Watching as a mysterious dark purple light flew out from the jug of wine into the air, forming the strange image of a howling demon, everyone present turned a shade white for this was something only the most toxic of poisons could reach. The toxic fumes shaped like a demon!
Seeing the dark purple demon-shaped fumes in the air, something flashed in Zhao Shu's mind recalling something. He blurted: "This is Formless Poison!"
Formless Poison!
The Patriarchs of families and nobles alike turned ghastly pale with shock at the mention of Formless Poison. Emperor Duanren and Guo Chen jumped to their feet in astonishment.
"Formless Poison, this, how can this be!"
"Didn't the Formless Poison disappear more than two hundred years ago?! How can it appear here?!"
A wave of shock, confusion, and unease swept the guests. Most of them were Patriarchs of small and big forces or part of a kingdom's royal family, their knowledge far exceeded the commoners', therefore many of them knew a thing or two about this Formless Poison, even Huang Xiaolong who was usually calm on the surface had a ripple of surprise traveling across his face.
Earlier, the twin dragon martial spirits in his body were agitated for some reason he couldn't understand. Feeling strange at their behavior, Huang Xiaolong followed their feelings and locked onto the jug of wine the Guo Family servants served up.
There was a problem with the wine! Huang Xiaolong firmly concluded his findings just as Guo Tai raised his wine glass to toast, which was why Huang Xiaolong spoke curtly to stop them from drinking. At that moment, Huang Xiaolong had no idea the wine was laced with Formless Poison.
It was actually the Formless Poison! After a split second of surprise, a ferocious gleam shone in Huang Xiaolong's pupils, the murder in his heart soared sky high. Huang Xiaolong wasn't the only person with the intense killing intent, Emperor Duanren, Guo Chen, Zhao Shu, Zhang Fu, and the Patriarchs of the many families of forces present had a similar reddish bloodlust in their eyes.
"Who was it! How dare they put poison into the celebration wine at the Guo Family's mansion!" One of the big family's Patriarch failed to repress his wrath, loudly shouted.
The truth was glaring obvious to all that the person behind this planned to kill indiscriminately, taking the lives of everyone in the Guo Mansion, including them, who came to congratulate on the occasionㅡpoisoning every Patriarch, leader, and disciple!
Because Huang Xiaolong had the news about the Guo Family's wedding procession being ambushed blocked off, none of these guests who came to attend the banquet were aware of the matter yet. If they knew, they'd easily guessed the mastermind behind the poison was none other than the Yao Family!
Huang Xiaolong scanned the crowd and his cold voice rendered the air: "It's the Yao Family!"
"What?! Yao Family?!" The hall was in an uproar.
"That's right, it's the Yao Family. Earlier, our Guo Family's wedding procession was attacked by the Yao Family's Ancestor and Deities Templar." Guo Chen interjected.
The Guo Family's wedding procession was attacked by the Yao Family's Ancestor and Deities Templar! This message was a booming shock to all present.
"The Yao Family is atrocious! Plotting to have us all die here! We must retaliate, exterminate all of Yao Family's disciples!"
"Right, kill off all Yao Family's disciples!" Majority of Patriarchs and royal families from fealty kingdoms responded to the suggestion, anger and wrath surged.
Emperor Duanren motioned the angry guests to calm down with his hand, he turned to his son, Duan Wuhen, beside him: "Pass the order, mobilize all the territories' army, search and kill all Yao Family's disciples. I do not wish to see any Yao Family disciple in my Duanren Empire!" Emperor Duan Ren's eyes glimmered with a chilling cold killing intent, making those standing close to him shrink away involuntarily.
The Yao Family poisoning the celebration wine at the Guo Family's wedding banquet had stirred the hornet's nest, completely angering Emperor Duan Ren. If it wasn't for Huang Xiaolong detecting something amiss, his son Wuhen, his Consort Fei, and the many present Patriarchs and royals would have left their lives here.
