'Your Majesty, ahead lies Shiji Town,' Lan Yi said. 'It belongs to the Wang family of Langya. Although the Wangs are arrogant, the area is relatively peaceful. Shall we gather supplies there?'

Lan Yi handed me a cloak.

I had played in Shiji Town with my eldest brother when I was young. There was a place called Shiji Steamed Buns in the town, which tasted really good.

I nodded.

Shiji Town was built along the river, and it was often foggy. The streets and alleys were paved with wet and slippery bluestone slabs. Peddlers carrying burdens shook their tambourines while walking through the streets, selling various foods and fresh trinkets.

The people here were simple and would greet each other regardless of whether they knew each other or not, as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.

Everything remained the same as before, except for the people.

Lan Yi and Ling Su bought a bunch of food, including steamed buns, Poria cakes, sugar figures, candied haws, and more, and handed them to the two attendants. Even the Sword Spirit couldn't help but poke its head out and bombard Lan Yi with questions.

When we finished shopping and were about to leave, we passed through an alley and smelled the scent of burnt rice. In the distance, we saw a fat monk sweating profusely as he squatted on the ground, cooking rice over a makeshift stove. He fanned the fire with a fan in one hand and shouted, 'Oh no, it's burnt!'

Ling Su glanced at me, covered her nose, and shouted, 'Hey, monk, what kind of rice are you cooking? It smells terrible!'

'Amitabha.' The monk stood up and recited a Buddhist verse.

'Impermanence and suffering are inherent in all things. Donor, would you like me to tell your fortune?'

'There's no need for fortune-telling. Wait for me by the river. It's crowded here, and it's inconvenient,' I said, covering my nose.

Following along the way, although there was no sound, the aura of killing couldn't be concealed.

However, his killing intent seemed elusive and uncertain, probably out of consideration for the townspeople. Not bad, living up to his monk's robes.

The monk had a fat head and big ears, his chest exposed, resembling a Maitreya statue. He must be the infamous assassin Joke Maitreya.

'We don't need to go to the river. You all have been poisoned. Follow me back to Wuzhen to confess your sins,' he said.

As soon as he finished speaking, I felt unbearable pain in my chest. It seemed that the burnt smell from the cooking earlier was the poison he had administered.

He had poisoned us without us realizing it. Truly clever.

However, I also had a secret weapon.

The Sword Spirit floated beside him and instantly took out a pile of things from his body, including the antidote.

The monk's face turned dark, and he threw a string of Buddhist beads at me.

I barely gathered my energy and swung my Shadow Taker, causing the Buddhist beads to break and scatter all over the ground.

But this move consumed my true energy, and my chest felt as if it was about to explode. Cold sweat burst out.

The monk laughed heartily, took a deep breath, gathered the Buddhist beads, and shot them one by one at me. I was in so much pain that I couldn't move, but I was determined to give it my all.

Lan Yi shielded me with her body, and dozens of tentacles shot out, striking the Buddhist beads and sending them back one by one, sealing all the monk's acupoints. The monk fell to the ground and couldn't get up, only making muffled sounds. Lan Yi casually grabbed a rag used for wiping the monk's pot and stuffed it into his mouth, silencing him. It became much quieter.

Ling Su quickly stuffed the antidote into my mouth. The antidote melted as soon as it entered, and a cool energy penetrated my lungs, gradually calming my true energy and restoring the smooth flow within my body."