Quickly conquer the martial arts world, and let your fists dominate the heavens!

Chapter 338 Ice Silkworm's Cold Poison Frost Descends on the Starry Sea

Lü Zhang died openly and honestly at Hongyan Tower, without any attempt to conceal it.

Hongluan knew very well that she had offended the Beggars' Sect to the core this time.

Driven by a desire to vent his anger, he impulsively searched for twenty-four buildings, and now that things have turned out this way, it's too late to turn back.

She would occasionally stare blankly at Zhuque Street outside the building. The Beggars' Sect was the largest sect in the world, with members all over the world and its power deeply rooted. How could such a behemoth be easily provoked?

Even with a formidable assassin like Jingzhe in these Twenty-Four Towers, could they possibly win against the Beggars' Clan in a direct confrontation?
But it was too late for regrets; there was nothing she could do.

With Hongluan taking over the counter work, Guyu was finally freed up.

However, the position of shopkeeper was practically a formality.

She has been at the Twenty-Four Buildings for more than half a month, and not only has she not received any commissions for murder, but she has also received very few people who have come to inquire about her business.

Later, when news of Jingzhe killing Lü Zhang spread, the Twenty-Four Towers gained fame, but also became completely tied to the war against the Beggars' Sect.

Occasionally, a few bolder individuals would hesitantly enter the building, mostly to gather intelligence or simply out of curiosity about what this building, which dared to provoke the Beggars' Sect, looked like. None of them were actually there to hire someone to kill someone.

These people often reach the second-floor stairwell, glance at the business signs hanging on the wall, hesitate for a long time, and finally shake their heads and quietly leave.

That day, Gu Yu and Bai Lu skipped down from upstairs and saw Hong Luan lost in thought behind the counter. So they came over and chatted with her to cheer her up.

Both were young girls in their late teens, with lively and youthful personalities and extremely beautiful appearances.

As if she were a child coming into the world for the first time, she was extremely curious about everything. She would tell a few jokes, and the two of them would laugh for a long time, clutching their stomachs.

The building was quiet and boring to begin with, and after spending more than half a month together, the three of them had become as familiar as sisters, and often got together to chat and laugh.

"How boring! Sister Hongluan, can you tell me another story?"

Gu Yu rested her chin on her hand, shook her head, and said coquettishly.

Hongluan shook her head helplessly and tapped the counter lightly with her fingertips: "There are no new stories left. I've told them all before. Telling them again would be repeating myself."

The three of them were bored out of their minds when Bai Lu suddenly spoke up, her voice clear and crisp: "I heard from my senior brother that the Beggar Clan leader, Wang Jiantong, arrived in Kaifeng a few days ago."

"what!"

"Ah~"

Two exclamations rang out almost at the same time.

The first sound was from Hongluan, filled with barely concealed panic and surprise.

Wang Jiantong, the leader of the Beggars' Sect, is the head of the largest sect in the world.

Twelve years ago, in a martial arts competition held in the Central Plains, Wang Jiantong ranked eighth.

Although the martial arts competition was held in the Central Plains of the Song Dynasty, it was open to martial artists from all countries. So, saying that it was the eighth best in the world was not inappropriate.

The fact that such a person had personally come to Kaifeng was clearly because of Lü Zhang's matter, which made her uneasy.

The second voice belonged to Gu Yu, filled with excitement and curiosity, without a trace of fear of the number one gang in the world and the eighth-ranked martial arts sect.

Her eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands, laughing, "Then will he be coming to us soon?"

"No." Bai Lu shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "He stayed in Kaifeng for a day and then left."

"Why did you leave? This is so boring." Gu Yu pouted, her face full of disappointment, as if she hadn't waited for the show to begin.

"You're not leaving? You want to fight the Beggars' Sect leader head-on?" Hongluan glanced at her, her tone slightly teasing.

Hongluan felt helpless. Although she didn't know martial arts, she had seen many martial arts practitioners in brothels.

