Chapter 2338: Fierce Poison

Zuo Jue broke into a grin as he slowly opened his palm, the severed finger lying still in his palm, as if recounting the gruesome scene that had just unfolded.

Zhao Rou stared at the severed finger, a surge of indescribable emotion welling up inside her, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"Senior Sister, with this severed finger and the Poison Witchcraft Sect's unique methods, we should be able to confirm this youth's identity, right?"

Zuo Jue spoke carefully, his voice hinting at a barely noticeable nervousness.

Zhao Rou fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke slowly.

"Hmm, I hope so. But Senior Brother, you were too reckless just now—you even destroyed this youth's corpse. What if this severed finger can't provide enough evidence……"

Upon hearing that, Zuo Jue's face showed a hint of embarrassment; he scratched his head and hurriedly explained.

"Senior Sister, I was just impulsive at the moment and didn't think much. But now that it's done, there's no point in regretting; we can only take things one step at a time."

Zhao Rou looked at Zuo Jue's sincere expression, her blame easing a little, yet she couldn't help but sigh and speak earnestly.

"Senior Brother, from now on you must not act so impulsively; you should always be more careful and not behave recklessly like today."

Zuo Jue nodded repeatedly and replied.

"Yes, yes, Senior Sister's advice is spot on; I, Junior Brother, will definitely keep it in mind and never make the same mistake again."

He paused, then added.

"Next time I make a move, I will definitely leave the corpse intact, just in case."

Upon hearing that, Zhao Rou's expression turned somewhat odd; she looked at Zuo Jue and for a moment didn't know how to respond.

I wonder if this kid actually took my words to heart— hearing him say that, it sounds like he still plans to keep acting that way.

However, Zhao Rou didn't want to dwell on this issue too much, after all Zuo Jue, though sometimes impulsive, is not bad at heart.

She waved her hand and said.

"All right, let's not talk about this anymore. Since we have the severed finger in hand, we should hurry to the Poison Witchcraft Sect and hope to find some useful clues from it."

Having said that, Zhao Rou carefully put away the half-severed finger, then brought Zuo Jue and Ye Zhangqing along as they left Gōulán.

Zhao Rou went to the Poison Witchcraft Sect alone, while Ye Zhangqing decided to wait a bit in the city.

Only after Zhao Rou safely joined the Poison Witchcraft Sect could Ye Zhangqing proceed with peace of mind toward the Wushen Palace.

The distance between the Poison Witchcraft Sect and Miao Valley Immortal City is not great; after leaving the city, with Zhao Rou's pace, she could reach her destination in less than a Shíchén.

And if it were Huang Lao with his profound cultivation, he could get there in the blink of an eye, like a flash of lightning.

Therefore, Ye Zhangqing chose to stay in the city; that way, if Zhao Rou encountered any danger along the way, he could intervene in time.

After all, Zhao Rou was traveling alone, so it was inevitable she would encounter some unexpected situations.

After a night of hurried travel, Zhao Rou finally arrived at the Poison Witchcraft Sect.

She submitted the Entry Sect Examination task according to the prescribed procedure.

However, when an Elder of the Poison Witchcraft Sect took the half-finger Zhao Rou handed over, his expression suddenly turned extremely strange, and he was visibly stunned.

The Elder slowly raised his head, stared at Zhao Rou with a face full of suspicion, and questioned her in an odd tone.

"What is this?"

Obviously, he was utterly confused by the half-finger Zhao Rou submitted, unable to grasp her intention.

After all, according to the normal examination requirements, one should hand in a complete corpse, not just a finger.

Faced with the Elder's doubtful questioning, Zhao Rou's heart was filled with conflict and unease.

Her voice was somewhat weak, as if she could hardly believe her own words.

"This is the target's finger."

The Elder's brows knit tightly, clearly dissatisfied with that answer, and he pressed further.

"Is this all that's left of the half-finger? What about the rest?"

Zhao Rou's heart raced faster; she took a deep breath, striving to keep her voice steady.

"Elder, during the operation I worried something might go wrong, so I added some extra ingredients to the poison on my own initiative. Who could have imagined that the poison's potency would be so fierce that, although the target was successfully killed, his corpse was completely melted by the poison. This half-finger is all I managed to snatch in time."

After hearing Zhao Rou's explanation, the Elder fell silent for a moment.

He inwardly mused that a poison whose potency could melt a corpse seemed somewhat beyond the ordinary.

However, Zhao Rou's explanation had no obvious flaws, and with his methods, this half-finger alone was indeed enough to confirm the target's identity.

Nevertheless, a lingering doubt clouded the Elder's mind; he felt something was off, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what.

Seeing the Elder lost in thought, Zhao Rou felt a bit anxious. She knew she had brought back only a half-finger, which might not meet the requirements, but she truly did not want to give up this chance to join the sect.

After hesitating repeatedly, Zhao Rou gritted her teeth and decided to plead with the Elder despite her fear.

"Elder, if it doesn't comply with the regulations, I am willing to retake the Entry Sect Examination."

Zhao Rou spoke up, her voice not loud but unusually resolute.

Upon hearing Zhao Rou's words, the Elder couldn't help but be a little surprised. He had been pondering how to handle the situation, never expecting her to volunteer to retake the examination.

According to reason, Zhao Rou had indeed completed the task; she just hadn't brought back the corpse, only a half-finger.

This put the Elder in a difficult spot, since such a situation had never occurred before.

The Elder fell silent for a while, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. Zhao Rou watched him nervously, silently praying in her heart.

Finally, the Elder slowly opened his mouth.

"This……"

His words hinted at hesitation, and Zhao Rou's heart rose with it.

However, the Elder's next words let her breathe a sigh of relief.

"Forget it, this is indeed the target's severed finger, and it shows no sign of life whatsoever. Since you managed to kill him, the Entry Sect Examination is naturally fulfilled; there's no need for a retest—you may join the sect." The Elder ultimately made that decision.

Upon hearing that, a great weight finally lifted from Zhao Rou's heart; she secretly let out a sigh of relief.

Afterwards, Zhao Rou followed the sect entry process, receiving a disciple token of the Sect, then registering her name, being assigned a Dong Fu, and given the daily attire and medicinal pills required of a Poison Witchcraft Sect disciple.

It wasn't too complicated; everything went smoothly, and Zhao Rou officially became an ordinary disciple of the Poison Witchcraft Sect—though, of course, she was using an assumed name and a false identity.

Having successfully joined the Poison Witchcraft Sect, Zhao Rou entered her own Dong Fu and immediately informed Ye Zhangqing, letting him know not to worry, that everything here was going smoothly.