The Peak of Alchemy & Martial

C17 – Token

A flicker of frustration crossed Yun Haoyan’s face. He hadn’t anticipated the man in black’s tenacity. Cornered with no escape, the man chose to end his life with poison.

The blame lay with Yun Haoyan; he had failed to foresee the man concealing poison in his teeth.

Thankfully, the Yun family was safe for now, but it was only a matter of time before the organization would seek them out again.

Yun Haoyan set to work, searching the man in black for any leads.

“What’s this?” He discovered a token on the man’s person.

The token was brass-colored, resembling gold without being gold. “Copper” was inscribed on one side, while the other bore the image of a fiery red scorpion.

“This must be the organization’s identity token. With this, I’ll have a better chance of tracking down this enigmatic group.”

Yun Haoyan continued his thorough examination of the body.

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The lethal potency of the poison in the man’s palm had made a lasting impression on Yun Haoyan, and he was determined to understand how the man had activated the poisonous palm.

Yun Haoyan was certain it wasn’t due to the man’s internal energy; such a deadly toxin couldn’t possibly stem from that.

A fiery red scorpion tattoo on the man’s back caught Yun Haoyan’s attention.

Upon closer inspection, Yun Haoyan confirmed that the poison originated from the tattoo. But with the man dead, the secret of harnessing the tattoo’s power for the poisonous palm died with him.

As night descended upon Silkbarrow, a sense of urgency enveloped the City Lord’s Mansion.

“Master, there’s terrible news!” An elder burst into the city lord’s chambers, his voice echoing with alarm.

The elder was the steward of the mansion, responsible for overseeing all its affairs.

“Enter. What’s the matter that you’re so flustered?” the middle-aged city lord asked as he dressed, leaving the comfort of his bed.

The steward opened the door, his gaze averted from the City Lord hastily dressing and the woman on the bed with her bare shoulders exposed. From the doorway, he announced gravely,

“Master, the Qiu family has been wiped out! Over five hundred souls… all perished!”

“What?” The city lord, who had been the picture of composure, suddenly wore a look of astonishment, his movements to dress himself hastening.

“Who could have possibly wiped out the Qiu family?”

“I’m not sure. By the time we discovered the Qiu family’s demise, they had been dead for quite some time, and the killer left no traces,” the elder reported.

The city lord’s brow furrowed. “To obliterate the Qiu family without a sound, the culprit must be a master. The head of the Qiu family was a Grand Martial Master, and although he was only at level two, his abilities were formidable.

“Did the Qiu family patriarch perish as well?”

“Dead! They’re all dead!” The elder’s voice shook. “The entire Qiu family, even their dogs, perished.”

Hearing the butler’s words, the city lord felt a surge of anxiety. A Martial Cultivator of the Grand Martial Master realm had been killed.

He himself was of the Grand Martial Master realm, which meant that if the assassin could eliminate the Qiu family, the City Lord’s Mansion could be next.

Perhaps the city lord’s abrupt movements disturbed the woman in the bed.

“Master, where are you off to? Stay with me instead. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow,” she whined, her voice dripping with charm. This tactic had always worked before, ensuring the city lord’s company.

“Get out of my way.” The city lord’s hand struck the woman’s face as he rose to his feet and marched toward the door.

Despite her beauty, her foolishness was glaring. How could he possibly think of sleep at a time like this?

The old butler kept pace with the city lord as they hurried towards the Qiu family’s residence.