Zou Feng sniffed the air again carefully. He was immediately certain that the poison in the street vendorâs flatbreads was so potent that even he couldnât perform a swift Refinement on it.
Looking at the vendor, he appeared to be a frail, short old man with lifeless eyes, looking as if he could pass away at any moment.
Not far off, a child of about five or six was eating a candied haw.
But if one looked closely, they would see that the candied haw seemed to be coated in a layer of blood.
To the left, a young woman was kneeling in mourning clothes, sobbing quietly.
In front of her was a rolled-up straw mat, reeking of a foul stench.
Beside her was a wooden sign with the words "Selling myself to bury your mother."
Because the woman had a slender figure and the glimpses of her face revealed quite delicate features, many passersby stopped to ask what was going on.
Of course, some were also curious about the signâs "Selling myself to bury your mother" and what it could possibly mean.
âCould it be that the young lady is illiterate and was tricked into writing it incorrectly?â
However, no matter how the passersby questioned her, the woman just kept crying and wouldnât respond at all.
With so many strange things happening at once, if Zou Feng still couldnât figure out this was all directed at him, he might as well just eat a hundred of those flatbreads on the spot and end it all.
After all, he had just lingered at the City Lordâs Mansion for a short while, giving these people enough time to get ahead of him and set up this charade at the North City Gate.
Although he was still unsure of the exact strength of the people blocking his way.
But they were definitely not on the same level as Wang Wenjingâs two Sixth Grade subordinates, whom he had defeated with ease.
Right now, Zou Feng just hoped that Wang Wenjing hadnât come personally.
But that was unlikely. After all, Wang Wenjingâs most pressing problem was still Teng County.
Wang Wenjing must have been losing sleep over it these past few days. After all, she was terrified of the one from Teng County actually breaking through to the Fourth Grade, so she wouldnât just abandon that front to deal with him.
So the biggest problem now was Tian Yunâs safety.
If he really couldnât win, Zou Feng was confident he could escape temporarily with his Drunken Immortal Moon Chasing Step, which had reached the Peak Realm.
But Tian Yun clearly didnât have a Body Skill at the Peak of Perfection...
Just as he was about to turn and warn Tian Yun, he saw that she had also noticed something was wrong.
"Zou Lang, those flatbreads... they smell unusually fragrant!"
Zou Feng lowered his voice. "Sister Yun, you smelled it too?"
Tian Yun licked her lips. "Yes, they must be delicious. We should buy a bunch later to have as rations for the road!"
"..."
Zou Feng didnât think Tian Yun would joke at a time like this. She wasnât a Poison Cultivator, after all, and the enemy had mixed an Exotic Poison he didnât even recognize into the flatbreads.
Plus, from such a distance, it was completely normal for Tian Yun not to smell anything wrong.
"Sister Yun, if we really eat those flatbreads, the only road weâll be walking next is the road to the underworld..."
Tian Yun reacted instantly. Her nerves tensed, and she prepared to strike at any moment.
But she didnât immediately start looking around. Instead, she continued speaking to Zou Feng in a casual tone. "How many assassins?"
"Iâve only spotted three so far. I donât know if there are others..."
"Then... should we strike first?" Tian Yun showed no fear; in fact, she seemed eager for a fight.
Zou Feng didnât actually underestimate Tian Yunâs Martial Arts. Especially recently, her strength had improved significantly thanks to her "Wise Triple."
The problem was, Tian Yun was still just a little short of breaking through to the Fifth Grade.
And the enemies they were facing now were, almost certainly, at least two Fifth Grade experts.
It was even possible that all three were Fifth Grade.
So, Zou Feng just hoped Tian Yun could escape as quickly as possible.
"Sister Yun, listen to me. When the fight starts, look for a chance and escape first!"
"Iâll hold them off!"
Hearing this, Tian Yun frowned slightly. "We canât win?"
"Itâs hard to say, but I canât guarantee a victory. Donât worry, Sister Yun. I have a Cultivation Skill at the Peak Realm. Getting away wonât be a problem."
As he said this, Zou Feng had his arm around Tian Yun. He subtly traced a few words on her shoulder with his finger...
"Alright. Be extremely careful, Zou Lang!"
Tian Yun didnât waste time with useless, sentimental words and agreed immediately.
At the same time, a passerby had stopped at the flatbread stall, apparently drawn by the aroma and intending to buy a few.
However, when the customer asked for the price, the short old man selling flatbreads just kept shaking his head.
"These flatbreads... are not for sale..."
"Not for sale? Then why are you running a stall?"
The old manâs lifeless eyes suddenly turned to Zou Feng. He pointed a trembling finger and said, "This old manâs flatbreads have all been reserved by that young master!"
His voice suddenly grew louder, causing all the nearby passersby to look over.
Zou Feng replied with a smirk, "Old sir, you must be mistaken. I never eat flatbreads!"
The short old man shook his head. "Thereâs no mistake. Young master, please, have some flatbread..."
Before his voice had even faded, he grabbed several flatbreads and hurled them directly at Zou Feng.
Though they were just a few flatbreads, they were enhanced by the old manâs technique, instantly transforming into deadly projectiles that spun rapidly through the air.
But of course, Zou Feng wasnât going to be hit. With a quick shuffle of his feet and a couple of Snake Skin Movements, he easily dodged them.
However, just as he dodged, Zou Feng sensed something was wrong. He immediately activated his Tribulation-Indestructible Body, turning his body as hard as iron.
Sure enough, the flatbreads he had just avoided all exploded in unison, releasing clouds of colorful, poisonous smoke.
"HEH HEH HEH... Come play with us, big brother!"
The child, licking the bloody candied haw, let out a series of terrifying, strange laughs and somehow appeared right in front of Zou Feng.