Kong Xiangdong chuckled softly and pointed to his own head without any trace of concealment.
"The poison has already entered the brain, causing some mental issues, but it’s not a big deal. I won’t die just yet."
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere at the wine table became eerily strange.
Zhao Ya hadn’t said anything yet, but Yang Zhan and Jing Rou, sitting at a distance, both wore expressions of shock.
Is this kind of thing something you can casually bring up?
Especially Yang Zhan, cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead.
If it were possible, he truly wished he had been deaf a moment ago.
After all, knowing such a secret is nothing but harmful and not a bit beneficial to him!
Jing Rou and Zhao Ya could simply leave, but he still had to make a living in the small town.
Just as the two of them were turning pale at the thought, Kong Xiangdong suddenly laughed.
"Alright, no point in talking about these things, come on, let’s continue drinking!"
Kong Xiangdong seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further, instead calling everyone to drink.
Zhao Ya sensibly didn’t press further.
After all, everyone has their past and secrets; it’s normal not to want to share them.
But this did solve a puzzle.
Why this seemingly gentle and amiable Kong Xiangdong had the reputation of being a madman.
In fact, Zhao Ya sensed something was off the first moment he saw Kong Xiangdong.
Firstly, there was a black line running from the center of Kong Xiangdong’s brows to the top of his head. Secondly, his eyes faintly revealed a black aura, which were not good signs.
Kong Xiangdong’s answer also confirmed Zhao Ya’s suspicions.
It was precisely because he was poisoned that his temper was erratic, sometimes good, sometimes bad.
When good, he was refined and elegant, like a scholar.
When bad, he was irritable and might even kill without provocation.
As for who could poison someone with Poison Dao skills that even shocked Zhao Ya, that was none of Zhao Ya’s business.
After all, they met by chance, and Zhao Ya didn’t want to interfere.
Soon, the banquet was over.
Kong Xiangdong was quite drunk, but clearly in a good mood, so he said,
"Go, bring up all the interesting stuff we’ve collected over the years, let these two friends from afar have a look."
"Yes!"
The subordinates obeyed, and before long, brought in a dozen exquisite boxes.
Kong Xiangdong wobbled to his feet, walked over to the boxes, and smiled at Zhao Ya and Jing Rou.
"These things were acquired by my brothers through great effort, even costing several lives. Previously, several groups wanted to buy them, but I couldn’t bear to sell! But today is different; since this young brother follows the same Poison Dao as me, we’re half brothers, so please take a look."
With that, he waved his hand.
The subordinates simultaneously opened the lids of the boxes.
There wasn’t the imagined treasure glimmer; in fact, once the lids were opened, Zhao Ya caught a strong sea odor.
This time Jing Rou couldn’t sit still, hastily standing up and approaching the boxes to inspect them one by one.
Inside these boxes were items of various shapes, some recognizable at a glance.
For example, there was a short-barreled gun over thirty centimeters long, almost as finely made as the one Zhao Ya held.
But there were also items whose purpose was indiscernible.
For instance, a black box the size of a palm, with a piece of its shell broken off, revealing densely packed gears intertwined within.
The craftsmanship was beyond the imagination of ordinary people, even more complex than the firearm Zhao Ya had.
Yet because of this, it was puzzling what it was for.
But honestly, the quality of these Miracle Creations was top-notch.
Jing Rou was enraptured.
Although always engrossed in gunpowder research, being in the Mechanical Sect, he naturally had a keen interest in these objects filled with mechanical beauty.
Zhao Ya’s attention, however, wasn’t on how complex these Miracle Creations were.
In fact, his purpose wasn’t for these Miracle Creations, but to find something he wanted from them.
Yet after a thorough examination, Zhao Ya eventually raised his head, a look of disappointment on his face.
Then Zhao Ya couldn’t help but laugh at his previous wishful thinking.
How ridiculous, to think he could find traces of familiar civilization in these enigmas from the mysterious Wuyang Sea.
Impossible!
Though these items showed strong civilizational prowess, especially the mechanical strength of some creations, making even Zhao Ya from a technologically advanced world marvel.
But ultimately, they were of different kinds.
Aside from the familiar firearms, the rest Zhao Ya couldn’t discern their function.
"What? Dissatisfied?"
Sensing Zhao Ya’s disappointment, Kong Xiangdong raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat puzzled.
Zhao Ya shook his head, "No, it’s just that there’s nothing I want!"
Kong Xiangdong seemed thoughtful.
At this moment, Jing Rou also raised his head.
Unlike Zhao Ya, he was quite satisfied with the quality of these Miracle Creations.
But praise is flattery, and he certainly couldn’t reveal his true feelings.
On the contrary, he furrowed his brow, shook his head, and said, "Leader Kong, to be honest, these items are quite good! But as my young brother said, there’s little of what we want."
"For example, this item looks precise and complex, but first, we can’t tell its function, second, it’s extremely difficult to repair, buying it wouldn’t be much use, only that gun and two other items are worthwhile."