Ch. 2001..2010
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2001
"It's over. The southern region branch's name is in the dirt!" Scott, Chad, and Jerry blushed in embarrassment.
Though the three of them were upset that Leon was selected as their leader, Leon belonged to the southern region branch and represented them all, so they were all frustrated that Leon was being mocked.
Contrary to their embarrassment, Leon alone remained composed and unwavering.
Since the members of the western region Dragon Corps already developed a prejudice against Leon, instead of seeing Leon's composure as a redeeming quality, they simply assumed that Leon was only remaining quiet because he felt guilty, which only deepened the contempt they felt toward him.
"Alright, that's enough!" Seeing that the situation was escalating, Fletcher roared, effectively stopping the members of the western region Dragon Corps from mocking Leon. 'Mister Wolf, I'm sorry about my subordinates' rudeness. Please find it in your heart to forgive them," Fletcher apologized on behalf of the others sincerely
Though he felt the same as the others and was suspicious about the southern region branch's choice in selecting a young, inexperienced man as the leader, since it was finalized, he saw no point in arguing over it.
At the moment, it was their priority to join forces and focus on defeating the Poisonwielder, so fighting amongst themselves would not benefit them in any way.
"It's fine. It's not that big a deal!" Leon smiled carelessly.
"You sure are forgiving, Mister Wolf!" Fletcher was slightly surprised by how composed Leon was and was impressed by it.
"Mister Wolf, since the southern region has appointed you as the leader, I'm sure that you must be an expert in a certain field, right?" Fletcher asked.
"I would not call myself an expert of any kind, but I have some experience in the medical field and produced some Essential Detox Pills that could be used to counter the Reaper's Breath made by the Poisonwielder," Leon said modestly.
"What? You have a way to counter the Reaper’s Breath made by the Poisonwielder?"
"Seriously?!'
Fletcher and the others gasped in disbelief.
"Not entirely! The Essential Detox Pills I made might be useful in some way, but I can’t guarantee how well it will work on the Reaper's Breath," Leon explained.
"So he was just exaggerating!" Realization dawned on the others and the hope they felt earlier was instantly replaced by disappointment.
Like Scott, the members from the western region Dragon Corps did not have much faith in the Essential Detox Pills as the Reaper's Breath was the Poisonwielder's secret weapon.
If Leon himself could not be certain about the pills' effect, the others who were prejudiced against him were even less likely to believe in the pills and they all concluded that Leon was bragging.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2002
"Fletcher, there are about twenty Essential Detox Pills in this flask and it's made specifically for the Dragon Guards in the western region. Please distribute them to your team, just in case," Leon handed Fletcher a jade flask.
"It's fine! Mister Wolf, we came prepared as well! We hired an extremely talented doctor in the western region to produce the Detox Paste, which should be sufficient in countering the effect of the Reaper's Breath!" Fletcher said and shook his head.
"Detox Paste? What's that?” Leon was surprised to learn that Fletcher already found a solution, but soon came to realize that given how powerful the Reaper's Breath was and that even Alfred went through the lengths of seeking Leon's help, it was normal for the western region branch to seek the help of other medical experts to maximize their chance in defeating the Poisonwielder.
However, there was no telling whether the Essential Detox Pills or the Detox Paste worked better.
"This is the Detox paste," Fletcher said as he took out a small jar that contained a white paste.
Leon took a whiff at the paste and instantly noticed that it was made with Ganoderma and licorice; such a combination would produce a paste that would counter the effect of most poison and work in similar ways as the Essential Detox Pills Leon produced.
The only difference was that Leon's Essential Detox Pills used a three- hundred-year-old Ganoderma along with a list of other valuable ingredients and all herbs were merged with Leon's spiritual energy, which made the pills at least ten times more effective than the Detox paste Fletcher possessed; the Detox paste was only made with a few ingredients and ordinary Ganoderma and would be the effect on poisons made with Jimsonweed or aconite.
To conclude, the overall effectiveness of the Detox paste fell short when compared to the Essential Detox Pills. If the Reaper’s Breath produced by the Poisonwielder contained Jimsonweed or aconite, the Detox paste would be effective; but if the poison contained other ingredients, Leon's Essential Detox Pills would be more effective.
