All-class Gu Immortal

Chapter 89 Crisis! Wei Sheng's Enemy!

Upon hearing the news, Zhou Qing immediately went to Shiqiao Lane.

When I arrived at the entrance of Baiyun Martial Arts School, it was unusually quiet inside.

In the past, Xu Lin would come out to sweep the gate at this time of day, just as dawn broke, and he did so regardless of the weather, even after he broke through to the Body Refining Realm.

Some of the more diligent apprentices would also get up early to practice stance training and skin polishing.

They toiled away, their shouts and cheers never ceasing.

Zhou Qing's expression darkened slightly. He went to the front door, pushed it open, but found that he couldn't budge it at all.

Bang bang bang!
Zhou Qing knocked on the door forcefully.

"Who is it?" After a long while, a weak voice came from inside.

It's Xu Lin!
“Xu Lin, it’s me! Zhou Qing.” Zhou Qing said quickly.

"Squeak!"

The door slowly opened, revealing Xu Lin's pale face behind the crack. His eyes were slightly bluish, clearly showing that he had just recovered from poisoning and his blood and energy had been greatly depleted.

Zhou Qing grabbed Xu Lin's wrist.

Even though he had only recently begun studying medicine, he could sense that Xu Lin's pulse was weak and feeble.

"What happened? Why is this happening?"

"Aqing, come in first." Xu Lin weakly opened the door.

Zhou Qing went inside and found the courtyard empty.

"The apprentices have all gone home to recuperate; several have died, alas."

Xu Lin sighed.

"Third Senior Brother is in the backyard, and Fifth Senior Brother went to the yamen. Let's talk as we walk."

Xu Lin walked towards the backyard.

Zhou Qing followed.

"Just the day before yesterday, the apprentices soaked their hands in poisonous water as usual."

For some unknown reason, someone suddenly developed festering sores on both hands, with blood flowing non-stop.

Soon after, more and more people were poisoned, and the situation spiraled out of control.

The two senior brothers fed them the martial arts school's secret antidote, but they still couldn't be saved.

That night, apart from my two senior brothers, I and several other martial artists who had broken through the flesh barrier were also poisoned.

I've been vomiting and having diarrhea for the past two days; it's almost killed me.

Most of the apprentices have gone home to recuperate from illness; no one dares to come to the martial arts school.

"Someone poisoned it?!" Zhou Qing felt it was absurd.

Baiyun Martial Arts School is an expert in poisons; even if someone poisoned them, they should be able to find an antidote.

In particular, the martial arts school also has two senior brothers, Ma Wenchun (third senior brother) and He Zhongdong (fifth senior brother), who are both practitioners of muscle-strengthening martial arts.

They couldn't even cure the poison in an ordinary apprentice.

This indicates that the person who poisoned the person was highly skilled, and that the poison used was extremely rare.

Rare poisons are generally precious and difficult to prepare.

To put it bluntly, even an apprentice might not have as much value as these poisons.

Moreover, a poison that can incapacitate a martial artist at the Body Refining Realm without anyone noticing is even more precious.

Just like Zhou Qing was able to take down a Flesh Refining Realm martial artist with the Crimson Flame Centipede Poison and the Purple Fire Flying Ant King Poison, but that was in battle.

Under normal circumstances, if these toxins were added to food, no one except a blind person would be able to eat food that is colorful and has a strange smell.

Currently, the only poison Zhou Qing possesses that can silently incapacitate a martial artist at the Flesh Refining Realm is the Seven Insects Seven Flower Ointment.

However, it needs to be diluted with a lot of water to become colorless and odorless.

However, there are all sorts of poisons in the world, and there are far more than just the Seven Insects and Seven Flowers Ointment that can achieve this effect.

"Has the well water in the backyard been investigated?"

Zhou Qing asked.

Xu Lin frowned and said, "Third Senior Brother has investigated and found no signs of poisoning."

The two vegetable farmers who delivered vegetables to the martial arts school have been taken into custody by the authorities.

However, those two often deliver food to other martial arts schools, so they probably wouldn't dare to do something like that.

Zhou Qing looked thoughtful.

"Is it possible that another martial arts school deliberately poisoned the master while he was away, trying to ruin the school's reputation? Or maybe it's revenge, a grudge against the school or the master!"

