Chapter 23

The next day, as dawn broke and the sea beasts dispersed back into the ocean, a long and terrifying night had finally passed for the martial artists. The isolated island once again returned to peace.

At the cave campsite.

Beneath one of the wooden towers, three men and one woman sat in a circle. The battle of the previous night had left them looking somewhat haggard.

"Later, we will go to the poison master to trade for 'Ghost Fear.' This poison trade is very important for us. Our camp's strength is too weak, making it difficult to seriously injure the sea beasts. With this potent poison, we can threaten the sea beasts. This trade must succeed, no failure is allowed!"

Ye Mo solemnly said to the three.

"Understood!"

The three nodded.

"However, we have no prior acquaintance with that group of martial artists. They may not have good intentions! After they get the spirit wood javelins, they might turn around and threaten our safety!"

Mo Ling said with some concern.

"I have already considered this. So, I will only give them the spirit wood javelins, not the spirit wood shields. The spirit wood javelins are most effective when thrown from a distance of about twenty feet, easily piercing through martial artists without armor. But if the spirit wood javelins hit the spirit wood shields, they become useless, unable to penetrate the wooden shields. They won't be able to do anything to us.

"On the contrary, once we get the 'Ghost Fear' poison, we can apply it to the green saber and the spirit wood javelins, greatly increasing their lethality! The next time the young demon crabs dare to come and destroy our camp, they will taste the power of this poison!"

Ye Mo reassured Mo Ling and continued, "I will go alone to trade the spirit wood javelins for the poison. You three, each with a spirit wood shield, will hide in the forest behind, ready to support me at any time. After the trade is completed, I suspect they might have other ideas. When you hear my signal, come out immediately to protect me! As long as we four have the spirit wood shields and sharp swords, we don't need to fear their seven people!"

He did not want a confrontation to occur.

Not because he was afraid of that group of martial artists.

The sea beast tide at the end of the month was approaching quickly. Every bit of strength from the martial artists on this island would reduce the pressure on himself.

This was also the reason he proposed trading the spirit wood javelins for the poison. This deal would neither create powerful enemies for himself nor weaken the strength of the other martial artist groups on the island.

"Brother Ye, you've thought of everything. If they dare to cause trouble, our weapons aren't just for show!"

Wang Hu said with a smile.

"What if they change their minds halfway and refuse to trade?"

Mo Ling pondered.

"They won't refuse. They have no weapons, and they are more eager for this trade than we are! Let's go!"

Ye Mo said.

"Alright, let's go!"

The four then set off, each carrying a spirit wood shield and over ten spirit wood javelins, heading towards the trading location.

...

The trading location was near the poison master's campsite.

After about half an hour, Ye Mo could clearly see the temporary campsite of the poison master and his group.

"Here it is. You three, stay here and hide. When the time comes, listen for my signal and act accordingly."

Ye Mo turned to the three and said.

"Okay."

"Brother Ye, be careful!"

The three responded.

Ye Mo, carrying ten spirit wood javelins bound with vines, arrived at the poison master's campsite.

The poison master and his group of martial artists had been anxiously waiting in their dilapidated camp. Seeing Ye Mo arrive, they all rushed out.

"Finally, you're here!"

"Young brother, you're quite punctual."

The poison master, dressed in a black robe, still had a cold expression.

His six subordinates all stared at the ten spirit wood javelins Ye Mo was carrying. Occasionally, someone glanced at Ye Mo's green saber, the best weapon they lacked. They could use this saber to cut hard wood and build fences to strengthen their small camp's defenses.

The six men looked eager but dared not act rashly. Ye Mo's green saber was no joke, and their combined strength was not enough to match his.

"You've brought what we need. Where's what I need?"

Ye Mo scanned them and said.

"This is what you need. Ten packets of 'Ghost Fear' potent poison, and five doses of the antidote! Here's the medicine, and you give me the spirit wood javelins."

The poison master chuckled and pulled out a large package of medicine from his robe, tossing it to Ye Mo.

"Not so fast! First, let's test the poison and the antidote. I grew up in the city and have seen many scams, so I've become cautious. I'll hand over the spirit wood javelins after the test."

Ye Mo caught the package and said, showing no intention of immediately trading the javelins.

"Hehe, young brother, you're worried about the poison or the antidote being fake, right? No problem, I, Lin Zhi, wouldn't damage my reputation as a poison master by using fake medicine! How about this, you bring one packet over, and I'll test it myself."

The black-robed man's eyes flashed, and he smiled, rolling up his right sleeve to test the poison.

"No! As a poison master, you often taste various poisons, so your body has a high resistance. Testing the poison on you wouldn't be meaningful!"

Ye Mo's eyes swept over the poison master's subordinates and pointed to a black-faced man. "I want this black-faced man to test the poison."

