Chapter 387: The Unreliable Hall Master
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
The Poison Hall was the fear of all ordinary cultivators.
Poison came in many different forms, making it hard for a person to guard against it, no matter how strong they were.
Initially, when Liao Xun walked out with the Lin Clan, no one paid him any notice. However, upon hearing the shout, the crowd suddenly realized that... he was the newly-appointed hall master of the Red Lotus Range branch!
This matter wasn't well-known, but some of the clans with a wide intelligence network still managed to grab hold of the news.
As the hall master, the other party surely possessed the strength of a 2-star pinnacle poison master. Needless to say a Zongs.h.i.+ realm pinnacle cultivator, even a Zhizun realm expert would have to wary against his poison!
To think that the Lin Clan had dealings with such a person.
Their hearts immediately turned cold.
Guild Leader Liu might be powerful, but... poison was something much too fearsome. Even the slightest contact could potentially render an expert helpless.
"Guild Leader Liu is probably done for..."
"Indeed. According to the rumors, Hall Master Liao even managed to kill a Zhizun realm primary stage expert. Given that Guild Leader Liu is only at Zongs.h.i.+ realm pinnacle, how can he withstand his poison?"
"To think that the Lin Clan would have dealings with the Poison Hall. How could they..."
...
After ascertaining the ident.i.ties of Liao Xun and the others, even though the crowd was furious at the Lin Clan's doing, they couldn't do anything at all.
Before the other party's poison, their overwhelming numerical advantage didn't mean a thing at all.
"I must save Zhang s.h.i.+! If the Poison Hall really makes a move, I'll immediately send a request to the headquarter to overturn the entire Red Lotus Range!"
A glint flashed across Pavilion Master Jiang's eyes.
Master teachers promoted the equality of education. While the Poison Hall was a feared existence, it wasn't without its value. Thus, as long as it didn't go too far, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn't go to the extent of eradicating it.
However, if this Hall Master Liao Xun dared to lay his hands on the genius Zhang s.h.i.+, then he shouldn't blame him for getting nasty.
He would ensure that the headquarter would lead an army to destroy his entire nest!
...
"Sword Intent, sword qi, and Heaven's Path Sword Art?"
In contrast to the crowd's anger, Zhao Ya's face turned pale, and her body trembled non-stop.
Even though Liu laos.h.i.+ didn't explicitly execute the Heaven's Path Sword Art, Zhao Ya was still able to catch some semblance of it.
This was definitely the move that grandteacher taught her!
How could this man know the sword art that grandteacher taught her?
"Could it be that..."
A thought suddenly flashed across her head, and she immediately turned to look at w.a.n.g Ying.
As soon as the eyes of the duo met, the other party nodded.
"Really?"
Zhao Ya's face paled further.
Only at this moment did she understand why the other party borrowed her sword, and why his face was so bizarre when he learned of her duel with Mu Xueqing...
It turned out that Liu laos.h.i.+... was Zhang laos.h.i.+!
'Teacher, careful!'
Upon realizing this fact, she clenched her fists tightly together.
She had absolute confidence in her teacher's strength, but the other party was a poison master, skilled in utilizing what that was naked to the human eye. Could teacher... really withstand it?
Anxious, she immediately turned her gaze forward.
...
"Your name is Liu Cheng, right? I have to admit that you're a genius!"
Walking forward, Liao Xun glanced at Zhang Xuan with composure. "However, it's a pity that... you met me!"
He shook his head regrettably.
The other party was indeed talented, but... what was the use of it?
He shouldn't have made an enemy out of the Lin Clan!
Only if the Lin Clan became the sovereign of Tianwu Kingdom would the Poison Hall be able to come out from hiding. Liao Xun wouldn't allow anyone to foil his plans...
With a flick of his wrist, a bottle of powder appeared in his palm. Then, driving the zhenqi in his body, he prepared to scatter this at the other party at any moment.
Hu!
Seeing that Liao Xun was about to make a move, Zhang Xuan kept his sword.
