Upon hearing these words, many disciples displayed expressions of anger.
Because even if Azure Dragon Temple were declining, no one had ever dared to speak to them like this.
Guan Xuejiang narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "What do these people look like?"
"There are all kinds—tall, short, fat, and thin, but the one shouting was a short, fat middle-aged man."
A short, fat middle-aged man?
Guan Xuejiang seemed to be lost in thought.
Just then, the people sent to Azure Dragon Pharmacy to fetch the medicine returned.
Time was pressing, and there was no time to decoct the medicine.
So Zhao Ya divided the medicine into several portions according to the prescription, directly crushed it into powder with his hands, and then administered it to these few people.
Within moments, these people’s limbs suddenly began to tremble violently, like a seizure, foaming at the mouth and convulsing non-stop.
Everyone was shocked at the sight.
Shen Yunshen couldn’t help but ask, "Ya, what’s happening?"
Zhao Ya, however, was unruffled.
"It’s nothing, this is a normal reaction. Go get some clean water; let them rinse their mouths in a while."
As soon as he spoke, these people suddenly opened their eyes and then turned to the side to vomit profusely.
What they vomited was a gray-black liquid, which was foul-smelling and revolting.
After they could vomit no more, Zhao Ya gave them some warm water, and then they vomited again.
After doing this three times, the black aura on their faces finally faded, and their lives were saved.
But their spirits were still weak; clearly, their primordial energy was harmed.
Despite this, when these people saw the Elder Guan Xuejiang, they still struggled to stand up.
Guan Xuejiang waved a hand, "Sit down, quickly. I’m asking you, what did you encounter at that time?"
Only then did they start to recount the events one after another.
The account they gave was essentially the same as the previous ones.
When they spoke of being poisoned, Zhao Ya suddenly asked.
"What did you feel before and after the poisoning? Don’t omit anything, think carefully and tell me."
These few people frowned in thought for a moment, and then one of them spoke up.
"At the time, we were filled with righteous indignation, fighting with those people. But their methods were extremely despicable, and we fought with difficulty. So we planned to fight as we retreated, thinking to withdraw from the forest first."
"But unexpectedly, after just a few steps, I suddenly smelled a strange scent."
"Oh? What kind of smell?"
"It was a savory scent, like fresh beef being grilled on a stone slab."
The speaker clearly enjoyed food, as they couldn’t otherwise describe the scent so vividly.
"And then?"
"And then I felt a desperate hunger in my stomach, but before I could say anything, everything went black, and I knew nothing more."
Zhao Ya questioned the other few people, and their descriptions were almost identical.
Only then did Zhao Ya nod and then spoke to Guan Xuejiang and Shen Yunshen, who had been watching him all along.
"Alright, I’ve finished asking. Let them go rest."
Someone carried the injured disciples away and then cleaned the contaminated ground.
Zhao Ya instructed them to first cover the stains with clean sand, then dig up the topsoil until signs of contamination were gone.
The excavated polluted soil should not contact the body but be placed in a container and buried deep, away from water sources and rivers.
Hearing Zhao Ya’s cautious instructions, the younger disciples responsible for cleaning were also tense, handling everything carefully and not daring to slack off.
After cleaning up, Guan Xuejiang asked unrelated people to leave, then entered the Sect Contribution Department.
"Ya, what kind of poison is affecting these disciples?" Shen Yunshen impatiently asked as soon as he entered.
"If I’m not mistaken, they were poisoned by some kind of worm poison," Zhao Ya replied.
"Worm poison?"
"Yes, it’s a toxin extracted from exotic poisonous insects. It’s extremely potent and bizarre, but the drawback is that it’s too potent and can easily harm the poisoner if not careful," Zhao Ya said.
Nowadays, Zhao Ya’s knowledge of the Poison Dao is extensive enough to be called a master.
This is how he could instantly recognize the poison within these people.
"Then who are these people, daring to come near our Azure Dragon Temple to harm our disciples?" Shen Yunshen said, furious.
Zhao Ya glanced at Guan Xuejiang and saw that he was also watching him.
After the two exchanged a glance, Zhao Ya slowly said, "Based on what those few people said, these people acted without regard for fairness, and considering they used worm poison, I think Separation Tower is starting to fight back."
"Separation Tower?"
Upon hearing this answer, Shen Yunshen became even angrier.
Previously, he personally led a team to hunt down Separation Tower across Beyond the World, and after uprooting two strongholds, Separation Tower’s people vanished without a trace.
Shen Yunshen felt quite unsatisfied about this.
But he didn’t expect that in just a few days, Separation Tower people would dare to come to Azure Dragon Temple’s territory to provoke and threaten.
This infuriated Shen Yunshen.
"Damn it, I’m not going to hunt you down, and you should be thankful, but you dare to provoke us. I’ll crush every one of you and tear you to pieces."
"Don’t be impulsive. Since these people dare to come, it’s clear they are well-prepared. Otherwise, how could Separation Tower have the courage to oppose our South Canglong with just their limited strength?" Zhao Ya advised.
"Do you mean that there might be the shadow of North Canglong in this?"
Shen Yunshen wasn’t foolish. A slight calmness allowed him to consider this possibility.
