Volume Two: Inherited Honor and Splendid Attire Stained with Blood Chapter 106: Reaping What One Sows

Arnaud screamed in shock and closed her eyes, but Tang Nuo remained calm and composed this time.

“Weren’t you all boastful before, wanting to experience the agony of being unable to live or die?” Yang Ning sneered coldly. “Why are you afraid now?”

Arnaud slightly opened her eyes, noticing the cold blade mere inches from her cheek. She forced a smile. “You… you’re a man. Bullying a weak woman like me—aren’t you afraid others will laugh at you?”

“A weak woman?” Yang Ning replied coldly. “You kill without blinking an eye. You’re probably more ruthless than the most vicious bandits.” He scrutinized her for a moment and said, “I’ll carve a few marks on your face to remind you. Tell me, should I start with the left side or the right?”

Arnaud pleaded pitifully, “Can you not cut me? If there are scars on my face, I won’t look pretty anymore.”

“Not pretty? Your life is barely hanging by a thread, and you’re worried about looks?” Yang Ning snapped. “Besides, you’re plain-looking at best.” He waved the knife and said, “Fine, I’ll blind you first so you can know what it’s like to be in darkness.” He raised the blade as if to stab her eyes.

Arnaud cried out, “No, please! I’ll do anything, just don’t blind me!”

Yang Ning snorted coldly before asking, “Where’s the antidote?”

“What antidote?”

“Don’t play dumb. The antidote for the poison from your bees.” Yang Ning’s tone was icy. “I got stung by your poison bees, so naturally, you have the antidote.”

Arnaud hurriedly said, “I do have the antidote. It’s with me. Help me get a bowl of water, and after I detoxify myself, I’ll help you detoxify.”

“Still trying to trick me at this stage?” Yang Ning struck her head lightly. “If you recover, who knows if you’ll cause more harm.” Knowing that antidotes must be administered promptly, he didn’t waste time and reached toward her waist.

Arnaud immediately exclaimed, “You’re a man! You can’t just grope me!”

Yang Ning ignored her protests and tore several small pouches from her waist. Knowing she carried many items in her bosom, he reached inside. Arnaud closed her eyes, warning, “Be careful, don’t touch me there.”

His hand brushed against something soft and mound-like. This young demoness was small in age but well-developed. Yang Ning wasn’t trying to take advantage, but he had to find the antidote himself. As soon as he touched Arnaud’s chest, she screamed, “Take your hand away, you pervert! Are you trying to molest me?”

Yang Ning felt embarrassed and withdrew his hand, frowning. Suddenly, Tang Nuo said, “Don’t touch her yet. I’ll help you find the antidote.”

Though Yang Ning disliked the demoness, she was still a young woman. As a man, he could kill her outright, but touching her was awkward. He stood up and approached Tang Nuo, who still couldn’t move. “How can I help you? Can you get up?”

Tang Nuo glanced at the silver needles on the table. “Bring me the needles first.”

Yang Ning fetched the box, and Tang Nuo asked, “Do you know the Xin Shi and Feng Fu acupuncture points?”

Yang Ning nodded. Both points were on the back of the neck and easy to find. Tang Nuo instructed, “First, insert a needle into the Feng Fu point, then into the Xin Shi point, and lastly into the Tou Wei point on my head.”

Yang Ning said, “Miss Tang, I’ve never used needles before. I can find the points, but I’m not sure about the depth or force. I’m afraid—”

Tang Nuo interrupted, “I don’t need you to detoxify me, only to block those points temporarily so I can regain some strength. Don’t worry about the force.”

Without hesitation, Yang Ning took the needles and inserted three consecutively as Tang Nuo directed. Afterward, her body twitched slightly and she soon sat up. Yang Ning admired her skill, thinking that though young, Tang Nuo’s acupuncture expertise was exceptional.

Tang Nuo stood and nodded slightly at Yang Ning before moving beside Arnaud. Without much fuss, she began rummaging through Arnaud’s belongings.

“That black bottle contains the antidote,” Arnaud said.

Tang Nuo paid no heed, searching through a dozen porcelain bottles until she found one and tossed it to Yang Ning. “This contains the antidote for bee venom. Because you’ve been poisoned for a while, you’ll need to take three pills.”

Yang Ning accepted the bottle and opened it to find dozens of pill-sized pellets inside. Without hesitation, he took three and swallowed them. Tang Nuo’s eyes flickered with relief upon seeing his decisiveness. She noticed Yang Ning slip the bottle into his bosom and smiled faintly.

She then took another bottle, approached Bai Ling, and fed her some pills before taking two herself.

Arnaud finally shouted, “You’ve all taken the antidote but haven’t helped me detoxify yet!”

