“What’s wrong?” Qian Jin asked curiously, but out of his usual trust in Shen San, he instinctively stopped.
“The person who served the dishes just now wasn’t you. Where’s the original one?” Ignoring the fat man’s confusion, Shen San instead placed his hand on the knife pouch at his waist and slowly stood up, staring coldly at the young servant who had brought the wine.
“Because there are too many guests, Li Er is running errands for other rooms. I’m here in his place. Sir, is there something wrong?” Under Shen San’s intense gaze, the servant’s face instantly turned pale as he answered in a panic.
Seeing the servant’s reaction, Shen San’s expression softened slightly, but he still seemed uneasy. He turned to Jin Zhi, who was nestled in Shen Chongshan’s arms, and asked, “Miss Jin, do you know this person? Is he really from your Xiaoxiang Court?”
“This…” The most popular courtesan showed a troubled expression but eventually replied somewhat awkwardly, “To be honest, Sir Shen, this person does look unfamiliar. But with hundreds of people in our Xiaoxiang Court, it wouldn’t be strange if I haven’t seen him before.”
“Haha! Little San, aren’t you making things difficult for Miss Jin? How could such a delicate beauty possibly know a lowly servant? Do you think this person is an assassin who sneaked in from outside?” Shen Chongshan sniffed deeply at the enchanting woman in his arms and spoke carelessly.
“Big brother, we make a living on the edge of a blade. It’s better to be cautious!” Shen San remained expressionless, still staring intently at the young man who had brought the dishes.
“Heh! This person has unsteady footsteps and dull eyes—clearly someone without martial skills. If you’re still uneasy, I have a method to immediately verify his authenticity and put everyone at ease.” The venomous scholar Fan Ju suddenly let out a few cold, sinister laughs.
He had long been dissatisfied with Shen San, who had joined the Siping Gang later than him but gained more of Shen Chongshan’s trust. Considering himself the gang’s strategist, Fan Ju decided to make Shen San look foolish.
“Oh? What method? Brother Fan, go ahead and try it.” Although Shen Chongshan spoke with bravado, he valued his life greatly and immediately agreed to let Fan Ju proceed.
“Since this person has no martial skills, if he truly intends to harm us, he can only have tampered with the food and wine. So, if we have him taste everything, the truth will come out!” Fan Ju said with full confidence.
“Brother Fan, what a brilliant idea! Boy, take a sip of this wine for me, then try the dishes. If you hesitate even a little, I’ll twist your head off right now.” The black-robed fatty Qian Jin clapped his hands in delight and then shouted at the servant who had entered the room.
Upon hearing Fan Ju’s suggestion, the black-clothed Shen San thought it was a reasonable idea and did not object, instead watching coldly from the sidelines.
As for Shen Chongshan and the courtesan Jin Zhi in his arms, they had no objections either.
Thus, under the watchful eyes of the group, the servant reluctantly drank a cup of wine and took a few bites of the dishes.
Seeing that the servant remained unharmed after consuming the food and wine, Fan Ju smiled triumphantly. He said to Shen San with deep meaning, “It seems Brother Shen was overly cautious. This person is indeed just a servant. Next time, don’t ruin everyone’s drinking mood!” After speaking, he picked up a few bites of the newly served dishes and chewed leisurely.
“Hmph!” Shen San snorted, ignoring Fan Ju’s veiled criticism, but he relaxed and returned to his seat.
“Haha! It’s nothing! Just a misunderstanding.” Shen Chongshan was well aware of the discord between his two subordinates, but this was something he welcomed. He laughed heartily, pretending to be magnanimous.
“If it’s just a misunderstanding, you may leave, servant. Take this silver as a reward!” Shen Chongshan took out a piece of silver weighing two taels and tossed it to the servant.
“Thank you, sir. I’ll take my leave now!” The young man disguised as a servant was overjoyed at the sight of the silver and happily retreated, closing the door behind him.
“Oh my! Sir Shen is so generous. You mustn’t be stingy with Jin Zhi in the future!” The coquettish voice of Jin Zhi could be heard from inside the room.
“Of course, my beauty! You’re my darling! As long as you serve me well, I’ll never treat you poorly! Come, brothers! Let’s all drink a cup. Today, we won’t leave until we’re drunk!” Shen Chongshan’s raspy voice followed, clearly audible through the door.