The poison master's cold face twisted slightly. He hadn't expected Ye Mo to be so meticulous. Fortunately, he hadn't used fake medicine, or the black-faced man would have died on the spot.

"You! What have I done to you? Why pick me out of so many people to test the poison?"

The black-faced man was furious.

"Kuang Niu, be quiet!"

The poison master sternly interrupted the black-faced man. "Come over and show this young brother our sincerity!"

The black-faced man was extremely frustrated.

The other martial artists looked at him with a mix of schadenfreude, secretly glad they weren't chosen. Although they had the antidote, being poisoned was not a pleasant experience.

"Fine."

The black-faced man grunted in agreement. They needed to get the spirit wood javelins first, and it wasn't the right time to turn against each other.

Ye Mo randomly picked one packet from the ten packets of 'Ghost Fear' poison and threw it to the black-faced man.

The black-faced man caught it, used a sharp stick to cut a deep wound on his wrist, and blood gushed out.

He gritted his teeth and sprinkled the 'Ghost Fear' poison on the wound.

Everyone watched the black-faced man's wound closely.

In just a few breaths, the wound turned black, and black lines spread rapidly along the veins, causing him intense pain, his lips turning purple.

A short while later, the black-faced man's legs trembled, and he almost lost his balance.

Clearly, this was the symptom of a potent poison, and it acted very quickly.

Even a mid-level martial artist couldn't withstand it for long.

"The poison is real! Try the antidote!"

Ye Mo, satisfied with the poison's effect, randomly picked one of the five antidotes and threw it over.

"Quick, give him the antidote!"

The martial artists hurriedly applied half of the antidote to the black-faced man's blackened wound and gave him the other half to drink.

The poison master watched silently, hands behind his back.

After taking the antidote, the black-faced man's blackened veins gradually faded, and his skin color returned to normal, though he was still unsteady and dizzy.

"How about that, our leader's medicine is real, right?"

The black-faced man said angrily.

He was determined to get revenge after getting the spirit wood javelins.

"Good effect! In business, trust is the most important. Here are ten spirit wood javelins for you! These javelins are as hard and sharp as iron javelins but much lighter. With these spirit wood javelins, you can handle the ordinary sea beasts on this island. How long you can hold out depends on your luck!"

Ye Mo smiled, put away the remaining nine packets of poison and four doses of the antidote, and threw the bundle of ten spirit wood javelins to the poison master.

After doing this, he held his green saber and began to retreat.

The poison master caught the bundle of spirit wood javelins, his face showing excitement. He quickly untied the vines and handed the javelins to his subordinates.

"These spirit wood javelins are extremely hard, unlike ordinary wood that can be easily broken."

"This kid didn't bring fake goods!"

The martial artists, upon receiving the spirit wood javelins, squeezed them in their hands, feeling their hardness, and nodded in agreement.

"Boss, should we take his green saber?"

They looked at each other and then at the poison master. With just a word from the poison master, they would charge at Ye Mo without hesitation. Seven against one, even with Ye Mo's green saber, they were confident they could win.

Ye Mo had already retreated to a distance of about twenty feet, the optimal range for the spirit wood javelins.

Seeing the eager expressions of the poison master's group, he knew what they were thinking and coldly smiled, whistling.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Three figures, two men and one woman, emerged from the dense grass and appeared beside Ye Mo.

They were Mo Ling, Wang Hu, and Yang You, each carrying a thick spirit wood shield about three feet high and two feet wide.

Besides Mo Ling, who held a sword, Wang Hu and Yang You each tightly gripped a spirit wood javelin, with a few more on their backs.

"Shields... spirit wood shields?"

The poison master and his subordinates were stunned.

Even with a spirit wood javelin each, they were helpless against the three spirit wood shields.

"Poison Master Lin, we have no grudges. Considering your skill in making poisons, I don't want to turn against you. A conflict between our groups would benefit no one. The sea beasts on this island are strong, and you should save your strength to defend against them."

Ye Mo coldly smiled, taking a spirit wood shield from Wang Hu.

"Let's go!"

He signaled to Mo Ling and the others, and the four retreated into the forest.

The poison master's group didn't dare to act rashly until the four disappeared into the forest.

"This kid was well-prepared! No wonder he was so confident in trading the spirit wood javelins!"

The poison master's face turned pale, feeling humiliated. He had planned to take Ye Mo's green saber after getting the spirit wood javelins, but now that plan was foiled.

"Damn! He got away!"

"Boss, what should we do? Should we chase them?"

"Chase them? To our deaths?"

"That kid is right. A conflict with them would only result in mutual destruction. Now, we need to focus on how to deal with the sea beasts on the island! With these weapons, we can at least defend ourselves."

The martial artists watched Ye Mo and his group leave, feeling frustrated but not daring to pursue.