Chapter 75 - 76: Improved Mind Confusing Powder, Planning to Leave

Chapter 75: Chapter 76: Improved Mind Confusing Powder, Planning to Leave

The expedition forces of the Lin Family and the Broken Blade Sect had been almost entirely wiped out by the bandits.

Save for Lin Shou, Yan Que, and a handful of heavily wounded survivors who managed to flee, everyone else had perished. Lin Shou had lost an arm, Yan Que was grievously injured, and the few remaining survivors were barely clinging to life.

Like a clap of thunder, this news swept through White Stone City, spreading with explosive speed.

This outcome left the countless people who had placed their bets on the Lin Family utterly dumbfounded. They had anticipated some casualties during the bandit suppression campaign, but they never expected such a catastrophic defeat. It was so shocking that many simply refused to believe it when they first heard the news.

However, as the survivors regained consciousness, the full picture of the disaster was laid bare.

On their way to the Lin Family Castle, the Lin Family’s forces had been ambushed in the mountain forests by Lianyun Stronghold. Though they suffered some losses, the damage was not severe. The real devastation occurred during the ensuing open battle.

In a duel with Lin Fu, Zhu Hu revealed his Perfect Skill and struck Lin Fu down. At the same time, a mysterious expert engaged Yan Zheng and killed him in less than ten moves.

The sudden deaths of Lin Fu and Yan Zheng shattered the morale of the Lin Family and the Broken Blade Sect. Faced with two Perfect Skill experts from Lianyun Stronghold, the allied forces collapsed like a house of cards.

Worse yet, Lianyun Stronghold had come fully prepared and laid down multiple layers of ambushes. Had Lin Shou not sacrificed an arm to carve out a bloody path of retreat, it was highly likely that no one would have survived. Even so, nearly all of those who escaped were grievously wounded.

When the entire city learned the truth, a profound sense of dread sent shivers down their spines.

Two Perfect Skill Martial Artists!

The sheer combat power displayed by Lianyun Stronghold caught everyone entirely off guard. Beyond the shock lay a deeper, more troubling question: could White Stone City alone fend off such a terrifying bandit threat?

Leaving everything else aside, Lin Fu had been one of the top experts in the city. If even he had been killed, was there anyone left who could stand against Zhu Hu?

The more they thought about it, the more terrifying it became.

For those who had still harbored hope for White Stone City, this news solidified an overwhelming urge to flee. This mass panic exacerbated the already chaotic state of the city. Even Su Chen, who spent most of his time at home, could frequently hear the sounds of brawls and curses echoing from the streets.

Five days had passed since Lin Shou, Yan Que, and the others returned, and White Stone City was now engulfed in extreme paranoia.

Unable to find a viable way to earn money during this period, Su Chen had stayed home to study medicine and research poisons. His efforts proved quite fruitful. He had significantly improved the Mind Confusing Powder.

Previously, Su Chen hadn’t noticed that a Martial Artist’s inner power could delay the onset of the poison. After discovering this by accident, he had set out to refine the formula. Now, after extensive testing, he confirmed that the new Mind Confusing Powder was effective even against a Power Training Martial Artist like himself.

And the effect was potent. When exposed to it, Su Chen had to rely on the power circulating through his body to barely hold out for ten minutes. After those ten minutes, extreme drowsiness and lethargy would wash over him. Only after taking the antidote did he recover.

Though Su Chen wasn’t entirely sure where he stood in terms of overall combat strength, he had fought against a Power Training Martial Artist before. As his inner power continued to expand and strengthen, he estimated that his current abilities were at least on par with an Advanced Power Training Martial Artist.

This meant that his refined Mind Confusing Powder would be effective against Martial Artists of that caliber.

The only drawback was that it might take a bit longer to take effect. Of course, Su Chen had only lasted ten minutes because he was prepared and actively resisting it. His tests indicated that without any prior defense, an opponent would succumb in about three minutes.

While his improvements to the poison’s potency were highly successful, he still struggled with refining its physical properties.

Before, Su Chen could casually disperse the poison from his sleeve without being noticed, but that trick only worked on ordinary people or newly advanced Power Training Martial Artists. Now that he understood the heightened five senses that came with becoming a Power Training Martial Artist, he knew they would be much more sensitive to such toxins.

Poisoning a target completely undetected would be difficult.

This difficulty didn’t stem from a lack of skill, but rather the inherent nature of the Mind Confusing Powder. He had only enhanced its quality; he hadn’t managed to render it completely colorless and odorless. Achieving that would be an incredibly long process—one that was currently beyond his knowledge and experience.

Fortunately, Su Chen thought of a workaround: reducing the dosage. Alternatively, he could subtly release the Mind Confusing Powder in the heat of combat. The overall effect would be weakened, but as long as it impaired the opponent even slightly, it would create an opening for him to exploit.

Having successfully improved the Mind Confusing Powder, Su Chen shifted his focus.

With the situation in the city growing more chaotic by the day, he paused his poison research. His priority was now to earn money as quickly as possible to boost his strength. It wasn’t just the public who believed Lianyun Stronghold would attack the city soon—he thought so, too.

If the bandits did invade, the stronger he was, the higher his chances of survival.

However, before Su Chen could act on these plans, Hong Ming sent someone to summon him to the Martial Arts Hall.

"What? We’re leaving White Stone City?"

This time, all the disciples were present, and Hong Ming had just dropped the bombshell announcement.

Hong Ming nodded grimly. It was a decision forced upon him by circumstance, but as the situation worsened, a mass exodus was inevitable. If they waited too long, they might not be able to leave at all.

"I have relatives and friends over in Yunzhou. If you have nowhere else to go, you can come with me," Hong Ming said, looking over Su Chen and the others.

Among everyone present, Su Chen was the only one with no family ties or burdens. Combined with his outstanding talent, Hong Ming genuinely wanted to bring him along.

The news was so abrupt that the disciples struggled to process it. After Hong Ming finished speaking, a brief silence settled over the room. Hearing this, Su Chen weighed his options and quickly made a decision, though he chose not to voice it right away.

"Go home and think it over. Give me your answers as soon as possible. Barring any accidents, I’ll be leaving within three days," Hong Ming said nonchalantly, waving a hand to dismiss them.

The disciples dispersed, each preoccupied with their own heavy thoughts.

Su Chen, however, doubled back shortly after and informed Hong Ming of his decision. Hearing his choice, Hong Ming nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Take these next two days to tie up any loose ends. Once I have the answers from the others, I’ll come find you."

"Yes, Master!"

Leaving the Martial Arts Hall, Su Chen’s heart felt heavy.

It seemed the situation in the city was far more dire than he had imagined. Even someone like Hong Ming, who had lived in White Stone City for over a decade, was planning to flee. Furthermore, based on the details Hong Ming had shared, this departure was clearly premeditated. They would likely be evacuating alongside members of other martial arts halls.

Looking down the desolate streets, Su Chen let out a heavy sigh.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. After receiving a message from Hong Ming, Su Chen arrived at the Martial Arts Hall. Unsurprisingly, he was the only disciple who showed up.

However, to Su Chen’s shock, the first thing Hong Ming said when he saw him was, "Chen, I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave!"ℯℯ𝑙.