Chapter 067
Chapter 67: Poisoned
“Kill…me…please. I’ll do…anything…you ask!”
After a short while, two of the maidservants buried among the bones could no longer bear their torment. They pleaded painfully, looking up at Li Mu Sheng above the pit.
Observing their suffering, Li Mu Sheng gave a slow nod and murmured, “It seems quite effective.”
With a flick of his finger, he halted the activation of the Life-Death Talismans on their bodies.
Immediately, the two maidservants gasped heavily as if they’d been rescued from drowning.
Standing beside him, Cang Yin Yue watched quietly, her expression flickering with surprise. Li Mu Sheng’s methods were even more terrifying than the interrogation techniques used by the Shadow Spy Division. He had broken these prisoners’ will far quicker than she expected.
She glanced again at Li Mu Sheng, realizing that he had somehow become deeply mysterious to her. Whether it was his astounding martial dao skills or the strange and powerful techniques he always seemed to know, all of it shattered her previous understanding. She truly wondered—how many secrets did this man hold?
“Miss Cang, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Li Mu Sheng had no interest in interrogating these people himself. He passed this tedious task directly to Cang Yin Yue.
Hearing this, Cang Yin Yue discreetly glanced toward Zhu Feng Lan, opening her mouth slightly but hesitating to speak.
Understanding her unspoken concerns, Li Mu Sheng casually waved his hand. “They’re yours to handle now. No matter how deep your grudges are, kill or spare them as you wish.”
Cang Yin Yue exhaled slowly, meeting his eyes with deep gratitude, and said softly, “Thank you.”
Then, with a graceful leap, she descended into the pit of bones to confront the seven immobilized figures.
Li Mu Sheng withdrew his gaze, shaking his head slightly. Just then, he raised his eyebrow and turned toward a stealthy figure entering the courtyard—a spirited young woman.
Their eyes met, and Shangguan Qing Qing froze briefly, staring back at him in silence.
“Um… I’m not here to fight you,” Shangguan Qing Qing quickly clarified, raising her hands defensively. Her usually brave and lively face now showed cautious respect. She tilted her head, indicating a ruined section of the courtyard. “I remember there’s another young lady here who was chasing after the Flower Plucking Thief, like me. Actually, I came back to rescue her.”
Li Mu Sheng glanced toward the ruins and waved casually, giving her permission. He had noticed Guan Shan Xue earlier but saw she had simply fainted after being hit by debris, so he hadn’t bothered further.
Seeing his gesture, Shangguan Qing Qing let out a sigh of relief. She secretly glanced at Li Mu Sheng again before swiftly entering the ruins and digging out Guan Shan Xue, who was covered in dust and dirt.
After a quick check, finding Guan Shan Xue mostly unharmed, Shangguan Qing Qing circulated her Qi into her companion’s body, waking her slowly.
Guan Shan Xue awoke, rubbing her forehead, her head dizzy. The colors around her swam like rainbows, everything blurred with double images. She glanced around, confused, until her eyes settled upon Li Mu Sheng—and in an instant, she froze, captivated by a strange charm radiating from him.
As her vision cleared, Guan Shan Xue’s heart began to race uncontrollably. Joy surged within her, an inexplicable warmth drawing her irresistibly toward Li Mu Sheng. She yearned to stay close to him, to embrace him tightly.
Indeed, she did exactly that.
With a love-struck expression, Guan Shan Xue jumped up and rushed toward Li Mu Sheng, arms wide open. But Li Mu Sheng calmly pressed a single hand against her forehead, halting her immediately.
“Huh? I know I’m somewhat handsome, but she never showed such enthusiasm before. Why is she suddenly throwing herself at me like this?” Li Mu Sheng muttered, lightly touching his own cheek. He stared at Guan Shan Xue, whose face, streaked with dust, now resembled a messy kitten. “I couldn’t even accept it like this.”
Standing nearby, Shangguan Qing Qing’s eyes flickered thoughtfully. Watching Guan Shan Xue frantically struggling to reach Li Mu Sheng, she suddenly recalled something important and quickly said, “Ah! Now I remember! Earlier, I heard that the thief’s mother fed her something called Thousand Infatuations Powder. Apparently, anyone who takes it will fall hopelessly in love with the first man they see.”
She looked at Li Mu Sheng earnestly, adding, “That’s probably why she’s behaving this way.”
Hearing this, Li Mu Sheng raised an eyebrow curiously. “There’s actually such a miraculous powder?”
Before he had transmigrated, while browsing the internet, he’d often encountered suspicious advertisements promoting supposed love potions—obviously scams meant to deceive foolish men. Such things were impossible in reality, or so he’d thought. Yet here, in this martial dao-filled world, they really existed.
Considering this, Li Mu Sheng flicked the finger resting on Guan Shan Xue’s forehead.
Instantly, Guan Shan Xue’s inner Qi boiled like water, her fair neck flushing red, her face turning crimson. Moments later, she bent forward, violently coughing up a mouthful of black liquid filled with dense Qi. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted again.
“The poison is expelled now. She’ll be fine. You handle her,” Li Mu Sheng said, pushing Guan Shan Xue gently toward Shangguan Qing Qing.
Catching her companion, Shangguan Qing Qing’s eyes sparkled with admiration toward Li Mu Sheng. After setting Guan Shan Xue down gently, she straightened herself, clasped her hands respectfully, and said formally, “I am Shangguan Qing Qing, from Qing Province, a disciple of the Heavenly River Blade Sect. Your Excellency possesses a noble spirit and extraordinary martial arts skills. Qing Qing sincerely admires you. May I have the honor of knowing your name and forming a friendship?”
Li Mu Sheng glanced at Shangguan Qing Qing. The young woman before him was courageous, beautiful, and quite skilled at flattering him.
“Li Mu Sheng,” he replied simply, cupping his fists in the traditional martial greeting.
Hearing this, Shangguan Qing Qing’s face brightened. She believed Li Mu Sheng to be a friendly young martial artist. However, his next words caught her completely off guard.
“Young Lady Qing Qing, you may also address me as Eighth Your Highness. Besides that, I have a martial world’s nickname—Little Li Flying Dagger.”
He paused briefly, then calmly added, “Of course, if you prefer to call me the Number One Martial Artist Under Heaven, that would also be acceptable.”
Li Mu Sheng’s voice remained utterly serene.