The Young Traveler 011

Poison Embroiderer Yue'e was somewhat surprised by the girl who had collapsed in front of her caravan. However, her surprise wasn't about the girl's appearance, but rather about the master's prior warning.

Truly, it had to be the master. He actually foresaw this!

"So it is you. I could smell that cheap scent from miles away," Lin Wanqing said, looking at the gaudily dressed woman and snorting coldly. Although Zhao Jinglei wasn't here, she still had a swordsmanship prodigy by her side, Xiao Changfeng.

"Rebels of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion... So this disturbance is indeed related to you."

Yue'e rolled her eyes. "Hey, you're fugitives, we're rebels. What ground do you think you have to judge us?"

Lin Wanqing disliked her more and more. Her fingers twitched slightly, and a faint floral fragrance gradually began to permeate the air.

Yue'e's expression changed slightly. The master is truly divine!

"Huh, what a lovely scent..." As the first person slumped to the ground, others followed one after another.

A smug smile appeared on Lin Wanqing's face. "Didn't expect that, did you? When it comes to poison, this young lady is second to none. Even in an open area like this, with just a mere thought from me, all your great skills are rendered useless."

"W-witch..." someone struggled to say.

Lin Wanqing glanced with a hint of pity at the struggling commoners. "Blame yourselves for helping this rebel."

She took two steps forward, looking at Yue'e. "The first time I saw you, I wondered, how could a woman like you, with no family background, run a cloth shop? Later, I understood. You must have done countless unspeakable things, right? Dressing up so provocatively every day, it's really..."

Yue'e suddenly spoke. "I see. You're jealous of me?"

Lin Wanqing frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

"You're jealous, little sister, aren't you?" Yue'e laughed.

Lin Wanqing suddenly felt a surge of anger. She wasn't jealous! She just hated this woman's laugh, hated her way of speaking! Just like her own dead sister!

"Let me tell you, I'm going to use the most potent poison on your face. You'll beg for death but find no release, forced to watch your body rot away bit by bit!"

Lin Wanqing, agitated, moved to step forward but was stopped by Xiao Changfeng.

"What is it?"

Xiao Changfeng's face was grave. "She's unaffected."

"How could that be..."

Yue'e glanced at her. "Don't waste your effort. Your little tricks don't work on me."

Lin Wanqing was startled, a bad premonition stirring in her heart.

Yue'e suddenly remembered that since their first meeting, this girl had never known her background. She saw no need to hide it now. "I was studying poison while you were still begging your father for candied hawthorns. My alias in the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion is Poison Embroiderer."

Putting on a show of strength was necessary—that's what the master said. It was to make your subordinates respect you.

Of course, she wouldn't say it was because the master had warned her in advance. Otherwise, faced with this girl's sudden attack, she might have truly met her downfall today.

Lin Wanqing felt a wave of dizziness. "You... you!" She suddenly realized that within the fragrance she had released, there was an even fainter scent mixed in, one she had completely failed to notice earlier.

"Not even sparing the commoners. You truly deserve to die," Yue'e said, shaking her head with a sigh.

But Xiao Changfeng suddenly erupted into action. "Die!" He had been using his internal cultivation technique to resist the poison from the start, so he was naturally in good condition. Against a poison-using cultivator like this, he was ten-tenths confident!

Then came the crisp sound of metal clashing.

A lazy voice came from the coachman who had been wearing a bamboo hat all along. "What's all this, then?"

"Who... who are you?" Xiao Changfeng was incredulous. He had put almost all his power into that sword strike, yet a mere coachman had blocked it.

"Me? Just a hitchhiker." The coachman removed his hat, revealing a weathered face, then picked up a wine gourd and took a deep swig. "Ah, refreshing!"

Xiao Changfeng quickly recognized the man. "Sword Immortal of Wine!"

Sword Immortal of Wine let out a sigh.

Xiao Changfeng's sword technique surged wildly within him. "In that case, you will all die. Not a single one will escape."

Sword Immortal of Wine looked at him sideways, then after a long moment, shook his head. "You are not worthy of wielding a sword."

"Master, are you truly not worried about them?" Golden Abacus felt a pang of anxiety. He didn't understand how his master could remain so calm and composed while such major events were unfolding outside.

Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "What is there to worry about?"

With that, he suddenly swept the chessboard in front of him. "Enough playing. You should set off now too."

Golden Abacus stood up and bowed. After taking two steps, he looked back. "Master, I have to say, your chess etiquette is terrible. Tipping the board just because you're losing."

Then he scurried away.

Fang Zhiyi was caught between laughter and tears. Little Hei, having finished watching the excitement, came flying back in a hurry.

"Well?"

"Just as expected. Without those meddlers causing trouble this time, Sword Immortal of Wine beat that Xiao Changfeng so badly even his own mother wouldn't recognize him." Little Hei had watched the fight firsthand and found it quite interesting.

"And then?"

"Lin Wanqing tried a last-ditch struggle but ended up accidentally spilling the poison on her own face. It's a sight not fit for human eyes." As he spoke, Little Hei's expression twisted. "Tsk tsk tsk, you didn't see it. It even scared Poison Embroiderer Yue'e, who quickly gathered her people and fled."

"However, Xiao Changfeng didn't die. Sword Immortal of Wine was unwilling to kill, only severing the tendons in his wrists."

Fang Zhiyi applauded. "Making a sword-wielding genius never able to hold a sword again. That's destroying the spirit."

News arrived one piece after another.

Ye Qingzhou died after his legs were shattered by a hidden mechanism. As he fell, he faintly remembered the words spoken by that young girl who had once laughingly patted his head.

"If you ever cross me, I'll use this mechanism I made to break your legs!"

Ye Qingzhou smiled bitterly, watching helplessly as he bled more and more, until finally, he died with his eyes wide open.

Chu Yao hid in the mountain forests, ready to flee at the slightest hint of abnormality. Yet, even so, she did not escape. The floral scent in the woods did not alert her. By the time she realized something was wrong, the poison hidden within the fragrance had already made her dizzy. When she woke again, both her eyes had turned completely white, seeing nothing.

Chu Yao, skilled with the bow, now blind, stumbled and disappeared into the woods.

Poison Embroiderer Yue'e, leaning against a tree, watched her retreating figure, not understanding why the master had said this one must not be killed.

Hua Nongying feared loneliness. Having lost her companions, she cried pitifully. A father and son passing by thought she was lost and kindly took her home, unaware their action was akin to inviting a wolf into their house.

Hua Nongying was filled with fear and suspicion. She trusted no one but her companions—simply put, she suffered from persecution complex. Therefore, she chose to strike first before these people could kill her. Even as a healer, she was still a cultivator; killing two ordinary people was easy. Sadly, the father and son died without understanding why.