Chapter 97: No Poison—so you intend to clash head‑on?

"If I want to leave, how could you keep me?"

Sheng Chaowen, concealed by a mask, sneered.

He radiated an air that, if he wished to go, the road would be beneath his feet...

He was supremely confident in his martial skill.

Just as he drew his sword swiftly, ready to cut through the net ahead, his foot stumbled, his strength faltered, "Hm... what's happening?"

"My whole body feels weak..."

Sheng Chaowen's legs trembled, his internal breath empty, forcing him to brace the sword and barely steady his posture.

"Sir, I am as well..."

"I am also exhausted and powerless..."

The black‑clad men around, trying to break out, almost simultaneously showed the same symptoms...

It resembled a middle‑aged man who has the will but lacks the strength.

Sheng Chaowen froze, stared at the faint white vapor, and judged: "This smoke is Poison!"

The toxicity and penetrative power of this white smoke far exceeded his expectation...

Even the mask could not block it; he was still affected.

"No Poison, so you intend to clash head‑on?"

"Fool!"

The owner of that voice stepped out of the night‑shrouded forest, curled a cold smile, and mocked.

"You can use underhanded tricks, why resort to brute force?"

"They are not old‑fashioned scholars!"

"Despicable and shameless!"

Sheng Chaowen, bracing the sword against his chest, heard the ambusher speak so self‑righteous, and couldn't help cursing.

But the voice's owner did not address Sheng Chaowen; instead, he barked, "Quick!"

"Remove the poison pills hidden in their big teeth!"

Any high‑grade assassin would almost always hide the lethal Jianfeng Xuehou toxin in their teeth.

To be able to self‑administer when falling into enemy hands...

"Bang!"

The people behind, extremely agile, moved at the sound, first punching Sheng Chaowen and the others in the face.

Then they swiftly grasped their throats, forced their mouths open, and with a waist dagger extracted those poison pills.

"Ah!"

The whole process was completed extremely quickly, and the poison smoke's nerve‑slowing effect meant Sheng Chaowen and the others had no time to resist, and they were stripped of their last means.

"You damned thing, you really stink!"

You Xian threw Zhu Yinshan onto the ground, his face full of disdain, cursing.

Having his big tooth and the poison pill removed, he lay on the ground, unable to attend to the pain, staring in shock at these people.

Such targeted and practiced, giving them no chance at all...

"What exactly are you?" Sheng Chaowen, enduring excruciating pain, blood mixing in his mouth, asked.

"All of you came to hunt me, and you ask what I am?"

A man at the back, unhurried, lit a torch, stepped forward slowly, stopped before the assassins, and, from a height, smiled calmly.

Sheng Chaowen, by the faint firelight, finally saw the newcomer's face, and, astonished and incredulous, shouted: "Chen... Chen Yan?!"

"How could it be you?!"

"Then aren't these people all Embroidered‑Cloth Envoys?!"

Having said that, his gaze began to sweep left and right, scrutinizing those Dark Hawk hulks.

The moment he recognized Chen Yan, Sheng Chaowen finally understood why these people coordinated so skillfully...

A one‑in‑ten‑thousand Zhuque Guard Embroidered‑Cloth Envoy could not be incompetent.

"Indeed!"

Chen Yan nodded, halted his steps, slightly bowed, brought the torch close to Sheng Chaowen, half‑smiling, and asked: "My plan to lure the snake out of its hole—does it at least barely count as a fit?"

"Lord Sheng Chaowen!"

The man whose name was precisely called, his pupils trembled, his heart skipped, and even his voice began to shake, "You... how could you know me?!"

"Chen Yan, what exactly are you!"

Sheng Chaowen inhaled a cold gasp, feeling a chill to his bones...

What a terrifying opponent!

"I don't know you..."

Chen Yan smiled calmly, gave no riddles, and explained evenly: "But within Shanggui City there are always people who know you!"

"And they, relying on memory, commissioned the Master Painter to depict your portrait, Lord Sheng Chaowen!"

After the Shanggui Clan rushed to surrender, Sheng Chaowen, as the Tongtian Society's 'Special Envoy', had already been completely sold out.

