Chapter 53. The Sky Piercing Pill is Finally to My Liking

At that moment, laughter burst out.

"Hahaha! You were trembling in fear because of the poison? Hohoho! You really can't be helped. Don't worry about the poison. I'm an expert."

It was Miaobingbing.

In the gazes cast upon her, there was not a hint of anticipation.

'Silver chopsticks appearing...?'

There is something called a learning effect.

Everyone immediately thought of chopsticks in their heads.

Miaobingbing had already demonstrated using a silver chopstick to check for poison before quickly eating the meat. The silver chopstick was closer to personal tableware than a tool for detecting poison.

Miaobingbing's eyes sparkled above her chubby cheeks.

"Everyone, look."

Miaobingbing took out a necklace.

The gemstone of the necklace, which had been hidden by her clothes, was revealed.

A round white gemstone was emitting a faint glow.

"This is a Poison Absorption Pearl. It has abilities that far surpass the Blood Poison Pearl."

"Oh!"

The Sky Piercing Pill let out an exclamation.

Hugong also smiled faintly.

'Not bad.'

No, it was quite good.

The Blood Poison Pearl, when bitten, can absorb toxins from the body.

However, the Poison Absorption Pearl goes further.

When it detects external toxins, it changes color and absorbs the toxicity, making it an unparalleled artifact compared to the Blood Poison Pearl.

Of course, not all Poison Absorption Pearls have the same effect.

Some are useless against specific poisons, and the range of poisons they can absorb varies widely. Some can absorb a dozen types, while others can absorb a thousand.

While it's unclear how effective Miaobingbing's Poison Absorption Pearl is, considering her family's background as the Baihua Hall, it should be quite useful.

"Ladies and gentlemen, as long as you stay by my side, worrying about death is nothing more than a delusion. So, Young Master Fan, don't go far; stay close to me. You must have seen how the Three Demon Slayers never left my side, determined to survive. They are truly quick-witted. Ahahaha! Hohoho!"

The Three Demon Slayers' faces turned pale.

Hugong praised them and then turned his gaze to the Kai Hall.

Yinyangkai shrugged.

"To us, poison is just a type of food. I've been eating all sorts of things since I was a child, so I'm immune to most poisons."

"Brother, Fourth Brother is right. I'm also very resistant to poison. I grew up very strong."

"How is growing up strong related to poison?"

Miaobingbing scolded.

"It is. When my master fed me poisonous mushrooms and I was about to die, he saved me. When he fed me poisonous centipedes and I was about to die, he saved me. After dying and coming back to life so many times, even the Ten Thousand Fragrance Poison Toad is just a meal to me now. Your Poison Absorption Pearl is pretty, but I'm not envious!"

"Your master must have been a lunatic."

"Somewhat."

Hugong didn't need further confirmation.

The fact that these two's master was the leader of the Kai Hall was enough to instill trust. Hugong knew better than anyone that the current leader of the Kai Hall was more than capable.

Next, the Wu Mountain Twin Heroes spoke.

"We are not afraid of poison. Poison is afraid of us."

No additional explanation was given.

Hugong nodded and continued.

"The Sky Piercing Pill is not just the Sky Piercing Pill. I am very reassured to have all of you. However, there are many types of poisons, and some are unpredictable. The most dangerous type we need to be wary of is the colorless and odorless poison that can be dispersed in the air, usually within a range of about ten zhang. For this reason, it would be easier to handle if we split into three groups and maintain a wide distance. What do you think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Golden Marked One shouted.

"No way!"

The Golden Marked One wasn't the only one angry. The Wu Mountain Twin Heroes and the Three Demon Slayers also frowned deeply.

"Interesting, indeed."

"Your words are meaningless. Who are you to tell us what to do?"

"If you tell us to catch birds and spread out, anyone would think we are your subordinates."

"Indeed, it would be troublesome to forget our position. Acting like the leader of the Sky Piercing Pill is not acceptable."

"You're right. We should be the ones giving orders, not you. It seems the roles are reversed. Your posture is also inappropriate. You're sitting alone while we are all standing, which makes it look like we are following your orders."

Miaobingbing also chimed in with her criticism.

The Sky Piercing Pill's resistance was intense, but unexpectedly, the neighbors' reactions were different.

- Leader, the young man has a point.

The neighbors were serious.

The first of the Five Assassins of Yin Mountain nodded at his brother's telepathic message.

- Indeed. If an unexpected poison attack occurs, it would be better to be spread out. If one side is affected, the other can immediately counter. It would be better to do this at night.

- Yes, the Wuji Assassins must have a trick up their sleeve.

- The Sky Piercing Pill members are truly unpredictable.

Each word of the Great Scholar of Tianhua Library was correct, so the Five Assassins of Yin Mountain felt a sense of crisis and agreed. This is why neighbors are sometimes better.

Hugong also felt the same as the leader of the Five Assassins of Yin Mountain.

