The Iron Servant Unleashed

Once the “Entangling Silk Incense” poison entered the body, its toxicity would gradually spread throughout the entire body through the blood vessels.

In a short period of time, if the poisoned person was an ordinary person, there was no great danger. But if it was a martial artist, there was a fatal threat: the poisoned person must not recklessly activate their internal true qi during this time, otherwise it would accelerate the poison’s onset, causing the blood to flow backwards and bringing unbearable pain.

If the poisoning lasted long enough for the venom to penetrate deep into the body, things became even more troublesome.

Although control over true qi could be restored, a daily dose of the antidote was required to suppress the poison. Otherwise, the bones would slowly begin to mutate, the entire body would start to atrophy, and in the end the victim would shrink into a limp,瘫软 mass, unable to move.

Even more terrifying was the fact that because the poison had seeped into the marrow, there was simply no way to completely eradicate it. The only option was to take the appropriate medicine continuously to keep it from flaring up. Like a silken thread of love缠绕, the poison would stay with the victim for life, never leaving.

The ingredients used to concoct this poison were varied; many could be substituted. Although the end result was the same, the specific toxicity varied from person to person, making it unpredictable and insidious. Naturally, the antidote also differed with each formulation. Only the person who created the poison could prescribe the correct antidote to suppress it. Others, even if they knew the recipe for “Entangling Silk Incense,” would have no way of formulating the cure.

Thus, the life of the poisoned person was firmly in the hands of the poisoner, leaving them with no choice but to obey subserviently.

Doctor Mo sifted through the memory of “Entangling Silk Incense” in his mind and immediately understood the reason for Han Li’s confident, unyielding attitude.

He let out a cold laugh in his heart, but his expression did not change. In a calm voice, he said,

“So this is your final resort?”

“Boy, if you have no other tricks up your sleeve, then obediently surrender!”

Han Li’s heart sank. Seeing that Doctor Mo’s expression remained unchanged, seemingly unconcerned by his threat, he knew there must be something he had miscalculated.

He could see that Doctor Mo truly did not care about this poison. Even with the “Entangling Silk Incense” in his body, he didn’t bat an eye, not a single nerve was touched.

Because of this, Han Li was keenly aware that he was at an absolute disadvantage. The other party seemed to have complete confidence that he could take him down.

Seeing Han Li’s silence, Doctor Mo let out a sly chuckle. A cunning glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly barked,

“Iron Servant, seize him!”

The moment he heard this, Han Li immediately remembered that, ever since he had entered the room, he had completely forgotten about one crucial figure. Without time to think, he hooked his foot around the blade at his side, and the awl leaped into his hand.

In that instant, a massive black shadow burst out from a corner of the room, carrying a fierce wind, and arrived in front of him in a single stride. Its speed was so great that Han Li had no way to dodge.

With no other choice, he thrust the awl straight at the shadow’s lower abdomen, hoping to at least slow it down and buy himself a moment to breathe and retreat.

Stabbing a short awl at the abdomen was a terrible option, but Han Li had no choice. The opponent was simply too tall, and the weapon in his hand was only a few inches long—this was the only spot he could reach.

Han Li suddenly felt as if he had collided with some inhuman monster. His outstretched wrist felt as if it had been struck by a massive log, and it was immediately dislocated. His body was knocked back several steps by the impact, and the awl in his hand felt as if it had struck stone—it was deflected and flew off somewhere, disappearing from sight.

Shock and anger surged in Han Li’s heart. He barely managed to steady himself after the collision when he felt the space in front of him darken. The giant shadow followed immediately, and then a sharp, piercing pain seized both of his shoulders. Two enormous hands clamped down on his shoulder blades with crushing force, making him feel as if he were being ground to pieces.

Han Li struggled desperately, but his body felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him; he couldn’t move an inch.

In his panic, he threw all caution to the wind and raised his knee, ramming it viciously into the shadow’s crotch.

A sharp hiss of pain escaped Han Li’s lips as cold sweat poured down his face. That vital spot on his opponent was also as hard as stone. He felt as if his knee had struck a rock—it felt like it had shattered into several pieces.

However, this action seemed to have angered his opponent. The enormous hands on his shoulders suddenly tightened with even greater force. The pain was so intense that Han Li nearly passed out, and his entire body collapsed limply to the ground.

“Easy, Iron Servant. I still have great use for this man.” At this critical moment, Doctor Mo’s rebuke rang out.

The moment the words fell, Han Li felt the pressure on his shoulders ease, and the pain subsided considerably. He couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. For once, Doctor Mo’s voice sounded remarkably pleasant to his ears. But amidst the relief, the lingering doubts in his heart grew even heavier.

From the very beginning, Han Li had noticed that Doctor Mo, for some unknown reason, always held back at every crucial juncture, as if afraid of hurting him. He certainly didn’t believe this was out of a sudden surge of goodwill or deliberate leniency. There had to be something he didn’t know, something unspeakable, that was making the other party proceed with caution, not daring to go all out. Otherwise, why would they have been locked in a stalemate for so long?

He silently resolved to make full use of this leverage to bargain with the other party, and then find a way to escape from his clutches.

Doctor Mo walked up to him, seeming to read his thoughts. A mocking expression flickered across his face. He first reached into Han Li’s chest and pulled out a heart-protecting mirror. He couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow—so this was what had blocked his acupoint seal.

He shook his head slightly without a word, then took out a rectangular, yellow wooden box from his bosom. The box was exquisitely made, carved with dragons and phoenixes—a clear sign of a precious item rarely seen in ordinary households.

Doctor Mo solemnly opened the lid in front of Han Li. Inside lay several identical silver blades. The blades were oddly shaped, looking neither like knives nor swords. Their bodies were curved, crescent-shaped, and about the size of a dagger—very peculiar indeed.

When Doctor Mo took one of the silver blades out of the box, Han Li noticed that it was also incredibly thin, no thicker than a sheet of paper. A cold light shimmered and flowed across the blade’s surface, giving it an unmistakable sharpness. Using it to cut through flesh and blood would surely be as easy as cutting cloth. Even stranger, at the end of the hilt, there was a carved ghost head with its eyes tightly shut. The ghostly head had a cyan face, fangs protruding, and two horns growing from its head—hideously ferocious.

Doctor Mo held this strange blade and cast a meaningful sidelong glance at Han Li.

This action sent a chill down Han Li’s spine. Had his cursed mouth really guessed correctly? Was the other party actually going to use that strange blade to cut him open?