Chapter Fifty-Five: The Two Factions of Good and Evil

“If I refuse, will you kill me?” Nie Xuan sneered.

“That’s right! You attacked me first, released venomous insects to harm others—I have a hundred reasons to kill you!” The bamboo chair beneath Lin Feng let out a splintering wail and, under the pressure of his energy, was crushed almost without his noticing.

At once, everyone in the room drew their blades, the atmosphere tightening dangerously.

“Hahaha… Fine! I, Nie Xuan, will wager everything this time!” The master of the demonic path rose, declaring, “Before the Venom God, I, Nie Xuan, hereby form an alliance with Lin Feng of the Hundred Flowers Sect. We shall advance and retreat together, share life and death; should I harbor a double heart, may ten thousand poisons devour me to death!”

The Oath of Ten Thousand Poisons that Nie Xuan made was the most severe vow of the Valley of Deadly Venoms. Be it those who follow the path of Dao or Demon, all hold their oaths in utmost reverence—for above every head, the gods bear witness. If one does not believe in the immortals, why pursue immortality at all?

The Five Venom Child had hidden in the Bamboo Garden Manor all these years, simply to survive. Now, with Lin Feng and the others as allies, he could soon walk the world openly.

“Good! Bring wine!” Lin Feng shouted. Immediately, a maid arrived with a wine pot.

“This little wine isn’t nearly enough! Bring a jar! And big bowls!” Zuo Qingcheng’s eyes widened, nearly frightening the maid to tears.

Hearing this, Liao Kai went out and soon rolled in a large wine jar. Though still sealed, its fragrance filled the air.

Six large bowls were set in a row, brimming with strong wine that spilled over the rims. Each person lifted a bowl and downed it in one gulp—bang! bang! bang!—they smashed the bowls, laughing heartily.

“Splendid! To hell with talk of the demonic or righteous paths! These are all friends you’ve heard of, I’m sure?” Lin Feng, feeling exuberant, introduced each one, “This is Prince Ye Ziyin of Autumn Lake, this is Brother Zuo Qingcheng, and these two are Liu Yun and Liao Kai. From now on, we are brothers—no more talk of demonic or righteous paths.”

Everyone nodded in greeting and found seats around the room.

“Oh, I nearly forgot—I have another brother outside. Wuzhui! Wuzhui!” Lin Feng called loudly toward the door. With a swish, a black shadow darted into the hall, tongue lolling as it nodded at Lin Feng.

“And this is…?” Nie Xuan watched for a while, unable to discern what manner of beast Wuzhui was.

“Wuzhui is a Howling Moon Celestial Wolf. He just inherited the arts of Master Che Zhonglou of the Ancient Ape sect. Once he passes the transformation tribulation, he’ll take a form like ours,” Lin Feng explained.

“Greetings!” Wuzhui offered his regards to Nie Xuan.

“What! He’s as intelligent as my master’s Red-Armored Spider King!” Nie Xuan was amazed, then suddenly realized, “Did you just say Master Che Zhonglou?”

“That’s right. At Weihu Pass, Che Zhonglou fought a fierce battle with a demonic master named Bi Rong. Two days have passed and there’s still no sign of him. I fear something may have happened,” Lin Feng replied.

“Bi Rong? Ghost-Faced Raksha Bi Rong! He would dare appear here… Che Zhonglou’s cultivation is profound; he long ago reached the Nascent Soul stage and is the blood brother of Great Ape King Che Shitu. For Bi Rong to oppose him is to seek death.” Nie Xuan frowned deeply. “Whether he wins or loses, Bi Rong has made an enemy he cannot face—by now, he must be skulking in terror, afraid to show himself.”

Nie Xuan’s analysis resonated with everyone; all nodded in agreement. The usually silent Ye Ziyin suddenly asked, “After what Manor Lord Xia has done, will Prince Rongqing still tolerate him? I fear he may take desperate measures and drag us all down with him.”

Ye Ziyin’s words sent a chill through the group.

“All the warriors here are Xia Baizhu’s men. Will they try to ambush us tonight?” Liu Yun asked.

“I don’t think we need to worry,” Lin Feng replied. “Xia Baizhu is a consummate hypocrite—he’ll safeguard appearances. Besides, the manor’s warriors are not cruel or treacherous. We’ll take turns keeping watch tonight and see what dawn brings.” Lin Feng’s eyes gleamed, and Nie Xuan and Ye Ziyin nodded in agreement.

Zuo Qingcheng and Ye Ziyin, each armed, went out to patrol. Liu Yun and Liao Kai rolled out bamboo mats, and the group made do with sleeping in Xia Baizhu’s study.

Lin Feng and Nie Xuan, needing no sleep, sat in meditation, healing their wounds and speeding their recovery. Wuzhui stood guard at the door, dozing lightly.

As dawn approached, all was still calm in the manor. Lin Feng got up, pushed open the door, and stepped into the courtyard. After the battle last night, many buildings were in ruins and the ground was littered with the corpses of snakes and insects. Now, a dozen servants were cleaning up the aftermath.

