Poison God's Heritage

Chapter 894 Bravado

The room fell into a deep, uneasy silence as the weight of my words settled over everyone like a suffocating blanket. The tension was palpable, so thick you could almost taste the acrid sting of it in the air. A man in ornate white and gold robes leaned forward, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. He exuded the kind of authority that brooked no defiance, and he was clearly not used to being challenged.

"You're awfully outspoken for someone in captivity," he sneered, his voice dripping with condescension. His fingers drummed a staccato rhythm on the polished surface of the massive table, a habit born of barely restrained irritation.

I tilted my head slightly, letting my gaze sweep lazily across the faces of the council members arrayed before me. "Captivity?" I echoed, letting the incredulity color my tone. "Is that what this is? You think I'm some prisoner you can push around, humiliate, and command at will?" A cold smile ghosted over my lips. "You're more arrogant than I gave you credit for."

The man's face darkened, his jaw clenching tight. A vein pulsed angrily at his temple, a clear sign of his barely contained fury. His hand slapped the table with a resounding crack, sending ripples of energy through the polished wood and drawing a collective intake of breath from the room. "You dare?" he thundered, voice booming. "Do you even comprehend who stands before you? If I so desired, I could snuff out your life a dozen times over before you realized what was happening!"

To punctuate his threat, he unleashed a wave of spiritual pressure, a crushing force that surged through the chamber like a storm, bending the air itself under its weight. The sheer power of his aura was intimidating, a testament to his formidable cultivation level. The other council members tensed, their expressions a mix of awe and unease. Yet, amidst the swirling tempest of energy, I remained unnervingly calm.

In a heartbeat, I squeezed my fist. Faster than a blink, I was no longer seated in my chair. I had swapped positions with an unsuspecting attendant who had been standing quietly behind the arrogant man. Now, I stood right beside him, a gleaming needle poised dangerously close to the pulsing vein in his neck. The Heaven Swapping Cauldron, or Ring in this case, had made the movement instantaneous, almost supernatural. The attendant stumbled forward, eyes wide with confusion and fear as he found himself where I had been a moment before.

Gasps erupted around the chamber, eyes darting between me and the councilman in white and gold. The man stiffened, his breath hitching as he felt the cold bite of the needle hovering over his skin. Every other figure in the room sprang into action, hands flying to weapons, bodies poised for battle. The atmosphere crackled with imminent violence, the kind of raw energy that precedes an explosion.

"Believe me," I said softly, my voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "If I wanted you dead, it would already be over." My tone was casual, almost conversational, but the threat was unmistakable. And it wasn't entirely an empty one. Poison Cultivators were dreaded for a reason; our methods were sinister, our abilities unpredictable. The mere possibility that I carried a dozen lethal poisons, each capable of dropping a cultivator in seconds, was enough to give even the most arrogant pause.

The elder, sensing the rapidly spiraling disaster, raised his hand in a calming gesture. His expression was carefully neutral, but there was a glint of unease in his eyes. "Shen Bao, please," he implored, his voice a study in diplomatic restraint. "We are here to discuss matters of great importance, not to bicker or shed blood."

I let out a derisive snort but relented, swapping back to my original seat as smoothly as I had left it. The attendant I had displaced stumbled and nearly fell, his face pale as he scrambled to regain his balance. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms and raising an eyebrow at the assembly. "Master Wudong misunderstood the situation," I said coolly. "I'm not your captive. I'm 'Still' sitting here of my own free will, and I expect to be treated accordingly."

I let the silence hang for a moment, savoring the anticipation in the room. "While exploring Solarous," I began, "we discovered that the Broodmother hasn't been lying dormant. She's been busy, creating breeding grounds to birth new Rakshasa and strengthen her abominable forces."

A murmur of shock swept through the council, the collective dread almost tangible. Don Ma's eyes narrowed into slits. "Breeding grounds?" he repeated, disbelief coloring his words. "You're saying she's actively spawning new horrors even now?"

I nodded gravely. "Precisely. And she's not acting alone. The one called the Liberator has established a system to sustain and nourish the Rakshasa race. Entire civilizations of mortals are being used as livestock, sacrificed to feed the Rakshasa and keep them content."

The mention of mortals killed their interest almost immediately. Wudong scoffed, his disdain evident. "Mortals?" he spat. "They're insignificant, expendable. Cattle, as you said. Why should we waste our resources saving them?"

My jaw tightened, though I kept my voice even. "Even cattle play a role in the balance of the world," I said, my tone as cold as ice. "These are remnants of Solarous' once-great society, left to a fate worse than death."

The elder steepled his fingers, his expression thoughtful but unmoved. "Your tale paints a bleak picture," he said, his voice heavy with deliberation. "But committing resources to save mortals... that is not a decision we can make lightly. We must weigh our options carefully."

I almost laughed. Weigh their options? The hypocrisy of it was almost laughable. These were the same people who had sealed Solarous, leaving it to rot. Now, they hesitated over whether the lives of innocent mortals were worth the inconvenience of action. It was a bitter reminder of the selfishness that had doomed so many.

"Well," I said, my voice hardening, "do as you will. But know this: the Rakshasa are not a problem you can keep ignoring. Their numbers will continue to grow, and when they finally shatter your precious formation, you'll wish you had taken my warnings seriously."

Another long, heavy silence. The elder exchanged a look with Don Ma, a silent conversation passing between them. "You seem to know a great deal about our greatest enemy," the elder finally said. "Perhaps you've found solutions we haven't. Have you made any progress? Are you willing to share your findings?"

I leaned back, a slow, almost predatory smile playing at my lips. "Ah," I murmured, "now we're getting to the heart of the matter. Yes, I've made progress. But sharing? That's a matter of negotiation, don't you think?" Discover exclusive content at empire

The council members stiffened, and I could almost taste the hunger in the room. Everyone wanted a piece of the puzzle I claimed to hold, but they would soon learn that dealing with me—Shen Bao, was a game they couldn't win without paying a steep price.