Wei Zhen’s mouth hung open, unable to utter a sound, truly petrified by fear.

A child at the peak of Foundation Establishment, with just a single bright red lotus, had rendered a cultivator at the peak of Core Formation lifeless. What kind of technique was this? It was eerily bizarre!

Wang Weijun shouted with glee, “Yes, yes! Just like that! Well done, finish him off!”

Mi Xiaojing’s actions had taken Wang Weijun by pleasant surprise. Had the kid finally become ruthless? In truth, he was overthinking it. Mi Xiaojing was mostly reacting on instinct, especially since he had been pondering over the Poison Lotus recently. So when attacked, he instinctively used it, and the effect was so astonishing that it shocked everyone.

Yong Ji hesitated only briefly before his spirit sword flew out.

Zheng Cong’s eyes bulged as he let out a desperate roar.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Zheng Cong, reaching out to grab and actually catching Yong Ji’s Qianyang Sword. Yong Ji was shocked and exclaimed, “Who is it?”

The person turned around, facing Mi Xiaojing, and asked, “Kid, stop releasing the Poison Lotus! Hmm, are you a disciple of Thousand Poisons?”

An Elemental Infant expert!

While speaking, the person released his grip and said indifferently, “Don’t cause trouble in Yunjian Pavilion. Whether you want to fight or kill, just don’t do it here!”

Mi Xiaojing felt the unfathomable depth of this person. Seeing him catch Yong Ji’s spirit sword with one hand, he knew this person was definitely a great master of the Elemental Infant stage.

The man looked at Zheng Cong and said, “Zheng Cong, I always thought you weren’t smart. Now it seems you’re not only foolish but also lack vision. How dare you make a move in Yunjian Pavilion?”

This person posed a huge threat to Mi Xiaojing. His face was expressionless, but he was secretly prepared. If things went south, the Qingmu Formation would activate, but he had no confidence at all. The opponent was too strong; even using the Qingmu Formation, Mi Xiaojing stood no chance against an Elemental Infant stage cultivator.

Zheng Cong didn’t respond, taking out bottles and jars, continuously consuming various Spirit Pills in an attempt to suppress the poisonous threads within his body.

He was both angry and anxious, realizing he couldn’t remove the poisonous threads at all. Relying on Spirit Pills and his cultivation level to suppress it, he could hold on for the moment, but he knew very well that in a couple of days, the poison would erupt.

Zheng Cong was now slumped in his seat, trembling all over, his complexion turning purple, the very image of someone poisoned.

It was only now that Wei Zhen managed to recover, stepping forward to pay her respects, “Zhenzhen has seen the Ancestor.”

The man looked exceedingly ordinary, dressed in a gray cloth robe, with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, resembling an old farmer from the countryside, nothing noteworthy at first glance.

But once he released his aura, everyone was terrified. Not to mention Mi Xiaojing being suppressed, even Yong Ji didn’t dare to breathe too loudly.

One of the old ancestors of Yunjian Pavilion, a mid-stage Elemental Infant expert, named Bao Duobang. However, no one called him by his name; outsiders mostly referred to him as Old Duo, while those from Yunjian Pavilion called him Ancestor.

He was the one in charge of overseeing Yunjian Pavilion at this time.

Old Duo looked at Zheng Cong and continued, “You should leave, don’t die in our Yunjian Pavilion.”

Hearing Old Duo’s inquiry, Zheng Cong was puzzled. A disciple of Thousand Poisons? Who was Thousand Poisons? Even Old Duo spoke with such caution. Now he was in big trouble.

He didn’t dare to stay, glaring hatefully at Yong Ji. If it weren’t for Old Duo’s intervention, that sword strike would have been the end of him. He also glared at Mi Xiaojing before staggering away.

Zheng Cong had subordinates outside and a carriage waiting. As soon as he exited, he climbed onto the carriage and ordered, “To the residence of Pill Master Song Ziqing, quickly!”

Zheng Ming, the housekeeper, personally leaped onto the carriage, cracking the whip and driving the horses into a mad gallop. He too sensed something was amiss. Zheng Cong, with his head lowered and unsteady steps, was clearly severely injured. And heading to Pill Master Song Ziqing’s residence confirmed everything. Regardless of who he had fought with, he had definitely lost.

Watching Zheng Cong leave, Yong Ji inwardly lamented the missed opportunity. If not for Old Duo’s intervention, he could have killed Zheng Cong. Now it was troublesome. Once this guy left, they would be sworn enemies, and it would be a fight to the death!

He was extremely frustrated, never expecting Zheng Cong to dare extort him. This enmity was not worth it. Had he known, he would never have sought out this hypocrite.

Old Duo looked at Mi Xiaojing again and asked, “Who is Thousand Poisons to you?”

Mi Xiaojing didn’t answer, because Wang Weijun reminded him from the Heart Tower, “Don’t bother with this guy, don’t say anything. He won’t dare to do anything to you!”

Old Duo was uncertain in his heart. Since he couldn’t confirm Mi Xiaojing’s identity, he dared not act rashly. Thousand Poisons was not to be trifled with, an Elemental Infant stage expert at Great Perfection, with a notoriously venomous personality. Provoking him would surely lead to endless trouble. Yunjian Pavilion was a place of business, not a battleground.

Mi Xiaojing remained silent, and Old Duo didn’t press further, as it would make him seem very insecure. However, he had already concluded that Mi Xiaojing was either a disciple of Thousand Poisons or someone with a special relationship.

He sat down where Zheng Cong had been sitting and said, “Why are you hiding so far away? I’m not an enemy. Girl, come and sit too.”

Yong Ji gave a signal, and they both took their seats again. Mi Xiaojing also slowly approached the table, still on guard, half-sitting on the chair as if ready to leap up at any moment.

This guarded posture made Old Duo laugh, “Kid, if I wanted to make a move, no matter how cautious you are, it would be useless. Sit properly, I can’t stand to see this!”

Mi Xiaojing thought about it and realized it was true, relaxing slightly but still on guard.

Old Duo asked, “What exactly happened?” He had only noticed something was wrong when Yong Ji made his move. Fortunately, he was close enough to save Zheng Cong. Otherwise, if Zheng Cong died in Yunjian Pavilion, it would have been a big problem, as the man had his own backing.

Wei Zhen was also confused and briefly recounted the events.

Old Duo nodded and asked, “You wanted to rent a small Flying Boat, so why did you have a conflict with Zheng Cong?”

Yong Ji also gave a brief explanation.Old Duo’s face was tinged with gloom as he roughly understood Zheng Cong’s approach. Generally speaking, businesses like the Cloud Interlude Pavilion prioritized reputation and integrity. They had ample resources and didn’t need to resort to underhanded tactics. As long as their transaction volume increased, they would earn a substantial amount each year.

Zheng Cong, akin to a broker, was the type to make a quick buck and was often particularly greedy. It was no wonder Yong Ji refused.

What gnawed at Old Duo was Zheng Cong’s blatant disregard for the Cloud Interlude Pavilion’s presence, daring to resort to murder in a sudden outburst. This irked Old Duo considerably. If Zheng Cong were to act again after they left, Old Duo wouldn’t care in the slightest.

After a moment of contemplation, Old Duo said, “I see. Well then, we’ll rent the small Flying Boat to you at half the usual rate. Additionally, you’ll need to provide your own Spirit Stones for the Flying Boat, but we’ll waive the deposit. Consider it an apology from our Cloud Interlude Pavilion.” To be continued… Your support is my greatest motivation. 161029090148