Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Operation Begins

After the return of the thirteenth and nineteenth, the forty-third’s face was anything but pleasant. He had already heard from the others what had happened.

Like the fifty-fourth, he did not get along with the seventy-first, but after so many years in the same squad, he could not help feeling a little ill at ease. And now they had to delay time as well.

“Are we going to lure the beasts again? I don’t know what happened, but the ferocious animals surrounding the Yue family’s group have already withdrawn.”

The forty-third’s words did much to ease the somewhat heavy atmosphere.

The thirteenth was even more speechless. “A method used once is a clever stratagem; used too often, it becomes dull.”

Instead of displeasure, the forty-third sounded almost relieved. “As long as I don’t have to go lure beasts again, anything else is fine. Thirteenth, hurry up and tell us what we do next.”

“First, take out whatever medicine you have on you, regardless of what kind, and redistribute it. I’m sure you all know why. Put the poison in the forty-seventh’s hands, the antidotes in the sixty-ninth’s hands, and the healing medicine in mine.”

No one objected. As soon as the thirteenth finished speaking, they began taking out their medicines and sorting them into piles.

After the tally, the most plentiful was naturally healing medicine, followed by poison, and at the end came the pitifully scarce antidotes.

This was because the Hall of Asura possessed a special antidote pill called the Hundred-Flavors Elixir, capable of curing any poison except the rarest ones.

This situation had long been within the thirteenth’s expectations. Poison was meant to be used against enemies; with the Hundred-Flavors Elixir as a safeguard, no one was willing to carry special antidotes on their person.

The healing medicine was divided equally, the antidotes likewise, and the poison was taken according to need. In very little time, the medicines had been distributed.

The thirteenth cleared his throat, and everyone’s attention gathered on him.

“If they maintain their current pace, they’ll reach the young master in two days. That is to say, we must delay them for three days. Have you come up with a good plan?”

The sixty-ninth and the others exchanged glances, and in the end it was the forty-seventh who spoke. “We discussed it, and for now we have two methods.”

The thirteenth nodded, signaling for him to continue.

“The first method is to split into two groups. The first will set traps along the road ahead, and the second will reveal themselves to stall the enemy. The second method is to simply separate the forest in the middle from the other woods and burn it. But the prerequisite for the second method is that the rain stop and the sun blaze for a full day.”

After the forty-seventh finished, he asked the thirteenth, “Are these two plans workable?”

“They are workable, but the first method won’t be very effective, and the second isn’t possible under the present conditions,” the thirteenth concluded after some thought.

The nineteenth considered this and asked, “Then do you have a better idea?”

The thirteenth nodded and uttered a single word: “Poison.”

“Poison?”

Everyone understood at once. Poison was indeed the best way to delay time. However, several of the people they had to deal with were on the Red List, and some hesitation arose in everyone’s minds. What if... this was no laughing matter.

“But the people on the Red List...” In the end, someone voiced the concern in his heart.

“Have you forgotten the Second Young Master?” the thirteenth reminded them.

Only then did the others truly relax. With the Second Young Master present, the poison on their bodies was almost meaningless, and his superb medical skill meant he could, while treating them, make subtle adjustments without leaving a trace, easily delaying their progress.

“But we can’t place all our hopes on the Second Young Master. A fierce fight is unavoidable, so ambushes and traps are still necessary. At the very least, they can draw attention away.”

“In a moment, aside from the forty-second and forty-third, everyone else should find some place ahead of them and pretend to meet them by chance. Start a fight and disrupt their rhythm. Remember to coat all your weapons with poison. Wound as many as you can, but do not become entangled in battle.”

Then he turned to the forty-second and forty-third. “The two of you take all factors into account and estimate their current pace. Reach the place where they can next make camp and leave a marker.”

“As for me,” the thirteenth said, taking a porcelain bottle from his robes, “I’ll mix the house head’s bottle of Wood-String Incense into the branches that can be burned. Any questions?”

Everyone shook their heads in turn.

They knew all too well what Wood-String Incense was. The Hall of Asura possessed only two bottles of this poison, and this time the house head had actually taken out a full bottle. The substance looked no different from ordinary water, but anything else that came into direct contact with it would only end in decay, with the exception of jade and wood.

Yet if one merely inhaled its colorless, odorless scent, the symptoms would be only a rash, weakness in the limbs, dizziness, and vomiting.

