Volume Three - The Fox Spirit's Tomb Chapter Fifteen - The Poison Master's Passion

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Witnessing such a grisly scene, Li Kun and the rest of us felt a chill run down our spines. After the man finally died, the swarming venomous insects and snakes slowly dispersed across the hillside. Only when the dark mass of deadly creatures had fully retreated did we all breathe a long sigh of relief.

At that moment, Li Kun turned to me and said, “Old Liu, although this Japanese man is dead, what about those talismans above him?”

Hearing this, I lowered my head to ponder for a moment, then replied, “Those talismans upstairs seem complicated; we’ll need someone specialized to handle them. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll head to the Ghost Market now and bring back the Spirit Lantern Taoist. Let’s see if this Japanese onmyoji had some hidden scheme. I suspect those talismans aren’t ordinary.”

Li Kun nodded. “Alright, let’s first escort Gao Feng and the others back, then come together.”

Tian Tian said, “I’ll come with you guys. There’s nothing pressing for me to do if I go back now anyway.”

I nodded in agreement. “That works. We’ll meet up shortly. I’m going to the Ghost Market to find the Spirit Lantern Taoist.” With that, I turned and made my way downhill to where the van was parked.

The Ghost Market was just opening at this hour—perfect timing. But it was a fair distance away; a round trip would take nearly an hour.

When I arrived at the Ghost Market, the Spirit Lantern Taoist was waiting by the gate. Upon seeing me, he beamed. “Hey, kid, you’re back already? How’d it go this time? Was the tomb safe?”

I scratched my head and briefly described the situation inside the general’s tomb. Upon hearing the mention of the Soul-Cleaving Sword, the Taoist nodded knowingly. “Looks like the divination I made earlier pointed to that sword. By the way, kid, are you here to see the Poison Master about something?”

I shook my head. “No, elder. I came to ask you to come with me. Something strange happened earlier.”

After recounting the Japanese onmyoji incident, the Spirit Lantern Taoist’s interest was piqued. “A Japanese onmyoji who controls insects? This matter might interest the Poison Master even more than me. Let’s go find him now. Then the three of us can head there together.”

Hearing this, I thought to myself that the Spirit Lantern Taoist was taking this very seriously—otherwise, he wouldn’t have called the head of the Poison Sect. Looks like this trip will be worthwhile.

With that, I followed the Spirit Lantern Taoist deeper into the Ghost Market toward the Poison Sect’s domain.

The Poison Sect’s appearance remained unchanged. No one dared to venture down this street. As soon as we entered, the Poison Master sensed our presence.

Because whenever someone steps onto this street, the Poison Master can see through the eyes of his venomous insects. Those insect eyes are his own eyes; at will, he can control the insects to perform any action or task.

When the Poison Master saw us, he stepped out from his house and laughed. “Kid, looks like you’re still alive and well. No major trouble in the tomb, I hope?”

The Spirit Lantern Taoist said to him, “I’ll tell you the details later. Old man, I have something I think you’ll find interesting.”

The Poison Master raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Something interesting? I don’t get interested in many things. Only venomous insects and this kid.”

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I scratched my head. “Elder, I encountered a Japanese onmyoji earlier, but he’s already dead.”

I briefly described the situation again, including the talismans. The Poison Master paused in surprise. “Are you sure those talismans are all Japanese?”

I nodded. “Yes. The largest one in the middle read ‘Nakato Takao.’”

At this, the two old men exchanged glances filled with disbelief. The Poison Master asked, “Kid, are you absolutely sure it said ‘Nakato Takao’?”

I nodded once more, and the Poison Master continued, “Quick, take us there.”

Seeing their reaction to the name, I wondered if Nakato Takao was a figure from their era. Otherwise, why would they react so strongly?

I nodded and said, “Please come with me, elders.”

I was about to walk outside to where the van was parked, but the Poison Master stopped me. “Don’t bother. Your old van is too slow. Come with me.”

His words energized me. I suppressed my excitement, wondering if he was going to summon some flying venomous insect to carry us.

My thoughts raced. The idea of flying atop a venomous insect was thrilling beyond words.

The Spirit Lantern Taoist and I followed the Poison Master to the rear courtyard of the Poison Sect. He looked around, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black device, pressing it firmly.

I thought to myself, finally.

But then, I was stunned. After his action, a large iron gate in the courtyard slowly rose. Behind it was... a sports car.

I rubbed my eyes. Was I seeing things? A sports car?

The Spirit Lantern Taoist showed no surprise, as if he had expected a car to be stored here.

The Poison Master smiled slightly, then glanced at me. I was expecting him to toss me the keys to try the car, but instead, he held the keys and said, “What do you think, kid? Pretty cool, huh?”

The Spirit Lantern Taoist coughed lightly. “Poison Master, you old scoundrel, you’re at it again.”

The Poison Master chuckled, and the Spirit Lantern Taoist turned to me. “Xiao Liu, don’t mind him. Besides his venomous insects, he loves these fast machines. He seems serious, but he’s a car enthusiast.”

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He gestured around the courtyard. “See all these iron gates? Each one hides a car.”

I looked around, stunned. The courtyard was about half the size of a soccer field, with over twenty iron gates.

I thought to myself, no wonder the Poison Master is the Ghost Market’s proprietor. Just the cars alone must be worth a fortune.

The Poison Master started the car, and the engine’s roar filled the courtyard.

Imagine an elderly man in a white Taoist robe, white beard flowing, behind the wheel of a sports car. He rolled down the window, rested on the sill, one hand on the steering wheel, and said to the Spirit Lantern Taoist and me, “Get in quickly. Your old van is too slow. Better ride with me.”

He pressed a button, and the huge iron gate on our right slowly slid open, revealing a deserted street.

The Spirit Lantern Taoist and I exchanged surprised glances. I hadn’t expected the Poison Master to have this hobby.

I looked out. The street was outside the Ghost Market, but no vehicles passed, no street lamps lit the way—only pitch-black darkness surrounded us.

The Poison Master said, “Get in. I know that Changqing Mountain place. Let’s go check it out. I want to see what this Japanese onmyoji’s scheme is. Could he really be trying to use some ritual to revive that young Nakato Takao?”

He spoke with disdain etched on his face. The Spirit Lantern Taoist nodded at me, and the two of us slid into the back seat.

I thought to myself that the Spirit Lantern Taoist and the Poison Master both knew this Nakato Takao, and they likely had some history with him—perhaps even fights.

The engine roared again, and the Poison Master drove swiftly. It took me about half an hour to get to the Ghost Market, but he reached the foot of Changqing Mountain in just over ten minutes.

Because the car sat so low, we had to leave it at the mountain’s base. The Poison Master grumbled, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have driven this fast sports car. We still have to walk up. Poor old bones.”

I chuckled quietly, and the Spirit Lantern Taoist said, “Enough chatter. If you stall much longer, it’ll be past midnight. Besides, the climb won’t take long. Let’s hurry up and have a look.”