"Mister Wolf, if your team needs the Detox paste, we can distribute a few jars to you," Fletcher offered with a smile.
Like the other members of the western region Dragon Corps, Fletcher thought that Leon was bragging about the effect of the Essential Detox Pills as well.
He hired an extremely famed doctor in the western region to produce the Detox paste, so he had more faith in the doctor he hired than in Leon.
None of the members of the western region of Dragon Corp took Leon seriously.
"It's fine. We only need the Essential Detox Pills," Leon shook his head and refused the offering.
Though the Detox paste worked better on poison made with Jimsonweed or aconite, Leon had reason to believe that an infamous criminal like the Poisonwielder would not use ordinary ingredients such as Jimsonweed and aconite. Hence, Leon felt more confident in the Essential Detox Pills he produced.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2003
"But," Scott, Chad, and Jerry opened their mouths hesitantly when they heard Leon turning down the Detox paste offered by Fletcher.
Since they already convinced themselves that Leon obtained his status through connections, none of them believed that Leon’s Essential Detox Pills could counter the Poisonwielder's Reaper’s Breath.
The three of them desperately wanted to accept the Detox paste, but Leon turned it down as their leader, so they could not possibly argue with Leon. Hence, they all smiled bitterly and swallowed the words rolling on their tongues.
"Mister Wolf, if you and your team don't need the Detox paste, that's fine!' Fletcher said, before putting the Detox paste away.
"How insolent!"
"Fletcher offered him the Detox paste out of kindness and he turned it down!"
"Yeah, the damage of having an incompetent leader is worse than having an incompetent soldier!"
"He's already acting all smug now because he was appointed as leader. Who knows how arrogant he will become later on?"
The members of the western region Dragon Corps all had a dark looks on their faces as their doubt about Leon's capability deepened.
Leon himself mentioned that the Essential Detox Pills might not work, and like Fletcher, the others thought that the Detox paste would work much better; yet Leon refused the Detox paste Fletcher offered to him, and in their perspective, Leon could not have been more foolish.
What they did not know was that Leon only offered them the Essential Detox Pills as a gesture of goodwill, but none of them had faith in Leon's skill, so Leon simply put the Essential Detox Pills back into his pocket.
"Alright, now that backup is here, let's all discuss how we should move forward and eliminate the Poisonwielder!" Fletcher changed the subject.
"Fletcher, how's everything going so far?" Leon cut to the chase in the hope of comprehending the current situation.
Fletcher sighed and said, "The Poisonwielder is a sly man and we haven't been able to make much progress so far.’
Ever since Fletcher and the others rushed to the Tiddertons Mansion, the Poisonwielder went into hiding. Though they sent out groups of martial artists in search of the Poisonwielder, none of them managed to find the Poisonwielder so far.
Since Dragon Corps had branches all over the country, it was always understaffed.
To defeat the Poisonwielder, the western region Dragon Corps has sent out two fifth-level Platinum Dragon Guards, along with dozens of Gold Dragon Guards in the Peak Emperor States and Semi-Almighty States.
This exhausted quite a big portion of the Dragon Corps' manpower and if the Poisonwielder was not eliminated anytime soon, they would all be ordered to leave as they could not simply protect the Tiddertons forever.
Without the Dragon Corps' help, the Tiddertons would not stand a chance in defending themselves against the Poisonwielder, who was in the Almighty State, and this was Fletcher's biggest concern.
"Mister Wolf, before you arrived, I have gotten Elder Tidderton to agree that we shall use the motherwort as bait and lure the Poisonwielder out to ambush him! What do you think of this plan? Do you think it will work?" Fletcher asked.
The western region branch no longer had the time and resources to waste on the Poisonwielder, so he intended to take the initiative and lure the Poisonwielder out instead.
Since Leon was the leader of the reinforcement from the southern region branch, he figured that he should ask for Leon's opinion on the plan as well.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2004
"Lure him out? It sounds good, but I'm afraid it might not work," Leon said thoughtfully.
"Why not?' Fletcher was slightly taken by shock.
He already discussed it with the Tiddertons and they all agreed that luring the Poisonwielder out was the best solution so far, so it was surprising to hearthat Leon was against the plan.
