“They call you the Scrap King?” Su Chang He looked at Ge Xiu’s magnificent mansion with its wide gates and spacious courtyards. “Doesn’t seem fitting at all.”

“I am the Scrap King, but this is Changsheng Gate,” Ge Xiu smiled craftily. “Wealth is the path to longevity.”

Su Muyu nodded: “On this point, you two might find some common ground.”

“Close the main gates! No one enters or leaves – violators will be killed without mercy!” Ge Xiu commanded loudly.

“Yes!” The Changsheng Gate disciples responded in unison.

“Wait.” Su Muyu shook his head. “Two more people haven’t arrived yet.”

“Who?” Ge Xiu asked, puzzled.

“Us, of course.” A golden ring flew through the air, followed by a slightly accented official speech.

Su Muyu raised his hand slightly, catching the ring: “Uncle Zhe.”

“Young Master Zhuo.” Su Zhe walked in slowly, holding his pipe. “Your reputation has grown quite impressive lately.”

“I thought I was the only one who came to watch the show.” Su Chang He stroked his mustache.

“What show is there to watch when lives are at stake?” Bai Hehuai hurried in. “Fortunately, my eyelid kept twitching before we left, so I made extra preparations.”

Su Muyu asked, confused: “Why does Divine Physician Bai look so anxious?”

“It’s just a few minor ghosts,” Su Chang He said, also puzzled. “What haven’t we seen before? This mere internal strife in Wushuang City…”

“Even the Great Leader of Dark River can be so careless? Take a light sniff and see what’s wrong.” Bai Hehuai bent down, opening her medicine chest.

Su Chang He and Su Muyu both sniffed the air and exchanged glances and Su Chang He spoke: “There’s a faint floral scent.”

“What flowers bloom in Sihuai City this season?” Su Muyu asked Ge Xiu.

Ge Xiu shook his head: “Our Sihuai City isn’t Xueyue City – we don’t have such romantic notions. Flowers? We have the scent of wine and meat every night.”

“It’s poison,” Su Muyu and Su Chang He realized simultaneously.

“Indeed it’s poison, though it’s not obvious yet. When the floral scent becomes overwhelming, as if you’re standing in a field of flowers – that will be the auspicious moment for you all to journey to the yellow springs together.” Bai Hehuai opened the bottom layer of her medicine chest, and a toad jumped out. Its back was multicolored as if wearing a brilliant flowered coat.

Ge Xiu, watching from afar, jumped in fright: “This… this is the deadly Flower-Robed Toad!”

Following the toad, out crawled a three-tailed scorpion, a long black centipede, a blood-red spider, and a green snake.

“The Five Poisons?” Su Chang He said quietly.

“These are the supreme Five Poisons that only the direct disciples of the Wen family can raise. They say they’re even more potent than the Five Poison Sect’s versions.” Su Zhe spoke softly. “I’ve seen Wen Hujiu’s Five Poisons – his centipede had two heads.”

“Go.” Bai Hehuai waved her hand, and the Five Poisons scattered.

“Ah!” Ge Xiu and the other Changsheng Gate members trembled in fear.

Xu An nervously swallowed: “Any one of these poisonous creatures – just a single touch means certain death.”

“That’s why, without my command, none of you should walk freely in this courtyard.” Bai Hehuai took out five flags from her medical bag and threw them in five different directions across the courtyard. The five poisonous creatures obediently settled beneath the flags.

“Is this a formation?” Su Muyu asked.

“The Five Poisons Formation. It was originally used to trap people – the Five Poisons would corner them, then release poisonous mist, leaving those within nowhere to escape.” Bai Hehuai replied. “This is a secret technique of my Wen family.”

Ge Xiu exclaimed in shock: “Su Sir, aren’t… aren’t these our allies?”

“I just said that was its common use,” Bai Hehuai glared at him. “The Five Poisons Formation I’m using now is combined with my Unending Ground Formation. Once activated, the city’s poison cannot enter the courtyard.”

Su Muyu spoke gravely: “Divine Physician means someone has poisoned the entire city.”

“Only three people in the world could execute such poison techniques.” Bai Hehuai caught her breath after completing the arrangements.

“The first I can think of is the Wen family head, Wen Hujiu,” Su Chang He suddenly said.

“Uncle’s poison techniques are unmatched in the world. Looking three generations back or forward, there won’t be another poison master of his genius.” Bai Hehuai nodded. “But Uncle is allied with Xueyue City and would never involve himself in Wushuang City’s affairs. Besides, this poisoning took years of preparation, and my uncle is… quite lazy…”

“The second person should be from the Tang Clan,” Su Muyu thought for a moment.

“Yes, Tang Linghuang, the Tang Clan’s greatest poison master.” Bai Hehuai said. “But the Tang Clan is also allied with Xueyue City. Moreover, Tang Linghuang only likes using lethal poisons. He once said any poison that couldn’t kill immediately wasn’t worthy of being called poison. His obsession with this is almost pathological.”

“Then who is the third person?” Su Chang He asked.

“The Five Poison Sect’s leader, Poison Mistress Luo Yandie.” Bai Hehuai sniffed lightly. “Only she would favor such fragrant deadly poison. She enjoys watching people die unknowingly in such a sweet, warm environment.”

“Do all poison users have such twisted preferences?” Su Zhe took a puff from his pipe.

“As if you don’t know about being twisted,” Su Chang He grinned mischievously.

“Which faction in Wushuang City is the Five Poison Sect aligned with?” Su Muyu asked Ge Xiu.

Ge Xiu frowned slightly, stroking his chin in thought: “Five Poison Sect… The name isn’t unfamiliar, but neither the Martial Hall faction nor the City Lord’s faction seems to ally with such unorthodox sects.”

“None,” a scholarly-looking man in long robes shook his head. “Wushuang City claims to be the world’s premier martial arts city. They revere martial arts and reject lesser paths. That’s why neither the Lei Fortress with their firearms, nor the Tang Clan with their hidden weapons, nor the Wen family with their poisons have ever been recruited by them, no matter how powerful. The same goes for the Five Poison Sect.”

“Unless someone abandoned their principles for this victory,” Su Muyu said quietly.

“The Five Poison Sect is aligned with…” Su Chang He suddenly spoke, “Tianqi City.”

“Tianqi City?” Everyone was shocked.

Su Chang He fingered his dagger: “The Five Poison Sect was remote and had no connection to Tianqi City originally. But years ago, when Tianqi City’s envoy was traveling to the Ancient Kingdom of Xiangxi, they accidentally entered Five Poison Sect territory. By all rights, they should have died, but they survived and returned to Tianqi City.”

“How do you know all this?” Ge Xiu asked.

“Because I,” Su Chang He smiled slightly, “grew up there.”