The Card Cultivation System
CCS-122

Shu Mang was silent for quite a while. Finally he decided to answer.

"That's the Purple Blood Devilish Scorpion's poison."

Everyone immediately fell silent to Shu Mang's words. Actually the only ones who were really surprised were Xika and Lang Yao, the rest did not understand but they also went silent so as to make the atmosphere completely silent.

"Blood Devilish Scorpion yes...and again the purple......"

"No, not." Lang Yao beside him continued. "Much in the Lin Dynasty. There is only one person who can have the poison. The Purple Hand."

Xika held onto her chin while nodding her head pretending to understand. But inwardly he asked Huo Bing.

"Huo Bing! Huo Bing's! Who is Purple Hand?"

"Where I know. Why are you asking me?"

"You're the only one I can ask."

Then Heiliao's voice came.

"Why don't I count?"

"Heiliao's? Why are you talking in my head?"

Xika remained silent for a second and then spoke again.

"Ah, yes. Also true. We've sworn in."

"What do you want to ask?"

"Huh, what do I not know you know?"

"We'll see first."

"Who is Purple Hand?"

"One of the five supreme poison masters standing at the pinnacle of the Lin Dynasty."

"What's? Then how could Shu Mang be hostile to those Hands?"

"Eitherway. I think he's just as curious as to why you might be hostile to that damn kid."

Xika was indeed surprised, but she did not show it. So Lang Yao thought he also knew who the Purple Hand was. Xika looked at him with a calm look.

"How can you be hostile to Purple Hand?"

Shu Mang did not reply. He shifted his eyes. His face gave a difficult expression.

Lang Yao took a few steps back. He turned to Lang Jin and gave a growl. This time he actually used grunts and communicated with the black wolf. Lang Jin nodded occasionally and gave a serious look. Well, he almost never gave a non-serious expression anyway.

The big black wolf approached Xika and gave a growl. Xika did not need to understand the grumbling language to know what Lang Jin was thinking. He looked and approached too.

"Hm? What's up?"

Lang Jin was silent. He gave a confused expression. How could he speak to Xika without being heard by other humans? Then Xika gave a sign and this time Lang Jin understood. Xika asked him to keep talking and he gave a growl to Xika. The boy did the same with Lang Jin before. Nodding and making a serious expression.

"B, hm...Yeah, yeah.so."

Xika turned to Shu Mang. His face was no longer as relaxed as before.

"Well, you better tell me the reason why Purple Hand intends to kill you. Or all our previous deals were cancelled. Ah, that's what they said. Don't worry, our relationship as strangers will survive. Will not turn into an enemy."

To be honest, the back of Xika's sentence didn't really help. And Shu Mang's expression did not improve either. He had expected this to happen if he said where the poison came from. But if he lied about the poison he could never recover.

"........"

"I-I just happened to meet him in the mine by accident. Who wouldn't be crazy to see so many treasures?"

"I'm sure you've been saying that that guy was going to kill you a long time ago. Are you suddenly amnesiac?"

Shu Mang cursed in his heart.

"Listen, I don't mean to betray you at all or anything like that, but this is an important matter, okay? I will not be your enemy, but I will not accompany you back to the mine, not knowing why you are hostile to him. That's too risky."

"................"

"I."

Only Xika was staring strangely. The rest stared in surprise, confusion, and disbelief. The boy really did not understand what Shu Mang was talking about. Shu Mang was from the Divine Array Clan. Wasn't it natural that he could use the Divine Array? It would be weird if it couldn't be?

Xika was silent for a moment. So too with the others. Although not very understanding, but the question he asked next is quite reasonable.

"What does the Divine Array have to do with the Purple Hand intent on killing you?"

Shu Mang was silent again. He thought hard to answer that question. He sorted out the information he would release carefully.

"Purple Hand."

Xika looked at the other wolves.

"Why indeed? Wasn't it that almost the entire clan that existed was hostile to him? Aren't Poisons usually hated?"

"It's different. He has a deep grudge against my clan. Deep enough to want to exterminate my clan."

Xika had wanted to ask the thing that came to her head, but she saw Lang Jin's face and knew the wolf's thoughts. So he asked what was on the head of the big black wolf.

"Are you asking us to kill him in exchange for that mine?"

"No. I never thought so. But since you wanted it, why not kill it? That way you can control that mine, right?"

Lang Jin growled and Xika went back to 'translating'.

"In his opinion, it's easier to cooperate with Purple Hand than with you. The difficulties and risks are much less than working with you."

Shu Mang started to panic.

"But-but..that way you'll get a little bit more isn't it?"

