Liang Yu stared coldly at Qin Chen and said, "Which family's little brat dares to call this master by his full name?!"
"Qin Chen, what are you doing? Come back with me now!" Qin Fen trembled all over and roared at Qin Chen. Then, turning to Liang Yu nervously, he added, "Master Liang, this is my younger brother. He doesn't understand the rules. Please forgive him, Master Liang."
It wasn't that he wanted to help Qin Chen; rather, he feared that if Master Liang Yu took offense because of Qin Chen, it would bring trouble to their Qin family.
"You've only broken through to become a second-tier weapon refiner a few days ago, right?" Qin Chen said, crossing his left arm over his chest while stroking his chin with his right hand.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Liang Yu cast a cold glance at Qin Chen and said in a deep voice, "I don't have time to chat with a little brat like you. Get out of the Weapon Hall now."
Qin Chen's attitude irritated him greatly. If the boy weren't so young, he would've lost his temper already.
"Qin Chen, leave right now!"
Qin Fen's eyes darkened, his gaze practically spitting fire. He grabbed Qin Chen's right arm with force, dragging him toward the exit.
*Pa!*
True qi surged rapidly within Qin Chen's body, channeling into his right arm. A powerful force erupted from it, and with a slight shake, he sent Qin Fen flying.
"You little punk, how dare you resist?!"
Qin Fen was flung back in an instant, his fingers numb and throbbing with sharp pain. Shocked and increasingly furious, he charged at Qin Chen like an enraged lion.
Qin Chen remained still, merely shifting his feet slightly to dodge Qin Fen's attack. He said calmly, "To break through to a second-tier weapon refiner, you must forge a second-tier treasured weapon. If I'm not mistaken, the weapon you crafted during your assessment was likely a fire-attributed one."
Liang Yu's expression faltered, a trace of shock breaking through his impatience. He said in a low voice, "How do you know that?"
"Not only do I know it was a fire-attributed treasured weapon, but I also know its primary material was likely Crimson Flame Stone. To temper the scorching nature of the Crimson Flame Stone and enhance its malleability, you added Green Charm Stone during the forging process. While Green Charm Stone can neutralize the heat of Crimson Flame Stone, it's also a key ingredient in crafting charm poison—and it's highly susceptible to being triggered by fiery substances."
Qin Chen shook his head, his tone tinged with pity. "To forge a second-tier treasured weapon, you went so far as to poison yourself. That's quite the resolve. If this matter reached the Weapon Hall's rank assessment department, it might affect your rank evaluation, don't you think?"
Liang Yu's body stiffened slightly, a flicker of shock passing through his eyes. Then his face darkened abruptly. "Hmph, utter nonsense. I don't know what you're talking about."
Qin Chen sighed leisurely. "Getting poisoned by charm toxin isn't a big deal in itself. What's a pity is that, to alleviate it, you took a special antidote pill. Heh, the main ingredient in that pill is Void Spirit Flower, which is cold in nature. Not only does it fail to dispel charm poison, but it accelerates its spread, letting it seep faster into your organs. It's essentially slow suicide. Didn't you know that?"
"Oh, I forgot." Qin Chen chuckled. "You're just a weapon refiner, not an alchemist. It's normal you wouldn't know."
Liang Yu's expression froze, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. The shock in his heart surged like waves as he glared at Qin Chen with a ferocious gaze. "Who the hell are you?"
A terrifying killing intent radiated from him. Qin Fen and Zhao Lingshan felt a chill run through them, their bodies trembling. Only then did they realize that Liang Yu wasn't just a second-tier weapon refiner—he was also a Heaven-level powerhouse.
"Qin Chen, if you keep spouting nonsense, I'll report this to Father when we get back and have you and your mother expelled from the Qin family!" Qin Fen roared anxiously, sensing that Master Liang Yu was truly enraged.
"Master Liang, please don't be angry. We'll leave right now," Qin Fen said to Liang Yu in a panic, drenched in cold sweat.
"Trying to leave now? Too late." Liang Yu moved in a flash, appearing before Qin Chen in an instant. His Heaven-level true qi erupted, his right hand descending like an inescapable net, locking down the space around Qin Chen.
The powerful force hadn't even landed yet, but it was enough to send Qin Fen, who was nearby, flying once more.
"If I were you, I'd never choose to make a move!" Beneath Liang Yu's claw-like grip, Qin Chen stood unmoved, his body straight as a spear. He said calmly, "When you circulate your true qi, don't your Tianmen, Baihui, and Zhongshu acupoints feel great? Like an itchy, tingling sensation coursing through your meridians?"
Liang Yu's body jolted as if struck by lightning. His right hand froze midair, unable to descend.
Qin Chen said with a regretful look, "What a shame. A fine weapon-refining genius, now destined to have his meridians ruined and become a cripple."
Liang Yu's eyes filled with terror, his body trembling as he stammered, "You… you…"
He stuttered for a while but couldn't finish a sentence.
"Master, what's wrong?" Zhao Lingshan, sensing something amiss, stepped forward in confusion.
"Step back, all of you!" Liang Yu suddenly bellowed.
Zhao Lingshan froze, startled.
"Didn't you hear me? Get back!" Liang Yu shot a cold glance at Zhao Lingshan and Qin Fen.
That gaze felt almost tangible, making them shudder. They quickly bowed and retreated.
Once they were gone, Liang Yu fixed Qin Chen with an icy stare and said, word by word, "Who. Are. You?"
Qin Chen replied calmly, "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that I can save your life!"
Liang Yu's eyes flickered. He sneered, "Don't try to scare me with your wild claims."
Qin Chen shook his head, spreading his hands helplessly. He turned to leave. "Then there's nothing more to discuss. I was going to point you toward a solution, but if you insist on becoming a cripple, I've got no objections."
"You think you can come and go as you please? Not so easy. If you don't reveal your identity, don't even think about leaving the Weapon Hall today!"
Liang Yu's figure blurred as he blocked Qin Chen's path, his expression menacing.
Qin Chen smirked. "Every time you circulate your true qi, the charm poison burrows deeper into your body. Look at the green tint on your face—hasn't your Jiuwei acupoint started hurting by now?"
"You…"
Liang Yu's expression turned as if he'd seen a ghost. He leapt back, his body shaking violently.
"You've got about half a month left. Better prepare for the afterlife," Qin Chen said, stepping forward.
"Wait! Do you really have a way to cure it?" Liang Yu asked, his voice trembling.
For days, he'd been suffering exactly as Qin Chen described. During his recent second-tier weapon refiner assessment, he'd used Crimson Flame Stone to forge a fire-attributed treasured weapon. To improve its malleability, he secretly added Green Charm Stone. The next day, the charm poison struck, leaving his body numb.
To purge the poison, he'd spent a fortune on a special antidote pill. But after taking it, not only did the poison persist, but his meridians began to ache. In recent days, whenever he circulated his true qi, his meridians felt like they were being gnawed by ants, and his Tianmen, Baihui, and Zhongshu acupoints throbbed as if stabbed by knives.
That was bad enough, but just moments ago, his Jiuwei acupoint had started hurting too—exactly as Qin Chen had said.