Systemless Villain

239  A Poisonous Proposition n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Let's meet. I need Rowa plants," Long Tian declared with a grin.

"Rowa plants, huh? Those are quite rare. But for you, I can procure them," the man on the phone responded, exuding confidence in his tone.

"Okay, I'll head there right away. Ensure everything is ready," Long Tian instructed.

"Don't worry, young master; everything will be prepared by the time you arrive," the man reassured, his tone brimming with confidence.

Long Tian nodded, "Alright, I'll be there promptly," he affirmed.

Without further ado, he concluded the call and smoothly stowed his smartphone back into his spatial ring.

His gaze shifted to Guan Ji standing beside him, "I'm going somewhere; you can occupy yourself as you wish now," he informed.

Guan Ji responded with a respectful bow. Long Tian also nodded, and with that, he proceeded in a different direction from Guan Ji.

Guan Ji didn't prolong his presence and promptly vanished like a shadow.

---

Long Tian entered a narrow alley devoid of any other souls, a desolate place surrounded by refuse.

Demonic wings materialized on his back, and with a mighty leap, he ascended into the heights. His wings gracefully propelled him eastward, where he was set to meet the person he had recently contacted.

The crisp night breeze caressed his face, imparting a refreshing serenity as he strolled away from the store.

---

More than ten minutes elapsed. In the sky, Long Tian continued to glide leisurely, gradually descending.

From his elevated vantage point, a sprawling mansion came into view. Although it presented itself as a single mansion, its proportions resembled that of a palace, housing multiple members of the Liang family.

Long Tian touched down right in front of the gate, where two guards stood sentry, accompanied by an elderly servant dressed in formal attire. They promptly bowed in respect.

"Young master, Lord Liang Shu awaits you inside; allow me to accompany you," the formally attired elder conveyed with courtesy.

"Alright," Long Tian responded with a nod.

The servant straightened himself and then opened the gate, guiding Long Tian into the premises.

Upon entering, they were promptly welcomed by a courtyard adorned with plants and flowers that seemed to emanate a gentle glow under the moon's caress.

Long Tian's countenance bore an expression of admiration. Despite having visited a few times with his father, the profusion of plants and flowers in this courtyard still impressed him. Yet, this was to be expected, given the Liang family's profound affection for flora, particularly the patriarch, Liang Shu.

The servant proceeded to open the door, revealing a sumptuous guest room adorned with marble floors and verdant walls embellished with patterns resembling climbing vines.

They continued their stride, traversing staircases and various household furnishings.

Surveying the surroundings, Long Tian noted the tranquil atmosphere, devoid of any other souls.

He turned to the servant, inquiring, "Are there no other people here?"

"Well, by chance, some members of the Liang family are attending the inauguration of a newly established subsidiary tonight, but there are still some children staying on the upper floor," the servant responded.

Long Tian nodded. The two continued their progression through this opulent space until they reached a door marked 'do not disturb.'

Facing Long Tian, the servant conveyed, "Young master, Lord Liang Shu is inside," bowing with politeness.

Long Tian acknowledged with a nod, expressing gratitude, "Thanks," and promptly opened the door, stepping into the room.

The door closed behind him, and he found himself in a spacious chamber adorned with an array of plants.

Long Tian proceeded, surveying the array of plants in different shapes and sizes, displaying hues from green to red, yellow, and black on various sides.

In this moment, a man in his 50s, with graying hair, glasses, and donned in scientist-like white attire, stood up, noticing someone had entered.

His expression immediately changed upon seeing it was Long Tian. "Oh, young master Long Tian, you've arrived. Welcome to my room," he greeted with a smile, walking directly toward Long Tian.

Long Tian responded with a smile and shook hands with Liang Shu.

"How about my request, Mr. Liang? Did you get it?" he inquired.

"Haha, for that, you don't need to worry; I've prepared it. Follow me," Liang Shu instructed.

Long Tian nodded, and with that, he walked, following Liang Shu.

They halted near a sizable table adorned with various plants.