Yang Ning approached her. “Open your mouth!”

Arnaud hesitated but kept it tightly shut. Yang Ning brandished the knife fiercely. “Either I cut off your nose, or you open your mouth. Your choice.” The blade pressed against her nose. Reluctantly, Arnaud parted her lips. Yang Ning flicked a small object into her mouth. As she tried to spit it out, he warned, “Swallow it, or I’ll cut off your nose immediately.”

Tears welled in Arnaud’s eyes as she swallowed. “What… what did you make me swallow?”

Yang Ning smiled. “You think you’re the only one who knows poison? That was a deadly poison pill. It won’t kill you immediately, but when it takes effect, your whole body will rot, turning you into a monster, slowly dying in agony.”

Arnaud was horrified. “You… you poisoned me?”

“You poisoned me, so naturally I can poison you,” Yang Ning said leisurely. “This poison requires an antidote every six months. If you behave, I might consider giving you the antidote regularly. Otherwise…” He sneered, “You can just wait for death.”

Tang Nuo brought over a bowl of water and helped Arnaud drink it. Afterward, Arnaud angrily said, “Sister, he… he poisoned me. Please help me.”

Tang Nuo replied coldly, “If you want to continue your lawless ways, that’s your own fault. I cannot cure this poison either.”

Yang Ning laughed. “Did you hear that? Even Miss Tang won’t help you detoxify.”

Arnaud looked pitiful. “I won’t cause trouble anymore. I won’t harm anyone. Please give me the antidote. I’ll obey you from now on.”

Yang Ning said, “If you want the antidote, you have to prove yourself.” He glanced at a small quiver and a bamboo tube holding giant hornets in his hands and said coldly, “I won’t let you keep these two. If you continue causing trouble, I'll burn them both later.”

“No!” Arnaud cried in distress. “I spent a lot of time training those giant hornets! You can’t burn them. I won’t use them to sting people anymore.”

Yang Ning ignored her, putting the quiver into his bosom and holding the hornet container in his hand.

Arnaud was furious but soon her body regained mobility. Meanwhile, Bai Ling had also recovered and stood up, chattering angrily at Arnaud.

Arnaud got up and reached out to Yang Ning. “Give them back to me.”

Yang Ning held the cold blade in one hand and the bamboo tube in the other. “No deal. Don’t forget, you’re poisoned by me. I spared your life today to give you a chance to reform. If you still act arrogantly before me, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” His eyes gleamed with menace.

Arnaud knew she wouldn’t get the giant hornets back and cursed, “You’ll regret this.”

Tang Nuo had removed the needles from her own acupuncture points and, without looking up, began retrieving needles from Zhao Yuan’s corpse. “You should leave soon. Staying here won’t do you any good. Tell Qiu Qianyi not to bother with the ‘Herbal Compendium’ anymore. No matter what tricks he uses, he won’t obtain it.”

Arnaud fumed, stomping her foot and turning to leave. She soon returned with two bowls to fetch water, likely to detoxify the two “Little Ghosts.” Yang Ning understood this well.

Tang Nuo put away the needles and looked at Yang Ning coolly. “You can leave too.”

Yang Ning said, “Miss Tang, that young demoness is skilled in poisons. I’m worried she’ll still cause trouble. I think I should wait a bit longer.”

“Oh?” Tang Nuo said. “If she stays outside, will you never leave your whole life?”

“That’s not exactly it,” Yang Ning smiled. “My strength hasn’t fully recovered. Once I’m back to full power, I won’t have to worry about her.” After a pause, he added, “Miss Tang, your acupuncture skills are remarkable. From what I know, such technique isn’t common and is quite advanced. How did you become so skilled at such a young age?”

Tang Nuo didn’t answer but asked instead, “Did you really poison her just now?”

Yang Ning laughed. “I only made her swallow a speck of dust. It’s harmless.”

Tang Nuo was taken aback but then smiled faintly. “Actually, she’s probably not truly afraid. Qiu Qianyi is the Poison King of Jiuxi; there are few poisons in the world he can’t cure.”

Yang Ning responded with an “Oh,” then said, “Miss Tang, I have a favor to ask. I wonder if you would be willing to help.”

“Do you want me to heal your injuries?” Tang Nuo asked.

“Ah?” Yang Ning laughed. “So Miss Tang already guessed.”

“Your dantian energy is scattered and chaotic, quite dangerous.” Tang Nuo frowned. “Judging from your pulse, it seems you haven’t practiced breathing exercises. I wonder how your dantian contains such thick energy.” She paused before continuing, “I’ve never seen this condition before, so I can’t treat you easily. Otherwise, I might do more harm than good, failing to heal your wounds and hurting you instead.”