Knowing Wang Jiantong's importance, Gu Yu, who was not even eighteen years old, didn't seem to have any confidence and didn't take Wang Jiantong seriously at all.

"Tch, he's no match for me." Gu Yu snorted, her tone extremely arrogant.

Hongluan was already used to her tone.

This girl is impulsive and speaks without thinking, but other than that, she doesn't have any bad intentions.

To Hongluan's surprise, Bailu nodded at Guyu's "arrogance" without a trace of reproach or doubt on her face, as if she thought what Guyu said was the truth.

"Although Wang Jiantong has left, the deputy gang leader Ma Dayuan and the law enforcement elder Bai Shijing have not left."

"Moreover, there have been more and more beggars in Kaifeng these past two days, and they are all members of the Beggars' Gang."

Bai Lu changed the subject, her tone remaining calm.

She paused, then added, "Wang Jiantong is getting old and has always intended to pass on his position. The Beggars' Sect has strict rules for selecting a leader, requiring one to pass three major tests and perform seven major merits. Now they have added our Twenty-Four Towers incident to the list of merits, as a test for the successor."

Bai Lu spoke calmly, but Hong Luan and Gu Yu both understood the meaning behind her words.

This is to let the successor of the Beggars' Sect establish his authority with the Twenty-Four Towers.

Gu Yu didn't care at all, and instead smiled with her eyes crinkling: "So, it seems that the position of Beggar Clan leader can't be chosen."

Bai Lu looked at her like this, a hint of worry flashing across her brows.

Remembering Gu Yu's temperament and the Beggars' Sect's current state, she hesitated for a moment before speaking up to warn, "The Daoist Master previously instructed that we are not allowed to cause trouble in Kaifeng. Don't go too far..."

"I know, I know."

Gu Yu waved her hand dismissively, chuckled, and turned to walk towards the stairwell: "Don't worry, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Reaching the top of the stairs, she called out to the third floor, "Awakening of Insects, Qingming Festival, let's go out and play!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures flashed down from the third floor and landed steadily on the second floor.

Both men were in their early twenties, with tall, straight figures and sharp eyes. One of them was none other than Jingzhe, who had killed Lü Zhang with a single sword strike.

"Going out to play?"

The two spoke in unison, their voices filled with surprise, clearly having been cooped up in the building for a long time.

Aside from carrying out missions, they can only leave if Gu Yu speaks up; this is a rule established by the Dao Lord.

"Correct."

"Come with me to the Beggars' Sect's territory and see what they're up to with so many people gathered here."

Gu Yu nodded, a sly smile on her face.

No sooner had she finished speaking than several more heads popped out from the third floor, and someone cried out in a sobbing voice:
"Hey, Guyu, why didn't you call me again?"

"If you don't burn incense regularly, but only seek help from Buddha when you're in trouble, it's truly too late."

Ignoring the complaints behind her, Gu Yu waved her hand and led Jingzhe and Qingming straight out of the Twenty-Four Towers.

After Grain Rain, along with Awakening of Insects and Pure Brightness, departs, only White Dew and Red Phoenix remain on the second floor.

Hongluan stared at the empty stairwell, still harboring some doubts.
Gu Yu appeared to be the youngest among them, yet as soon as she spoke, everyone else in the building obeyed her commands. The rules of these twenty-four buildings were truly strange.

The thought had barely crossed my mind, and before I could even ask it, heavy footsteps echoed downstairs.

The footsteps were slow and unsteady, indicating that the person was in very poor condition.

Hongluan looked up and saw a middle-aged man slowly walking up from the first floor.

The man was dressed in shabby clothes, the fabric worn smooth and even torn in several places, but he didn't look like a beggar.

Hongluan and Bailu both noticed at a glance that he had a jade belt around his waist, inlaid with a circle of round gemstones that shimmered under the lamplight, clearly indicating that it was very valuable.

Even more striking was the short knife embedded in his abdomen, most of the blade submerged, with blood seeping down from the scabbard.

