Chapter Twenty-Three: "The Deal of the Dreaded Ghost"

The next morning, as dawn broke, the sea beasts dispersed and returned to the ocean. A long and terrifying night had finally been endured by the warriors, and the lonely island regained its calm.

At the mountain cave encampment, beneath one of the wooden towers, three men and a woman sat together. The battle they had fought the previous night left them looking somewhat haggard.

"In a moment, we'll go trade 'Ghostbane' with the poison master. This transaction is crucial for us. Our camp is too weak; it's hard for us to seriously wound a sea demon beast. With this potent poison, we can finally threaten them. The deal must succeed—failure is not an option!"

Ye Mo spoke solemnly to the three.

"We understand," the three nodded.

"It's just that we don’t know these other warriors. They may not have good intentions! Once they get the spiritwood spears, I fear they'll use them to threaten our safety," Mo Ling said with concern.

"I've thought of that," Ye Mo replied. "That's why we're only trading the spiritwood spears, not the spiritwood shields. The spears are most effective thrown at a range of ten to twenty yards; they can easily pierce an unarmored warrior. But if they hit a spiritwood shield, they're useless—they can't penetrate, so they won't be able to do anything to us. On the other hand, once we have the 'Ghostbane' poison, we can coat it on the Azure Edge Sword and the spears, and our killing power will increase greatly! Next time a young demon crab dares to attack our camp, we'll let it taste the poison's power!"

He told Mo Ling not to worry and continued, "I'll go alone to make the trade, bringing the spiritwood spears. You three each take a shield and hide in the nearby woods, ready to back me up at any moment. Once the trade is done, I suspect they might have other plans. If I call out, come out at once to cover me! As long as we have the shields and our swords, we need not fear their seven men!"

In his heart, he hoped it wouldn’t come to violence—not because he was afraid of them. The end-of-month tide of sea demon beasts was approaching, and every bit of warrior strength on this island lessened his own burden. That was his true reason for proposing the trade: to strengthen the other warrior groups without making a powerful enemy for himself.

"Brother Ye, you're thorough. If they try anything, we won't go easy on them either," Wang Hu said with a grin.

"What if they back out halfway and refuse to trade?" Mo Ling wondered.

"They won't dare. They’re even more desperate than we are—they have no weapons! Let’s go," Ye Mo replied.

"Alright, let's move!"

The four of them took four spiritwood shields and more than ten spiritwood spears and hurried toward the trading site, which was near the poison master's camp.

After a short time, Ye Mo could clearly see the temporary camp of the poison master’s group.

"This is the place. You three hide here and wait for my signal," Ye Mo instructed.

"Understood."

"Be careful, Brother Ye!"

Ye Mo then approached the poison master’s camp alone, carrying ten spiritwood spears bound with vines.

The poison master’s men were already waiting anxiously in their ragged camp. When they saw Ye Mo arrive, they rushed out to meet him.

"Finally, you’re here!"

"You're quite punctual, young man," the poison master, clad in a black robe, said with his usual cold indifference.

His six subordinates all stared intently at the ten spears in Ye Mo’s hands. Occasionally, someone glanced at the Azure Edge Sword—this fine blade was the thing they most coveted. With it, they could chop down tough wood for fences and fortify their camp’s defenses.

The six looked eager but dared not make a move. The Azure Edge Sword was more than a match for them, and bare-handed, they weren’t Ye Mo’s equal.

"I’ve brought what you asked for. Where’s what I want?" Ye Mo said, sweeping his gaze over them.

"Here’s what you wanted—ten packets of 'Ghostbane' poison and five doses of antidote. You get the drugs, we get the spears," the poison master said, pulling a large bundle of medicine from his robe and tossing it to Ye Mo.

"Not so fast! I need to test the poison and antidote first. I grew up on the streets and have seen many cheats, so I’m cautious. Only after testing will I hand over the spears," Ye Mo said, catching the bundle without any intention of immediately trading.

"Heh, afraid I’d give you fakes? No worries. I, Lin Zhi, wouldn’t tarnish my own name with fakes. Here, bring one dose over and I’ll test it myself," the black-robed man said with a faint smile, rolling up his sleeve.

