Chapter 391: Being a Guest

Chapter 391: An Unexpected Guest

The *Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture* has indeed attracted quite a few martial arts masters.

The Sick Prince and the Poison Lord—these two are already known. But how many other experts remain hidden beneath the surface? No one can say for sure.

Now, Su Mo has even discovered a trace of an unusual, frigid internal energy within the Sick Prince. Looking across the South Sea, the first thought that comes to mind regarding such internal energy is the Dragon King Hall.

However, whether this is truly the case or merely Su Mo’s guesswork depends on whether the Sick Prince lives or dies.

Immediately, Little Situ Taoist began treating the Sick Prince’s injuries and detoxifying him.

While applying needles to the man’s body, she couldn’t help muttering:

"This man is way too hard on himself.

"The poison he used is truly formidable.

"To completely cure him won’t be the work of a single day."

Zhou Wenjing, listening nearby, felt her head spinning.

Was this the Sick Prince being too harsh on himself?

Hell no! This was clearly Su Mo being too harsh!

And what had he just told his wife?

That he couldn’t control his strength!?

If not holding back reduced the Sick Prince, who had dominated the South Sea for years, to being beaten within an inch of his life, what would happen if he went all out? Wouldn’t the Sick Prince truly die?

Are all the experts in the Eastern Wasteland like this?

Then wouldn’t Sister Cheng and her foolish junior brother be in great danger traveling there?

She had originally thought that with their martial arts, their journey through the Eastern Wasteland would surely earn them fame.

But Su Mo’s skills alone left her completely thrown.

By now, how could she not understand? When Su Mo and the Sick Prince fought for so long, it looked close—but truth be told, it was nothing of the sort.

If Su Mo had been serious, the Sick Prince would've been dead in one blow.

Only by Su Mo’s mercy did he manage to cheat death.

Her gaze swept over Su Mo and the others, and just as she was about to speak, she heard Su Mo say:

"Don't worry about it. Do you have any way to wake him up now? I only need to say a few words to him.

"We can deal with the rest later."

"Easy enough," Little Situ Taoist nodded.

Her fingers flew, and she swiftly inserted dozens of needles into the Sick Prince’s body.

Su Mo watched for a while and felt that this didn't seem simple at all.

The Sick Prince had been turned into a human pincushion.

He might as well call himself the Pincushion Prince when going out in the future.

As the silver needles were inserted, Little Situ Taoist lightly flicked each one with her fingers.

As they hummed, the menacing black energy on the Sick Prince's body suddenly receded.

The Sick Prince then jolted awake, eyes snapping open.

When he saw Little Situ Taoist, his expression changed instantly. He tried to reach out, only to find his limbs utterly limp.

Little Situ Taoist chuckled:

"This guy’s got some fight in him. Even with meridians in tatters, he still wants to raise a hand to threaten."

Did he think Su Mo’s energy was easy to take?

That single strike of the Purple Sun Divine Palm not only sent his Five Poisons right back at him but also tore his meridians to shreds.

Had it not been for his mastery of the Five Transformations Demonic Art and Little Situ Taoist's quick acupuncture treatment, he would have been dead by now.

Hearing this, the Sick Prince finally pieced together what went down.

Looking down, his expression shifted again:

"You used acupuncture to condense all the toxins in my body into a single acupoint, trapping them in place?

"Pretty ruthless for someone your age...

"This stopgap fix, if undone, would send the toxins surging back through my body, ten times worse than before."

Though his words carried a mix of shock and fury, his face showed no trace of anger.

"The boss of our ship wants to speak with you, but your condition... is a real mess.

"You practice the Five Transformations Demonic Art, and from what I've heard, this martial art involves merging countless poisons into your body.

"Though, in my opinion, 'countless' is an exaggeration.

"Still, ballpark guess, there are dozens of deadly poisons in you, existing in a delicate balance within your system, with the excess stored in your acupoints.

"Each categorized, they remain balanced.

"But when you used that technique earlier, you unleashed every last drop of poison.

