Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

This time, not even half an hour had passed.

The three martial artists, in a frenzy, clutched their own necks and collapsed to the ground.

There are twelve players remaining on the field.

The martial artists below the platform all gasped in surprise.

They all fell silent, trembling with fear.

"Grandpa Lin, what happened? Didn't Qingzhu eat it too? How come she's fine?"

Su Wanning turned her head away, puzzled.

Bai Yu'er chuckled and said mysteriously, "Wan Ning, call me 'sister,' and I'll tell you!"

"I won't listen, I won't listen." Su Wanning raised her hands to cover her ears, pretending not to hear what Bai Yu'er was saying.

Having experienced too many big events with Lin Ji, the two of them didn't feel much about the three people on stage who had died during the competition, nor did they pay much attention to them.

Lin Ji ignored the two's playful banter and explained the reason in detail: "The poison has seeped into the honey. By scraping the honey open, you can avoid the poison."

"The other person couldn't see what was on the plate and mistakenly thought that Qingzhu had directly cut the char siu and put it in his mouth."

"They copied what they saw and fell for the trick."

"I see, Sister Qingzhu is so clever." Su Wanning clapped her hands lightly twice, leaving Bai Yu'er behind.

At this time.

The third dish was also served.

"The third dish, Fragrance Fades Away, Life Ends."

Only twelve long-skirted maids remained to take the stage this time.

The maidservant slowly ascended the stage, her movements light and graceful, like a butterfly in flight.

Each person held a white jade bowl with ice patterns, and wisps of cold mist swirled around the rim of the bowl, carrying a faint, refreshing fragrance.

Twelve jade bowls were placed on the table in unison.

The moment they took their seats, a cool and rich floral fragrance filled the entire venue.

Everyone subconsciously looked up and saw that what was in the bowl was not meat or rice noodles, but a pool of clear, light pink floral dew.

In the dew, more than ten pink petals, as thin as cicada wings, float quietly. The petals are translucent and delicate, like a young girl's cream, gently floating in the cold mist, extremely beautiful.

Judging by its appearance alone, it is elegant and beautiful, without a trace of worldly malice, making it impossible to associate this exquisite flower dew with a deadly poison.

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"This...this looks way too clean!"

"The first two dishes were foie gras and char siu, and this delicacy looks so refreshing, supported by flower petals and topped with floral dew. What kind of deadly intent could it hold?"

"Could this be a bluff? Is this a chance for survival?"

Human nature is always like this: fear comes when faced with strength, and relaxation comes when faced with beauty.

After being tense by two consecutive bloody murders, my mind quietly relaxed in the face of this exquisitely elegant dish.

The twelve martial artists on the stage shifted their gazes slightly, their tense bodies gradually relaxing, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.

The fat cook watched the changes in everyone's expressions with a sly smile, a cunning and sinister glint in his eyes. He looked at Liu Qingzhu again and laughed loudly:

"Miss Liu has already won the first place in both trials."

"This dish, 'Fragrance Fades and Jade Perishes,' as the name suggests, is most fitting for an unparalleled beauty."

"With beauties before us and delicacies at our fingertips, this round, let's once again invite the icy beauty to sample the food first!"

In short, all the pressure was placed on Liu Qingzhu.

All eyes in the room instantly focused on her.

"Her beauty has vanished; let's see how this ice queen handles this."

"If it happens once, it happens twice, but will it happen a third or fourth time? I don't believe this woman can get through this."

……

The atmosphere instantly became heavy inside the earpiece.

Liu Qingzhu lightly touched the rim of the bowl with her fingertips, feeling its coolness. Her clear, cold voice, tinged with caution, quietly rang out: "Old man, I can't sense the slightest bit of malevolent energy in this bowl of flower dew."

She focused her mind and channeled her inner energy to examine the flower dew in the bowl. It was pure and clear, without any evil, poison, or abnormality, as if it were just an ordinary bowl of beauty-enhancing flower dew.

The more harmless something is, the more eerie it is.

Having experienced the previous traps, no one dared to truly believe that this was a kind soul.

Lin Ji's gaze was fixed on the high platform. The black and white jade pendant in his sea of ​​consciousness slowly rotated, and a warm white light spread out. His ultimate perception penetrated the wisps of white mist and went straight to the source of the flower dew.

In a moment, the composure in his eyes slowly vanished, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone became more serious:

"Don't touch the petals, and don't drink the dew directly."

"This dish is more cleverly designed than the previous two."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu'er immediately tensed up: "What's wrong, old man? You look so innocent and sweet, could the poison be hidden particularly well?"

"It's not about hiding drugs."

Lin Ji slowly shook his head, his voice carrying a hint of coldness as if he had seen through the intrigue.

"The first two are tangible poisons, which can be soaked, scraped, or cured; they leave traces and can be broken."

"This tragic demise is an invisible calamity."

He gazed at the beautiful and alluring flower petals and dew on the stage, and slowly revealed the terrifying truth behind this game.

"This flower dew is non-toxic, the petals are non-toxic, it tastes sweet and refreshing, and it nourishes the meridians when it enters the body."

"But it will deplete the body's vital energy and blood."

"Ordinary martial artists feel completely comfortable and refreshed after taking a sip, without noticing anything unusual. But this flower dew will silently absorb the vitality and internal energy of the body, gently eroding the foundation."

"The more you eat, the more your vital energy is depleted. Once your vital energy is completely drained, you will die instantly. You may appear to be still warm and peaceful on the outside, but your internal organs will have already shattered and decayed. Hence the name 'fragrant death and jade-like passing away'."

These words instantly sent a chill down the spines of the people inside the earpieces.

The most ruthless killings are never about poisoning the intestines or a bloody, sudden death.

Rather, it is an inescapable trap of gentle yet corrosive influence, a kind of insidious and deadly force.

It is exquisitely beautiful to the naked eye, sweet to the taste, and incredibly comforting to the body, making people unable to resist indulging. In the end, without realizing it, one's life force is quietly drained, and one dies silently.

Liu Qingzhu's fingertips stiffened, instantly realizing the danger involved. She asked softly, "Old man, do you have a way to break this?"

Lin Ji gazed at the jade bowl, and spoke each word steadily:

"Just touch the lips, savor the delicate floral nectar, but don't enter the mouth."

"Just sniff the scent, don't swallow the flower nectar. Just pass the test. Don't be greedy, or you will surely die."

Lin Ji's few words of advice put Liu Qingzhu's mind at ease.

She was exceptionally intelligent, and with Lin Ji's guidance, she instantly saw through the insidious scheme behind the dish.

The first two delicacies have traceable toxicity, but you can still enjoy their delicious taste.

Yet this poison, which can cause a person's death, is completely painless, harmless, and without any fishy or bitter taste; it even has a refreshing effect on the body and mind.

It is indeed a gentle trap that can arouse people's greed.

Martial artists spend their lives cultivating their skills and cherish their life force and internal energy. When they taste this kind of elixir that strengthens the foundation and nourishes the vital energy, they will inevitably drink more. Little do they know that once greed arises, they are digging their own grave.

Lin Ji's voice sounded again through the earpiece, carrying a hint of warning:

"This test isn't about the ability to identify poisons, but about the ability to control desires. Only those who can resist extreme temptations and guard their true selves can survive."

On the high platform, everyone stared intently at Liu Qingzhu's movements, holding their breath and not daring to blink.

Liu Qingzhu picked up a flower petal, gently pressed it to her lips, and pursed her lips slightly.