Chapter 421
Chapter 421
“You used to never urge me to drink tea …” Lu Sheng said in a half-joking, casual tone.
Li Die quickly replied: “We didn’t bring much top-grade tea this time, I’m afraid it would go to waste and you wouldn’t have any later, sir.”
“Is that so …” Lu Sheng nodded, then took a sip of tea, saying: “You are considerate.”
Li Die saw Lu Sheng’s Adam’s apple move up and down once, and her heart finally settled down, returning to calm.
“This tea is good, better than ever.” Lu Sheng put down the teacup, with half the tea already drunk.
“As long as you like it, sir.”
Li Die felt completely relaxed, standing up and saying to Lu Sheng: “Sir, I need to use the restroom.”
“Mm.” Lu Sheng casually nodded.
Li Die walked towards the next carriage.
“Gene poison extracted from the tissue fluid of a Level 9 Exotic Beast, even the most powerful Grandmaster, just needs one minute to succumb. … Some abroad have tried to use this poison to harm a Level 9 Martial Sage. Although unsuccessful, it severely injured the Martial Sage, leaving them with lifelong incurable sequelae. So this poison has a name, called—Sage’s Fall. … This poison is of the highest grade, Level 9, and one drop costs billions. This boy dying from such a poison, he’s really is really fortunate.”
Li Die’s mind quickly flashed with the words spoken by the person who assigned her the task.
With each step she took, her steps became lighter.
“Just another minute, and I will be completely free. Free from the control of the military, rid of this humble and stifling life, and head to a new place, to start a new life …” Li Die thought silently in her heart.
She looked at the rapidly passing scenery outside the window, imagining herself as a bird, flying freely in the vast sky. Finally, Li Die reached the end of the carriage.
She reached for the door handle. But as soon as she touched the handle, she felt a searing pain in her hand.
The surrounding environment seemed to ripple like water.
Li Die woke up from a great dream.
She suddenly opened her eyes and found herself tightly gripping the hot water faucet of the tea station. Scalding hot water was pouring over her hand, turning it red.
“Quite interesting, isn’t it …” A voice came from behind Li Die.
She turned around abruptly, seeing Lu Sheng sitting less than two meters away in a massage chair, lightly tapping his forehead with his fingers, smiling at her and saying, “This is called a mental illusion, a little trick I recently learned …”
Instantly, a great sense of horror surged from the bottom of Li Die’s heart, spreading through her entire body, making her scalp tingle.
***
Li Die stood by the tea station, looking at the carriage’s end, still dozens of meters away, and at her scalded red hand.
On the tea station, there was a clean, empty teacup with a few tea leaves scattered inside, not yet filled with water. It turned out that she hadn’t even poured new tea for Lu Sheng, let alone left the carriage.
A storm of emotions surged in Li Die’s heart, but she had to force herself to remain calm and squeezed out a smile towards Lu Sheng.
“The Master’s martial arts are divine; Li Die has truly gained insight today …”
Lu Sheng also smiled, then stretched out a hand and flipped his fingers. A small glass bottle about four centimeters high appeared in his hand. The bottle contained a small amount of dark green liquid, looking much like a used bottle of essential balm.
“I also gained some insight today …”
Lu Sheng looked at the “essential balm” in his hand and sighed softly, “I didn’t expect that in three hundred years of martial arts, there would already be a Level 9 potion, and it’s a poison capable of killing a Martial Sage.”
Seeing the item in Lu Sheng’s hand, Li Die could no longer maintain her composure, her face changed dramatically. She instinctively reached for a pocket on her body.
Quickly, she relaxed, and her face returned to calm.
She obediently knelt before Lu Sheng and said, “Please, Master, kill me.”
Lu Sheng casually held the dark green glass bottle, stretched his body, and leaned back slightly. A mysterious aura emanated from him, enveloping the entire carriage.
“Sit.” Lu Sheng spoke lightly.
Li Die, kneeling on the ground, obediently stood up and sat down by the tea station.
“I know what you want to ask, but I really don’t know much. I only know that …”
“It was someone from the Extreme Martial Hall who asked you to do this, right?” Lu Sheng interjected, speaking casually.
Li Die looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with shock as she looked at Lu Sheng.
“When did you find out, Master?” Li Die hesitated but asked the question.
Lu Sheng placed one hand on the armrest of the seat, lightly tapping it with his fingers, and said casually, “About half a month ago, but that’s not important. I just want to have a good chat with you now …”
Li Die’s face was complicated, her heart filled with indescribable feelings. They had been secretly plotting for so long, yet everything had been within Lu Sheng’s expectations and control from the start. And then there was that dream-like experience she had …
At this moment, Lu Sheng was like a god or a ghost in Li Die’s heart.
“Can you tell me what benefits they promised you?” Lu Sheng was genuinely curious.
He naturally wouldn’t say something like “I haven’t treated you badly,” which was nonsense. Whether he treated her well or not wasn’t for him to say but for the person being treated to feel.
He just felt that, as the most promising and brightest star in the Eastern Military Region, someone with a future as a Level 9 Martial Sage of the military, it was clear what the consequences would be for plotting against someone like him.
Even Lian Su*, what kind of price did she pay to make Li Die willing to take such a huge risk to do this?
[*sister to Lian Jibei and fifth and beloved spouse to Zhao Ji (the founder of the Extreme Dao Martial Academy/Hall, a Level 9 Martial Sage).]
Also, it would reveal his current standing in Lian Su’s eyes.
Li Die hesitated for a moment and then mentioned a number. The number made Lu Sheng frown slightly, feeling a bit dissatisfied.
“This stuff should be very expensive, right …” Lu Sheng asked, holding the “essential balm” in his hand.
Li Die nodded, “One drop costs billions, and there are at least fifteen drops in there.”
“That really is a big investment …” Upon hearing the exact price of the “Sage’s Fall,” Lu Sheng’s mood immediately brightened. To be honest, he was worth that price as an unparalleled figure.
At this moment, Li Die spoke in a low voice, “Actually, it’s not mainly because of the high reward they gave, but because I have very little to lose … I no longer care …”
Lu Sheng’s eyes froze, but he didn’t say anything. He recalled what Li Die had told him before, that her parents had long sacrificed, and she had no other relatives or friends. Living alone in the world. Yes, as Li Die said, she had very little to lose, at most her life.
Seeing a suitable opportunity, she naturally went for it without hesitation.
“I know my sin is unforgivable …” After a long silence, Li Die suddenly knelt before Lu Sheng again and said in a low voice, “Please, Master, kill me. I beg you, Master …”
Li Die pressed her forehead tightly against the carriage floor.
“Please don’t send me back to the military region …”
Lu Sheng looked down at Li Die, who was prostrate on the ground, with a look of pity.
“I won’t kill you, nor will I send you back to the military region … but you need to do something for me to make up for your mistake.”
Li Die raised her head, full of disbelief.
Lu Sheng calmly leaned closer to her face and spoke softly.