"Shen Lang, you despicable villain, you actually poisoned me?"
He Yaodong's stamina seemed to be stronger than most. Despite being poisoned, he managed to stay on his feet, staring fiercely at Shen Lang and saying furiously.
"Despicable?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Lang smiled and said, "He Yaodong, are you a man of integrity?"
"Don't be so hypocritical. When you scheme against others, you smugly boast about your intelligence and tell everyone it's wisdom. But when you are schemed against, you immediately call the other person despicable?"
After finishing a piece of osmanthus cake, Shen Lang picked a cherry from the fruit platter and popped it into his mouth. He smiled and said, "Whether it's an open plot or a hidden scheme, you only need to know one thing: you've been defeated."
"I've been defeated?"
He Yaodong chuckled upon hearing this. "Kid, do you really think you can take me down all by yourself?"
"What? Do you still have the strength to resist?"
Shen Lang toyed with the small green bottle in his hand and said, "The medicine I use is called 'All Beings Equal.' Forget about you, even the Great Luo Immortals would have no power to resist. Don't try to suppress the poison by force with your inner energy, because that will only lead to more terrifying consequences."
"Shen Lang, I'm very curious about your identity in the Martial Guard Department. I've never heard of someone like you before."
He Yaodong didn't directly answer Shen Lang's question but posed his own.
"Someone like you is certainly not ordinary. Your position in the Martial Guard Department must be high, so why have you always been unknown?"
Hearing He Yaodong's words, Shen Lang remained silent. At this moment, Qin Long, along with Xiong Zi and others, entered the Hall of Three Treasures, surrounding He Yaodong.
Looking at the curious He Yaodong, Qin Long smiled and said, "He Yaodong, this is Team Leader Shen of our Special Operations team. The reason you haven't heard of him is that he recently joined the Martial Guard Department. By the way, your subordinates outside have all been dealt with by Team Leader Shen. You have no reinforcements left. You're finished."
"Qin Long, I didn't expect us to meet so soon. It seems you're still dwelling on your previous defeat. However, I'm curious, are you not bothered that Shen Lang has so quickly replaced you as the leader of the Special Operations team?"
He Yaodong looked at Qin Long and sneered, "You worked for many years to reach this position. This kid joined not long ago and has taken your place. Are you incompetent, or is he too strong?"
"Hahaha, He Yaodong, are you trying to sow discord?"
Qin Long burst into laughter. "Since you're so curious, I'll tell you. Brother Shen joined the Martial Guard Department and became the deputy leader of our Special Operations team, one step below me. I strongly opposed it at the time. In my opinion, in terms of talent and virtue, Brother Shen is far superior to me. He should be the leader."
"However, you've reminded me. After I go back, I'll apply to be the deputy leader and let Brother Shen be the leader."
"Haha, Brother Qin, don't joke. If I were the leader, the Special Operations team would fall into chaos in half a day. You should remain the leader, and I'll just assist you."
Shen Lang and Qin Long were both open-minded individuals, so there was no backstabbing between them. Their words were sincere from the start.
"Brother Shen, what should we do next?"
Qin Long didn't dwell on the matter any longer. He glanced at He Yaodong and then said to Shen Lang.
"Xiong Zi, Long Zi, please do the honors and apprehend this 'Asian Poison King.' Remember, he's a venomous snake. Even though he's poisoned now, he might still bite. If you get careless and get bitten, it would be a great disgrace."
Shen Lang smiled at Xiong Zi and Long Zi and said.
"Team Leader Shen, don't worry, we fear poisonous snakes the least."
Xiong Zi and Long Zi exchanged a glance, smiled, and spoke in unison. They quickly approached He Yaodong, instantly controlling his left and right hands and lifting him up.
However, at this moment, He Yaodong erupted with astonishing strength, sending Xiong Zi and Long Zi stumbling back three or four steps. Their faces showed disbelief. "This old bastard still has the strength to resist?"
Seeing He Yaodong's sudden burst of power, Xiong Zi, Long Zi, and the others were all astonished. They had clearly seen He Yaodong's resistance fade earlier. How could he suddenly erupt now?
"Swish—"
While Xiong Zi and Long Zi were in shock, the red samurai sword at He Yaodong's waist was unsheathed. With a flash of red light, a terrifying sword qi instantly sliced towards Xiong Zi and Long Zi. If they had been struck, they would likely have been cut into four pieces instantly.
However, Xiong Zi and Long Zi were no ordinary fighters. They dodged the terrifying sword qi with swift movements. Then, they both drew short swords from their waists and attacked He Yaodong from the left and right.
Xiong Zi and Long Zi were always inseparable, and their coordination was something even Shen Lang wouldn't dare to underestimate. Their pincer attack forced He Yaodong to defend with his sword, completely suppressing his ability to attack.
Within two minutes, Xiong Zi found an opening in He Yaodong's swordplay and stabbed his shoulder. As He Yaodong grunted, Long Zi seized the opportunity and landed a punch that sent He Yaodong staggering back seven or eight steps.
"You lowly brats, daring to wound me, you deserve to die a thousand deaths!"
He Yaodong was enraged that two inconspicuous youngsters like Xiong Zi and Long Zi could wound him.
However, as soon as he finished speaking, He Yaodong realized that he felt no anger in his heart, only an unspeakable sadness.
Pain, a heart-wrenching pain, suffocated He Yaodong.
At that moment, a secret hidden deep within He Yaodong's heart, one he had never told anyone, suddenly surfaced in his mind. No, it was a world-shattering secret.
He Yaodong thought no one knew this secret, and he himself had forgotten it. Yet, it suddenly appeared in his mind, becoming clearer than ever after so many years, as if it had happened yesterday.
That year, He Yaodong was eighteen. Born into the royal family of Japan, he met and fell in love with a Japanese girl named Yunzi.
However, He Yaodong was ambitious at the time and unwilling to be bound by love. After one night, he left her.
Many years later, He Yaodong met a girl who looked very much like Yunzi. Now forty years old, He Yaodong fell in love with her and married her.
But just as his new wife became pregnant, her mother came to visit. Only then did He Yaodong discover that his wife was Yunzi's biological daughter and his own biological daughter.
To cover up the scandal, He Yaodong murdered his pregnant new wife, his first love Yunzi, and everyone else involved in the matter.
"Life has become such a farce, is there any point in continuing?"
Driven by intense heartache and guilt, He Yaodong uttered sadly, and then placed the knife at his own throat.