One person: Starting with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, his grandmaster uncle emerges from seclusion.

Zhang Chulan stood up, his eyes becoming unusually sharp:

"The advisor's lightning net is extremely sensitive to fluctuations in Qi. If someone forcibly breaks in and takes Old Ma away, it will definitely trigger the lightning."

"In other words, the person who took Old Ma away used an extremely sophisticated spatial technique to bypass the lightning net! And this technique left no trace whatsoever!"

"But Old Ma is a master after all. Even if his magic weapon is destroyed, he will instinctively resist when faced with spatial pull! Once his resistance generates Qi fluctuations, it will also alarm the strategist's formation!"

Zhang Chulan clapped his hands, and suddenly he understood everything!

"So! Before they made their move, they used this colorless, odorless, and extremely fast-acting powder to knock Old Ma unconscious instantly!"

"After Lao Ma lost consciousness, the other party initiated a spatial teleportation, moving him away without anyone noticing!"

The more Zhang Chulan analyzed it, the more alarmed he became.

This method of committing the crime is too meticulous and too professional!

He possesses top-tier spatial abilities and is also proficient in this rare drug.

"Sister Bao'er, well done!"

Zhang Chulan excitedly patted Feng Baobao on the shoulder, "Let's go! Let's go find Master and Second Master!"

"Once we figure out where this powder came from, we can catch these rats red-handed!"

……

In the front yard, under the grape trellis.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the stone table.

Zhang Tianyi and the old master sat facing each other, with a chess set on the table.

Chen Duo, standing nearby, was holding a purple clay teapot, watching the competition with a smile.

"General!"

Zhang Tianyi's "horse" landed on the chessboard with a thud, directly capturing one of the Old Master's "chariots".

He raised an eyebrow smugly: "Senior brother, you're being too conservative with your carriage. My horse has eaten ginseng from Changbai Mountain; it can fly!"

The old master glared at him and tossed the chess piece back into the box in a huff.

"You call this playing chess? You're cheating! Who can move their horse in an 'L' shape, skipping three squares?"

"Rules are rules, but horses are flexible!" Zhang Tianyi said confidently.

"Master! Second Master!"

Just as the two were bickering, Zhang Chulan rushed over in a hurry, clutching the small plastic bag tightly in his hand.

"What did they find out?"

Zhang Tianyi didn't even look up, scrambling the pieces on the chessboard as if afraid the old master would change his mind and start over.

Zhang Chulan quickly and respectfully placed the powder on the stone table:

"This is the residue that Sister Bao'er picked out from the cracks in the floor tiles in Lao Ma's room."

"This is an extremely potent sleeping potion. The other party used this to incapacitate Old Ma first, and then used spatial means to move him away, which is why your lightning net wasn't triggered!"

Upon hearing this, the old master put away his joking expression.

He stretched out two fingers, picked up the plastic bag, and gently sniffed it.

After a brief pause.

The old celestial master raised his white eyebrows slightly.

"Chu Lan, you investigated very thoroughly."

The old master placed the bag back on the table, his tone becoming somewhat somber:

"This thing is indeed unusual."

"It's called 'Drunken Immortal Powder,' and it's a high-grade, improved version. Once it evaporates, the person who inhales it will instantly experience a loss of vital energy and fall into a deep coma."

The old master picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and uttered a name that sent a shiver down Zhang Chulan's spine:

"This formula, this method of concocting poison... there is only one company in the whole world that can make it."

Zhang Chulan swallowed hard; his intuition told him that the next name was definitely a behemoth.

Which one?

"Bashu, Tang Clan".

The old master uttered four words calmly.

Chapter 184 The cause of Grandpa's death? It was an incurable poison!

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent around the stone table at Xishan Manor.

"Bashu...Tang Clan?"

Zhang Chulan paused for a moment, muttering the name to himself, his brows furrowing into a knot.

"The information Zhao Dong provided mentioned this place; it's a sect that specializes in hidden weapons and poisons. But Lao Ma has absolutely no connection with them, and they don't have the ability to kidnap people, do they?"

The old master held his teacup, gently blew on the floating tea leaves, and did not rush to answer.

His gaze fell on the few scattered chess pieces on the board, and his eyes became somewhat deep.

"The Tang Clan has always acted on the principle of taking money to do things, or... having bigger schemes."

The old master took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and tapped his finger on the stone table, as if recalling some old story.

"Chu Lan."

He suddenly turned his head, looked at Zhang Chulan, and his tone became somewhat serious.

"Actually, I didn't plan to bring up the Tang Clan with you so soon. But since these poison enthusiasts have taken the initiative to show themselves, there are some things you should know."

Zhang Chulan's heart skipped a beat.

If the Celestial Master speaks in that tone again, it's definitely not a trivial matter.

He quickly stood up straight and pricked up his ears: "Master, please speak."

"Your grandfather, Zhang Huaiyi."

The old celestial master slowly uttered the name, his eyes revealing complex emotions:

"Back then, he hid in various places and avoided all his pursuers, but in the time before his death, he took the initiative to go to Sichuan."

"The place he went to was the Tang Clan."

"what?!"

Zhang Chulan's eyes widened suddenly.

His grandfather visited the Tang Clan before he died?!

Xu San and Xu Si investigated this matter for so long, but they didn't even get a hint of it!

"Not only have I been there."

Seeing Zhang Chulan's shocked expression, the old master dropped an even bigger bombshell:

"The reason your grandfather died in the end was not only because he was exhausted, but also because he was hit by a unique skill of the Tang Clan."

"That's an incurable poison called—Dan Shi!"

"Dan Shi?"

Zhang Tianyi raised an eyebrow, seemingly vaguely familiar with the name, but it was too long ago for him to recall it immediately.

"That's a killing move that only the successive leaders of the Tang Clan can master. It uses one's own Qi to transform into a deadly poison. Once it enters the body, even a god cannot save you."

The old celestial master sighed:

"Back then, Huaiyi was poisoned by Dan Shi, but he held on to his last breath and dealt with all those who were chasing him before he died from exhaustion."

"As for why he went to the Tang Clan, and why he provoked those assassins to use Dan Shi... the inside story is probably only known to the old guys in the Tang Clan."

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Chulan clenched his fists tightly.

The cause of his grandfather's death has always been a hurdle he can't overcome in his heart.

He joined Na Du Tong and participated in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony in order to find the truth of what happened back then.

Now, all the clues suddenly point to that sect far in the southwest.

"Tang Sect..."

Zhang Chulan lowered his head, his eyes filled with intense curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible ruthlessness.

"Alright, stop making that murderous look on your face."

Zhang Tianyi reached out and slapped Zhang Chulan on the back of the head.

"It's such a small matter, why are you so worried? The truth is right there, it's not going to grow legs and run away."

The old Celestial Master stood up and straightened his gray Taoist robe:

"Second brother is right. Chu Lan, you must remain calm in the face of trouble. The Tang Clan is a hornet's nest; don't stir it up recklessly without being absolutely certain."

He looked up at the sky.

"I've been out for a while now, and those little brats have probably messed up the morning lessons on the mountain again. I have to go back to Longhu Mountain first thing tomorrow morning."

"Master, why the rush?"

Zhang Chulan quickly composed himself. "Won't you stay a few more days?"

"We're not staying here. The third brother's leg has just recovered, and he needs to go back up the mountain to get used to the environment."

The old master waved his hand and turned to walk into the house.

"Beijing is too noisy. The birdsong in the mountains is much more pleasant to hear."

……

The Xishan Manor became much quieter in the following days.

The old Celestial Master returned to Longhu Mountain.