Chapter 136: Xiao Yan, Your Kidney is Bleeding… You Alright?
"Heh heh…" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly. He had already suspected Qi Jing of harboring ill intentions, so how could he not prepare for this?
"You…" Xiao Yan's face darkened, anger boiling within him. Clearly, there had been some sort of setup. This damned Lu Bu had dragged him into another mess. But as he opened his mouth to shout, a faint numbness spread from his lips, creeping through his body.
His hands and feet grew sluggish, and his Dou Qi became difficult to circulate.
Poison.
The daggers were coated with poison.
"Xiao Yan gege, the mentor is poisoned as well!" Xiao Xun'er said grimly.
Xiao Yan's eyes flicked toward their mentor, who had previously been either in the sky or hidden nearby. Now, the man sat pale faced and slumped against a tree, his eyes tightly shut as he focused all his Dou Qi on resisting the deadly toxin coursing through him.
Xiao Yan's face darkened further. "What the hell is going on here?"
"Enemies are coming," Lu Bu said calmly, his expression unchanged.
No sooner had he spoken than an arrogant, triumphant laugh rang out. "Hahaha… Lu Bu, is it?"
From above, two black shadows descended, their Dou Qi wings spreading wide. They slowly landed not far from Lu Bu and Xiao Yan, their gazes fixed on Lu Bu with smug amusement.
As for Xiao Yan? He was completely ignored. Even Xiao Xun'er didn't warrant a glance. For Mo Ya, there was only one thing on his mind: the thrill of vengeance.
Nearby, Qi Jing, who had been slapped away by Xiao Xun'er, slowly rose to her feet. Kneeling on one knee before Mo Ya, she bowed her head respectfully and said, "Greetings, Young Master."
After paying her respects, Qi Jing moved to stand silently behind Mo Ya, casting a cool glance at the injured Lu Bu and Xiao Yan. A flicker of satisfaction gleamed in her otherwise cold gaze.
She was quite pleased with her handiwork.
"Lu Bu…" Xiao Yan's face turned green with fury, and he growled through clenched teeth. "This is your enemy! Why did you drag me into this?"
How could I forget about you, my dear brother? Lu Bu rolled his eyes and raised his eyebrows at Xiao Yan in response.
"…"
Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er trembled with rage. They wanted nothing more than to strangle Lu Bu. It was bad enough that he had dragged them into this mess, but to not even give them a heads up?
"Oh?" Mo Ya's gaze shifted, pausing briefly on Xiao Yan before landing on Xiao Xun'er. His eyes lit up with a crazed gleam of possessiveness. "What a stunning little beauty!"
Both Lu Bu and Xiao Yan frowned deeply, their eyes flashing with killing intent.
This Mo Ya wasn't walking away today, no matter what.
Lu Bu silently vowed to himself: No matter what it takes, if this guy escapes again, I'll write my last name backward.
"Give me the antidote, and I'll help you kill this bastard!" Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at Lu Bu. At the same time, he pulled a large blade out of his storage ring and waved it threateningly in Lu Bu's direction.
"Xiao Yan gege, don't move!" Xiao Xun'er hurriedly held him down, her voice filled with worry. "The poison will spread faster if you exert yourself!"
"I don't care! I'm going to kill this bastard for setting me up like this!" Xiao Yan roared. However, he stopped short of mentioning Lu Bu's fake injury.
The situation was still unclear, and the enemy's strength was unknown. Best to hold onto a trump card for now. If an opportunity arose later, he could always turn the tables on Lu Bu.
Lu Bu rolled his eyes. He knew Xiao Yan was stalling. The poison may have been troublesome for ordinary people, but for someone like Xiao Yan who had external help it wouldn't be a major issue.
"Young Master?" One of the black robed elders behind Mo Ya spoke up, his voice cold and measured. "We should act swiftly. Hesitation invites disaster."
"Uncle Li, cripple him!" Mo Ya barked, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as he pointed at Lu Bu.