As soon as the relentless sword qi attack came to a stop, Lin Ruotian recovered and hurriedly dashed toward Liao Xun, hiding behind his back.
"Kill him with your poison..."
He roared excitedly and savagely.
It was fortunate that he invited Hall Master Liao here today. Otherwise, even if the Lin Clan wasn't destroyed, its prestige would have fallen into the gutters!
"Don't worry, leave it to me..."
Twisting the bottle of powder in his hands, Hall Master Liao was ready to strike at any moment.
"Teacher..."
Anxious, Lu Chong dashed forward, but before he could reach Zhang Xuan, the latter shook his hands, turned to the Great Herb King, and smiled, "Great Herb King, now that you're cured of your Contract Gu, your guts sure have inflated! How dare you bring Liao Xun out to cause trouble?"
"Contract Gu?"
The Great Herb King, who was looking at the commotion, narrowed his eyes, and he almost fell weakly to the ground.
Liao Xun didn't know the true ident.i.ty of 'Physician Bai', but he did... The genius master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan!
He was the one who cured him of his Contract Gu back then!
Very few people knew of this matter. Given how the other party was able to speak of it so confidently, could it be that...
One must know that he had personally witnessed the disguising ability of that Zhang s.h.i.+!
Could this Liu laos.h.i.+ be one of his disguises as well?
It was no wonder... He thought that it was too much of a coincidence for two grandmasters of the Way of Medicine to suddenly appear in Tianwu Kingdom...
So they were actually the same person!
"It doesn't make a difference even if you know the Great Herb King..."
Liao Xun didn't pay the other party's words any heed. Roaring furiously, he prepared to throw the poison powder in his hands straight at the other party.
"Hall master, stop..."
Fl.u.s.tered, the Great Herb King immediately charged forward to stop Liao Xun.
"What's wrong?"
Liao Xun was taken aback.
The Great Herb King had always been a calm person. Why would he suddenly act in such a manner?
"Hall master, you mustn't make a move... H-he..." The face of the Great Herb King distorted, and he looked as though he was on the verge of tears. Hurriedly sending a telepathic message, he explained the situation, "He is... senior granduncle!"
"Senior granduncle?"
Hall Master Liao's kneecap suddenly caved in, and he nearly kneeled on the spot.
Senior granduncle... That was a formidable figure who even Envoy Gu Mu had to show utmost respect to.
The reason why he could successfully become the hall master was also due to the help of this senior granduncle. And... this man before him was him?
He nearly spewed a mouthful of blood.
"Are you sure?"
With a trembling body, he hurriedly asked telepathically.
If the other party was really that man, and he tried to use his poison powder to kill him... Once Envoy Gu Mu learns of it, he would skin him alive!
"There's no doubt about it..."
Nodding profusely, the Great Herb King was just about to continue explaining when the voice of the young man before them sounded once more, "Hall Master Liao, where's Gu Mu? Has he tamed the Lava Beast completely yet?"
Putong!
If he still wasn't too sure before, upon hearing these words, Liao Xun suddenly felt an urge to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
Only three people knew of the Lava Beast; Gu Mu, him, and senior granduncle.
Given that Gu Mu had returned to Xuanyuan Kingdom, and he had never told anyone about it, the man before him had to be senior granduncle. There was no doubt about it!
"Hall Master Liao, don't listen to the nonsense of that fellow. Hurry up and kill him..."
Seeing Hall Master Liao hesitate, Lin Ruotian hurriedly urged him worriedly. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw a jade bottle fly toward him.
Peng!
Before it could reach him, the bottle exploded, causing the poison powder to scatter all over him.
Upon contact with his skin, an intense itch suddenly plagued Lin Ruotian's entire body. At the same time, he felt as though his meridians were being torn out. The intense pain made him burst into rage.
"Hall Master Liao, you..."
He roared furiously.
What are you up to?
I told you to kill Liu Cheng, what are you doing throwing it at me?