“I wonder where Xia Tong is, as well as Steward Qu. How did all these people vanish overnight?” Lin Feng glanced at his bandaged fists—some wounds were already scabbing, the flesh knitting together, itching and tingling. “Such astonishing recovery. In just a few days, I’ll be fully healed.”

“Are you worrying about Xia Baizhu?” Nie Xuan’s voice came from behind.

“No. After not seeing you return last night, he must be desperately seeking a solution. He’s likely more anxious than we are. By the way, as a disciple of the Venom King, how is it you also practice fist techniques?” Lin Feng asked with his back turned.

“Is there a rule that one who uses poison cannot also cultivate other arts? My Iron Rhinoceros gauntlets were smashed by you—I’ll have to get them repaired,” Nie Xuan replied.

“Oh? How many techniques have you mastered? I have a few questions. You must be at the late stage of Qi Refining, yes?” Lin Feng suddenly asked.

“What? You’re not at the late Qi Refining stage?” Nie Xuan was surprised. “Yet your spiritual power is no weaker than mine, and your aura even surpasses mine. How could I have lost to you?”

Nie Xuan smiled wryly. In cultivation and experience, he surpassed Lin Feng, yet had been defeated fair and square.

“You haven’t answered my question.” Lin Feng’s eyes flashed as he turned to face him.

Nie Xuan took two steps forward and exhaled. “I haven’t learned much. That fist technique is called the Great Luo Blade-Blocking Fist, designed for close combat and defense. If you want to learn it, I can teach you. But without proper gauntlets, practicing it is very risky. As for other techniques, you wouldn’t care for them—they’re secret arts for controlling venomous creatures or peering into others’ secrets.”

“Does Deadly Venom Valley allow you to share your techniques with outsiders?” Lin Feng was intrigued.

“Of course! Only by sharing can martial arts flourish. Our Ten Thousand Demons Creed encourages exchange among disciples—much more open-minded than your Hundred Flowers Sect, don’t you think? Among all the great sects, only ours encompasses both orthodox and unorthodox arts, ghostly and demonic ways, even Buddhist and monster magic. Everyone carries at least two or three unique skills, but because of that, many lack true mastery and stray from the main path,” Nie Xuan said.

“Tell me, what sort of sect is Ten Thousand Demons Creed? They say it’s between the North Sea shore and the Demon Wastes, a land of barren red earth and swarming with venomous creatures. Is that true?” Lin Feng smiled.

Such tales circulated among cultivators, but Lin Feng did not believe them. If the environment were that harsh, why would any demonic sect endure it?

“Haha, do you believe such nonsense?” Nie Xuan laughed. “Our founder traveled all the great rivers and mountains of the land before choosing the spiritual grounds of the Ten Thousand Demons Creed as our base. It’s no less blessed than your Hundred Flowers Sect’s Qiyun Mountain. With seventy-six caves and hundreds of thousands of disciples gathered, even if the righteous sects united, they would hesitate to challenge us. Besides, the cave lords, the teaching envoys, the three great guardians—all are extraordinary figures. And our sect leader’s abilities are boundless, while countless reclusive masters live in seclusion there. If that’s not a paradise on earth, what is?”

“Impressive, indeed,” Lin Feng replied with a polite smile. “Your Iron Rhinoceros gauntlets—they’re made from armored black rhinoceros hide, aren’t they?”

“That’s right. To withstand blades and sword energy, only top-grade monster hide will do. The best I could obtain was this level of gauntlet. If I had a pair of Bronze Ancient Beast gauntlets, I wouldn’t have lost to you so easily last night. So, do you want to learn?”

“Gladly! And I won’t learn for nothing. One day, I’ll gift you a pair of top-grade gauntlets,” Lin Feng replied generously.

The Great Luo Blade-Blocking Fist had simple principles: one must inhale and exhale swiftly, circulate spiritual power with full force, and focus on speed, ferocity, and precision. Breaths must remain steady, energy always concentrated in both fists, which serve as the blades to parry any attack. The technique comprised nineteen single-fist forms and nine double-fist forms. When mastered, the body becomes impenetrable—no opening to exploit.

Nie Xuan explained by Lin Feng’s side, correcting his stance and movements. Time passed quickly, and by noon, Lin Feng had learned the entire technique. His wounds prevented him from using spiritual power, but he memorized all the key motions.

“Brother Lin, Brother Nie… Xia Baizhu is here!” Zuo Qingcheng’s strange shout came from the front yard, a note of excitement in his voice.

“Let’s go see!” Lin Feng beckoned Nie Xuan, called for Wuzhui, and strode towards the manor’s gate.

With a thud, Xia Baizhu, bare-chested and tightly bound with thorny branches, dropped to his knees at the threshold as they approached. Beneath his knees was a bundle of brambles. Beside him, Xia Tong stood holding Lu Ma’s reins, her expression complex as she gazed at Lin Feng.

Bearing thorns to plead for forgiveness!