Outside the door, the young man suddenly smirked coldly. Instead of leaving immediately, he quietly stood under the nearby eaves, lingering like a ghost, as if waiting for something.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea later, a terrified scream suddenly came from inside the room: “Poison! The food and wine are poisoned! I’ve been poisoned!” As soon as the words were spoken, the person laughed eerily twice before falling silent. The voice belonged to the black-robed fatty Qian Jin.
“Traitors! You dare plot against me, the gang leader? I’ll kill you!” Shen Chongshan roared in shock and anger. But it seemed too late. After letting out two involuntary dry laughs, he too collapsed and died.
The venomous scholar Fan Ju and Shen San exchanged fearful glances before speaking in unison: “That servant—he’s the one who poisoned us.”
“That servant must have the antidote!”
The two immediately pushed the women in their arms away and rushed toward the door as if their pants were on fire.
Unfortunately, as soon as they reached the door, they let out two “ha ha” laughs and slowly slid to the ground.
“It seems the black-robed fatty drank the most, so the poison took effect first. Shen Chongshan drank quite a bit too, so he was second. As for the black-clothed man and the scholar, even though they didn’t drink much, my ‘Laughing Soul Powder’ is extremely potent. Even a single drop is fatal.” The young man thought leisurely. After waiting a while longer, he pushed the door open and walked in.
Inside the room, there were no survivors. Even Jin Zhi and the three other accompanying courtesans had long since breathed their last.
Han Li carefully inspected the room to ensure there were indeed no survivors before drifting away unnoticed.
Once the news of Shen Chongshan’s poisoning spreads, it will likely be seen as a vendetta in the martial world. It shouldn’t cause any major trouble. Han Li thought casually on his way back.
“This Clear Spirit Powder is really useful. Just taking one pill beforehand not only prevents all poisons but also has miraculous effects against drugs like bewitching incense. Last time, I used it to trick the Yan family and others.” He smiled strangely and couldn’t help but touch the bottle of Clear Spirit Powder in his robe.
Han Li returned to the inn unnoticed and lay down on the bed as soon as he entered his room, falling into a deep, sweet sleep.
This was a habit he had unintentionally developed. Whenever he completed a major task, he became particularly sleepy, finding relief from physical and mental exhaustion in his dreams.
While Han Li was sound asleep, the deaths of Shen Chongshan and his three top guards were finally discovered by the people of Xiaoxiang Court. When the news reached the Siping Gang, it immediately stirred unrest among many interested parties.
No one wanted to investigate the cause of Shen Chongshan’s death because in Jiayuan City, the strong preying on the weak was a natural order. Shen Chongshan himself had killed the previous gang leader to seize his position. Thus, the remaining members of the Siping Gang were only concerned about who would inherit the now-vacant position of gang leader.
Without a strong candidate and with no one willing to submit to another, a bloody internal struggle for the gang leader position erupted within the Siping Gang that very night.
By the next morning, when the ordinary gang members who had not participated in the fight woke up, they were shocked to discover that the entire Siping Gang had fallen into the hands of an inconspicuous minor leader, Sun Ergou.
In just one night, Sun Ergou had killed all other high-ranking members who opposed him. With no one left to stand against him, he smoothly ascended to the position of gang leader. The next day, he sent notices to other gangs in the western city, confirming his succession.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all, Han Li, after a good night’s sleep, appeared at the Mo Manor. He stood in the same elegant pavilion, facing Madam Yan and several other beautiful women. This time, however, behind them stood the three famous beauties of Jiayuan City—the Mo sisters.
Han Li had already met Mo Yuzhu and Mo Caihuan, so his gaze lingered mostly on Mo Fengwu, the adopted daughter of Doctor Mo.
Mo Fengwu was a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress with an oval face. She appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features that gave Han Li a sense of petite elegance.
At that moment, under Han Li’s intense gaze, Mo Fengwu shyly lowered her head, revealing her slender, snow-white neck. Han Li couldn’t help but swallow hard several times.
“Young Master Han, please stop staring at our Fengwu so lustfully! Our Fengwu is very shy! Shouldn’t we continue yesterday’s discussion?” The third wife said with a charming smile, addressing Han Li in a coquettish tone.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage