Chapter 16

When Qian Chen stepped forward to greet Hong Sihai, though the old man looked weary—as if the events of the day and the grief over his brother’s death had drained his spirit—he still radiated a calmness like thunder hidden deep beneath the nine abysses, making Qian Chen feel that even in his exhaustion, Hong Sihai’s strike would still shake heaven and earth.

Hong Sihai, like a kindly elder, spoke gently to Qian Chen: “Young brother, was it you who deciphered the poison placed on the rat today?”

Qian Chen replied cautiously: “Respected Elder Hong, my family’s medical texts once recorded this poison—it is a rare toxin known as ‘Cut the Grass, Remove the Roots,’ once used by the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons Sect. Upon first poisoning, the victim loses all body hair; upon second onset, they descend into a frenzy at the sound of a specific tone and attack every living thing within sight!”

“The Mist-Riding Divine Lord! This is undoubtedly the Snake of the Twelve Zodiacs poisoning us,” the Quick-Speaking Brothers interjected. “The one flying in the sky is almost certainly the ‘Great White of Heaven, Dawn Divine Lord,’ and the one underground must be the ‘Shadowless Pursuer, Sun-Chasing Divine Lord.’ All three—Snake, Rooster, and Dog of the Twelve Zodiacs—are here!”

“If all Twelve Zodiacs have mobilized, they will surely stir up a great storm in the martial world.”

“This time, they’re likely targeting Brother Hong!”

“With so many of us here, how could we possibly fear a mere band of beasts?” sneered a filthy, stinking old beggar in a patched robe adorned with eight tattered sacks, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Let them come—none shall return. We’ll rid the martial world of a great scourge!”

This beggar had one blind eye, one crippled leg, only seven fingers, one deaf ear, a stutter from half his tongue missing, a hunched back, and toxic sores on his face; rumor said he was impotent. As a child, cruel men had tortured him, leaving him with these eight afflictions. Yet he was a revered elder of the Beggar’s Sect, hence known as the Eight-Deformed Elder.

He was of a bitter, sharp-tongued disposition.

The Eight-Deformed Elder sneered at Qian Chen: “I think this boy is suspicious.”

“The Mist-Riding Divine Lord’s poison is deadly—how could a mere youth, just coming of age and unknown, unravel it so easily? In the martial world, those with such medical skill number no more than five!” He held up his right hand, its stump reduced to only two fingers. “How could someone with no master suddenly appear?”

“I suspect he’s either boasting wildly, or he’s a disciple of the Mist-Riding Divine Lord, sent here as a spy!”

Instantly, all eyes turned toward him, watching coldly. Qian Chen’s face flushed red as he stammered: “Y-You’re lying! My family’s medical arts were passed down from ancestors who were once great physicians—these techniques come from their personal notes. Our family abandoned medicine for literature, which is why the texts survived. I had no interest in officialdom, so I took pleasure in studying my ancestors’ medical writings!”

“I’ve never heard of a physician surnamed Qian,” scoffed the Eight-Deformed Beggar.

“Because my ancestors concealed their names...”

At that moment, Master Kongming suddenly spoke: “Were your ancestors the Recluse of Forgetting Dust?”

Qian Chen opened his mouth in shock: “How did the master know my ancestor the Medicine King’s alias?”

Master Kongming sighed: “If Master Qian truly is the Medicine King’s descendant, then unraveling the Mist-Riding Divine Lord’s poison is understandable. According to our temple’s secret records, the Medicine King, Recluse of Forgetting Dust, once had a bitter feud with the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons Sect. Back then, the sect produced a prodigious sect master who forged a unique divine weapon called the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons—once unleashed, it was as if five supreme masters of poison struck simultaneously.”

“Under his leadership, the sect flourished, growing ever more secretive, routinely poisoning entire families to extinction. At the time, the Recluse of Forgetting Dust was young and arrogant—he saved a martial artist poisoned by the sect, only to enrage them, resulting in the massacre of his entire family.”

“In anguish, the Recluse of Forgetting Dust took the saved martial artist as his master, devoted himself to mastering medicine, and twenty years later, when the Five Poisons Sect had drawn universal hatred and become enemies of all, he emerged from seclusion to shatter the sect master’s Green Phosphorus Five Poisons Array and avenge his family. But it is said that after settling his grudges, his heart was already withered, and he withdrew from the martial world forever.”

“The Recluse of Forgetting Dust, tormented by the death of his own family, abandoned his original name.”

“That chapter of history is long past; few still remember it.”

Qian Chen trembled, clenched his fists, eyes brimming with tears, looking deeply wronged.

“But that doesn’t rule out he could be the Mist-Riding Divine Lord’s disciple,” the Eight-Deformed Elder pressed on. “That serpent’s origins are mysterious—perhaps he’s a descendant of the Recluse of Forgetting Dust who went astray, or a Five Poisons Sect member impersonating their greatest enemy’s name.”

“This young brother’s antidote method is not from the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons Sect,” Master Kongming patiently explained. “The Five Poisons Sect always uses living creatures for poisoning and antidotes. I examined this young brother’s formula—there is no trace of such methods. He clearly has no connection to the sect, but instead practices the purest form of herbal medicine. As I know, the Mist-Riding Divine Lord was indeed a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect.”

“Given this young brother’s age, the most likely explanation for his ability to unravel the ‘Cut the Grass, Remove the Roots’ poison is that he inherited the Recluse of Forgetting Dust’s legacy.”

What Qian Chen knew about the Medicine King, Recluse of Forgetting Dust, came entirely from Qi Qiuzi, the orthodox heir of the Green Phosphorus Five Poisons Sect.

And the antidote method he used—completely unlike the Five Poisons Sect’s style—was indeed his own creation. Poison arts? He merely read Qi Qiuzi’s collected texts and mastered them instantly. Crafting an antidote was a trivial matter.

Hong Sihai nodded: “With the Medicine King’s heir aiding us, our chance of defeating the Twelve Zodiacs has increased.”

“The most treacherous threat from the Twelve Zodiacs is poison. With your help, the Four Seas Hall gains wings. You’ve lifted a great burden from me...”

“I am but shallow and unskilled...”

Just as Qian Chen was about to offer more modest words, Huang Yuhuan returned abruptly: “Old Hallmaster, we’ve found signs of an intruder.” Hong Sihai rose at once: “The Twelve Zodiacs are cunning and treacherous—search thoroughly.”

Huang Yuhuan reported: “I’ve pinpointed his location—it must be between the Bing and Ding defense zones. I’ve ordered patrols to search. In the Gui Zone, fourth post, all members of the Dog Team were slaughtered without even sending a signal. It was only after an incense stick’s time that the command post noticed the anomaly and dispatched a strike team to investigate.”

“I’ve already surrounded the area with elite fighters. Others are following protocol. I’ve come to request that the Hallmaster dispatch several experts to assist—otherwise, our disciples will suffer heavy casualties and our defenses will break.”