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Chapter 3 - Chapter 3 – The Fang Under the Tree

The orchard wall lay at the very edge of the Zhen Family estate, where twisted banyan trees grew like giant claws digging into the earth. It was forbidden ground after sundown. Not because of ghosts or curses—though the servants whispered those too—but because of snakes.

Dozens of species nested under the tangled roots and in the hollow stone crevices of the crumbling wall. Most were small. Some were venomous. And a few... could kill a man in minutes.

That's exactly what Ah Yue needed.

The green-fanged forest serpent, the third poison in the Five Poison Palm.

---

It had been three nights since the toad bile trial. The madness had passed. His mind now moved with steady force, like a stream flowing over sharp rocks without breaking.

Each step in his technique made him stronger—but only because the Drawback System turned the horrors into blessings.

Ordinary people would be crippled by the poison.

Ah Yue grew from it.

Now, he stood under the pale sky, wrapped in a grey servant robe, the cloth thick around his arms to ward off any sudden bites. He carried a small sack slung over his back, weighted with tools: two jars, a pair of tongs, a curved-handled blade, and crushed rat meat wrapped in dried lotus leaves.

A bait. A trap. A plan.

---

He crouched behind a barrel cactus, eyes scanning the wall's base. The banyan trees' roots hung low like ropes, tangled into the brick foundation.

There. A slight glimmer of movement beneath a patch of mushrooms.

A thin, emerald body uncoiled—scales slick and glinting under the moon. Its fangs were long, nearly half the size of its face. The green-fanged forest serpent was beautiful in a deadly way, like all things in this world.

Ah Yue placed the bait with trembling fingers. His heart pounded—not from fear, but tension. The System wouldn't save him from a bite. He still needed to trap it first.

The snake slithered forward, tongue flicking. Closer. Closer…

With a snap, he brought the wooden fork down on its neck and pinned it.

The serpent writhed violently, coiling around the stick.

Its fangs gnashed in the air.

Ah Yue reached for the tongs and twisted its head sideways. With one swift press of the tool, he forced open the mouth and pierced the venom sac with a needle. Thick, green liquid dripped into the waiting jar.

---

Just three drops were enough.

He let the snake go.

It hissed once and darted into the weeds.

---

Back behind the herb shed, Ah Yue sat cross-legged and stared at the jar. The green venom shimmered, refracting light like liquid glass. He dipped a reed straw in and drew out a single bead.

This one... was supposed to cause nerve inflammation. Victims often convulsed, screamed, or lost control of their limbs.

He drank.

The change was immediate.

His arms snapped to the side. Legs kicked involuntarily. Pain ripped through his spine like fire ants dancing on his nerves. His body twisted violently, muscles spasming in waves.

He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth ached.

He couldn't move.

His limbs weren't listening.

He began to choke.

> [Drawback Detected: Neurotoxic Paralysis, Muscle Seizure]

Reversing…

Drawback Reversed → Effect Gained: "Nerve Threading"

Fine motor control +70%. Martial precision drastically improved. Reaction time halved.

Suddenly, he could feel every twitch in his fingers. Every tendon. Every muscle fiber, responding to thought like trained birds.

The spasms stopped.

The pain vanished.

Ah Yue exhaled.

He stood slowly, lifting one foot in the air. Balanced on the ball of the other. His movements now felt fluid, sharp, purposeful. His body no longer hesitated.

> Third poison integrated.

Five Poison Palm progress: 37%

---

A gust of wind passed through the bamboo trees.

And then—voices.

"...Did you hear something?"

"Snake? Ghost?"

"Don't joke, Li San, or I'll piss myself right here!"

Ah Yue darted behind the storage barrel and held his breath.

Two junior stewards were patrolling nearby, carrying oil lamps. They wore short sabers and loose black jackets—the Zhen Family's night guards.

They didn't see him.

One of them squatted near the banyan tree and urinated loudly.

The other muttered, "Old Zhang said some of the poison snakes are worth silver to the apothecary. Maybe we catch one, eh?"