"It’s not just possible, it’s certain."
Zhao Ya knew the assassins from Separation Tower all too well.
While they might excel at hiding in the dark for sneak attacks, when it comes to face-to-face combat, they absolutely wouldn’t dare.
So this time, they must have support backing them up.
Even Guan Xuejiang agreed with Zhao Ya’s speculation.
Shen Yunshen then laughed, rubbing his fists excitedly.
"I’ve long been displeased with those traitors from North Canglong. This rare opportunity cannot be missed to execute them thoroughly!"
"Elder, give the order, and I’ll lead a team down the mountain right away, ensuring North Canglong suffers immensely."
"No way." Before Guan Xuejiang could speak, Zhao Ya immediately interrupted.
"Hmm? What’s wrong?"
"Not to mention where you would find these people after descending the mountain, currently we’re in the light while the enemy is in the dark. They will certainly lurk in the dark, waiting for the right moment to launch a surprise attack."
"Even if you find them, your skills are profound, not afraid of insect poison, but what about the others? Besides, I believe the intention of Separation Tower or North Canglong isn’t really to deal with elder-level masters but specifically to target the disciples."
"They don’t need to do anything else; they just need to remain hidden. Once a lone Azure Dragon disciple appears, they will sneak attack with poison. How will you address that?"
Zhao Ya’s words were reasonable and well-founded.
Even Shen Yunshen couldn’t help but change color.
"So, Ya, what do you suggest? Should we just allow them to act wantonly?"
"Of course not." Zhao Ya responded with a cold smile.
"They think they know how to use poison, yet they haven’t considered that I am even better at it. Although this insect poison is fierce, it’s not difficult to counter. As long as I prepare antitoxic elixirs in advance to carry with us, they will have no tricks left."
Guan Xuejiang’s eyes lit up, "You can concoct antitoxic elixirs?"
"Yes, this insect poison is essentially a toxin targeting the bloodstream. Prevention and detoxification aren’t particularly difficult, just requiring several special herbs."
"No problem. I will have the Azure Dragon Pharmacy fully cooperate; simply mention any missing herbs, and if the temple doesn’t have them, I will send someone outside to find them."
"No need, the pharmacy should have them. However, during the time I am concocting the antitoxic elixirs, it would be best not to let disciples leave the mountain and to strictly seal any information. This will give these people a false impression, causing them to become negligent."
"Alright, let’s do that!" Guan Xuejiang agreed wholeheartedly.
Then Zhao Ya promptly headed to the Azure Dragon Pharmacy, but before leaving, he notified Qin Jianji.
He asked him to quickly go to the outer gate to oversee and instruct the disciples that under no circumstances should they leave.
Even though Qin Jianji was an elder and Zhao Ya a disciple,
at this moment, he heeded Zhao Ya’s advice, nodded, and immediately returned to the outer gate at the foot of the mountain.
Zhao Ya also requested a few clever young disciples to assist him and then went to the Azure Dragon Pharmacy to start concocting the antitoxic elixirs.
While South Canglong was preparing intensely inside,
forty miles away in a valley, a group of people sat around a clearing by the mountain stream resting.
The campfire grilled fresh fish caught from the stream, its fragrance thick and enticing.
Within a hundred meters, not to mention wild animals, there wasn’t even a single snake or insect.
It seemed these snakes and insects sensed some terrifying presence, causing them all to flee.
A short, fat middle-aged man sat by the fire, took a bite of already roasted fish, and then wrinkled his facial features together.
"Delicious. It would taste even better if we had some wine."
"We’ve run out of wine. We’ll find a tavern tonight." a tall, thin man beside him said.
The fish was now ready, and those gathered around the fire began to eagerly eat.
Except for one person who didn’t move.
This was a man of imposing appearance and unusual aura, though currently somewhat worried and distressed.
The short, chunky man extended the fish in his hand towards him.
"Come on, City Lord Qiao, lost things are just that. We can gather more later. How is it befitting for a real man to be like this?"
Upon hearing this, Qiao Le sighed.
"Easy for you to say, but with Jade Dragon City now ruined, where can I gather more?"
Speaking of this, a trace of venomous resentment surfaced in his eyes.
"Those were the fruits of my labor for many years, my future pension, and yet they were completely ransacked by those South Canglong bastards. I simply can’t swallow this anger."
Indeed.
This man was none other than City Lord Qiao Le of Jade Dragon City.
Before, when Zhao Ya followed Shen Yunshen to the City Lord’s Mansion of Jade Dragon City, he had already fled.
No one expected that he would appear here now.
"Hehe, we’re here for revenge, aren’t we?" the short, fat man chuckled.
But Qiao Le was still somewhat reluctant.
"Why didn’t we just kill those South Canglong brats then, and instead let them go back?"
"City Lord Qiao doesn’t understand. This is called ’striking the mountain to scare the tiger.’ It was to demonstrate our methods to the South Canglong, after all. Those returned disciples are bound to die, and if not handled carefully, the poison might spread, causing even more significant casualties."
"At that time, I don’t believe Guan Xuejiang can still maintain composure, and as soon as their formation becomes chaotic, our opportunity will come!" the short, fat man smiled.