Chapter 96: Chapter 96: You Haven’t Mastered It Yet
The Imperial Capital, where all the currents of the Empire converged.
Today, a piece of news spread throughout the entire Imperial Capital, sending the nation into an uproar!
Muui Yunlie, the Commander of the Red Flame Army, had been struck by a deadly poison and did not have long to live. A pillar of the Empire was about to fall. The news was utterly staggering.
Now, the entire Imperial Capital was abuzz with talk of the matter.
"Hey, have you heard? Grand Marshal Muu was hit with some strange poison and probably doesn’t have long. It looks like the military is about to see a major shake-up."
"Nonsense. Marshal Muu is exceptionally brave and has risked his life for the Empire countless times. How could he have been poisoned? Someone must be spreading rumors."
"Pfft. So what, Marshal Muu can’t get poisoned?"
"Countless people in the Empire’s military are indebted to Marshal Muu; he personally promoted them. If he falls, the repercussions will be immense. I fear even the foundations of the Empire itself will be shaken."
"No way. Is it really that serious?"
"Obviously. Marshal Muu is the commander of the entire Red Flame Army. His status is incomparable. Even the princes don’t have as much authority as he does; they have to be perfectly respectful when they see him."
"I heard that first thing this morning, the Left Minister led a large group to petition the throne, demanding Marshal Muu be stripped of his duties. Tsk, tsk."
"And that’s not all. Several newly promoted generals, like General Zhang Shengg and General Li Ruirong, also joined the petition. His Majesty must be at his wits’ end over this."
Inside the restaurant, Qin Ya sat at a table by the window, drinking and listening to the crowd’s chatter. He was silent, lost in thought. Just then, a young man approached.
The man wore a smile, his eyes long and narrow. Qin Ya shot him a look, a flicker of coldness in his gaze. "This is getting tiresome," he said coolly. "I’m in a bad mood. All of you, scram."
The young man’s expression froze for a moment before he recovered. "What do you mean by that, sir? I simply felt we might get along and came over to offer you a drink. Why must you be so sharp-tongued?"
Qin Ya laughed coldly. "If, while you were talking, you hadn’t flicked the poison hidden under your nail into my cup, I might have entertained your nonsense. But it’s too late for that."
The young man was no more than a meter from Qin Ya. As he had spoken, Qin Ya had noticed the slight twitch of his finger as a fine powder dropped into the wine cup. The technique was masterful and nearly impossible to defend against.
Against anyone else, he might have succeeded. But he had encountered the preternaturally perceptive Qin Ya, and so he was doomed to fail.
"What?!"
The young man’s face went white with shock. He had practiced this remote poisoning technique for nearly a decade and had almost never failed. To think that Qin Ya would see through it the moment they met... How could he not be stunned?
’Retreat! I have to get out of here!’
"Trying to leave now? Do you think you can?"
As the young man shot backward, Qin Ya struck without hesitation. He formed a claw with his right hand, his palm infused with a surge of Cold Flame True Essence, and lunged for the poisoner’s shoulder. His speed was like a bolt of thunder.
Though the young man’s Cultivation was not weak, he was still too slow to dodge. The moment his shoulder was caught, he let out a wretched scream. Plumes of white smoke rose from the point of contact, as if his flesh were being roasted.
’Black Market Killers... such a pain.’
Just as Qin Ya was about to finish the young man off, the latter’s eyes turned bloodshot. He stared viciously at Qin Ya, opened his mouth, and spat a cloud of Poisonous Fog directly into his face.
The young man roared with laughter. "HAHA! That’s my own special creation, Dissolving Powder! Anyone poisoned by it will lose all their True Essence within fifteen minutes and suffer the agony of their organs being roasted from the inside out."
"Haha, the One Hundred Thousand Gold Coins are mine!"
Just as the young man was reveling in his triumph, an impossibly cold voice reached him, choking off his laughter as if a hand had clamped around his throat. Qin Ya spoke with chilling indifference. "So, my life is only worth a mere One Hundred Thousand Gold Coins. It seems your information was incomplete."
Qin Ya’s expression was impassive. He showed no sign of being poisoned.
"How is that possible?" the young man said in disbelief. "My poison—the poison of the Poison Young Master—would cripple even a peak Earth Element Realm Martial Artist! You’re just a Spiritual Element Realm Martial Artist! Why are you fine?! Why?!"
"As if such a pathetic poison could do anything to me," Qin Ya said coolly. He possessed the Purple Lotus Celestial Flame, the natural bane of all insidious toxins. The moment the poison entered his body, it was instantly and completely refined.
Shaking off his shock, the Poison Young Master roared, "Brother Fei, Bao Xiong, what are you waiting for? Attack now!"
At his words, two figures burst from the crowd and charged toward Qin Ya. The other diners, having sensed trouble the moment the Poison Young Master appeared, had already fled.
"Hmph!" Qin Ya snorted. He grabbed the Poison Young Master and hurled him toward one of the figures, then simultaneously struck the other with his palm. The two palms met, and a shockwave of energy erupted, sending surrounding tables and chairs flying. One of the figures was also thrown backward.
Bao Xiong grunted, stumbling back. He stared at his now-charred palm, his face a mask of horror. "Such terrifyingly domineering Palm Qi!" he exclaimed. "Is this motherfucker really in the Spiritual Element Realm?"
Brother Fei caught the Poison Young Master. Seeing Bao Xiong beaten back, he produced a pair of daggers and charged at Qin Ya. The twin blades sliced through the air, blooming like deadly, beautiful flowers.
A chaotic flurry of flashing blades instantly enveloped Qin Ya.
Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed. He executed Chasing Wind and Shadow, his body becoming like a wisp of wind weaving through the storm of blades. The dense barrage couldn’t even touch the corner of his robes. Then, he struck out with his palm, unleashing a blast of absolute cold.
Brother Fei’s eyes focused, and he crossed his daggers to block. Even so, the intense cold invaded his body, causing his True Essence circulation to become sluggish. He quickly swallowed an Elixir to return to normal, his eyes filled with dread as he stared at Qin Ya.
’Damn it, is he really a fucking Spiritual Element Realm Martial Artist?!’
"Bao Xiong, this mark is too tough! Let’s attack together!"
"Right!" Bao Xiong nodded grimly.
Three Earth Element Realm experts—and assassins at that—ganging up on a single Spiritual Element Realm youth. If word of this got out, few would believe it.
Even Brother Fei, Poison Young Master, and Bao Xiong had never imagined they would have to team up against Qin Ya. In the past, any one of them could have easily eliminated a target at the Spiritual Element Realm.
"Teaming up? Then show me what you’ve got."
Qin Ya gave a cool smile. With a flash of light, the Ghost Cloud Pan Dragon Spear appeared in his hand. He took the initiative, thrusting the spear—wreathed in purple flame—toward Bao Xiong. Bao Xiong’s pupils contracted as the chilling specter of death enveloped him. He roared, "Vajra Dominating Body!"
A faint golden light enveloped Bao Xiong, giving his skin a metallic sheen. When the spear struck him, it sent dazzling sparks flying. Qin Ya’s eyes narrowed. ’A Protective Martial Skill!’
Seeing this, Qin Ya channeled more True Essence. The Purple Flame on the spear tip flared violently. BOOM! Bao Xiong was sent flying, the golden light around him slowly dissipating. On his chest was a fist-sized, charred hole where the spear had struck.
"A pity. You haven’t mastered it yet!"
