Actually, the Circle of Ancient Martial Arts can be quite simple at times. Whoever has the bigger fists is the boss.

Take those members of Flying Leopard, for example. A moment ago, they were stern-faced and sharp-eyed, furious at Chen Fei's 'arrogant' boasts. But now? They've all obediently and meekly scrambled away.

Because that's reality. Chen Fei possessed enough strength to string them up and beat them, so naturally, he had the right to be arrogant and boastful.

Besides, if Chen Fei were truly a ruthless killer who didn't blink an eye, they would have been the unlucky ones. After all, within the Circle of Ancient Martial Arts, their mentality was that for a weakling to dare provoke someone stronger was simply asking for death. Getting killed would be no one's fault but your own.

They had also clearly taken note of Chen Fei's youth and his terrifying strength. The five or six of them combined could barely hold their own against a First-Class Ancient Warrior. Yet Chen Fei had just effortlessly wiped the floor with them, like an adult beating a child. How could they not be utterly shocked and feel inferior?

Seeing those annoying "gate gods" finally take the hint and leave, Chen Fei's expression softened slightly. "Let's go. Come inside with me, we'll talk there," he said to Zhao Xin, his tone indifferent.

Normally, with his personality, he wouldn't be so cold to an acquaintance, let alone someone he'd fought alongside—a comrade-in-arms! Yet his current attitude toward her was frigid, a clear sign that he was still bottling up his anger and displeasure.

Although Zhao Xin detected the dissatisfaction in his tone, she felt wronged herself. With an icy expression, she followed him into the bedroom. "Mm," she affirmed coldly.

"What do you want?" Chen Fei asked, cutting right to the chase once they were in the bedroom.

"It wasn't me who wanted to see you; it was my master," Zhao Xin said flatly, giving him a cold look.

"Your master?" Chen Fei was puzzled, but her icy attitude concerned him more, making him genuinely uncomfortable. He forced a smile. "Can you not look so stern? We're comrades, after all. To be honest, I've been in a bad mood for the past few days. If I scared you earlier, I apologize."

"So being in a bad mood gives you the right to act recklessly?" Hearing his apology, Zhao Xin's expression softened slightly, but her tone remained sharp. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you'll be in if they go back and spread rumors about what just happened? We're a national department, after all." Though her words were harsh, they were laced with concern for him.

That's right. She was worried about her subordinates. If they went back and started gossiping, Chen Fei would be in serious trouble. They were a state agency, and they had a reputation to uphold. Although she was their team leader, it was in name only. Within Flying Leopard, the title of 'captain' didn't mean much and certainly didn't come with high status.

"No, you're wrong." Chen Fei shook his head dismissively. "You may be with Flying Leopard, but you're a firearms expert. You're not part of the Circle of Ancient Martial Arts, and you don't understand our rules."

He paused before continuing, "In the Circle of Ancient Martial Arts, hierarchy is paramount. The strong are respected; the weak are scorned. Their behavior just now—blocking my door—was, to put it bluntly, a declaration that they had no respect for me, Chen Fei. You might think I'm being arrogant, but look at it this way: what if the person you were meeting today was a renowned martial arts grandmaster in his seventies or eighties, a famous First-Class Ancient Warrior? Would those men have dared to block his door like a pack of statues? They'd be lucky not to get beaten to death or crippled on the spot!"

*The strong are respected; the weak are scorned.* These were the words his master had drilled into him, ordering him to adhere to this principle to the letter within the Circle of Ancient Martial Arts. To do otherwise would be to bring shame upon their lineage of Xingyi Fist. The consequences would be severe.

"But didn't you just seriously injure them? Besides, the one you hurt badly—his uncle is a Major Captain in Flying Leopard. I heard he's the leader of some ancient martial arts sect and a First-Class Ancient Warrior himself." As Zhao Xin spoke, she began to understand Chen Fei's earlier stubbornness, but at the same time, she couldn't help but worry. Only now did she recall the details about the man Chen Fei had injured.

Within Flying Leopard, only those who had reached the level of a King of Soldiers or a First-Class Ancient Warrior, and who also had a spotless record and sufficient experience, could be entrusted with such a high-ranking position. There were only twenty or thirty such individuals in the entire organization. In her Jiangnan Province Branch of Flying Leopard, there were a mere seven. No wonder she was so concerned.

