Seong Dochun's Blood Poison Pearl absorbed the poison.
However, the poison I had concocted was so potent that the Blood Poison Pearl couldn't completely neutralize it.
While the pearl was absorbing the poison, Seong Dochun reportedly used the Great Turtle Breath Technique to endure as long as possible before losing consciousness.
The Great Turtle Breath Technique allows one to temporarily halt breathing and heartbeat.
With the heart stopped, blood circulation effectively ceases, granting a few extra hours of survival when poisoned. Without assistance, however, death remains inevitable.
Damn it! I was tricked!
Because Seong Dochun's breathing had stopped and his heart had ceased beating due to the Great Turtle Breath Technique, I had assumed he was dead.
No pulse? What else could I think but that he was dead? Fucking hell.
Curses swirled in my mouth.
The only saving grace was that Seong Dochun was unconscious and hadn't seen me. If he had, I'd likely be dragged before Seong Godan by now, my limbs severed.
It's surprising Seong Dochun is still alive, but... he can't identify me.
I won't even be considered a suspect.
I'm still under twenty, and obtaining a poison potent enough to kill Seong Dochun would be nearly impossible. They'll assume it's beyond my capabilities.
Besides, Seong Godan's direct subordinates have searched the Sect multiple times.
They've raided my room without warning, ransacking it before vanishing. They're after Spirit Medicines and medicinal herbs.
Heh. Now that I think about it, there's no reason for me to be anxious. How could they ever find what's in my Inventory?
This world lacked modern forensic science. Fingerprinting was unthinkable, and the Meteor Sword Sect, due to its internal affairs, was reluctant to seek external assistance. This incident was so humiliating that it would forever stain the sect's history.
Seong Dochun being alive is unexpected... but they'll never catch me. Heh heh heh. Stupid fools.
I inwardly mocked them as they desperately searched for the culprit.
"Hoo..."
I sat cross-legged, exhaling deeply as I circulated my Qi. I was practicing the Meteor Heart Method, which I had learned recently. However, I had only grasped its superficial aspects. Unlike the Foundation Heart Method, mastering the Meteor Heart Method would restrict my ability to learn other Mind Methods.
This low-grade Mind Method is sufficient if I only learn its surface.
In the Original Work, the protagonist initially masters the Meteor Heart Method before switching to another. The transition process was far from smooth.
"I've reached the sixth Rank of the Entry Stage."
After consuming two Enhanced Sui Xia Pills and fully absorbing the Spirit Medicine's Qi, I had ascended to the sixth Rank of the Entry Stage.
The frustrating part was that Spirit Medicines became less effective with repeated use due to tolerance buildup.
If not for this limitation, I would have consumed all my Spirit Medicines and aimed for the Will Manifestation Stage.
I quickly shook off the lingering regret. There was other news that cheered me up.
Special Mission successful.
Reward: Three Body Strengthening Pills.
Body Strengthening Pill
Enhances physical resilience. Increases bodily capabilities upon consumption.
Three Body Strengthening Pills materialized before me, resembling crimson pills.
I placed the Body Strengthening Pills within the Bright Ascension Chart. Whenever consuming Spirit Medicines, I always first enhanced them within the Bright Ascension Chart before ingestion. It was my rule... no, my conviction.
"Spirit Medicine is overflowing! Excellent, excellent!"
I felt like dancing for joy.
So I did a little jig.
"Yujin-ah, did you hear? Tomorrow, the Lord of the Medicinal Garden is bringing a Spirit Hound from outside."
Seong Jigun told me this during breakfast.
"Spirit Hound? What's that?"
I'd never heard of a Spirit Hound before. It wasn't even mentioned in the original work.
"A dog that tracks scents of medicinal herbs and Spirit Medicine. The Lord of the Medicinal Garden plans to use it to find the culprit."
"...Ah. Is that so?"
From what I gathered, Spirit Hounds could only track scents of herbs or Spirit Medicine they'd smelled before, with a maximum range of about 10 li (approximately 4 kilometers). They weren't ordinary dogs but Spirit Beasts.
Damn it. I need to hurry back and take a bath.
I hadn't taken out any Spirit Medicine recently, but the lingering scent might still attract that Spirit Hound bastard.
