Chapter 86 - 81: Thanks, But You Have Bad Breath

Seven Stars Castle was located in the western suburbs, some distance from the Inner City.

The carriage traveled onward, soon leaving the urban area behind.

"WHOA—"

As they passed a village, the carriage suddenly lurched to a halt.

Li Rushan poked his head out to see what was happening.

He saw a little girl, about eight or nine years old, standing in the middle of the road.

The girl’s clothes were tattered, and her face was covered in grime.

The driver, Old Wang, got down and gestured with his hands.

The girl didn’t understand what Old Wang meant; she just kept crying.

So, Old Wang could only turn back and gesture for Li Rushan to come down and take a look.

Li Rushan nodded and disembarked from the carriage.

The situation unfolding before him was a bit strange.

But as a Force Integration Martial Artist, his Perception was far sharper than an ordinary person’s.

The little girl before him showed no abnormalities.

And there were no signs of an ambush in the vicinity.

He got off the carriage, reassured.

"Little girl, what’s wrong?"

Li Rushan crouched down, softening his voice as much as possible.

Seeing the burly Li Rushan, the little girl was a bit frightened. She instinctively shrank back, her crying subsiding.

"Don’t be afraid. This old man isn’t a bad person. Tell me, what happened?"

The girl said timidly, "Can you please save my mother..."

"Save your mother? What’s wrong with her?" Li Rushan asked, puzzled.

"My mother... my mother suddenly got very sick. The big sister said we need to find someone to take her to a clinic in the city, or she’ll die..." The little girl started crying again.

Li Rushan narrowed his eyes.

’Something about this is fishy.’

He’d traveled the Jianghu for many years and had encountered his fair share of similar scams.

Although the girl didn’t seem to be lying...

...there was no guarantee the adults behind her weren’t using her.

Of course, it was also possible that it was a genuine medical emergency.

Li Rushan nodded and said,

"Don’t cry, little girl. Take this old man to have a look."

He decided to go and check out the situation after all.

If it was real, he would take her to Seven Stars Castle and have the Gang’s doctor treat her.

He would be saving a life.

But if it was a scam...

’Then I won’t be holding back!’

This area was, after all, within the Seven Stars Gang’s sphere of influence.

The Seven Stars Gang had repeatedly forbidden such crooked dealings.

And now someone was trying to pull a fast one right on their doorstep, targeting a dignified Elder of the Seven Stars Gang.

’That’s like the God of Longevity hanging himself—they must have a death wish!’

’No matter who they are, I’ll make them learn the rules around here!’

As for any potential danger, he wasn’t worried in the slightest.

He was a Force Integration Martial Artist, and an Elder of the Seven Stars Gang to boot.

He was confident that common rabble couldn’t possibly threaten him!

Li Rushan then turned and said to Jiang Che, who was still in the carriage,

"Little Brother Jiang, Old Wang and I are going to check on this little girl’s mother. You just wait here for a bit!"

Although Jiang Che was in the carriage, he had faintly overheard their conversation.

He felt something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

"Senior Li, let me go with you. Old Wang can just watch the carriage!"

Jiang Che jumped down from the carriage and came to Li Rushan’s side.

He had the Omen Talent; if there was danger, he could warn Li Rushan.

Li Rushan said, "Alright, then you can come with me."

It was a small matter. Since Jiang Che wanted to go, they would go together.

The two of them then followed the little girl into the village.

The village was very dilapidated. The houses were mostly thatched mud huts with tattered door planks.

The ground was uneven and pockmarked, with what appeared to be piles of feces scattered about.

A few old men and women sat in the doorways of some houses.

There were also some naked children playing in the mud.

Seeing strangers enter, some villagers looked on with curiosity, but most wore numb expressions.

Jiang Che kept his Perception at maximum the entire way, but he received no warning of danger.

Soon, the little girl led the two of them to a mud hut.

The hut’s door was ajar. Inside, there was only a single earthen bed.

A middle-aged woman lay on the bed, her face pale, groaning in pain.

The little girl rushed over, crying out,

"Mother, I found someone!"

The hut’s doorway was low, so the two men had to stoop to enter.

Li Rushan stepped forward to take a look. The woman had no trace of Qi Blood, a clear sign she was an ordinary person.

The pain on her face wasn’t faked, either; it seemed she really was suffering from some acute illness.

Li Rushan nodded and said,

"There’s no time to lose. Let’s get her to a doctor right away!"

But Jiang Che suddenly grabbed his arm.

Li Rushan was a bit confused and asked,

"Little Brother Jiang, what’s wrong?"

Jiang Che’s expression was grave as he said,

"I feel like something’s wrong. We should leave."

Although the woman was an ordinary person, as he drew closer to her...

...Omen triggered!

There was something on this woman that could pose a threat to both of them!

If they came into contact with it, it could be fatal!

Jiang Che’s scalp tingled as he realized this had to be a trap.

For a moment, Li Rushan hesitated.

The woman didn’t look like there was anything wrong with her.

Besides, even if there was a problem, between the two of them—one a Force Integration Artist, the other capable of defeating an Iron Skin Realm Blood Sacrifice—what did they have to fear from these villagers?

Seeing Li Rushan looking at him with a puzzled expression, Jiang Che didn’t know how to explain.

He could only sense the danger, but he didn’t know what the danger was!

