Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 588 - Poisonous Pills

Murderous intent suddenly filled every inch of space in the stall, and the man behind Xiao Gou roared, "Liu Wuxie, how dare you show yourself here!"

Yet, there was a flicker of wariness and anxiety beneath his fierce demeanor.

"Mu Yongyuan, I didn't expect you to be someone from the Lesser Blade Association," Liu Wuxie smiled. He recognized this person from their previous encounter when he and Jian Xing'er were in the Underground Abyssal Realm.

He had tried to snatch the Blood Jade Beast from Liu Wuxie, only to be injured and forced to flee. When he returned, Mu Yongyuan didn't avenge him, and it looked like he had holed up in the black market to work for the Lesser Blade Association.

"Liu Wuxie, you're not welcome here. Leave immediately!" Mu Yongyuan commanded, attempting to usher Liu Wuxie out.

"The black market is a place of free trade, and I'm free to go wherever I like. Or are you going to violate the rules here?" Liu Wuxie sneered. The owners of the black market had set up the rules, and the Lesser Blade Association wouldn't dare to violate them easily unless they wished to never step into the black market again.

If they lost their place in the black market, their pills market would take a significant blow, and it would be nearly impossible for them to sell their pills elsewhere.

Liu Wuxie's question momentarily silenced Mu Yongyuan; the black market didn't belong to the Lesser Blade Association, and they merely borrowed the venue to sell their pills.

The cultivators in the surroundings stopped what they were looking at and turned to look at Liu Wuxie curiously. After all, there had been too many rumors about Liu Wuxie recently, and even some storytellers spun tales of his exploits in Serene Sea City.

Yet, to the unknowing eye, there seemed little remarkable about him; his reputation was largely credited to the support of the House of Tea Art. Without their backing, he would quickly fade back into obscurity.

The tension thickened, and the Lesser Blade Association would never sell their pills to Liu Wuxie. This was the same as putting them at his mercy.

If the sect were to find out and send someone here to investigate, they would be held accountable and even drag Qing Mu down.

The current Treasure Pill Peak was divided into two factions, one led by Qing Mu and the other by Bi Gongyu.

The Lesser Blade Association preferred their stall in the black market to be managed by outsiders to keep their affiliation with the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion a secret.

Mu Yongyuan wouldn't appear in person, and it wouldn't matter even if someone recognized him. After all, no one was willing to disrupt the rules of the black market.

Many disciples in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion knew that the Lesser Blade Association was selling illicit pills in the black market, and even the sect couldn't do anything to them.

Mu Yongyuan had come out because Xiao Gou had mentioned a big client. Who would've expected the client that Xiao Gou spoke of to be Liu Wuxie himself?

The cultivators gathered in the surroundings and whispered. Upon hearing Liu Wuxie's name, more people began to stream into the stall.

Even Liu Wuxie didn't expect the pills business in the black market to be so thriving. After all, the prices were 30-40% cheaper in the black market, even if they had to pay a commission.

For ordinary people, saving that many resources was a great deal. Pills were considered essentials for cultivators, and the only way to buy them at a lower price was on the black market.

"Liu Wuxie has some audacity to venture into the tiger's den," a man in the Astral River Realm smirked, wanting to see how Liu Wuxie would extricate himself from this predicament. This was the Lesser Blade Association's territory, and they wouldn't let him leave easily. They would certainly cause trouble for him since he was here.

"I heard rumors about his intelligence, so let's see how he performs." Many people in the outside world regarded Liu Wuxie with lofty titles.

"I've heard about the events in Serene Sea City. The House of Tea Art resolved the life-and-death crisis for him. Without the House of Tea Art's protection, he's worthless," others remarked. Some dismissed Liu Wuxie's accomplishment in Serene Sea City as mere luck.

Opinions were split, and only a few supported him genuinely. After all, prodigies were often the target of envy.

Everyone's gaze fell on Mu Yongyuan to see what he would do next.

Mu Yongyuan’s lips twisted into a devilish smile as he replied, "You’re right; this is a free market. Xiao Gou mentioned you were interested in purchasing Earth Origin Pills. As long as you can meet the price, I can supply you with as many as you like."

He had a feud with Liu Wuxie ever since he was injured in the Underground Abyssal Realm, and he couldn't find an opportunity to take revenge on Liu Wuxie ever since he returned to the sect.

When he wanted to take revenge, Liu Wuxie had already grown beyond his reach, and he could only suck it up.

He had joined the Lesser Blade Association a year ago and was dispatched here because the black market required personnel.

"I indeed need Earth Origin Pills, but I'm not interested in pills containing toxins. Consuming pills produced by the Lesser Blade Association would only cause more harm than benefits," Liu Wuxie said with an exaggerated look of fear on his face. He even took a look at the pills on the counter on purpose.

The Earth Origin Pills here were selling like hotcakes, with hundreds being sold daily. However, Liu Wuxie's claim that the pills contained toxins caused an uproar in the surroundings. Several people had bought dozens of such pills, spending over a million spirit stones.

