Chapter 286: Parting Brew

Chapter 286: Parting Brew

The sedan chair in front of the hall stood still.

The four sedan chair bearers stood as still as statues.

The sedan curtain swayed in the wind, illuminated by the eerie green light, adding to the sinister and bizarre atmosphere.

The same atmosphere filled the hall.

Under the hanging green lanterns, Su Mo casually placed his sword aside and sat on a chair, staring at the crimson sedan outside.

Before him lay scattered corpses, blood slowly flowing to the lower ground.

Severed limbs scattered across the room added to the eerie sensation.

In the corner, Xinmo Xiulan stood quietly, neither fleeing nor taking action, only occasionally glancing at Su Mo with a flicker of something unreadable in her eyes.

The sounds of battle in the courtyard had died down.

The Ghost Lady remained silent, as if deep in thought.

Su Mo was in no hurry; she could reply at her leisure.

Right now, he was more concerned about Ding Wugong.

The porcelain bottle had been swallowed, its shards cutting his throat, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

Yet none of this rattled Ding Wugong.

Surface wounds were nothing to him.

How could one navigate the martial arts world without sustaining injuries?

The real danger was what he had swallowed.

He stood quietly, silently watching Su Mo, doing his best to keep his expression steady and unreadable.

Su Mo also watched him, the smile on his lips widening.

After a while, Ding Wugong's expression hardened.

A dark aura visibly spread across his face, flowing through his veins, and black patterns emerged on his skin.

These patterns spread rapidly, covering his entire body in moments.

In such a state, how could Ding Wugong possibly smile?

Finally, he could no longer hold back and suddenly reached into his chest, pulling out another porcelain bottle, ready to swallow it.

But in the next moment, an iron pellet flew out, shattering Ding Wugong's hand.

In pain, Ding Wugong let go of the bottle, and it fell to the ground.

He quickly crouched down to catch it, paying no heed to the pain.

However, the bottle did not fall to the ground; instead, it whistled through the air into Su Mo's hand.

Su Mo examined the bottle in his palm, then looked at Ding Wugong.

"Is there more?"

"...Return it to me."

Ding Wugong's voice was husky, his throat aching sharply as he spoke, yet he still reached out his hand, trying to retrieve the ceramic vial in Su Mo's palm.

As his hand stretched out, it became evident that the patterns beneath the skin of his palm had somehow risen, twisted like gnarled roots, showing faint signs of decay.

Su Mo shook his head softly, looking down at the vial in his hand.

But the moment Su Mo lowered his head, Ding Wugong quickly reached into his chest, pulling out another vial, without even opening the lid, and was about to shove it into his mouth.

There was only one dose of poison, and only one dose of antidote.

He could die by Su Mo's hand tonight, but he absolutely did not want to be tortured by the poison to the brink of death.

So, when Su Mo fed him the poison, he feigned indifference, not because he wasn't afraid of it, but because he didn't want Su Mo to see his fear.

Only in this way could he have a chance to escape tonight's calamity.

Therefore, the first vial was just a stalling tactic.

The purpose was to make Su Mo think that the vial contained the antidote, and the moment of relaxation after taking it away provided a chance for him to take the real antidote.

And now... he was on the verge of success.

But just as he was about to put the vial into his mouth, his hand was suddenly empty, and he gazed up in shock to see that Su Mo already had another small vial in his hand.

With the two vials placed together, Su Mo looked at him with a smirk:

"Is there more?"

The same question, but it pierced his heart like a dagger.

The calmness on Ding Wugong's face had completely disappeared, now filled with despair in his eyes.

"You, you are far too cunning."

Su Mo sighed: "They say the martial world is full of deceit, but without entering it, how many can truly understand it deeply?

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, what poison have you been struck with?"

Ding Wugong collapsed to the floor, as if he had lost all hope, murmuring:

"This poison is called the Parting Brew."

