Chapter 37: The Ghost Makes His Move
The closest carriage to the Dugu Clan belonged to the Ge family.
Ge Long, the imperial marshal, stood frozen.
Having worked with the Dugu Clan before, he knew all too well the terrifying depth of Dugu Shuo's poison arts—their clan had long branded the Dugu as ones you must never provoke.
Yet even so, tonight left him stunned.
Ge Ying's poisoning might not have been Dugu Shuo's doing, but the deaths among the Elephant Armored Sect? That was definitely Dugu Shuo.
What on earth was going on?
He felt utterly clueless.
The Elephant Armored Sect, the Holy Dragon Sect, and the Dugu Clan seemed locked in a secret battle, while he was totally in the dark.
Ge Long could only laugh bitterly to himself.
"Father, the Holy Dragon Sect cried out just now—someone's been poisoned," Dugu Feng's quiet voice cut through the silence. "Since the Elephant Armored Sect is wiped out, let's save the Holy Dragon Sect's man first!"
"Alright, let's treat the Holy Dragon Sect's poisoned soul master first," Dugu Shuo replied, turning toward their carriage.
Standing beside the wagon was Tuoba Xi in his gleaming silver armor, the yellow dragon's head shining on his chest.
Tuoba Xi, too, was shaken by what he'd witnessed—he understood the situation even more than Hu Yanzhen.
He knew exactly who was acting in secret: Yang Wushuang, the Breaking Clan chief's brother, who had defected to Spirit Hall after the Clear Sky Sect withdrew.
With the poison master Yang Wushuang at his side, Tuoba Xi felt confident the Dugu Clan was no longer a threat.
But the horror that had just unfolded made it plain—this wasn't just some hidden killer at work.
He'd taken Yang Wushuang's antidote pills, twice even, still with no sense of safety. His ten soul masters behind him quivered, terrified. Some could barely keep their hands from shaking.
In a hushed voice, Tuoba Xi sent his message to the boss behind the scenes:
"Senior, senior! The Dugu Clan knows our move—they struck first and killed Hu Yanzhen. I can't sense, can't resist this poison at all."
If anyone overheard, they'd see his voice was trembling badly.
Dugu Shuo's footsteps were gentle, yet rang clearly in the darkness, approaching the Holy Dragon Sect's carriage.
There lay Tuoba Yan, the soul master who'd been pretending to be poisoned.
His veins bulged, face grimacing, eyeballs bulging, skin darkened. He felt Dugu Shuo get nearer—and was seized by absolute dread.
Hu Yan Hong had been the first who faked being poisoned—and died for real.
The Dugu Clan was ruthless indeed. Poison in secret, and then blame it on someone else.
Couldn't let himself die just like that.
Tuoba Yan's eyes flashed. Desperate, he bit down and swallowed his antidote.
"Ah! The poison! It hurts, it hurts so much!" he screamed, summoning his seven soul rings. A white dragon shot skyward and vanished; he'd run away, using his pain as cover.
His escape was clever—if he'd just run without screaming, everyone would know he was faking it.
The other Holy Dragon Sect soul masters, left behind, hesitated—he was poisoned, but managed to run?
What now? If they ran, it would look suspicious; if they stayed, they risked death.
They knew for sure that the deaths in the Elephant Armored Sect were the work of Dugu Shuo.
Pathetic, Tuoba Xi cursed inwardly. Fool. I'm not running—my backer is here. I refuse to believe Dugu Shuo will dare touch me.
Tuoba Xi's eyes flashed with a cold, electric light as he locked eyes with Dugu Shuo.
He was convinced the Dugu Clan already knew about their plot with the Elephant Armored Sect and was striking back.
But the Holy Dragon Sect was in a different league—directly under Spirit Hall. Surely Dugu Shuo would not dare.
Dugu Shuo's face remained impassive, watching Tuoba Yan flee, still advancing toward the Holy Dragon carriage.
His footsteps rang out like a death knell.
The Holy Dragon soul masters behind Tuoba Xi could hear their own hearts pounding, utterly convinced they could be poisoned at any second.
The psychological pressure was unbearable.
As Dugu Shuo drew near, the terror only deepened even further.
Tuoba Xi swallowed and unconsciously stepped back.
Senior, please hurry. If you don't act, I'll have to run—embarrassing or not, survival comes first.
Secretly, he was condensing soul power, ready to flee like Tuoba Yan.
"Pathetic!" A voice cursed in his mind.
Oddly enough, he wasn't angry—he was relieved. Senior had arrived!
"No need to trouble Clan Chief Dugu. The Spirit Hall elder is here and will certainly cure us," Tuoba Xi said brightly, letting out a long sigh of relief.
A dark figure appeared atop the carriage—a form wrapped in a black cloth, merging perfectly into the nighttime gloom. Only their sharp eyes could be seen.
No one knew how he'd arrived, what he looked like, or who he was.
With a wave of his hand, a shield enveloped the Holy Dragon Sect—protection.
Tuoba Xi instinctively touched his forehead, glad he'd avoided running away.
Senior, thank you!
"No need to detoxify—what a pity!" Dugu Shuo stopped advancing.
He'd only just noticed the presence on the carriage roof after Tuoba Xi spoke—a Spirit Hall Titled Douluo.
There was no provoking such an opponent.
"Greetings, Elder Gui Mei!" Tuoba Xi said, eyes narrowing in respect.
Indeed, only Elder Gui Mei—the one who favored black shadows—could fit this role, trusted by the new Pope herself.
"Clan Chief Dugu, such ruthless methods!" Gui Mei's voice drifted coldly through the air, both admiring and condemning.
"Elder Gui Mei, why do you say so? Are you claiming I'm the poisoner? The Dugu Clan is skilled in toxins, but we don't poison without reason. I know exactly who acted this time. It was the Breaking Clan—since their days under the Clear Sky Sect, masters of poison and assassination.
Rumor has it they're hiding in the Star Luo Empire, recruited by the Dai family.
With the Clear Sky Sect gone, the Zhu and Dai clans must want all the spoils. So they set up poison on the road, seeking to weaken us.
Too bad for the Elephant Armored Sect—couldn't save them in time.
Please, Elder Gui Mei, ensure fairness in the Suoto City council!"
Dugu Shuo's words were full of righteous anger, careful not to provoke Spirit Hall too far.
"Hmph. So it's the Breaking Clan, is it? Are they truly so formidable? Able to poison Hu Yanzhen so silently?" Gui Mei's figure stayed still, but his shadow slipped free like a wraith, pressing toward Dugu Shuo.
(END CHAPTER)
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