Inside the pavilion, Jin Xianchen lay sprawled on the ground, a slender silver needle trembling faintly on his neck in the gentle breeze.

It turned out that the only reason Ishino Kotaro managed to knock out Jin Xianchen, who possessed the strength of the Third Layer of Inner Force, was entirely due to the silver needle held between his palms.

That needle was clearly coated with some potent toxin, which instantly rendered Jin Xianchen unconscious the moment it pierced his neck.

Jin Xianchen’s downfall was his complete focus on Zhang Yang, causing him to miss Ishino Kotaro’s move. He capsized in the gutter, struck down by a mere silver needle from Ishino Kotaro, who possessed virtually no real combat ability.

Ishino Kotaro, representing the Japanese side at the Sino-Foreign Medical Exchange, only possessed strength marginally above that of an ordinary person, requiring bodyguards to escort him. However, judging by his needling technique, his medical skill was indeed quite profound.

Zhang Yang watched this unfold without intervening, because in his eyes, all these individuals present today were destined to be dealt with sooner or later. Thus, he was curious to see exactly what Ishino Kotaro intended.

Ishino Kotaro took a deep, steadying breath before turning to face Zhang Yang, forcibly suppressing the terror churning within him to maintain as much composure as possible. He then spoke, “Mr. Zhang, perhaps everything that transpired between us was a misunderstanding. I have no dealings whatsoever with those Koreans. Therefore, I believe we might be able to discuss matters.”

“Discuss? What is there for us to discuss?” Zhang Yang felt there was absolutely nothing worth negotiating with Ishino Kotaro.

“I believe what I have to offer will greatly interest you,” Ishino Kotaro quickly added when he saw Zhang Yang’s indifferent reaction. “I can tell you the complete list of nations participating in this medical exchange who harbor malicious intent towards Huaxia, along with their specific objectives. Of course, I understand that with your level of strength, Mr. Zhang, you might not care about this. However, considering how many countries are involved in this exchange, you cannot possibly investigate every single one individually. Having our list would save you a great deal of time. Please trust the intelligence capabilities of our Great Japanese Empire; I guarantee my list will not miss a single nation harboring wicked designs.”

“Naturally, I have only one, very, very small condition for handing this list over to you, Mr. Zhang,” Ishino Kotaro muttered, staring intently at Zhang Yang. “As long as Mr. Zhang agrees to let me go and return.”

Having said this, Ishino Kotaro looked at Zhang Yang with desperate hope. The list in his hand could save Zhang Yang considerable time going forward, and more importantly, it would allow Zhang Yang to eliminate those plotting mischief in Huaxia without disrupting the medical exchange event itself.

Exchanging this list for the life of a useless individual like himself seemed, by any measure, an extremely worthwhile bargain.

Suddenly, Zhang Yang recalled the expression on the face of the straggler from the Hua Tuo lineage of the Jiang family, who was dying in the water prison at Yanming Mountain.

Towards enemies, one must never show the slightest hint of soft-heartedness!

“I will not spare a single one of you. As for what you mentioned, I care even less. Regardless of the purpose you people brought for this Sino-Foreign Medical Exchange, once you set foot on Huaxia soil, you must behave yourselves. Those who refuse to comply will naturally meet the same end as yourselves.”

Zhang Yang’s demeanor turned instantly cold. He gestured toward the scattered heads and corpses on the ground, his voice frigid to the extreme. “Remember this: Those who violate my Huaxia, no matter how far they flee, shall be punished!”

Ishino Kotaro bit his teeth fiercely, shocked that Zhang Yang remained completely unmoved. Yet, given Zhang Yang’s demonstrated power—one man effortlessly dealing with the five Jonin he had dispatched and instantly slaying the three high-ranking ninjas beside him with a mere gesture—he certainly had the authority to speak such words.

“It seems Mr. Zhang is highly confident in his strength, certain that victory is already his?” Ishino Kotaro could barely maintain his composure now, his voice dropping to a near-manic whisper. “Mr. Zhang, I did not bring only these useless bodyguards with me to Huaxia. My father also placed an Anbu ninja alongside me. While I have never met this Anbu, I know for a fact that his strength is likely comparable to yours. Since I have been gone so long, I fear he is already on his way here.”

Zhang Yang sighed. No wonder Jin Xianchen had called Ishino Kotaro an idiot; looking at the situation now, the man was truly no different.

Zhang Yang had already sensed the presence of that powerful Anbu ninja on his way to the Jingyang Sihua Hotel. Initially, Zhang Yang had intended to let Shandian and Wuying engage this hidden, powerful foe. However, upon sensing another surge of mighty energy, Zhang Yang abandoned that plan.

Since Ishino Kotaro knew the Anbu secretly protecting him was as formidable as Zhang Yang claimed, he should realize that if that Anbu were coming, he would have appeared already. The fact that he hadn't meant he wouldn't be appearing at all.

