Villain Path

Chapter 36. Fear

"I'm glad you're not dead yet," the blind man said.

"Speaking of which," Shen began, glad that he had started the conversation himself and didn't have to spoil the atmosphere. "Do you have an antidote?"

"Of course there is."

"Then, will you give it to me?"

"Are you willing to give something valuable to you for it?"

Shen said nothing. He had anticipated this development of the conversation. But, unlike the blind man, he was not ready to give up his body parts.

"Son, does he look confused?" the blind man asked Agen.

He looked at Shen.

"Yes, Father."

"Maybe even upset?"

"There are tears in his eyes, Father."

"Hey, it's because of the touching picture I just saw here!" Shen protested, causing a wave of laughter.

He watched in disbelief as two people who had recently been drowning in misery laughed, clutching their bellies because they had been made to laugh by their arch-enemy. Shen turned his head to the side in surprise, watching them and realizing that this world had gone crazy.

[Congratulations!] System burst out. [4/6 of the story task "Instructions of the Council of Elders" completed! +20 points to the main villain's strength. +10 points to the main villain's charm. +10 points to the main villain charisma. The villain's rating is downgraded.]

Shen almost fell over in surprise.

The blind man finally stopped laughing. Straightening up, he said:

"All right. Don't think I've stopped hating you. I just don't want a beautiful day like today and my son's wedding tomorrow to be overshadowed by someone else's passing. Wait here, I'll get the antidote."

"I'll go with you, Father," Agen volunteered at once.

The blind man agreed, and Shen stood in the courtyard, watching them go, wondering if he was lucky for once.

After about forty minutes, he realized that he had been a little too quick with his luck.

"What is it?"

Agen and the blind man went into the guest hall, where Shen was passing the time by reading a cursed spell scroll, and set a wicker basket with a lid on the floor.

"The antidote."

"Somehow it looks strange."

"The poison on the dagger is very special. I've been developing it for years just for you. So the antidote to it is also special."

Shen went to the basket, but his gut told him he didn't want to open it.

"What's inside?"

"The man I bought it from called it the desert snake. Based on her poison, another person helped me make the poison. However, it so happened that her own poison, without any impurities, is an antidote. You just have to let yourself get bitten. You can keep the snake, since I'm done with the poisons, I won't need it anymore."

"Are you... are you ... are you kidding!?"

If he wasn't blind, he would have seen Shen turn pale just thinking about it. He could tell by the sound of his voice how scared he was. Even the prospect of dying from poison didn't scare him as much as talking about snakebite!

"You decide," the blind man said.

He and Agen went out, leaving him alone with the basket and its contents.