To Kill by Poison

　　“Yes, Martial Granduncle!” A lean man in grey said respectfully.

　　Beside him, Wei Canglong reminded, “Martial Brother, that Teng Qingshan’s abilities is likely to be even stronger than mine! While Protector Liu Jian’s abilities are not bad, when compared to Teng Qingshan……” At the underground lava lake at the Blazing Mountain, Wei Canglong had witnessed Teng Qingshan’s abilities.

　　“This is not a fair one-on-one battle!” The elegant-looking middle-aged man said coldly.

　　A red dash of light flashed past Liu Jian’s eyes as he laughed in a low voice. “Elder Wei, I know myself very well. Moreover, for our trip to the Boorish Desolate this time around, all of us brought along the poison, ‘A Dream of Nanke’.” After getting poisoned by ‘A Dream of Nanke’, innate masters may have an ability to resist, but warriors in the Postliminary Realm……hmph hmph, they would be the fish on the chopping board!”

　　Wei Canglong nodded his head as he listened to this.

　　Actually, warriors tended to not care about poison since they would usually request for fairness in battle in order to prove themselves. It was just that……this time around, the elites of the Tie Yi Hall had set off for a great secret. This secret would even affect Tie Yi Hall’s prosperity or diminishment.

　　That was also the reason why they wanted to kill Teng Qingshan before they clarified whether or not he was actually following after them! They would rather kill a thousand wrongly, than to let off anyone!

　　It would then be understandable that, for their reason, they would be unscrupulous to reach their goals.

　　“Liu Jian, quickly go after him!” The elegant-looking middle-aged man instructed. “After getting rid of Teng Qingshan, follow the path and catch up to us!”

　　“Yes, Martial Granduncle.”

　　A bloodthirsty smile appeared on Liu Jian’s face as he dashed into the far distance with a ‘swoosh’. He went through the mountains and the forests nimbly, avoiding the obstacles such as thistles and thorns as he chased in the direction where Teng Qingshan had disappeared to. He quickly disappeared from the sight of the other five men from Tie Yi Hall.

　　“Let us continue on our way.” The elegant-looking middle-aged man instructed.

　　Immediately, the five men from Tie Yi Hall carefully, but with haste, headed down the route that they had mapped down earlier.

　　The place was filled with dense humidity. With Teng Qingshan’s sense of smell, he could even smell a tinge of the stench of rotting beast corpses amidst the stench of the decomposing leaves. The noon sunlight slipped through the tightly-packed leaves with much trouble, and some rays of light landed on the surrounding thistles, thorns, and weeds.

　　Teng Qingshan made his way through the Boorish Desolate in great speed.

　　With haste, with flexibility!

　　“Hmm?” Teng Qingshan abruptly turned his head to the far distance, and saw that amongst the thistles, there was a pair of glowing green eyes staring at him. The eyes emitted an aura of wilderness and bloodthirst! But after it exchanged glances with Teng Qingshan, the wild beast hidden in the thistles seemed to sense that this human was not easy to deal with.

　　Swoosh! The wild beast quickly vanished.

　　Teng Qingshan did not stop in his tracks but continued to move forward with his brows frowning. “Hmm? What was that wild beast earlier? It escaped really fast and had hidden itself really well too.”

　　There were many creatures in the Boorish Desolate that could not be found from the Earth of his previous life.

　　The book that Teng Qingshan received from the Gui Yuan Sect’s Martial Pavilion had only introduced demonic beasts but not on the various wild beasts…… However, Teng Qingshan did not dare to underestimate those wild beasts. While some of these wild beasts did not have any spiritual intelligence, they may have special hidden abilities. These may pose a threat not lower than that of demonic beasts!

　　“Out of the six men I saw earlier, one of them was Wei Canglong! There was also a fellow I’d met on the Blazing Mountain. These six men should be from Tie Yi Hall.” Teng Qingshan recalled the six men he came across earlier. “Why have the Tie Yi Hall’s elites come to the Boorish Desolate. Could it be that they are also here to pick some kind of spiritual fruit?”

　　Teng Qingshan did not care for the six men from Tie Yi Hall.

