At this moment, the elders and Old Meng withdrew their hands from Shen Tianhu's body. All of them were drenched in sweat, looking pale and exhausted. It was clear they had expended a significant amount of their true qi.
"Thank you, elders, for helping my father drive out the poison. How is he now?" Shen Xiang asked calmly, though his heart was filled with concern. Shen Tianhu was his father, his closest family member who had cared for him since childhood. The thought of losing him filled Shen Xiang with deep anxiety.
Old Meng replied, "Rest assured, the poison has been temporarily suppressed, but it hasn't been completely eliminated. The venom has penetrated into his bones and meridians, even seeping into his internal organs. Fortunately, we were able to suppress it in time, or else..."
Shen Xiang closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His fists clenched tightly, and his heart was filled with fury. An invisible killing intent surged from him.
Shen Tianhu weakly opened his eyes. Though his voice was faint, it was full of rage. "Those bastards from the Nine Poison Gang! They've targeted our Shen family repeatedly, so I personally went to settle the score. I fought them and managed to kill two of their leaders and five elders. But then, the gang leader ambushed me. I didn't continue the fight and hurried back."
Shen Xiang was stunned, and the elders and Old Meng also looked at Shen Tianhu in disbelief.
"Father... You actually went alone to confront the Nine Poison Gang?" Shen Xiang gasped. The Nine Poison Gang was a notorious and vicious organization, known for their use of poison in combat. They were a feared dark force, and ten years ago, two families had sent their top experts to fight them, but none returned. Even the family heads who later went to confront them also never came back.
"Hmph! What's there to fear? Ever since our Shen family absorbed the Yao Family, the Nine Poison Gang has been at odds with us, constantly robbing our goods and secretly poisoning our people. They've killed more than ten of our family members. If we don't eliminate them, more of our Shen family will continue to be murdered," Shen Tianhu said angrily.
"Stay calm," Old Meng cautioned.
Shen Tianhu's actions were nothing short of earth-shattering. Killing two of the Nine Poison Gang's leaders and five of their elders dealt a severe blow to the gang, shaking its very foundation.
Shen Lüzong stepped forward, holding a small, thin needle wrapped in thick cloth for everyone to see. He said, "This needle emerged from Tianhu's arm while we were suppressing the poison. It paralyzes the body upon contact, so one wouldn't notice it. But Tianhu's strong divine sense allowed him to detect it, which is why he didn't continue fighting. Otherwise, the poison would have spread more rapidly."
Shen Xiang's eyes widened as he looked at the needle, his expression growing even more serious.
"I've seen this type of needle before!" Shen Xiang clenched his fists, recalling his previous encounter with the crown prince, Song Nanming. During their fight, Song Nanming had released similar needles, and Leng Youlan had been hit by one. However, the poison wasn't as potent at the time.
"It was the crown prince. When Leng Youlan fought him, he used an ice needle to poison her. And during my duel with him, he released steel needles, but I burned them away with fire," Shen Xiang said with a frown.
He had always been suspicious of how the crown prince possessed such weapons. Now, seeing the Nine Poison Gang use similar needles made him think they might be connected.
"Emperor Song Wu seems to live an easy life, so aligning himself with a force like the Nine Poison Gang wouldn't benefit him. But it's possible that the crown prince has secretly been in contact with them," Old Meng speculated. He, too, had suspicions ever since he had removed the poison from Leng Youlan.
"I will find out the truth! Father, where is the Nine Poison Gang located?" Shen Xiang asked, his eyes filled with murderous intent.
"At *Chaoswind Mountain*. Be careful!" Shen Tianhu warned. He knew his son well, and Shen Xiang's strength gave him confidence. After all, Shen Xiang had single-handedly taken down the Yao Family.
"Don't worry. Tianhu's poison will eventually be purged," Shen Lüzong reassured, patting Shen Xiang on the shoulder.
Shen Xiang left the secret chamber, mounted a horse, and headed towards the eastern part of the capital. *Chaoswind Mountain* had long been a place notorious for bandit activity. It was said that a gang had gathered all the scattered thieves, forming what was now the Nine Poison Gang.
As soon as he left the city, Shen Xiang noticed that someone was following him. Pretending not to notice, he continued on his way. Since eliminating the Yao Family, it was possible that some of their remaining members sought revenge. But given his current strength, Shen Xiang had little to fear from them.
Entering the forest, Shen Xiang abandoned his horse and began running through the woods. He slowed his pace deliberately, allowing the pursuers to catch up. However, he found it odd that they made no move to attack, seemingly only monitoring his movements.
"Could it be that someone has anticipated I'd head for Chaoswind Mountain?" The thought crossed Shen Xiang's mind, and he guessed there might be an ambush ahead.
Sure enough, after running for a while, he realized that the pursuers had moved ahead of him. Now he was certain—an ambush awaited him up ahead!
As he ran a little further, Shen Xiang saw someone sitting in front of him!
It was an open space devoid of trees, with fallen leaves scattered on the ground. In the middle of this clearing, a luxurious chair was placed, and on it sat a handsome young man.
"Song Nanming!" Shen Xiang stared coldly at the crown prince, who had once been crippled by him. If it weren't for some top-tier spiritual medicine, Song Nanming wouldn't have recovered so quickly.
Song Nanming's presence here could only mean one thing: he was indeed closely connected with the Nine Poison Gang. After Shen Tianhu's departure from their headquarters, the gang must have used a messenger hawk to notify Song Nanming, giving him enough time to arrive.
Given Shen Xiang's temperament, after his father was poisoned, he was bound to seek revenge. And Song Nanming, harboring a deep hatred for Shen Xiang, would naturally attempt to intercept him.
Shen Xiang quickly deduced the situation. He knew that many members of the Nine Poison Gang were likely lurking nearby, preparing to attack him with their deadly poison weapons. Yet, he remained calm and composed.
As an alchemist, Shen Xiang had long developed immunity to various poisons. Moreover, with his strength at the eighth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, his senses were keen. Last time, Song Nanming's needle attack had failed, and it wouldn't work on him now.
Standing behind Song Nanming were four burly men, each radiating pure true qi. They were clearly top-tier imperial guards.
"Song Nanming, I never expected you to collude with the Nine Poison Gang. As the crown prince of the Nanwu Kingdom, to associate with such a vile organization—imagine the scandal if word got out!" Shen Xiang sneered.
"Shen Xiang, why are you still acting arrogant when death is near? Once you're dead, who will know about my dealings with the Nine Poison Gang? Hahaha... Once I've taken care of you, I'll ascend the throne and wipe out the Shen family. Then I'll be a true emperor!" Song Nanming laughed maniacally.
The current emperor of Nanwu Kingdom held little real power, merely overseeing the nation's administration. When the conflict between the Shen and Yao families erupted, he had no authority to intervene, nor did he have the strength to do so. His influence was limited.
As the crown prince, Song Nanming was next in line for the throne, but he was consumed with a thirst for power. He didn't want to be overshadowed by martial families, so he had secretly aligned himself with the Nine Poison Gang. With their help, he could discreetly eliminate any families that opposed him.
"Attack! Make sure he doesn't leave here alive!" Song Nanming roared, and a sinister wind suddenly swept through the forest.