Upon hearing the name, Su Mo was first stunned, then realized: "The 'parting' as in parting of life and death?"

"Yes."

Ding Wugong looked at his hand, pierced by the iron pellet, the sense of decay becoming more apparent. He took a deep breath and was about to speak when he saw Su Mo gently wave his hand, signaling him to stop.

Then Su Mo looked up at the big red sedan outside the hall:

"I don't mind you continuing to weigh your options, but if you don't want to really become a ghost, you'd better stay away from here."

"Understood."

The Ghost Lady's voice was calm, not at all provoked by Su Mo's tone: "Then I will find a place to think for a while, and after Chief Escort Su is done with this matter, we can talk in detail."

"Proceed."

Su Mo gave a slight nod.

In the next instant, the large red sedan chair suddenly lifted off and was already outside the courtyard.

But upon arrival, the sedan chair came to an abrupt halt.

"Why stop now?"

A voice came from one side.

The four sedan chair bearers turned in unison to see a woman with a long spear standing on the wall.

The spear’s tip still glistened with fresh blood.

"We cannot."

The ghost lady’s reply from inside the sedan chair was surprisingly brief and blunt, catching everyone off guard.

"What’s the reason?"

Yang Xiaoyun arched her brows slightly.

"I may call myself a ghost, but I don’t want to end up as one."

The voice from the large red sedan chair laughed: "All these people died right at this boundary, not daring to take a step further—clearly, there’s something off about this ground. I never expected Chief Escort Su to be not only a martial arts master but also skilled in poison."

"Sharp observation."

Yang Xiaoyun didn’t respond, merely casting a quiet glance at the sedan chair before darting toward the main house’s living room.

At the same time, Zhen Xiaoxiao, having scoured the entire courtyard, followed Yang Xiaoyun with a rumble.

The poison was indeed Su Mo’s doing, though he’s no expert in its use.

Little Situ Taoist once said that medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin. Before parting in the Misty Forest, she gave Su Mo not only precious pills but also a stash of poison.

Her reasoning was that while Su Mo is a martial arts prodigy and rarely faces challenges,

But no one can predict the twists and turns of the martial world or when even the mightiest skills might fall short.

It’s always wise to have poison on hand as a backup.

Su Mo wholeheartedly agreed and accepted it without hesitation.

Tonight, to ensure no one could escape, he first laid a deadly ring of poison around the courtyard.

Anyone who steps beyond this line will surely perish from the poison.

If they stay put, Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao will finish them off.

This was the only way to guarantee no one would escape!

The large red sedan chair came to a halt within the poison ring, surrounded by lifeless bodies.

A cold gust lifted the sedan’s curtain, unveiling the ghost lady’s true form.

Beneath the blood-soaked red veil, a faint sigh escaped. The sound was not loud, and in an instant, it had already dissipated with the night wind.

When Yang Xiaoyun and Zhen Xiaoxiao arrived at the hall, Ding Wugong was explaining the details of the poison:

"This poison is not fatal, but its effects are devastating.

"After being poisoned, the toxic gas spreads through the bloodstream, slowly eroding the body.

"This process is slow and will last for a full seven days.

"The pain will intensify day by day, and by the seventh day, most of the meridians and flesh will have decayed.

"However, what makes this poison unique is that, even then, the person will not die.

"After seven days, the flesh will replenish, and the decayed meridians will regenerate.

"This process will cause an unbearable, maddening itch that no one can withstand.

"During the trials of this poison, many gave in at this point, digging out their own hearts and livers while scratching.

"Once dead, the itching stopped—how could it continue?

"But if one can endure these seven days... they will face a new cycle of ruin.

"Destruction and reshaping will repeat for a total of four cycles.

"After four cycles, the poisoned person will be stuck in a limbo between life and death.

"They will have consciousness but be unable to move.

"They’ll neither eat nor drink, yet death won’t come, suffering endlessly.

"Once a year, they’ll wake for twelve hours before slipping back into chaos.