　　To Teng Qingshan, he had came to the Boorish Desolate to look for the Scarlet Fruit……once he obtained it, he would return! As for why the men from Tie Yi Hall had come, what concern was it of his?”

　　Therefore, Teng Qingshan only threw a glance and didn’t bother to greet them as he headed quickly for Steeled Arms Monkey Mountain by himself.

　　……

　　“Hu!” “Hu!”

　　In a grey suit, Tie Yi Hall’s Protector ‘Liu Jian’ held onto a dagger and moved quickly in the Boorish Desolate.

　　“Damn him, this Teng Qingshan is running faster than a monkey! Doesn’t he knows that it is dangerous in this Boorish Desolate? I have already been chasing him for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, at least a distance of ten Li. Even so, I have yet to catch a glance of his shadow!” Liu Jian followed Teng Qingshan’s path, which was filled with stomped rotting branches, thistles, and thorns that were pushed away as he followed with much difficulty.

　　It was really difficult!

　　For a warrior in the Postliminary Realm, it was considered fast to be able to travel a distance of a hundred-odd Li in a day in the Boorish Desolate. After all, it was too dangerous in the Boorish Desolate. If one was not careful and fell for a trap, he could be inflicted with heavy injuries, or even lead to death eventually.

　　But in order to chase up to Teng Qingshan, Liu Jian could only clenched his teeth and speed up.

　　There was no path in the Boorish Desolate, but plenty of thistles and thorns, weeds, as well as rotting branches and leaves everywhere. Therefore, once someone walked through, they would need to push away the thistles and the weeds, and even to slash through them to proceed forth. This would make a visible path for those behind. Of course……after some time, it would be harder to differentiate.

　　Liu Jian was right behind Teng Qingshan, a distance of about one Li.

　　This was under the situation where Liu Jian had risked his life to be able to barely catch up.

　　“With this speed, he would travel at least four to five hundred li in a day!” Liu Jian cursed in his heart but kept his eyes and ears in close observance of the surroundings. “Thank goodness it is still the exterior region of the Boorish Desolate! Mmm, need to quickly catch up!” Liu Jian did not want to waste too much time. He circulated his inner strength to increase his speed.

　　With the increase in his speed, the distance between Liu Jian and Teng Qingshan narrowed.

　　Teng Qingshan did not know that there was someone following him. To him, it was an easy feat to travel about four or five hundred li per day in the Boorish Desolate.

　　“Mmm, there’s movement?” Teng Qingshan abruptly stopped. his ears twitched.

　　“Rustle~~~”

　　A slight sound came from behind, and Teng Qingshan frowned as he turned back. “There’s a wild beast behind me? That doesn’t seem like it……it’s moving closer towards me!” Teng Qingshan remained motionless as he looked behind him. Finally, through the seams between the thistles, he saw a blurred figure a distance away.

　　The shadow of the figure flashed through the seams. But within that short moment, Teng Qingshan had seen it clearly.

　　“It’s a person! It’s one of the six men from Tie Yi Hall!”

　　Teng Qingshan affirmed in that short moment.

　　“Why did he follow me by himself?” Teng Qingshan was puzzled. At that moment Teng Qingshan did not think that the other party was out to kill him. After all, to Teng Qingshan……The Tie Yi Hall had no reason to kill him. It was just that the other party’s abnormal actions drew his wariness.

　　The man closed in with great speed.

　　Teng Qingshan stared at the other party just like that! Their distance closed up steadily until finally, the other party could see Teng Qingshan clearly. Their gazes met……

　　To Liu Jian, who had followed behind with much difficulty, his heart skipped a beat after seeing Teng Qingshan staring at him. “This Teng Qingshan is really careful. He noticed me from a far distance away! Now what do I do?” Within that short moment, Liu Jian came up with a plan. He broke into a smile and headed over to Teng Qingshan in big strides. “Brother Teng! You put me through a lot chasing after you.”

　　“Who are you?” Teng Qingshan frowned and asked.

　　In the silence of the mountains of the Boorish Desolate, there were only Teng Qingshan and Liu Jian around.

