Chapter 383: Sudden Change

Chapter 383: Sudden Change

The Poison Dragon Pill Scripture was clearly in the hands of the Wang family father and son at the Bo Hai Association.

Before leaving, the old man had also mentioned that he would inform the United Chamber of Commerce of the matter concerning the Poison Dragon Pill Scripture and sell this scripture.

In Su Mo's view, this was indeed a good choice.

In the southern sea martial world, there were no shortage of people who were unafraid of death or those who acted recklessly.

But to offend the entire United Chamber of Commerce, there were probably very few who would dare to do so.

Moreover, the Bo Hai Association did not intend to keep the scripture for themselves.

Instead, they planned to sell it.

By doing so openly, they gave many people an opportunity.

Those with money could buy the scripture through this sale.

Those without money could see who bought it and then plan whether to try to seize it.

Regardless of the outcome, the Bo Hai Association could remain uninvolved.

Even if they didn't make a profit from selling the Poison Dragon Pill Scripture, they wouldn't suffer any loss.

Their greatest gain would be extricating themselves from this chaotic situation.

It was truly an excellent choice for self-preservation.

But why on earth did the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture suddenly appear on Chiyan Island?

Was it possible that before Wang Chaosheng could sell the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture, someone had already stolen it?

Even so, it shouldn’t have happened this quickly.

They’d barely delayed on their journey, rushed due to Wei Ziyi’s injuries. After leaving Pingyang Island, aside from necessary resupplies, they hadn’t stopped for anything else.

They’d stayed at most half a day on an island.

They’d raced here nonstop…

Whoever took the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture afterward, they couldn’t possibly have reached Chiyan Island faster than Su Mo and his group.

So how’d the scripture end up here now?

Sharing a glance with Yang Xiaoyun, Su Mo immediately turned to look out the window.

They sat by the window, and a quick look revealed a group of people standing on the rooftop opposite.

Two figures stood at the center—a grim-faced middle-aged man, scanning his surroundings with wary and anxious eyes.

Opposite him stood a burly man.

A curved sickle hung at his waist.

He hadn’t drawn the weapon yet, merely extending his palm as he spoke to the man before him:

“Xi Menye, hand over the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture today, and we can part on good terms. Hell, I’ll owe you one.”

"If we meet again in the martial world, we can speak cordially, and consider ourselves friends.

"But if you refuse...

"You probably won't walk out of this Chiyan Island."

The man’s words were full of self-satisfied confidence.

Yet, Xi Menye responded with a cold laugh:

"You do realize this is Chiyan Island, don’t you? Or are you unaware of who presides over this Chiyan Island?"

"Island Master Qi Yang?"

The burly man bellowed with laughter. "I’ve ruled the martial world until now—when have I ever spared a thought for that old villain?

"Not to mention he isn’t even here right now. Even if he were... if he wanted to protect you, he’d have to see if his life is tough enough!

"My Blood Sickle Society is waiting by the docks. One command, and they’ll attack together.

"Then let’s see how this Chiyan Island withstands this!

"And... I'll tell you honestly, think carefully.

"You know who presides over this island. If anything were to happen within his own territory...

"Who should be the first to receive word of it?

"So why has he still not appeared yet?"

The sickle-wielding man smirked.

"Let me tell you plainly, right now, that old villain Qi and I have an unspoken understanding.

"Since the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture is on you, I’ll just kill you, take the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture, and then decide victory with that old villain!"

"You—you’re spouting nonsense!"

Xi Menye’s countenance changed.

"He and I are sworn brothers through the eight bows ceremony!

"He would never stand by and watch me die."

"Sworn brothers? Then did you ever share the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture with him?"

"..."

Xi Menye immediately became unable to speak.

Seeing this, the burly man couldn't help but laugh heartily:

"What an excellent sworn brotherhood indeed! I've truly seen something today!"

"Qi Xuelian, don't be so insolent!"

Xi Menye burst into fury, pointed with his finger. "Even if it comes to a fight today, do you truly believe I'm afraid of you?"