While Jiang Che was still trying to figure out how to explain,

A loud CRASH suddenly came from outside the door!

An unusually burly man had appeared from nowhere, blocking the doorway.

He was bald with a thick beard and a face full of fierce, bulging muscles.

His body was a mass of knotted muscles, and his skin had a reddish hue, suggesting he had practiced Iron Body Skills.

Li Rushan immediately knew they had walked into an ambush.

At the same time, he wondered, ’How did Jiang Che sense it?’

"CLAP. CLAP. CLAP."

Suddenly, the sound of applause rang out.

A young woman slowly walked out from behind the burly man.

She chuckled softly. "As expected of Elder Li of the Seven Stars Gang. You didn’t fall for the trick."

The two were none other than Red Tiger and Lotus.

They had discovered that this was an unavoidable road for anyone traveling to and from Seven Stars Castle, so they had set a simple trap.

Of course, just in case Li Rushan didn’t follow, they had hidden themselves near the little girl.

They were skilled in a concealment technique and were confident that not even a Force Integration Artist could discover them.

If Li Rushan hadn’t followed the little girl, they would have just jumped out and ambushed him directly.

They just hadn’t expected that, even though he had come, he saw through the ruse at the last moment. They didn’t know how he’d managed it, but it didn’t matter now.

Li Rushan frowned. "Who are you? What do you mean by that?"

He saw that Lotus was also at the Peak of the Iron Skin Realm. Not knowing their background, he didn’t dare to act rashly.

Suddenly, a fit of harsh coughing came from inside the hut.

The middle-aged woman on the bed suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood, which was teeming with tiny, writhing worms!

After spitting out the black blood, the middle-aged woman stopped breathing.

But her eyes remained open, as if she died with lingering resentment.

"You poisoned her!" Li Rushan roared in anger.

If Jiang Che hadn’t stopped him, he would have likely been infected by those poisonous insects as well!

Jiang Che was also shocked.

’This looks like some kind of parasitic poisoning method.’

’Could this be a Gu Insect?’

’Good thing I didn’t touch her...’

A wave of fear washed over Jiang Che.

Suddenly, he realized the little girl had been leaning on her mother just moments ago!

’In that case, the little girl must be poisoned too...’

Jiang Che couldn’t help but look at the little girl.

"Mother! Mother!"

The little girl burst into tears. She looked at Lotus, her eyes blurry, and said,

"Big Sister, what’s wrong with my mother? Didn’t you say she could hold on until we got to a clinic? I found a carriage!"

"Don’t worry. Your mother has just returned to the embrace of the Master of the Black Abyss. She has now escaped this sea of suffering. You should be happy for her," Lotus said gently.

Suddenly, the little girl’s legs gave way, and she too collapsed to the ground.

She clutched her stomach, her face pale as beads of sweat dripped from her forehead.

A moment later, she also coughed up a mouthful of black blood and then stopped breathing.

Seeing the mother and daughter die on the spot, the corner of Jiang Che’s eye twitched.

"You’re scum from the Blood Spirit Sect!"

he said coldly.

To set a trap for Li Rushan, this person had actually poisoned an innocent mother and daughter. It was an act that would outrage both gods and men!

Jiang Che clenched his fists. Thinking of the countless sins committed by the Blood Spirit Sect, he wished he could activate his Black Abyss Form on the spot and execute this person!

"Little Brother Jiang, when the fight starts, I’ll hold these two off. You take the chance to escape. Go back to Seven Stars Castle with Old Wang and get help!"

Li Rushan said quickly in a low voice.

"...Alright."

Jiang Che sighed inwardly.

’Two at the Peak of the Iron Skin Realm. One has achieved Iron Body Great Success, and the other is an expert in poison.’

’Even if I transform, I might not gain any advantage.’

’This is no longer a fight I can participate in. I can’t let my emotions get the better of me.’

Li Rushan immediately channeled his Cultivation Technique. His figure flashed, and he lunged toward Lotus with a palm strike.

Lotus’s expression remained unchanged. She suddenly threw out a handful of green smoke, and her figure vanished.

"Hold your breath! Don’t touch the poison mist!" Li Rushan shouted quickly to Jiang Che.

He was a Force Integration Artist; as long as he circulated Qi Force around his body, the poison mist couldn’t penetrate it.

But Jiang Che was only a Stone Skin Realm Martial Artist and couldn’t possibly block the poison mist. Li Rushan instantly grew anxious.

"I know!" Jiang Che immediately retreated several steps, avoiding the poison mist.

Seeing that the front door was completely blocked, he turned and threw a fierce punch at the mud wall behind him.

The mud wall instantly shattered, and he seized the opportunity to rush out.

But as soon as he got out, he found Lotus blocking his path.

"You’re a handsome one, little man. How about you come and play with Big Sister?" she said, licking her lips.

Jiang Che said coldly,

"Thanks, but you have bad breath. I’ll pass."

Lotus’s face twitched involuntarily.

"Kid, you’re courting death!"

She lunged, swiping her hand at him.

The strike was ferocious, like a swooping goshawk.

Jiang Che felt that if that claw landed, it would tear a chunk of flesh from his body.

He was too late to dodge and was about to trigger his Transformation.

Suddenly, the mud wall behind him burst open!

Immediately after, a massive figure was thrown out, slamming into Lotus. The two of them went tumbling to the ground together.

The person who had been thrown was, shockingly, Red Tiger!