Chapter 110: Defying the Wind: A Bonus Chapter for the

Aunt Liu pressed a hand to her mouth, coughing muffledly a few times, wiped the blood from her lips, raised her head, and gazed at her with a haunting look: “Little Fengxian, could you kill someone for me?”

Her once-elegant oval face was as pale as paper, her eyes dark and hollow like a wounded wolf, flickering with chilling malice.

Xiao Yu replied flatly: “Auntie, you know our situation—we’re lucky not to be killed already. Who do you want us to kill?”

Aunt Liu turned her gaze away and sighed softly: “Forget it. Pretend you didn’t hear anything. I’m just desperate and grasping at straws.”

“Aunt Liu, are your wounds serious? Shouldn’t you see a physician?” Xiao Yu asked.

“Just brushed by a poison palm—nothing major,” Aunt Liu said.

“Poison palm.” Xiao Yu’s heart stirred. She moved closer to Aunt Liu, studying her eyes and complexion, then lightly sniffed the lingering scent of blood in the air.

“What are you doing?” Aunt Liu leaned back, avoiding Xiao Yu’s strange actions.

Xiao Yu sat down on the “Beauty Bench,” shifting her hips beside Aunt Liu: “Auntie, did you know my northern desert Sand Barbarians have a unique skill: poison?”

She tapped her chest with a slender, ivory finger: “I, too, am a master of poison.”

Aunt Liu sneered: “I’m familiar with your Sand Barbarians’ poison techniques. One word—crude and vulgar!”

Seeing Xiao Yu’s displeasure, she added: “Don’t deny it. Your Sand Barbarians still use tangible, material poisons.”

“Tangible and material—they’re easy to avoid, easy to antidote.”

“True poison integrates with true qi, blends with heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, even cultivates spiritual intent—formless, intangible, continuous as silk, alive, endless, inexhaustible—that’s true poison art.”

Hearing this, Xiao Yu’s heart leapt: This is exactly what I need!

She came to Aunt Liu specifically to solve the long-standing problem of her “Controllable·Super·DeBuff.”

Her cultivation had advanced too quickly.

She often couldn’t fully tap the potential of her “father figures,” and needed a DeBuff to lower her combat power.

The DeBuff had to be powerful—and completely under her control.

Long-term self-harm was unacceptable.

What if she encountered the Western Eight Immortals while barely alive? Wouldn’t she die in the most frustrating way?

Xiao Yu thought of an old friend: poison.

Use poison to apply a DeBuff; instantly antidote when facing a strong enemy, restoring peak condition.

First, Xiao Yu needed to confirm the poison DeBuff could exploit the Purple Mansion bug—if the Purple Mansion’s “Kill-Father Method” targeted poison rather than her adoptive father’s skills, and required her to take an antidote, then the bug wouldn’t work.

Second, she needed the conditions to research and improve poison.

She came to Aunt Liu to discuss purchasing and preparing medicinal ingredients.

She was being watched—if she secretly researched poison without reporting it, she’d invite major trouble.

Now Aunt Liu had brought up poison art herself.

“Aunt Liu, who wounded you? What poison art did he use?”

Aunt Liu waved her hand: “I was truly foolish just now. Your identity is special, and you’re barely keeping yourself alive—you shouldn’t get involved in the Tianmen Society’s internal struggles.”

Xiao Yu’s expression twisted: At least take me to meet a “Dad” first!

If things get too deep and your life is truly in danger, I’ll sit back and watch you die slowly from poison palm—wait until the enemy leaves, then step in to collect your corpse, hire mourners to smash the funeral basin, and summon monks and Daoists to chant the “Death Chant” at your grave.

If it’s just some lowlife like Bu Si Gui, I’ll cut him down with one sword—you’ll get your revenge, and I’ll feel much better.

Plus, I can loot the body, find his poison art manual—won’t that make my journey as a reincarnator worthwhile?

“Does the Tianmen Society even have any real experts?” Xiao Yu asked.

Aunt Liu shot her a sidelong glance: “Do you even know what the Tianmen Society is?”

Xiao Yu answered honestly: “The neighbors in Soy Sauce Alley say it’s a gang of bottom-tier scoundrels who formed a black-market syndicate.”

“But how many Elders they have, who they are, what martial arts they practice—none of that’s known.”

