Chapter 204 - 160: True Inheritor of the Silk Cave 2

’The barefoot woman must have just arrived in Qingchuan City. Otherwise, when her handmaiden was poisoned, she wouldn’t have sought my help. She would have gone straight to her unfathomable master.’

’And if he had to name one thing the heavily made-up woman and this woman before him had in common...’

’Both women had a small, simply-drawn spider tattooed on their chests.’

’Could it be...’

"Doctor Zou, are you satisfied with this little welcoming gift?"

The barefoot woman expected Zou Feng to be pleasantly surprised to see Tu Zuohai’s head. What the hell was this look of utter disappointment?

After all, from her perspective, Tu Zuohai had escaped on his own and should have been an endless source of trouble for Zou Feng.

She would never have guessed that Zou Feng had intentionally let Tu Zuohai go...

’Satisfied, my ass! Such a valuable asset, wasted just like that!’

Though cursing inwardly, Zou Feng could only force himself to respond, "Thank you, miss. This gift... is wonderful!"

"Er, may I ask your name, miss?"

The barefoot woman didn’t dwell on Zou Feng’s half-hearted response. "Teng Jun," she replied. "True Inheritor of the Silk Cave in Biyou Palace."

Although he had long suspected she had a powerful backer, Zou Feng’s heart still skipped a beat when he heard the name Biyou Palace.

After all, just two months ago on Qifeng Mountain, he had killed two Biyou Palace disciples of the Gang Qi Realm and stolen their extremely potent Scorpion Poison.

However, Zou Feng quickly composed himself.

’Teng Jun doesn’t seem to want me dead, which means she isn’t here to settle the score for what happened on Qifeng Mountain.’

’I was careful enough back then, taking only the Elixirs and Scorpion Poison from Duan Wuya’s body and leaving everything else.’

’Especially that Bell that could control the Giant Scorpion.’

’That was something I couldn’t touch. A Bell capable of controlling such a terrifying Giant Scorpion had to be a High Grade Magical Artifact.’

’If Biyou Palace couldn’t track such a powerful Magical Artifact, they wouldn’t be worthy of being called a Major Sect.’

Having been in the Southern Border for over two months, Zou Feng had naturally learned a thing or two about Biyou Palace.

As a Major Sect whose disciples were often active in the Jianghu, much of the information about Biyou Palace was public knowledge.

Biyou Palace’s predecessor was actually the Five Poison Sect.

The Sect Leader at the time was a titan of the Evil Dao known as the Five Poison Dharma King. His actions were radical and unruly, causing endless headaches for the various Righteous Sects.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the Sect Leader suddenly had a change of heart. He married a woman of unknown origin and lost himself in a life of domestic bliss.

But their good life lasted less than a year. The Sect Leader was betrayed by his mysterious wife, who drained his Power dry and left him to die with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

His wife then seized control of the entire Five Poison Sect, renamed it Biyou Palace, and appointed herself Palace Master.

However, some of the Five Poison Sect’s original characteristics were preserved.

Biyou Palace’s main stronghold is composed of five major divisions: the Silk Cave, Hundred-legged Ridge, the Golden Toad Pool, the Valley of Ten Thousand Snakes, and the Scorpio Cave.

As the True Inheritor of the Silk Cave, Teng Jun could one day become its Cave Master.

It was safe to assume that when it came to Spider Poison, Teng Jun was a Grandmaster Level expert.

Moreover, Zou Feng had recently caught wind of a rumor: the current Cave Master of the Silk Cave had died a sudden, mysterious death, and the True Inheritors were now locked in a fierce, all-out struggle—both open and covert—for the vacant position.

This was a common trait among Evil Sects. Many positions weren’t assigned by superiors, but seized by the most capable.

This was especially true for Biyou Palace, which, as the former Five Poison Sect, had a tradition of what was essentially Gu Cultivation.

The True Disciples themselves were raised like Gu worms in a jar, destined to fight each other to the death sooner or later.

The one who finally crawled out from the mountain of corpses and sea of blood would be the Gu King, the only one qualified to take charge.

At this thought, Zou Feng couldn’t help but stare at Teng Jun’s hands.

’If I could refine her, couldn’t my Five Poison Skill reach the state of Extraordinary to Saint?!’

Of course, that was just a fantasy. It was completely unrealistic.

Teng Jun keenly noticed the covetous gleam in Zou Feng’s eyes as he suddenly began staring at her hands.