"Now, Eldest Brother Su's devastating palm strike has shoved them all back down your throat.

"And so..."

At this point, Little Situ Taoist's expression turned slightly amused, as if she didn’t want the Sick Prince to die just yet:

"The toxins in your body originally formed a self-perpetuating cycle, with the mystery of self-generation and self-destruction.

"But over the years, the excess poisons from your training, sharing the same origin as your cultivation, are utterly indissoluble."

"The backlash against you has disrupted the balance within your body.

"Once the cycle is broken, these accumulated poison energies instantly become like unbridled stallions.

"Among themselves, they either merge, struggle, or dissolve, in frenzied turmoil.

"Under such circumstances, neutralizing all the toxins in your body... is no easy task.

"Therefore, I merely corralled them together, allowing you to speak with our ship's captain.

"If you survive afterward, I’ll slowly detoxify you."

The Sick Prince gave a mirthless chuckle:

"The little girl is remarkably forthright..."

Pausing briefly, he then turned his gaze to Su Mo:

"Say what you will."

"Senior is remarkably forthright as well."

Su Mo chuckled and settled cross-legged on the ground:

"I heard that not long ago, Senior crossed blades with the Poison Lord."

"Ah, I see..." he mused.

Upon hearing this, the Sick Prince suddenly understood:

"So the Poison Lord is acquainted with you."

"Oh?"

Su Mo smiled. "What leads you to that conclusion?"

"That child is your guide. I recognized him, and naturally, the Poison Lord did too.

"That man has always been ruthless, heedless of consequences.

"But there’s one thing—he rarely permits innocents to perish easily, often providing remedies or physicians.

"Those who walk the jianghu live and die by fate.

"But those who have yet to enter it—how can they fall victim to jianghu affairs?

"My conflicts with him mostly arise from this principle.

"Thus, that night, I dosed the child with Rainbow Heart Toxin, certain he wouldn’t abandon them.

"Yet, to my surprise, he still gave chase without respite.

"This was wholly out of character...

"Now I realize he must be acquainted with you and been aware that by your side was a little girl with extraordinary medical skills, capable of curing the child.

"That’s why he felt at ease chasing me..."

The Sick Prince let out a measured breath. "Were it not for this chain, how would I have encountered those two upstarts from the Shattered Star Sect? And how would I have been driven aboard your vessel because of them, brought so low..."

At this thought, he couldn't help but feel completely helpless.

This entire mess had been baffling, and when you trace it all back, the cause lay with Su Mo.

Had Su Mo and his group not made such a big show of arriving, why would he have come to investigate?

Had he not come to investigate, he wouldn't have run into Ling Yuanke? And why would he have needed to shut him up for good?

Had he not silenced Ling Yuanke, how would the Poison Lord have known he was also on the island?

Had he not been poisoned by the Poison Lord, why would he have encountered the Shattered Star Sect's young disciples and held back from killing them, instead making them find medicine for him?

Had he not chased after the Shattered Star Sect's young disciples, he certainly wouldn’t have ended up on this ship.

Looking back, the cause, the process, and the outcome—all were connected to Su Mo.

Now, he was likely to die at Su Mo’s hands.

Saying it was just fate would not be an exaggeration.

"You really are unlucky."

Su Mo was no fool—he could infer much from little. These words alone allowed him to put two and two together, leaving him not sure whether to laugh or be annoyed.

Still, he continued:

"That night, how did you get rid of the poison the Poison Lord gave you?"

Since both were clever men, Su Mo naturally cut to the chase.

Hearing this, the Sick Prince glanced at Su Mo and suddenly smiled.

"Who that person was, I do not know.

"They walked on water, came out of the fog. After curing my poison, they took off just as fast.

"Throughout, they didn’t even say a single word to me."

"Is that the truth?"

"Whether I live or die is beside the point, but I have no ties to that person. What reason would I have to lie to you?"

The Sick Prince said calmly:

"I can also tell you that the martial arts they used belonged to the ice-cold school.

"Though they walked on water, the water froze beneath their feet, allowing them to walk upon the sea like it was nothing.