The man endured the pain and slowly moved to the counter. Just as he was about to speak, his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The drops of blood fell onto the blue bricks, shimmering with a faint white glow. Frost formed on the floor, a horrifying sight. "The knife is poisoned," Bai Lu said, her voice turning somber.

Seeing this, Hongluan instinctively tried to get up to help, but Bailu stopped her wrist.

"Don't move. The poison on his body is troublesome. You don't know martial arts, so it will be difficult to deal with if you get it on you."

Before Bai Lu finished speaking, seven fine silver plum blossom needles appeared at her fingertips. With a flick of her wrist, the silver needles shot out like shooting stars.

Three needles were precisely inserted near the knife wound in the man's abdomen, while the other four were firmly inserted into several key acupoints on his body.

As the silver needle entered his body, the man shuddered violently. The pale white blood that had been gushing out gradually slowed down and eventually stopped flowing altogether.

He took a breath, struggled to his feet using the counter for support, leaned against a nearby pillar, and bowed to Bai Lu, saying:
"Thank you for your help, young lady. I am from Moganshan."

"The Twenty-Four Towers are not a place to escape disaster."

"You're being chased and have come here. What are you trying to do?" Bai Lu asked calmly, without a trace of emotion.

Mo Ganshan grinned, his face still pale from blood loss and poisoning: "You flatter me, young lady. I am well aware of the rules here. I have come today to entrust you with a business deal."

As he spoke, he reached out and untied the jade belt from his waist, handing it to the counter: "This is my most precious possession. According to the rules of this establishment, you may verify it at will."

Bai Lu looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly as she quietly circulated her inner energy.

Moganshan met his gaze and felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if he had instantly fallen into an endless hell. His mind sank uncontrollably, and even breathing became difficult.

This state lasted for less than a breath before it suddenly dissipated.

"Om-"

Moganshan snapped back to reality, his back already covered in a cold sweat.

"I didn't lie."

Bai Lu withdrew her gaze and said to Hong Luan, "Sister Hong Luan, make a note of this."

Hongluan quickly took out a wooden plaque and a calligraphy brush from the counter, ready to take notes.

Mo Ganshan composed himself, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Young lady, regarding the murder commission, to be honest, I do not know the name of the person I have asked to commit."

"If you don't know her name, you can at least tell me her identity or appearance, right?" Bai Lu asked.

"Identity and appearance... I don't know either." Mo Ganshan lowered his head, his voice somewhat indistinct.

Bai Lu frowned, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure:

"Are you kidding me?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit tense, Hongluan quickly tried to smooth things over:
"Sir, the person you're trying to kill must have some distinguishing features, or somewhere they usually hang out, right?"

"I don't know about these either."

Mo Ganshan shook his head, then, as if suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up, and he looked up and said, "However, I do have a way. Could you ask the experts in the building to kill whoever comes to kill me?"

Bai Lu: "."

Upon hearing this, Bai Lu was taken aback and then fell silent.

Hongluan also realized that this was not a commissioned murder, but clearly an attempt to hire the people from the Twenty-Four Towers as bodyguards.

This is a bug in the rules of the building; the Daoist Master only left three rules.

Moganshan's method is indeed in accordance with the rules.

When Mo Ganshan came up with this idea, he was filled with admiration for his own intelligence.

Bai Lu remained silent for a moment, ultimately unable to make up her mind.

With Gu Yu absent, there's no one in the building who can make the final decision.

She looked up at Moganshan and said calmly, "I can't make the decision on your request. We'll discuss it when Guyu returns. Your injuries are serious right now, so you can recuperate in the building. There's no danger here. This jade belt will also be kept in the building for now, and we'll deal with it after the request is decided."

Do you have any problems with this arrangement?

Mo Ganshan grinned, a hint of relief appearing on his pale face: "No problem, young lady, you've thought this through. I'd be more than happy to oblige."

