Right now, Ethan Fenn was completely torn. If he didn't go, he knew he'd suffer terribly; but if he did, he'd end up doing something that went against his conscience. So he just stayed in his room for half the day, unable to make a decision.
Just then, the pain flared up again—worse than last time. Ethan Fenn collapsed onto the floor, convulsing uncontrollably.
At the same time, that voice echoed in his mind: “This is just a little punishment for you. How dare you defy my will? If you do it again, get ready to taste a fate worse than death.”
"I'll go! I'll go!" Ethan Fenn said helplessly. Faced with a choice between agony and his conscience, he chose the former.
After a short while, the pain vanished as if it had never existed—eerily strange. He left his room and headed for the place the voice in his mind had mentioned.
When he arrived at the riverside, there was no one in sight. Ethan Fenn felt uneasy, wondering if he'd come to the wrong place. After waiting nearly half an hour with no results, he was about to leave.
Just then, a swirl of black mist appeared not far in front of him. A black-clothed youth emerged from the haze. Ethan Fenn was startled at the sight. "Why is it you? Who are you, really?" he demanded.
"No need to play dumb, Ethan Fenn. You and I are in the same boat now—we’re both poisoned by gu poison, and we share a common enemy." Damon Nightfall said calmly.
So the black-clothed youth was none other than Damon Nightfall from Dark Sanctuary. His appearance truly shocked Ethan Fenn. According to what he said, the person behind these gu poisons was no ordinary figure. It was already bad enough that Ethan was poisoned, but for Damon to be a victim too was almost unbelievable.
"I just want to know what kind of gu poison we’ve been hit with, and what the mastermind wants from me. With my strength, there’s no way I could pull off anything big." Ethan Fenn said.
"You’re too modest, Ethan Fenn. You’re the foremost of the Four Young Lords—no one matches you in strength, wisdom, or status. Being chosen is your good fortune. Sure, you’re under control now, but once you pull off the big job, the gu poison will be lifted—just like mine. My gu poison is already gone." Damon Nightfall said.
Ethan Fenn shot Damon a skeptical look. He didn’t buy any of it. "So what exactly are you giving me? What do you want me to do? And what’s this so-called ‘big job’?"
“You’re afflicted with Heaven-Silkworm Gu, ranked third among all gu poisons. Because it was planted by Venerable Solus himself, he’s left a mark in your mind and can talk to you directly. He knows your every move, so don’t bother trying anything clever. He can’t see you in person, but thanks to the child-gu, he knows exactly what you’re thinking.” Damon explained.
Damon Nightfall produced a dark-green bottle. “This is Oblivion Draught. Anyone who takes it will forget their past. Some will even forget their martial arts and who they are.”
For Evan Chu’s grand wedding, all you need to do is pour this Oblivion Draught into Frostbane Sect’s drinking water. It’s colorless and tasteless—no one will notice. As long as the guests of Frostbane Sect eat food made with this water, they’ll be poisoned. You just have to sit back and watch Frostbane Sect get destroyed. And then, Serena Dream will naturally come back to you.” Damon said.
Ethan Fenn took the bottle of Oblivion Draught and said, "Even if they lose their memories, that’s not much use. The Nine Great Sects are all here—their sect masters aren’t pushovers. If this backfires, we’ll lose everything."
“Heh, I almost forgot to mention—Oblivion Draught’s biggest effect is that after taking it, people become completely powerless. They can’t use Stellar Power at all, basically turning into cripples. Even a Heaven Martial nobody could slaughter Divine Martial experts. The effect kicks in one hour after ingestion.” Damon Nightfall said.
"Fine! If it means getting Serena back, I’ll do it. I swear I’ll pour this Oblivion Draught into Frostbane Sect’s water. I just hope Venerable Solus will remove my gu poison afterward." Ethan Fenn said.
“Don’t worry. As long as you finish the job, you’ll get what you want. That’s all for now—I’ll be watching for your performance tomorrow.” Damon Nightfall said, then vanished in a swirl of black mist.
Ethan Fenn stared at the bottle of Oblivion Draught in his hand, feeling utterly helpless. He had no idea if this would bring trouble to his sect, or hurt his master. But the arrow was already on the string—there was no turning back.
Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion was ablaze with lanterns and decorations. Selena Yale had formally passed the Pavilion Master’s seat to Snow Lin. After Sharon Lin woke up, Selena told her that Evan Chu had removed her gu poison—only then did Sharon realize she’d truly misjudged Selena.
Selena also shared Evan Chu’s plan with her, asking Sharon to play along and help turn the enemy’s scheme against them. With Sharon’s sharp mind, pulling this off would be easy.
That very night, an uninvited guest appeared in Sharon’s room—it was Damon Nightfall. His sudden arrival startled Sharon, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Sharon asked, though she knew he must be connected to her gu poison. The fish had finally taken the bait.
“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is the gu poison inside you. How does that heart-piercing pain feel? If you want to escape it, you’ll have to do one thing for me. Otherwise, you’ve got less than ten days to live.” Damon Nightfall said.
Sharon pretended to be terrified. “I’ve never wronged you people—why are you doing this to me? If I do what you ask, will you really let me go?”
“That’s right. All you have to do is pour the contents of this porcelain bottle—Oblivion Draught—into Frostbane Sect’s drinking water. Don’t try any tricks; we’ll be watching you. If you do it, someone will bring you the antidote.” Damon said, producing a porcelain bottle.
“I’ll do it. The pain from this gu is just unbearable—every attack is worse than death.” Sharon said, acting desperate.
Damon handed her the bottle and said, “Don’t waste this chance. Miss it and you’ve only got ten days left. Goodbye!”
A swirl of black mist appeared in the room and vanished instantly. Sharon looked at the bottle and sneered, “You want me to poison them? Dream on. My gu’s already been removed—I don’t have to play along anymore. Frostbane Sect is in for quite a show!”
With that, Sharon left her room and headed for Selena Yale’s bridal chamber. She planned to report everything, so Selena could warn Evan Chu and let Frostbane Sect prepare...