The thirteenth’s plan was to drip this substance onto the branches. Once they were burned, the scent would spread, and that group would fall victim to it.

Then the Second Young Master could treat them, and with the porcelain bottle on the nineteenth’s side as well, they could delay them for two or three days at the very least.

The rest would be much easier.

At this point, dusk was only an hour away. Seeing that no one had objections, the thirteenth ordered them into action.

Half an hour later, Yue Lingjun was walking while discussing something with Meng Chuchen beside him. Yaoyao pouted, following with a wronged air within a single step of Meng Chuchen.

The long-neglected Qiao Zhi simply moved over to Yuwen Lingxi, exchanging old stories while talking to him about Yue Lianyue.

Yuwen Lingxi’s face remained as expressionless as ever, cold enough to kill. Aside from the occasional movement of those dark, ink-black eyes, there was not the slightest extra motion or expression.

Qiao Zhi was long used to this and chatted away to himself, even teasing Yuwen Lingxi from time to time.

On the outside Yuwen Lingxi wore one expression, while in his heart he held another. If the expression in his heart were placed on his face, it would surely be a sight to behold.

This Yuwen Lingxi was in truth Yuwen Lingxiao, the second young master of the Yuwen family, only one year and two months different in age from Yuwen Lingxi. The two brothers looked extremely alike; with a little refinement, one could easily be mistaken for the other.

Only, the Yuwen Lingxiao known to the world had died at the age of two.

His childhood, relatively speaking, had been rather easy, light, and happy. First he grew innocently by the side of the medicine master until he was five, then he was brought back to the Yuwen family to take the place of Yuwen Lingxi. He was taught martial arts by a dedicated master, and while Yuwen Lingxi remained in the Hall of Asura carrying out missions, he dutifully played his role before outsiders.

He could be considered fortunate. Though merely a substitute, he had never suffered the inhuman treatment Yuwen Lingxi had endured.

So his true temperament was not as cold as the one he displayed.

The story Qiao Zhi told him about Lianyue interested him greatly. He was full of boundless curiosity and speculation toward this future elder sister-in-law, especially since he knew that his elder brother and Lianyue were together right now. He did not know how things were progressing between them.

“Who goes there!”

Yue Lingjun, walking in front, caught sight out of the corner of his eye of a black shadow flashing across the tree branches and shouted sharply. At the same moment, he also saw Qingfeng, Qingqiu, and the others pursue the fleeing shadow.

By the time Yue Lingjun and the others arrived moments later, Qingfeng and Qingqiu were already locked in battle with two masked men in black. Seeing the four men’s attire, Yue Lingjun and the others knew immediately that their connection to Lianyue’s disappearance was beyond doubt.

At once, Meng Chuchen’s hidden guards also joined the fight at a signal from Meng Chuchen. Only after two men against one did they gradually gain the upper hand.

Soon after, two more masked men in black appeared from the trees and charged straight at Yue Lingjun and the others. Their swordplay was heavy with killing intent, fierce and overwhelming. Yue Lingjun and the rest drew their swords to meet them. After several exchanges, they gradually forced the black-clad men toward the other two.

“Who are you? What relation do you have to the assassins from the Heluo Prefecture?” Qiao Zhi asked first.

The four black-clad men stood back to back, guarding against the crowd. One of them said, “We are unable to reveal our identities. The murderer is the one we seek. You would do better not to interfere.”

Qiao Zhi unfolded the jade fan in his hand, his peach-blossom eyes lifting slightly, and said leisurely, “How fortunate. That black-clad man is also the one I seek. If you are not in league with that murderer, then I also ask you not to meddle in affairs that are not yours.”

The man who had spoken earlier showed a trace of surprise in his eyes. The killing intent in his tone faded a little, and he said, “Might Your Excellency be the Sixth Prince? And who are the other gentlemen?”

“You are not blind; you recognized me,” Qiao Zhi said, using his jade fan to introduce them one by one. “The Young Master Yuwen, the Young Master Yue, and this one is the Sect Master of the Hidden Sect. Now you may introduce yourselves.”

“Fame precedes you all. We are from the Hall of Asura, and that murderer is our target this time.”

“Then it was you who drove him and Yue’er off the cliff, leaving their lives and deaths unknown to this day?” Qiao Zhi snapped his jade fan shut, and his voice turned ice-cold at once.