As soon as he finished speaking, he ignored the two women, Bai Lu and Hong Luan, beside him, sat down cross-legged, and tore off his tattered upper clothes, revealing his thin but scarred body.

The short knife in his abdomen remained stuck in place, a faint bluish-white poisonous gas emanating from its blade, slowly spreading outwards as the air grew colder.

Mo Ganshan closed his eyes, focused his mind, and gradually a faint internal energy fluctuation emanated from his body to resist the poison gas inside his body.

The poisonous gas, carrying a chilling aura, slowly spread across the second floor.

This aura is nothing to someone like Bai Lu who has a foundation in martial arts, but Hong Luan is just an ordinary woman. If she inhales it too much, she will inevitably suffer damage.

"Stay away!" Bai Lu frowned slightly and said to Mo Ganshan in a deep voice.

Just as Moganshan was about to adjust his sitting posture, a wooden door on the third floor suddenly creaked open.

A figure in white floated down like a falling leaf, landing steadily on the second floor, directly facing Mogan Mountain.

The woman had a slender figure and an ethereal beauty, exuding a cool and aloof aura. "The Ice Silkworm's Cold Poison is a good thing; don't waste it."

When Shuangjiang spoke, her voice was clear and cold, like jade striking each other, which complemented her figure perfectly.

Seeing this, Bai Lu sighed and rubbed her forehead helplessly: "Sister Shuang, we haven't even taken on this order yet..."

Shuangjiang nodded slightly, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "It's alright, I'll talk to Guyu. The Ice Silkworm's cold poison is rare, I'll get it for use."

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Bai Lu said no more and could only stand aside and watch quietly.

Shuangjiang unleashed both hands simultaneously, his fingertips rapidly forming three hand seals. His powerful internal energy condensed into a fine spiderweb shape, which suddenly shot towards Moganshan.

An internal force web enveloped Moganshan, and the sound of frost descended slowly:

"Keeping this cold poison is just a burden for you. Why don't you give it to me?"

The most vital part of Mo Ganshan's body was the Ice Silkworm's cold poison; the knife wound in his abdomen was nothing compared to that.

He steadied himself with his internal energy and nodded, saying, "If you can remove the cold poison, young lady, you will save my life. Thank you for your help."

Having received permission, Frostfall changed her fingertip technique.
The internal force spider web slowly contracted, and the fine threads extended towards the wound on Moganshan's abdomen like living things, precisely piercing the flesh around the blade.

A moment later, wisps of pale white fluorescence slowly flowed out along the threads of internal energy; that was the condensed Ice Silkworm Poison.

The incantation was only completed when the blood in Moganshan, which had originally been whitish, gradually returned to its normal red color.

The internal force, carrying the ball of cold poison, returned, but instead of being absorbed into her body, it was enveloped by the internal force layer by layer, eventually condensing into a fluffy, silken ball that landed steadily in her palm.

Internal energy is like silk, as lingering as a cocoon.

Mo Ganshan and Hongluan were dumbfounded. Such exquisite control of internal energy was simply unparalleled.

It should be noted that the "silk" was not a physical object, but was entirely formed from internal energy.

Frostfall nodded in satisfaction, sensing the domineering power of the Ice Silkworm's cold poison with his inner force, and a smile appeared on his face: "Where did this thing come from?"

Mo Ganshan felt much lighter after the cold poison was removed from his body. He clasped his hands and said, "The people from the Northern Frontier mentioned something called Xingxiu Sea, but I've never heard of this sect."

At that moment, a series of loud banging sounds came from downstairs as the door was being slammed shut.
This was immediately followed by vulgar shouts: "Listen up, you people inside! Hand over Moganshan! We'll spare your lives! You dare to harbor someone we, Xingxiuhai, are after? What kind of dilapidated building is this? You're practically courting death!"

Bai Lu shifted slightly, about to step forward to check.
Frost's Descent spoke first, its tone icy:

"Let me take care of it."

(End of this chapter)