Chapter 2026: Old Poison

Chapter 2026: Miao Jiang Laowu

The night was pitch-black, truly impenetrable.

In Zhu Xian Zhen at night, everything was silent. The streets were deserted except for a drunkard staggering along with a wine jug in hand. Even the red lanterns hanging overhead had their candle flames dimmed.

Outside the town, a figure approached.

It was Ye Chen, clutching his lower back and leaning on a wooden stick as he limped along. Blood occasionally trickled from his nostrils, and his once-handsome face was bruised and battered, with patches of blue and purple.

During the day, he had no idea how far he had been flung through the air, only seeing vast mountains and rivers flashing by before he landed in a remote forest, the kind where not even birds ventured. It was thanks to his deep foundation and cultivated inner force that he avoided being smashed to pieces.

Even so, he had suffered serious internal injuries.

And that wasn't the end of it—the evil demon had caught up with him on the way back and beaten him again.

"You crazy woman, just wait until I'm stronger than you," Ye Chen muttered, wiping the blood from his nose as he cursed all the way. He even dragged Ren Wang into his tirade, cursing them both thoroughly. Why pick a fight with the evil demon? Didn't they know she was trouble?

Back at the small garden, Ye Chen collapsed headfirst.

His internal injuries were genuine; he had no idea how many meridians were torn or how many bones were broken from the kicks. All he knew was that his entire body ached, as if it were about to fall apart.

Just you wait!

He cursed again before barely managing to sit cross-legged. He circulated his healing technique while absorbing the power of the stars to nourish his body. This beating would keep him housebound for at least a few days.

Indeed, for the next few days, he stayed indoors, not stepping out at all, just resting at home. The townspeople paid no attention to a fortune-teller like him—whether he was around or not, no one cared.

They might not notice, but Yang Ge Lao was attentive. He visited daily, always bringing something, usually healing medicines. With his care, Ye Chen's injuries had mostly healed.

Another peaceful night arrived, and the two sat in the garden, quietly drinking.

"I've got to ask again—who exactly beat you up?" Yang Ge Lao took a swig of wine.

This was far from the first time he'd asked.

Each time, Ye Chen would clutch his chest, finish speaking, and then cough up blood.

The more he did that, the more curious Yang Ge Lao became. Given Ye Chen's skills, whoever could injure him that badly had to be incredibly powerful. The problem was, on that day, he hadn't seen any experts around.

"It's hard to explain." Ye Chen waved it off and clutched his chest again.

Thinking of the evil demon only made him angrier.

"Hey, do you think a star just fell?" Yang Ge Lao looked up at the sky, his face full of wonder.

Hearing that, Ye Chen tilted his head back as well. Something was indeed descending, glowing like a meteor streaking across the night sky, tracing a graceful arc under the moonlight.

"Let's go." Without a second thought, Ye Chen slapped the stone table and leaped onto the roof, heading straight for the outskirts of town. His movements were swift, leaving a trail of afterimages that left Yang Ge Lao stunned. As fellow martial arts experts, Yang Ge Lao could tell that this light footwork was an unparalleled technique.

"What a masterful technique," Yang Ge Lao murmured to himself.

"What are you spacing out for? Keep up." Ye Chen called out.

"Uh." Yang Ge Lao snapped out of it and leaped onto the roof as well.

The two moved like shadows, darting swiftly one after the other.

Ye Chen led the way, his eyes fixed on the outskirts where the object had fallen. It wasn't a star—it was some kind of treasure, possibly a great material for forging weapons. Encountering it was surely fate.

Yang Ge Lao followed behind, studying Ye Chen's footwork the whole time. The more he watched, the more amazed he was. Compared to Ye Chen's, his own light footwork seemed like child's play.

"I say, my friend, where did you learn that light footwork?" Unable to contain his curiosity, Yang Ge Lao chuckled and licked his lips. He couldn't help but admire such elegant movements.

"Want to learn it?" Ye Chen glanced at Yang Ge Lao with a smile.

"Yes."

"I'll teach it to you later." Ye Chen grinned, then pushed off the eave and picked up speed.

Behind him, Yang Ge Lao was overjoyed, confirming he hadn't misheard—Ye Chen was going to pass on this supreme technique. The thought excited him more and more, and his steps grew lighter, allowing him to keep pace with Ye Chen.

After a quarter of an hour, they arrived in a range of mountains.

Deep in the shadows of the peaks, they found the fallen "star"—more accurately, an irregular chunk of black stone, dark and unremarkable, about the size of a baby's head.

"Damn, it's just black Xuan Tie. I thought it was some rare treasure." Ye Chen rubbed his forehead in disappointment.

He might not want it, but Yang Ge Lao certainly did. The old man eagerly approached, rubbing his hands together. Heavenly-fallen Xuan Tie was a legendary material for crafting weapons—something you couldn't buy even if you had the money. If word got out, it would cause chaos in the martial world.

"My friend, how about we split it? You take six parts, I take four—or even just give me a share." Yang Ge Lao hugged the black Xuan Tie like a giant watermelon, beaming with joy.

"Keep it for yourself." Ye Chen said casually, turning to leave.

"It's all mine?" Yang Ge Lao was thrilled, the surprise hitting him out of nowhere.

Once out of the forest, Ye Chen looked up at the sky.

Xuan Tie didn't just fall from the heavens for no reason—it was likely due to some great battle, probably among cultivators, causing treasures to scatter onto this ancient star.

Unfortunately, his magical powers were sealed, so he couldn't venture into the stars to investigate.

"Someone's here." Yang Ge Lao suddenly warned.

"I see them." Ye Chen replied calmly.