After all, they urgently needed to sever ties with the Tongtian Society and pledge loyalty to Chen Yan...

And the most marvelous aspect of the Master Painter is that he can recreate from oral description, like a forensic sketch artist.

"Hahaha!"

"I truly underestimated you!"

Hearing this answer, Sheng Chaowen burst into laughter, sighing: "No wonder at seventeen you command the Mingjing Office Zhuque Guard!"

At that moment, Sheng Chaowen deeply realized that Chen Yan's occupying that position was not by chance, not by lineage, not by nepotism, but truly by ability...

I have come to a clearer understanding of what terrifying opponent the Tongtian Society faces.

"Hmm."

Chen Yan showed little emotional fluctuation, merely saying coolly, "But I did overestimate your Tongtian Society..."

"The name sounds grand, but the skill is utterly ordinary!"

Tongtian, Tongtian—at first it sounds intimidating, but in reality it's all show and no substance.

"Heh!"

"You arrogant brat!"

Faced with the victor's belittlement, Sheng Chaowen let out a cold snort, as if a sensitive nerve had been struck; his crimson eyes bulged, his neck tensed, and he roared with all his might, "What you see is only a fragment of the Tongtian Society..."

"The master's wisdom is beyond your reach!"

Even though he was already a prisoner, Sheng Chaowen still thought the failure was solely his own problem.

"Snap!"

Chen Yan, expressionless, raised his hand and slapped Sheng Chaowen's face, cutting short his reverence for the so‑called master, and said in a deep voice, "I don't want to hear this flattering nonsense!"

"Sheng Chaowen, say something I want to hear..."

"For example, where is the Tongtian Society's stronghold, and which official families in Chang'an are colluding with you..."

As he spoke, the torch lowered, gradually drawing nearer to Sheng Chaowen's face, illuminating it with stark clarity.

"You think you can get it from my mouth?"

"Delusional!"

Upon hearing that, Sheng Chaowen let out a cold snicker, his eyes widened, unwavering, "Even if I, Sheng Chaowen, die, I will never betray the Tongtian... Huh!"

But before he could finish that resolute statement, an unexpected wail of crying replaced his words.

Chen Yan's other hand, at an unknown moment, drove the short sword straight into Sheng Chaowen's chest, "Then you might as well die!"

"You..."

Caught off guard, Sheng Chaowen stared in disbelief at the Chen Yan standing just inches away.

"This isn't the script I imagined!"

He never expected that a little stubbornness, a dent in his spirit, would cost him his life...

"Damn it!"

"The most annoying fake act—do you really think I have a lot of patience, huh?"

Chen Yan's face bore the Dark Hawk; after twirling the short sword across Sheng Chaowen's chest, he kicked the lifeless corpse away.

How hadn't I seen it before? A Xiong is still hot‑tempered... Yuwen Ze was also startled by the scene, sighing in his heart.

Not only Sheng Chaowen hadn't expected it, but everyone present hadn't anticipated that Chen Yan would slaughter him over a single word.

"I thought they'd at least interrogate him routinely..."

"Sir, how should we deal with the remaining Tongtian Society rebels?" You Xian stepped forward, approached the irate Chen Yan, and asked cautiously.

Before Chen Yan could speak, Zhu Yinshan spoke first, "Kill or dismember, we leave it to your discretion!"

"If you even frown or utter a single word, I'll be called a step‑mother's child!"

The power of example is boundless; with Zhu Yinshan's lead, the others echoed, "We of the Tongtian Society are not the soft‑served traitor families of Qinzhou!"

"Fine, I appreciate you—such hard bones!"

"Iron‑hard bones!"

Chen Yan, not angry but smiling, brushed the short sword across Zhu Yinshan's neck, wiped Sheng Chaowen's blood, and shouted, "You Xian!"

"Shuyi here!" You Xian responded, clasping his fists, his whole body radiating unstoppable murderous intent.

Chen Yan smiled lightly, snapped his fingers, "The Tongtian Society's hard bones, challenging our Mingjing Office's specialty, are now yours!"

"Serve them well!"