Xu Haoran's expression was like someone who had just clutched a lifeline. "Brother Feng, just tell me what to do. I'll do whatever you say!"
"Do you know why Yang Yanpeng hasn't made his move yet?" Zou Feng didn't rush to reveal his plan, asking a question instead.
"I... I don't know..." Xu Haoran shook his head blankly.
"Because you're not ripe yet." Zou Feng sized up Xu Haoran. "If I'm not mistaken, your Five Poison Palm hasn't broken through to the Minor Success Realm, has it?"
Realization dawned on Xu Haoran. "I'm just a little bit away. Brother Feng, are you saying that once I break through to Minor Success, I'll be 'ripe'!?"
It was easy for Zou Feng to guess that Yang Yanpeng needed to raise his "Human Gu" until their Five Poison Palm reached Minor Success.
After all, Yang Yanpeng was clearly anxious, yet he hadn't acted. This was enough to prove the "Human Gu" weren't ripe yet, so he had no choice but to keep waiting.
'But because I was the first to show Talent in the Five Beasts Pile Skill, in Yang Yanpeng's eyes, I was the first to ripen.'
'He's just waiting for Xu Haoran to "ripen" as well before he can perfectly draw in his net.'
'This also indirectly proves that one ripe person isn't enough. He must need to use both of us as ingredients for Refinement at the same time...'
"Brother Feng, in that case... I'll just drag my feet. I won't practice. I won't break through to Minor Success with the Five Poison Palm..."
Zou Feng shook his head. "That won't work. Once the conditions for the Five Poison Palm are met, progress should be rapid. If you intentionally drag your feet, don't you think Yang Yanpeng will notice?"
Hearing this, Xu Haoran's face fell. "Then what should I do...?"
"Stop whining. I already told you to just listen to me. Go ahead and break through. Leave the rest to me!"
As he spoke, Zou Feng handed Xu Haoran a small, egg-sized bamboo cage.
"This is the Child Gu from a Mother and Child Gu pair. If Yang Yanpeng makes a move on you, do everything in your power to crush it immediately."
"When the Child Gu dies, as long as the distance isn't too great, the Mother Gu I have here will sense it instantly."
"I'll immediately rush over to support you, and we'll kill Yang Yanpeng together!"
This Mother and Child Gu was something Zou Feng had bought at the Ghost Market earlier. This kind of thing was actually quite common; not only was it available at the Ghost Market, but many traveling merchants also sold it openly.
After taking the Child Gu, Xu Haoran still looked timid. "Brother Feng, are... are you confident?"
"Of course. Especially since that bastard Yang Yanpeng will think he's finally about to harvest his prize. That's when he'll be at his most careless. We, on the other hand, will be prepared for the unprepared!"
"Then, Brother Feng, why don't you strike first and find an opportunity to just..."
Zou Feng shot him a glance and then, surprisingly, told the truth. "Because I want to turn the tables and refine Yang Yanpeng instead. The moment he makes his move is the moment he himself has ripened. And all the preparations he's made will be perfectly suited for my own use."
Hearing this, Xu Haoran finally let out a long sigh of relief and then steeled his resolve. "Alright, I'll risk it all with him! I believe in your skills, Brother Feng!"
Patting Xu Haoran's shoulder, Zou Feng said gravely, "Don't worry. After this is done, I won't treat you unfairly!"
"You're right to trust me. People like Yang Yanpeng deserved their retribution long ago."
Zou Feng's last sentence was actually a solemn warning to Xu Haoran, telling him not to take that worst possible step...
It was obvious. While Zou Feng appeared to be cooperating with Xu Haoran, he was actually setting a trap for him as well.
After all, now that Xu Haoran knew everything, there was a chance he might choose to become a turncoat.
It wasn't impossible. Even though he had witnessed Zou Feng's strength firsthand, shouldn't Yang Yanpeng, the mastermind behind the whole plot, be even stronger?
Taking a step back, Yang Yanpeng also had the backing of the Yang Family...
Rather than fighting a hopeless battle, it might be better to sell out a friend for personal gain.
Besides, Xu Haoran would naturally wonder if maybe Yang Yanpeng's method for Refining Human Gu didn't necessarily require taking a person's life.
If that were true, then siding with Yang Yanpeng would actually be a very good option for him...
Of course, it would be for the best if Xu Haoran didn't have any such crooked ideas. Everything would just proceed according to plan.
Throughout the process, he would protect Xu Haoran's life as much as he was able.
But if the guy got any funny ideas, Zou Feng would simply beat him at his own game.
Then he would just refine both of them together!
Watching Xu Haoran's back as he left the woodshed, Zou Feng thought silently, 'My dear friend, I hope you don't force me to become a true Evil Cultivator...'
Though that's what he said in his heart, judging by the sinister look on Zou Feng's face, he clearly hoped Xu Haoran would choose to be a turncoat.
After all, having one more person to refine was always better...
Their discussion finished, the two still had to go on their night patrol.
After making a round of the Yang Mansion, the "surprise" arrived right on schedule.
After sensing the location of the poisonous creature, Zou Feng casually made an excuse to send Xu Haoran away, then quickly struck and secured it.
He knew just from the feel of it that this "surprise" was a small snake.
But it wasn't the same Golden-Scaled Plague Serpent as before.
After the patrol was over, he returned to the woodshed to examine it closely, but Zou Feng still couldn't identify what kind of snake it was.
There was no record of it in the *Materia Medica of Herbs*.
'Could it be a new species created by that expert skilled in the Poison Dao?'
'I just don't know how venomous it is, or if it has any special effects...'
'Whatever. I'll mix it into the poison water first and use it for my Cultivation.'
'Tomorrow I'll find a chance to see how Yang Yanpeng reacts. Maybe then I'll find out its special effect.'
Next, Zou Feng circulated his Five Poison Skill, took the black snake out of the bamboo cage, and was about to squeeze its venom into the chamber pot.
When handling these poisonous creatures, Zou Feng never dared to be careless. He circulated his Five Poison Skill every single time.
When he circulated the Skill at full power, not only would poison gas cover his palms, but his palms themselves would become as hard as iron.
Only then could he guarantee that the poisonous creatures wouldn't bite through his skin.
However, as he handled the black snake this time, something unexpected happened.
The next moment, just as Zou Feng was about to squeeze out its venom, the black snake's scales suddenly shot up like steel needles.
"Hm?"
Zou Feng was worried he might crush the snake to death, so he was careful not to grip it with all his strength.
So when the snake's Scale Armor abruptly stood on end, his palm was inevitably knocked away.
The black snake broke free. From beneath its Scale Armor, a pair of translucent wings actually popped out.
After flying into the air, it quickly turned around, opened its mouth, and began spitting a continuous stream of fine, needle-like objects at Zou Feng.
In that instant, Zou Feng's instincts screamed at him. 'I absolutely cannot block these needles!'
'Even if I become an Entering Grade Martial Artist in the future and have Inner Qi Protection, I still couldn't block them!'
Fortunately, he had practiced the Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step. On top of that, after his Five Poison Skill broke through to the Integration and Mastery realm, he had gained Night Vision.
Otherwise, he really might have met a pathetic end here.
As it was, however, it was a close call but he was unharmed.
As his body flickered, moving so fast it left afterimages, he dodged every single one of the fine needles.
Immediately after, Zou Feng's body swayed, executing a perfectly timed Snake Skin Movement as he simultaneously thrust a finger straight toward the black snake's head.