The scorpions were much larger than ordinary ones, their bodies a deep, glossy black, and they scuttled with astonishing speed.
In the blink of an eye, the horde of scorpions reached the corner where Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han stood.
This time, Jun Mo Han made no move. He wanted to see how Leng Ruo Li would dispatch this swarm. Would she, as she had before, produce strange liquids from her "sleeves" and then burn them with fire, or…?
As he pondered, Leng Ruo Li suddenly handed him a pill.
"Take this antidote. You won't be as susceptible to poison shortly."
Jun Mo Han took the antidote from Leng Ruo Li and swallowed it.
Following this, Leng Ruo Li produced a large packet of powder, sealed in plastic, from her "sleeve." She then pricked the plastic with a hairpin and sprinkled the powder directly onto the scorpion army. The scorpions, upon contact with the powder, would either die or fall into a stupor.
However, Leng Ruo Li remained concerned that not all the scorpions would be eliminated, as they were far more resilient than the other venomous creatures Jun Mo Han had just slain.
To ensure no lingering threats, she produced two bottles of alcohol and instructed Jun Mo Han to propel them with his inner energy. He then lit a lighter, setting the alcohol ablaze.
"Ah—"
The Poison Granny let out an enraged roar.
"My treasures!"
The Poison Granny was so distraught she felt as though she were suffocating.
"You little slut, I will kill you!"
Seeing her most cherished scorpion treasures incinerated, the Poison Granny flew into a rage. Her once lightly graying hair turned completely white in an instant, and her sallow, emaciated face darkened as if smeared with soot. A mouthful of black blood erupted from her lips, and she staggered, nearly collapsing. Had the masked man not reacted quickly to support her, the Poison Granny would have suffered a far greater indignity.
These venomous scorpions had been nurtured with her very essence; their demise had triggered a backlash, nearly costing her half her life.
The venomous creatures that had cornered Doctor Huang also scattered when the Poison Granny suffered her backlash, and Doctor Huang’s body immediately slumped to the ground.
"Granny, Granny, are you alright?" the masked man asked, supporting her with evident concern.
"Don't mind me. Today, I must kill them, no matter what," the Poison Granny declared, her face contorted with ferocity.
At this moment, reinforcements arrived for Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han.
Jun Mo Han's personal guard, Yin Chen, arrived with five guards and five hidden guards, rushing to their side.
"Your Highness, Miss, are you both unharmed?" Yin Chen inquired respectfully.
"We are fine! Yin Chen, take two of our brothers and rescue Doctor Huang. The Prince and I will lead the remaining brothers to deal with the Poison Granny and the masked man," Leng Ruo Li stated calmly.
As soon as she finished speaking, the Poison Granny and the masked man launched their assault.
The Poison Granny, forcing her ravaged body to act, blew another piercingly unpleasant tune. The masked man, meanwhile, channeled two streams of black wind with his hands, striking towards Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han.
"Woman, be cautious of the masked man's Iron Palm wind. Anyone without inner energy who comes into contact with even a wisp of his Iron Palm wind will contract Iron Palm poison," Jun Mo Han warned, his brow furrowed with concern.
"What? This masked man also uses Iron Palm poison? Could he be Protector Lin, Lin Feng?" Leng Ruo Li’s heart pounded with surprise.
"You guessed correctly. He is indeed Lin Feng, the former protector from your estate. He is also the one who knocked you out that night during the celebratory banquet, dumped you into the cold palace dungeon, and administered poison to you. Furthermore, he is one of the ten assassins of the Dark Night Pavilion, the masked man."
Leng Ruo Li cursed loudly at the masked man: "Damn his ancestor! So it was you! You almost cost me my life last time!"
"Stop gawking, all of you. I will handle Lin Feng. The rest of you, go deal with the Poison Granny."
With that, a ball of white smoke erupted from Jun Mo Han's hand and shot towards Lin Feng, instantly intercepting the incoming black mist.
Leng Ruo Li, accompanied by Jun Mo Han's guards, advanced to meet the Poison Granny's attack.