"The Poisonwielder sounds like a careful man. If we use the motherwort as bait, he will definitely be able to tell that it's a trap, so it's unlikely that he would fall for it," Leon said.
Though he did not deal with the Poisonwielder before, he faced similar villains like Joel and Harold, so he saw countless schemes in the past.
As one of the wanted individuals on the criminal list, Leon knew that the Poisonwielder was no fool if he managed to evade the Dragon Corps' ambush repeatedly.
Fletcher's plan seemed so obvious that a man with the Poisonwielder's wit and power would not fall for it.
"How would you know if you don't try it?" A mid-aged man snorted.
"There's no point in trying! This is only a waste of your time and energy!" Leon shook his head and insisted.
"You don’t know that! the Poisonwielder studied a dark method, so he needs the motherwort to increase his power! If we use the motherwort as bait, there's a chance that he will take the risk to obtain it," The mid-aged man said confidently.
"Yeah, that's right! Whether it works or not, we have to give it a try!"
"Besides, the Dragon Corps can't waste any more time. If we don't lure him out somehow, we will only be at a disadvantage!'
The other members of the western region Dragon Corps agreed along.
Even the Tiddertons agreed with them as they were all forced to remain home in the past two days out of fear of the Poisonwielder, which affected their family business.
If the Dragon Corps did not eliminate the Poisonwielder anytime soon, the Tiddertons would suffer incredible loss.
Hence, Elder Tidderton and the elders all agreed to lure the Poisonwielder so that the threat could be eliminated as soon as possible.
"But," Leon did not want to give up but was interrupted by Fletcher.
"That's enough! Mister Wolf, it's settled. Trying this won't cost us anything! All we want is for you to cooperate instead of making reckless commands! " Fletcher said in displeasure.
Fletcher was already slightly offended that Leon refused his offer of Detox paste, and he needed Leon and the martial artists from the southern region to cooperate if they wished to lure the Poisonwielder and maximize the chance of eliminating him.
Hence, Fletcher refused to tolerate Leon's headstrong ways.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2005
"No! Fletcher the plot hole for this plan is too big and you might just give the Poisonwielder the chance he's been looking for! If he takes the opportunity to harm someone in the Tiddertons, we will leave in a passive position,” Leon said thoughtfully.
Though it sounded like a brilliant plan to lure the Poisonwielder out, the Poisonwielder might risk everything to kidnap members of the Tiddertons instead and use them as hostages to threaten the Tiddertons into handing the motherwort over.
Should that happen, the Dragon Corps and the Tiddertons would be left at a great disadvantage.
"Impossible! Mister Wolf, the Poisonwielder wouldn't dare to attack the Tiddertons with all of us here to protect them!" A mid-aged man sneered and mocked Leon for overthinking.
"That's right!"
"The Poisonwielder hasn't shown his face for the past two days. If he has the guts to face the Dragon Corps directly, he would hide himself!"
The other members of the western region Dragon Corps disagreed with Leon as well, but what happened next shook them to their core.
Just then, they heard footsteps approaching and a Tidderton hurried inside.
"E- Elders! Bad news! the Poisonwielder barged into our inner courtyard and killed dozens of guards, before taking Mister Carl with him," He said hysterically.
"What?!"
Everyone stood from their seats as though they were struck by lightning.
They all thought of luring the Poisonwielder out and Leon's concern that the Poisonwielder would risk everything was brushed off. To their bewilderment, what Leon said came true.
Before they all had the chance to carry out their plan, the Poisonwielder took the initiative to strike and captured the eldest son of the Tiddertons, which caught them by surprise.
The mid-aged man from earlier and the other members of the western region Dragon Corps all thought that the Poisonwielder would not dare to cross the Dragon Corps directly, only to be proven completely wrong by reality.
It was until this moment that they finally realized Leon's concern was valid.
"How vicious!" Leon gasped.
Though he expected the Poisonwielder to gamble with everything, he was still surprised by the Poisonwielder's ruthlessness and boldness.
Before Fletcher and the others could respond, the Poisonwielder already took the initiative to sneak into the Tiddertons Mansion and put the Dragon Corps at a disadvantage.
'What a daredevil!' He thought. 'This act will be considered a blatant disrespect to the Dragon Corps!'
