Immortal Cultivation: Starting from a Pharmacy Apprentice

Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Caught Red-handed

Qin Wen crouched down to examine the three bodies closely.

There were no external injuries. Aside from the ligature marks on their necks, there were no other wounds.

"Shopkeeper, would you take a look?"

Bai Mo, squatting beside them, shook his head immediately.

"It’s not poison, and there’s no Abnormal Qi in their bodies either."

Everyone examined the bodies for a while, then exchanged uncertain glances.

Bai Mo was about to get up when he unintentionally spotted a detail. He grabbed one of the corpse’s arms and began rubbing it.

There was a rash on it. It would have been red, but now it was obscured by livor mortis.

Bai Mo said, "This is an orchid rash, left by the Seven-Percent Flower. The rash’s pattern resembles an orchid, hence the name."

"This person was a skilled worker who handled medicinal herbs."

Qin Wen quickly looked at the other two bodies. Although he didn’t see the traces Bai Mo had mentioned, he discovered something else.

"They were indeed skilled herb handlers. The calluses on their finger joints are scattered, and there’s powder residue in the lines of their palms. You don’t get calluses like these from doing odd jobs."

The Seven-Percent Flower is toxic. When used as a medicinal ingredient, its potency must be suppressed, with only seventy percent of its power utilized, hence its name.

The plant is not common; it’s quite rare. To develop an orchid rash, this person must have been in frequent contact with the Seven-Percent Flower.

Xu Ruyuan’s heart trembled. He found it hard to believe.

"Could it really be the handiwork of that manor?"

He still trusted his men; there was no way they would have leaked any secrets.

Qin Wen said, "It’s either a coincidence, or there’s really something strange about that manor."

"Brother Xu, where exactly is that manor located?"

"Outside the city, a hundred zhang to the left of Eight Miles Pavilion. It’s a rather exquisite courtyard estate."

Bai Mo straightened up. After all, this old man, Xu Ruyuan, worked for him, and he was diligent and dedicated.

Now that he was in trouble, Bai Mo couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

"Go get our brothers from the Demon Hunting Team. Ask them for help."

"Don’t waste any time. We’ll catch the culprits tonight."

Qin Wen did as he was told and left.

Night fell quickly.

Tonight, Xu Ruyuan continued his watch, sitting by the door with an oil lamp, his old eyes bloodshot.

The door was closed. Just on the other side, Bai Mo waited.

He had thought he’d have to wait until at least the third watch, but unexpectedly, Xu Ruyuan’s head slumped to the side and he fell asleep right after the night watchman sounded the second gong.

Bai Mo, who had been resting with his eyes closed, snapped them open.

’They’re here!!’

Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, and the Cultivators who had snuck up to Xu Ruyuan’s door were revealed to Bai Mo’s eyes.

There were three of them, moving nimbly and without a word.

One of them unwrapped a corpse from a white cloth on his back, while his companion took out a white silk sash, preparing to loop it around the neck.

’So it’s true. There’s no "corpse delivered by a gentle breeze." It’s clearly a technique to cloud the mind and conceal their movements.’

Bai Mo now understood completely.

BANG!

In the neighboring house, a door was kicked open and windows shattered. Several burly men, with the Pills Bai Mo had given them held in their mouths, felt a warm, invigorating rush.

"Kill!"

One of the men swung his arm, and a chain hammer flew out.

The three intruders flinched, then dropped the corpse without hesitation and turned to flee.

They used strange, erratic footwork and ran extremely fast.

Throughout the entire process, they remained silent.

The stiff corpse fell rigidly to the ground.

The burly men scrambled over walls and roofs, throwing one hidden dart after another as they gave chase.

Bai Mo stepped outside, glanced at the corpse, and sighed inwardly at the sin. He then slapped Xu Ruyuan on the top of his head.

"Senior Xu, wake up!!"

Xu Ruyuan jolted, his neck snapping upright so fast he nearly sprained it. He was instantly awake.

"What happened?"

The first thing he saw was the corpse at the door, and he was stunned.

"The culprits showed up?"

Bai Mo nodded.

"Let’s go take a look."

The sounds of fighting could already be heard up ahead. Qin Wen was leading men to intercept them; there was no way the group could escape.

But when Bai Mo arrived at the scene, he was surprised to see that the burly men were no match for the three intruders.