Last time, his arrogance and overconfidence had cost him dearly. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistake. He would strike with overwhelming force, crush this bastard, and drag him back to Black Emperor City for endless torture.
The elder known as Uncle Li moved like a striking eagle. His Dou Qi wings flared as he lunged forward, his five fingers shining with a deadly gleam as he aimed straight for Lu Bu's dantian.
"Hmph!" Lu Bu's face briefly flashed with fear, but he raised his hand in a sudden motion. A black figure materialized like a ghost, its body wreathed in green flames. With the ferocity of a tiger unleashed, the puppet struck out with both palms, meeting the elder's claws head on.
Boom!
The collision unleashed a powerful shockwave that swept up sand and stones, knocking Lu Bu, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Xun'er off their feet.
"Exactly as planned!" The elder's expression showed no surprise. Instead, a faint smile crept across his face as he engaged the puppet in fierce combat.
Mo Ya had already warned them about the strange puppet in Lu Bu's possession.
"Trying to run? Not so fast!" Mo Ya sneered, his fingers clawing through the air as he lunged not toward Lu Bu, but Xiao Xun'er.
She was the only uninjured one left. To prevent any chance of a comeback, he needed to seize her immediately.
(And no, this decision wasn't driven by lust; it was purely a strategic battlefield assessment… or so Mo Ya convinced himself.)
Not far away, Lu Bu began to quietly inch away from the chaos, trying to shrink his presence.
Xiao Xun'er had powerful bodyguards, a strong lineage, and Xiao Yan to protect her. She'd be fine… probably.
And Lu Bu? He was an honest man. Never in his life would he consider abandoning his comrades to save his own skin. Definitely not.
"Scumbag!" Xiao Yan roared, his face twisted with rage. Xiao Xun'er's eyes flashed coldly. With a swift motion, she snatched the dagger lodged in Xiao Yan's waist and hurled it at Mo Ya.
Lu Bu winced as he watched. He could almost feel the pain in his own waist.
The blade gleamed as it streaked through the air. Mo Ya instinctively tilted his head, the dagger slicing a shallow cut across his cheek.
"Heh… Nice try, little beauty, but you're not getting away!" Mo Ya grinned wickedly as he reached for Xiao Xun'er's slender neck.
"Not so fast!" Xiao Yan roared, flames of crimson and gray bursting forth from his body. His aura surged rapidly, leaping from a seven star Da Dou Shi to the Dou Wang level in an instant.
"Ha!" With a furious shout, Xiao Yan's fiery palms slammed into Mo Ya's outstretched hand.
Boom!
Flames exploded, scorching everything in their path.
Lu Bu winced again, instinctively touching his own back. "That… that kidney's bleeding a lot. Is he gonna be okay? What about Xiao Xun'er if it gets worse?"
Hovering in midair, Mo Ya's face was ashen. His hands were bright red, seared by the intense flames. The pain only fueled his fury.
First, he had been humiliated by Lu Bu. Now, a mere Da Dou Shi had made a fool of him.
"Enough!" Mo Ya roared, his purple black Dou Qi wings flaring as he dove toward them once more.
"Wait!" Xiao Yan shouted, clutching his bleeding side. Blood trickled through his fingers as he pointed weakly at Lu Bu.
"Aren't you here for him? Why are you wasting time with me? He's trying to escape!"
Mo Ya froze mid dive, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward Lu Bu. Sure enough, the cunning bastard was attempting to slip away unnoticed.
"…"
Lu Bu sighed, shaking his head. There goes his plan to sit back and watch the show.
"Uncle Zhou, join me!" Mo Ya barked. "Kui Sha, guard the perimeter! No one escapes!"
Another black shadow appeared in the air, accompanied by a powerful surge of Dou Qi. Two Dou Huangs now stood alongside Mo Ya.
Seeing Mo Ya shift his attention, Xiao Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Then he winced, clutching his side again.
"Damn it… my kidney really hurts!"
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