"Hurry! Let's go to the inner courtyard,' Elder Tidderton and the other elders snapped out of it and paled, before darting outside along with other members of the family.
Leon, Fletcher, and the others hurried after them to the inner courtyard as well.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2006
In the inner courtyard, Leon, Elder Tidderton, and the others arrived to find dozens of bodies in blood; some were beheaded and some died with their eyes wide open.
"Damn you, the Poisonwielder!"
"The Tiddertons won't forget this!"
Elder Tidderton and the other elders widened their eyes in rage at the gory scene.
Since they were in the inner courtyard of Tiddertons Mansion, the martial artists killed by the Poisonwielder were mostly members of the Tiddertons family and were all related to Elder Tidderton and the other elders in some way.
They could barely contain their rage when they saw how their kin died horribly at the hands of the Poisonwielder.
"Elder Tidderton, my condolences," Fletcher sighed.
All members of the western region of Dragon Corps had a dark looks on their faces.
"Fletcher, not only has the Poisonwielder come into my house to kill my family, he took my grandson! If I'm not mistaken, he shouldn't have gone far! Please send your men after him to save my grandson," Elder Tidderton suppressed his anger and sought the Dragon Corps' help when he recalled that his grandson was taken.
The Tiddertons were not the most influential family in the area and the strongest martial artist in their family was only in the Semi-Almighty State, which was a far cry from the Poisonwielder's power level.
On top of that, the Poisonwielder was ruthless and a poison expert.
With the resources available to the Tiddertons, they would never be able to save the hostage from the Poisonwielder on their own even if they tried, so they could only rest their hope on the Dragon Corps.
"Yeah, you are right!" Fletcher snapped out of it and turned to Leon. ’Mister Wolf, our two teams should split up and ambush the Poisonwielder before he gets too far! Since he dared to show himself, we should take the opportunity to eliminate him once and for all!" He said with determination.
The western region Dragon Corpse sent two Platinum Dragon Guards with one being Fletcher and the other being the old man in grey next to him, called Randall Olford.
Despite sending someone as inexperienced as Leon, the southern region branch sent over Scott, who was also in the Almighty State, which meant that there were three Almighty martial artists on their end.
Along with the support of a dozen more Gold Dragon Guards in the Peak Emperor and Semi-Almighty States, it should not be difficult for them to defeat the Poisonwielder.
So long as they managed to catch up to the Poisonwielder, they would be able to surround him, saving Elder Tidderton's grandson while effectively eliminating the Poisonwielder.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn despite what Fletcher and Elder Tidderton thought.
"No! We can't go after him!" Leon shook his head and rejected Fletcher's plan.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2007
"What? We can't go after the Poisonwielder?! Why not?" Fletcher and other members of the western region branch gaped at Leon in disbelief.
The Poisonwielder just fled the Tiddertons Mansion and should not have gone far, so it was the perfect chance forthem to go after him and none of them understood why Leon would refuse to cooperate.
Since Leon was the leader of the reinforcement from the southern region, Scott and the others had to obey him. If the reinforcement team refused to help, the members from the western region alone would not be sufficient to eliminate the Poisonwielder.
"M- Mister Wolf, I’m begging you! My grandson has been taken. Please have mercy and save him," Elder Tidderton pleaded.
He did not understand why Leon would refuse to go after the Poisonwielder but knew for certain that without the Dragon Corps' help, his grandson would likely perish in the hand of the Poisonwielder.
The longer they waited, the more dangerous the situation would be for his grandson, so Elder Tidderton's heart was racing with anxiety.
"Mister Wolf, if you are scared of dying, you can stay here in the Tiddertons Mansion!'
"Please give your command so that Scott and the others can assist our mission, though!’
The frustration toward Leon amongst the members of the western region Dragon Corps reached its peak as they assumed that Leon was reluctant to go after the Poisonwielder because he was afraid of the Reaper’s Breath.
Apart from the possibility of Leon being a coward, they could not see why he would reject the plan.
"Mister Wolf, it's now or never! The Poisonwielder shouldn't have gone far. Please give us your order so that we can go after him along with the western branch! If we wait around too long, it will all be too late!" Scott urged in frustration.
