"Yoho... quite the attitude!"

From the back of the crowd came a rough voice. As the people parted to make way, the burly Butcher Bolton swaggered toward the arena with a bow-legged gait. Behind him, a handsome young man, elegant as jade, entered with four attendants in tow.

Henry Clark's face was cold and stern. His gaze lingered on Butcher Bolton for only a moment before settling on the young man.

Charles Turner!

The third son of the Tong family in Hanshan City, notorious for being a dissolute scoundrel. He was devious and shameless, disregarding all rules and conventions. The list of misdeeds he had committed in Hanshan City was endless. Henry Clark knew him mainly because this rotten scoundrel had visited the Treasure Medicine Shop several times to purchase sedatives and poisons.

Charles Turner did not step onto the arena. Instead, with a strange, mocking smile, he spread his hands at Henry Clark and said, "So it's Young Master Clark. Since when did you start mingling with street riffraff? Or is it... now that that old senior has disappeared and your shackles are gone, you've become a rutting pig, even seducing little maidservants?"

Henry Clark was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Last time's medicine, triple the dose."

Charles Turner's eyes lit up, then he coughed lightly and said with a grin, "Young Master Clark wants to play the hero and save the beauty—anyone who interferes is making an enemy of me, Charles Turner. Carry on, all of you."

Henry Clark felt a weight lift from his heart. He did not fear Charles Turner, but he was wary of the Tong family behind him. This family wielded considerable power in Hanshan City, especially Charles Turner's father, a ruthless and highly skilled expert. Unless necessary, it was best not to provoke them for now.

Butcher Bolton clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them, cursing Charles Turner as a "wolf cub that can't be raised" in his heart. Outwardly, however, he dared not show the slightest doubt. He could only stare straight at Henry Clark and bark harshly, "Boy, you're pretty arrogant, huh? You even dare offend my wife? Tired of living?"

Henry Clark replied, "This is the arena. If you want confidence, you need hard fists. Sending the elders after the juniors—it's shameless, but I can accept it. If you want to fight, kneel down and kowtow a few times to apologize. Otherwise..."

Butcher Bolton sneered, "Otherwise what? You little piglet who hasn't even grown all your hair, you dare threaten me?"

"That's enough."

Henry Clark turned to look at the fat woman and the two youths.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The fat woman and the two youths collapsed to the ground the moment Henry Clark finished speaking, their faces turning black as they fell and convulsed.

Butcher Bolton's eyes bulged wider than copper bells as he cried out in horror, "What happened? You... what did you do to my wife?"

Henry Clark said calmly, "I don't have much experience in fighting. What I'm best at is refining and using poison. You have only a quarter of an hour. If you let your pride stop you from kneeling and apologizing in that time, then congratulations—you can marry a new wife, or maybe have another fat son!"

"Poisoned?"

Butcher Bolton's face changed dramatically.

The surrounding crowd stirred in alarm and quickly backed away. Poison was a deadly threat to them. Only the adventurers looked at Henry Clark with interest—they didn't believe such a young man could concoct anything truly dangerous.

Henry Clark said, "Think carefully—will you kneel and apologize, or start planning to marry a new wife? It's all up to you! The good folks of Hanshan City won't look down on you for not saving your own wife."

What to do?

If he really knelt and apologized, he'd lose all face and have to live in shame in Hanshan City from now on. But if he didn't kneel, his wife would die from the poison, and being known as a man who let his own wife die was no better than being humiliated.

Butcher Bolton turned his head with difficulty, looking pleadingly at Charles Turner. He had been currying favor with Charles Turner recently, offering many gifts.

Charles Turner rolled his eyes. With his reputation for turning on people before even pulling up his pants, why would he care about Butcher Bolton's family's life or death at a time like this? Henry Clark's offer just now would save him a lot of blue silver.

"Butcher Bolton, his poison is very potent," Charles Turner said carelessly.

Hearing this, Butcher Bolton's eyes nearly split with rage. He hated Henry Clark, and now he hated Charles Turner as well.

Under everyone's gaze, Butcher Bolton suddenly dropped to his knees before Henry Clark, gritting his teeth and saying, "You're Young Master Clark, right? On behalf of my family, I apologize to you. All the fault is ours. I hope you can be magnanimous and spare my wife and nephews."

Chapter 0008: Feigning Weakness

"Brother Yezi, please forgive them."

Grace Young hid behind Henry Clark, tugging at his sleeve with her small hand. She was kind by nature; even when she acted fierce, it was only for self-defense—she never meant to take anyone's life.

Henry Clark turned his head, his gaze softening with affection as he gently ruffled Grace Young's hair. Then he turned back and said, "Blinding black poison, one hundred taels of blue silver per dose; antidote pill, two hundred taels each. Pay up, and I'll save your wife and nephews."

Three hundred taels of blue silver?