Chapter 79: More Than Enough to Deal With You!

Seeing the confusion on Xiang Nan’s face, Zhang Chen glanced at the inconspicuous little workshop. With a foolish grin, he said, “Boss, you’re being overly cautious. It’s just a small workshop—why not just rush in and see if anything’s wrong?”

Zhang Chen was never one for subtlety; he immediately hefted his weapon and charged in at the head of the group. The four armed police officers with him didn’t hesitate either, following him inside without a word. Wu Liang wanted to enter as well, but without Xiang Nan’s permission, he dared not act on his own.

Moments passed, and those who had gone in seemed to have vanished into thin air, like stones dropped into the sea—no trace, not even a ripple. The armed police had stormed inside, yet not the slightest commotion could be heard.

Those waiting outside—Xiang Nan, Wu Liang, and the others—instantly grew grave, a sense of foreboding settling in their hearts.

“You stand guard out here. I’ll go in and take a look,” Xiang Nan said, striding toward the workshop.

Wu Liang grabbed his arm. “Brother Nan, it’s too dangerous inside. Let me go instead.”

“Cut the nonsense. I told you to stay put. Without my order, you’re not to set foot inside,” Xiang Nan replied, shaking him off and charging in.

Before entering, he casually retrieved a Revival Herb from the system and tucked it into his mouth, just in case.

The workshop was a converted, derelict factory, its lighting dim and oppressive. Upon crossing the threshold, Xiang Nan was immediately struck by a peculiar fragrance—floral, yet not quite. He pressed on, soon reaching a larger central hall.

All around lay various medicinal materials; it was clear that the counterfeit remedies had been concocted from these ingredients. But Xiang Nan paid them little heed. What mattered now was the fate of Zhang Chen and the others who’d rushed in moments before.

“Well, well, such resilience. You actually resisted the Hundred Flowers Sect’s Ten Fragrance Intoxication?” A strange, teasing female voice echoed through the empty hall.

Turning, Xiang Nan saw a small group of women in one corner, their eyes fixed on him. At their feet lay Zhang Chen and the others, rendered unconscious by the Ten Fragrance Intoxication.

Lounging in a bamboo chair was a woman in her thirties, clad in leather, eyebrows slanting into her temples, lips painted a vivid red—a striking, almost jarring presence.

“So, you went to all this trouble to lure me here. What is it you want? Surely you’re not planning to abduct me for my looks, are you?” Xiang Nan kept his tone light and his smile easy, striving for composure.

“How calm in the midst of chaos—interesting. I underestimated you,” the red-lipped woman replied with feigned seduction. “I hadn’t considered abducting you, but now that you mention it, I might just be tempted.”

“Pity, but I’m not fond of scheming women, especially those who fancy themselves clever but are ruthless in their methods,” Xiang Nan retorted, folding his arms and tilting his head, utterly unperturbed.

“Don’t be ungrateful, pretty boy. You’re the young master of the Eagle Alliance, and I am the Saintess of the Hundred Fragrances Sect—our backgrounds are well matched,” she said.

“So, you must be Ruan Xiaoxiao, the Saintess of the Hundred Fragrances Sect. You’re certainly attractive, but a bit on the older side. Did you go to all this trouble just to arrange a blind date with me, Auntie?”

“You little brat, are you tired of living?” Ruan Xiaoxiao shot forward like an arrow, her entire body a blur.

“Not bad, Auntie! Quite the level you’ve got there!” Xiang Nan continued to taunt her, but his body was already reacting.

With a swift sidestep, he narrowly dodged her assault. Ruan Xiaoxiao, spider-like, suddenly produced numerous silvery threads from her limbs, anchoring herself to the wall behind where Xiang Nan had stood. She turned, her eyes brimming with murderous intent.

In the instant she attacked, a warm, intoxicating aroma filled the air, far richer than the scent at the entrance—almost hypnotic.

Yet seeing Xiang Nan unscathed, Ruan Xiaoxiao and the girls with her were visibly shocked.

“Impossible! Even the Kiss of the Underworld can’t affect him?”

“No one has ever escaped the Saintess’s poison!”

Since joining the Eagle Alliance, Xiang Nan had paid special attention to the Seven Alliances of the Nine Provinces. The Hundred Flowers Sect was the most distinctive among them, based in the southern mountains, their survival dependent on the creation and use of poisons. It was said throughout the martial world that the Sect’s poisons were unmatched.

The Saintess, Ruan Xiaoxiao, was notorious—a venomous spider, ruthless and formidable. Most members of the Sect were women; some were born with a talent for making and wielding poisons, others were throwbacks inheriting ancient, lost formulas. Truly a blossoming of a hundred flowers.

Unfortunately for the so-called Poison Sect, against Xiang Nan, who was immune to all venom, they were fated to be disappointed.

Ever since fusing the Purple Blood and practicing the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, Xiang Nan’s body had been transformed—no poison could harm him.

Realizing her plot had failed, Ruan Xiaoxiao’s anger turned to humiliation. Her nails instantly grew several times longer, her features twisted, evoking the monsters of myth and film.

Once more, the woman with crimson lips charged at Xiang Nan, claws bared. From her earlier move, Xiang Nan had already determined she was at least a fourth-tier cultivator—not to be underestimated.

He mustered his true energy and Purple Blood, focusing his spiritual force at his brow. With a single-handed slash, a searing wave of fire, more than ten meters long, burst forth, cleaving toward Ruan Xiaoxiao.

With a thunderous crash, Ruan Xiaoxiao was forced to twist in mid-air, spinning away to land in a heap on the floor. But her spider abilities saved her; just before impact, she spun threads that anchored her to the wall once more.

Where she’d been, the fiery wave had split the wall and gouged a deep trench in the floor—the entire workshop nearly collapsed from the force.

Ruan Xiaoxiao sprang to another wall, staring at Xiang Nan in disbelief. “Second-tier cultivation, yet this powerful?!”

“It’s nothing much, but plenty to take you on!” Xiang Nan replied, letting a bit of arrogance show.

“Auntie, when you awakened your fourth-tier bloodline, you didn’t turn into a giant spider monster, did you? That would be truly unsettling,” he teased.

“Hmph! Not bad—you can see I’m at the fourth tier. If you value your life, hand over the artifact!” Ruan Xiaoxiao finally revealed her true motive, though her confidence was clearly shaken.

If she hadn’t dodged Xiang Nan’s fiery wave just in time, she might have been burned to a crisp.

“The artifact? So that’s what you’re after—all you had to do was ask. I’m not stingy. If you want it, why wouldn’t I give it to you?” Xiang Nan shrugged and drew out the scroll weapon crafted by Su Yao.

He deliberately twirled the scroll in his hand. “Detoxify the armed police and let them go, and the artifact is yours.”

“Would you really hand over such a treasure so easily?” Ruan Xiaoxiao’s eyes narrowed as she scrutinized him.

“To you, an artifact is worth more than a life. To me, my friends’ lives outweigh any treasure. I’m just a second-tier cultivator—keeping this artifact would only bring endless trouble. What good is it?” Xiang Nan stood with his hands behind his back, his words open and sincere.