The moment he was released, Lu Sheng Zhong tried to reach out and pull out the pill. But his hand was instantly seized, preventing him from retrieving it.
Lu Sheng Zhong looked at the smiling Su Zhao and asked, startled:
"What did you give me?"
Su Zhao replied with a smile:
"A good thing. Extremely precious. Ordinary people don't get to taste it. You're lucky."
"What did I take, after all?" Lu Sheng Zhong was clearly agitated. He knew very well that this 'thing' couldn't be anything good.
Su Zhao calmly replied: The master keeps his word. In half an hour, you can leave or stay. The choice is yours.
Lu Sheng Zhong was in a daze. He didn't know what to do...
The next day, at Lingbo Palace, Su Zhao stood under the eaves, watching the rising sun.
"Has there been no movement yet?" Su Zhao asked. She had waited all night.
A man approached and replied:
"That employee placed the note in the niche of a statue in one of the workshops. Then he returned to the tavern. Our people are watching both locations, but no one has touched the note yet."
Su Zhao spoke with a serious expression:
"This isn't normal. If such messages aren't delivered promptly, the entire operation could fail. They should have retrieved the message immediately. Could it be that they already know Lu Sheng Zhong was captured? Or is Lu Sheng Zhong himself playing games with us?"
The man said: Lu Sheng Zhong must understand the consequences of his deception. Especially since he now has our medicine inside him. It's unlikely he would play games with us. I still have my doubts. Perhaps someone among their people betrayed us. I don't think it's our people. But I do doubt your master's people. Or did the madam reveal the secret?
Su Zhao, furrowing her brows, said: I'll ask later.
The man: Waiting now seems pointless. In my opinion, we should seize that employee.
"Mmh!" Su Zhao nodded.
Suddenly, at that moment, a commotion erupted from the adjacent courtyard, as if a beast had roared.
"Agh!" Someone roared. Something crashed and shattered.
"Hehe!" Su Zhao smiled and walked towards the neighboring courtyard.
There, she saw Lu Sheng Zhong scratching his head and rolling on the ground. His face showed clear agony. He had already smashed his head against the ground. His wounds from the birds had also reopened, oozing blood.
He saw Su Zhao, crawled towards her, and grabbed her leg. He cried out bitterly:
"Antidote! Give me the antidote!"
He realized it was the poison they had given him yesterday taking effect!
Su Zhao looked down at him:
"We checked your communication, but the message was interrupted midway. No one took the note. What is this about?"
Lu Sheng Zhong shook his head: I don't know.
Su Zhao: You don't know? Then slowly enjoy your blessing. — She kicked him away and turned to leave.
"No!" Lu Sheng Zhong cried out and once again lunged for her leg. He said in a trembling voice:
"I truly don't know!"
Su Zhao glanced sideways at him: Well, when you find out, then tell me!
Lu Sheng Zhong stretched out his hand and bitterly said: Antidote, antidote, give me...
Su Zhao did not move, watching him suffer.
Lu Sheng Zhong seemed unable to bear the pain any longer and suddenly opened his jaw wide, as if to bite Su Zhao's leg.
Su Zhao kicked him with her foot, sending him flying.
"Agh..." The fallen Lu Sheng Zhong let out a tormented wail and began to bite his own forearm, tearing off a piece of flesh.
Gazing at this horrifying scene, Su Zhao tossed out a black pill.
"He doesn't seem to be lying. Give him the medicine!"
The man standing nearby took the medicine, approached Lu Sheng Zhong, stepped on his chest, grabbed his cheek, and forced the pill into his mouth.
After a while, the frenzied Lu Sheng Zhong gradually quieted down and began breathing deeply and calmly.
The man removed his foot from him and stepped back.
"You, go handle things." Su Zhao told the man.
He cupped his hands and left.
Lu Sheng Zhong slowly got up, clutched his wound, and approached. He felt as if even his soul trembled.
"What exactly did you give me?"
"Even if you knew, it would be useless. Why ask again? You've already taken the medicine, and nothing should happen for three months."
"Three months? And after three months?"
"Well, you'll just take another dose to last another three months. And so on." Su Zhao said calmly, and without another glance at him, she left.
Lu Sheng Zhong staggered away, sat on the ground, and laughed grimly...
In the governor's palace prison. Shao San Sheng led Su Zhao, who was wearing a hat and a black cloak.
The jailer opened Shao Ping Bo's cell and stepped away.
"Is Liu Er alright?" As soon as Su Zhao entered, she immediately asked.
Shao Ping Bo closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he said:
"Better tell me, what's your situation? Did you find anything?"
"No. The communication broke off midway..." Su Zhao recounted the situation roughly.