I should disinfect my room just in case.
Just to be safe.
Then anger flared within me. Why was Seong Dochun harassing me like this?
Seong Dochun, you son of a bitch! You got robbed once why can't you just forget it and focus on cultivating your Medicinal Herb Field?
If I let this slide, I'd probably die of pent-up rage.
As I pondered how to screw over Seong Dochun, a brilliant idea struck me.
I'll sacrifice one herb. I'll use a drone to sneak it into Seong Godan's room without anyone noticing.
Since the Sect couldn't produce Spirit Medicine, it was essentially doomed. Sect Leader Seong Godan was frantically trying to change that, leaving plenty of openings for mischief.
"Heh heh. Now, fight each other."
My plan had succeeded.
The following afternoon, Seong Godan and Seong Dochun were locked in a heated argument, their voices raised in anger.
Rumors had spread throughout the sect that stolen medicinal herbs had been found in Seong Godan's residence.
The atmosphere among the upper echelons was at its worst.
The Elders and Seong Dochun knew Seong Godan to be a greedy man.
With only forty years left to live, they suspected he had grown desperate and taken the herbs and Spirit Medicines.
Seong Godan was no fool. After all, he was the founder of the Meteor Sword Sect. He must have sensed the Elders' suspicions.
A few days later, Seong Godan and the Elders were locked in a heated argument in the council chamber. Seong Godan's furious voice reverberated throughout the Sect, causing everyone to retreat into their rooms and cower.
The atmosphere within the Meteor Sword Sect grew increasingly tense with each passing day.
A month later, the atmosphere within the Meteor Sword Sect began to relax.
Seong Godan concluded that the thief who had stolen the Spirit Medicine from the Medicinal Herb Garden was not among the Sect members and lowered the alert level by several ranks.
The Elders opposed this decision, but Seong Godan insisted. He argued that money was needed to purchase medicinal herbs, and to obtain funds, the Sect had to resume its activities.
Moreover, maintaining a prolonged state of seclusion would inevitably diminish the Sect's influence in the outside world.
Seong Jigun and I descended to Hunan City after a long absence, but we couldn't indulge in nostalgia. The Meteor Sword Sect had just resumed active operations when a sudden rape case occurred? It was the perfect situation to arouse suspicion. At times like these, discretion was paramount.
"Can't we just do it? I want to see Hu Jamin," Seong Jigun said to me. Hu Jamin. The Chief Steward's wife.
"Absolutely not." I shook my head firmly. I, too, longed to see the Chief Manager's daughter. Her pussy was surprisingly delicious. Moreover, unlike before, she now welcomed my visits, having tasted the pleasures of sex.
"Ah... hah... It feels so good... I want to see your face... Can't I?"
She had gasped those words while panting above me during our last encounter. Of course, I refused.
Every night, I secretly slipped out of the Meteor Sword Sect. Instead of heading to Hunan City, I ventured deep into the mountains to a secluded cave far from the Sect.
This is where the event I've been eagerly anticipating will unfold.
I had even set up cameras to monitor the cave daily.
Perfect for taking Spirit Medicine without alerting the Spirit Hound.
Returning after consuming the Spirit Medicine was no problem either. I had previously confirmed that thoroughly washing my body with modern hygiene products would mask my scent from the Spirit Hound.
This cave was originally the secret training ground of the Original Work's protagonist.
It's an ideal place for cultivation. The cave used to be inhabited by a bear, but it met its end after being struck by my Lightning Fist.
After consuming the enhanced Spirit Medicine and cultivating within the cave, I returned to the Meteor Sword Sect.
When will the event finally trigger?
Three months later, the event I had been eagerly awaiting finally occurred.
I was lying in bed, watching the live feed from the cave's security camera on my laptop, when I suddenly bolted upright.
A stunningly beautiful woman in a crimson robe had stumbled into the cave and collapsed onto the floor.
She's here!
I dashed out of the Meteor Sword Sect and sprinted toward the cave, channeling my Mana to move with lightning speed.
Upon entering the cave, I swallowed hard as I gazed at her sprawled on the ground.
Though only her profile was visible, she was so breathtakingly beautiful that even Seong Sojeong, known as Meteor's First Beauty, would pale in comparison.
