As the night deepened, approaching midnight, the leaders of the Han and Lee families, along with Han Fei, were seated in a spacious guest room in the Lee family house. They gathered around a table, discussing the recent events.
"We really underestimated the lord's abilities."
"You're absolutely right, Brother Lee. We almost sent our sons to their deaths."
After listening to Han Fei's account, both Han and Lee began to reflect on how they had underestimated the town lord's power.
"It's not a big deal. After all, they're both fine now, and they managed to poison the lord," Lee remarked, his expression relaxing.
"Exactly. By the way, how is martial nephew doing? When will he recover?" Han asked calmly, looking at Lee.
"The doctor said that since he's a Martial Master, he'll be fine after a good night's rest," Lee replied as he sipped his tea.
"Father, Martial Uncle, I have a bad feeling about this. I can't shake the thought that the poison might not be enough to kill the lord," Han Fei said, throwing a piece of wood into the tea's fire with a gloomy expression.
"Son, what are you talking about? Didn't Lee Zhong manage to wound the lord with his sword? The lord was poisoned—this is our victory!" Han snapped, his voice tinged with anger.
"Your father is right, Han Fei. Let's stay positive and expect the best," Lee added with an encouraging tone.
"Ah... I hope Brother Lee Zhong recovers soon. If there's any trouble, we'll deal with it together," Han Fei sighed as he poured more tea into his cup.
"Hahaha! Han Fei, what's this? Do you miss me already?" The voice came from the doorway as Lee Zhong, laughing heartily, entered the room.
The trio turned to see the young man limping inside, using a cane for support, his leg wrapped in bandages.
"Son, what are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to rest?" Lee exclaimed, rushing to his side with a concerned look.
"I'm fine, you're overreacting. Just tell me—when are we attacking the Wu and Lei families?"
"Attack? We'll wait three days. If the lord hasn't returned by then, we'll strike. Isn't that right, Brother Lee?" Han countered with a question.
"You young ones are so impatient. If you'd just wait a little, everything will fall into place on its own," Lee said, helping his son walk to the table.
"Ah... But this whole thing feels unsatisfying. I can't help but think poisoning him won't be enough," Lee Zhong added as he sat down.
Offering a cup of tea to Lee Zhong, Han Fei said, "I feel the same. It just seemed... too easy."
"Too easy? What are you talking about? Han Fei, can't you see how injured Lee Zhong is? What part of this was easy?" Lee scolded, slamming his cup onto the table as he glared at Han Fei.
"No, Martial Uncle, that's not what I meant. Don't get angry. I'm just not sure if the poison will be enough," Han Fei said apologetically, refilling Lee's cup with a remorseful look.
"Lee, calm down. Why are you scolding the kids?" Han said, looking at Lee and trying to defuse the situation.
"Father, Brother Han Fei is absolutely right. I don't feel at ease either. Sure, we poisoned the lord, but what kind of poison was it? How strong was it? We don't know anything," Lee Zhong said.
"Yes, don't scold them. They're just curious," Han chimed in with a soothing tone. "By the way, brother Lee, one of your men acquired the poison, right? What kind of poison was it? Is it strong enough?" he added.
The trio turned their curious gazes toward Lee, waiting for an answer.
After a few seconds of silence, Lee sipped his tea and began speaking. "Last month, I sent one of our family's loyal servants, Lee Fan, to the city to purchase poison."
"A servant? With the surname Lee?" Han asked, surprised.
"Yes, one of our family's most loyal servants. Years ago, he earned our surname. Surely you don't think I'd send just anyone for such an important task?" Lee replied with a sarcastic smirk toward Han.
"No, it's just that a servant sharing the family name is a rare thing. I was a bit surprised," Han explained.
In martial society, it was uncommon for servants to take on the surname of the family they served. The only exceptions were if the servant's family had served for generations or if the servant had done something extraordinarily beneficial for the family. Such was the case with Lee Fan.
"Alright, let me continue," Lee said, talking on.
"I gave Lee Fan 500 gold coins and a few Earth Stones. I told him to take some strong men with him and buy a poison capable of killing even a Martial Peak practitioner."
Hearing this, the trio was shocked, but Lee continued.
"He returned after 25 days with the strongest poison he could find. It cost 460 gold coins and all the Earth Stones I gave him."
"I didn't ask for details about the poison or how it was obtained. But, as you both young men know, it's an oil-like liquid that adheres to metal. It doesn't wash off with water or dissipate into the air. That's why, after being cut by Lee Zhong's sword, there's no way the lord could survive."
After finishing his explanation, Lee stood up, saying, "The fire under the tea is dying down. Let me add more wood."
Han Fei quickly stood and gestured for Lee to sit. "Wait, Uncle, I'll do it. You rest."
As Han Fei stepped outside to grab more firewood, he couldn't help but think to himself, 'The details of the poison and how it was obtained are unclear. We need to find out.'
While the future of their families hung in the balance, Han Fei didn't press Lee for more information.
Returning with a few logs, he added them to the fire and sat back down, thinking, 'Come on, someone, ask.'
The four of them sat in silence for a while, enjoying their tea as the crackling of the fire filled the room.
A few minutes later, Lee Zhong broke the silence with a thoughtful expression. "Father, we need to know more about the poison. It may be the strongest they could find, but the lord is advancing to Martial Peak. We need a backup plan."
Lee frowned deeply, and no one spoke for a few seconds.
"Brother Lee, nephew is right. If the poison isn't as strong as we expect, we'll need a contingency plan. To make one, we must understand the poison's properties," Han said, nodding in agreement.
After a brief pause, Lee finally relented. "Alright. Since you're all so curious, we'll ask Lee Fan."