Shao Ping Bo furrowed his brows:
"Is Lu Sheng Zhong playing games with us?"
"Impossible. There are no problems with him." Su Zhao shook her head.
Shao Ping Bo: Did someone reveal that Lu Sheng Zhong was captured? Could there be problems with your people?
Su Zhao: My people don't know Niu You Dao, and Niu You Dao doesn't know them either. You know our organization. How could we have problems? I, however, doubt your master's people. Are there problems with Song Shu and Cheng Gui Shuo?
Shao Ping Bo: If there were problems, I wouldn't have taken them in. They have clear grievances against Niu You Dao. They cannot be Niu You Dao's people.
Su Zhao: Only they were present. Did Liu Er spill anything?
Shao San Sheng, standing outside the cell, said:
"Madam was under strict guard as soon as she returned to the palace. Not even a fly could enter without permission. And the madam has remained silent ever since she returned. She hasn't spoken to even her subordinates. It's impossible."
Su Zhao: Could it be that Tang Xiang Yang, whom you released?
Shao San Sheng glanced sideways at Shao Ping Bo.
Shao Ping Bo calmly replied: My people saw him sail away on a boat into the distance. There shouldn't be any problems.
Su Zhao: Then it's strange.
Shao Ping Bo: Lu Sheng Zhong sent word before his departure. He said he would go to the Song Kingdom and instructed Niu You Dao's people to contact him there. They must have known Lu Sheng Zhong had left, which is probably why they cut off communication... If there are no problems with your people, then there truly are no problems.
Su Zhao nodded: Indeed, that's the only explanation for everything.
After a brief conversation, Su Zhao left the prison and returned to Lingbo Palace.
Not long after, her subordinate returned and reported.
"That employee has been interrogated. He himself is from Beizhou; he received money and followed instructions. He doesn't know the specific situation himself."
"Ah!" Su Zhao nodded. She wasn't surprised. It was just as it should be.
It seemed that employee was just a messenger. How could he know secret information? The trail goes cold with him. And it's unclear how many more of Niu You Dao's people are in Beizhou...
"Come here and hit me!" In a mountain gorge beneath a cliff, Niu You Dao called out to Black Peony.
"...." Black Peony was speechless. Perhaps she had misheard.
"Hit you?"
Niu You Dao nodded with a smile:
"That's right! Come and strike me with your palm."
Black Peony: Lord Dao, there's no need to tease me like this.
Niu You Dao: You're overthinking it. I want to train.
"Train?" Black Peony was astonished:
"Then I'll try striking with my palm."
Niu You Dao: Don't hesitate. If I say strike, then strike. Quickly.
"Alright! Lord Dao, please be careful." Black Peony first warned Lord Dao and then suddenly unleashed her palm.
Niu You Dao also unleashed his palm in response.
"Boom!"
When their two palms met, Niu You Dao's other hand began to wave, releasing a burst of force.
When Black Peony struck him, she froze. Indeed, Lord Dao was only defending and offered no resistance whatsoever. Lord Dao's palm contained no force at all.
Niu You Dao frowned: You struck weakly. Don't use physical strength. Use magical power and strike again!
Black Peony understood him and struck again.
"Boom!"
Niu You Dao once again met her strike with one palm, while his other hand released a surge of wind so powerful it sent even stones flying.
Black Peony was surprised. She had already struck with considerable force, yet Lord Dao calmly received her blow. He didn't even budge. Could their cultivation difference be that vast?
Niu You Dao shouted again: Strike with all your might!
"Lord Dao, be careful." Black Peony warned, and this time, she struck with her full power without ceremony.
"Boom!"
One of his palms received Black Peony's strike, while his other hand released a hurricane of qi.
"Again!"
"Faster! Attack in a series!"
Black Peony began to attack in a series. Niu You Dao stood like a towering cliff, unmoving, merely releasing palm after palm.
Black Peony felt an increasing trepidation in her heart. Lord Dao wasn't attacking her at all; he was simply receiving her blows. Could it be that her strikes couldn't even budge him slightly?
She felt something strange when she struck Lord Dao. Behind Lord Dao, a stream of air appeared. Only, she didn't understand how it was happening.
With her subsequent attacks, Niu You Dao seemed to grasp something, no longer throwing his other hand back to release air. He now received Black Peony's strikes with both hands.
They trained like this for a while, then Niu You Dao suddenly jumped back and waved his hand for her to stop.
Black Peony was shocked.
Niu You Dao, however, still seemed unsatisfied. He was still far from achieving the explosive potential of the Qian and Kun Agility Technique. All he could manage was releasing streams of air? This proved that he was still far from true mastery.
If he were to encounter a cultivator significantly stronger than himself, he would undoubtedly suffer damage.