https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-265-Ximen-Chuixue-Are-You-Taking-Advantage-of-Someone-in-Distress-/12536439/
Chapter 266: Assassination and Poison, the True Way to Unravel the Ancient Dragon World
Chapter 266: Assassination and Poison, the True Way to Unravel the Ancient Dragon World
Su Shaoying shrugged. He knew that He Xiu was a true friend, not only to Du Gu Yihe but also to Lu Xiaofeng.
Unfortunately, like He Tianqing, he had underestimated Su Shaoying.
With Lu Xiaofeng absent, He Tianqing thought he could kill Su Shaoying, weaken Du Gu Yihe, and then have a tired and angry Du Gu Yihe stumble upon Ximen Chuixue.
Neither of these two was accustomed to talking their way out of situations; thus, they would surely fight to the death, and Du Gu Yihe would undoubtedly face a deadly outcome.
This was He Tianqing's belief, and He Xiu's absence from the mourning hall seemed to indicate that he thought so too.
However, they had not anticipated that Su Shaoying would not only survive but also feign weakness on Du Gu Yihe's behalf, causing Ximen Chuixue, who never took advantage of others, to relent and retreat.
If Du Gu Yihe and Lu Xiaofeng were to meet the following day...
Just as Du Gu Yihe and Su Shaoying exited the Pearl and Gem Cabinet and turned onto the path leading to Tianquan Temple, a sudden string of sounds emerged from the darkness.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Several crossbow arrows, as well as hidden weapons like darts, knives, and grasshopper stones, suddenly flew out from the trees lining the road. Like a shower of flowers, they rained down on Du Gu Yihe and Su Shaoying.
Simultaneously, Su Shaoying and Du Gu Yihe drew their swords, creating two sword circles. As the sword lights waved, all the hidden weapons were unable to get close to them and fell to the ground.
Du Gu Yihe's expression turned stern as he said, "There are at least two hidden weapon experts among them."
Those whom Du Gu Yihe acknowledged as hidden weapon experts were certainly not ordinary people. However, Du Gu Yihe was no ordinary person himself. He was a peak expert whom Lu Xiaofeng would place on par with the Great Sorrowful Monk of Shaolin and the Wood Daoist of Wudang.
If it weren't for He Tianqing's certainty that Du Gu Yihe wouldn't kill him immediately and his use of a powerful technique to lure and pressure him with internal energy, he would never have dared to confront Du Gu Yihe directly.
Even with only half of his internal energy remaining, Du Gu Yihe was not someone who could be easily assassinated by a handful of hidden weapons.
After the rain of hidden weapons, the rustling sounds in the trees gradually faded away. Du Gu Yihe's eyes narrowed, and he forcibly suppressed his anger, choosing not to give chase.
"Not bad," Su Shaoying nodded, sheathing his sword. "It's finally starting to feel like the Ancient Dragon world."
"What did you say?" Du Gu Yihe turned to ask.
"I said that the mastermind behind this has quite a few capable people at their disposal," Su Shaoying replied.
Du Gu Yihe nodded, "That's to be expected since He Tianqing is the leader of the Green Clothes Tower. He has no shortage of resources."
Su Shaoying was speechless, "He Tianqing is the leader of the Green Clothes Tower?"
"If it wasn't the Green Clothes Tower, where would all these experts come from?" Du Gu Yihe said in a low voice, "Moreover, after discovering that the Green Clothes Tower was behind the fake Golden Phoenix King incident, I've been investigating them."
"And?" Su Shaoying asked.
"And I found out that the headquarters of the Green Clothes Tower is right here in Shanxi!" Du Gu Yihe said.
Su Shaoying, "..."
"Here in Shanxi?" Su Shaoying blinked, "That's quite a large area."
Du Gu Yihe shook his head, "The scope isn't that big. Given that it's in Shanxi, there aren't many people who have the qualifications to be the leader of the Green Clothes Tower."
"The most suspicious one is..."
"He Tianqing!"
Hearing Du Gu Yihe's words, Su Shaoying had to admit that He Xiu had hidden his intentions well. By making himself the target of the fake Golden Phoenix King, he had cleared himself of any suspicion.
Their journey back to Tianquan Temple was surprisingly smooth, with no more assassins lying in wait, perhaps having given up.
...
The night remained deep, and only a few lamps flickered in the chilly spring breeze at Tianquan Temple. The soft breathing of the Taoist priests could be heard, indicating they had already fallen asleep.
Not wanting to disturb them, Du Gu Yihe and Su Shaoying climbed over the wall and into the compound.
When they returned to their room, it was pitch-dark, and everything was just as they had left it. The teapot on the table still held the unfinished tea from that afternoon, and even the cup beside it was only half-empty.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Du Gu Yihe reached not for the cup but for the teapot, bringing it directly to his mouth.
Before he could pour, Su Shaoying grabbed the teapot from his hand.
"What are you doing?" Du Gu Yihe asked.
"I'm afraid it's poisoned," Su Shaoying replied.
"How is that possible?" Du Gu Yihe stared at him, glancing from the cup to the teapot and furrowing his brows. "The teapot hasn't been moved."
Su Shaoying glanced at the cup, then opened the lid and sniffed before chuckling. He poured the rest of the tea out the window, accidentally dousing a passing wild cat.
"Meow!"
The startled cat's fur stood on end, and it leaped onto the opposite roof, shooting Su Shaoying a couple of angry meows before beginning to lick its now-damp fur.
"Meow!"
But after only a few licks, the cat let out a pitiful cry and went stiff before falling off the roof with a loud 'thump,' landing on the ground motionless.
Su Shaoying stuck out his tongue at the poisoned cat, and Du Gu Yihe felt a chill run up his spine.
He had just faced off against He Tianqing at the mourning hall, been provoked by Ximen Chuixue, and escaped unscathed from a barrage of hidden weapons. Now, upon returning to their temporary residence, he was both thirsty and exhausted.
The assassin must have known he would want to drink the tea and had poisoned it.
Du Gu Yihe looked at Su Shaoying, his eyes reflecting his disbelief. "You guessed this would happen?"
Su Shaoying spread his hands. "Your stay at Tianquan Temple isn't a secret. After all that just happened at the Pearl and Gem Cabinet, anyone would be thirsty. It's only natural to want a drink when we got back. It's not that obvious?"
Du Gu Yihe was speechless. Was it really that obvious?
Sending away the Four Beauties, staying by his side, defeating four experts, talking Ximen Chuixue down, and seeing through the poisoned teapot—every step of the way, Su Shaoying had done things he couldn't previously do. Du Gu Yihe felt like he was looking at a completely different person.
However, amidst his relief, Du Gu Yihe couldn't hide his fatigue. Looking at the calm Su Shaoying, he asked, "So, what do you think their next move will be?"
"I have no idea since they're hiding in the shadows while I'm out in the open," Su Shaoying replied with a shake of his head. "But if you're thirsty, I think the well water here is pretty good. It's nice and cool, perfect for quenching your thirst."
Du Gu Yihe stared at Su Shaoying for a long moment before finally sighing. "Then let's drink the well water."
(End of Chapter)
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