He knew there was no point in denying it now. Since they had come knocking, they clearly already had concrete evidence.
So he abandoned the disguise, took a deep breath, and said, "May I ask who you are and how you know my identity? And what brings you here?"
"Who I am is not important. What matters is that I find Sect Leader Cong very intriguing. To be in charge of such a large Five Poison Sect yet only just a Martial Artist in the Fourth Realm—nobody would believe it if it were told."
"So, Sect Leader Cong must have some very unique means."
Zhao Ya deliberately disguised himself as a figure of great evil.
The more he did this, the more Cong Bo felt a chill.
Could this person be the one who eliminated Elder Wan Zhen and destroyed the Beast Taming Sect’s stronghold?
The more Cong Bo thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and his tone became increasingly respectful.
"Senior, you flatter me. I am merely drifting along thanks to my sect’s name and a bit of eloquence. The Five Poison Sect in Wanshou County is not solely under my control. If Senior has any requests, just give the order, and I shall do my utmost."
Cong Bo certainly didn’t think this person came to chat idly with him, but nor did he believe they had come to kill him. If that was the case, they would have acted already and not bothered with this small talk.
"As expected, a wise person who adapts to the times. I’m here not for anything major, just very interested in your disguise technique. I want to ask for some guidance."
On hearing this, Cong Bo secretly let out a sigh of relief. So it turned out he wanted to learn the disguise technique.
That was simple. He could just say something offhandedly to brush him off, and he probably wouldn’t suspect anything.
With Zhao Ya in a mask, from Cong Bo’s eyes in that instant, it was clear he was contemplating some idea.
This did not surprise Zhao Ya.
After all, people like Cong Bo have the advantage of quick thinking, but the disadvantage of thinking too fast.
Zhao Ya was prepared for this. He reached out and took a small, dark pill and, before Cong Bo could react, grabbed his neck and forced the pill into his mouth without hesitation.
Cong Bo struggled mightily, but in the end, the pill still went down his throat.
Once Zhao Ya released him, Cong Bo looked at Zhao Ya with despair in his eyes, like a mourner.
"What did you make me take?"
"Just a little something to make you more cooperative." Zhao Ya said indifferently.
Then Cong Bo felt a piercing pain in his stomach, as if thousands of insects were gnawing at his insides.
Cong Bo fell to his knees with a thud, "Spare me, Senior!"
"Relax, you won’t die for now. This is just the poison setting up camp inside. As long as you take the antidote I prepare every three months, you can live safely without any problems."
These past days, Zhao Ya had not been idle at Song Linqing’s home but had asked him many things about the Exotic Beast Meat Field, especially those unique ones.
The incident where Zhan Feng suffered greatly from the meat field left by Song Linqing was still vivid in Zhao Ya’s memory.
Coupled with the Exotic Insect Fragrance used by the Five Poison Sect, Zhao Ya was greatly inspired.
He wondered if he could combine those unique meat fields with poison to create a more powerful effect.
Of course, Song Linqing had no reason to hide anything from Zhao Ya, so he told him everything he knew and even gave Zhao Ya a few pieces of exotic meat fields he had stored for practice.
With his years of accumulated expertise in the Poison Dao, Zhao Ya quickly grasped the trick of it.
The poison pill that he fed to Cong Bo was the first batch of test products Zhao Ya came up with.
Judging by Cong Bo’s reaction, the effect was quite satisfactory.
Cong Bo hearing this felt even more despair in his heart.
Because if what the masked person said was true, wouldn’t he be firmly under his control?
However, it wasn’t completely hopeless, as the Beast Taming Sect had many experts. His master was a poison expert who might be able to cure him.
Cong Bo’s thoughts were racing, something Zhao Ya could naturally discern.
"You can try having your master detoxify you, but let me warn you in advance: my poison is very different from ordinary ones. If there’s the slightest mistake during detoxification, once it acts, you’d die instantly."
What Zhao Ya said was true.
The poison in these exotic meat fields was of a completely different nature from common poisons. You could see it as a type of venomous insect.
Normally, it doesn’t act due to the carefully tailored poison that Zhao Ya administers to keep it at bay.
But if this fragile balance is broken, the consequences are predictable.
Cong Bo finally yielded.
"Senior, I admit defeat. Didn’t you want to know about the Disguise Technique? I’ll tell you now."
Cong Bo dared not hide anything, revealing his entire Disguise Technique without omitting a single detail to Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya listened intently, occasionally asking about key aspects.
And so it went on for over an hour, with Cong Bo speaking until his mouth was dry, but he managed to cover all the critical points of the technique.
Zhao Ya also gained a lot from it.
Though he hadn’t personally practiced it yet, with these matured experiences, mastering it would only be a matter of practice.
"Senior, I’ve told you everything I know. Can you spare my life now?" Though the hope was slim, Cong Bo asked cautiously.
Zhao Ya smiled, pulling out a small bottle from his person, "This contains five antidote pills. One every three months, enough for a year."
Cong Bo accepted it with resignation.
"No need to be discouraged. I’m not actually interested in taking your life; I just need you to do another task for me. Do it well, and perhaps I’ll relieve you of the poison." Zhao Ya said, painting a hopeful picture.
Cong Bo’s eyes lit up, "What do you want me to do?"
"Your master is the Fifth Elder of the Beast Taming Sect. So, I want you to keep an eye on the movements within the sect and report any developments to me promptly."
Zhao Ya had not given Cong Bo the exotic poison pill merely for the Disguise Technique.
In fact, he had long been planning to involve him. With only Xiao Yan in the sect, information channels were far too limited.
Moreover, if Xiao Yan were discovered and deliberately fed him false information, he wouldn’t know any better.
Hence, Zhao Ya decided to develop Cong Bo as another contact, embedding him in the Beast Taming Sect as a spy.
That way, having information from two sources for comparison reduces the risk of deception.
Cong Bo dared not refuse, though he voiced his doubt.
"How shall I contact you?"
"I will soon return to Yan Capital City, but you have a place not far from the capital too. I don’t believe there aren’t any of your people from the Beast Taming Sect in the capital. You can pass the information there, leave it in a spot, and I’ll come for it."
This was also how he arranged it with Xiao Yan, except he also gave Xiao Yan an address in Wanshou County to keep them connected during this period.
Upon hearing that Zhao Ya even knew about his base near Yan Capital City, Cong Bo completely lost any thought of resistance, nodding in agreement.
Zhao Ya added a few more instructions before leaving, leaving Cong Bo alone in the room, bewildered.
He immensely regretted not fleeing immediately when the opportunity was there.
Now look, even his life was in another’s hands.
Cong Bo was filled with remorse.
At the same moment, Zhao Ya, having not returned home, arrived at the agreed-upon spot in Wanshou County to exchange information with Xiao Yan.
This time, he didn’t return empty-handed; Zhao Ya soon found a slip of paper. It contained only a simple sentence.
Yan Tingshan was critically ill, and the capital was in upheaval.