Sensing the terrifying killing intent coming from Emperor Duanren, only one thought crossed the minds of the people present: the Yao Family's done it this time!
Although Huang Xiaolong burned the Yao Family headquarters to the ground, there were still many Yao Family branches all over the empire in remote small towns and less fertile lands.
However, this time they were truly being uprooted from the ground!
At this point, Huang Xiaolong faced Guo Shiyuan with an icy expression, "Capture and detain all the servants responsible for today's food and wine, interrogate them one by one!"
Guo Chen and Guo Shiyuan finally awakened and realized one of the crucial points. That's right! Although this matter was orchestrated by the Yao Family from the shadows, it wouldn't succeed if there wasn't a spy amongst the Guo Family's servants. The wine wouldn't be tainted with poison.
Immediately, Guo Chen instructed to have all the servants in charge of the food and wine served tonight captured and detained. However, before long, Chief Steward Zhang Yu returned to report all servants in charge of food and wine died due to poisoning.
"What? All dead from poison!" Guo Chen's face was ugly. Obviously, this was another move from the Yao Family. Guo Chen seethed with anger and frustration.
"Have all the celebration wine and dishes changed, change everything!" A short while later, Guo Chen said to Guo Shiwen.
Though the rest of the wine wasn't determined to be poisoned, Guo Chen still had everything replaced as a safety precaution. Guo Shiwen acted swiftly. To accommodate such a large occasion, the Guo Mansion did make backup preparations.
When the new dishes and wine were sent up and determined safe by Huang Xiaolong, everyone relaxed and raised their cups. But, the joyous atmosphere had dampened noticeably due to the unexpected scare.
At the same time, in the same abandoned courtyard on the north side of Duanren Imperial City, Yao Fei's face twisted hideously. He already got the message saying Huang Xiaolong found out about the Formless Poison. But Yao Family Ancestor Yao Shan looked worse, he could imagine what kind of scene the remnants of Yao Family's disciples would face the coming onslaught.
The Yao Family foundation that he had struggled to build in the past thousand years will be turned into gray ashes on the ground.
"I didn't expect Huang Xiaolong, that little punk, to actually be able to detect the Formless Poison!" Ao Baixue harrumphed coldly.
Yao Fei sneered, "This outcome is fine too, letting him die so easily is letting him off too lightly. I want to kill him with my own hands, let him have a taste of living worse than death!"
Li Molin interjected, "Li Lu was found out to possess a high-grade God Tribe bloodline and the Temple Preceptor has chosen her to be promoted to a Holy Maiden. She must not find out about this."
Yao Fei and the rest understood Li Molin's meaning.
"Very well, we're heading back." Li Molin said in her cold sullen one, "We'll look for other opportunities in the future to kill Huang Xiaolong, that little brat." With a flicker, her body swayed and disappeared into the void. The rest followed one after another and the abandoned dilapidated courtyard returned to silence.
Night descended and the surroundings were quiet.
At this hour, the Huang Family had already returned to the Southern Hill Estate from the Guo Mansion.
Standing quietly in his yard, Huang Xiaolong reflected the day's event, from the Guo Family's wedding procession and Nine Tripod Commerce branches being attacked to the Formless Poison in the wine, his eyes grew increasingly cold.
Deities Templar, the Yao Family, he must exterminate them at the earliest!
Next day morning, Huang Xiaolong exited the Xumi Temple hall and headed to the estate's great hall. Seeing that both of his parents were present, Huang Xiaolong hesitated for a moment before telling them about his plan to head to the Bedlam Lands.
"What? Long'er, you're leaving again?" Su Yan's high spirits turned glum.
Watching his mother's expression, Huang Xiaolong felt a tinge of guilt. Sighing in silent, he nodded: "Yes, Mother." This trip to the Bedlams Lands was something he must do, not only because of the grade one spirit stones.
However, breaking through to the Sixth Order was more urgent, Huang Xiaolong decided to leave after that. Hence, he would depart one month later.