Qian Wen didn't know much about his opponent and neither was there any information about him in the formation screens when he had fought him.
Lin Mu and Lu Xu had also tried to recall if they had heard anything about a person like this but came up with nothing. Even the intelligence booklet that Lin Mu had was lacking in information about such a man.
Thus when he heard that the sisters knew about him, he wanted to learn more.
"You know about him?" Lin Mu asked.
"Was Gila wearing a head wrap made from fish skin?" Ming Aolian asked.
"And were his fingers wrinkly?" Ming Dandan also asked.
"Yes… He was like that." Qian Wen nodded his head.
"No wonder…" A dark expression appeared on the Ming sisters' faces.
"Where is Gila from?" the others asked in doubt.
"Gila is definitely from the Black Fin Island." Ming Aolian answered.
"Black Fin Island?" Lin Mu muttered, trying to remember if he had heard about if before.
"Isn't that near the North Western coast of the Holy Topaz Continent?" Lu Xu seemed to recognize it.
"Indeed." Ming Dandan nodded her head.
"What is that place and how does concern Gila?" Lin Mu questioned.
"The Black Fin Island is officially a vassal of the Holy Topaz Empire. It is separated from the continent, and is about three hundred kilometers from the North Western Coast of the Holy Topaz Continent.
There are several clans living there, among which there are a few clans with strange and unorthodox techniques. The people there are known to dress like how Gila dresses and practice similar skills.
But they are also known to use hidden poison skills!" Ming Aolian explained.
"Isn't using poison forbidden in the tournament?" Luo Liqin asked in doubt.
"Only if it is a fatal poison." Lu Xu clarified. "You can still use weakening poisons as well as poisonous skills." He added.
"Why couldn't I tell I was poisoned? I thought it was just a lingering injury." Qian Wen was a bit scared now.
Not knowing that you were poisoned was a terrifying thing, even if the poison wasn't lethal. After all, he was participating in a tournament, where one could still die. Of course, the opponent would be punished for killing, but they would still be dead.
"Their poison skills are not known well and can hide." Ming Dandan spoke. "In fact, there was a time when the Imperial family used to employ their people as assassins and spies."
The expressions of everyone darkened upon hearing this.
"Should this be reported to the temple?" Luo Liqin asked.
"While it is unusual, it is still not against the rules." Ming Dandan replied.
"Though it is still strange…" Lin Mu suddenly spoke. "You didn't feel any effects when you were fighting, did you?" he asked.
"No… the skin only changed a couple of hours after the fight." Qian Wen answered.
"Then it doesn't make sense for the man to poison you. It is clear that it was a slow acting and hidden poison." Lin Mu analyzed. "If he wished to weaken you during the fight, he would have used something that was faster. At most, it should have been delayed by a few minutes, not hours."
"That… does make sense." Luo Liqin agreed.
"Are the people of the Black Fin Island usually like this?" Lu Xu couldn't help but ask.
"No… They wouldn't do something like this unprompted. Even if they used to be assassins, that was a long time ago. Their people might still practice the same skills, but I don't think they would use them in the tournament like this." Ming Aolian replied after thinking.
'Something doesn't add up.' Lin Mu thought to himself. "Regardless of what it might be, we should first take care of your poison." He spoke.
"Yes! We should get an alchemist." Ming Dandan agreed.
"I think, brother Mu Lin might be able to help us with that." Luo Liqin chimed in.
"Mmhmm, I have detoxifying pills." Lin Mu was quick to take out a small blue pill.
It had no smell and looked like a simple bead.
"Eat it." Lin Mu instructed.
"Alright." Qian Wen nodded his head and quickly consumed the blue pill.
~cough~
Then a few seconds later the man coughed out loud, while his skin started to itch like crazy.
"Ugh!" He tried to hold on but the irritation was intense.
Thankfully, a minute later it was over as a dark liquid came out of his back, staining his robes.
"That was surely poison…" Lu Xu spoke as a fishy smell could now be sensed.
"You best burn it." Ming Dandan advised.
Qian Wen knew that too and quickly took out his shirt.
~SHUA~
Little Shrubby immediately spat out a small wisp of fire that ignited the shirt, reducing it to ashes.
~Phew~
Qian Wen couldn't help but take a breath of relief. He had never thought that he'd be in this kind of trouble.
"Thank you, brother Mu Lin." The man cupped his hands in gratitude.
"Little Shrubby is amazing, he could sense the poison just like that!" Ming Aolian didn't forget that.
"Yeah, it should have been hard to detect." Ming Dandan agreed.
Lin Mu had also not sensed it right away, only knowing when Little Shrubby smelled it.
"Little Shrubby did well." Lin Mu petted the beast.
"So what is it that you called us here for, brother Mu Lin?" Lu Xu inquired.
"Ah, yes we should get to it." Lin Mu replied. "Though take note to pay attention to any more people from the Black Fin Island." He warned.
"We shall." They all were concerned about something similar happening to them.
With that done, Lin Mu finally revealed what he had called them here for.
"I've called you here for two reasons. The first is our common mission concerning Yao Changying, and the second is an opportunity to make a nice fortune." Lin Mu revealed.
"A fortune?" Lu Xu's eyes gleamed.
"Yao Changying!?" the Ming sisters showed agitation.