What most concerned Xi Menye today was that Qi Xuelian had openly spoken the words "the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture," attracting everyone’s notice.

Therefore, even if he could handle the formidable foe before him,

he still found himself inevitably surrounded and under attack.

If the island lord of Chiyen Island, Qi Yang, truly had ulterior motives, his future actions would be fraught with difficulty.

But to simply hand over the Venomous Dragon Scripture, he felt an incessant reluctance.

Upon hearing this, Qi Xue's eyes narrowed:

"Hmm? You really want to fight me?

"Fine, then I'll... Qi Yang!?"

Mid-sentence, Qi Xue suddenly turned to look behind Ximen Ye, his face filled with surprise and shock.

"What?"

Ximen Ye couldn't help but feel elated; had his sworn brother really come?

But... why didn't he show himself in front of me?

"Oh no!"

Ximen Ye's face turned pale, and he swiftly turned around, already on guard.

But there was nothing behind him!

Seeing this, Ximen Ye's heart sank to the bottom.

The next moment, without so much as a whisper of warning, ice-cold steel kissed his neck. Looking down, he saw a gleaming sickle at his throat.

The sickle bit into his neck, a chain trailing back to Qi Xuelian's hand.

One end of the chain was fixed to the sickle, while the other was gripped in Qi Xuelian’s hand.

“Qi Xuelian… you treacherous snake…”

As soon as Xi Menye uttered these six words, a flash of crimson light streaked through the air—his head went flying in a spray of blood.

The sickle returned to Qi Xuelian’s grasp as he lazily wound the chain around his arm:

“To the victor go the spoils—and you call me despicable?

“If you weren’t despicable yourself, why would you look back?”

Xi Menye had turned around, thinking Qi Yang had somehow appeared, silently appearing behind him to ambush him and seize the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture.

Little did he know, this was precisely the deadly ruse Qi Xuelian had set.

By the time he realized, it was too late—his head had been taken before the crowd.

As Xi Menye’s corpse collapsed, Qi Xuelian didn't bother searching for the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture.

Instead, he frowned slightly and scanned his surroundings.

The gathered martial artists were just here for the bloodsport, but if the treasure lay within reach, they’d tear each other apart for it.

Yet Qi Xuelian’s gaze wasn’t fixed on them.

Instead, he searched beyond the crowd, standing still for quite some time.

Finally, someone couldn’t hold back any longer. With a swift movement, they reached Xi Menye’s corpse and reached out to grab it.

This person had exceptional qinggong skills, intending to use them to steal the body, look for the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture along the way, and then discard the corpse, figuring Qi Xuelian couldn't catch them.

Yet, the moment their hand touched the body, their whole body seized up, frozen in place.

Looking down, they saw the hand that had touched the corpse had already turned jet-black.

Moreover, the blackness was rapidly spreading upward.

"Poison!!"

Their face contorted in terror as they tried to retreat, but the poison was so virulent that their limbs went numb, rendering them completely immobile.

In the blink of an eye, the poison reached their heart, killing them outright.

Within moments, two bodies now lay on the roof.

The surrounding onlookers drew sharp breaths, edging backward.

Qi Xuelian also knit his brows.

After killing Xi Menye, he hadn’t moved to search for the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture—not because he had detected poison on the corpse, but because he was searching for Qi Yang.

Just as he had said, he had brought the Blood Sickle Society to Chiyan Island.

Qi Yang must have known.

Xi Menye, who was sworn brothers with Qi Yang, wasn’t at the Island Master’s residence, showing he'd been wary too of Qi Yang.

Thus, Qi Yang hadn’t moved against the Blood Sickle Society.

When Xi Menye was discovered here by Qi Xuelian, Qi Yang hadn’t come to assist.

His intentions were already plain as day.

From Qi Xuelian’s perspective, once Xi Menye died, Qi Yang would surely appear.

At that point, under the guise of avenging his sworn brother, Qi Yang could slay Qi Xuelian, collect Xi Menye’s body, and eliminate all those coveting the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture in one fell swoop—all under a righteous cause.

Given this, if Qi Xuelian didn’t prepare, he’d be doing injustice to Qi Yang’s careful scheming.

