Toxic powder spread through the room in an instant. Though it appeared pure white and harmless, the poison it carried was potent enough to incapacitate even a Dou Practitioner.
Yet amidst this suffocating poison mist, a lone figure stood calmly and unshaken.
Shrouded in the haze, the flush on Xiao Yixian's beautiful face gradually faded. In its place was a deep solemnity. Her right hand quietly dropped to her waist, preparing to act at a moment's notice.
"If I were you, I wouldn't make rash moves against someone you clearly can't resist."
Lin Ran spoke casually while inhaling a deep breath of the poison-filled air.
'Low toxicity. Mainly paralyzing and sedative. Might not even take down an average Da Dou Shi. Maybe the ones at your waist are more interesting?'
"Who are you?"
Seeing Lin Ran's calm demeanor, Xiao Yixian's expression finally shifted.
She wasn't some naïve fool. On the contrary, having survived and even thrived in the chaotic Qingshan Town near the Magic Beast Mountain Range, she was exceptionally capable. Beyond her talent in healing, Xiao Yixian's sense of judgment and timing had always been sharp.
For someone to absorb such a poison and still stand unharmed—he clearly wasn't someone she could afford to provoke.
And the fact that he hadn't lashed out at her yet despite her offense? That alone was a form of mercy.
But Xiao Yixian also understood very clearly—if she overstepped again, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"It was I, Xiao Yixian, who was disrespectful."
Thoughts spun rapidly in her mind, but her expression remained composed. She calmly moved her right hand away from her waist, replaced her tension with a serene smile.
"May I ask what matter brings you here today, sir?"
Her quick and composed adjustment caught Lin Ran slightly off guard. But thinking back to the original story, it wasn't so surprising.
She had wandered alone since childhood, yet managed to carve out a stable life in a lawless frontier town. When danger came, she remained composed. When pressured, she had contingencies. Even a flying magic beast as an escape route.
'This girl's fragile appearance hides a heart sharp and calm in any situation.'
"A smart girl. I do enjoy speaking with smart people."
A soft stream of Dou Qi swirled through the room like a breeze, sweeping up all the poisonous powder and drawing it into Lin Ran's body.
The dim haze cleared. Under Xiao Yixian's astonished gaze, Lin Ran smiled.
"But unfortunately, smart people don't often have good endings."
Her expression froze.
"Sir… what do you mean by that?"
"Woeful Poison Body."
That name struck like thunder. Xiao Yixian stood frozen in place.
"Honestly, I'm surprised. The Woeful Poison Body allows one to increase Dou Qi rapidly just by ingesting poison. But I sense barely any Dou Qi in you."
"Is it because of a lack of resources for the body to devour? Or..."
Lin Ran stared down at her from above. He tilted her chin upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"D-Don't touch me!"
Xiao Yixian snapped out of her daze, instinctively retreating to avoid contact.
Her Woeful Poison Body wasn't yet fully matured, but she had just absorbed poison mist. At this moment, her body was in an activated state.
In this condition, any living being that came into contact with her flesh would be corroded by poison.
Lin Ran stepped closer. Xiao Yixian instinctively tried to back away, but her foot hit the edge of the table. There was nowhere to go.
He leaned in like a wolf closing in on a helpless lamb. Lowering his head to her ear, he inhaled slowly. A fragrant scent rushed over him.
"Or is it because of that soft heart of yours that goes against instinct?"
As he looked at her reddening ears and the blush creeping down her neck, Lin Ran exhaled gently.
"I'm your enemy. Shouldn't you use your strongest weapon while I'm off guard to kill me? Why warn me not to come closer?"
"It's not that… I… I don't want to…"
"Why not?"
He grasped her chin again, forcing her to look into his eyes.
"You've already tasted poison. Your body will, from now on, constantly urge you—tempt you—to seek more. To devour more. It will seduce you, whisper to you, push you."
"This is your nature. A brand seared into the depths of your soul. Why fight it?"
"Because… because…"
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't form the words.
"It's fear."
"You're afraid your body will erupt and you'll lose everything—your loved ones, your emotions, your life. You're afraid of losing it all."
"You've already tasted poison once, meaning you've activated the Woeful Poison Body. Which means… you've already lost control once before, haven't you?"
"And that time… the results still haunt you, don't they?"
His voice was like a whisper from the abyss, pulling her into the depths.
Xiao Yixian trembled.
Memories flooded her mind.
A peaceful mountain village. Kind neighbors. A loving mother.
All of them… gone, agonized to death in her first eruption.
Since then, she had known she was different. She vowed never to let anyone else die because of her. She devoted herself to medicine, hoping to atone for the curse in her blood.
But…
"But you still can't resist. You still crave poison."
Lin Ran pulled a jade bottle from her waist and opened it, revealing a deep violet powder.
"You want this."
"No. I don't. I don't want it!"
"Are you sure? Because I can feel your Dou Qi trembling. I can hear your body crying for it."
"The rush after consuming poison… the swelling Dou Qi… the growing power of your poison body… You can't stop it."
"Stop it… stop talking… please, stop!"
Her mind was a whirlwind. Every word he said pierced her heart like a blade.
She would never live a peaceful life. The Woeful Poison Body would torment her forever—killing those around her—until it finally erupted, leaving a thousand miles of death.
She didn't want that. She just wanted to live normally, quietly. Like everyone else.
But could she?
'A normal life? A peaceful ending?'
'Born in calamity… dies in calamity.'
Such was the fate of one born with the Woeful Poison Body. A fate sealed at the very moment of her birth.
(End of Chapter)