"This cycle repeats endlessly until their natural death."

By this point, Ding Wugong had nothing left to hide and spoke these words directly.

The Parting Brew lies in the meaning of 'parting'—though the person is alive, they are no different from the dead.

He looked up at Su Mo: "Chief Escort Su, I ask for nothing else but the antidote.

"If the antidote is taken within the first seven days of poisoning, it can fully eliminate the poison.

"Once the poison reshapes the body, it’s irreversible, only suppressing the pain for seven days.

"After seven days, the cycle repeats...

"After four cycles, the antidote only eases the pain for a month.

"To spare them endless suffering, the antidote must be taken monthly..."

After hearing this, Su Mo was stunned, and Yang Xiaoyun frowned deeply.

If she were to drink this, what would happen?

Su Mo would never abandon her—it’s not in his nature, but killing her to end her suffering would be too much to bear.

If they compromised with the Wusheng Hall, Su Mo would be controlled by others for his entire life.

At this thought, the killing intent in Yang Xiaoyun's eyes flared up.

She was ready to face death or poisoning.

She wasn’t afraid!

But she refused to drag Su Mo into this.

Their cruelty was exactly this.

Not only did Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun look pale, but the Wangxuan Mountain Lord beside them also turned ashen.

At this moment, he had just regained his voice. He hadn’t planned to speak, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but say:

"This... could it be... what the Wusheng Hall found during their exploration of that place... that place?"

"...Yes."

Ding Wugong nodded.

Su Mo was puzzled: "That place? Which place?"

"...The Great Xuan ruins."

Before the Wangxuan Mountain Lord could speak, Ding Wugong had already said: "In the four corners of the world, the Great Xuan sat at the center, ruling the world.

"Hundreds of years ago, the Great Xuan Dynasty fell overnight.

"That place, which should have been a land of divine prosperity, has now become a treacherous and eerie wasteland, rife with miasma and danger.

"The Wusheng Hall occupies the west of the Eastern Wasteland and had explored it several times in the past, but all failed.

"Since the current hall master, Wan Yutang, succeeded to the throne, he worked tirelessly and finally succeeded in penetrating its core.

"In a collapsed building, they found documentation on the Parting Brew and other artifacts..."

"Other artifacts?"

Su Mo glanced at Ding Wugong, while also frowning inwardly.

The Parting Brew’s effects were uncanny, far beyond the ordinary.

He just didn’t understand, what the Great Xuan Dynasty aimed to accomplish by spending so much effort to develop such a poison?

Ding Wugong winced in pain, but the pain was still bearable for now. He hid his discomfort to avoid upsetting Su Mo, so he gritted his teeth and endured:

"Other artifacts... my position is awkward, so I don’t know much.

"But... about the Parting Brew, I actually know a bit...

"I once heard Hall Master Ren say that the Great Xuan Dynasty originally concocted the Parting Brew not to use it as a poison.

"But... but to refine an elixir of immortality."

"..."

Su Mo was momentarily speechless. This claim was neither surprising nor original.

The elixir of immortality... isn’t that just an age-old tale?

As an emperor, who wouldn’t dream of living forever?

Success or failure aside, it’s worth a try.

"...Based on this, Hall Master Ren once theorized.

"In the past, the Great Xuan Dynasty launched seven campaigns across the martial world, gathering the unique techniques of various sects into the Great Xuan Treasury.

"Ever since the theory of fate gained traction, there have been rumors that the real purpose of these campaigns was to suppress the fate of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

"To forge a dynasty that would endure for millennia.

"However, Hall Master Ren believed... the real goal of these seven campaigns was to gather rare materials for the elixir of immortality.

"Unfortunately, whether the elixir of immortality was ever created is still a mystery.

"But the Parting Brew emerged instead.

"After Wusheng Hall acquired this formula, they meticulously studied it...

"Though they were short on many rare and valuable ingredients... they succeeded in crafting the Parting Brew."

