Chapter 23: You Acted First

*Splash!*

At a rocky coast surrounded by stone formations, the sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed through the air. Xiao Nanfeng frowned slightly as he glanced back at the eerie white fog they had just passed through.

"Senior Brother, Taiqing Island is protected by a fog array. Without knowing the way in and out, anyone who enters will get stuck in a loop, unable to find their way. It's meant to ensure the island's privacy and security," Tang Xiaoyi explained with a smile.

"This isn't the dock?" Xiao Nanfeng looked towards the sea not far from them.

"We're taking a shortcut. If we followed the main path, we'd have to go around several mountains. Walking along the coast like this will get us to the dock much faster. If you're tired, Senior Brother, we can take a break," Tang Xiaoyi suggested with a grin.

"Alright, let's rest for a bit. Good thing you're familiar with Taiqing Island; otherwise, I'm sure we would've wandered aimlessly," Xiao Nanfeng smiled and sat down on a large boulder.

"Senior Brother, ever since you joined, you've mostly eaten mythical creature meat. You probably haven't had the chance to try other delicacies, right? Although I'm just a servant disciple, I joined a year earlier than you and have come across some fine things. This spirit wine of mine, for instance, is quite extraordinary—not inferior to the mythical creature meat you've had. Care to try some?" Tang Xiaoyi eagerly unfastened a wine gourd from his waist.

"Oh? Spirit wine?" Xiao Nanfeng's eyes lit up.

"Here you go, Senior Brother!" Tang Xiaoyi offered the wine gourd to Xiao Nanfeng with enthusiasm.

Xiao Nanfeng accepted it, opened the gourd, took a sniff, and remarked, "What a wonderful fragrance!"

"Of course! Spirit wine has a natural aroma. Don't be shy, Senior Brother," Tang Xiaoyi urged with a grin.

Without hesitation, Xiao Nanfeng tilted the gourd and poured a small amount into his mouth. Tang Xiaoyi's lips curled slightly, a fleeting hint of mischief flashing in his eyes as he watched Xiao Nanfeng drink.

"Ugh!" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly spat out the spirit wine.

"Uh? Senior Brother, what's—" Tang Xiaoyi looked baffled.

"This wine... It's so spicy!" Xiao Nanfeng returned the wine gourd with a face full of distaste.

Tang Xiaoyi blinked in confusion. Spicy?

He wore a peculiar expression. "Senior Brother, don't tell me this is your first time drinking wine?"

"Uh... How did you know?" Xiao Nanfeng replied, somewhat embarrassed.

Tang Xiaoyi: "..."

Upon second thought, Xiao Nanfeng was only sixteen. It wasn't too surprising that he hadn't drunk before. No wonder he found the taste too spicy.

"That's just how wine tastes," Tang Xiaoyi said with a helpless smile.

"But it really is spicy!" Xiao Nanfeng shook his head vigorously.

"You've got to take bigger gulps! Watch me!" Tang Xiaoyi demonstrated, taking several large swigs from the gourd.

"Ah, refreshing!"

"See? That's spirit wine for you! What kind of man doesn't drink? This spirit wine is good stuff, especially beneficial for cultivation. It'd be a shame to waste it. Who knows? By the time we reach the dock, you might even ask me to sell you some!" Tang Xiaoyi teased.

"Really? Let me give it another try!" Xiao Nanfeng seemed tempted.

He took the gourd once more and downed a large mouthful.

"Ugh!" He spat it out again before he could swallow.

Tang Xiaoyi's face darkened. Was he doing this on purpose?

"Sorry, I wasted it again. I'm still not used to drinking, but I only spat out half of it this time. The other half went down. My throat feels like it's on fire," Xiao Nanfeng quickly added.

Tang Xiaoyi's eyes lit up. "Haha! That's the feeling! How is it? Doesn't it feel good?"

"It's really spicy! My whole stomach feels like it's burning. But it does feel oddly nice," Xiao Nanfeng admitted.

"Haha! See? I told you, my spirit wine is no ordinary drink," Tang Xiaoyi laughed heartily, clearly satisfied.

Then, without any pretense, Tang Xiaoyi's expression shifted to one of mockery, a cold sneer appearing on his face as he stared at Xiao Nanfeng, as if waiting for something.

Suddenly, Xiao Nanfeng clutched his head and swayed. "Why do I feel like... something's wrong with my body?"

"Do your limbs feel weak and your body limp?" Tang Xiaoyi asked coldly.

Xiao Nanfeng immediately stopped holding his head, his body indeed growing weak as he leaned against a nearby rock for support.

"Tang Xiaoyi? I feel drained... Am I drunk? What's happening to me?" Xiao Nanfeng asked anxiously.

Tang Xiaoyi gazed at him coldly. "You're at the sixth level of the Acquired Realm; there's no way that little bit of wine could get you drunk. You're not drunk—you're poisoned."

"Poisoned? What poison? Wait! There's poison in the wine? Why would you poison me?" Xiao Nanfeng's expression changed drastically.

"Even though you're no match for me, I, Tang Xiaoyi, leave no room for accidents. This is the edge of Taiqing Island, a secluded place. Even if you scream at the top of your lungs, no one will come to save you. Don't blame me, Senior Brother Nanfeng," Tang Xiaoyi said with a sinister smile.

"But you drank the same wine. Why aren't you affected?" Xiao Nanfeng asked in shock.

