"You stinking beggar, what the hell are you laughing at?" Zhao Tieshan asked disdainfully.

Lin Xiao smiled. "I'm laughing at your stupidity, of course!"

Zhao Tieshan gave a cold snort. "I think you're the stupid one!"

Lin Xiao shrugged. "Don't tell me you actually believe I've been poisoned?"

"Hmph, weren't you?"

Lin Xiao laughed. "Then do I look like someone who's been poisoned right now?"

Zhao Tieshan instinctively glanced at Lin Xiao, only to see him with a rosy complexion, full of vigor. He looked nothing like a man who had been poisoned.

Zhao Tieshan's heart sank. He was certain he had administered a potent toxin to this stinking beggar. To be absolutely sure, he hadn't just poisoned the wine; he had specifically coated the inside of the cup with poison as well. Yet, to his astonishment, the beggar wasn't affected at all. What he couldn't comprehend most was that he had watched with his own eyes as Lin Xiao downed three cups. Could this beggar be immune to all poisons? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. If he were truly that formidable, why would he be content to live as a stinking beggar? Could someone have switched the poisoned wine beforehand? The possibility existed. But who on earth could have done it?

Lin Xiao saw the doubt in Zhao Tieshan's eyes. He said with a smirk, "What's the matter? Curious about who switched the wine?"

Zhao Tieshan snorted coldly. He didn't speak, but the venom in his gaze grew more intense.

Just then, Lin Xiao intentionally flicked a quick glance toward Fang Buping, who was standing off to the side.

Zhao Tieshan caught the gesture.

His heart lurched violently. Could it be? Had his own butler switched the wine? No, that can't be. Fang Buping had served him for over a decade with unwavering loyalty. He had no reason to help this stinking beggar. But besides him, who else would have the gall to tamper with the poison? Could that beggar's wife have bribed Fang Buping? That seemed possible. Yesterday, when he had personally gone to invite the beggar, Su Qingning was there. That Su Qingning was an exceptionally sharp girl. She must have deduced his plan to deal with the beggar and bribed Fang Buping in advance.

The more Zhao Tieshan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Combined with his own suspicious nature, he became convinced that Fang Buping was the traitor.

As this realization dawned, his face turned livid. "Fang Buping, you audacious traitor! You dare to bite the hand that feeds you and side with a stinking beggar!"

Fang Buping, who had been glaring murderously at Lin Xiao, was suddenly bewildered. With a trembling voice, he asked, "Master, what… what do you mean by that?"

"Hmph! To think you're still feigning innocence! You deserve to die!" Zhao Tieshan roared.

THUD.

Fang Buping dropped to his knees before Zhao Tieshan. "Master, are… are you saying that I switched the wine for this beggar?"

"Wasn't it you?" Zhao Tieshan glared, murder in his eyes.

Fang Buping's face went deathly pale.

He had served Zhao Tieshan for over a decade and knew his master's character all too well. He was utterly ruthless. Once Zhao Tieshan decided he was guilty, death would be his only fate. No, it would be a fate worse than death. Fang Buping began to panic, utterly terrified.

Staring into Zhao Tieshan's ferocious gaze, Fang Buping hurriedly pleaded, "Master, I've followed you for over ten years and have always been completely loyal! How could I possibly do anything to betray you?"

Just as he finished speaking, Lin Xiao interjected, "That's right, that's right! Steward Fang didn't do it. It really wasn't him!"

Zhao Tieshan had still harbored a sliver of doubt, but after hearing Lin Xiao's words, it vanished completely.

This confirmed it. It *had* to be Fang Buping. Lin Xiao was just trying to cover for him.

Zhao Tieshan became enraged. "Fang Buping, you son of a bitch! You eat my food and drink my wine, yet you dare betray me for a damn beggar! Since that's how it is, I'll let you taste the price of betrayal! Men, drag him away and feed him to the dogs!"

The moment he spoke, five or six burly men lunged at Fang Buping, knocking him to the ground without a word. They then began dragging him toward a large kennel by the entrance, inside which two Tibetan mastiffs paced hungrily.

Fang Buping was consumed by panic. He knew exactly what awaited him if he was thrown into that cage.

"Master, it really wasn't me! I didn't switch the wine! I beg you, for the sake of the ten years I've served you, please spare me! I'm begging you!" Fang Buping shrieked miserably.

He would have been better off keeping his mouth shut. His plea only enraged Zhao Tieshan further.

He roared, "Damn it, haven't you idiots eaten? Hurry up and throw this piece of trash into the kennel for me!"

With that, his men threw Fang Buping into the dog cage. The two mastiffs, as if they hadn't eaten in centuries, leaped upon him, instantly tearing him into a bloody mess. Fang Buping's piercing screams echoed through the air, but after a short while, he fell silent.

Lin Xiao glanced over and saw that Fang Buping had already been torn to shreds by the two mastiffs.

Zhao Tieshan scanned the gruesome scene with a sinister look. "Worthless mutt. That's what you get for betraying me!"

Hearing this, Lin Xiao said with a grin, "Zhao Tieshan, if I told you it wasn't Fang Buping who switched the wine at all, would you be so angry you'd vomit blood?"

"Humph, cut the crap. If he hadn't switched the wine, how could a stinking beggar like you still be alive?"

Lin Xiao's smile widened. "Zhao Tieshan, you might not believe me, but I am immune to all poisons."

Zhao Tieshan snorted. "What nonsense are you spouting? Don't think I'm an idiot. In the entire world, only one person is immune to all poisons: the legendary and supreme Dragon Lord!"

As he finished speaking, Zhao Tieshan's voice weakened, and undeniable fear crept into his eyes. Clearly, the legendary Dragon Lord terrified him.

"Maybe I am," Lin Xiao said with a cold smirk.

"Bullshit! You're killing me! You, a stinking beggar, claim to be the supreme Dragon Lord? If you're the Dragon Lord, then I'm his father!"

A frighteningly sharp light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. The piercing gaze shot straight toward Zhao Tieshan, causing him to shudder involuntarily.

What a terrifying gaze. Not even his own boss, the King of Jinling, possessed such a dreadful look. As the thought crossed his mind, Zhao Tieshan realized he had to kill this beggar today. If he let him live, he would undoubtedly become a major threat in the future.

Just as Zhao Tieshan was about to speak, Lin Xiao's voice cut in, cold as ice. "Zhao Tieshan, how do you want to die?"

"Damn it, boy, don't get cocky! Men, kill this stinking beggar for me!"

Before his words faded, a sinister voice cut through the air.

"There's no need. I alone am enough."

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