"Their martial prowess was such that even I could say it was one of the most impressive I’ve witnessed in my life..."

Yet as he spoke these words, he hesitated.

Because as he looked at Su Mo before him, he truly couldn’t say who was stronger.

If speaking of the rarest in his life, the man before him was certainly one of them.

"What did this person look like? What were they wearing?"

Su Mo asked again.

"He was dressed in simple white garments, clutching a jade flute, with long hair loosely gathered at his back. His sleeves fluttered, radiating the aura of an immortal.

"However, his face hidden behind an emerald mask.

"His true features were indiscernible.

"He never spoke, making even his gender unclear."

The Sick Prince’s description of the person's appearance was quite detailed.

Yet many gaps remained, leaving much to the imagination.

Su Mo glanced at him:

"Every move has a motive.

"After rescuing you, did he really do nothing more?

"You can’t seriously mean, Senior, that this person was merely some benevolent stranger adrift in the endless sea and dense fog,

"who saved your life when you were delirious from poison, expecting nothing in return?

"With all due respect, that’s hard to swallow."

"Like it or not, every word I’ve said so far is true."

At this point, he couldn’t help but frown:

"To be honest, even I can’t make sense of this person’s actions.

"Still, I’ve marked this debt of gratitude."

"Hmm?"

Su Mo shot him a startled glance.

The Sick Prince’s expression darkened:

"What’s with that look? Do you think I’d forget a life-saving debt?"

"I never took Senior for one to repay favors."

"Hmph..."

The Sick Prince sneered. "Your opinion means nothing to me."

"Fair point."

Su Mo smiled. "I don’t know you well, Senior, but if this person knew you deeply, perhaps his intention was precisely for you to remember this favor—so he could call it in when needed..."

Yet as he spoke, he couldn’t help but frown again.

"You think he knows about Dragonwood Island?"

Why else the advance scheming?

The Sick Prince’s gaze snapped to Su Mo.

Su Mo shook his head:

"Hard to say for sure. Perhaps this person acted precisely because they knew little about the island's affairs."

"So they stacked the deck in their favor early on."

"Alternatively, they might truly have been a do-gooder just passing through the vast sea."

"Couldn’t stand seeing you in agony, so they swooped in to save you."

"...Since when has the South Sea spawned a schemer like you?"

The Sick Prince frowned deeply.

Su Mo sighed in response: "You’re no slouch in the cunning department either, old-timer... Well, enough said. Since you are still alive, you may stay aboard as a guest for now."

"However, given your deadly skills, for the safety of most on this ship, I must lock down your pressure points."

"No hard feelings, I hope."

"And if I don't forgive you, will you refrain from doing so?"

"Not a chance."

"What a hypocrite."

"Thank you."

Su Mo smiled, reaching out to seal several major acupoints on the Sick Prince's body.

He then turned to Little Situ:

"You may study the poison in this person's body, but remember not to be alone with him."

"He’s sharp as a tack and dangerous—not someone to take lightly."

"Don’t trust a damn thing he says."

"If he tells you anything you find uncertain, run it by me first."

"Got it."

Little Situ had always been obedient to Su Mo and nodded at once.

The Sick Prince scoffed. Out of options, he just shut his eyes and tuned out.

Seeing this, Su Mo motioned for the Sick Prince to be hauled off to a 'guest room' to rest.

The 'guest room' was already jam-packed.

Su Mo had talked about clearing out the ship’s hold, but nothing ever came of it.

So everyone was still stuck sharing the same cramped space.

Before, the two Canglan Divine Blade disciples, Duan Renjie and Cheng Suying, could at least swap turns on the bed.

But once Yin Xiaoyu’s crew showed up, the siblings got booted off the bed entirely.

Yin Xiaoyu’s crew hogged the whole thing.

You can’t fight against overwhelming odds. Over the past year, the siblings had mellowed considerably, deeply understanding that when in someone else’s house, you have to bend the knee.

Thus, they never engaged in disputes with them over this.