“Bottom-tier?” Aunt Liu sighed. “A brothel madam like me isn’t exactly top-tier either!”

Xiao Yu probed: “If the opponent is just like Bu Si Gui…”

Aunt Liu waved her hand: “Far worse! A half-step Human Immortal poison master could silently slaughter everyone in Qingshui Bay—including you.”

“Gah, half-step Human Immortal? I’ve never heard of any Human Immortals in Tianmen Town! Why would a half-step Human Immortal sink to join a black gang?” Xiao Yu asked, puzzled.

Aunt Liu’s eyes flickered: “What do the neighbors say about the Tianmen Society’s leader?”

Xiao Yu replied: “The leader’s name is Lei Zhen. He has a son called Lei Tianyang. Both are mysterious—neighbors have no strong impressions of them.”

“No strong impressions…” Aunt Liu gave a bitter laugh, then snarled: “These ungrateful peasants—they’re worse than bottom-tier scoundrels!”

“Do the neighbors owe gratitude to Leader Lei?” Xiao Yu asked, surprised.

Aunt Liu grew agitated: “Last year, a million troops from thirty-six nations pressed against Tianmen Town. Panic spread; the elite fled south.”

“Leader Lei, resolute, took his son and two hundred elite loyalists, infiltrated behind enemy lines—to gather intelligence, plant spies, burn supplies, assassinate generals.”

“In just half a month, the two hundred men were reduced to twenty-five.”

“Leader Lei himself was severely wounded by a Human Immortal.”

“Their sacrifice bought precious time for Lord Yang’s westward crossing!”

Xiao Yu frowned: “But the story I heard was different. There really was a peerless hero who led a band of western Shu warriors deep behind enemy lines.”

“But the hero’s name wasn’t Lei Zhen—it was Li Xianzhi, son of the Prince of Qinghe River, ranked number one on the Shudong War God List!”

Aunt Liu’s expression flickered for an instant: “Leader Lei was Lord Li’s right-hand man.”

So Lei Zhen wasn’t an unknown hero—he was just overshadowed by Li Xianzhi’s glory.

In the neighbors’ tales, Li Xianzhi was legendary—he fought two Human Immortals with “Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin” and escaped unscathed.

Moreover, Li Xianzhi wasn’t even a Human Immortal, let alone a half-step one.

Widow Huang firmly believed “Master Li’s Jade Son” practiced divine arts and would surely become an Immortal.

“Auntie, you’re the top dog of Qingshui Bay, Lei Zhen’s subordinate—why not ask him for help?”

As soon as Xiao Yu spoke, she realized: Aunt Liu had just said the Tianmen Society was in internal conflict.

“I mean—why is Lei Zhen ignoring your infighting?” she quickly added.

Aunt Liu waved her hand: “None of your business. Don’t ask.”

Thinking of the poison master who was half-step Human Immortal, Xiao Yu hesitated.

She didn’t underestimate Human Immortals just because she’d killed Kong Zan by chance.

Not to mention—the “Zhou Lang Annihilation Method” wasn’t even completed yet!

She’d cracked seven or eight tenths of Zhou Lang’s sword art.

But besides flying swords, Zhou Lang had a “Protective Sword Robe.”

Without breaking the robe, she couldn’t kill Zhou Lang.

And she’d shattered his flying sword only because of the power of the Three Thousand Fire Crows Formation.

After noticing her deep familiarity with Zhou Lang’s sword art, Lord Yang had specifically channeled the Fire Crows Formation’s power into her, letting her control two “Dragon Claws.”

If they fought head-on now, Xiao Yu would almost certainly be slain by Zhou Lang—assuming he’d recovered from his shattered sword wounds.

That day, she’d destroyed five of his core flying swords—he’d been nearly crippled.

Even a crippled Zhou Lang, facing her in fair combat, might not kill her.

But this half-step Human Immortal poison master? He wasn’t crippled.

“Aunt Liu~~” Zi Ying ran up, panting urgently: “I just saw Xu Huier! How could you let her come to Hongxiu Courtyard?”

Aunt Liu snapped: “You’re getting bold—daring to lecture me now?”

Zi Ying stamped her foot, frantic: “I’m afraid you’ll be dragged to the City God Temple tonight and beaten with a paddle!”

Aunt Liu sneered: “You only know the City God beats others—but you don’t know that the next night, someone dumped two buckets of black dog blood and tossed seventy or eighty menstrual cloths into the temple.”