　　“Haha, I am Tie Yi Hall’s Protector ‘Liu Jian’.” Liu Jian walked over as he place the dagger in his hands into the sheath. At the same moment the dagger returned into the sheath, his right hand casually pressed onto the left side of his abdomen. There was a large pocket in Liu Jian’s inner pocket. In it was a small gourd.

　　He tightened his abdomen and lightly pressed with his right hand.

　　Chi!

　　The gourd immediately cracked.

　　It was just that with the sound of the dagger entering the sheath, the slight cracking sound was not clear.

　　“Protector Liu?” Teng Qingshan smiled. “I wonder, what matter does Protector Liu have with me to be chasing after me so urgently?”

　　“It’s like this. Our Elder Wei saw you earlier……” Liu Jian’s talking speed slowed down. When he was a short distance away from Teng Qingshan, he stopped in his tracks and just looked at Teng Qingshan.

　　Teng Qingshan’s face paled. “You……You used poison!” Teng Qingshan could distinctly realize that there was an unknown substance entering his blood as his body gradually turned numb. Although the feeling was very mild, Teng Qingshan could control the flow of his Qi and blood instantly, and he forced this unknown substance out of his body.

　　On the surface, Teng Qingshan fell onto the floor weakly with a boom.

　　“Haha, that’s right, I used poison. But it’s too bad that you realized it too late.” Liu Jian smiled and said. “Is your body feeling numb and weak? You can’t even draw your inner strength? Stop struggling! After being poisoned by our Tie Yi Hall’s ‘A Dream of Nanke’, even the ability of an innate master would be affected.”

　　“Protector Liu, I should have no qualms with your Tie Yi Hall.” Teng Qingshan said in a voice of full of hatred as he fell down, seated on the ground.

　　“Right, we have no qualms.” Liu Jian grinned. “But you just had to come to the Boorish Desolate.”

　　“You’re killing me just because I came to the Boorish Desolate?” Teng Qingshan stared at Liu Jian. At that moment, Teng Qingshan would very much like to know……What was the reason that Tie Yi Hall wanted to kill him. Therefore, he had feigned that he was poisoned, hoping that the other party could divulge the reason.

　　“Clang”

　　Liu Jian drew the dagger at his waist, as a flash of cold light flashed in his eyes. “Teng Qingshan, stop your questions! You have only your bad luck to blame. It’s too bad……A seventeen year-old expert listed in the Earth Ranking will be dying in the Boorish Desolate without anyone knowing. After you die, your corpse will be eaten up by wild beasts. However, you are also considered lucky to be dying in my hands.”

　　Liu Jian gradually closed in to Teng Qingshan as he said this.

　　Suddenly——

　　With a fierce wave of his dagger, swoosh! The dagger slashed towards Teng Qingshan’s neck! He wanted to behead him in one slash!

　　Teng Qingshan, who was originally weakly seated on the floor, moved his right hand.

　　“Pa!”

　　A shadow smashed on Liu Jian’s right wrist, and the sound of smashed bones was heard. “Arghh!!!” Liu Jian screamed out in pain as the dagger was sent flying, landing in the weeds after flipping a few rounds in mid air. Liu Jian clenched his teeth while he attempted to clutch towards Teng Qingshan with his left hand.

　　“Boom!”

　　Teng Qingshan’s fist smashed on Liu Jian’s abdomen.

　　With a low sound, Liu Jian was sent flying. When he landed, he curled up in pain with an extremely pale face. “My Dan Tian, my inner strength……” He was horrified to find out that his Dan Tian had burst and his inner strength had all seeped away. With his Dan Tian destroyed, he would no longer be able to cultivate inner strength!

　　Not able to cultivate inner strength? To a warrior, that was a worse fate than losing both of his legs!

　　“You, why are you not poisoned?” Liu Jian dropped onto the ground as he looked at Teng Qingshan in horror. “There’s no way that you’d have the antidote, nor I didn’t see you using any general antidote.”

　　Crisp sounds filled the air as Teng Qingshan stepped on the decomposing leaves on the ground, taking one step after another towards Liu Jian in a cool demeanor.