Yet, after waiting and waiting, not only did Qi Yang fail to appear, but Xi Menye’s corpse turned out to be coated with lethal poison.

Where did this poison come from?

Why hadn’t Qi Yang shown up?

As these two questions arose, Qi Xuelian’s expression grew grave.

Just as he was pondering, a voice suddenly bellowed angrily:

"Chief Qi, what ruthless methods!"

"Killing is one thing, but why poison the corpse and cause allies to die horribly?"

Qi Xuelian gave the speaker a cold glance and nodded slightly:

"Well said. I won’t forget you."

The man went white as a sheet.

Getting on the Boss’s shit list was clearly not a good thing.

But after scanning the crowd, just as he was about to say more, someone suddenly shouted:

"The Island Master’s here—it’s Qi Yang!"

"He’s really come?"

Everyone immediately turned to look and indeed saw a middle-aged man dripping in silks landing light as a feather on the roof.

"Island Master Qi!"

"Thank heavens you’ve come!"

"Qi Xuelian butchered Brother Xi Menye! You must avenge him!"

"Island Master Qi, be careful! Qi Xuelian’s martial arts are extraordinary—he’s no pushover..."

"The Blood Sickle Society is at the docks right now, you should..."

The crowd clamored, but Qi Yang remained silent, eating up the distance to the crowd.

The crowd cooperated, melting away like snow, waiting for Qi Yang to confront Qi Xuelian.

Yet some were puzzled—why had Island Master Qi come alone?

Had his men all gone to the docks to deal with the Blood Sickle Society?

No sooner had they wondered when Qi Yang suddenly went berserk.

He slammed his palm into a man nearby.

The man never expected this. He had been watching from the sidelines, eyeing the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture (a coveted martial arts manual) but biding his time.

He certainly hadn’t anticipated that upon arrival, Qi Yang wouldn’t collect Xi Menye’s body or confront Qi Xuelian—but instead attack him.

The blow landed squarely, sending him flying backward. Before he even hit the ground, he spewed black blood.

Blood rained on the crowd.

For a moment, the crowd froze, unsure what to do.

Then they saw Qi Yang, without a word, cutting down anyone in reach.

The first few were caught off guard, dying without knowing why.

The rest, realizing what was happening, snapped:

"Qi Yang, have you lost your damn mind?"

"Why slaughter your fellow practitioners?"

"Do you think we fear you?"

Shouts of surprise echoed, but they were ultimately people of the martial world; with martial arts at their command, how could they sit and wait for death?

Though some had thoughts of retreat, many more turned to attack Qi Yang.

For a moment, chaos reigned on the rooftop.

As the island master of Chiyang Island, Qi Yang's martial arts were naturally formidable. Yet now, he seemed to have lost his sense, relying solely on his internal strength to clash head-on. In just a short while, those who surrounded him had inflicted numerous wounds upon him.

Qi Xue Lian watched coldly from the side, his brows suddenly furrowing.

In the tavern, Su Mo and the others, who had been watching the spectacle, also frowned deeply.

Yang Xiaoyun whispered softly:

"Is this Island Master Qi already dead?"

Su Mo nodded slightly.

The blood flowing from Qi Yang's wounds was not fresh red, but pitch black.

Thick and murky, it was clearly not the blood that would flow from someone who had just died.

Little Situ Taoist, present in the scene, frowned slightly:

"There is poison in his blood..."

The moment she said this, chaos broke out again on the opposite rooftop.

The group that had been surrounding Qi Yang suddenly started attacking each other, with some launching vicious attacks on their own allies.

The victims were confused, while the attackers fought with lethal intent.

Seeing this, Qi Xuelian abruptly snapped his attention to Xi Menye's corpse.

Beside the body, an unkempt elderly man had appeared without anyone noticing.

In one hand was a chicken leg, his face and fingers greasy from eating, while the other casually rummaged through Xi Menye's remains.

Moments later, he pulled out a book from the corpse's robes—none other than the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture.

The elderly man gave a faint smirk at the sight, took another bite of the chicken leg, and turned to leave.