Fuck. I got a hard-on just from seeing her profile.
I approached her slowly and said, "No! What's happened?! Young Lady! Are you alright?!"
I gently turned her body upright. She was drenched in sweat, her breathing ragged. Though her red robes made it difficult to see, a closer look revealed that her side was soaked in blood.
"Good heavens! A serious wound! And she's sweating so profusely... Young Lady must be poisoned!"
Having read the original work, I knew she was indeed poisoned. The protagonist, who constantly gathered medicinal herbs, happened to have an antidote on hand. But I had deliberately prepared the herbs in advance.
The poison is too potent to be completely neutralized by herbs alone... But this woman managed to detoxify herself in the original story.
The medicinal herbs were only providing minimal assistance.
"Young Lady, hold on. You're badly hurt. I need to check the wound and stop the bleeding."
"..."
There was no response, which was no surprise in her condition.
I tore a strip from the edge of her robe and loosened only the blood-soaked fabric around her side wound.
I reached out my hand, then paused.
She was truly breathtakingly beautiful.
Her jet-black hair, tinged with a faint crimson, contrasted sharply with her snow-white skin. Her slightly parted, crimson lips exhaled warm breaths, and her eyebrows were sculpted like those painted by a legendary artist.
Mesmerized, I gazed at her face before focusing on the injury. I pulled back only enough cloth to inspect the wound at her side.
"The cut is deep, and her body heat is abnormal. The poison is spreading fast."
My hand moved toward her side.
"Young Lady, I need to check your breathing and pulse."
I placed two fingers beneath her nose, then against her neck and near the side of her chest, careful to avoid any unnecessary contact. Her pulse was rapid, and her skin burned with unnatural heat.
"Hmm. After examining you, it's clear you've been dosed with a heat-inducing toxin."
I withdrew my hand at once and tightened her clothing again to preserve her warmth.
"Young Lady, there's no need to worry. I'll stabilize you first."
I straightened her upper garment, made her lie face down as I'd first seen her, and stood up.
This was Liu Yangmei, the Blood Flower, daughter of the Blood Emperor, City Lord of Hegemonic Blood City.
They'll be here soon, the ones chasing Yangmei.
I hid in a corner of the cave. When they arrived, I'd activate the Illusioner to conceal myself.
If nothing else, I'm confident in my ability to hide.
Hidden Forest of the Eternal Stream.
Twenty minutes passed in hiding.
Two men entered the cave.
Wearing black conical hats and dark robes, both were clearly injured.
One was missing an arm, while the other had a massive sword wound across his back. Each carried a razor-sharp sword.
"Blood Flower! Is this all you could run to?!"
The wounded man brandished his sword, and the one-armed man beside him stepped forward.
"Captain! Wait a moment! Wouldn't it be a waste to kill Blood Flower outright?"
"...What do you mean, Eighth Brother?"
"This bitch killed twelve of our comrades! We can't appease their spirits by simply killing her! We need to make her pay before she dies!"
"Blood Flower has inherited everything from the Blood Goddess and reached the Three Peaks Stage. She's a dangerous monster. We must kill her before she awakens."
"She's completely poisoned by the Thousand Evils Poison. She's unconscious and defenseless right now! If you won't carve her up, Captain, I will!"
"...It's to honor the spirits of our fallen comrades. There's no other choice."
The men strode toward Liu Yangmei. Seeing them, I scoffed inwardly.
Dead comrades? Bullshit. Their dicks are already hard just looking at Yangmei.
These fools, blinded by lust, didn't even notice me. I planned to burst out the moment they dropped their pants and lunged at Liu Yangmei, killing them all in one swift strike, just like the protagonist in the Original Work had slaughtered his defenseless enemies.
Yangmei is mine, you bastards.
Just then
Woof! Woof!
A dog's bark echoed through the cave as someone entered.
"A cave in a place like this..."
It was Seong Dochun, the Lord of the Medicinal Garden, accompanied by a white dog.
Seong Dochun's face twisted into a demonic grimace as he spotted the men in conical hats. With a violent motion, he drew his sword from his waist.
"So it was you bastards! You poisoned the well and stole the medicinal herbs and Spirit Pills!"
This was an unexpected variable.