Unparalleled Cunning Lu Zhongmu

Returning to the room, Chen An’nian voraciously devoured the steamed buns and meat soup on the table, as if he hadn’t eaten in several lifetimes.

Satiated and content, Chen An’nian let out a satisfied burp.

“This time, the poison is indeed potent. It seems like I added quite a substantial amount,” he remarked.

“My stomach feels a bit warm...”

"Fortunately, the residual toxins in my body have been completely purged, so it’s not as painful as last time.”

Carefully observing his body’s reaction after consuming the poison, Chen An’nian found this novel experience quite exhilarating.

The Golden Book’s fragment now contained five strands of divine energy and five strands of impure energy.

They were still a distance away from converging into a complete droplet.

“Lu Zhongmu, come on,” he whispered.

“Why be stingy when using poison? If it didn’t kill me, double the dose, and then double it again. It’s not that hard, right?” He mused.

“Ugh...”

Chen An’nian tapped his head, wishing he could teach Lu Zhongmu how to poison properly.

...

Lu Zhongmu returned to his room and prepared to leave the sect.

He arrived at a secluded forest where a figure clad in a menacing mask and black attire, brandishing a knife, awaited him.

Cold glints emanated from the figure’s eyes.

“Is Chen An’nian dead?”

“Not... not yet,” Lu Zhongmu replied, scanning his surroundings.

The dense shadows of trees revealed the presence of numerous figures in black attire.

“Didn’t you say Chen An’nian would die today?”

The masked figure’s voice was as sharp as ice shards.

Lu Zhongmu couldn’t help but take a step back, feeling somewhat intimidated by this group of outlaws.

“There was an unexpected turn of events. It seems Chen An’nian is immune to poison. I already fed him half a pellet of Poisonous Energy Pill, but it had no effect whatsoever.”

“Why not just feed him a whole pellet directly?”

“Poison is expensive, you know,” Lu Zhongmu said with a bitter expression.

“I specifically chose the Poisonous Energy Pill, which dissipates its toxicity after killing someone, leaving no trace. But it’s outrageously expensive, costing one low-grade spirit stone per pill.”

“I’m just a factotum disciple. Where would I get so much money?”

The masked figure pondered for a moment, then took out a small bottle from their pocket and tossed it to Lu Zhongmu.

“I don’t have any Poisonous Energy Pills, but here’s an Ice Refinement Pill. Just feed him the whole pill directly.”

“Ice Refinement Pill!?” Lu Zhongmu exclaimed in astonishment.

“One Ice Refinement Pill is worth two low-grade spirit stones!”

“You know quite a bit,” the masked figure sneered.

“The Ice Refinement Pill is a cultivation aid. When one’s blood and qi become too hot during cultivation, it prevents meridian burns by lowering the temperature.”

“Chen An’nian is not yet capable of cultivation. With this Ice Refinement Pill, we can freeze his blood and qi. Once they solidify, he will die, even if not immediately.”

Lu Zhongmu greedily eyed the Ice Refinement Pill in his hand, carefully tucking it away.

“There’s one more thing. Chen An’nian mentioned today that he seems to have sensed qi fluctuations.”

“What!?”

The masked figure’s blood and qi instantly surged, causing Lu Zhongmu to hastily take a few steps back.

At this moment, the masked figure resembled a fierce tiger suddenly opening its eyes, ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.

“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” Lu Zhongmu said.

“Let’s turn the tables on him.”

“He wants to cultivate, right? We can give him a flawed cultivation technique. The more diligently he practices, the faster he’ll die, and it won’t leave any evidence behind.”

“If we directly use the Ice Refinement Pill, it will be obvious to anyone with discerning eyes.”

“You’ve got a sharp mind,” the masked figure said, restraining their aura.

“With the emergence of qi fluctuations, there’s a high chance he’ll pass the assessment once it’s triggered.”

“But if he practices the flawed technique and managed to avoid any setbacks, it will be a loss for us.”

Lu Zhongmu smiled confidently. “Don’t worry, sir.”

“We can use Qi and Blood Pill to accelerate his cultivation speed.”

“This way, the more proficient Chen An’nian becomes in his cultivation, the more explosive his breakthrough will be.”

The masked figure pondered for a moment.

“Indeed, it’s a subtle method of killing without shedding blood. But what if...”

“My Lord, have you forgotten about the Ice Refinement Pill?” Lu Zhongmu, with his wits about him, revealed his subsequent plan.

“If, by any chance, he doesn’t die from his meridians being burst by blood and qi before the assessment, I will coax him into taking the Ice Refinement Pill on the day before the assessment. Even if he doesn’t die, his blood and qi won’t be completely frozen. However, dreaming of passing the assessment will be utterly futile!”

The masked figure carefully scrutinized Lu Zhongmu, as if seeing him for the first time.

“You’ve got a sharp mind, kid. If you succeed, I’ll reward you with thirty low-grade spirit stones.”

Saying this, the masked figure produced another bottle.

“Inside are three Qi and Blood Pill. It should be enough. I’ll remind you once again, that the mission is of utmost importance.”

Lu Zhongmu smiled faintly, “Rest assured, my lord. Although these elixirs are precious, I understand their importance and urgency.”

“By the way, My Lord, did you mention that Chen An’nian possesses some kind of prescription?” Lu Zhongmu casually inquired.

Unexpectedly, the masked figure in black suddenly stared at Lu Zhongmu, “What are you trying to say?”

Lu Zhongmu’s hair stood on end, hastily waving his hand, “I was just wondering, if poisoning is ineffective, could it be possible that he possesses a special antidote, which is why he is not afraid of the Poisonous Energy Pill?”

The masked figure in black slowly removed his hand from the hilt of his blade, “Do not ask what you shouldn’t. Just focus on completing the mission.”

At that moment, another black-clad individual handed Lu Zhongmu a booklet on fist techniques.

“Thank you, thank you,” Lu Zhongmu nodded eagerly, quickly tucking away the booklet and hastening to leave the dense forest.

“Master, do you think what this guy said is true...”

Once Lu Zhongmu had left, a black-clad figure, as silent as a black cat, appeared beside the masked figure in black.

“I’m not sure. According to our instructions, we are searching for a piece of golden paper, whether it is a medicinal prescription or not is unclear.”

“Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility that it is an extremely special prescription.”

The masked figure in black shook his head.

“In that case...”

The masked figure in black quickly interrupted his subordinate, “Don’t entertain such thoughts. The Chen Family, such a prominent clan, was annihilated overnight. Even the vast Shanhai Mansion couldn’t accommodate a single person.”

“If it weren’t for Chen An’nian fleeing to Baiyang Mansion, do you think a mere ninth-grade Green Mountain Sect could withstand the people behind?”

“They simply don’t want to escalate the situation and draw the attention of certain individuals in Baiyang Mansion.”

“We should just seek wealth and prosperity.”

“Don’t be greedy.”

...

On his way back to the sect, Lu Zhongmu was filled with excitement, “The item they are searching for might truly be a valuable prescription.”

“Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so thrilled just now.”

“This is my chance.”

“Chen An’nian, this time you will die, even if you don’t want to!”

“No, I need to buy two more Poisonous Energy Pills. I must force that prescription out of him. I don’t believe he only has the prescription without the actual ingredients!”

Lu Zhongmu was prepared to make a significant sacrifice.

It was time to dip into his personal treasury.

Compared to the thirty low-grade spirit stones given by those black-clad individuals outside, if he could uncover the secrets hidden within Chen An’nian, that would truly be a massive gain.