He was forced to obey Leon even though Leon shot unreasonable commands at them and purposefully disagreed with members of the western region Dragon Corps.
However, the Poisonwielder showed himself, yet Leon refused to cooperate with Fletcher and the others, which annoyed everyone including Scott, Chad, and Jerry.
Oliver and Abraham, on the other hand, were Leon's direct subordinates and trusted him all along, so the two did not protest Leon's decision.
"Everyone, please listen! The Poisonwielder is here for the motherwort. If all of us go after him, we will leave the Tiddertons defenseless. If he has been waiting for a chance to circle back then, the consequences would be unbearable," Leon remained calm despite being doubted and explained.
It was not the fear of death that stopped him from going after the Poisonwielder, but the concern that the Poisonwielder might be trying to lure the Dragon Corps member out of the Tiddertons Mansion.
Without the Dragon Corps' protection, the Tiddertons would be vulnerable and the Poisonwielder might easily obtain the motherwort.
Should that happen, the plan to eliminate the Poisonwielder would fail.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2008
"Oh!"
Everyone was instantly rendered speechless by Leon's words.
They thought that Leon was being headstrong as the leader of the reinforcement team from the southern region, but what Leon said instantly gave them clarity on the situation.
They knew that Leon was right and if they went after the Poisonwielder, it might be exactly what the Poisonwielder wanted and he would simply circle back to the Tidderton Mansions once it was left unguarded.
"Mister Wolf, you might be right, but the Poisonwielder has already escaped and it's unlikely that he will circle back. I think you're worried over nothing. Please just save my grandson," Elder Tidderton said hesitantly.
Though what Leon suggested was sensible, it was only a theory and since the Poisonwielder succeeded in leaving, it seemed unlikely for him to return immediately.
The thought that his grandson was abducted filled Elder Tidderton's mind and he could not think of anything else."
"Well, Elder Tidderton is right. It's unlikely for the Poisonwielder to come back! Still, we have to keep our guards up considering how vicious the Poisonwielder could be!" Fletcher said thoughtfully and turned to look at Leon.
"Mister Wolf, why don't you and your team stay here, while I lead my team to go after the Poisonwielder? If we can track him down, you and your team can hurry over to our location to help! That way, we won't be taking any risk at all!" Fletcher suggested.
He knew that with only the members from the western region Dragon
Corps, they might not be able to defeat the Poisonwielder, so they could only stall until Leon and the reinforcement joined forces with them once the Poisonwielder was located.
"Yeah. Fletcher is right!"
"We can try that!"
Others from the western region of Dragon Corps agreed along.
"No! Fletcher, pardon me for being blunt, but if the Poisonwielder dared to sneak into the mansion while we are still here, I'm sure he came prepared! If you and your team go after him, there's a low chance that you will find him at all and you will still be leaving the mansion defenseless! There's no point to it." Leon shook his head and rejected the arrangement once again.
Though Fletcher's idea seemed sensible, Leon instinctively knew that a sly man like the Poisonwielder would not take the initiative to strike if he did not have a plan.
If the western and southern branches split up, not only would they lose the ability to defeat the Poisonwielder when needed, they would allow him the chance to take the Dragon Guards out one by one.
"You are saying no to everything!"
"Are we supposed to just watch as the Poisonwielder runs free?"
The martial artists sent by the western region branch protested.
Though Leon gave a reasonable argument, it was still his theory about the situation and they all thought that Leon was being overly careful.
The Poisonwielder blatantly disrespected the Dragon Corps by committing a massacre and capturing a member of the Tiddertons under their noses, so their pride would not allow them to simply let the Poisonwielder go.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2009
"That's right! Fletcher, the Poisonwielder has my grandson. Please help to save him!” Seeing how Leon refused to go after the Poisonwielder, Elder Tidderton could only turn to Fletcher and the western region Dragon Corps for help in saving his grandson.
"But!" Fletcher hesitated.
Before he could make a decision, Leon spoke out once again. ’Don't worry, Elder Tidderton! As I said, it's the motherwort that the Poisonwielder is after! If I'm not mistaken, he took your grandson because he wished to use your grandson as a bargaining chip in exchange for the motherwort! Hence, before he succeeds in doing so, he wouldn't dare to hurt your grandson,’ Leon said.
