The exit of the Magic Beast Mountain Range lay quiet beneath the midday sun.
Liu Xi stepped out from the shadows of the forest, his expression calm and composed, though his gaze lingered on the empty road ahead. The wide trade path that was usually bustling with mercenaries and caravans was now eerily deserted.
He frowned slightly. 'With the Amethyst Lion Birth Essence in hand, and together with the Earth Fire Lotus Seed, I should be able to push my strength to 9-Star Dou Wang…'
Lost in thought, Liu Xi failed to notice how unnaturally still the world around him had become.
As he made his way back toward Qingshan Town, his unease deepened. The moment he stepped into its outskirts, the usual noise of shouting traders and laughing mercenaries was gone. The streets that once buzzed with life were now silent.
Something was wrong.
Many shops were shuttered; even those few still open were nearly empty, the air heavy with tension. The rare mercenaries that passed by clutched their weapons tightly, their eyes flickering with a strange mix of anger and fear.
Liu Xi's brows furrowed. 'In a remote town like this… what could cause such chaos?'
Then, a thought struck him.
"Xiao Yixian?"
At once, his Spiritual Power swept across the town like a storm, covering every inch of Qingshan Town. In an instant, everything came into his perception — every sound, every breath, every movement.
Near the town's center, half the remaining mercenaries had gathered before a sprawling manor. Yet none dared to enter; they stood frozen outside, fear and hesitation gripping their hearts.
Liu Xi's eyes narrowed. With a flick of his foot, his body blurred into a streak of azure light and shot toward the manor.
'It seems letting her know her fate early… was a mistake.'
Within moments, he arrived. Angry voices and venomous gossip reached his ears before his feet even touched the ground.
"I never thought someone as gentle as Xiao Yixian would have such a venomous heart beneath that pretty face!"
"Right? If we hadn't found the body of her poisoned assistant, we'd still be in the dark!"
"She's a Poison Master! If we hadn't discovered it in time, we'd all be dead!"
The accusations grew louder, each word sharper than the last.
At the forefront stood Mu She, leader of Qingshan Town's largest mercenary group. His cold voice rang out as he glared at the silent manor.
"Mr. Yao, that Poison Master was your Ten Thousand Herb Pavilion's recruit. She's killed many of our people. Shouldn't you, at least, take responsibility?"
The middle-aged man beside him — Yao, the owner of Ten Thousand Herb Pavilion — gave a disdainful snort.
"Mu She, haven't you always wanted Xiao Yixian for yourself? Fine. I'll step aside. Go in and bring her out — do whatever you wish with her."
"Hmph!" Mu She sneered. "Everyone knows this place is filled with deadly poison mist. Those who rushed in earlier are all dead! Who dares go in now?"
Yao's gaze swept over the once-proud estate that had belonged to his faction. His tone turned somber. "Who could've thought that Xiao Yixian was a Poison Master? There's nothing to do but negotiate. If she won't leave… then we'll have to abandon this place."
"No!" Mu She barked. His eyes gleamed with malice. "If we don't get rid of her now, she'll come back one day for revenge!"
At that very moment, a streak of azure light flashed overhead.
Liu Xi landed silently before the manor gates, drawing startled murmurs from the crowd.
"Who is that? Such speed—what movement technique is that?"
But Liu Xi paid them no mind. His eyes were already fixed on the quiet manor ahead, his senses piercing through layers of poisonous mist — through the barriers — to the fragile figure hidden within.
The gates bore marks of forced entry. Inside, the stone path was littered with the corpses of mercenaries, their skin blackened with toxin, their weapons dropped mid-swing.
As Liu Xi walked past them, he inhaled faint traces of medicinal fragrance within the poison and couldn't help but sigh softly.
'Even in despair, her control of toxins is precise. These compounds are strong enough to kill a Dou Shi outright without antidote. It's only been… what, ten days since I gave her the Seven Colored Poison Scripture?'
A flicker of azure flame flowed from his core, coursing through his meridians, burning away the invading toxins with ease.
Soon, he reached a quiet wooden door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
A trembling voice answered from within — anxious, fragile, and desperate.
Liu Xi smiled faintly.
"It seems these days haven't been kind to you."
There was a pause. Then a whisper, "…It's you."
The door creaked open.
There stood Xiao Yixian, pale and haggard. The light in her violet-gray eyes was dim, her beauty dulled by exhaustion and sorrow. When she saw Liu Xi, her eyes wavered slightly — between relief and despair.
"Are you here… to kill me?"
Liu Xi chuckled softly.
"And why would I want to kill you?"
Her lips quivered. "Because I'm cursed… I was born with the Woeful Poison Body. A natural Poison Master destined to bring calamity."
Liu Xi's tone remained calm. "That, I already knew. What I don't understand… is how the whole town found out."
Xiao Yixian's delicate frame trembled. She took a step back, guilt flickering across her face. "I didn't mean to poison Lifi. She came into my room uninvited — touched my arm. I couldn't stop it."
Tears welled in her eyes. "By the time I tried to save her… it was too late. And then everything spiraled out of control. The rumors spread — everyone learned I was a Poison Master. Those I once saved… began to fear me. To hate me. To hunt me."
Her voice broke into a bitter laugh. "Heh… I suppose a Poison Master is nothing more than a rat on the street — everyone wants to kill it."
Even she seemed surprised at how much she was saying. Perhaps because Liu Xi was the only one who truly knew her secret — the only one who didn't look at her with disgust.
Liu Xi understood perfectly.
Compared to the healer she once was, the title of Poison Master was a curse in most lands. Only in places like the Chu Yun Empire, where poison arts were revered, could such people live without fear. Elsewhere, they were nightmares made flesh.
He nodded slowly. "So, those mercenaries outside… they're the ones who tried to force their way in?"
Xiao Yixian lowered her head. "I never wanted to kill anyone. I saved their lives once, yet now… they wish for my death."
Her voice trembled with disbelief. "How could they turn on me so easily?"
She bit her lip, her fragile shoulders shaking. At the end of the day, no matter her intelligence or talent, Xiao Yixian was still just a fourteen-year-old girl — terrified, heartbroken, and utterly alone.
(End of Chapter)
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