Liang Shu picked up one of the plants, a potted plant standing at 10 inches tall, with a slightly thick green stem and leaves resembling elephant ears in orange, growing in a circular pattern with a total of 5 leaves.

Long Tian examined it from various angles, "So, this is the Rowa plant? What are its medicinal benefits? Is it helpful, or is it poisonous?" he asked curiously.

"Well, technically, this plant is like a double-edged sword. If you can't process it, it can be dangerous, but conversely, if you can process it, it becomes a plant with a thousand benefits," Liang Shu explained.

Upon hearing this, Long Tian stroked his chin while smiling. It seemed what Guan Ji had told him was indeed a fact, that this plant was Jun Li's weakness.

Liang Shu seemed intrigued by Long Tian's expression. "Young master, you seem interested in the Rowa plant. Is there something I can help you with regarding this?" he asked.

"Well, let's consider having you craft a poison from this plant. Can you manage that?" Long Tian inquired.

Liang Shu scratched his head, appearing a bit uncertain. "I've never concocted poison from the Rowa plant before. However, it contains some kind of liquid in its stem, the function of which I'm unsure about," he revealed.

"Hmmmm, does it seem impossible?" Long Tian raised one of his eyebrows.

Liang Shu didn't respond and continued to stroke his chin, his gaze fixed on the Rowa plant on the table.

After a few moments, he shifted his gaze back to Long Tian. "I think I can do it, young master. What kind of poison do you desire?" he asked.

A smile appeared on Long Tian's face, "Well, any poison is acceptable, as long as it's purely derived from the Rowa plant, without any additives," he stated.

Liang Shu nodded, "Alright, I will work according to the description you provided, young master, 'Any poison,' irrespective of whether it's for animals or humans?" he inquired to confirm.

"It doesn't matter. Then, when do you estimate it'll be ready?" Long Tian questioned.

"I believe it'll be finished by tomorrow," Liang Shu responded.

Long Tian nodded, "Understood. Well then, Mr. Liang, I won't keep you any further. I'll take my leave," he said, offering a slight bow of his head.

Liang Shu also nodded, bowing his head slightly, "Safe travels, young master," he wished.

With a nod, Long Tian exited the room.

---

Long Tian stood outside the imposing Liang family mansion, accompanied by the elderly servant from before.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from above, breaking the silence, "Long Tian, is that you?"

Both Long Tian and the servant halted, turning their attention to the mansion's third floor. The voice belonged to a young man of the same age as Long Tian.

Arching an eyebrow, Long Tian questioned, "Is that Liang Zhi?"

The elderly servant affirmed with a nod.

Acknowledging this, Long Tian was familiar with Liang Zhi, a friend since their middle school days.

At this moment, Liang Zhi leaped down from above, landing gracefully in front of Long Tian and the servant. As he approached, his features became clear – short black hair, a handsome face, and a height of 185cm, dressed casually but exuding the air of a young master.

With a broad smile, he greeted, "Hehe, it's been a while since your last visit, and you didn't even drop by to see me?"

Long Tian responded with a simple smile, "I thought you were attending the inauguration of the new subsidiary with other family members."

"Well, that's a dull event, so I decided to skip it," Liang Zhi replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Long Tian nodded in understanding.

"Now that we've bumped into each other, how about we hang out, spend the night? I know a fantastic spot, and perhaps I can get to know some interesting ladies there," Liang Zhi suggested, a mischievous smirk playing on his face.

Long Tian pondered in silence upon hearing the invitation.

Before he could respond, Liang Zhi patted his shoulder, urging, "Come on, it'll be a blast, and I'll be the one driving."

In the end, Long Tian agreed with a nod, "Alright, I'm free tonight as well."

"Great! Now, wait for me to get ready," Liang Zhi exclaimed before darting back into the mansion.

Long Tian patiently waited outside. Although he had initially planned to return to Beijing immediately, the night was still young, and a bit of spontaneous fun seemed like a welcome diversion.