"His life is more important than treasure. No matter what treasure is in your hands, you won't be able to use it when you're lifeless."

"So are you going to betray me?"

Xika did not answer. And so are the other wolves. They gave no reaction other than an expression that was hard to read, not even by Xika.

Lang Jin growled at Xika. He nodded in response. At this moment, Xika really looked like she understood the grunts.

"We will discuss the matter further with the wolf leader. I'll order some wolves to take care of you. At least, your wounds won't get worse."

Shu Mang did not reply. He just gave a hard expression. Lang Jin turned around and left followed by the other wolves. Xika looked at Shu Mang once more before she left. And both have trouble reading each other's expressions.

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"What do you think? What do we do?" xika asked after they disappeared from Shu Mang's sight.

"Gerrr....."

Xika frowned. Lang Jin spoke again. It might be more accurately called growling.

"Gr..."

"Hey, I don't understand. Can you speak human language? I really don't understand your language."

And then all the wolves turned around. Lang Jin, Lang Shu and the other wolves stared at him with wide eyes filled with disbelief.

"What's? Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?"

They look at each other. And for a while, no one answered. Lang Jin was the first to speak.

"Do you really not understand what I just said?"

"of course. What comes out of your mouth is just 'grr...' and 'auu...' how can I understand that? I haven't been here long enough."

Now Lang Jin's gaze turned confused as well as strange.

"Then why do you understand what I'm saying in front of that man?"

"What are you talking about?"

"When I growl - in your language - in front of that human, you actually translate my words. Everything is right without any mistakes."

This time it was Xika's turn to be silent. He doesn't know what to say.

"Ehh, anu.....You know yesterday I was just talking original and not really translating what Lang Jin said?"

They all nodded. And Lang Shu spoke.

"Don't tell me you're doing the same thing this time?"

"Eh...why do you think I'm doing something different?"

"Impossible! Then why are you able to translate all of Jin Gege*'s words correctly without any errors?"

Xika scratched her head before answering.

"Well, maybe because I can read her expression?"

"But it is impossible for there to be no mistake at all" said Lang Shu still in disbelief who followed the murmuring of approval from another wolf.

"Eitherway. But when it comes to reading expressions, I've met creatures that are more difficult to read his expression. So reading Lang Jin's expression wasn't difficult for me. At least while in front of Shu Mang. This time his expression was quite complicated and difficult to read."

Some wolves were still hesitant with Xika's reply, but Lang Jin walked back. He didn't think too much about it. There was something more important to think about. And they walked back when they saw the big black wolf walking. And then, they chatted with human language.

Xika repeated her question. Lang Jin again replied, in human language.

"Eitherway. I'm still not sure. To be honest, whichever side we choose is quite risky. But we have to ask the leaders first."

"Who do you think is the bigger risk?"

"Both are equally big. If we choose that young man, then we will face the Purple Hand and it will definitely cause no small consequences But even if we give up the human, it will be, there is no guarantee Purple Hand will cooperate with us and split the mine. It's likely that he will fight us too."

And the mood returned to silence. Xika tried to shift the subject.

"Lang Yao, what do you think? If we choose his side, how long until he fully heals? And how long until he can lead us?"

The wolf frowned.

"Hard to say. As he said before, it all depends on how we take care of him."

"I still don't understand what that means."

"If we wish, we can heal him until he recovers completely. But it all depends on the decisions the leaders make. We can also cure it partially, or just to hold the poison for some time. Or we can also provide treatment. It all depends on the decision of the leaders."

"Why wait for leaders to decide?"

"Because the plants used to cure it are not much. And quite rare."

"Then how can you cure it only partially? Or withhold the poison?"

"We're going to use different plants, of course. Each dose is different. So is its rarity."

Xika nodded. For a moment, he completely forgot the information he had obtained in the first-floor library.  Along with the completion of the conversation, they arrived at the field where Xika was fighting with Lang Jin before.

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*jin Gege's.

Gege here means brother. Can be spoken from male to male can also be spoken from female to male. Read: keke, use the letter k, not g. In Mandarin, g is read k. While k is read kh.

Suppose:

Gege, read keke.

Kuai, read Khuai.

In Indonesian it might sound like Kak Jin. Like Xika calling Lian Minjie and the others. Why use Mandarin when we are in Indonesia? Because the first to put out novels with cultivation type were them. Of course, we also have to respect them, one of them by adding a little culture. Indeed, we are Indonesian, but that does not mean we should not learn the culture of other countries. After all using the term Mandarin makes it easier for us to get the atmosphere.