Su Mo’s eyebrow twitched slightly, deep in thought.

However, the history of the Great Xuan Dynasty is now shrouded in mystery, and even with some guesswork, the truth remains elusive.

So Su Mo didn’t linger on the matter, instead, he smiled and asked:

"Where did the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra originate?"

"..."

Ding Wugong paused briefly before replying:

"This..."

"You don’t have to answer."

Su Mo toyed with the two porcelain bottles in his hand and said, "The Parting Brew is truly remarkable."

"..."

Ding Wugong let out a deep sigh:

"It was passed down by Hall Master Ren."

This answer came as no surprise to Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun.

After sharing a look, Su Mo scoffed:

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!

"Throughout the generations, only the hall master of Wusheng Hall has been qualified to practice the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra.

"He, Ren Xiongfei, is merely the Deputy Hall Master of the Tenth Hall. What right does he have to practice this technique?

"Let alone possess such a legacy?"

"This..." Ding Wugong stammered, his face filled with anxiety.

"Chief Escort Su, I truly dare not deceive you now.

"The Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra was indeed taught by the Deputy Hall Master.

"I once had doubts about this matter, but after asking, he only told me that it was the hall master's order.

"He said that I have traveled far and done much for Wusheng Hall.

"Therefore, it was only natural to teach this divine skill as a reward."

Su Mo fiddled with the two porcelain bottles in his hand, not bothering to look at Ding Wugong, and simply asked:

"When did Ren Xiongfei train you in this martial art?"

"It was around... more than half a year ago."

As he spoke, Yang Xiaoyun made her way across the hall, walking towards Su Mo.

When she passed by Ding Wugong, the usually obedient Ding Wugong suddenly sprung into action.

Between his palms, he had mustered all the power he had accumulated since practicing the Great Transformation Transcendence Sutra, not to kill Yang Xiaoyun, but to capture her.

Yang Xiaoyun's martial arts were passed down from Yang Yizhi.

The Great Upper Xuan Scripture, even in the Eastern Wasteland, is considered a renowned divine skill.

Not to mention the family's spear art, the Canglong Bahuang Dianyun Spear.

Suddenly executing a sneak attack on such a martial arts master, Ding Wugong naturally dared not hold back.

He also knew that by doing this, Su Mo would surely be infuriated.

But at this point, this was the only strategy to get out of this mess tonight, and he had no choice but to act.

There was only one chance, and if missed, he would truly be left to the mercy of others.

Therefore, he had to take the risk!

However, before his palms could reach Yang Xiaoyun, the sound of a dragon's roar had already rang out.

Looking up, it seemed as if a divine dragon was wrapped around Yang Xiaoyun's body.

With a sweep of the fierce wind, Ding Wugong, true to his name, was sent flying.

His palms were in searing pain, and only then did he realize that it was not a divine dragon at all.

It was evidently the Longyuan Spear in Yang Xiaoyun's hand!

Looking up again, Yang Xiaoyun was already lunging forward with her spear, its tip aimed straight at his heart.

Ding Wugong, however, was not angry but instead chuckled:

"Do you really think you can kill me?"

As he spoke, he dove in, heading straight for the spear's tip.

But to his surprise, just as he was about to touch the spear tip, a silver flash flicked up, and the next moment, the spear that was meant to pierce Ding Wugong's chest and kill him vanished.

Instead, he heard the sound of whistling wind.

He turned his head quickly and saw Yang Xiaoyun's spear drawing a semicircular arc, the shaft fully extended, and it swung down fiercely.

There was a loud crack!

Ding Wugong was sent spinning through the air.

After landing, he clutched his face and glanced around in bewilderment: "Why am I not dead yet?"

"Want to die?"

Yang Xiaoyun shook her head lightly and stepped over to Su Mo's side:

"This man is clever and cunning. He wanted me to kill him to escape the torment of the Parting Brew."