When Shen Qiang left from Wan Xin and He Sheng, most of the people who attended the auction had already dispersed.

But upon reaching the entrance to the Wan Xin and He Sheng Auction House, a few cultivators still gathered around him.

"Mr. Shen, good day. I'm Wu Zhicheng, a loose cultivator from the East Meng region. I saw your impressive bearing at the auction and couldn't bear to pass you by without making your acquaintance. So, I specially waited here to make a friend of you."

"Mr. Shen, I am Zhu Zhirong from Xixia Sect. I would like to be friends with you."

"Mr. Shen, I am Song Qingfeng from the Song family of Southwest Dian. I am delighted to meet you."

"Mr. Shen, I am..."

Watching the many cultivators crowding around him, Shen Qiang frowned deeply.

He wasn't really opposed to making friends.

However, now older and wiser to the complexities of society and even more of the cultivation world, these cultivators had undoubtedly attended that very same auction.

Yet, when Jing Haotian and that pimply-faced fat man ridiculed Shen Qiang together, none showed the enthusiasm they exhibited now.

At that time, either they remained silent or wore grins, waiting to see a joke unfold.

Now, thinking that Shen Qiang was capable, and even Jing Haotian was no match for him, they wanted to come over and befriend him, which seemed a rather underestimation of Shen Qiang's intelligence.

People like these were a dime a dozen.

The so-called making friends was merely a scheme to glean some benefits.

Had Shen Qiang's ability been inferior to Jing Haotian's, being mocked without the power to respond, it's likely none of them would be appearing here. In such a case, Shen Qiang would be foolish to consider friendship with them.

As thoughts flashed through his mind, a youth with a crisply ironed shirt emerged from Wan Xin and He Sheng quickly, and pleaded, "Mr. Shen, please wait, it takes the one who tied the bell to untie it. That fellow practitioner who collided with you earlier is in grave danger. Please, for the sake of Wan Xin and He Sheng, spare him your mercy."

The crowd immediately widened their eyes in shock.

"Holy shit, what's going on? Wan Xin and He Sheng dares to confront even the top five sword sects head-on, and they're being so polite to Shen Qiang?"

"Huh, isn't he just skilled in poisoning? Jing Haotian seems fine, and that guy earlier just had diarrhea. With such a condition, it shouldn't be troubling for Wan Xin and He Sheng."

As the surrounding few were surprised, the neatly-dressed youth said, "We have already administered a detoxification pill to that fellow practitioner and given him a special medicine for diarrhea, but his condition is worsening."

Shen Qiang laughed, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about him. Bring him out, I'm too lazy to come in."

Upon hearing again about the detoxification pill's failure, the faces of the many cultivators around grew alarmed.

It's well known that, although the detoxification pill isn't a cure-all, it can generally address most common poisoning symptoms—a consensus in the cultivation world.

That it failed once was one thing.

What staggered them was that Shen Qiang used it twice, and both times it proved ineffective.

Suddenly, the many cultivators glanced at each other, looking at Shen Qiang with a tinge of excitement in their eyes.

Traditionally, employing poison or using gu among other methods, were considered unorthodox and disgraceful in the cultivation world.

But what era was this?

A black cat or a white cat, if it catches mice, it's a good cat.

Such powerful capability, no matter which sect owned it, as long as it did not provoke a wrathful mob, would be enough to intimidate all rivals.

Each person in the crowd was mentally calculating, organizing words in their minds on how to ingratiate themselves with Shen Qiang.

Meanwhile, accompanied by a stench that wafted through the air,

the skinny man who was previously high-and-mighty and wanted to challenge Shen Qiang alone, shambled out supported by security, as frail and tremulous as an old man.

His face was as pale as gold leaf, his body covered in cold sweat, and his grey lips quivered lightly.

As he walked, onlookers saw mysterious liquid dripping from the hem of his trousers.

The cultivators hastily covered their noses and retreated.

"Oh damn, it's in his pants."

"Hehehe, isn't this the renowned Sai Ganning, who is invincible in his realm underwater, and the river overlord Yin Guangyuan?"

"Damn, if he goes in the water now, he'll probably drown, right?"

Amidst the ridiculing gazes from the cultivators, Shen Qiang said indifferently, "Do you still want to take me on in a one-on-one fight?"

The skinny man, trembling, said, "I give up, I surrender, please show mercy."

Shen Qiang laughed, activated the Plague Source, released the antibody that restricted Thermophilic Streptococcus, and then proudly said, "The Cultivation World is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Take more precautions in the future and don't act cocky just because you see someone with lower cultivation than you."

The surrounding cultivators immediately praised him.

"Mr. Shen truly speaks wisely. Yin Guangyuan, look at yourself, flaunting your slight cultivation and acting reckless. Look at Mr. Shen, how low-key and cultured he is."

"Exactly, Mr. Shen is kind and virtuous. If someone malicious had your heart, you wouldn't be just messing your pants, you'd be meeting King Yan directly."

"Yes, so you really should thank Mr. Shen, for teaching you a valuable life lesson."

The flattery from the crowd amused Shen Qiang.

He waved his hand and said, "The poison is neutralized, go rest. In two minutes, drink a cup of warm water and you'll be fine."

The crowd's eyes lit up, completely unable to comprehend how Shen Qiang had achieved this.

"Thank you, thank you." The skinny man walked back with the help of a security guard.

A young man with an unwrinkled shirt smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Shen."

Shen Qiang smiled as many cultivators gathered around him, all talking at once.

"As expected of Mr. Shen, his Medical Skill is truly sublime."

"So mysterious, he detoxified him without anyone noticing."

"This is too…"

Watching the crowd around him trying hard to flatter him, Shen Qiang smiled slightly and with a flip of his hand, took out a small bottle of glucose for injection from his Storage Ring.

"I'm deeply grateful that you all hold me in such high regard and want to be friends with me, for I lack nothing else but friends."

The crowd's eyes lit up.

"Mr. Shen is kind and virtuous, how could he possibly lack friends? Whenever you need us, through wind and fire, through knife and flames, we won't hesitate at all."

Hearing the crowd's words, Shen Qiang nodded gravely and said, "I need friends like you. I had many good friends before, but they slowly died while helping me test medicines. Although I am sad, life must go on, and now it's time to look forward."

"This bottle I'm holding contains a poison I'm researching, which is about a hundred times stronger than the one that man was poisoned with. As good friends, come and test it for me. It would really help me study various states of poisoning and perhaps find an antidote."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the crowd instantly turned pale.

Seeing Shen Qiang about to open the bottle, the cultivators scattered in a rush.

"Mr. Shen, I have something urgent, I need to go first."

"Goodbye Mr. Shen, my mother is in the hospital, I can't delay even a second."

"Sorry, Mr. Shen, something urgent came up, I'll help you test the medicine when I come back."

Watching the cultivators flee in all directions, Shen Qiang put away the glucose for injection and let out a cold laugh, then took out his phone to call Boss Ma.

"Bro Ma, where are we eating at noon? Pedestrian street, going for Korean cuisine? Alright, I'll be there soon."

Upstairs, by the window, watching Shen Qiang make the call and walk away, Xu Nan's face revealed a slight smile.

"I thought those people's flattery would make you forget your own name, but you surprised me by scaring them all away with poison. That's really quite unexpected."

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