This took her by surprise.

After all, most men’s gazes tended to linger on her pair of perfectly maintained, exquisite feet.

This was the first time she’d met someone with a craving for hands.

A truly peculiar preference.

"So you’re Teng Zhenchuan. My apologies for my rudeness..." Zou Feng swallowed, hastily speaking to cover up his audacious thoughts.

But Teng Jun didn’t seem to mind. Instead, she began toying with a lock of her hair, deliberately showing off her slender, delicate hands.

"I’ve come today not only to thank you for saving my handmaiden, Doctor Zou, but also to ask for a small favor," Teng Jun said with a captivating smile.

Her every move exuded a bewitching charm. An ordinary man wouldn’t stand a chance; he’d turn into a fawning simp in minutes.

This Charm Power was, in its own way, a kind of poison.

Fortunately, as a fellow master of the Poison Dao, Zou Feng’s own resistance was exceptionally high. Aside from genuinely coveting her hands, he felt little lust for her.

’And what’s this about me helping with a "small favor"?’

’As if!’

"With my meager skills, how could I possibly help Teng Zhenchuan?" Zou Feng said with a deliberately wry smile.

Teng Jun waved her hand. "Doctor Zou, there’s no need to belittle yourself. Your detoxification skills are far beyond those of any ordinary physician."

"As it happens, I’m dealing with a troublesome poison and was hoping you could help me neutralize it."

Zou Feng frowned. "But Teng Zhenchuan, you don’t appear to be poisoned... huh?"

Before the words were out of his mouth, Teng Jun had already used a fingernail on her right hand to slice open the palm of her left.

Small, stark white blisters instantly broke out around the wound, a repulsive sight.

"Please, Doctor Zou, try to dispel this poison for me."

In fact, Teng Jun had originally planned to pierce one of her exquisite feet and have Zou Feng treat it.

But upon realizing this fellow’s unique preference was for hands, she had changed her plan on the spot, cutting her hand for him to treat instead.

Yes, this was a blatant attempt to entice Zou Feng with a "perk." Her intention to recruit him for her own purposes couldn’t have been more obvious.

Staring at the delicate hand suddenly thrust before him, Zou Feng wondered if this was some kind of test of his character.

’But I’m not going to lose my head over this. There’s no need.’

’As for whether or not to dispel this poison...’

’Pretending to be incapable probably won’t work.’

’It’s better to do my best to neutralize it and demonstrate my value.’

’Teng Jun might seem agreeable so far, but these Evil Sect True Inheritors have countless lives on their hands. She’s hardly the type of person you can trifle with.’

’If I deliberately hold back, or if I genuinely can’t neutralize this poison, she’ll think I’m either insincere or worthless. It’s hard to say how she’d act then.’

’Besides, if this is a poison that even Teng Jun finds troublesome, it’s a good opportunity for me to learn something new.’

’While neutralizing the poison, I can also absorb this Exotic Poison to advance my training.’

Having made his decision, Zou Feng no longer hesitated. He immediately reached out and began performing the Eighteen Strokes of the Wandering Dragon, unleashing its full power on Teng Jun’s left hand.

After just two or three strokes, Teng Jun began to let out ecstatic, whimpering moans.

With her level of power, there was no way she’d lose control of her emotions so easily. She was obviously putting on a show.

Zou Feng paid her no mind. Once he entered the state of studying the Poison Dao, he was rarely distracted, becoming exceptionally focused instead.

Besides, the poison Teng Jun had given herself was proving to be quite troublesome.

Outside of the Giant Scorpion’s poison, Zou Feng had never encountered a poison so fascinating.

If he had to describe it, the poison seemed to be "alive," possessing a will of its own.

It actively dodged and resisted Zou Feng’s detoxification techniques.

For a moment, Zou Feng found he was unable to subdue it.

However, thrilled by the challenge, Zou Feng went all out, unleashing the full power of the Eighteen Strokes of the Wandering Dragon—a technique derived from his Great Universal Hand.

His hands moved so fast they left a trail of afterimages.

"Nnngh..."

The sounds Teng Jun was making now were no longer an act. She truly couldn’t bear it, the pleasure forcing the moans from her lips.

Finally, Zou Feng formed a ring with his hands and swiftly ran them up Teng Jun’s forearm a few times. A stream of toxic fluid shot out from the wound.

Zou Feng moved quickly, catching the fluid in his palm and instantly beginning its Refinement.