“The six major martial arts schools are closely connected. Even if they have occasional disagreements, they wouldn’t go to this extent.” Xu Lin shook his head.

"Master Wei will come back sooner or later. Other martial arts schools shouldn't be this ruthless. If we retaliate, they won't be able to handle it."

"In that case, the possibility of revenge is quite high." Zhou Qing nodded.

"Third and Fifth Senior Brothers seem to know something," Xu Lin whispered.

As they spoke, the two had already reached the backyard.

"I'm going to check on my third senior brother."

Zhou Qing walked through the courtyard where the central courtyard was located and came to the west wing.

"Cough cough!" A strong smell of herbs and a strange stench wafted out through the crack in the window, and coughs could be heard from time to time in the room.

"Dudu."

Zhou Qing knocked gently on the door.

"Come in," came Ma Wenchun's voice from inside the room.

Zhou Qing pushed open the door and entered.

"Sixth Junior Brother is back, please sit down." Ma Wenchun leaned back on the bed, coughing occasionally while covering his mouth. His face was not only pale, but also faintly tinged with black.

Zhou Qing looked surprised: "Third Senior Brother, weren't you not poisoned? How did you end up like this?"

"Everyone in the martial arts school has been poisoned, so we can't tell the truth to the outside world, otherwise the reputation of Baiyun Martial Arts School will be ruined."

Ma Wenchun was listless and weak.

“Zhongdong and I have already undergone the Yi Jin Jing (a traditional Chinese medicine technique), so we recovered relatively quickly. However, I suffered a serious injury in my early years and have never fully recovered. Now, the toxins have triggered my old ailment, which is why I am in this state.”

As he spoke, Ma Wenchun lifted his inner garment.

A hideous, dark scar was visible on his chest, stretching from his left chest to his right waist.

The wound, which had long since scabbed over and healed, was now covered with countless tiny holes, each the size of a pinprick, from which black pus was constantly oozing out. It smelled foul and was accompanied by a noticeable heat.

“This is…” Zhou Qing’s expression changed.

"My master came from the Five Poisons Sect in Jiuhua County. Back then, Chen Hong betrayed my master and was able to successfully steal the treasure of the Baiyun lineage because he had an inside agent, Uncle Mu Renjie."

Although Chen Hong was executed, Mu Renjie and several of his disciples managed to escape.

This scar on my body was caused by the divine weapon stolen from the sect by Mu Yuan, the son of Mu Renjie.

If I hadn't had the Heavenly Silkworm Inner Armor that my master had given me, I would be gone by now.

To take responsibility for the loss of the treasure, the master vowed to retrieve it or never return to the sect.

So many years have passed, and to be able to poison me so secretly, triggering my old injury, there can't be anyone else!"

Ma Wenchun clenched his fists, his face filled with hatred.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qing's expression changed several times.

With Wei Sheng gone, a formidable enemy at the Blood Exchange Realm has arrived.

This is really going to be a disaster.

Mu Yuan was able to severely injure Ma Wenchun with his divine weapon in his early years. Now, even if he hasn't broken through to the Blood Exchange Realm, he should at least be a Bone Refining Realm martial artist.

"What should we do now?" Zhou Qing frowned.

"I have already written to my master, but I'm afraid he won't be back for a while."

Although Mu Renjie had a deep grudge against his master, he was still upright in his conduct and would not poison us juniors, otherwise we would not have survived.

The one who poisoned me must be Mu Yuan. I cut off his arm back then, and he had no chance of breaking through to the Blood Exchange Realm, so he hates me to the bone.

You've only been a beginner for a short time, and Mu Yuan has no grudge against you, so he probably won't harm you.

However, Junior Brother Zhou, you'd better stay in the county town and not go back to the town for the time being.

Even if Mu Yuan was arrogant, he wouldn't dare to cause trouble in the county town. *cough cough cough*

Ma Wenchun's face was solemn. After speaking so much in one breath, his expression suddenly became much more listless, which triggered a violent cough.

"Senior Brother Ma, please stop talking."

Zhou Qing stepped forward and injected a wisp of Green Wood True Qi into Ma Wenchun's chest to help him ease his breathing.

However, once the true energy entered Ma Wenchun's body, it vanished without a trace, as if a clay ox had entered the sea.

Ma Wenchun's injuries were much more serious than they appeared.

(End of this chapter)