Chapter 110: Mysterious Confidence

The vast desert, a sea of dead silence.

The setting sun spilled its final rays across the horizon, casting a golden glow over the expanse of yellow sand. Ning Xiu stood in the midst of the desert, surrounded by blood and severed limbs. The target of his mission had been executed; for an ordinary person, a bandit leader with strength nearing the Master realm would indeed have been a thorny problem.

Yet, before Ning Xiu, he had been as fragile as a toddler learning to walk. Ning Xiu looked at the token he had retrieved from the bandit leader. A violent gust of wind swept through, and suddenly, a massive cloud of yellow sand rose from the ground, quickly burying the corpses and the bloodstains.

It was as if the scene that had just unfolded had never happened at all.

Ning Xiu glanced back once, then turned and walked away.

This mission was not as complex as others had initially imagined, nor did it contain any traps; it was simply a straightforward task of exterminating horse bandits.

The reason Ning Xiu had chosen it was simple: he wanted to avoid being pushed into the limelight. Before he had a clear grasp of the current situation, he did not want to deal with spirits or supernatural anomalies for the time being, even though Leng Ying had stated that the ghosts formed in those two places had nothing to do with the Nether Alliance.

Driven by instinct, Ning Xiu still chose not to take the risk.

By the time he returned to Fengji Town, the sky had turned completely dark.

The temperature plummeted accordingly; that is the way of the desert, where the diurnal temperature range is frighteningly large.

Under the dim light, Ning Xiu saw a familiar face.

A fish-scale robe, a Liaofeng saber.

It was another constable who had chosen the bandit-suppression mission. If Ning Xiu remembered correctly, his name was Zhang Kuo.

And he, almost at the same time, saw Ning Xiu.

"Brother Ning," Zhang Kuo said, walking forward.

Ning Xiu nodded in acknowledgment and said, "I didn't expect Brother Zhang to choose the same mission."

"My abilities are lacking. Where would I dare to touch a case involving spirits? Naturally, I could only come here to try my luck. By the way, did you find those horse bandits?" Zhang Kuo asked.

"No," Ning Xiu shook his head gently, his expression unchanged.

Zhang Kuo looked at Ning Xiu, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled, "True. Those bandits are as swift as the wind, and on top of that, we are unfamiliar with the desert terrain. It’s not that easy to find them."

"Let’s rest for the night and head out together tomorrow. That way, our chances will be better."

Step.

As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Xiu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Zhang Kuo noticed Ning Xiu's movement and couldn't help but laugh, "What, Brother Ning? Are you suspecting that I have ulterior motives? Don't misunderstand; I wouldn't easily give up the chance to enter the Divine Temple. I just want to delay our confrontation. Let us find the bandits together first, and then rely on our own skills. Otherwise, I fear neither of us will complete the mission."

"No, we've arrived at the inn," Ning Xiu said, pointing forward. "By the way, what were you saying just now?"

Zhang Kuo looked in the direction Ning Xiu pointed and was visibly stunned. The surrounding air seemed to freeze in that instant.

After a few seconds, Zhang Kuo regained his senses. Just as he was about to say something, he realized that Ning Xiu had already walked inside.

He watched Ning Xiu's retreating back, his expression shifting constantly. Finally, gritting his teeth, he followed.

...

There was only one inn in the entire town, the very one currently before them.

"Honored guests, please come in," the innkeeper, having seen the two from afar, immediately walked up and bowed with a smile.

The inn was small. The innkeeper was a middle-aged man; he was not only the owner of the inn but also served as the waiter and the cook.

By the time Ning Xiu and Zhang Kuo sat down, he had already deftly wiped the table clean and poured a bowl of tea. "What would you two gentlemen like to eat? I’ll go down and prepare it right now."

"Bring a jug of wine first; you can handle the rest," Zhang Kuo said.

"Understood."

The innkeeper called out, brought a bottle of wine for them, and then turned to head into the kitchen.

"In a small shop in a border town like this, I imagine there aren't many decent dishes to be had. Brother Ning, let’s drink first," Zhang Kuo said with great enthusiasm, picking up the wine jug on the table and pouring a cup for Ning Xiu first.

Just then, the aroma of food drifted from the kitchen.

A moment later, the innkeeper finally emerged, carrying a large bowl of steaming sesame soup in one hand and freshly baked naan bread in the other.

He set the delicacies on the table and bowed, smiling. "Please enjoy, gentlemen. This bread won't be good once it gets cold. I’ll go back down and whip up some roasted lamb for you."

"That won't be necessary," Ning Xiu suddenly spoke.

Hearing the voice from behind him, the innkeeper paused and turned to look at Ning Xiu. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Ning Xiu looked at the innkeeper with a blank expression, picked up his wine cup, and splashed the wine onto the floor.

Sssss—

As soon as the wine touched the ground, a puff of white smoke rose instantly. The ferocity of its toxicity was evident.

Seeing this, the innkeeper turned deathly pale. This was the very jug of wine he had just served!

He looked at Ning Xiu, waving his hands in a panic. "I don't know anything about this! This... this wasn't done by me!"

"Of course I know it wasn't you," Ning Xiu turned his head to look at Zhang Kuo. "Brother Zhang, it was you who poisoned it, wasn't it?"

"Brother Ning, how could you think that? Since arriving at this inn, I have been with you the entire time. How could I have possibly poisoned it? Besides..."

Zhang Kuo hurriedly tried to defend himself, but before he could finish, a blade of sword light slashed toward him. Before the sword even arrived, the sword wind struck his face, the sharp intent stinging his cheeks.

Sensing the killing intent in Ning Xiu's strike, Zhang Kuo's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly pulled out his Liaofeng saber to block.

Clang!

A crisp sound rang out, and the long saber snapped in two.

Immediately following, a flash of sword light appeared. Zhang Kuo froze, looking down. He felt a slight chill at his throat, and then his vision plunged into total darkness.

Zhang Kuo's tall body collapsed onto the wooden table with a loud thud. Bright red blood dripped from the corner of the table onto the floor, making a rhythmic ticking sound.

...

Zhang Kuo did not die an unjust death; he was simply too arrogant. It must be said that his method of poisoning was highly sophisticated. The poison had been smeared on his fingers long beforehand; when pouring the wine, as long as he filled the cup to the brim, the liquid would naturally touch his fingers. The poison he used was colorless and odorless, making it impossible for an ordinary person to notice anything amiss.

Most importantly, he had employed reverse psychology, believing that in the eyes of an ordinary person, even if he wanted to harm Ning Xiu, he would never do so in the open, right in front of him.

However, Ning Xiu had been paying attention to Zhang Kuo's every move, and nothing could escape his eyes.

Ning Xiu picked up the wine jug and poured the remaining contents directly onto Zhang Kuo's body.

This time, the wine caused no reaction.

Seeing this, the innkeeper was too terrified to speak.