Poison Cultivation

As the saying goes, "He who strikes first gains the upper hand, and he who strikes last suffers the consequences."

Several thugs made sarcastic remarks, each word laced with contempt, but Chen Luo remained unmoved and did not utter a single word in rebuttal.

He suddenly flicked his sleeve, and as the sleeves fluttered, three silver lights shot out, each striking a vital spot in the lower abdomen of one of the three men.

The thugs thought he was just being patient and kept quiet, but they never expected him to attack so suddenly without any warning. They were caught off guard.

Three silver beams struck his abdomen one after another, with three muffled thuds that sounded like a single sound, their force incredibly powerful.

The three of them were instantly struck as if by a heavy hammer, their waists arched violently, and their internal organs seemed to be twisted into a knot by a soft yet ruthless internal force, causing them to feel dizzy from the pain.

Before they could catch their breath, another flash of silver light appeared behind them, followed by another attack with even greater force, causing the three of them to collapse to the ground.

Following the silver light, it weaved left and right, shooting back and forth rapidly, crisscrossing and falling like a torrential downpour.

Because it was so fast and urgent, it looked to the naked eye as if a dozen or so hidden weapons were being launched at the same time, with cold stars flashing in all directions.

Only after the three men collapsed on the ground, too pained to move and unable to struggle any longer, did Chen Luo slowly raise his hand.

The three silver lights abruptly stopped, swirling in the air like stars chasing the moon, and hovered in his palm, gleaming brightly.

Only then could it be clearly seen that they were actually three iron bullets, each the size of a walnut and made of shiny, refined steel.

This item is called "Silver Star Bullet," and it was a mid-grade first-tier magic weapon that Chen Luo painstakingly acquired with his hard-earned savings in his early years.

It strikes with lightning speed, powerful yet silent.

Normally, it is kept in a personal storage bag, which is then sewn tightly into the sleeve. Once it is used, it is a surprise attack, unpredictable and impossible to defend against.

"You...you dare hit us?!"

After all, this is a market town, governed by law, and indiscriminate killing is not allowed.

Although the group of thugs were in so much pain that they were covered in cold sweat and their bodies were weak and sore, they still had some strength left, and they lay on the ground, roaring angrily.

They were filled with disbelief. A cripple whose meridians had long been severed and who had become a laughingstock should have kept a low profile, concealed his talents, avoided trouble, and lived a quiet and unassuming life.

How dare they be so audacious as to deliberately cause trouble?

Wen Ruan, standing to the side, stared blankly at Chen Luo, her eyes filled with astonishment.

In that instant, her heart had turned to ice, and she thought she was about to fall back into her old, desperate situation.

Suffocated by debt every day, they will eventually be driven to desperation, either selling themselves to pay off their debts and end their lives, or, in utter despair, taking their own lives.

But she never expected that this person, who was barely able to protect himself and looked like a clay bodhisattva crossing the river, would step forward to protect her.

In an instant, her eyes, which had been filled with fear and tears, lit up and focused on Chen Luo, clinging to a sliver of hope once more.

Chen Luo remained seated, holding three star bullets in one hand and resting the other on the armrest, his fingers lightly tapping them.

His gaze was cold as he glanced at the three of them, and his aura, at the fifth level of Qi Refining, suddenly pressed down.

The three thugs, already injured, now felt their breathing catch in their throats, as if a white rabbit were being stared at by a tiger, their breaths becoming suffocated.

Chen Luo said coldly:

"A mere Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator and two Qi Refining Level 2 cultivators—how dare these pigs and dogs be so presumptuous?"

"It's true that my meridians are damaged, but I can still easily handle a pig and two dogs!"

His words were merciless, which frightened the two Qi Refining Level 2 cultivators so much that they trembled.

Only the leader of the thugs, panting heavily, said in a fierce but cowardly tone:

"My name is Hu Bao, and Manager Liu of Qingxia Workshop is my uncle!"

"That's even more interesting." Chen Luo sneered, his gaze piercing the other person's eyes. "Your surname is Hu, and Manager Liu's surname is Liu. You, a mere Qi Refining Level 3 cultivator, dare to make wild connections."

If Manager Liu finds out that you're using his name to bully and monopolize the market, do you think he'll protect you first, or his reputation?

"This..." Hu Bao was speechless, his expression becoming hesitant.

Seeing that his words had hit the nail on the head, Chen Luo pointed at Wen Ruan and continued:

"This is my niece. I'm protecting her. If she dares to bother me again, I'll beat her every time I see her!"

Having said that, seeing the resentment on their faces, he made a sinister threat:

"I may have lost a few meridians, but I haven't lost my connections. I've known a few fellow Daoists who are at the fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth level of Qi Refining."

