Night fell.

The moon was bright, stars sparse.

A middle-aged man carrying a medicine box walked through a somewhat desolate forest. He had three wisps of beard and refined features, giving him the appearance of an immortal sage. This was Medicine King Xin Baicao. As he walked, he suddenly stopped.

A thick fog spread between the trees, obscuring both the path ahead and behind him.

Xin Baicao frowned slightly, his hand trembling faintly as he dropped an incense stick to the ground.

The thick fog halted three zhang away from Xin Baicao, no longer advancing.

“Senior Brother is still Senior Brother, still so perceptive. I planned for so long, waiting here to poison you, yet you still detected it.” A somewhat hoarse voice came from within the fog.

Xin Baicao raised his head. “Night Crow, you’ve finally shown yourself.”

“Hahaha, Senior Brother, after so many years, you’ve remembered your junior brother. You’ve chased me for so long—what do you want?” Night Crow asked with a sinister laugh.

“Years ago, you stole the Medicine Human Technique from me. When I caught you, you promised to stop researching it, but you broke your word. Junior Uncle said you not only continued studying the Medicine Human Technique but even started experimenting on living people. This is the greatest taboo of Medicine King Valley. As the current generation’s Medicine King, I naturally must clean house!” Xin Baicao said sternly.

“Using living people to create medicine humans—you mean like this?” Night Crow’s voice maintained its cold laugh.

In the thick fog, three shadowy figures gradually appeared. They moved stiffly but with incredible speed, charging wildly toward Xin Baicao.

“You wish to fight me?” Xin Baicao lowered his stance slightly.

“It’s Senior Brother who won’t let me be,” Night Crow replied.

The three medicine humans broke through the fog. They were massive in stature, wielding huge iron chains. Upon seeing Xin Baicao, they immediately whipped their chains at him. Xin Baicao leaped back three steps, then quickly took out a medicine bottle and swallowed a pill.

As soon as he took the pill, Xin Baicao’s aura suddenly surged. Another chain whipped toward him; he grabbed it and yanked forcefully, causing the medicine human at the other end to stumble back three steps.

In the fog, Night Crow sat on a tree branch watching the scene from afar, narrowing his eyes slightly. A black-clothed person landed beside him.

“So Medicine King Xin Baicao’s martial arts are this powerful? I’ve never heard anyone in the jianghu mention it,” the black-clothed person said deeply.

Night Crow shook his head. “Senior Brother’s martial arts aren’t particularly high, but he’s refined many Supreme Pills. It’s said that taking one pill can make one supreme. Though it’s not that exaggerated, it can indeed enhance one’s martial power for a short time.”

“I see. So this bottle of pills…” The black-clothed person smiled quietly. “Seems quite good.”

Night Crow nodded. “Indeed they are. However, this is Senior Brother’s secret method. No one else in Medicine King Valley knows it except him. He even only makes one bottle of pills at a time, not one more or less, to prevent others from coveting them.”

“Night Crow!” An angry shout came from behind them.

Night Crow whirled around to see Xin Baicao’s figure appear there, throwing a punch. Night Crow leaped backward as the entire branch was shattered by Xin Baicao’s strike. Night Crow and the black-clothed person landed together, and Night Crow looked up. “It seems Senior Brother’s martial arts have improved over these years.”

Xin Baicao’s pupils had turned fiery red, his muscles bulging. “Night Crow, you’re colluding with outsiders?”

Night Crow smiled. “I was already expelled from Medicine King Valley—I’m an outsider myself.”

The black-clothed person frowned slightly. “Your medicine humans can only do this much?”

“Why rush?” Night Crow whistled.

The three medicine humans quickly followed up, their chains whipping out at Xin Baicao. He swiftly wielded his silver needles, shooting three that pierced directly through one medicine human’s heart. That medicine human took several steps forward before collapsing.

“Night Crow, don’t forget. The Medicine Human Technique was first passed to me. My understanding of them is no less than yours,” Xin Baicao snorted coldly.

Night Crow’s expression finally changed slightly. “I thought you had never looked at that book.”

“This bottle of Supreme Pills was developed based on that book. Though the Medicine Human Technique is an evil art, it manifests differently in different hands,” Xin Baicao replied.

The black-clothed person sighed softly. “It seems in this Medicine King Valley confrontation, you, the senior brother, have won.”

Night Crow maintained his ambiguous smile. “I’ve always been inferior to my senior brother. I’ve never denied this.”

“Let me handle it.” The black-clothed person leaped to Xin Baicao’s side, striking out with a palm. Xin Baicao blocked it but was sent flying, retreating over ten steps even after landing.

“Five Poison Palm!” Xin Baicao noticed a black line gradually appearing on his hand, then slightly tilted his head to avoid the chains from two medicine humans behind him.

“Medicine King is truly knowledgeable,” the black-clothed person quickly pursued, striking out another palm.

Xin Baicao swallowed another pill and met the palm strike. “The Five Poison Palm may be fearsome, but I am the Medicine King. Don’t underestimate me! Among all the poisons in the world, even if Wen Hujiu stood before me, he wouldn’t be confident in poisoning me!”

“Then try this technique.” The black-clothed person struck out, their entire body suddenly becoming incredibly flexible. Their movements became mysterious, each palm strike hugging close to Xin Baicao’s body, sealing off all escape routes.

“Luo Entangling Hand!” Xin Baicao exclaimed in shock. “You’re from the Tang Clan.”

“Realizing it now might be too late.” The black-clothed person struck Xin Baicao’s shoulder, forcing him back three steps, then took out a treasure box and aimed it at him.

“Don’t kill him,” Night Crow said deeply.

The black-clothed person stopped. “Why?”

“He’s useful alive,” Night Crow replied.

Xin Baicao tried to take out his pill bottle again, but it was too late. The two medicine humans’ chains struck heavily against his back, knocking him to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood and could no longer stand. Night Crow walked to Xin Baicao’s side and bent down. “Ah, Senior Brother, you never thought you’d fall into my hands one day, did you?”

The black-clothed person asked deeply, “You won’t kill him—what do you plan to do?”

“First take him back to Tang Clan,” Night Crow replied.

“Tang Clan? Are you mad?” The black-clothed person frowned.

“Don’t worry. Xin Baicao’s value is far greater than you imagine. The Medicine Human Technique I obtained is incomplete. The true complete version, as Xin Baicao said, is only mastered by him.” Night Crow looked up at the moon in the sky.

“This gets more and more interesting.”