Bai Shuang and Bai Xia finally took a proper look at the five newcomers.
"Those things are already dead once they get here, we don't need to lift a finger," Bai Shuang said this time.
"Not to hide anything from you, we came here to find a way to eliminate these insect tribes. I wonder if your poisons can kill them, or at least seriously injure them," Jian Dan said earnestly. Jian Jing also nodded solemnly, showing agreement.
The Bai sisters didn't reply immediately. After a long pause, the usually quiet Bai Shuang finally spoke:
"Poison-making is our Bai family's specialty, but whether it can kill giant insect tribes, we've never tested. So we can't give you a definitive answer. But we have a wide variety of poisons available."
In other words, the poisons can be exchanged with them, but whether they achieve the purpose the five sought would require testing—they'd have to find the insect tribes themselves.
Jian Dan knew they were speaking truthfully. There were almost no living insect tribes in this area, so any real testing would have to happen back on Lingyun Continent.
"Has your continent been attacked by these insects?" Bai Xia asked, curious.
"Xia'er!" Bai Shuang seemed slightly disapproving and stopped her.
"There's nothing to hide. Our continent has been attacked by insects, and we were temporarily sent here to see if we could find another way out," Jian Dan said in a low voice.
"I see!" Bai Shuang's eyes flickered with a trace of sorrow before she spoke lightly:
"Perhaps your elders don't want you to find a way out or a method to kill the insects. They just want you to survive."
"Exactly. Just like our mother, she sent my sister and me here to ensure the Bai family's legacy continues," Bai Xia admitted openly.
Hearing this, the five understood their situation.
"Thanks for the reminder, but we won't stay here long. We'll definitely return to our continent," Jian Jing said. Jian Dan and the others nodded in agreement, while Hou San kept his head down silently.
"In that case, take a few more types of poisons. When you return, you can test each one. For large-scale preparation, you'll need the recipes," Bai Xia said, pausing slightly. After all, these were tied to her family's legacy, and she couldn't make arbitrary decisions.
"Since fate brought us together, as long as it doesn't involve your Bai family's core secrets, we're willing to buy the recipes as well. It depends on what you need," Jian Dan said with a friendly smile.
A trade should go both ways: give a little, take a little, meet each other's needs.
"I see you're not afraid of us sisters. Does your continent have poison cultivators?" Bai Shuang asked, unrelated to the trade.
"Yes. Our sect specifically assigned a poison cultivator to develop insect-killing toxins. I made some progress before leaving," Jian Dan said, a spark lighting up in her mind as she answered.
"Your continent doesn't seem to fear poison cultivators. Why is that? On our Yufeng Continent, poison cultivators are feared by everyone. People can't wait to get rid of them!" Bai Xia asked, tilting her head, a hint of resentment in her eyes.
"The Dao has fifty paths. Everyone walks a different path, all ultimately to grow stronger and ascend. Why fear? Only the weak rely on eliminating others to prove strength," Jian Dan said calmly.
"Big sister, that's so true. What if I poisoned you now?" Bai Xia's narrow eyes glimmered with a testing light.
The three from Heavenly Sword Sect didn't react much. Kuang Dao looked at the sisters briefly, while Hou San was startled, glanced at them, and quickly bowed his head again.
Jian Dan smiled and said to Bai Xia: "Sure~ you can try."
She then brushed her storage ring and pulled out a delicate magnolia-white pill bottle, tossing it to Bai Shuang: "You should heal first. Consider this our deposit. Once you decide what you want, you can find us at the Bing Ssi stall."
The five then stood, ready to leave.
Bai Shuang instinctively took the bottle. Before Bai Xia could stop them, she asked calmly:
"May I know your name, sister?"
"I'm Jian Lu. My teammates call me Fairy Lu," Jian Dan introduced.
"Fairy Lu, we'll carefully consider and give you an answer before the trade meeting ends," Bai Shuang said.
"All right, we'll be ready anytime," Jian Lu replied.
The formation opened, letting the five leave the Bai sisters' territory smoothly.
Not far from the exit, they ran into Senior Brothers Cheng Zu and Cheng Song. Both groups exchanged respectful bows, a few business pleasantries, and continued on their separate ways.
Once the formation closed, the Bai sisters relaxed their expressions.
"Big sister, did she notice your injury? We were keeping that from everyone," Bai Xia whispered.
Bai Shuang didn't answer. She opened the magnolia pill bottle to find a tiny medicinal pill, barely the size of a pinky nail, giving off a unique scent. Just inhaling slightly eased the pain in her abdomen.
"Xia'er, protect me," Bai Shuang said.
She swallowed the healing pill, sat cross-legged, and started absorbing its effects to repair her internal injuries. Bai Xia stayed quietly by her side.
Meanwhile, Jian Jing asked Jian Dan:
"Junior Sister, do you plan to recruit the two sisters into our team?"
"Nothing escapes your sharp eyes, Senior Sister," Jian Dan replied.
"How confident are you?"
"If she takes the healing pill I gave her, about seventy percent! Senior Sister, what do you think?"
"They're poison cultivators. They can survive here, but their combat power is too low. If attached to a strong team, fine. If not, they'll eventually be pushed out and become trade targets," Jian Jing frowned.
"Exactly. That male cultivator incident showed that no one except the sisters came to help. Also, as poison cultivators, if someone gets close, it means they're being watched. That's why they invited us themselves."
"Indeed. No one backing them up also shows only the two sisters came to the trade meeting, aiming for healing pills and a new affiliation simultaneously," Jian Jing reasoned, then smiled.
"I'd say your guess is about eighty to ninety percent accurate," Jian Dan said.
"So the goal of recruiting them is to take them back to Lingyun Continent with us?"
"Exactly. To accompany Jin Ai. Their formulas stay secret, and we take them back. Results are the same. They were already outcasts on their original continent anyway."
"Aren't you worried they'll lie?"
"Hmph. Once on Lingyun Continent, it's our territory. If they dare cause trouble, we'll crush them! At our absolute strength, they won't even have a chance to poison anyone," Jian Dan said confidently.