Immortality: Starts with seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster!

**Chapter 19: Poison!**

At this moment, Xiao Fan returned home.

What? 

As soon as he stepped inside, Xiao Fan's pupils contracted sharply. He noticed that the wooden door of his house had been kicked in, and sawdust covered the ground.

The house was in disarray.

Clearly, it had been ransacked.

But nothing of value had been taken; they simply wreaked havoc.

"Yaoyao?"

Xiao Fan's heart sank at the sight of the chaos, worried that something had happened to Mu Qingyao.

"Husband, I... I'm fine," Mu Qingyao said, as she emerged from the cellar, visibly shaken. 

A lingering fear was evident in her beautiful eyes.

"What's going on? What just happened?" Xiao Fan asked immediately, urgency coursing through him.

"Just now, Guo Mazi and a group of people came to the house," she explained. "I sensed they had ill intentions, so I hid in the cellar. When they entered and couldn't find me, they left, cursing."

Mu Qingyao recounted the earlier events.

Thank goodness the Xiao family's home included a cellar—an important refuge. 

Not only was it handy for storage, but it also served as a safe place in emergencies.

This was the wisdom of the common people. 

When war or chaos erupted, and bandits invaded, ordinary folk would often take refuge in their cellars. If the intruders couldn't find you, they would soon depart, leaving you unharmed.

The location of Xiao's cellar was discreet.

Unless one was familiar with the house, it would take time to discover the cellar's entrance.

That's how Mu Qingyao managed to escape.

"Thank goodness you were smart enough to hide in the cellar." 

Xiao Fan felt a wave of relief wash over him as he embraced Mu Qingyao. He could feel her trembling body, a testament to her earlier panic.

He shuddered to think what might have happened had Guo Mazi or his men captured her.

His anger flared. This Guo Mazi was clearly asking for death.

If he wasn't dealt with decisively, Xiao Fan wouldn't be able to call himself a man.

"Husband, what should we do now?" Mu Qingyao asked, worry etched across her face.

If the group came once, they could very well return. 

As long as they had not achieved their goal, they might come back time and again.

She couldn't keep hiding in the cellar.

"It's alright; they will lose interest soon enough."

Xiao Fan comforted her with a hug.

However, it was growing harder for him to restrain himself. He would make Guo Mazi pay dearly.

"Um." 

Feeling the warmth of Xiao Fan's embrace, Mu Qingyao nodded, finding solace in his presence.

...…

Night fell.

After tidying up the house and asking Uncle Zhao to repair the broken door, Xiao Fan quietly left Osmanthus Village and made his way toward the fish farm.

He knew that the fish farm was only five or six miles from Osmanthus village—a manageable distance.

Moreover, Guo Mazi and his crew usually resided within the fish farm, making it easier to find them.

Not long after, taking advantage of the night's cover, he finally arrived outside the fish farm.

From the exterior, it appeared to be a large market, with no walls—just simple wooden fences.

A slight leap would take one over the barrier.

Inside the market, scattered courtyards lay built throughout.

Numerous Dragon King Gang members lived here, making it their base of operations.

At this hour, the courtyards gleamed with bright lights; many members of the gang reveled inside.

Their merriment thrived on the suffering of countless fishermen.

At the same time, there was a noticeable lack of patrols.

Clearly, the Dragon King Gang members were not vigilant or did not believe anyone would dare confront them.

After all, they had dominated this area for an extended period, and no one had ever shown the audacity to attack them.

They were local tyrants.

"Is Luo Chang in this courtyard?"

After a moment of observation, Xiao Fan detected the telltale signs of Luo Chang's presence—he resided in a lavish courtyard. 

Inside were more than a dozen others, all members of the Dragon King Gang.

Guo Mazi was among them, of course.

"There are sixteen in total."

"Seven of them are skin-tempering warriors, while the rest are ordinary members."

"If I want to wipe them all out silently, poison will be the necessary tool."

Xiao Fan's eyes glinted with cold resolve.

He quickly reviewed the layout of the yard. Engaging them directly would create a commotion that could alert the entire Dragon King Gang.

He wouldn't easily escape if that happened.

Using poison was the optimal choice.

Especially since he possessed a significant quantity of poison obtained from the unknown old man—perfect for this scenario.

Once poisoned, this group could be swiftly eliminated without a hassle.

Whoosh!

In that instant, Xiao Fan activated the Teng Snake Breathing Technique. His heartbeat and breathing slowed, allowing him to blend seamlessly into the darkness. He moved without making a sound.

This was one of the defining features of the Soaring Snake Technique, enabling him to traverse through the night as stealthily as a snake.

This ability was why he felt confident about taking on Guo Mazi and his accomplices.

Even in failure, he could still make a clean escape.

As he approached the window of the courtyard, he caught snippets of conversation within.

"Brothers, I need your help tomorrow."

"There's a blind fisherman in Osmanthus Village who has offended me."

"I'll make his life a living hell."

"So when that fisherman is out on Yunmeng Lake tomorrow, surround him."

"Of course, don't kill him; just make sure he's crippled."

"It wouldn't be any fun if he died."

Luo Chang shouted.

"Don't worry, Brother Luo; it's a trivial matter."

"A mere fisherman dares to offend Brother Luo? He's practically asking for death."

"Leave it to us; we'll handle it smoothly."

Several Dragon King Gang members responded aggressively.

Each one bore a ferocious expression.

"That's right. I can trust you with this."

"When the time comes, I'll have Guo Mazi lead you, so you won't mix up the target."

Luo Chang was clearly satisfied. He believed he had sealed this particular fate.

Just a little fisherman dared to challenge his authority openly.

He intended to make the fisherman regret his actions for the rest of his life.

"These people truly deserve to die."

"Killing them a thousand times wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Xiao Fan clenched his fists. Without hesitation, he took the three centipede and five toad smoke.

This was the poison smoke from Cao's Poison Classic—colorless, odorless, and exceptionally toxic. 

Once ignited, it released a poisonous smoke that would quickly permeate the entire enclosure.

With this thought in mind, he pulled out a black pipe, ignited it quickly, and stealthily tossed it through a gap in the wooden door, all without drawing attention.

Boom~~

In an instant, wisps of poisonous smoke began to billow forth, rapidly enveloping the interior of the house.

This toxic smoke was a hallmark of Cao's Poison Classic, a skill synonymous with death.

In the past, the Cao family had utilized this very smoke to eliminate countless victims.

Xiao Fan remained outside the residence, patiently waiting for the poison to take effect.

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