PDLP Chapter 106 Chronic Poison
Chapter 106 Chronic Poison
Chapter 106 Chronic Poison
The Rat Alley in the western part of the City That Never Sleeps is like a festering sore in this glamorous city, exuding an aura of decay and despair year-round. For the lowly cultivators living here, the first question they face every day when they open their eyes is not how to attain immortality, but how to survive the night.
Seven days have passed since Gu An settled down in that dilapidated stone room.
For the past seven days, Gu An has been like a tireless worker ant, working day and night, setting up a stall, dismantling, and refining poisons in the eerie ghost market. With his miraculous dissection skills and profound research into toxicology, he has made a name for himself in that shady circle, and is privately known as "Ghost Hand Taoist" by those rogue cultivators.
However, the speed at which one earns spirit stones is far slower than the speed at which one burns them.
Inside the stone chamber, the air was cold and damp. A dim yellow fluorite lamp in the corner flickered on and off, illuminating Gu An's half-festering face, making him look like a vengeful ghost.
At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, shirtless, with bulging veins all over his body. Large beads of sweat mixed with black grime seeped from his pores and slid down his back. On his left arm, a thin golden line moved wildly under his skin like a living thing, and wherever it passed, the skin instantly turned hot and red, even emitting a "sizzling" burning sound.
That was the restless dragon energy within his body.
On the stone table in front of Gu An lay a pile of grayish-white fragments. Those were remnants of the "Tranquil Coral".
The Cold Marrow Elixir was too expensive, costing fifty mid-grade spirit stones per drop—an astronomical price that Gu An couldn't even dream of at the moment. Helpless, he could only settle for second best, gritting his teeth and spending most of his savings from the past few days in the Ghost Market to buy some inferior Tranquilizing Coral fragments, attempting to use this water-based spiritual material to soothe the unruly "dragon" within his body.
"Press it down!"
Gu An clenched his teeth and let out a low growl.
He frantically circulated the "Azure Sea Dragon Wood Technique" within his body, mobilizing the wisps of cool, aquatic energy, along with the medicinal power of the Tranquil Coral, in an attempt to contain the rampant golden thread on his left arm.
However, this is undoubtedly a drop in the ocean.
Although the dragon energy was weak, it was still of an extremely high level. It sensed Gu An's somewhat rough suppression and, as if provoked, the previously drifting golden threads suddenly erupted with an incomparably domineering heat wave.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Three crisp sounds rang out in succession.
The three acupoints on Gu An's left arm exploded instantly, and three thin jets of blood shot out, spraying onto the opposite wall and burning three small, charred holes.
"Hmm!"
Gu An groaned, as if all his strength had been drained, and fell backward, crashing heavily into the wall.
The pain was excruciating.
His left arm was completely numb, turning a strange purplish-brown color. Although the wisp of dragon energy had temporarily retreated to his dantian, this counterattack not only rendered his hard work of the past few days futile, but also caused considerable damage to his meridians.
"Damn it—"
Gu An clutched his left arm, panting heavily, his eyes filled with gloom.
too poor.
This cheap substitute is completely useless; on the contrary, it will only enrage the dragon's energy. If this continues, forget about improving cultivation; this body will probably be burned to ashes from the inside out by this power sooner or later.
In the corner, Shen Wan, who had been meditating silently, opened her eyes. Looking at Gu An's disheveled appearance, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes. She wanted to get up to help, but Gu An raised his hand to stop her.
"Don't move—your spiritual power is wood-based, getting closer now will only add fuel to the fire."
Gu An struggled to sit up straight, took out a homemade healing pill from his pocket and swallowed it, feeling the weak medicinal power dissolve in his body, which slightly relieved the burning pain.
Looking at the pile of coral debris on the table that had lost its vitality, he felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
In the world of cultivation, without money, you can hardly move an inch.
Just as Gu An was pondering whether he should go to the ghost market tonight to take on some more dangerous jobs to make up for the deficit,
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A violent banging on the door abruptly shattered the deathly silence inside the stone chamber.
The sound was so loud that it shook the dust off the door frame, clearly indicating that the visitors were up to no good.
Gu An's genitals contracted instantly, and the aura of dejection and weakness vanished in an instant.
He was like a startled venomous snake, instantly arching his body and instinctively gripping the broken sword in his sleeve with his right hand.
"Who?" Gu An's voice was hoarse and wary.
"Open the door! Open the door now! Stop playing dead!"
A harsh, hoarse voice, like a duck's hoot, rang out from outside the door: "Do you know who I am? I'm the Black Snake Gang, the kingpin of this rat alley!"
Black Snake Gang.
Gu An frowned slightly.