"No! You’re a poison master, used to all sorts of toxins—your resistance is too high. Having you test it means little," Ye Mo replied, his eyes sweeping over the group before pointing at the burly, black-faced man. "I want that big guy to test it."

The poison master’s cold face twisted slightly. He hadn’t expected Ye Mo to be so meticulous, leaving no loophole. Fortunately, he hadn't tried to cheat, or the black-faced man would have died on the spot.

"You—! Why me? Of all the people here, why pick me?" the black-faced man fumed.

"Enough, Mad Bull, be quiet!" the poison master barked. "Go on, show this young man our sincerity!"

The black-faced man looked thoroughly disgruntled. The others watched him with schadenfreude, relieved it wasn’t them. Even with an antidote, being poisoned was no pleasant experience.

"Fine," he grunted, determined to get the spears first and not start a fight.

Ye Mo randomly picked one packet of the poison and tossed it to him. The man took it, cut a long gash in his wrist with a sharp stick, and sprinkled the poison onto the wound.

Everyone watched as the wound quickly turned black, the darkness spreading rapidly up his arm along his veins. He gritted his teeth, his lips turning purple. Soon, his legs trembled and he could barely stand—a clear sign of a violent poison taking rapid effect. Even a mid-level warrior couldn’t withstand it for long.

"The poison is real! Now try the antidote," Ye Mo said, satisfied. He picked one of the five antidotes at random and tossed it over.

"Quick, give him the antidote!" the others hurriedly applied half the antidote to the wound and made him swallow the rest.

The poison master watched in silence, hands behind his back. After a while, the blackness in the man’s veins faded and color returned to his skin, though he was unsteady and dizzy.

"See? Our boss’s medicine is real!" the black-faced man said angrily, vowing revenge once they had the spears.

"Good effect! In business, trust is everything. Here are your ten spiritwood spears! They’re just as hard and sharp as iron, but much lighter. With these, you’ll be able to handle the ordinary sea beasts on this island—how long you last depends on your luck," Ye Mo said, stowing away the remaining nine poisons and four antidotes before tossing the bundle of spears to the poison master.

As he finished, he gripped the Azure Edge Sword and began to back away.

The poison master caught the spears, a flash of excitement crossing his face as he untied the vines and distributed them. The warriors squeezed the spears, marveling at their hardness.

"These are the real deal—not some flimsy wood!" they said, nodding approvingly.

"Boss, should we take his sword now?" someone whispered, eyeing the poison master. If he gave the word, they’d charge Ye Mo with spears—they felt sure they could win, seven to one.

But by then, Ye Mo had retreated five or six yards—the perfect distance for throwing a spear. He saw the eagerness in their eyes and knew what they were thinking. He smirked and whistled sharply.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

From the dense grass, two men and a woman burst out to stand beside Ye Mo—Mo Ling, Wang Hu, and Yang You. Each held a thick spiritwood shield three feet high and two feet wide. Besides Mo Ling, who wielded a sword, Wang and Yang each held a spear, with several more on their backs.

"Shields... spiritwood shields?" the poison master and his men stood dumbfounded. Even with spears, they were helpless against the shields.

"Poison Master Lin, we've no grievance with you. Out of respect for your skill with poisons, I don’t want to make you an enemy. If we fight, we both lose. The sea beasts on this island are strong—you'd best save your strength to defend against them," Ye Mo sneered, taking a shield from Wang Hu.

"Let's go!"

With that, he gestured to the others, and the four retreated into the forest. The poison master’s group watched them disappear, not daring to make a move.

"He came well-prepared! No wonder he was so confident, trading spears so boldly," the poison master said, his face pale with humiliation. He had planned to use the spears to seize Ye Mo’s sword, but those hopes were dashed.

"Curse it! He got away!"

"Boss Lin, should we chase them?"

"Chase? And get ourselves killed?"

"He's right—if we make enemies of them, we’ll both lose. What matters now is dealing with the sea beasts. With these new weapons, at least we have a fighting chance."

The warriors could only watch Ye Mo and his companions leave, frustrated but unwilling to pursue.