As he spoke, a hunched old man descended from the sky. His light footwork was ethereal, landing steadily, though his gait was unsteady. Upon closer inspection, he was lame, leaning on a dragon-headed cane. His white hair hung loose, partially hiding his aged face. In the moonlight, through the gaps in his hair, they could see his blood-red eyes gleaming like those of a serpent or scorpion.

It seemed he had come for the fallen treasure but arrived too late, perhaps because he was farther away, allowing Ye Chen and Yang Ge Lao to get there first.

"Miao Jiang Laowu." Yang Ge Lao shuddered at the sight, recognizing him.

"From the name, he doesn't sound like good news." Ye Chen sighed.

"Keep your voice down—he's not someone to mess with." Yang Ge Lao tugged at Ye Chen's sleeve. "He's from my master's generation, and his skills rank among the top ten. What's really terrifying is his poison techniques. Fighting him, you won't even know how you die. This old sorcerer is ruthless; anyone who angers him ends up captured and fed to his Gu insects, wishing for death."

By then, Miao Jiang Laowu had approached, saying nothing as his sinister eyes, glowing with a greenish light, scanned Ye Chen and Yang Ge Lao like a predator.

Under his gaze, Yang Ge Lao felt his legs tremble.

Ye Chen, however, remained composed and unfazed.

"You two—did you see any object fall from the sky?" Miao Jiang Laowu asked coldly, his tone authoritative and chilling.

"N-no." Yang Ge Lao stammered quickly.

"What's that you're hiding? Show it to this old one." Miao Jiang Laowu wasn't easily fooled; he had spotted something in Yang Ge Lao's arms. Add to that their late-night presence here, and it was suspicious.

"Just some mountain goods. This junior won't bother showing them—wouldn't want to offend you, senior."

"In that case, I'll take it myself." Miao Jiang Laowu smirked slightly and stepped forward like a gust of wind, aiming a palm at Yang Ge Lao's forehead.

Yang Ge Lao paled and retreated with his light footwork.

"Little junior, where do you think you're going?" Miao Jiang Laowu snorted coldly, already preparing a poisoned needle.

But before he could throw it, he felt his other arm grabbed.

The one holding him was, of course, Ye Chen, who lifted the old sorcerer entirely and slammed him into the ground with a thud.

Miao Jiang Laowu spat blood, his organs shaken and his head throbbing. If not for his thick inner force protecting him, he would have been reduced to pulp. Ye Chen's slamming technique was devastating, effective in both the cultivation world and the mortal realm.

"You're asking for death." Miao Jiang Laowu roared in fury, trying to rise.

"Huh? You're pretty tough." Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and lifted him again.

What followed was a scene too brutal to describe—Ye Chen, with steady footing, repeatedly slammed Miao Jiang Laowu into the ground like threshing wheat, the motions fluid and seamless.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The impacts echoed endlessly, making the earth tremble slightly.

Gulp!

Yang Ge Lao swallowed hard, watching with wide eyes. Each slam made his heart skip a beat. This was Miao Jiang Laowu, a master of poison with top-tier skills, now being thrashed by a junior until he was disoriented and helpless. Yang Ge Lao was certain that if he were in that position, he'd be long dead.

"How strong is this guy?" Yang Ge Lao looked at Ye Chen with newfound admiration.

Ye Chen ignored him, putting all his effort into the slams. Miao Jiang Laowu's protective inner force was remarkably resilient.

For someone like this—a poison user—he had to be slammed until he was completely incapacitated. Besides, with Miao Jiang Laowu's history of evil deeds, Ye Chen was just delivering justice.

Miao Jiang Laowu howled in rage, but every attempt to counter was interrupted by another slam. All his skills were rendered useless, and decades of cultivation turned into a joke.

It wasn't until sometime later that the thuds finally stopped.

When they looked again, Miao Jiang Laowu was no longer recognizable, lying in a crater of blood and dirt, foaming at the mouth with his blood-red eyes fixed on Ye Chen. He wanted to move but couldn't—his meridians were shattered, and his bones were crushed. The fact that he was still alive was a miracle.

"Who exactly are you?" Miao Jiang Laowu gasped, blood pouring from his mouth.

"A name is just a label." Ye Chen smiled faintly and raised his hand, finishing him with a palm strike.

Hiss!

Yang Ge Lao inhaled sharply. After knowing Ye Chen for so long, he hadn't realized how decisive and cold-blooded he could be—killing without hesitation, all while smiling.

In that moment, Yang Ge Lao felt a chill run down his spine. Good thing he hadn't gone too far when he fought Ye Chen before; otherwise, he'd be worse off than the old sorcerer.

The most frustrated one, though, was Miao Jiang Laowu. He had gone out treasure-hunting late at night instead of sleeping and ended up trying to rob someone, only to run into a formidable opponent and get slammed to death. Not even a single poisoned needle was used before he met his end. Among the countless people in the martial world, he might be the most pathetic.

"Karma has its way—don't blame me." Ye Chen squatted down and swiftly took the silver notes, poisons, and other items from the old sorcerer's body. They might come in handy; loot was loot, after all.

Yang Ge Lao coughed awkwardly and stayed back, not daring to approach. He feared Miao Jiang Laowu even in death, with all his poisons intact. Naturally, he felt a moment of disbelief—this terror of the martial world, dead by slamming. If the news spread, no one would believe it.

"Let's go." Ye Chen flicked his sleeve and started walking slowly.

"Amitabha, may you rest in peace, senior Laowu." Yang Ge Lao recited a silent prayer, burning the body to ashes before following Ye Chen at a safe distance. He didn't want to get too close, in case Ye Chen wasn't done and decided to slam him too—his old bones couldn't take it.