Volume One: A Youth Enters the World Chapter Thirty-Eight: Taking Action

Chen Shikang watched as everyone finished their wine, a gentle smile on his face as he continued, "Now, I won't delay everyone from enjoying the fine wine and dishes. Please, help yourselves."

The members of the Zhou and Sun families did not stand on ceremony. They began to eat, for the younger generation had trained hard for the competition for a full month. Now, confronted with delicious food and drink, they did not hesitate, digging in heartily.

Fang Tian, sitting at one table, stared at the food and wine before him but did not pick up his chopsticks. Suspicion flickered in his heart; even earlier, when it was time to drink, he had not truly swallowed the wine but had hidden it with his sleeve and poured it onto the ground.

He was being exceptionally cautious, and as he watched the others eat and drink without concern, his uneasiness only deepened, as though he sensed some calamity on the horizon.

After a while, Zhou Quan, who sat nearby, noticed that Fang Tian had not touched a single morsel and asked curiously as he gnawed on a chicken leg, "Brother Fang Tian, why aren't you eating?"

Fang Tian glanced at him and replied, "I'm not very hungry. A little wine is enough for me."

Seeing Fang Tian's lack of appetite seemed genuine, Zhou Quan simply said, "Alright, then let me eat a bit first. I haven't eaten all day. Later, you must join me for a proper drink."

"Alright."

With that, Zhou Quan busied himself with his food, eating without any concern for decorum.

As for Zhou Xiaodie, she was not seated beside Fang Tian but was instead accompanying Zhou Yunshu in making toasts to the Chen and Sun families.

While offering a toast, Zhou Xiaodie glanced back at Fang Tian and found him watching her as well. She smiled at him, and he returned the smile.

Zhou Xiaodie then mouthed a few words before turning away. Fang Tian immediately understood her meaning: she was telling him to wait for her.

He withdrew his gaze and continued to observe the crowd, yet detected nothing unusual. This made him question himself—was he merely being paranoid? Was this, in fact, an ordinary banquet?

After some time with nothing amiss, he lowered his guard, picked up his wine cup, and prepared to drink. If he continued to abstain, others might suspect he held some dissatisfaction with the food and drink.

Just then, as Fang Tian raised his cup, a sudden voice rang out from the roof at the north end of the courtyard.

"Patriarchs of the three great families, how is the wine? Should I join you for a drink?"

The abrupt voice brought the gathering to a halt. All eyes turned in the direction of the sound.

There, on the roof, stood a figure dressed in black, his face obscured so that no one could discern his identity.

Chen Shikang, seeing that the intruder had arrived, put on a show of bravado and shouted loudly, "Who are you? Name yourself! To dare play tricks in the Chen household—tired of living, are you?"

The man in black atop the roof was, in truth, Qi Liang. Hearing Chen Shikang's words, he pretended to cooperate and replied, "Playing tricks? Patriarch Chen, what if I said I came only to drink with you? Would you believe me?"

"Nonsense! Who comes to my house for a drink dressed for a midnight raid?"

"Very well. In truth, I have come to kill you all!"

"What a joke! We have so many people here, and you are alone. Do you really think you can take us all on?"

At this, Sun Zhengyun, who had been sitting quietly, showed his impatience and said to Chen Shikang, "Can we stop wasting words and just seize him already?"

Zhou Yunshu, who sat nearby, said nothing, still watching.

Chen Shikang nodded and signaled to Sun Zhengyun, then began to channel his spiritual power, as if truly preparing to act.

But just as the two were about to move, Qi Liang on the rooftop burst into hearty laughter.

"Gentlemen, did you not notice anything when you tried to use your spiritual power?"

"What's going on? I can't use my power at all! Sun Zhengyun, what about you?"

Sun Zhengyun replied quietly, "Neither can I. I suspect there's poison in the wine."

"Patriarch Sun is correct. I poisoned your wine long ago. By now, none of you should have a trace of spiritual power left."

At these words, panic swept through the gathering. Everyone hurried to check their own spiritual strength, only to find, just as the man on the roof had said, that it was utterly gone.

Feigning shock, Chen Shikang fixed Qi Liang with a look of disbelief, pointing at him and exclaiming, "Impossible! The Chen household is heavily guarded. How could someone slip in and poison us so easily?"

"Nothing is impossible. Let me inform you: the poison is Dissolving Spirit Powder. It melts instantly in water, is tasteless and odorless—you would never have noticed."

Dissolving Spirit Powder—a poison that strips cultivators of their spiritual power, and not something an ordinary person could obtain.

"What? Dissolving Spirit Powder?" The two men were astonished.

"Enough talk. Time to send you on your way."

With that, Qi Liang gathered his spiritual power, leapt from the rooftop, and struck at Chen Shikang's chest with a palm. Chen Shikang was sent flying, crashing into the courtyard wall, smashing it to pieces, and lay there unconscious—whether dead or alive, no one could tell.

Sun Zhengyun, seeing this, tried to flee, but after only a few steps, Qi Liang moved in a flash to block his path, a mocking smile on his face.

"Patriarch Sun, in such a hurry—where do you think you're going?"

Sun Zhengyun's legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, pleading, "Please, spare me! I will give you anything you want!"

Qi Liang sneered, looking down on him with contempt, and with a single blow sent Sun Zhengyun coughing blood and collapsing to the ground, lifeless within moments.

The others, witnessing Qi Liang in black dispatch Chen Shikang and Sun Zhengyun in the blink of an eye, were seized by terror and began to scatter in panic.

Qi Liang, watching the terrified and fleeing guests, was in no hurry. As long as he dealt with Zhou Yunshu, the rest were of no concern.

He turned his gaze toward Zhou Yunshu, but was surprised to see no trace of fear on his face.

A cold smile curled Qi Liang's lips. He thought Zhou Yunshu was merely putting on a brave front in the face of death.

Spiritual power surged through Qi Liang as he rushed toward Zhou Yunshu, already envisioning his demise.

Zhou Yunshu, seeing the black-clad figure charging at him, sighed as if resigned to his fate and closed his eyes.

But just as Qi Liang's attack was about to land, Fang Tian, who had been standing a short distance away, vanished and appeared before Zhou Yunshu.

Fang Tian gathered his spiritual power and met Qi Liang's strike. A blast of energy sent tables and chairs flying, and a thunderous sound erupted.

Unable to withstand the force, Fang Tian pulled Zhou Yunshu with him as he retreated dozens of steps before coming to a stop.

Qi Liang too was caught off guard by this sudden turn and stumbled back in surprise.

He was deeply perplexed—how was there still someone with spiritual power?

Blood spurted from Fang Tian's mouth as he half-knelt, gasping for breath. Dark thoughts filled his heart; his opponent was far stronger, and he feared he could not match him.

Zhou Yunshu, seeing Fang Tian appear and save him, hurried to his side. "Xiao Tian, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's just that this man's strength is overwhelming—I can't defeat him."

"Forget about us, you must escape now!"

"I can't run. I must find a way to save you all."

"Ah, why must you do this?"

"No more. Uncle Zhou, I will not abandon you."

At that moment, a thought flashed through Fang Tian's mind. Had he not inspected the spiritual pool earlier? Perhaps he could use it to draw a spirit array to counter this foe. Moreover, he realized that the man's main targets were the patriarchs of the three great families; if he could just get Zhou Yunshu away, the attacker might be drawn off and leave the others alone.

No matter what, it was the only way to shift the situation. He had to try.

Fang Tian glanced at Zhou Xiaodie and Zhou Quan, then whispered a word to Zhou Yunshu before leaping over the courtyard wall and fleeing with him into the night.