Not only did that man not die immediately after being poisoned, but he also fought with me for a long time—each move was forceful and vigorous, showing no sign of weakening or any symptoms of the poison activating. His strength was truly unfathomable.
Could it be that he wasn't joking earlier—that the wine he drank was actually a master-disciple initiation wine?
Had everyone been mistaken all these years? Had they all misjudged this prodigy? If he really intended to take the young master as his disciple, perhaps the boy's fate would have been very different...
Ruoshui neither confirmed nor denied the question.
"Same to you—you're poisoned as well!"
He said this because during the fight, Jiang Ying's breath grew labored, his attacks gradually slowing down—as if affected by a poison that slowly saps one's internal energy.
Jiang Ying's expression changed. He too had noticed something was wrong—his internal energy was draining, and he felt weaker. After forcing out a fierce attack, he retreated to recover.
The strange coldness was hard to dispel and could only be suppressed temporarily. Jiang Ying mentally calculated that prolonging the fight would be disadvantageous. The "Shadowless Poison" was known to be incurable; no matter how skilled, one could only delay its activation.
In the entire world, no master could ignore this poison—and even if there were, Ruoshui's unlucky young master would not have such fortune.
"Hmph, that man is all show and no substance!" Jiang Ying thought.
He gathered nearly all his remaining internal energy for a final strike, intending to trigger the poison's full effect and kill Ruoshui.
However, he never managed to release the attack—he had underestimated both the poison and the effect of the skill "Snowstorm Overhead."
The chilling aura from "Snowstorm Overhead" is not easily dispelled once it invades the meridians. It requires focusing the cold energy to one spot, then using internal energy to generate warmth around it, slowly dissipating the chill.
Merely suppressing the cold with a small amount of energy only lets the cold consume that energy, eventually causing an uncontrollable backlash.
Additionally, the poison Jiang Ying suffered weakened the vigor of his internal energy, making it soft and unmanageable. The internal energy doesn't disappear but refuses to obey the user.
Jiang Ying had only used a small portion of internal energy to suppress the cold, but under the combined attack of poison and chill, that energy quickly turned against him, causing the cold to burst forth violently.
He couldn't retract his internal energy in time to suppress it again; soon the chill surged through his whole body, stiffening him until he collapsed.
Ruoshui saw clearly that Jiang Ying, who had been glaring at him moments ago, suddenly seemed to lose his breath and fell—never to rise again.
Was the poison finally activating? This dramatic turn amused Ruoshui a little, but he had no time to laugh—the poison in him was also flaring, and his health was dropping significantly faster.
At that moment, the system sent a message:[Main quest updated: Protect Jiang Xue and repel three waves of assassins. The first wave will arrive in five minutes.]
This was effectively a hint. The system was considerate enough to specify the enemies' arrival time and scale.
Ruoshui didn't feel happy at all—inwardly he cursed. With his current state, having to fight multiple waves alone was daunting. How long could he hold out?
He glanced at Jiang Xue, who was still stunned from the blow.
There was no time for consolation now. Ruoshui took out some healing medicine and restored his health and internal energy, then went to examine the two corpses.
Usually, enemies dropped items—sometimes even valuable equipment or martial arts manuals.
But Ruoshui found nothing except two empty medicine bottles hidden on Jiang Ying's body.
Strange. Why carry two empty bottles?
Before Ruoshui could ponder further, the system sent another notification:[Hidden storyline triggered. Your choices and actions will affect the ending. Main quest reverted to "Protect Jiang Xue," new side quest: "Investigate the origin of the medicine in the empty bottles."]
It seemed the three waves of assassins might not come after all. Ruoshui thought his luck was good—but what would happen next?
He wasn't sure of the time now. Mist swirled around, faintly tinged with blood. Rustling sounds came from the haze.
A graceful woman appeared, her purple robes fluttering, golden hairpin swaying, exuding a dangerous allure. Though her clothes bore several bloodstains, they weren't hers.