In the western part of this sleepless city, although there isn't the strict control of a major sect, there is still its own underground order. The Black Serpent Gang is the local tyrant, making a living by collecting protection money, lending money at exorbitant interest rates, and selling information. The gang leader is said to be a body cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining, and he keeps dozens of desperate men under his command, making him virtually all-powerful in this slum.
Gu An had heard of their name while setting up his stall these past few days, but he never expected them to come knocking on his door so soon.
"Looks like last night's deal was too flashy—"
Gu An sighed inwardly.
Last night, he landed a big job at the Ghost Market, helping a demon-hunting team deal with a peak-level first-tier venomous demon beast, earning a full twenty spirit stones. This was an absolute fortune in the slums, and the news spread like wildfire, naturally attracting these flies drawn to the smell of blood.
"Gu An—" Shen Wan looked at him with some concern.
"Lower your head and don't speak."
Gu An quickly whispered something, then took a deep breath. The sinister look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by the timidity and fear typical of ordinary people. He hunched over, dragging his leg, which seemed not to have fully recovered, and slowly moved to the door, pulling open the latch.
The wooden door creaked open.
A strong smell of cheap cosmetics and alcohol hit me.
Three burly men with menacing faces stood at the door.
The leader was a tall, thin man in a flashy robe, with a cultivation level of around the fifth level of Qi Refining. His triangular eyes were darting around the room. Behind him were two burly thugs carrying bloodstained spiked clubs, clearly having just returned from "collecting debts" elsewhere.
"Hey, isn't this 'Ghost Hand Taoist'?"
The tall, thin man glanced sideways at Gu An's half-festering face, a flicker of disgust in his eyes, before sneering, "What? Hiding in your room embroidering? Knocking on the door for ages and no one answers, do you look down on the Black Snake Gang?"
"No, no—"
Gu An quickly lowered his head, his voice trembling as he apologized, "I was healing my injuries and didn't hear you clearly—what brings you gentlemen here?"
"Stop pretending with me!"
The tall, thin man kicked the doorframe, sending stone chips flying. "I heard you made a fortune at the ghost market last night? Earned quite a few spirit stones, huh?"
"That's all—it's all hard-earned money—" Gu An said with a bitter face, his body trembling slightly with fear.
"Hard-earned money? In this rat alley, every penny that goes into your pocket belongs to our Black Snake Gang!"
The tall, thin man stretched out a hand, palm up, rubbing a few fingers together. "You know the rules, right? Newcomers have to pay their respects. Since you're a craftsman, I won't ask for much. Half of what you earned last night is protection money. From now on, I'll protect you in this Rat Alley."
half?
That's ten spirit stones!
Gu An clenched his fist, which was hidden in his sleeve, so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palm.
This isn't protection money, this is outright robbery! He not only expended a huge amount of antidote pills to earn these spirit stones, but also risked being poisoned by the corpses of demonic beasts. And now these people want half of them just by talking?
A murderous intent grew wildly in his heart.
With his current abilities, despite his injuries, he could kill these three mid-stage Qi Refining thugs in just three breaths. A handful of poison powder and a few strands of Xuan Yin silk would turn them into a pool of blood without them even noticing.
But—we can't kill him.
Gu An glanced out of the corner of his eye toward the alley entrance.
Although his divine sense was damaged, it remained sharp. He could sense that several hidden auras lingered in that dark corner. They were either spies from the City Lord's Mansion or informants from other forces.
Since the "Dragon's Roar Incident," the security level of the entire Never-Sleeping City has been raised several times over. The West District, in particular, with its diverse and sometimes chaotic population, has become a key target for investigation.
If he were to commit murder here, it would inevitably cause fluctuations in spiritual energy, and might even attract the attention of law enforcement. At that time, the corpse energy, poisonous techniques, and even the dragon energy fluctuations within him might be exposed to those high-level cultivators.
It's not worth exposing your whereabouts and even risking your life for a few spirit stones.
Tolerate!
We must endure it!
Gu An took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the violent killing intent in his heart. His expression became increasingly humble, even forcing out a fawning smile that was more like a grimace.
"Sir—you see, my injury hasn't healed yet, and I'm short of money for medicine—could you—"
"Stop talking nonsense!"
The tall, thin man clearly had no patience to listen to his complaints about being poor. His triangular eyes passed over Gu An and landed on Shen Wan, who was huddled in the corner of the room.
Although Shen Wan's face was covered with yellowish-brown disguise mud, making her look pale and thin, her figure was undeniably slender.
"Hey, there's a woman hiding in the house?"
The tall, thin man chuckled lewdly, his gaze turning vulgar. "This is your mute drug slave? Looks like he has a nice figure—if you're short on cash, you can use him as collateral. I happen to need a bed warmer lately. Even though his face is a bit ugly, it's all the same with the lights off—"
As he spoke, he actually tried to rush into the house.
