Chapter 380: 214, The sinister nature of the human king’s body_3
"This wine is delicious. I, Yan Sheng, have been a bit rude. Please don’t blame me, Brother Song." After Xu Xing finished drinking, he apologized.
At this time, he saw that Song Knife was only holding the wine and not drinking it. Dissatisfaction inevitably showed on his face. "Could it be that Brother Song suspects that the wine I, Yan Sheng, offered contains poison?"
"Forget it, forget it. A good banquet shouldn’t keep people any longer. Please, Brother Song, do leave." He made a gesture as if to usher him out.
"That’s not it." Song Knife quickly apologized and explained, "The seniors in our Sect have warned disciples that when traveling, they shouldn’t recklessly consume food or drink from outside the Sect, to prevent unforeseen dangers."
"Although this Hongxia Wine is delicious, I, Song, must still heed the earnest teachings of my Sect’s seniors."
"It’s not that I, Song, am unwilling to share this fine wine with you, fellow Daoist, but these are our Sect’s rules," he said.
Cloud and Flower Building is a major restaurant on Huge Mastiff Island; it wouldn’t tamper with the food and drinks.
Moreover, he had seen with his own eyes that the maids of Cloud and Flower Building had served the earlier dishes and drinks.
So, the food and drink were safe.
However, this Hongxia Wine was different, as Yan Sheng had taken it from his Storage Bag. He wouldn’t risk his life for a little "friendship".
"I understand, I understand." Xu Xing nodded and didn’t press the matter. He took back the wine jar from Song Knife’s hands and put it into his own Storage Bag.
Song Knife adopted a humble posture and brought up his Sect’s seniors. Xu Xing, being an outsider to this reasoning, naturally felt it would be impolite to press him further.
WHOOSH!
Xu Xing picked up the wine jar and poured the wine into his jade cup.
In an instant, the cup shimmered with iridescent colors, a rainbow bridge arching within it, like the first blush of evening clouds.
"The Red Cloud Sect’s Hongxia Wine is made by adding Qihong Fruit..."
"Although this spirit fruit doesn’t offer much benefit to cultivation, it greatly enhances the wine’s beauty and aroma..."
After saying this, Song Knife’s face showed a look of regret.
"Unfortunately, I am not fated to enjoy this fine wine," he added.
"It’s a trivial matter. Brother Song doesn’t have to worry about it..."
The two exchanged drinks, and the atmosphere became harmonious again, as they began addressing each other as brothers.
Occasionally, they would pick at a few dishes of the Spiritual Feast.
"I wonder which School Brother Yan Sheng hails from? In recent years, the Outer Sea has become quite turbulent." Song Knife looked at Xu Xing with concern. "Brother Yan Sheng should also know that our Flying Feather Immortal Palace has been weakened by internal strife, allowing the Mingquan Sect to gain the upper hand. This time, Brother Yan Sheng, you’ve spent so much money that many nefarious groups have already set their sights on you."
What he said was not false.
The Flying Feather Immortal Palace is a righteous sect and upholds fundamental order, so they generally do not tolerate cultivators causing trouble within the seas under their jurisdiction.
However, the Mingquan Sect is different. They follow the Demon way and have no intention of maintaining order.
Over the past few decades, the Outer Sea has become significantly more chaotic than before.
"If Brother Yan Sheng is willing to listen to my humble suggestion... I suggest that Brother Yan Sheng first enter seclusion on Huge Mastiff Island and lay low for a while."
"In a short while, seniors from my Sect will be coming to the Outer Sea on business. Perhaps they can escort Brother Yan Sheng for a part of your journey," Song Knife said after pondering for a moment, as if choosing his words carefully.
The Flying Feather Immortal Palace’s reputation is well-earned.
While righteous sects aren’t necessarily filled with saints, they seldom kill for treasures.
Furthermore, to take a step back, a Substitute Puppet, worth tens of millions of Spirit Shells, is indeed an enormous fortune for an individual cultivator.
However, to the Higher Teachings, such wealth is insignificant. It’s not enough for them to tarnish their reputation over it.
"What is it? Does Brother Yan Sheng not believe my words?" Seeing that Yan Sheng hadn’t replied for a long time and was merely eating and drinking, Song Knife frowned, his expression displeased.
He believed that the reputation of the Flying Feather Immortal Palace, as well as his own, was enough to make Yan Sheng trust him.
"Brother Song’s words are wise and true; how could I, Yan Sheng, doubt them? It’s just..." Xu Xing let out a deep sigh, expressing his concern, "It’s just that my Sect Master’s life hangs by a thread, and only the Substitute Puppet can avert this calamity for him. If I delay, I fear unforeseen complications will arise."
A Substitute Puppet can redirect harm, even dying in its master’s stead.
And injuries were included in this.
He hasn’t used the Substitute Puppet yet? Hearing this, Song Knife was overjoyed.
Once a Substitute Puppet is refined, wresting it away requires significantly more effort.
But if the Substitute Puppet hadn’t been refined, then naturally, such concerns were moot.
No wonder he was willing to pay any price at the auction to get this item.
But I don’t know where he got the information about the Substitute Puppet being auctioned. There must be some hidden secret. Song Knife pondered inwardly.
"This matter is simple. I’ll personally escort... no, no, that won’t do. We competed at the auction, making us rivals... It’s not suitable, not suitable." Song Knife feigned a hearty generosity, patting his chest as if ready to take full responsibility. But after a few more words, he shook his head and backed down.
"We must avoid suspicion," he said.
After this performance, Song Knife looked expectantly at Xu Xing, waiting for his reply.
He had already gone this far...
However—
Somewhat unexpectedly, Xu Xing did not follow his lead but nodded in approval of the words "avoid suspicion."
"The matter of the Substitute Puppet is of great importance. Although I, Yan Sheng, trust Brother Song, I dare not gamble with the future of Lang Huan Pavilion..." Xu Xing explained.
Lang Huan Pavilion was a reclusive sect from the Wangchuan Sea that he had invented.
"I, Yan Sheng, intend to wait for some time, hire some guards, and then leave Huge Mastiff Island to return to my Sect..." he said after a moment’s thought.
"A small matter... We didn’t know each other before we fought. Who knows, we might need each other’s help in the future," Song Knife laughed, not taking it seriously.
「Half a day later.」
The banquet was over.
Song Knife presented Xu Xing with a Thousand-Year Ginseng as a return gift and then left Cloud and Flower Building.
What a pity, he didn’t drink this Hongxia Wine... After Song Knife left, Xu Xing took out the jar of Hongxia Wine again, shaking his head inwardly.
In this jar of wine, he had indeed added poison.
A peculiar poison called "Forget Lotus Worriness Flower"!
As long as Song Knife drank this Hongxia Wine, within the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, he would become dizzy and weak-limbed, completely at Xu Xing’s mercy.
Countless strange poisons existed in the Cultivation World.
"Forget Lotus Worriness Flower" was one of the more famous ones among them—colorless and odorless.
It’s not lethal, but it affects a cultivator’s ability to exert their strength, weakening their combat power.
Even though Xu Xing knew his cultivation and combat strength surpassed Song Knife’s, and he had at least a seventy to eighty percent chance of winning in a fair fight, he preferred not to take risks if avoidable.
He felt no burden on his conscience for planning to poison him.
Today, Song Knife will certainly follow me out of Huge Mastiff Island. This is a good opportunity. Xu Xing sneered.
The talk of hiring guards was, of course, a lie. Song Knife wouldn’t be foolish enough to believe such a claim.