Captured Beast

As evening came eventually and Huang Lin, the ever "faithful" servant carried a tray of food over to Orochimaru. He felt unsettled. The thugs had done as told.

They'd provoked and terrorized the manor and its lord but they never left after entering the main manor. What alarmed Huang Lin the most was the utter silence that followed. He knew those three personally.

There was no way they'd be quiet and orderly. Especially if they were attacked or fighting. Why were there no shouts or sounds of fighting whatsoever? No stray Profound energies?

Elementary profound practitioners couldn't externalise their sparse profound energy properly so they'd use it to strengthen their bodies. However he was rather good at sensing the stray energies that would leak out through the meridians naturally when in battle

Could there really be a hidden master following the silk pants!? Or was he more powerful than he let on?

Old Huang found Orochimaru in a clean but dilapidated courtyard lounging in the dying rays of sunshine.

Huang Lin looked at the pale white skin and slick black hair of his 'lord'.

'Was he this pale before?'

Huang Lin stopped with the tray beside Orochimaru and placed it down on a little table.

Orochimaru seemed to notice him. "Ah manager Huang! You've come again today."

"It's my greatest pleasure to serve lord Orochi Maru." Huang Lin bowed an elegant servant's bow all while holding the tray of hot slug soup and bitter tea.

Orochimaru similed and sat up before the small bamboo table, while Huang Lin expertly poured the tea into a porceline tea cup and handed it off to Orochimaru on a saucer.

The Snake Sanin sipped at the beverage and sighed, "Oh so refreshing~"

"Uh, lord Orochi Maru, what happened to those trouble makers that came over to cause a ruckus? I had food sent over after you lead them away but you sent it back." Old Huang looked around in a manner which would make people think he's afraid.

"Oh, those ruffians? Why I knocked them out of course!" Orochimaru similed with a proud look on his face before scowling.

"Tsk! Those fellows are the reason this area is so bad. I'm planning to have the official guards come for them early tomorrow morning."

Huang Lin filed the information away. "Ah! So lord Orochi Maru is a hidden expert! I should've known!"

The proud look on Orochimaru face faltered a little as a hand rose up to rub the back of his neck. "Hehehe, oh no manager Huang. This matter is a little embarrassing. I-l used a little Lao root Powder."

Huang Lin couldn't help but doubt himself as he looked at the embarrassed face of Orochimaru. Lao root powder was a common herb young deviants from wealthy families. They would secretly sprinkle it in the beverages of naïve young maidens to knock them unconscious and sully them in their sleep.

As of late most young ladies of noble families are taught to quickly identify the drug in beverages before consumption. But most common people; especially in this area wouldn't have that knowledge.

'Obviously not that pomp bastard. If he wasn't so useful, i'd leave him to the governor's guards.' Old Huang thought.

The traitorous manager chatted with Orochimaru for a bit before departing. He had information to deliver after all.....

______________________________________

Later that day at the Black Tiger gang's hideout, a lacky ran to the boss with a pigeon.

"So that fool got himself caught so easily. He better pray this Oroxi character isn't one of those silk pants with 'special' tastes otherwise he may be waking up very sore!" Black tiger and his lackies laughed.

"Orochi is a strange one but there's no need to keep wasting time! Tell that old bastard Huang we'll arrive at nightfall" Black tiger said to a lacky who ran out to deliver the message.

The day steadily passed on.

At dinnertime, Orochimaru sat at his table enjoying his plate of roasted toad legs and slug soup. Not paying any mind to the various sedatives he could register on his tongue. When suddenly, a boom erupted at the recently patched front gate!

The snake sanin smiled lightly, "So they've made their move?"

He could hear shouts and stomping outside his manor before the door was torn open. Orochimaru looked at the people standing at the doorway. His eyes narrowed at the aura one particular individual radiated towards him brazenly.

A level one Nascent profound realm practitioner! Along with two 10th leveled Elementary Profound Realm gangsters!

"Greetings lord Oroshi Maru. The black Tiger gang is here to visit you.~" He aimed a large slab of metal shaped like a sword at the lone estate lord.

"Guards! Guards!" The young master; who'd shot to his feet, had a look of fear on his face as he shouted for help.

"Don't bother screaming, all your guards are my loyal dogs!" As if to accentuate this sentence a couple of Orochimaru's guards stood behind black tiger looking  at him with cold grins.

"They're already surrounding and searching the place for all the goodies you have here!" Black tiger leveled his at the silk pants.

"Now, you're gonna hand over the Profound card you have and erase your mark of ownership on it! Do it and I might just let you live! You'll make a fine whore for those guys with a particular taste!~"

"He'll make us a fortune!" The scarred woman leered at the helpless pretty boy.

Orochimaru ignored their words and eyed the weapon, it was a heavy sword just as large as the executioner's blade of the Mist but twice as thick. Judging from its look, it may be thrice as heavy and possibly far more durable. Yes it didn't have the blade's sinster self-healing ability, but it was better in every other way- provided someone had the strength to wield it.

'And to think this is just junk mortal metal in this world.' The snake Sanin recognized the cheap metal.

In the end, he decided to discard his frightened expression.

"Well then, I guess it's about time we begin." Orochimaru's lips curled into a cruel smile as he locked eyes with Black Tiger.

A wave of fear rose from all those standing at the door. A deep sense of malice aimed at them. Many fainted from just the aura alone. Black Tiger fared better, he blasted forward- breaking the wooden planks and swiping at the body of creepy teen!

Die!

This boy must die! In the deepest parts of his soul, Black Tiger knew if he hesitated, he'd meet his end! A bud of joy bloomed within his heart as his heavy-sword's edge came in contact with the teen's neck. But before he could celebrate, he heard a popping sound as the boy exploded into a cloud of smoke. His sharp eyesight zeroed in on a bisected log floating through the air!

"Wha-!" He set to scream in confusion but pricks of pain dug into him from behind. He swung his blade behind himself, putting all his profound and physical strength, determined to kill his attacker. A powerful arch of profound energy flew out!

However there was no sound of bones being snapping or blood splatter. Only the swish of air. There was no one there! The Gangleader felt weakness overcome him. It seems whatever he was poked with was poisoned.

The giant slab of metal fell from his hand as he lost more strength. He reached behind himself to pluck out the rather large needle from his back before collapsing. His vision further faded. But just before it went dark, he saw a slim figure fall from the ceiling.

Orochimaru approched the fallen man. His eyes alight with even greater demented interest than any black tiger or his group could come up with. While the others passed out from his vile aura. He'd drugged black tiger with a newly developed compound of his.

While the serpentine Sanin did want to further test the combat abilities Profound Practitioners. There's no way he'd rough up his prized new test subjects. As his eyes passed over the unconscious leader, a deep feeling of excitement bubbles within him.

This was a Nascent Profound Realm being!

His body will surely provide great insight into the changes a human's body goes through after entering a great Realm!

Screams briefly sounded out all over the estate before vanishing just as quickly. All those searching the place had either ran into his snake traps or been sedated after triggering paper smoke bombs.

Orochimaru used his mental connection to instruct his lager snakes to swallow their victims and deposit them inside the undergound research lab. And so, once again some poor unfortunate souls found themselves trapped in a snake's den, never to be seen alive again.....