In a desolate village tavern, twilight closed in from all directions. Ding Busan sat alone in a corner with a jar of Nu'er Hong wine before him, the aroma of the wine mingling with a musty odor in the air. He narrowed his eyes, his fingertips lightly tracing the rim of the wine jar as though caressing a lover's skin.
Twelve dark figures silently closed in. The leader was a one-eyed man whose steel saber cast a dim blue sheen in the dusk. "Respected Elder Ding, I've long heard of your great reputation," the one-eyed man said with a grin. "Today I've come specifically to seek your instruction."
Ding Busan didn't even lift his eyelids, pouring himself a cup of wine at his leisure. The wine rippled in the cup, reflecting the poisoned needles hidden in the sleeves of three men behind him. He suddenly chuckled, his laughter hoarse and grating. "This wine has been laced with the 'Seven-Step Soul-Breaking Powder', but the brewing time fell short, so the poison is a bit lacking."
Chapter 198