The Poisoner

Seeing that Jin Qi still remembered him, Han Yu stepped forward with a respectful nod. "Yes, Senior Brother Jin. Back then, you saw I was new and ignorant of the ways here, so you gifted me a jade slip containing the sect's rules and general knowledge."

"I have not forgotten your kindness, Senior Brother Jin!"

Jin Qi chuckled warmly. "We are fellow disciples; helping one another is only proper. There is no need for thanks." He asked, "You have reached the second layer of Qi Refining?"

"Yes, Senior Brother Jin."

"And do you have a talent for techniques?" Jin Qi asked.

Han Yu replied, "I am not entirely sure. Steward Wang and Senior Sister Li both mentioned my technique practice was passable, but I do not know if they were merely offering encouragement."

"Senior Brother Wang?" Jin Qi smiled, shaking his head. "He has always been strict. If he said your techniques are passable, then they most certainly are not bad. Work hard. You should seize this opportunity with the Exceptional Promotion Order to join the Outer Sect."

Han Yu bowed his assent.

Nearby, Sun Kang and Liu Lan looked out over the fields. They felt a pang of regret as they saw the spirit rice they had originally planted; the seedlings had been poisoned to death by Spirit Corroding Powder.

"That spy is truly despicable. Perfectly good spirit rice, poisoned before it could even be harvested."

"The spy probably wanted to drain our sect's resources, leaving us too weak to oppose their own sect," Jin Qi said, his expression turning grave. "Such spies must be severely punished the moment they are discovered."

With powerful enemies lurking outside, the crisis facing the sect was palpable.

Moments later, Jin Qi, Sun Kang, and Liu Lan mounted their Plantain Leaf and departed.

As soon as the seniors left, a crowd of Laborer Disciples swarmed around Hong Liang, Ji Yida, and Hua Qi. They clamored with questions about the upcoming Laborer Disciple Grand Competition, eager to register.

Han Yu watched quietly from the periphery for a moment before slipping away, returning silently to his stone house.

That night, Han Yu completed his cultivation rounds for the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method and the Blood Refining Technique.

Since the Spirit Root Refining Art could no longer be used within the Qi Refining realm, and his other spells were already well-practiced, Han Yu sat in contemplation of the upcoming Grand Competition.

If he didn't participate, it might raise eyebrows. Too many people had seen him today, and Jin Qi’s group had openly expressed their expectations.

But if he did participate, how much strength should he reveal? Should he aim to become an Outer Disciple? This required a delicate balance.

I’ll ask about the details tomorrow, he decided. And I need to find a way to exchange my five Minor Merits for a new spell at the Technique Pavilion.

Just then, two pairs of wings fluttered. The large and small crows landed before him.

Han Yu reached out to smooth their feathers, but the large crow let out a soft call. It signaled trouble outside.

Han Yu immediately stood and looked outside.

A figure was standing quietly at the edge of his spirit field. A faint, pungent odor wafted on the breeze.

The poisoner had returned. And this time, they intended to destroy Han Yu's own Green Grain Spirit Rice.

I can't ignore this.

Han Yu whispered instructions to the two crows. They slipped out the window, quietly approaching the figure.

Han Yu quietly unlatched the door. He activated the Breath Concealment Technique, suppressing his aura to the absolute limit. Two drops of essence blood hovered silently by his side, ready to strike.

The intruder was sharp. Whether he sensed the approaching crows or noticed Han Yu emerging, he immediately stowed the Spirit Corroding Powder, turned, and bolted.

Too late.

The two crows opened their beaks, spitting sharp wind blades.

Under the cover of night, the figure crumpled to the ground with a stifled groan. He wasn't dead, but his leg was injured.

Han Yu walked forward slowly, maintaining a safe distance. He used the minor trick taught by Old Daoist Li to send a Sound Transmission to the man.

"Who are you?"

The figure on the ground hissed in pain, his voice strained and bitter. "Immortal Master of the Spirit Beast Sect... I am one of your own! I am from the Wei family of the Nanli Kingdom."

It was Wei Xiaoluo.