After the Poison Granny blew her flute, a swarm of thumb-sized black snakes, flicking long, forked tongues, emerged from the ground.
The guards beside Leng Ruo Li immediately drew their swords and slashed at the venomous snakes. However, their swords proved ineffective against the small serpents.
"Damn it! Have these snakes been forged into invulnerable beings?"
Leng Ruo Li stared in astonishment for a few seconds. She then retrieved another packet of poison powder from her "sleeve" and sprinkled it onto the snakes. Her poison powder had no effect on them.
She then produced several more bottles of alcohol, ignited them, and threw them at the snakes. The dilapidated courtyard instantly erupted in a raging inferno. Yet, after the flames died down, the snakes remained unharmed.
Meanwhile, Jun Mo Han's battle with Lin Feng had escalated into a furious exchange. After a fierce duel, Lin Feng, unable to withstand Jun Mo Han, was sent flying by a palm strike, crashing heavily onto the ground.
At this moment, Leng Ruo Li glanced over at Doctor Huang’s location. He had already been safely rescued by Yin Chen and his men.
"Jun Mo Han, retreat quickly. Let me blow up their lair."
Leng Ruo Li first reached into her "sleeve" and retrieved a handgun, firing it towards the Poison Granny's chest. The Poison Granny reacted with remarkable speed, disregarding her injuries, and immediately dove to the ground. However, she lost her grip on the flute, which flew out of her hand.
Without the controlling notes of the flute, the venomous snakes immediately scattered in panic.
Seeing Jun Mo Han retreat to her side, Leng Ruo Li ordered everyone to duck, then produced two grenades, pulled their pins, and hurled them towards the Poison Granny and Lin Feng.
"Boom—"
A tremendous explosion instantly blew apart the few dilapidated structures within the ruined courtyard. Thick smoke billowed into the sky above the wreckage.
The commotion quickly attracted patrolling soldiers and nearby villagers, who rushed towards the scene.
After the courtyard fell silent, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han, along with their companions, hurried to search for the bodies of the Poison Granny and Lin Feng.
Subsequently, they scoured the entire rubble, finding only fragmented remains of the Poison Granny, but Lin Feng's body was nowhere to be found.
"Sigh—"
Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han's guards sighed, lamenting the failure to eliminate Lin Feng.
Jun Mo Han's attention, however, was solely focused on the two grenades Leng Ruo Li had deployed earlier.
What were those two spherical objects she had thrown? Their destructive power was terrifying. If deployed in military applications, they would render one invincible.
Heaven forbid! If enemies were to discover that Leng Ruo Li possessed such formidable weaponry, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Therefore, Jun Mo Han sternly warned his guards: "What happened tonight is to remain absolutely secret. Do you all understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the guards replied respectfully. Having followed Jun Mo Han for many years, they naturally knew what should be said and what should not.
"Especially you," Jun Mo Han stated sternly, looking at Leng Ruo Li, "Never use these again. Do you hear me?"
Soon, the patrolling soldiers and curious onlookers gathered at the entrance of the ruined courtyard.
"Your Highness Prince Leng, this official heard a tremendous explosion from here just now. Has something occurred?"
Yan Song, the Grand Minister of Justice on duty that day, approached Prince Leng and inquired respectfully.
"Nothing of consequence. This prince was apprehending the culprit behind the recent disappearances of physicians in the capital. I used my inner energy to bring down these derelict structures."
"Oh!" Yan Song listened, a hint of skepticism in his tone. Was Prince Leng's inner energy truly as formidable as the rumors suggested?
The surrounding villagers also pushed forward, their murmurs filling the air with discussion.
Suddenly, an old woman, spotting several bowls and chicken bones in a corner by the entrance, exclaimed loudly: "Heavens! Aren't these my bowls? So I truly wronged her."
However, the pale, scholarly young man beside the old woman looked at the bowls and chicken bones with profound disappointment. The things he had been sending to Meiji had apparently gone untouched; they had been stolen and consumed. Tears welled up in his eyes.