Although it was early summer, the rainy, overcast day was still quite chilly.
But for Zou Feng, who had just left Yuan Guang County Town, his entire body was unbearably hot.
He had held back for so long. Now that the real hunt was about to begin, the thrill was so intense that it even startled him.
After all, not even the top courtesan of Hengyu Building, using every trick in her seductive arsenal, could make him this impatient.
To put it bluntly, his state of mind was likely being affected by the Evil Skill.
It was true that the side effects of his Cultivation could be transferred away, but what about when he wasn’t cultivating?
When he wasn’t cultivating, the Evil Skill would still subtly influence him.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a major problem.
His desire for slaughter was soaring, but there were no signs of him losing his sanity. Instead, it merely heightened his will to fight.
And when it came to dealing with enemies, he would be even more ruthless...
Following the Mother Gu’s reactions, it took Zou Feng about the time for a meal to arrive outside the wicker fence of a farmhouse.
The area around Yuan Guang County was dotted with farming villages.
The house before him was surrounded by mountains on three sides, making it easy to defend and hard to attack. It also had no neighbors nearby.
The Mother Gu’s reaction grew increasingly violent. Xu Haoran was clearly here.
Zou Feng didn’t rush in. Instead, he carefully inspected the surroundings.
He needed to make sure there were no hidden mechanisms or traps, nor dozens of burly Sword and Axe Hands lying in wait.
His reconnaissance was complete. There were no major issues, so Zou Feng nimbly vaulted over the wicker fence.
When he landed, although the courtyard had pooled with rainwater, his Body Skill, provided by the Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step, barely made a noticeable splash.
A glance around revealed complete silence, as if the family inside was sound asleep.
Only the main house, its door shut, showed any signs of activity.
Someone was groaning pitifully inside.
Staring at the door, Zou Feng broke into a mocking smile.
At this point, he couldn’t be bothered with any fancy tricks.
The person inside clearly knew he was coming, so a sneak attack or assassination was out of the question.
So, after licking his lips, Zou Feng pushed the door open...
Several oil lamps were lit inside the room, allowing Zou Feng to take in the situation at a glance.
First, in the center of the room, was a large pottery basin big enough for two people to bathe in together.
The basin was filled with an unknown, pitch-black liquid.
The smell emanating from the liquid was so pungent it made his head spin.
Next to the basin was a rattan chair. Yang Yanpeng was leaning back in it, a smirk on his face as he stared at Zou Feng.
At this moment, Yang Yanpeng reeked of medicine.
He had clearly been seeking all sorts of medical treatment these past few days to resist the side effects that had been transferred to him.
Thank goodness the guy was the son of a wealthy family, able to afford vast quantities of expensive medicinal herbs and hire famous doctors from Yuan Guang County Town.
Therefore, while it was impossible to completely eliminate the effects of the side effects, he had at least managed to suppress them temporarily.
Xu Haoran was there too, lying at Yang Yanpeng’s feet, his face a mask of terror and agony as he whimpered.
It looked like he had been beaten severely beforehand.
"Brother... Brother Feng... save me... save me..." Seeing Zou Feng had finally arrived, tears and snot streamed down Xu Haoran’s face.
But his eyes showed little of the light one would expect from seeing a glimmer of hope.
He had likely been frightened into despair by the power Yang Yanpeng had displayed earlier.
"You’re here?"
Yang Yanpeng narrowed his eyes, a hint of appreciation in his gaze as he looked at Zou Feng.
"You knew I was coming?" Zou Feng asked casually, though he was actually scanning the room for any other ambushes.
The next moment, Yang Yanpeng casually picked up the small bamboo cage containing the Child Gu.
"You didn’t think I, this young master, would fail to notice a little thing like this?"
Yang Yanpeng laughed out loud, no longer able to contain his smugness at the impending harvest of his efforts.
"I really want to know who gave you the confidence to walk right into my trap, knowing full well that I intend to use you both for my Refinement?"
"Did cultivating that Poison Skill turn your brain to mush?!"
"A worthless slave like you... so what if you’ve practiced the Five Poison Palm to the point of mastery? You think you can turn the tables... Jye jye jye..."
It’s no wonder villains love to celebrate prematurely; it’s a common failing for most people.
When you think victory is in your grasp, who wouldn’t want to show off a little and display their own brilliance and might?
Otherwise, it would be like wearing finery in the dead of night, robbing you of the ultimate pleasure of showing off.
However, just as Yang Yanpeng was about to follow the usual script—smugly revealing his brilliant plan and explaining why Zou Feng was completely in his grasp...
A sudden change occurred!
Xu Haoran, who had appeared to be grievously injured, suddenly sprang into action!
He shot up from the floor without any warning.
"You dog-bastard, die!"
As he roared, Xu Haoran channeled his Five Poison Palm to its absolute limit.
His palms, now a glossy, jet-black, flew toward Yang Yanpeng’s head in a Double Peak Piercing Ears strike.
It was obvious that Xu Haoran had been faking his severe injuries and despair, lying in wait for this very opportunity.
At this moment, Yang Yanpeng’s attention was almost entirely focused on the newly arrived Zou Feng. A sudden sneak attack now had a high chance of success!
’Did it work?’
Seeing his palms about to smash into Yang Yanpeng’s head, Xu Haoran was overjoyed.
Unfortunately, a sharp pain immediately shot through his chest.
In the nick of time, Yang Yanpeng’s Five Poison Heart-Pushing Palm, though launched later, struck first, landing squarely on his chest.
"PWAAH!!"
Xu Haoran let out a miserable shriek, spat out a mouthful of blood, and was sent flying backward.
He happened to be knocked right in front of Zou Feng.
Seeing this, Zou Feng naturally reached out and caught Xu Haoran.
"Brother Feng... I... I..." Xu Haoran continued to cough up blood, looking like he was on the verge of death.
Zou Feng supported him as he gently lowered him to the ground, comforting him, "It’s all right. Leave it to me!"
While being supported by Zou Feng, a dagger—obviously poisoned and of excellent quality—had appeared in Xu Haoran’s right hand at some unknown point.
And now, his right hand was resting on Zou Feng’s back, completely out of Zou Feng’s line of sight.
’This time, it’s really going to work!’
"Younger Brother Haoran, what do you think you’re doing?"
Unfortunately, it was as if Zou Feng had eyes in the back of his head, or perhaps he had known all along that this guy was a turncoat.
In the instant before the dagger could strike, Zou Feng’s figure merely swayed slightly. In one fluid motion, he dodged and grabbed Xu Haoran’s wrist, the one holding the dagger.
At this moment, Zou Feng’s eyes, as he looked at Xu Haoran, showed no surprise, nor any anger at being betrayed.
Instead... he was absolutely thrilled!
The scenario he had actually hoped to see was Xu Haoran walking right into the trap and becoming a turncoat.
This way, he could refine him along with Yang Yanpeng without any reservations.
Seeing Zou Feng’s bizarrely happy yet clearly predatory gaze, Xu Haoran was both shocked and terrified, utterly bewildered.
"Brother Feng, you... you... how did you know... I..."
Zou Feng sneered. "Your acting is even worse than a girl from the brothel faking her climax!"