'What to do with these crazy people...'

He wished they would just disappear, but they wouldn't listen and he couldn't force them, so his frustration was rising.

At that moment,

Clang. Crash.

The sound of breaking plates came from the first floor, followed by the sound of a table being overturned and several people falling.

"Tsk, if you're going to drink, do it properly. I'll be right back."

Yinyangkai shrugged and was about to leave but stopped. His eyes widened.

Thud.

Songhua, who was by the window, suddenly collapsed without any warning.

There was no scream.

Everyone was shocked and their expressions changed drastically.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Could it be?"

"...Poison??"

There was no time to process the situation.

Bang!

Miaobingbing collapsed.

The Poison Absorption Pearl around her neck showed no reaction.

"Why isn't my Poison Absorption Pearl reacting..."

Xiaokai, unable to finish his sentence, staggered and fell.

"Little brother! What's wrong?"

Yinyangkai tried to catch Xiaokai but, as soon as he touched him, his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground.

The Wu Mountain Twin Heroes and the Three Demon Slayers also staggered.

"What is this...?"

"Unbelievable..."

"What kind of poison...?"

"Could we really die like this?"

"Sleep... is... overwhelming..."

Their expressions of panic didn't last long. They all staggered a few times and then collapsed.

The Golden Marked One was no different.

His pupils trembled.

"Sleeping poison?"

His mind was becoming hazy, and his body felt weak. His eyelids felt incredibly heavy.

Snap.

The Golden Marked One slapped his own cheek.

But this was not just a drowsy feeling. It was impossible to resist the overwhelming sleep. He eventually collapsed.

The Golden Marked One struggled to open his eyes. In his blurred vision, he saw the Great Scholar of Tianhua Library.

"Ah..."

A sigh of regret escaped his lips.

As expected.

The Great Scholar, sitting in the chair, had slumped over.

'The Sky Piercing Pill... is this the end...?'

Swoosh.

In the meantime, five figures entered through the window.

They were top-tier assassins.

They surveyed the room.

Smiles spread across their faces.

The poison from the Manmian Pill, opened at the first-floor dining table, had spread within moments to a range of ten zhang, putting everyone nearby to sleep.

The Manmian Pill was not strictly a poison.

It was a highly potent sleeping agent.

It could put everyone within a ten-zhang radius to sleep for an hour.

Made from the rare Manmian Grass, which spends ten years underground before its leaves emerge and last for nine days before withering, it vaporizes upon contact with moisture.

It is difficult to obtain and even more challenging to prepare.

For assassinations, the Manmian Pill is unparalleled.

There is nothing easier than killing a sleeping person.

The only drawback was the antidote.

The Lingyao Grass, rarer than the Manmian Grass, has an odor that is not of this world.

This was both a drawback and an advantage.

Who could take the Lingyao Grass, let alone absorb it completely? It was impossible.

"Hmm..."

"?"

Unexpected groans caught the attention of the top-tier assassins.

It was the Golden Marked One.

Surprisingly, he was not fully asleep and was blinking his eyes.

The top-tier assassins looked at him indifferently but were inwardly impressed.

'So, the Golden Marked One.'

Without the Manmian Pill, dealing with someone of the Golden Marked One's caliber would be impossible.

"I... need to... play... my flute..."

The Golden Marked One spoke slowly.

His hand was near his waist, but the short distance felt like thousands of miles.

He eventually gave up on reaching the flute.

Instead, he focused on speaking to the assassins.

"...Can you... give me... my flute...?"

"..."

"..."

The top-tier assassins frowned.

Was this a joke?

Another voice was heard.

It was the Three Demon Slayers.

"Please... one request."

"Don't... touch... the Great Scholar of Tianhua Library."

"Instead... kill us..."

The Three Demon Slayers, though three, had the same heart. Their voices were filled with determination.

The top-tier assassins' eyes sparkled.

'The Golden Marked One and now the Three Demon Slayers are not fully asleep.'

But what good was it? It was like a worm wriggling.

"Hehe, you're unnecessarily dramatic. Don't worry. I'll kill the Great Scholar and you as well."

The top-tier assassin's mocking laughter was met with a laugh from the Three Demon Slayers.

"Then... save us..."

The Golden Marked One chuckled, and the Wu Mountain Twin Heroes, who seemed to be sleeping, also laughed weakly.

Even Hugong, who had been pretending to sleep, almost laughed.

'These crazy people. But they are the first to win my favor.'

Anyone can act relaxed in normal times, but in the face of death, that composure vanishes.

That's why the Sky Piercing Pill, which had seemed so ridiculous, now felt like proper martial artists to Hugong.

'Yes, one must be this level to inspire the desire to save them.'

The beggars are sleeping soundly.

Miaobingbing is even talking in her sleep, complaining about the lack of a pillow.

Let the children sleep; they need their rest.