"A First-Class Ancient Warrior? Got it. It's nothing to worry about," Chen Fei replied with a faint smile, changing the subject. "Anyway, you still haven't told me why you came to see me today. Is it important? You made quite a scene, even wearing your uniform."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted sneakily to Zhao Xin's chest. The fabric of her police uniform strained to contain her ample curves. Her fiery figure was so alluring it made him want to gulp.

"I am a police officer. Why wouldn't I wear my uniform?" Zhao Xin retorted with a humorless laugh. Her expression suddenly turned serious. "Let me ask you, how much do you know about the case in Northern Mountain City?"

"The Northern Mountain City case? Which one?" Chen Fei frowned.

"Human experimentation," Zhao Xin replied, looking him squarely in the eye. "Human experimentation is a major taboo in our country, something the higher-ups have given strict orders to investigate and eliminate. We only learned about this because we received a notice from the government. So, tell me exactly what you know. And can you really neutralize the snake venom in the victim's body?"

She was so serious for two reasons. First, the case involved the forbidden practice of human experimentation. Second, that specific poison had long been on file within Flying Leopard, classified as an 'S-level' threat. That meant they had no leads on it and no way to counter it. Yet, the message from the government implied that Chen Fei could neutralize the poison, which had naturally sent shockwaves through the Flying Leopard leadership and drawn their full attention.

After all, any substance that Flying Leopard classified as 'S-level' was terrifyingly dangerous. Finding a countermeasure as soon as possible was a top priority.

"Snake venom? I suppose you could call it that." Chen Fei was stunned for a moment before smiling. "I actually just stumbled upon this case by chance, so I don't know the inside story. However, I think I've encountered this poison once before, although there were some minor differences between the two." (He was referring to the incident with Elder Dong. It seemed to be the same poison.)

"You've seen this poison before? Where? What were the circumstances? And what happened?" Zhao Xin pressed, her voice urgent.

"Hold on, not so fast. One question at a time," Chen Fei said with a wry smile. "As for where I've seen it... you know Elder Dong, right? The father of Tongzhou City's Party Secretary, Dong Wencheng. He was secretly poisoned in a sneak attack and nearly died, but I managed to save him."

"You saved him?" Zhao Xin's expression turned eager. "Are you serious? You really have a way to cure the Saliva of the Snake King?"

"Of course. But what is Saliva of the Snake King? Is that the toxin's name?" Chen Fei asked with a frown.

"Yes." Zhao Xin nodded, taking a deep breath. "The Saliva of the Snake King is hailed as one of the Five Great Exotic Poisons. Three have since vanished completely, leaving only it and one other terrifying poison in existence. Furthermore, this particular poison is a core, unteachable secret of the Tiger Leopard Hall. It's said to have been created by that madman, Luo Zun."

When she mentioned the name "Luo Zun," her eyes betrayed a clear mix of reverence and terror, which made Chen Fei frown.

"I've heard of the Five Great Exotic Poisons; my master mentioned them before. But who is Luo Zun? Is he really that powerful?" It was hard to fathom that the mere mention of a name could frighten Zhao Xin so badly. Chen Fei was now intensely curious about this Luo Zun.

"You don't know who Luo Zun is?" Now it was Zhao Xin's turn to be astonished. "Luo Zun of the Tiger Leopard Hall... his vicious reputation is known throughout the entire Circle of Ancient Martial Arts, and you've never heard of him?"

"I really don't. My master never mentioned his name. Stop being mysterious and just tell me. Who is this guy? Is he that strong?" Chen Fei pressed impatiently, eager for the answer. If this man really created the Saliva of the Snake King, then he, like me, must have ties to the Cultivation World. Or, at the very least, he must have inherited the legacy of a demonic cultivator—perhaps even an incomplete one. Of course I'd be curious about him.

"I believe I told you about the Tiger Leopard Hall last time, didn't I?" Zhao Xin began slowly.

"Yes, you did," Chen Fei confirmed with a nod.

"The Tiger Leopard Hall is known to have four Innate Experts. Luo Zun is the strongest of them, and also the most insane and inhuman. To develop the Saliva of the Snake King, he once ordered the secret abduction of thousands of people to use as test subjects!" Zhao Xin's lips trembled as she spoke.

Chen Fei sucked in a sharp breath, a look of profound shock in his eyes. Even with the legacy he possessed, knowing that in the vast Cultivation World, cruel demonic cultivators would slaughter hundreds of thousands for their own selfish gain, hearing about a similar event on Earth still sent a chill down his spine. This is Earth, not the Cultivation World. To abduct thousands of people for experiments... this was pure madness!

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