Hearing Shen Lang's words, Tang Hongyao agreed without hesitation.
Tang Hongyao hailed from the Tang Sect, also known as the Poison Sect. All the world's potent toxins originated from the Tang Sect. Thus, Tang Hongyao was confident she could identify any poison with a mere sniff.
"Alright, let's begin."
Seeing Tang Hongyao agree, Shen Lang brought the mouth of the small green bottle towards her nose.
Soon, Tang Hongyao's nose was at the opening of the green bottle.
Tang Hongyao moved her nostrils and took a deep sniff. She wanted to know what kind of poison had managed to incapacitate her, someone from the Tang Sect. After all, she had tasted countless poisons since childhood and developed an immunity, rendering her unafraid of any toxic substance. This was why she had entered the room without any apprehension, confident that no poison posed a threat to her.
However, Tang Hongyao never expected to fall victim to such a small green bottle. Therefore, she did her utmost to ascertain what poison she had been afflicted with.
Yet, after sniffing, Tang Hongyao discovered that the gas inside the green bottle was colorless and odorless, making it impossible to identify. She tried sniffing twice more, but the result remained the same. No matter how hard she wracked her brain, she couldn't figure out the poison.
"Sister Hongyao, did you figure it out?"
Seeing Tang Hongyao's prolonged struggle, Shen Lang asked knowingly with a smile.
"Shen Lang, you win. I can't identify it," Tang Hongyao said indignantly, looking at Shen Lang. "What poison is in this bottle of yours?"
"This isn't poison; it's an anesthetic," Shen Lang replied, capping the green bottle. "This is something I developed after improving upon the 'Ma Feisan' anesthetic. It's colorless and odorless, but with just a sniff, even an elephant would fall. So, I've named it 'All Beings Equal'."
"So that's how it is..." Tang Hongyao said with a wry smile. "According to you, my defeat is not unjust?"
"Sister Hongyao, in this world, you might feel it's unjust to lose to anyone else, but losing to me is not unjust," Shen Lang said. He put away the green bottle and produced another emerald green one, opening it and holding it to Tang Hongyao's nose. "Facing me, let alone you, even your Sect Master might not be able to defeat me."
Shen Lang then changed the subject. "The small bottle in my hand contains the antidote. Take a gentle sniff, and you'll recover quickly. Tonight, you'll take us into the Tang Family Fortress to rescue someone."
Upon hearing that the emerald green bottle held the antidote, Tang Hongyao sniffed it twice. As expected, in less than two minutes, Tang Hongyao felt her strength return.
"Shen Lang, you scoundrel, you are indeed no ordinary person. No wonder the Northern Gun King Nalan Wushuang fell to your hands, the Third Young Master Tang Zixuan died because of you, and the Fourth Young Master Tang Qubing was crippled by you. You are truly capable."
After being detoxified, Tang Hongyao stood up from the ground and looked at Shen Lang coldly. "You are very smart, but not smart enough. You shouldn't have trusted a woman's words, because a woman's words are rarely kept."
"What do you mean?" Shen Lang put away the emerald green bottle and looked at Tang Hongyao with a smile. "Do you intend to go back on your word?"
"So what if I do?" Tang Hongyao sneered. "I've recovered now, and what I said earlier doesn't count. I can kill both you and Shi Wuxie right now to claim merit from the Sect Master."
"Alas... it seems the old man was right. Sometimes, women truly cannot be trusted casually," Shen Lang said, looking at Tang Hongyao with a smile. "I thought that after I detoxified you, you would be grateful and voluntarily take me to the Tang Family Fortress. It seems I was too naive."
"Alright, if that's the case, then make your move. Let's see if you can kill me."
"Hmph—" Tang Hongyao scoffed. "You'll find out the answer soon."
With that, Tang Hongyao raised her right hand, and three sleeve darts shot towards Shen Lang without warning.
"The Tang Sect's Lover's Arrows?" Shen Lang stood still, a playful smile on his face as he watched the three sleeve darts fly from Tang Hongyao's sleeve. "I heard the Lover's Arrows and Death God's Stickers are inseparable. Why do I only see arrows and not stickers?"
"You see them now."
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Tang Hongyao flicked her left sleeve, and three stickers, each imprinted with a blood-red death god pattern, flew towards Shen Lang. Even Shen Lang did not dare to underestimate the hidden weapons of the Tang Sect.
Facing the continuous barrage of Lover's Arrows and Death God's Stickers, Shen Lang's expression shifted slightly. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the hilt of his black sword, pressed the button, and the blade quickly sprang out. With the long sword in hand, Shen Lang was composed and confident. He swung the sword, and three Lover's Arrows were severed and fell to the ground. Then, he swung again, swiftly slicing through the incoming Death God's Stickers.
"Anything else?" Shen Lang glanced at the Lover's Arrows and Death God's Stickers on the ground, a smile gracing his lips as he spoke to Tang Hongyao.
"Kid, I underestimated you. You are indeed excessively powerful," Tang Hongyao exclaimed in shock, unable to believe that Shen Lang had so effortlessly neutralized her Lover's Arrows and Death God's Stickers. "It seems I can't use hidden weapons against you. I'll have to use a Tang Saber."
The room was not large, and Tang Hongyao did not intend to use poison, as it would be inconvenient in such a confined space. She intended to use the Tang Saber at her waist to personally kill Shen Lang.
"You can try," Shen Lang replied with a smile. "I'll give you a chance to see if your Tang Saber is faster than my sword."
"Hmph—" Tang Hongyao, displeased by Shen Lang's seemingly confident demeanor, let out an angry roar. She drew the Tang Saber from her waist and, with ghostly speed, closed in on Shen Lang, slashing down. Tang Hongyao's martial cultivation was already nearing the Profound realm. At her age, this was an undeniable display of genius. The martial world had a strict rule: no Yellow realm under thirty. Yet, Tang Hongyao had not only broken this rule but was also close to breaking through to the Profound realm in her mid-twenties. Thus, she was brimming with confidence that this strike could kill Shen Lang.
Tang Hongyao's Tang Saber moved with extreme speed, but Shen Lang's sword was even faster. The moment the Tang Saber descended, Shen Lang swung his sword, clashing with it.
"Ah—"
The Tang Saber in Tang Hongyao's hand collided with Shen Lang's sword. Instantly, her tiger's mouth cracked, and the Tang Saber flew out of her hand. Before Tang Hongyao could react, Shen Lang's sword tip was already at her throat. He said calmly:
"A decent strike, but ultimately too far behind my sword."