing.

Had the envoy retained his flesh, such attacks might not have troubled him. But for his soul to suffer two such blows was fatal.

Once, his soul had reached the Spirit Concealment realm, three inches tall, fully human in form, radiant and able to roam the night without fear of wind or frost. Now, struck by both swords, his light dimmed and his soul shrank to barely an inch.

Still, he did not dissipate, but struggled toward Wang Zhenling.

But suddenly, a halo shimmered around Wang Zhenling—it was the radiance of the luminous pearl.

With a soft “pop,” the envoy’s soul was bounced away.

Wang Zhenling was not unscathed, forced to retreat as well.

By now, the envoy’s soul had suffered repeated blows. With the added strength of Wang Zhenling and the luminous pearl, their power was nearly matched. Even if the envoy had once been stronger, now his strength was limited.

At this point, to seize Wang Zhenling’s body and possess him was nothing but a dream!