"Because I took the antidote in advance," Tang Xiaoyi boasted smugly.

"Why are you doing this? I've never wronged you," Xiao Nanfeng asked, his face pale.

"Ha! We had no grudge, but unfortunately for you, you're Elder Ku's disciple. Don't worry—I won't kill you. As long as you cooperate and use your status as Elder Ku's disciple to help us retrieve something from the fourth floor of the scripture palace, you'll be fine," Tang Xiaoyi said, narrowing his eyes.

"What... who are you?" Xiao Nanfeng's expression darkened.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is you're poisoned, and I'm the only one with the antidote. If you don't cooperate, you'll rot from the inside out—not even Elder Ku can save you. Do you want to live or die? The choice is yours," Tang Xiaoyi threatened.

"Hmm? You just said 'we'... You have accomplices?" Xiao Nanfeng quickly caught the slip in his words.

"Hmph, who we are is none of your concern. Now tell me, do you want to live or die?" Tang Xiaoyi growled.

"Of course I want to live. But even if I wanted to die, could you kill me?" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly laughed.

"You're courting death!" Tang Xiaoyi leaped up, but before he could act, he was struck by a sudden wave of dizziness, stumbling and collapsing to the ground.

Lying limp on the ground, Tang Xiaoyi's face was filled with disbelief. "I... I clearly took the antidote. Why is this happening?"

Tang Xiaoyi struggled to get up but couldn't manage it.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng slowly stood up, showing no signs of poisoning at all. He looked down at Tang Xiaoyi coldly.

"You were pretending?! Impossible! You drank the wine!" Tang Xiaoyi shouted in disbelief.

"I spat it all out, remember?" Xiao Nanfeng replied calmly.

Tang Xiaoyi's face paled. He had spit out the entire drink!

"You... you poisoned me? When?" Tang Xiaoyi cried out.

He finally realized that while he was trying to poison Xiao Nanfeng, Xiao Nanfeng had turned the tables on him, poisoning him instead while he was completely off guard.

"Didn't your family ever tell you not to leave your drink unattended after it's been opened?" Xiao Nanfeng said lightly.

Tang Xiaoyi's expression shifted, thinking back. There had been one moment when his eyes left the wine gourd…

"It was when I watched you spit out the first sip, wasn't it? But how did you know I would drink the wine myself?" Tang Xiaoyi asked, his face twisting.

"I guessed. Your act was so clumsy, I knew you'd try to make me feel safe. Even if you didn't drink it, I would have found a way to make you," Xiao Nanfeng said coldly. "And as luck would have it, I had some leftover poison from before. Tang Xiaoyi, I had no grudge against you, yet you spent a month befriending me, luring me out to harm me? You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?"

"When did you realize I was going to harm you? I thought my plan was flawless. How did you figure it out?" Tang Xiaoyi asked, unwilling to accept defeat.

"Do you really think I wouldn't know my way around Taiqing Island on my first visit? The scripture palace has maps of the island. Even though some areas aren't on the map, the route from the palace to the dock is well-known to me," Xiao Nanfeng said coldly.

"What?" Tang Xiaoyi was stunned.

"At first, I thought we were taking an unmarked

path, but once we arrived here, it was clear you had ulterior motives."

"You... were you acting the whole time?" Tang Xiaoyi's shock was palpable.

"You started it," Xiao Nanfeng replied coldly.

"I... You..." Tang Xiaoyi stammered, pointing at Xiao Nanfeng, struggling to find words.

Had the mantis caught the cicada? How could someone so young possess such depth and skill?

"Enough! Now, tell me—who are you and what do you want to steal from Taiqing Immortal Sect?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded, his gaze unyielding.

"I won't tell you," Tang Xiaoyi replied defiantly, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"You're not afraid of dying?" Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"What does death matter? Once we decided to infiltrate Taiqing Island, we prepared to leave this world behind," Tang Xiaoyi scoffed.

Xiao Nanfeng moved closer, seizing Tang Xiaoyi's chin. He pried open his mouth, swiftly discovering a small black ball lodged between his teeth.

"You... how did you find out my secret?" Tang Xiaoyi gasped in disbelief.

"I just figured someone so arrogant might be hiding a suicide poison. And here it is," Xiao Nanfeng said with a strange expression, realizing he'd struck gold.

Tang Xiaoyi: "..."

Had he really revealed his own secret? Was being too cocky a fault?

"Now, are you going to talk?" Xiao Nanfeng pressed.

Tang Xiaoyi's expression hardened. "You think you can scare me into talking? I'd rather die than betray my mission!"

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes narrowed. "So be it. If you choose death, then I'll make sure it's a swift one. But remember, you chose this path."

"Go ahead, do your worst!" Tang Xiaoyi shouted defiantly.

Xiao Nanfeng stepped back, contemplating his next move. This confrontation had turned from a simple encounter to a battle of wits. 

He needed information, but he also understood the value of life and the lengths people would go to protect their secrets. 

With a determined look, he made his choice. "Then let's make it interesting. I'll give you a chance to earn your life back. Tell me what you want from the scripture palace, and if your answer pleases me, I might consider letting you go."

Tang Xiaoyi hesitated, the spark of fear flickering in his eyes. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I respect strength and ambition. If you can convince me, perhaps we could even work together," Xiao Nanfeng proposed, watching Tang Xiaoyi closely.

The tension hung thick in the air as both young men weighed their options, their fates intertwined in a world of martial intrigue and mysticism.