Thunder Mountain City.
Early morning in Thunder Mountain City, the air was thick with medicinal scents. Quinn Shepherd sniffed the air and instantly recognized that many of these aromas were poisonous fumes. He quickly refined a few Detox Pills and had Bruno and Kira Bear hold them in their mouths.
Poison Mistress Mina Frost's city was unlike any other. Toxic herbs, flowers, and insects were everywhere, planted in gardens by the residents of Thunder Mountain City. Poisonous bugs crawled across the ground, some people even kept venomous birds and beasts as pets, letting them roam free. Poison vines climbed over rooftops, and every so often a green snake would poke its head out and hiss from the tangled leaves.
A group of big-eared opossums with scales dashed past them, chasing after several giant centipedes, each two or three feet long.
Thunder Mountain City's mornings were bustling, with noisy commotion echoing through the streets.
“Damn it, whose poison bees are these? My face is swollen! Quick, give me the antidote!”
“Who the hell dumped medicinal dregs on the street? My leg’s gone numb and turned black… It’s about to rot! Who dumped it? Speak up, or I’ll poison you myself!”
...
Quinn Shepherd walked along the streets of Thunder Mountain City, passing by vendors openly selling their refined poisons, hawking loudly to attract customers.
“Sister Mina’s Thunder Mountain City is really thriving.”
A woman exclaimed excitedly, "The Poison Mistress is about to make a move!"
Another woman was just as thrilled. "It’s been ages since we’ve seen the Poison Mistress in action! They say after she met the Heavenly Demon Cult Master from the Central Plains—a poison-path grandmaster in his own right—their feelings blossomed, and they have a past full of unspeakable romance. Since returning, the Poison Mistress’s skills have soared, reaching unfathomable heights! Who could possibly challenge her now?"
"You don’t recognize that woman? She’s Yu Qinchán, the poison grandmaster from True Heaven Palace—one of the top poison experts in the land. She once lost the title of Poison Mistress to our House Marsh’s Mina Frost. Her ruined face is Mina Frost’s doing!"
[No translation needed for ellipsis; represents ambient noise and chatter.]
Quinn Shepherd blinked. How did he end up with a mysterious romantic past with Mina Frost?
In reality, he and Mina Frost had only fought with poisons, leaving each other battered and ugly, even deformed. That was hardly romance—though calling it mutual respect might be fair.
"She did kiss me once."
The young man remembered this and his heart raced, swept by strange emotions. Suddenly he realized, "Oh no! My heart’s beating faster, my face is flushed, breathing quickens—just thinking of her sends warmth through me. Is Sister Mina’s Lovesickness Poison acting up? But it doesn’t seem dangerous… I’ll just ignore it."
He turned his thoughts to Lynn Ling, Serena Yunxiang, Ivy He, and other girls—the warmth vanished instantly.
"Seems Lovesickness Poison isn’t hard to handle," the youth said calmly.
"Mina Frost, are you afraid to show yourself?"
On the arena, Yu Qinchán in black sneered, "You’re no little man—hiding isn’t your style!"
Just then, a gentle laugh echoed through the city. A green vine shot out from a mansion at the city’s center, growing thicker and thicker, winding like a dragon through the air, sprouting huge leaves and ever longer tendrils.
In moments, the vine had grown several li in length, reaching above the arena.
Pop.
With a soft sound, the vine blossomed into a huge flower bud, dangling above the arena. The flower opened, and a snow-pale-skinned girl leaped out. Before she landed, seeds on the arena sprouted and grew, blooming into another large flower.
Mina Frost landed on the flower’s stamen, barefoot, not touching the ground, and smiled, "Yu Qinchán, you lost to me last time and still haven’t cured the residual poison I left you. That’s why your once-beautiful face is still covered in lumps. Coming here now is suicide, isn’t it?"
[Irrelevant webnovel prompt skipped.]
Yu Qinchán chuckled, "Heh heh, you think I haven’t improved? You ruined my face last time—now, no man dares look at me during walking marriages."
Mina Frost sighed, "For us poison refiners, it’s true—no man dares get close, because they risk being poisoned if they displease us. Sister Qinchán, we really are in the same boat. But…"
The girl looked proud and said crisply, "I already have someone I love! My beloved is also a poison master, ranked third in the world! He’s entered the Western Lands to find me! Sister Qinchán, sorry, I won’t be single with you anymore!"
Quinn Shepherd couldn’t help but laugh—Mina Frost was always so clever and eccentric. Still, his trip to the Western Lands wasn’t just to see her.
Yu Qinchán giggled, "You’ve found someone, but so have I—my old flame is a hundred times better than yours! He’s the Grand Elder of the Golden Palace in Loulan, a poison-path sage! With his guidance, I’ve refined my poison arts to the soul level. Mina Frost, today I’ll not only take your Poison Mistress title, but make you die a miserable death!"
Mina Frost’s expression changed slightly. "The Grand Elder of the Golden Palace? The one famous for voodoo soul poison? No wonder you dared come to Thunder Mountain City—the Grand Elder does have some skill."
Yu Qinchán sneered, "Afraid now? Little brat, today I want to gamble with you!"
Mina Frost laughed, "Afraid? Hardly. Ever since I dueled with my little lover, my poison arts have improved by leaps and bounds. Even the Grand Elder couldn’t beat me now. But since you’re here to challenge me, I must accept. What’s your wager?"
"Let’s bet on your little man!"
Yu Qinchán suddenly pointed at Quinn Shepherd below the arena, giggling, "Your little man’s life!"
Instantly, the crowd around Quinn Shepherd scattered, leaving him standing alone. Even Kira Bear was carried away by Bruno, who grabbed her by the collar to keep her safe.
Quinn Shepherd looked helplessly at the arena, smiling wryly at the girl on stage. He thought, "Western tracking arts are just too strong—I’ve never managed to shake off True Heaven Palace’s pursuit."
Mina Frost cheered, about to jump down from the stage, but suddenly stopped.
Now that she was standing on the arena, jumping down would mean admitting defeat and giving up the Poison Mistress title without a fight.
"Fine, I’ll bet on my little man!"
Mina Frost bounced with excitement, turning to smile. "You fused soul poison with our Western spirit-awakening arts, using the arena’s poisons to create that monster. You’ve improved a lot since last time. I’ll use the arena’s poisons too."
Barefoot, she lightly tapped the flower’s stamen. Instantly, poisonous flowers and grasses bloomed all around, poison bugs and frogs grew wildly. She said calmly, "Sister Qinchán, you only know poison arts, but I’ve already entered the poison path itself, grasping its wonders. You think acting first gives you an edge, but in poison-path, there’s never such a thing as an edge."
A strange sight appeared—the poisonous flowers, grasses, bugs, and frogs began changing form, one species becoming another, one kind of toxin evolving into another. The art of creation was truly marvelous.
Quinn Shepherd was amazed. Ever since Mina Frost lost to him, her mastery of ‘all things have spirits’ had deepened, and her creation arts had improved tremendously—truly impressive.
Yu Qinchán shouted, and the giant spider beneath her began waving its claws. The arena was already small, and with the spider taking up most of it, there was hardly any room left for Mina Frost!
Poison eggs burst open beneath the spider’s belly, flooding the arena with countless tiny spiders that swarmed toward Mina Frost.
Yet before the poisons reached Mina Frost, they suddenly charred and shattered. The giant poison spider let out a mournful screech and broke apart with a bang.
Yu Qinchán hurriedly leaped into the air, shouting, "I’ll be back for you!"
"Next life, Sister."
Mina Frost flicked her finger, and Yu Qinchán in midair turned into a splash of blood and fell to the ground.