"Oh!"
The Tiddertons and members of the western region Dragon Corps instantly realized that, as Leon concluded, all of the Poisonwielder actions were carried out with the sole purpose of obtaining the motherwort.
As long as the motherwort was within the Tiddertons' possession, Elder Tidderton's grandson would be safe for now. However, if the Dragon Guards went after the Poisonwielder, they might be presenting him with the exact opportunity he waited for.
"Mister Wolf, what should we do, then?" Fletcher asked.
"It's simple! At the moment, we only need to strengthen our defense to prevent the Poisonwielder from returning for the motherwort! As for saving Mister Tiddertons, we need to be patient! So long as we stay calm and leave the Poisonwielder no chance to get past us, he won't be able to do a thing!’ Leon deadpanned.
"Well, alright, then. Let's do as you said!" Fletcher hesitated, before finally deciding to trust Leon.
He underestimated Leon due to his age from the start, but Leon showed restraint and remained composed regardless of the circumstances; on top of that, he seemed to have a comprehensive perspective when faced with a problematic situation.
Fletcher could not help but feel impressed by Leon, but the others from the western region thought differently.
Most of them assumed that Leon only refused to go after the Poisonwielder because he was cowering before the fear of death.
Just as they were all frustrated at the thought that they might have lost the perfect chance to defeat the Poisonwielder, what happened next shook them to their cores.
"Damn you, brat! How dare you run your mouth and destroy my plan? You are quite a man!" Just then, they heard someone chuckling darkly.
A man in his fifties strode out of a hidden corner of the mansion with a dark look on his face and a pale, younger man in his restrain.
He leaped into the air and landed right before Leon and the others.
It was none other than the Poisonwielder.
His presence was cold and suffocating as anyone around him would instantly feel their hair stand at the dangerous aura he let out.
The Ex-Husband’s Revenge chapter 2010
"The Poisonwielder!"
Everyone froze in disbelief.
They all assumed that the Poisonwielder ran after capturing Elder Tiddertons' grandson, and never imagined that he would lurk in the dark to keep an eye on the Dragon Guards' movement, which completely caught them off guard.
"Damn it! How sly!" Fletcher and the others snapped out of it and gasped in fear as they felt chills down their spines.
They mistakenly assumed that the Poisonwielder was on the run and wanted to go after him. When Leon stopped them from doing so, a lot of them thought that Leon was being a coward.
It was not until this very moment that they finally realized how brilliant Leon was.
If Leon did not stop them from leaving, the Poisonwielder would be able to torture the Tiddertons as he pleased and obtain the motherwort with ease as soon as the Dragon Guards stepped foot out of the mansion.
If that happened, their mission to eliminate the Poisonwielder would fail.
Their hearts were instantly heavy, but at the same time, they were all glad that Leon made the right decision to stop them, or the Dragon Guards from both the southern and western branches would have walked right into the Poisonwielder's trap.
Scott, Chad, and Jerry felt glad as well.
They were all annoyed that Alfred selected Leon as their leader, but only realized at this very moment that Leon was far more capable than they imagined. They finally understood Alfred's reasoning for making such an arrangement.
"Who are you, kid? Why are you with the Dragon Corps?” The Poisonwielder glared at Leon maliciously.
He made a perfect plan to lure the Dragon Guards out of the Tiddertons Mansion so that he could focus on robbing the Tiddertons of the motherwort.
Everything went smoothly as he predicted and the Dragon Guards from the western region decided to go after him in response to Elder Tidderton's pleading.
However, Leon managed to convince everyone to give up on it and destroyed the Poisonwielder's plan.
At that very moment, he desperately wished that he could kill Leon immediately to vent his anger.
Leon stared right into the Poisonwielder's eyes and answered calmly, "My name is Young Wolf. I work for the southern region branch of the Dragon Corps. Are you the Poisonwielder?"
Taking Alfred's advice to heart, Leon made up an alias, taking the family names of him and Iris.
He knew that the Poisonwielder came prepared if he dared to kill the Tiddertons under the Dragon Guards' noses, but was surprised to find that the Poisonwielder did not escape and waited nearby for them to leave.