Pah!
Before he could recover from his astonishment, a stinging pain struck his face. Someone had slapped him.
His body swayed, and he fell to the ground. Large mouthful of blood spewed out from his mouth, and a few white teeth could be seen within the red puddle.
"Vermin, I'll kill you..."
Just as he was in a daze over who would be so daring as to lay his hands on him, he saw Hall Master Liao charging straight up to him with crimson eyes clouded with rage.
Peng peng peng peng!
Hall Master Liao was truly incensed.
If he had really made a move on senior granduncle today, putting aside his seat as the hall master, he might even die tragically...
It was all the fault of this vermin. He would never be able to quell the rage in his heart if he didn't kill this vermin at this very moment...
"What?"
"This... What is going on?"
Looking at the infuriated and frenzied Hall Master Liao, the crowd, who was intending to step in and help, were stunned.
This was especially so for Pavilion Master Jiang and Princ.i.p.al Xie.
Wasn't Hall Master Liao specially invited by Clan Head Lin to help?
Didn't he arrogantly declare that he would kill Guild Leader Liu?
Why would he... renege on his words the next moment, and start pummeling Lin Ruotian?
"..."
Clan Head Ji, who was hiding at the very back, nearly died from a stroke upon seeing the sight.
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on?
Why would Hall Master Liao - who had confidently a.s.sured Lin Ruotian a moment ago - suddenly become so mad?
That was Lin Ruotian, a Half-Zhizun expert! To be pummeled like that...
The heck! It is fortunate that I didn't step forward just now. Otherwise, I'd be probably in a worse shape...
Lin Ruotian's strength was originally above that of Liao Xun, but caught off guard and poisoned, how could he still match up to the latter? Completely helpless before the latter's pummeling, his face swelled up, and the remaining traces of humanity was beaten out of his face.
"Enough!"
Seeing that Lin Ruotian was on the verge of dying under the pummeling, Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands.
"Yes!"
Liao Xun stopped and stood in front of Zhang Xuan with a fawning smile on his face. "That... Senior granduncle, please pardon my blindness to fail to identify your greatness..."
"Where did that bunch of nonsense come from? Go and wait by the side!"
Frowning, Zhang Xuan reprimanded.
Why would the men from the Poison Hall come here instead of staying peacefully at their Red Lotus Range?
To dream of usurping power, they were tired of living!
"Yes!"
Seeing that the other party had no intentions of pursuing this matter, Liao Xun heaved a sigh of relief, and he quickly walked to the side, not daring to say a word at all.
"Hall Master Liao went to stand by the side, as though an obedient student, after being reprimanded by teacher?"
Mu Xueqing and the others blinked, and their hands tugged on their hair in frenzy.
They thought that Liu laos.h.i.+ would surely lose in the battle against the Lin Clan, thus they begged with the elders in their clans to support him. Yet...
Before these supporters they had brought could do anything, Liu laos.h.i.+ had already sent the entire clan to its knee...
Even the Half-Zhizun, Lin Ruotian, wasn't a match at all!
They could comprehend it if Liu laos.h.i.+ was strong, but this master of the Poison Hall was a figure that instilled fear in all. Why would he suddenly become an obedient rabbit before their teacher?
Obediently following what their teacher asked him to do...
And why would he pummel Lin Ruotian?
Doubts flashed in the eyes of the crowd.
"d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it..."
Just as everyone was perplexed, a roar sounded. Looking forward, Lin Ruotian had struggled to his feet, and a savage light glowed from his eyes. "Liu Cheng, you are the one who forced me. I didn't want to use this because it's a huge waste, but... since you don't intend on letting me off, I'll have all of you die here!"
Roaring furiously, two surge of zhenqi shot out from his two hands.
Weng!
A mist suddenly drifted into appearance, and a formation was activated.
"This... The grade-3 pinnacle Killing Formation that Princess Consort Lin Long left behind back then? This time...
"...we're really done for..."
Mo Tianxue's body trembled!