If you're not satisfied, we can always get our people to try!

"No, no!"

After being beaten up, Hu Bao's arrogance was shattered. Hearing Hu Bao's words made clear, Hu Bao knew that if things escalated, Manager Liu would definitely not protect him.

And as Chen Luo said, who doesn't have a few fair-weather friends?

He used to be at the fifth level of Qi Refining, so naturally the people he knew were at the same level.

With Hu Bao's connections and cultivation level, he could bully those at the first or second level of Qi Refining, but if he really went to war with Chen Luo, he would definitely be the one to be crushed.

"From now on, we will not dare to cause any more trouble. We hope that you will forgive us for our petty offenses."

He endured the pain and begged Chen Luo for mercy, his mind already surrendering.

Chen Luo's eyes flashed sharply. "Then get out of here!"

The three of them quickly helped each other to their feet, stumbled and staggered, and fled through the door.

Once the group of hooligans had gone far away, Chen Luo's expression softened, though his breathing became somewhat unnaturally rapid.

It's true that his meridians are damaged; his qi circulation is always disrupted. What seemed like an overwhelming victory just now was actually an unexpected advantage.

If it were a direct, open fight, I could win, but it would never be as easy as it is now.

Wen Ruan was so grateful for the help she had just received that she didn't notice anything unusual about Chen Luo. She simply thought that this Uncle Luo was a kind person who had come from heaven to save her from her predicament.

She hurriedly wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes, stepped forward quickly, and spoke in a soft, trembling voice:

"Uncle Luo, thank you so much today... If it weren't for your help, I... I really wouldn't know what to do..."

She stammered, the word "I" stuck in her throat, half of it was the unbearable grievance of being bullied earlier, her nose tingled and her eyes welled up with tears again;

Half of her joy was the relief of escaping a desperate situation. Her gaze towards Chen Luo was soft and bright, and she confided all her gratitude and lingering fear into those few timid words.

Chen Luo felt secretly pleased as she looked at him with such admiration and complete trust.

A thought flashed through his mind: if he asked to borrow money now, he figured she would readily agree without the slightest refusal.

But then he thought again that his help was out of compassion. If he were to use that kindness to coerce the other party into repaying him, it would be an act of using gratitude for personal gain, which would tarnish his good intentions and cause resentment.

He had already given up the idea of ​​borrowing spirit stones from others, and immediately comforted them gently:

"Xiao Ruan, we are neighbors, we should take care of each other."

If you encounter difficulties in the future, just speak up. Never try to bear it alone and wrong yourself.

Wen Ruan was young and innocent, so how could she hear the politeness in his words?

These words felt gentle and kind, warm and comforting, and they vaguely resembled the image of her father that had long been blurred in her heart. Her nose tingled, and she felt even more grateful.

She nodded repeatedly and said softly:

"I understand, Uncle Luo. I will definitely come to bother you if I need anything in the future. Please don't find me annoying and refuse to let me in."

Chen Luo laughed loudly: "Of course, just come on over."

As the laughter subsided, recalling the embarrassing situation of having to beg for help from everyone and being turned down at every turn, a shadow fell over his face, and he buried a lot of worries in his heart.

Seeing his expression suddenly turn somber, Wen Ruan quickly asked with concern, "Uncle Luo, what's wrong?"

Chen Luo looked up at her, his lips trembling slightly, but the words he had been holding in his heart—to borrow money—remained unspoken. He simply said:

"It's alright. It's getting late, and if I stay any longer, people will gossip. I'll be going now."

"No one will gossip, Uncle Luo, why not sit a little longer?" Wen Ruan said reluctantly.

She was already physically weak and lacking in vitality, and had just suffered a fright, leaving her exhausted and sleepy. However, as she watched Chen Luo leave, she still couldn't hide her reluctance.

Chen Luo smiled faintly, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards the door.

Watching his slightly swaying back, Wen Ruan suddenly remembered something, quickly caught up with him, and asked softly:

"Uncle Luo, I heard you've been searching for doctors and medicine everywhere these days. Have you found a good doctor, and has your condition improved?"

Chen Luo casually replied, "I went to Shan'an Hall for a consultation, and their Meridian Opening Pill was somewhat useful to me."

"I see..." Wen Ruan lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then reached into her small, close-fitting pouch and carefully took out twelve low-grade spirit stones, which she presented with both hands.

"The Meridian Opening Pill is a top-grade first-tier pill, and it's always been expensive. I still have some savings on hand, so if Uncle Luo needs it urgently, he can take it all."

She held the spirit stone, her eyebrows curved, her smile clear and sincere, her eyes shining like stars.