The Fifth Elder’s imposing aura vanished instantly as he rushed to inspect his arm. A wound marred his left forearm, a purple discoloration spreading rapidly from the shallow gash he’d sustained while trying to dodge Xiao Man’s poisoned dart. The poison was potent, as evidenced by its swift and insidious creep across his flesh.
"You despicable cur, you use poison!"
"Fifth Elder, if we're talking about despicable, then I'm no match for you. You, a cultivator at the late Golden Core stage, bully a disciple at the early Foundation Establishment stage." Xiao Man glanced at Jin Xu. "You merely take advantage of our elders' absence to torment us disciples."
"Early Foundation Establishment? Boy, if I'm not mistaken, you're a cultivator at the early Golden Core stage!" The Fifth Elder gritted his teeth. It was a humiliation that a cultivator of the early Golden Core stage could withstand his palm strike without injury.
"Fifth Elder has sharp eyes. I am indeed a cultivator at the early Golden Core stage," Xiao Man said calmly. "However, I am still two realms below you. This is bullying the weak by the strong, using power to oppress others."
"Produce the antidote, and I will spare your life."
"Heh." Xiao Man chuckled. "Fifth Elder, it is you who needs me now. Please adopt the proper demeanor of someone seeking a favor. I am but a lone individual, my life is cheap. If I can drag you down with me, I will have gained."
The Fifth Elder’s eyes bulged. As an elder of the Jin family, having roamed the martial world for years, he had never endured such indignity. Yet, he was utterly incapable of dealing with the young man.
"Killing you will still allow me to find the antidote."
"You call yourself wise, yet you are truly naive!" Xiao Man toyed with his fingers. "This poison, I concocted it myself. In the Alchemy Hall, no one but I can cure it. Even if the Third Elder returns, he cannot save you. Fifth Elder, will you attempt to expel the poison through your cultivation, or will you await death?"
The Fifth Elder gnashed his teeth furiously and sat down abruptly, attempting to force the poison out with his cultivation. However, the poison was incredibly potent. His efforts only slowed its invasion of his Golden Core, failing to expel it entirely. Only then did the Fifth Elder realize the peril he was in. Yet, he could not bring himself to beg a seemingly insignificant disciple.
Seeing the Fifth Elder defeated, the other disciples exchanged anxious glances and began to retreat, intending to fetch reinforcements. Before they could move, however, Xiao Man acted, blocking their escape routes. The disciples, who had been standing, suddenly felt their legs give way as if drunk, collapsing to the ground, paralyzed.
Jin Xu watched the scene unfold in astonishment. He had considered kneeling in supplication or offering his neck for slaughter, but he had never imagined that others would end up on the ground. It seemed the destructive power of an alchemist was even more formidable than that of a martial cultivator.
"Senior Brother, no matter how fearsome martial cultivators are, they kill at most ten or a hundred people. But when an alchemist is enraged, they can annihilate an entire prefecture or city," Xiao Man said, returning to Jin Xu's side. "We alchemists are the ones who cannot be offended. When some people fail to grasp the situation or recognize their station, we must make them understand that alchemists are not to be trifled with!"
"Yes, we alchemists are not to be trifled with!" Jin Xu exclaimed, his spirits soaring. He followed Xiao Man into the house, closing the door behind them. The moment the door shut, the Fifth Elder coughed up a mouthful of blood. He had never imagined that the alchemists, whom he had always seen as submissive and obedient as dogs, could unleash such devastating power when provoked!
Meanwhile, in a desolate courtyard, those who had been drugged and had now regained consciousness sat up, their bodies aching. They looked at each other, bruised and severely injured.
"Where is Senior Brother Jin Quan?"
"Senior Brother is here." One of them spotted Jin Quan lying nearby and reached out to shake him. "Senior Brother Jin Quan, wake up."
But no matter how he pushed Jin Quan, there was no response. The others’ expressions shifted, and they quickly crawled over to check Jin Quan’s breathing. They found that he had stopped breathing, and his heartbeat was eerily silent.
A chill ran down everyone’s spines. Jin Quan was dead!
"What do we do? Senior Brother Jin Quan, he… he’s dead…"
Fear struck them, and they stumbled backward. Jin Quan was the grandson of the Great Elder, who doted on him immensely. Now that Jin Quan was dead, the Great Elder would surely flay them alive!
"Quick, quickly report to the Great Elder! Lan Xiao killed Senior Brother Jin Quan!" One of them finally reacted. They had come to deal with Xiao Man, but they hadn’t found him, and now they were all injured, and Jin Quan had lost his life. It must have been Xiao Man who killed Jin Quan!
"Yes."
As night fell, the Great Elder was already resting when he heard hurried footsteps and the panicked cries of a disciple: "Great Elder, something terrible has happened, terrible!"
The Great Elder sat up and glared at the disciple who barged in. "Did the sky fall, or did someone attack the Jin family? What is this unseemly panic!"
The disciple quickly halted and bowed. "Great Elder, something has happened."
"What has happened?" the Great Elder asked indifferently, annoyed by the disturbance to his rest in the dead of night.
The disciple took a deep breath. "Great Elder, a junior disciple has come to report that Senior Brother Jin Quan has been murdered."
The Great Elder’s previously languid expression instantly sharpened. "Repeat yourself!"
"Reporting… reporting to Great Elder, Senior Brother Jin Quan has been murdered…"
The Great Elder felt a darkness cloud his vision. It took him a long moment to process the news. "Who, who killed my grandson?"
"Reporting to Great Elder, it is said to be Lan Xiao from the Alchemy Hall."
"No matter who it is, whoever killed my grandson must pay with their life!" The Great Elder rose swiftly, changed his clothes, and strode out. He was determined to see what sort of capabilities this Lan Xiao possessed to dare murder his grandson so brazenly!
Filled with grief and rage, the Great Elder was further incensed when he saw Jin Quan’s blood-soaked corpse, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Take the body, and accompany me to the Alchemy Hall!"
As the Great Elder and his retinue arrived at the Alchemy Hall, they found the area outside littered with bodies lying in disarray. The Fifth Elder sat on the ground, his face ashen, clearly poisoned.
"Fifth Elder, what has happened?"
The Fifth Elder opened his eyes and, upon seeing the Great Elder, acted as if he had found a savior. "Great Elder, the Alchemy Hall is in chaos! They poisoned and incapacitated everyone I brought. A disciple from the Alchemy Hall, Lan Xiao, also injured me with a hidden weapon. I am currently poisoned."
"Lan Xiao, her again!" The Great Elder roared with fury. "I will tear her to shreds today!"
"Great Elder, do not act rashly!" The Fifth Elder quickly reached out to restrain him. "The Alchemy Hall and its surroundings are filled with potent poison. Rushing in rashly will lead to poisoning."
"There is no poison that can overcome a Nascent Soul cultivator."
"Great Elder…" The Fifth Elder coughed up a mouthful of blood. "The poison from the Alchemy Hall is most peculiar. The poison I've ingested is also corroding my Golden Core. We must not be careless."