This beautiful woman was dangerous.
She stopped nearby and glanced around before lightly parting her red lips:"Looks like I missed a good show."
She adjusted her hair and fixed her gaze on Ruoshui:"Stranger, you seem unfamiliar."
Before Ruoshui could reply, a young voice spoke:"Why is it you?" The speaker was Jiang Xue, his tone unusually calm.
Ruoshui admired the boy's mental change—despite all the shocks, he had not been broken but had grown stronger.
The woman was surprised that Jiang Xue spoke, smiling softly:"Oh, dear third brother! I have two good news and one bad news. Which do you want first?"
She chuckled flirtatiously and began without waiting:"Good news first—Miss Han secretly sent word. She's hiding in a nunnery east of the city."
That was indeed good news.
Jiang Xue didn't show relief but asked tensely:"How do you know? What did you do to Sister Qin'er?"He and Han Suwen communicated secretly through Qin'er.
Seeing Jiang Xue's concern, the woman reassured him:"Don't worry. I just let her rest a bit. She's clever and straightforward, like I was young. I like her, so I wouldn't harm her."
Jiang Xue stared, suspicious but uncertain.
The woman paid no mind, gliding closer and continuing:"Before I tell you the second good news, I'll share a secret."
She smoothed her hair, gathering her thoughts.
"Long ago, the Jiang family obtained a supreme martial art, but only those with a special constitution can master it. Before eighteen, this constitution appears ordinary—even unsuitable for training."
She circled Jiang Xue, scrutinizing him:"But after eighteen, the extraordinary meridians open, and a unique martial vein emerges. To practice that art, you must have that special vein."
Her beautiful eyes met his:"Unexpectedly, someone with such a constitution was born in the Jiang family—you."
Perhaps due to all he'd endured, Jiang Xue showed no surprise or joy—just quiet attention.
"Unfortunately, you can't train martial arts until eighteen. The Jiang family is fraught with internal strife. To protect you, the old family head kept this secret even from your second sister. But your eldest brother knew."
Jiang Xue instinctively clenched his sleeve.
"The old family head truly cared for you. His coldness was protective."
"Your eldest brother cared for you under the old head's orders, but deep down he resented you and wished you ill. Outwardly kind, he schemed secretly—like arranging your marriage to the Han and Jin families."
"Guess who arranged the match?"
Jiang Xue trembled slightly.
He recalled a childhood memory: when his father came home, he ran happily to hug him but was coldly pushed away.
From then on, he understood his father disliked him. He greeted him distantly; his father's occasional glances were filled with sorrow and disappointment.
He once didn't understand that disappointment but later realized it was a helpless love—a silent suffering.
The woman seemed to see through his thoughts and whispered:"It's okay, it's all past."
She shifted tone:"The second good news—I killed your eldest brother!"
"All those who looked down on, hated, and bullied you are dead—I killed them myself."
Her tone was calm, as if doing Jiang Xue a favor.
Ruoshui thought: What a madwoman.
"Why? Who are you?" Jiang Xue asked after a pause.
"Oh? Good question!"
"The Jiang family engraved the martial art on two tokens held by your eldest brother and second sister. How else could I get the art if I hadn't killed them?"
"Tonight, I poisoned all the drinks with 'Bone-Eroding Bewildering Powder.' It's a poison I use for training—it harms others' martial arts but not mine. Without my guidance, the poisoned lose control of their powers, which slowly fade."
"Since those Jin family folks were poisoned, I killed them too—to save them from a ruined life."
She laughed happily and continued:"As for me, have you heard of the Demon Cult's saintess, Mandaloccha?"
"Five years ago, I was chased by enemies and gravely wounded. I was lucky to be saved by the Jiang family's young madam. Since she looked exactly like me, I took her place. I've been hiding in the Jiang family, secretly regaining strength and uncovering secrets."