"Don't!"
Gu An suddenly raised his head and stood in front of the tall, thin man.
A genuine glint of coldness flashed in his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by an even stronger sense of fear and pleading.
"Sir! You mustn't! This woman is covered in festering sores; you can't touch her!"
As Gu An spoke, he shakily pulled a tattered cloth bag from his pocket.
Those were spirit stones he had just earned last night, and he hadn't even had a chance to enjoy them yet.
"Money—I have money—"
Gu An, as if cutting off a piece of his own flesh, counted out ten low-grade spirit stones from his cloth bag and presented them to the tall, thin man with trembling hands. "These are ten spirit stones—a token of my respect to you gentlemen for tea. Please, gentlemen, have mercy on us poor souls."
The tall, thin man stopped and turned his gaze from Shen Wan to the ten spirit stones that were emitting a faint glow.
"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you."
He grabbed the spirit stone, weighed it in his hand, and a satisfied, greedy smile appeared on his face. "Why didn't you do this sooner? You had to refuse a toast only to suffer the consequences."
He patted Gu An's half-festering face with disdain, as if he were patting an obedient dog.
"Remember this: from now on, you have to pay on time every month at this time. If you dare to be short even a penny—hehe, your rotten flesh isn't enough to tear you apart, I'll use that little wench as collateral!"
After saying that, the tall, thin man waved his hand and swaggered away with his two thugs.
"This coward, calling himself Ghost Hand Taoist? I think he's more like a turtle hiding in its shell."
"Haha, big brother is right, this kind of trash only deserves to play with rotten flesh in the gutter—"
The sounds of laughter gradually faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the alley.
Gu An stood at the door, maintaining the bowing gesture of seeing the guests off, until the three figures completely disappeared.
"Bang."
He slammed the door shut and casually cast several soundproofing spells.
The moment he turned around, Gu An's previously hunched back slowly straightened. Where was the trace of humility and fear on his face? In its place was a chilling, icy coldness, like that of millennia-old ice.
Gu An
Shen Wan stood up from the corner, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She was both relieved that Gu An hadn't acted impulsively, and heartbroken over the ten spirit stones. They were their lifeline right now.
"Do you think I'm a loser?"
Gu An walked to the table, poured himself a glass of cold water, tilted his head back and gulped it down, calming the dragon energy within his body that was somewhat agitated due to emotional fluctuations.
"No." Shen Wan shook her head. "The current situation is indeed not suitable for taking action. Consider those ten spirit stones as a way to avoid further trouble."
"To avoid disaster?"
Gu An put down his cup, a cruel smile curving his lips. The smile, combined with his mangled face, looked particularly sinister. "Do you think my things, Gu An's things, are so easy to take?"
He stretched out his right hand and opened his palm.
On his fingertips, there remained a tiny, almost invisible gray powder, barely perceptible to the naked eye.
"That is—" Shen Wan's pupils contracted slightly. As an alchemist, she was extremely sensitive to all kinds of medicines, but she didn't recognize this powder for a moment.
"Chronic Corrosive Powder"
Gu An uttered a name calmly, his voice carrying a chilling undertone, "It's a mixture of neurotoxin extracted from the venom glands of the Ghost-Faced Ray and powdered 'Spirit Transformation Grass.'"
"This poison is colorless and odorless, and cannot even be detected with a silver needle. It will not cause any symptoms upon skin contact."
Gu An's gaze turned towards the door, as if penetrating the wall, and he saw the tall, thin man smugly playing with the spirit stone.
"But as long as they use these spirit stones to cultivate, even if they only absorb a trace of spiritual energy, the toxin will seep into their dantian through their meridians."
"It won't kill you immediately, nor will it cause you pain."
"It will only corrode their dantian barrier little by little, silently, like termites gnawing at wood. By the time they realize that their spiritual energy is not flowing smoothly, their dantian will have already rotted into a sieve."
As Gu An finished speaking, he gently rubbed his fingers together to remove the remaining powder.
"For cultivators, the decay of the dantian and the complete loss of cultivation is a torment a hundred times more painful than death."
"Those who take what I offer will eventually have to pay me back, with interest."
Shen Wan felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing these words.
Looking at the calm-faced man before her, she suddenly felt a deep sense of awe.
This man is far more terrifying than those brutes who only know how to shout and fight. He is like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, seemingly harmless and even allowing himself to be humiliated.
But if you dare to bite off a piece of his flesh, he will inject you with deadly venom when you least expect it.
"Make a note of this debt."
Gu An sat back down on the stone bed, picked up the few useless pieces of coral waste, and his eyes returned to their usual calm and indifferent state.
"Now, let's think about how to make some more money. This dragon energy—it's about to become uncontrollable."