C28 I Swear I Won't be a Human!

"Traitors will meet their end."

In his previous life, Qiao Mao was betrayed by his disciple, Dong Polang, leading to a fierce battle with the Nether Clan in the Celestial Ancient Burial Land. He sustained grave injuries and was defeated. Left with no other choice, he activated the Nine-heaven Divine Dragon Tower's self-destruct mechanism.

Thus, Qiao Mao felt no pity for the maid known as Pock Face. He executed her without hesitation. A person who bites the hand that feeds them, as she did, more than deserves their fate.

Having dispatched Pock Face, Qiao Mao's aura of menace subsided. He looked around and hatched a plan. He whipped up a bowl of medicinal soup and, masquerading as a guard, made his way back to Qiao Shen's room.

But as he approached within five hundred meters of Qiao Shen's room, two guards at the Mortality Transcending Level Six Heaven blocked his way. "Stop right there. You're not allowed here," they challenged.

"Is this the Qiao family's estate so exclusive that a member of the Qin family can't move about freely?" Qiao Mao retorted with a cold snort. Aware that the Qiao family had members within the estate, he boldly assumed their identity.

"Are you from the Qin family?" the guards inquired, their brows furrowed. They were aware of the alliance between the Qiao and Qin families. "What happened to the maid who used to deliver the medicine?"

"The Qiao family is truly pathetic. Have they run out of people to send? To think they would resort to using such useless individuals for medicine delivery," Qiao Mao feigned arrogance. "Had the Qin family been in charge of this task, they would have already secured the key to the Qiao Family Ancestral Land. There would have been no need to wait."

The guards, feeling insulted by Qiao Mao's impersonation of a Qin family member, glared at him with fury. They were itching to flay him alive.

"Dissatisfied? I'll have you know that our family head has grown impatient. He sent me to press Qiao Shen for information and retrieve that item," Qiao Mao stated icily.

One of the guards was seething with anger, but was swiftly restrained by another guard who said, "It's none of your business how we operate. But you'd better deliver what we want today, or you'll face the consequences."

"Then watch closely," Qiao Mao retorted, striding purposefully into Qiao Shen's room.

Qiao Mao was well aware that Qiao Shen's mansion had been taken over by Qiao Hou. Qiao Shen's men had either been killed or imprisoned, leaving behind only those as treacherous as Pock Face.

Upon entering, Qiao Mao found his uncle lying there, feeble and barely clinging to life. It seemed he wouldn't last much longer.

"Did Qiao Hou send you?" Qiao Shen asked before Qiao Mao could speak, a cold sneer playing at his lips. "Tell him to give up. He will never gain entry to the Qiao family's Ancestral Land because he simply does not deserve to be a Qiao."

The Ancestral Land was the heart of the family and the repository of their beliefs. Qiao Hou's collusion with the Qin family to harm his kin had rendered him unworthy in Qiao Shen's eyes.

Qiao Shen was riddled with wounds, his complexion ashen. The blood on his body had dried into crusty scabs, presenting a ghastly sight.

Tears of blood had left their mark at the corners of his eyes, a testament to the fierce struggle within.

"Qiao Hou, I swear I won't rest until you're dead," Qiao Mao fumed, his earlier view from the window having been unclear. Now, standing close to Qiao Shen and seeing his uncle's dire state, rage surged through him like a primal beast. He hurried forward and announced, "Uncle, it's me, Mao."

"Mao?"

Hearing this name, Qiao Shen shuddered, but then his disbelief surfaced with a scornful laugh. "Is this Qiao Hou's foolish scheme? He's sorely underestimated me. My nephew was frail from birth and has long been dead."

Qiao Shen hesitated briefly, as if a memory had just surfaced. A touch of warmth softened his features, and he spoke with a hint of pride, "But in the end, Qiao Mao took down two Core Disciples of the Qin family, which certainly did my big brother and me proud."

The Core Disciples Qiao Shen referred to were none other than Qin Dian and Qin Jin. Yet, Qiao Shen was unaware that Qiao Mao had not only slain these two, but he had also decimated several members of the Qin family, including a Martial Dao Great Master like Qin Zhiri, nearly halving the family's cadre of strong fighters.

"Uncle, it's really me, Qiao Mao." Approaching Qiao Shen, Qiao Mao removed his mask and revealed himself. "Uncle, I truly am your nephew."

Qiao Shen's Blood Eye fixed intently on Qiao Mao, and upon confirming that the man before him was indeed his nephew, "Qiao Mao," he was utterly astounded.

"You really are Qiao Mao..." Qiao Shen shook uncontrollably. He could never have imagined that Qiao Mao would appear before him, and even with his nephew standing there, it all seemed surreal.

Since learning of Qiao Mao's capture by the Qin family, Qiao Shen had been on a vengeful killing spree for Zhen Gui, who remained missing. Consequently, Qiao Shen had come to believe that both Qiao Mao and Zhen Gui had been captured and killed by the Qin family.

Seeing Qiao Mao now, Qiao Shen felt as though he was in a dream, but his expression quickly turned grave.

Assassins were likely lurking within the mansion, making it a place of great peril.

Imprisoned and afflicted with a deadly poison, Qiao Shen was on the brink of death and powerless to protect Qiao Mao.

"Qiao Mao, how did you get in here? Leave this place at once." Qiao Shen attempted to rise, urging Qiao Mao to escape, but he lacked the strength to even sit up.

"Don't worry, if I could get in, I can get out. Qiao Hou, that bastard, poses no threat to me," Qiao Mao declared with confidence. He then hurriedly produced a Blood Lotus Pill he had previously prepared and urged, "Uncle, take this Blood Lotus Pill quickly. Within half an hour, all the poison in your system will be neutralized."

"Can the poison in my body really be neutralized in just half an hour?" Qiao Shen exclaimed in surprise, but then he shook his head, "I understand your intentions, but I..."

Qiao Shen was aware that he had been afflicted with the Black Jade Purple Yin Poison, a toxin for which there was no known antidote in Martial Sun City.

"Uncle, we're in a critical situation. Please trust me," Qiao Mao implored, pressed for time and unable to offer a full explanation. He could only urge Qiao Shen to take the Blood Lotus Pill immediately.

"Alright, I'll trust you," Qiao Shen consented. Given that Qiao Mao had managed to get here, perhaps the pill really had the power to detoxify.

Besides, Qiao Shen was on the brink of death; to him, taking the pill, even if it were poisonous, made no difference at this point.

Without hesitation, Qiao Shen consumed the Blood Lotus Pill. It dissolved as soon as it touched his tongue, and within minutes, he felt a resurgence of strength. Astonished, he exclaimed, "This Blood Lotus Pill truly works against the poison, and its effectiveness is remarkable!"

"Uncle, focus on assimilating the medicine. We've got more to attend to shortly," Qiao Mao said with a slight smile. In his past life as a Spirit Flame Great Master, the pills he crafted were highly valued for their exceptional efficacy.