Chapter 28: No Way, Your Imagination Is Seriously Toxic

Qin Zhan’s expression was as righteous as could be.

This was no excuse. According to the initiation rites of the Bun Cult, any under-the-table dealings were strictly forbidden; if discovered, one would be expelled from the sect immediately. As for the "Elder" title his master mentioned, that was even more impossible. He had joined the sect before his master; if anyone were to be an Elder, it should be him first! He absolutely did not have any intention of committing the sacrilege of usurping his mentor.

"Then, do outer sect disciples have a chance to eat this pork knuckle?"

Seeing that Qin Zhan did not appear to be lying, the rejected Daoist Tianfeng pondered for a moment before taking a significant step back. It was fine; he could just enter under a different identity. When wandering the pugilistic world, how could one not keep a few spare aliases ready for killing, setting fires, and robbing homes?

"Yes!"

Just like that, the Bun Cult gained three new outer sect disciples: Daoist Tianfeng and the married couple from the Lou family, who also insisted on joining. Lou Xiaotian’s experiences resonated deeply with Qin Zhan; upon meeting, they felt an instant kinship and became sworn brothers of different parents. They shared a common, painful lesson: these old fogies were simply inhuman!

While the two families played a game of mental gymnastics over half a pork knuckle, Old Man Li was blissfully enjoying four large knuckles all by himself at home. As for Lu Wu, she checked the time and set off toward the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons.

The road was easy to travel, and the location was simple to find. The entrance to the valley looked like a narrow crack in the sky, with high cliffs stretching toward the heavens, leaving only a three-meter-wide gap for passage. There were no fragrant flowers or falling petals like in the Peach Blossom Spring, nor was there a sudden sense of openness after walking a few dozen steps; as one ventured deeper, the environment only grew more ominous. Unlike the lush greens of a normal forest, the flora and fauna surrounding the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons were stained with a iridescent, garish black. These flamboyant plants were enough to make anyone steer clear. They were all poisonous.

Someone had once tested it, and even the soil in the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons contained enough toxins to kill a person with ease. Fortunately, the toxins in the soil required ingestion to take effect, and one would assume no fool would come here to eat dirt. The stall location designated by the system was in a safe zone on the periphery, where the poisonous plants had been cleared to allow travelers a place to rest. Consequently, there were quite a few people present.

When Lu Wu appeared, they gave her a glance with slightly guarded expressions, but made no further moves. In the wilderness, murder and robbery were all too common. Especially with strangers, one had to keep their guard up at all times. Yet, Lu Wu looked so harmless; even without the concealment of her Wish-Granting Hairpin, a mere third-level Qi Refining novice posed no threat to these people.

Lu Wu looked around and didn't see anyone she knew. She pulled her snack stall out of her storage bag. She had made some improvements to it, installing a large pot onto the stove to keep the pork knuckles warm. The moment the stall was set up, it was met with many looks of disbelief. No one who entered the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons was a pushover; most were people who licked blood off the edge of a blade and were not easy to get along with.

It wasn't that no one had set up a stall here before, but human nature was complex. Once a vendor made a profit, they would inevitably encounter "accidents" that caused them to lose their wealth. The prevailing attitude was: if I’m not doing well, no one is. Over time, people gave up on the idea of setting up shop here. Of course, the occasional skeptic would try, only to disappear within a few days. For now, the crowd watched Lu Wu’s actions as mere entertainment.

Facing these strange gazes, Lu Wu was now able to remain calm. She hung up her menu.

"‘Love Even to Death’ Pork Knuckle, ten low-grade spirit stones each."

The tacky yet eye-catching name immediately drew even more attention, and Lu Wu heard many sneers. Meeting their gazes, she took out the pre-stewed knuckles and placed them in the pot to warm. This wasn’t a power fantasy novel, but Lu Wu was confident that a "slap-in-the-face" moment was coming her way.

The still-steaming knuckles displayed their charm to the fullest. The rich, soul-stirring aroma was carried by the wind on the outskirts of the valley, making it easy for everyone to smell. Despite being an intangible scent, those nearby felt a trance-like vision of a peerless beauty dancing before them. Her smooth skin and delectable face tempted them to let their imaginations run wild. Even though the beauty's skin was a rare honey-glazed color, it only made them want to sink deeper into the illusion. Their mouths watered, and their hearts began to flutter.

"Slap!"

"An illusion! This is an illusion!"

A middle-aged man struggled out of the haze and, in a state of sheer terror, slapped himself hard. It was clear he hadn't held back; his cheek was visibly swollen. The pain kept him clear-headed. The honey-glazed beauty in his mind had indeed vanished, but the fragrance in the air lingered, telling them it was real.

"Impossible!"

"I must have been poisoned!"

The man shouted, refusing to believe that a mere pork knuckle could lure him in. He pulled a detox pill from his storage bag and swallowed it.

Feeling the medicine take effect, the man’s tense body relaxed. Yet, the very next moment, his sense of smell was once again invaded by the aroma of meat. The scent was pervasive, even dragging the honey-glazed beauty back into his mind.

"Could this be some rare toxin..."

The man couldn't catch his breath; his face turned blue and purple, his eyes filled with shock. Seeing that the detox pill had failed, he slumped to the ground, his eyes dim as if waiting for death. Everything had happened too quickly. The man seemed convinced he was poisoned, and beyond saving at that. He looked at Lu Wu with eyes full of hatred, yet he was too wary of something to approach.

The desperate, deathly look on his face left Lu Wu stunned.

!!!

Brother, seriously? Is it really that dramatic?

She had heard that the cultivators here were cautious, but surely they didn't need to overthink things to this extent at the slightest disturbance? One pork knuckle had caused him to hallucinate that he was poisoned, and watching him crawl to a cool, shaded spot to lie down and wait for death made Lu Wu’s heart run cold.

Because the others saw the man’s reaction, even those attracted by the scent lost all interest in buying. Instead, they became increasingly wary of Lu Wu’s presence. Her pork knuckles, it seemed, weren't going to sell.

Lu Wu felt completely lost. She suddenly missed the enthusiastic customers who used to surround her back on Yanliu Street. *Sob, sob, dear customers, where are you?!*

There was no outbreak of fighting. To them, anyone who could spread a lethal poison without a trace was not someone to be trifled with unless one had absolute certainty of victory.

"My pork knuckles aren't poisonous," Lu Wu explained weakly, but no one believed her.

"My stomach..."

In the shade, the man clutched his rumbling stomach, assuming it was the poison taking effect, and his face grew even paler. He curled his body up, turning his back to the crowd. His desolate silhouette served as a warning to everyone present.

*The wind blows, the water is cold; the brave man goes and never returns.*

Brother, rest in peace!