Qin Wen hadn’t arrived yet. The one dodging and weaving in the middle of the fight was a youth dressed in white.

The Longsword in his hand flashed with spiritual light, his technique so tight it was impenetrable, forcing the culprits back again and again.

Bai Mo saw it clearly.

’That’s the style of the Xuandao Sect. This person is a Sect Disciple!’

He watched as the youth’s Longsword slashed through one man’s clothes, tearing into his flesh and drawing blood.

The man’s expression didn’t change. He held a steel bodkin and thrust it straight at the youth’s heart, his movements completely undisturbed.

Seeing this, the youth, who was already covered in a dense sweat, became even more delighted.

"Haha, just as I expected! A stakeout at night was bound to yield something. This is a big fish!"

In a nearby corner, a young boy dressed as a house servant was hiding, squatting with his head in his hands.

Hearing this, the servant didn’t forget to chime in with his support.

"As expected of you, Young Master. Your predictions are godlike."

Just then, Qin Wen arrived. With him joining the fray, even though the three men were impervious to pain, they completely lost the ability to fight back.

One of them opened his mouth, spat out a block of wood he’d been holding, and cried out in terror:

"I can’t take it anymore! At this rate, I’m going to bleed out!"

His face was extremely pale and contorted in pain.

The man who had been carrying the corpse grew instantly furious and spat out his own block of wood.

"You, coward!"

"I’ll get rid of you first!"

The white-clothed youth saw this and assumed the man was trying to silence his own accomplice.

"Ah Dong!"

Hearing his name, the servant quickly pulled a black pellet from his robes and threw it at the culprits.

POOF!

A burst of smoke and sparks erupted, choking everyone.

But the culprits seemed to feel nothing, ignoring the burns on their skin as if they were normal. Seeing the white-clothed youth forced back, their eyes suddenly lit up.

"A good chance!"

"Escape!"

One of the burly men had already retreated more than three zhang away. Seeing the three trying to escape, he took aim and threw his chain hammer.

CRACK!

One man’s shin was shattered instantly.

Several hidden darts followed, shooting toward the foreheads of the other two.

The two only hesitated for a moment to dodge, but that brief delay cost them their chance.

They were surrounded.

The white-clothed youth exclaimed excitedly, "Excellent!"

"Who are you people? Help me take them to Mountain View Tower!"

The burly men could tell the white-clothed youth’s skills were extraordinary, but they only turned their gazes toward the approaching Bai Mo.

"Alchemist Bai, how should we handle this?"

Before Bai Mo could say anything, Xu Ruyuan, who was standing beside him, flew into a rage and stomped forward.

"Aha! So it’s you, you bunch of nonsensical... "

The corpse-carrying culprit he was pointing at just sneered menacingly, veins bulging on his forehead, his aura unstable.

"Unknowing and unfeeling, return to chaos, the true home is eternal, I..."

SQUELCH!

One of the burly men, his face impassive, thrust out a saber, splitting the man’s skull and sending brain matter flying.

Caught off guard, Xu Ruyuan jumped in fright and took two steps back.

The white-clothed youth was also startled. When he recovered, he became furious.

"What are you doing!? He was about to reveal a clue!"

Bai Mo walked closer.

"It’s fine. Aren’t there still two more?"

This was the style of the Demon Hunting Team. When operating in the mountains, they couldn’t be bothered with cause and effect. When a person dies, their light is extinguished.

When faced with the unpredictable, it was best to strike first and eliminate any potential threats.

The culprit’s body slid to the ground, the surging energy within him gradually calming down. The sight made the remaining two tremble with fear.

Seeing this, Xu Ruyuan was rather puzzled.

"The ones who framed my people are just trash like you?"

"This cowardly display doesn’t match the methods used. I took so many precautions, yet I was still knocked unconscious. I thought it was some bizarre ’corpse delivered by a gentle breeze’ incident."

"Could there be a mastermind behind this?"

Bai Mo explained:

"They are just a few men who aren’t afraid of pain."

"The method they used to cloud your mind is a drug that obstructs a person’s Divine Thought. In small doses, it has a calming effect. By a normal person’s understanding, it wouldn’t be considered a poison."

"The incense produced when this drug is burned is odorless, making it very difficult to guard against with the anti-poison measures you prepared."

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