Ah Yue crept away in silence, the poison jar hidden inside his sash.

---

Back in the servant dormitory, the fire pit had long gone cold. A few boys snored loudly under thin blankets. One of them muttered in his sleep, drooling onto his wooden bowl.

Ah Yue returned to his mat and sat down quietly.

He stared at his hands.

He could feel the difference.

The Five Poison Palm wasn't just a technique now. It lived under his skin.

His right hand twitched with a pulse of energy. When he flexed, faint purple veins ran from the base of his thumb to the tips of his fingers.

A scorpion mark.

A toad mark.

Now, a snake shadow joined them.

Three poisons.

And with each one, his body no longer resembled a common kitchen slave's.

---

Morning came with a whip crack.

"Up! Lazy scum! Who stole eggs from the eastern kitchen?!"

The steward's boot slammed into the nearest sleeper, who yelped and rolled over.

Ah Yue rose quietly, dressed, and walked to the courtyard. He was assigned to morning porridge and rice deliveries for the inner hall. A lowly job.

But it gave him access.

He walked past the weapon rack—just a glance—but noticed something interesting. A small iron gauntlet with fingerless grip had been taken out and dusted clean.

Someone was preparing for martial demonstration.

That meant the Zhen Family's inner disciples were about to spar.

That meant opportunity.

---

In the kitchen, he stirred rice slowly, watching the steam rise in coils. Beside him, old cook Nan muttered about fish bones and bitter gourds.

Ah Yue poured a small ladle of rice water into his own bowl.

He mixed in crushed charcoal and ginger.

Then drank.

Poison immunity didn't mean carelessness. He needed to keep his organs strong while his body absorbed toxins.

"Why you always drinking burnt water, Ah Yue?" asked a tall, scar-faced boy beside him. His name was Bo Qiang, one of the stable cleaners.

"For the taste," Ah Yue replied calmly.

Bo Qiang grunted. "You're weird."

Ah Yue smiled faintly.

---

Later, while delivering porridge to the martial courtyard, he saw them—Zhen Tian and Zhen Mu, the inner disciples.

Zhen Tian was 17, already at Level 2 Martial Strength, and rumored to be the next chosen son.

He moved like a spear, precise and proud.

His younger cousin Zhen Mu was softer, but quick-footed.

They sparred with palm techniques, pushing energy waves at each other.

Ah Yue paused to watch.

Just once.

His eyes narrowed.

He could now see the weaknesses—Zhen Tian's center of gravity swayed too far on left stance. Zhen Mu's footwork lacked balance on backstep.

The Drawback System hadn't just changed his body.

It had changed how he saw the world.

---

That night, back in the courtyard, Ah Yue practiced the Five Poison Palm in silence.

His movements had become smoother, more fluid, more dangerous.

The manual's steps were clear now.

Step One: Scorpion Bite

Step Two: Toad Madness

Step Three: Serpent Fang

Next would be the Centipede Stomach—known for corrosive qi and blood rot. Most who attempted it bled from their pores.

He would find a centipede from the far wall compost pile. Perhaps the guards dumped rotten fruit there.

He needed it soon.

But one problem remained.

Cui Lian.

She had seen the toad bile night. She had said nothing. But she now avoided him. Kept her eyes lowered. Left rooms when he entered.

Was she afraid?

Or curious?

He would need to find out. Secrets could not be left dangling.

---

Just as he settled into sleep, the System sent a final message:

> [Martial Progress Update]

Martial Rank: Peak of Level 0

Current Cultivation: 73% towards Level 1

Martial Technique Mastery: Five Poison Palm – Stage 3/5

System Alert: Remaining poisons – Centipede, Spider. Warning: Next toxins classified as "High-risk."**

Ah Yue closed his eyes.

The pain didn't frighten him anymore.

He welcomed it.

Let the centipede rot his blood.

Let the spider turn his flesh to ice.

He would reverse them all.

And then no one would dare look down on a kitchen slave again.

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