It seemed Ishino Kotaro was unaware that the capital held more than just one cultivator at the Great Perfection stage—namely, Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang finally lost patience. He glanced up at the sky; night had fully fallen. Mi Xue was waiting at home with dinner prepared for him; he could not delay any further.

“Shandian, act now.”

“Chirrup chirp chirp!”

Upon receiving Zhang Yang’s command, Shandian scampered happily from beside Zhang Yang and instantly unleashed a torrent of poisonous mist from its mouth.

The poison mist sprayed from Shandian’s mouth rapidly expanded, enveloping the entire pavilion and cutting off every potential escape route for Ishino Kotaro.

“No, don't! Zhang Yang, you can’t do this!”

Ishino Kotaro’s eyes widened in terror within the pavilion. Even a fool could tell that the black mist spewed from the mouth of that formidable spirit beast must be highly toxic. He had not expected Zhang Yang to be determined to eliminate every single threat, leaving none alive.

Ishino Kotaro finally realized that his plan to strike a private deal with Zhang Yang had utterly failed. Even now, the Anbu ninja meant to protect him had not appeared, and the poison mist had already engulfed the pavilion!

“We are Japanese, envoys from a foreign land! You cannot kill me; doing so will cause friction between our two nations…” Ishino Kotaro lunged forward a few steps, screaming desperately in his final struggle. Unfortunately, as soon as his mouth opened, the poison mist drifted straight inside. Before he could finish his sentence, Shandian’s poison took effect!

Immediately, Ishino Kotaro clutched his throat fiercely, his eyes bulging so wide that his eyeballs seemed about to pop out. A moment later, he released his hands, collapsed onto the ground, and died from the poison.

Zhang Yang surveyed the scene, meticulously erasing all traces connected to himself, arranging the aftermath to look like a brutal clash between the Japanese and Korean sides that resulted in mutual heavy losses. Then, Zhang Yang mounted Zhuifeng and departed the rear garden of the Jingyang Sihua Hotel.

This way, when the staff of the Jingyang Sihua Hotel discovered what had happened in the pavilion, even if they didn't believe it was a final, mutually destructive fight between the two parties, they would have no grounds to direct their anger towards the Huaxia side, let alone link the incident back to Zhang Yang.

Leaving the Jingyang Sihua Hotel, Zhang Yang did not immediately return home. He patted Zhuifeng, who instantly understood his intent and turned towards a small alley not far from the hotel.

There, the gathering of heaven and earth energy was profoundly dense; clearly, an expert had been battling there.

Entering the alley, Zhang Yang saw a familiar figure standing casually ahead, facing off against a ninja wielding a massive, fiery red broadsword.

“Old Man!”

Zhang Yang dismounted from Zhuifeng’s back and called out softly.

The person who had appeared here to intercept the powerful Anbu ninja accompanying Ishino Kotaro was none other than Old Man Zhang Pinglu, who had been hiding within Changjing.

“Yang Yang, you’re here,” Old Man Zhang had sensed Zhang Yang’s presence long ago, so his arrival was not unexpected.

As Zhang Yang approached, the Anbu ninja instinctively took a small step back, misery flooding his heart.

He had been following Young Master Ishino to the Jingyang Sihua Hotel when he sensed an overwhelmingly powerful presence nearby. Out of caution, he had diverted to this alley, only to find his opponent was an old man with graying hair.

“Insignificant wretch, do you truly believe Huaxia has no one left?” This simple statement from the elder caused the ninja’s entire body to tense up, daring not to move rashly.

The result was a stalemate here with the old man until this moment, leaving him unable to leave. He finally understood why the old man had waited so long without attacking—he was waiting for this young man to arrive.

Wait!

A sudden alarm jolted the Anbu ninja. That young man seemed to have just come from the direction of the Jingyang Sihua Hotel!

“You are the Anbu ninja who was with Ishino Kotaro?” Zhang Yang walked up beside Zhang Pinglu, glancing at the perpetually vigilant ninja, and asked casually.

Hearing Zhang Yang’s words, the Anbu ninja, who gripped the massive, fire-red demonic blade, had his eyes narrow sharply, a flash of fierce light crossing them—it was clear he was growing anxious.

“No need to go there. Your Young Master is already dead on Korean territory,” Zhang Yang smiled slightly, breaking the news of Ishino Kotaro’s demise to the Anbu.

“Baka!”

Upon hearing Zhang Yang’s words, the Anbu ninja could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. He raised the colossal broadsword in his hand, abandoning purely defensive maneuvers!

If Young Master Ishino truly died in the Jingyang Sihua Hotel as this young man claimed, then even if this Anbu returned alive, he would likely face seppuku. At this point, no matter how strong the two men before him were, he had to fight desperately.

“Let me handle him,” Zhang Yang stepped forward, raising his Cold Spring Sword. He intentionally sought a contest with this Anbu ninja.