But Qi Xuelian bellowed angrily:

"Leave the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture behind—or I’ll leave your corpse here!"

The elderly man glanced back at Qi Xuelian and chuckled:

"Kid, you talking to me?"

"Obviously."

Qi Xuelian already held his sickle at the ready, eyeing the elderly man warily:

"Was it you who took down Qi Yang?"

"Is this chaos on the rooftop also your masterpiece?"

"And the deadly poison on Xi Menye—was that your doing as well?"

"You’ve got keen eyes, Chief Qi."

The elderly man chuckled lightly. "Among the few notable figures who have emerged in the South Sea over the past two decades, you, Qi Xuelian, could be considered something of a hero."

"Today, I’ve no wish to kill you. If you know what’s good for you, let’s each go our separate ways."

"Don’t die for something that was never yours."

"And drag your entire Blood Sickle Society down with you—wiped out, every last one of you."

"......"

Given Qi Xuelian’s temperament, how could he let that slide?

Yet this man’s methods were unfathomable, almost otherworldly.

Qi Yang of Chiyan Island was no ordinary figure, and the spectacle unfolding on the rooftop was nothing less than breathtaking.

This elderly man, pulling strings from the shadows, stirring up storms—you had to respect his ruthlessness and skill.

But now, with the Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture in the other’s grasp, how could Qi Xuelian simply give up?

He let out a booming laugh.

"Senior’s methods are divine—this one is in awe."

"If it were anything else, I’d hand it over without a fight, not daring to compete with you."

"But this Poison Dragon Alchemy Scripture... isn’t something I can just give up."

"I ask Senior to leave the scripture behind, and Qi Xuelian will escort you out with all respect!"

"Very well, very well."

The elderly man nodded repeatedly. "Then drop."

The moment those three words were spoken, Qi Xuelian dropped like a puppet with its strings cut, collapsing where he stood.

The elderly man shook his head slightly, then turned to take in the carnage around him. With a faint smile, he gave his sleeve a flick.

Something shot from his sleeve.

In moments, it rained down on the crowd.

Some fell dead instantly, while others gradually snapped out of it.

Bewildered, they took in the scene—bloodstains everywhere, corpses strewn across rooftops and the ground—a chill creeping down their spines.

When they turned back, Qi Xuelian was already lying out cold—alive or dead, who could say?

But when they tried to find the culprit, they were left grasping at shadows.

"Before the elderly man left, he counteracted the poison he'd laid."

Inside the tavern, Little Situ was already poised to act.

The poison the elderly man had deployed was deadly potent.

If it spread unchecked, the entire Chiyan Island would likely be devastated by its effects.

As a healer, she couldn’t just stand by.

Yet, to her surprise, once the elderly man obtained what he sought, he promptly neutralized the poison before departing.

For a moment, she wasn’t sure how to feel.

Just as she frowned deeply, Su Mo’s voice suddenly reached her ears:

"We can’t stay here. All of you, return to the ship and wait for me.

"Little Situ, come with me."

In the blink of an eye, a gust of wind swept by—Su Mo and Little Situ had already vanished.

The remaining group turned their gazes to Yang Xiaoyun, who decisively said:

"Since Qi Yang was the Island Master of Chiyan Island, his death will likely throw the island into chaos.

"If we delay any longer, we may not be able to leave anytime soon."

Everyone nodded in agreement—except for Zhen Xiaoxiao, who sulked, upset that the tasty treats she had been eyeing were now out of reach.

Yang Xiaoyun glanced at her and said with a wry laugh:

"Next time we dock, I’ll take you ashore for a feast. Will that do?"

"Yeah!"

Only then did Zhen Xiaoxiao’s eyes light up, her eyes sparkling with glee.

With that, the group rose and headed toward the ship.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of Chiyan Island, a scruffy old man heaved a small boat into the water and was about to board when he suddenly sighed:

"These days, why are there so many people unafraid of death?

"I pulled my punches, yet some still rush to their deaths..."

Turning around, he saw a youth standing behind him, with a young woman in the bloom of youth piggybacked on his back.