Chapter 245: The Poison

“Yes.” Lu Fang rose and stopped a short distance from Jue, maintaining enough space to keep his distance while still being able to hear her orders at all times.

There was no way around it, groveling like this.

If he dared utter a single word of defiance now, he would only suffer further humiliation—or die right here.

All of this stemmed from the decision he had made earlier.

So he could only swallow his bitterness in silence.

Jue traced her fingers along the red whip in her hand and said: “From now on, when you hear orders from the King or me, you will not say ‘yes.’ You will say ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’”

Lu Fang: “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jue suddenly laughed: “It must be because I’ve been sealed away too long—I used to find your obedience amusing, but now it’s utterly boring to see you act like a dog.”

Lu Fang cursed inwardly but pretended not to hear.

Jue walked up to Lu Fang and paced before him, coldly saying: “According to Song Hu Fa, as long as you’re given enough rewards, you’ll do anything. From now on, you’re an outsider of the Wuyi Clan—and your rewards won’t be lacking.”

“The King plans to establish a power base dominated by the Wuyi Clan, and we’ll need to expand our forces. This is your chance to prove yourself.”

“Making you my bodyguard is your first reward.”

“With this position, no Wuyi Clan member below the rank of Hu Fa holds higher status than you.”

Lu Fang feigned delight and nodded, though inside he cursed: Damn, this ancient alien woman knows how to give a slap and then a sweet.

“Sigh!” Jue looked at Lu Fang with disgust and muttered: “Strange… why did I ever take interest in someone like you? Why did I praise you before the King? It must be because I’ve been sealed too long.”

“You don’t seem special at all. It’s infuriating.”

She lashed her whip—this time not at Lu Fang, but at a nearby large tree, splitting it cleanly in two to vent her irritation.

Lu Fang’s eyelid twitched; he forced a smile and said: “Song Hu Fa is about to leave to gather intelligence. Would you permit me to accompany him? I can contact loyal followers willing to serve the King and Hu Fa.”

“If Hu Fa agrees, just give me ten thousand Dao Stones—I guarantee I can assemble a hundred-man squad of cultivators within three months.”

“Their strength may not be great, but they’ll be invaluable for intelligence.”

“Intelligence must remain firmly under the King’s and Jue Hu Fa’s control—only then can we eliminate any potential threats before they arise.”

Lu Fang mixed lies with truth to prevent suspicion from the King and Hu Fa.

One of the earliest steps in building a power base is establishing a direct intelligence network—it’s essential for stable growth.

What he said was correct, so Jue had no reason to doubt him.

Even if she suspected something, she’d likely assume he was a greedy fool trying to embezzle Dao Stones under the guise of building a network.

That was exactly what Lu Fang wanted—this was all smoke and mirrors. His true goal was still to escape.

Jue fell into thought, then glanced at Song Ce, who was still speaking with Huan Hu Fa. She whispered to Lu Fang: “The King originally assigned the intelligence network to Song Hu Fa—but your idea isn’t bad.”

“Fine. Once Song Hu Fa departs, you’ll go out and build the network. I won’t give you Dao Stones—but I have some rare treasures here that will suffice to win loyalty.”

“Remember: with the Wuyi Clan’s innate talents and strength, we’re destined to build our own power here. This is a critical moment—opportunities abound. It’s up to you to seize them.”

Lu Fang’s eyes lit up; he whispered back to Jue: “Yes, Your Majesty. I guarantee I’ll establish an effective intelligence squad within one month, gathering all information on factions hunting the Wuyi Clan.”

Jue gave no verbal reply—only a slight nod.

After speaking with Huan Hu Fa for a while, Song Ce left alone, taking no Wuyi Clan members with him—they were too conspicuous; bringing them along would accomplish nothing.

After waiting a while, as Lu Fang pondered how to prompt Jue to act, she tossed him a storage pouch and said: “Go. Don’t even think of stealing the rare treasures and running—I’ve left my scent on you.”

Left her scent?

Lu Fang eagerly took the pouch, but his heart jolted—under his hyper-sensory perception, he hadn’t sensed when or how she’d marked him.

Even now, with his hyper-sensory perception active, he couldn’t detect any trace of it, even after she’d warned him.

Inside the pouch were abundant crystals, ores, and special refining materials—all of high quality.

It might not be enough to recruit a hundred cultivators, but if he targeted weaker ones, it should suffice.

Jue read his thoughts from his expression and frowned: “You think this is too little? This is only initial investment. Return every ten days—I’ll give you more rare treasures. And remember: never mention the Wuyi Clan’s name outside.”

“You’re just a leader hired by a major power to build an intelligence network.”

“For your safety, swallow this pill. Without the Wuyi Clan’s unique antidote, you’ll die horribly. The poison activates once a month. One missed dose won’t kill you—but if you skip two months, you’ll dissolve into a pool of blood.”

Jue pulled out a yellow pill.

Without hesitation, Lu Fang snatched it and swallowed it—unexpectedly, it dissolved instantly, and pure energy surged through his limbs and meridians.

At Jue’s instruction, he sat cross-legged and began absorbing the energy.

After some time, Lu Fang opened his eyes and chuckled softly: “I’ve advanced two minor stages. Jue Hu Fa—was that pill you made me take not poison, but a cultivation-enhancing tonic?”

He was now Fourth Rank, Second Stage. He knew well how difficult breakthroughs were—he’d been Fifth Rank, Third Stage before.

One pill granting two breakthroughs? Honestly, if not for moral constraints, he’d consider staying indefinitely.

Jue glared at Lu Fang, who had only advanced two stages, and cursed: “Useless fool! You swallowed such a potent pill and only rose two stages? I shouldn’t have given it to you.”

“Why is your talent so abysmal?”

“I wonder if entrusting you with responsibility was a mistake.”

“Of course it’s a tonic—but also poison. I wasn’t joking. If you don’t take the antidote within two months, you’ll dissolve into blood. You should feel warmth in your dantian—that’s the hidden poison.”