“Why dump black dog blood?” Zi Ying asked, confused.

“Knowing too much won’t help you. Go back!” Aunt Liu waved her off.

Zi Ying left, puzzled and hesitant.

Xiao Yu asked curiously: “Can black dog blood harm the City God?”

“Of course not—but it can disgust the spirit, and show: ‘I’m a wretched life—I’m ready to burn it all down.’” Aunt Liu said.

“Who did it? Bu Si Gui?”

Aunt Liu glanced at her: “Your shoulders are barely wider than Zi Ying’s—you still can’t carry it.”

Xiao Yu said seriously: “I don’t need to carry it. I stand firmly beside the City God.”

Aunt Liu said: “That’s the mindset of common folk—their plight.”

Xiao Yu recalled Hong Qu’s words: The City God could control the people, but not the officials.

“I’m a commoner—but aren’t you, Auntie, a high official?”

—If the City God can’t punish the officials, can’t he still beat the paddle on a brothel madam?

“Don’t worry about me. If I meet the City God, I have reasons to defend myself.”

Aunt Liu counted on her fingers: “First, it’s the City God’s own fault.”

“He punished the guilty but didn’t return the jade pendant to its owner—Old Xu still has not a single copper coin.”

“Second, Bu Si Gui’s scoundrels are openly defying the law.”

“Bu Si Gui doesn’t want the people of Tianmen Town to revere the City God more than them.”

“After all, there’s more than one ‘Old Xu’ who owes money.”

“They forced a confrontation with Zhu Yitao and the City God.”

“Third, the courtesan Hong Niang from Qingshui Bay’s Mengchun Chamber is coming to do business—Hongxiu Courtyard can’t turn away customers.”

“Also, Hongxiu Courtyard is under my management—but it’s not my property.”

If the City God dares to beat me, I’ll strip naked, show my bruised buttocks, and wail my grievances in the street before his temple.

Let the people of Tianmen Town judge who’s right—I’m a madam, I don’t care about my reputation!

Xiao Yu’s expression twisted; there were too many shameless, reckless ruffians, and even the City God seemed powerless!

“Don’t you know the City God can alter the Book of Life and Death?”

Aunt Liu sighed, “I’m still afraid at heart—I’m not without anything to lose—but this world is full of people who live by the blade’s edge, with no regard for anything.”

They can’t even manage today’s survival; talking to them about reincarnation is absurd.”

Moreover, compared to people like Xu Niangzi, who suffer endlessly, being reborn as an animal might even be a blessing.”

You often run to the back alley of soy sauce lane—you must have seen ‘Fugui’ by the back gate of Hongxiu Courtyard.”

Isn’t it living more freely than many of the girls?”

Xiao Jingxuan sits at the farthest corner of Hongxiu Courtyard; walking out along soy sauce lane for about a hundred meters, you’ll reach Hongxiu’s true back gate. Besides the back gate, Hongxiu Courtyard has many side gates—one of them is the beekeeper’s path where Xiao Yu picks up her bone-strengthening herbal packets.”

At the back gate lives a Chinese rural dog, plump and sturdy, with smooth, glossy fur—its name is ‘Fugui.’

It’s painful to admit, but it’s true: a dog at the back gate of a brothel lives better than some of the girls inside.”

If humans live worse than beasts, how much meaning remains in the gods’ use of the Six Realms of Rebirth to teach—or frighten—mortals?”

“Auntie, something’s happened!”

As Xiao Yu was lost in thought, Zi Ying rushed over, gasping for breath: “Auntie, Zhu Yitao has sent men to come beat your ass!”

“Zhu Yitao? He dares to beat my ass?!” Aunt Liu sprang to her feet, sneering. “Who came? Who dares shout about beating me in Hongxiu Courtyard? What nerve!”

“I don’t know them—there are over a dozen constables in official uniforms.”

Zi Ying began stomping her feet again, her face flushed with panic: “I warned you before, Auntie—you shouldn’t have let Xu Hui’er in. Zhu Yitao, the City God, even the people of Tianmen Town—all are watching the Xu family. How could you dare defy them?”

“Who’s defying them? I’m just helping with the final cleanup.”

Aunt Liu froze, then erupted in curses: “I’ll curse Zhu Yitao’s ancestors! So you think I’m the softest persimmon in the bunch?!”