In a large hall within Medicine King Hall, three Shopkeepers, Yang Luochen, and Kou Ming were seated around a large, square table. This arrangement itself was telling.

Although Medicine King Hall had several masters, the true decision-makers were these five individuals at the table. This was unrelated to their individual strength but rather a matter of their different roles.

After meetings that continued throughout the night, even though all five were Martial Practitioners, fatigue inevitably showed at the corners of their eyes.

"We've talked all night and simply set the general direction: to strike at Firewood Iron Shop first, then swallow up the Fish and Dragon Association..."

Yang Luochen placed his hands on his knees, sitting perfectly upright, his demeanor extraordinarily calm as he said, "But I always feel that the Fish and Dragon Association is hiding something deeper than Firewood Iron Shop. Considering they sent Ma Mingfeng out first with his outrageous claims of intending to dominate, they must have some backing. Otherwise, where would they get the confidence to challenge both us and Firewood Iron Shop?"

"That's right," Third Shopkeeper Cao Shouxiong quietly interjected. "Firewood Iron Shop is backed by the government, having secretly reached an agreement with the county government office to craft the 'Divine Force Crossbow.' That's the source of their confidence. What does the Fish and Dragon Association rely on? Just a genius disciple like Ma Mingfeng? That's a joke."

Yang Luochen added, "That only means the Fish and Dragon Association has hidden its foundation even deeper. They are like a venomous snake; we need to be more vigilant."

Store Manager Qin Sifan said, "But the reason for targeting Firewood Iron Shop is also very clear: the competition among the younger generation, specifically between Xie Qingfeng of Firewood Iron Shop and our Medicine King Hall's Kou Ming and Chen Ku. If Xie Qingfeng is favored by the Grandmaster, Firewood Iron Shop's influence will soar, leaving us with no way to fight back."

"That is true," Yang Luochen slowly stated. "I agree we should strike at Firewood Iron Shop first, but the method of attack needs careful discussion."

Second Shopkeeper Zhang Yuanhai smirked coldly. "Of course, we must play to Medicine King Hall's strengths. Don't forget what we specialize in. Open confrontations aren't as convenient or swift as using poison. Even Fourth Realm Martial Practitioners like Xie Wenyuan and Xie Qingfeng can be dealt with using poison."

"Indeed, we have poisons capable of dealing with Fourth Realm Martial Practitioners," Cao Shouxiong mused, frowning slightly. "Within our hall alone, we have 'Sixth Grade Red,' 'Seven-step Soul Summoning Powder,' 'Seven Clever Bone Dissolving Powder,' and others. The difficulty lies in how to succeed. Firewood Iron Shop's defenses are strict, no weaker than Medicine King Hall's—perhaps even stronger. If we resort to widespread poisoning, innocent people will inevitably be harmed, and the government won't stand by and watch us cause such a major disturbance."

***

Sixth Grade Red was a concoction of the world's six most potent toxins, purified, powdered, and mixed. It could be dissolved in water or formed into pills. A dose merely the size of a mustard seed, added to drinking water or food, could kill dozens. If dispersed into the air, an ordinary person who inhaled a breath of it would immediately bleed from all seven orifices and die. Unless one's martial arts cultivation had reached the Five Internal Strong level, there was no way to resist it.

In his room, Chen Ku was flipping through records detailing the various poisons of Medicine King Hall. Arsenic and Break Intestine Grass, for instance, might affect ordinary Martial Practitioners, but they would hardly be instantly effective against those at the Fourth Realm or above.

This Sixth Grade Red isn't easy to concoct, he thought. It's even classified as a 'Fourth Realm Prescription' in the diagrams. With my current skills, I can't make it myself.

He pondered in place.

Even within Medicine King Hall, only two or three Pill Masters can concoct such a poison, and a single dose is worth a fortune.

Chen Ku continued to browse through information on other poisons in the book. For example, Seven-step Soul Summoning Powder and Seven Clever Bone Dissolving Powder were of an even higher grade, reaching the Five Realms level. The entire Medicine King Hall would struggle to synthesize even one dose of these within a year.

Compared to Seven-step Soul Summoning Powder and Seven Clever Bone Dissolving Powder, Sixth Grade Red can actually be bought on the black market, Chen Ku mused. It's likely just Medicine King Hall secretly selling it...

An idea sparked in Chen Ku's mind.

He thought to himself: If I tell Master and the Shopkeepers that I plan to poison that old scoundrel Xie, I could probably request a dose. However, they'd definitely question me and show concern, especially about how I intend to administer the poison. I wouldn't be able to answer that.

Ever since he acquired the Red-Tailed Bee Transformation, he could change into a creature as small as an insect-sized bee. The greatest advantage of this transformation was its ability to conceal his actions, making it perfect for insidious tasks like poisoning.

But this matter involves the fundamental secret of his existence; how could he possibly reveal it?

As for why he wanted to poison Xie Wenyuan:

Firstly, the conflict between Medicine King Hall and Firewood Iron Shop was irreconcilable; they were already mortal enemies.

Secondly, Chen Ku could feel intense malice from that old Shopkeeper, Xie Wenyuan. Beyond the bait of the Thirteenth Guardian position dangled by the Divine Hammer Guardians, there was also Chen Ku's own deep-seated feud with Firewood Iron Shop. All this had already marked him for death in the old man's eyes.

Now that I have the ability to strike him stealthily, why wouldn't I?

I'll first sell the hide and antlers of the Nine-Colored Deer. The five hundred thousand taels of silver reward will be enough to buy ten thousand doses of poison!

Having made his decision, Chen Ku left Medicine King Hall. Once outside, he changed his appearance, assuming the identity of 'Er Lang,' complete with a conical hat, and headed towards the Grey Clothes Tower in the black market.

When he reached the main street, he noticed many unfamiliar faces and thought to himself: Ever since that Grandmaster arrived in Baojiao County two or three days ago, more and more outsiders have been appearing, and with increasing frequency.

Suddenly, a child appeared on the street, clutching a thick stack of Court Newspapers and shouting:

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