He had only joined the sect a few days ago, yet he was already poisoning the fields with Spirit Corroding Powder.

Realizing Wei Xiaoluo had mistaken him for a "comrade" from the Spirit Beast Sect, Han Yu decided to play along.

He sent another Sound Transmission: "What about the Wei family?"

"Since you, Immortal Master, command spirit beasts and severed my leg, you must be from the Spirit Beast Sect," Wei Xiaoluo gasped, trying to curry favor. "Surely you know the Spirit Beast Sect has decided to help the Wei family overthrow the dynasty in the Nanli Kingdom? I came to Wanchun Valley for two reasons: to contact Wei Kunyi and urge her to rebel, and to spread poison..."

Wei Xiaoluo sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, wincing from the agony in his leg.

Han Yu pressed on. "Do you have proof of identity?"

"Yes! It's all in my storage bag!"

"Who else knows your identity?"

"Hong Liang knows. He killed that disciple yesterday specifically to cover for m—"

Before Wei Xiaoluo could finish his sentence, two Blood Droplets tore through the night air. They pierced his forehead.

His body went limp, collapsing softly onto the soil.

Han Yu raised his hand. The large crow descended from the sky and perched dutifully on his shoulder.

"Bring me his storage bag," Han Yu commanded via Sound Transmission.

The large crow nodded. It flapped over to the corpse, gripped the storage bag with its claws, and returned to Han Yu.

Han Yu scanned the surroundings. Seeing nothing amiss, he swiftly stored Wei Xiaoluo’s corpse into his own storage bag. He instructed the crows to quickly clear away the bloodstains, then hurried back into his stone house.

Hong Liang, a Qi Refining sixth layer cultivator, had turned traitor and joined the Spirit Beast Sect.

The killing yesterday was no accident. Hong Liang had framed the victim with the Spirit Corroding Powder, then executed him in public to silence him.

This information cannot be leaked.

Wei Xiaoluo had to simply "disappear." If it became known that Han Yu had killed him, the Spirit Beast Sect spies within Wanchun Valley would make him a target. With the sect’s morale already wavering, he couldn't risk becoming a target for assassination.

Once he had calmed his breathing, Han Yu carefully inspected Wei Xiaoluo’s storage bag for any tracking marks or lingering spells.

Confirming it was clean, he dumped the contents.

First, a bottle of Spirit Corroding Powder. Effective against spirit herbs and cultivators alike, though its pungent smell made it impossible to use as a stealth poison against people unless someone was foolish enough to drink it.

Second, a jade slip titled Basic Qi Cultivation Method. The content was crude and rough, far inferior to the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method. This was the basic method many rogue cultivators used. Wei Xiaoluo had used it to reach the first layer of Qi Refining and infiltrate the sect.

Third, a copy of the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method, obtained after he joined. Useless to Han Yu.

Fourth, a jade slip titled Beast Heart Psychic Connection.

This detailed the Spirit Beast Sect’s method for establishing a mental link with spirit beasts. The initial stage allowed for basic telepathy. Advanced cultivation required forming a "Beast Heart Psychic Pact" pattern to ensure absolute control over the beast.

Han Yu skimmed it. I don't need absolute control. The Spirit Nurturing Technique has already made the crows loyal to me. The Beast Heart Psychic Pact is unnecessary.

However, the initial stage—telepathic communication over short distances—was worth learning.

Finally, he found Wei Xiaoluo’s token: a heavy object shaped like a beast’s head, cast from a material that was neither gold nor iron. It was his token as a Spirit Beast Sect spy.

Han Yu transferred these items into his own storage bag. Wei Xiaoluo’s bag now contained nothing but his own corpse.

A moment later, the two crows returned to the window. They signaled that the blood outside had been completely cleaned.

Nurtured by the Blood Refining Technique and Spirit Nurturing Technique, these birds were incredibly sensitive to blood. As spirit creatures, they could detect it far better than a human.

Han Yu praised them and rewarded each with two drops of essence blood.

He then gave them a final task: take Wei Xiaoluo’s storage bag—corpse included—and hide it outside.

With everything settled, Han Yu waited for dawn.

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