"Liu Wuxie, is that all you got? By trying to smear our pills with baseless accusations? We've been selling the Earth Origin Pills here for years, and we've never heard of anyone poisoned by it," Mu Yongyuan sneered, dismissing Liu Wuxie's words as spouting nonsense. His retort suggested that Liu Wuxie was out of tricks.

"That's right. I've been taking the Earth Origin Pills for over a year now, and there aren't any side effects," a cultivator in the high levels of the Astral River Realm stepped out. He wasn't a member of the Lesser Blade Association, but he was merely speaking the truth.

"I've also been taking it for a month, and there aren't any issues," more people said to support the Lesser Blade Association, and the tide was turning against Liu Wuxie.

"Liu Wuxie, you hear that? There aren't any problems with the pills here. You can get lost now if you have nothing else to do here," Mu Yongyuan said strongly, demanding that Liu Wuxie leave and not embarrass himself any further.

"Well, pretend that I never said anything since you people are willing to take pills containing toxins. After all, you're all a bunch of fools who can't even tell that your bodies are suffering," Liu Wuxie said, shaking his head with an exaggerated disappointment on his face.

Everyone had heard how Liu Wuxie had insulted the Azure Crimson Gate by calling them blockheads in the past. So, he naturally ignited their fury when he called them fools, too.

"Liu Wuxie, don't even think of leaving this place today if you can't prove your words!" A cultivator in the high levels of the Astral River Realm took a step forward to block Liu Wuxie's path. He had been consuming the Earth Origin Pills purchased from the Lesser Blade Association for over a year and found nothing wrong with his body. Thus, how could he put up with Liu Wuxie calling him a fool?

"Who the fuck do you think you are to demand that I speak?" Liu Wuxie released a powerful aura that forced the man to step back. These people had just ridiculed him earlier, so why should he be polite to them?

"If not for the black market's rules, I would’ve definitely killed him!" More cultivators looked at Liu Wuxie with hatred, unable to swallow the insult.

A group of people came over to surround Liu Wuxie, preventing him from leaving if he couldn't prove his claim, even if they had to risk violating the black market's rules.

On the contrary, Mu Yongyuan appeared unfazed as he stood by the side, smiling. As for Xiao Gou, he was completely dumbfounded, wondering how he attracted a calamity like Liu Wuxie.

"Young Master Liu, we're not trying to make things difficult for you, but what evidence do you have to claim that the pills contained toxin?" Not everyone was against Liu Wuxie, and a few stayed neutral, hoping that Liu Wuxie could give them a reasonable explanation. If the pills contained toxins, they would be eternally grateful to him for pointing it out.

"I have a question for you all. Do you feel restless and irritable during the full moon, unable to calm down?" Liu Wuxie asked, sensing that the moment was ripe. His goal was to clip off the Lesser Blade Association's pill sales.

He didn't have a plan when he came, but he thought of an idea after seeing the pills Xiao Gou had shown him. Most importantly, there was a genuine issue with the pills the Lesser Blade Association sold.

If the alchemists refining the pills had an issue, the pills they refined would reflect it. It couldn't be detected from the surface, but a grandmaster like Liu Wuxie could easily spot the problem at a glance.

Everyone stood silently as they looked at each other. Most were strangers, and only a handful had arrived together. There were cultivators from Treasure City and elders from the nearby clans.

"That's right. I do feel restless and irritable every full moon, and I can only calm my emotions down by soaking myself in a cold pool," said a man in his forties with a look of shock.

He had only begun experiencing this after consuming the Earth Origin Pills, which had never happened before. He didn't take it seriously before, believing it was due to his weak will. But today, he learned that the issue was with the pills.

"Me too!" Another cultivator stepped out with horror on his face.

Could it be that they had all been poisoned?

The others remained silent, but their expressions were grim. Only a few people had no sign of distress on their faces because this was their first time here. They didn't experience the issue because they had yet to consume the Earth Origin Pills sold there.

Everything became clear now, and anyone could tell that Liu Wuxie was speaking the truth.

"Thank heavens that we didn't buy any," muttered a few cultivators, looking relieved. Not only had they saved their resources, but they had also avoided harming themselves.

Those who had consumed the pills they had bought from the Lesser Blade Association looked nervous. Even the few who had mocked Liu Wuxie earlier wore an expression worse than crying.

Mu Yongyuan staggered and nearly toppled over. There were too many legends revolving around Liu Wuxie, including how his disciple had defeated an eight-star alchemist of the Treasure Pill Peak by refining a heaven-defying pill like the Spirit Restoration Pill.

"Liu Wuxie, we all share the symptoms that you mentioned. Is that because of consuming the Earth Origin Pills?" The man with a neutral stand stepped forward to ask, his eyes glimmering with hope, eager for confirmation.

"That's right!" Liu Wuxie said, and his words sent chills down everyone's spines.

As cultivators in the Astral River Realm, they were immune to poison. So, how could they be poisoned?