Every day, sleeping on the floor, Duan Renjie always placed Cheng Suying on the inner side to shield her, so these lust-driven pirates wouldn’t try anything vile.

Fortunately, Yin Xiaoyu imposed strict discipline on them, and no one actually stepped out of line.

This actually made Duan Renjie warm up to Yin Xiaoyu quite a bit.

The girl was indeed beautiful, her smile dazzling—if only she hadn’t lost so many teeth, making her grin both charming and comical.

She whistled when she talked...

Today, with nothing to do, the group was gathered in the guest room, chatting about how Xiaodao Ren and Shu Jing were living it up—at least able to leave the storage room and catch some air on deck.

Zong Ming, the Surging Waves Palm master, asked Yin Xiaoyu if she could put in a word the next time she met Old Su, asking if they could also be allowed to stroll around during limited times.

Stuck in that storage room day after day was driving them up the wall.

Just as Yin Xiaoyu was about to nod, the door was pushed open.

Two crew members entered, carrying a man between them.

The crew glanced around, their eyes landing on Yin Xiaoyu, who sat like a queen on the bed, and said:

"We've got a martial arts master here; our Chief nearly beat the life out of him. Boss Yin, mind clearing the bed? Let him rest on the bed for a couple of days?"

Yin Xiaoyu, now the undisputed boss of the guest quarters, cocked a brow. Before she could speak, Lan Wangyu sneered coldly:

"Who is this guy? How dare he ask our Chief to give up her bed?"

"Hmm?"

The Sick Prince, being carried, let out a cold laugh:

"And what are you, yapping like a mutt here?"

"The nerve!"

Lan Wangyu shot to his feet, followed by Zong Ming and Wen Dongye.

But when they leaned in for a closer look, they saw the man being carried—his face pale but still oozing nobility despite his current state.

They stiffened. "His demeanor and aura feel oddly familiar... Have we heard of or seen him somewhere before?"

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoyu stood up and took a closer look, her eyes lit up in recognition:

"Sick Prince?"

The Sick Prince, upon hearing this, struggled to raise his head, frowning deeply:

"And you are?

"Is there no man in charge here?

"Letting a woman lord it over everyone?"

Cheng Suying and Duan Renjie had been stunned upon hearing the name "Sick Prince."

Sick Prince had dominated the South Sea for years, a veteran demon of the martial world.

Little did they expect their first encounter would be under such circumstances.

Just as they were about to reflect on Old Su's extraordinary methods, they heard his words, prompting Cheng Suying to sneer coldly:

"Boss Yin, this worm looks down on women. In my opinion, why don’t we let him rest on the floor for a few days?"

Yin Xiaoyu, however, merely smiled and alighted from the bed, addressing the two attendants:

"Please, go ahead and place him here."

The two attendants nodded, set him on the bed, and left without ceremony.

The moment the door closed, Yin Xiaoyu’s flower-like smile turned icy. With a flick of her wrist dismissively, she ordered, "Throw him on the floor."

Sick Prince’s eyes widened in shock.

"What did you say?"

Before he could react, the world spun around him.

He was hauled onto the floor, the silver needles Little Situ Taoist had applied still embedded in him.

The rough landing drove several needles deeper, sending waves of agony wracking his body.

Fortunately, the restrained toxins did not spread further.

Glaring furiously at Yin Xiaoyu, he saw her sitting back on the bed with a commanding presence.

"Sick Prince, after so many years in the martial world, you must have forgotten one truth.

"‘The man is the cleaver, and I am the fish’—we’re all prisoners here. Yet you still putting on airs of a senior?

"You’ve sorely underestimated me, Yin Xiaoyu!"

"...Yin Xiaoyu? The Demoness Of The Four Seas?!"

Sick Prince was stunned. How could such a figure be hiding in this tiny guest room?

Before he could recover from his shock, the door opened again—the same two attendants reappeared.

They ignored the prostrate Sick Prince on the floor and instead addressed Duan Renjie and Cheng Suying with a bow:

"You two, please come out for a moment. The Chief Escort summons you."