Hidan squinted and noticed a faint powder in the drink, which dissolved completely in the blink of an eye.
Only then did the realization hit him.
The poison is not in the drink, but in the cup.
Earlier, Hana deliberately drank a cup of booze herself, clearly to lower his guard further.
After all, it was obvious this wasn't the first time that ragged man had shown up to warn customers, or perhaps there were many like him. Hana must have already been aware of this pattern and decided to use it to her advantage.
By drinking a cup of wine in front of him, ordinary people would trust her more and see the man as a fraud. Even a slightly cautious Shinobi would confirm the booze was safe, feel guilty for suspecting Hana, and overlook the possibility that the cup itself was tampered with.
Hana's actions are undeniably cunning.
Unfortunately for her, her opponent this time was Hidan.
Back in the Jashin cult, Hidan had undergone countless torturous experiments. After so many live trials on his body, he had long developed the ability to easily detect whether something was poisoned.
However, despite that, Hidan still downed the drink in one gulp.
This type of poison was more of a sedative. For ordinary people, it would just make them feel drunk faster without raising suspicion. But Hidan had an exceptionally high resistance to toxins and was immortal. Even if he didn't take any precautions, he wouldn't be affected.
Still, in order to avoid accidents, Hidan mobilized the Chakra in his body to neutralize the poison before it could take effect.
Before long, several rounds of drinks had been served.
"So, young master, what do you think of the drink?" Hana asked with a sweet smile. Judging by her experience, the sedative should have taken effect by now.
Hidan chuckled and said, "The booze is fine, and you're a beauty, no doubt. But the poison in the booze is just like your heart… malicious."
"What are you saying, young master? How could you think so poorly of me?"
There was a flash of panic in Hana's eyes.
Hidan continued, "Earlier, that beggar claimed you were poisoning people, so I decided to test it. But don't get me wrong. If I really suspected you, I wouldn't have waited until after drinking to ask."
Hana visibly relaxed and smiled again, "That must have been a ploy by rival taverns, trying to ruin my business. It's fortunate that the young master is wise enough to see through their schemes and believe me. It truly warms my heart."
Hidan sighed and said, "Ah, how I wish that beggar's warning was true. Then, after getting drugged, I could've had some fun with you."
"What are you saying, young master? If you desire it, I'd be more than willing."
Hana gazed at him with adoration, clinging to his arm and even leaning in close.
Up close, Hidan noticed faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but her charm remained intact. The mole under her peach blossom eyes only added to her seductive allure.
But at the next moment, Hana's body suddenly stiffened, "Why don't you smell like alcohol?"
The tavern was filled with the scent of alcohol, and she had watched Hidan drink with her own eyes. Thus, she hadn't paid close attention. However, his earlier comments raised her suspicions, and upon closer observation, she realized he didn't emit any trace of alcohol.
"Ah, so you figured it out, huh?"
Hidan grinned. Thanks to his Chakra, the alcohol had been completely broken down in his system, which is an oversight on his part.
"Shinobi-sama, I swear I meant no harm. I merely admire you. Please, grant me mercy and spare my life."
Hana is not stupid. Having seen Hidan drink without any effect, she quickly deduced he was an extraordinary Shinobi.
She was just as the ragged man had described, a naturally promiscuous woman who took money while keeping her victims under the radar by targeting only ordinary people. She avoided unnecessary trouble by steering clear of Shinobi.
She had picked Hidan as a target because he looked like a naive rich boy from a wealthy family.
Little did she know, her judgment was catastrophically wrong this time. She'd provoked a nightmare instead!
"Letting you go is possible. I actually like women as devious as you." Hidan said with a sly grin, "But you have to agree to three conditions.
"Please tell me, Shinobi-sama. I'll do my best to comply."
Hana said hurriedly.
"First, prepare 100 bottles of your best drink. Second, hand over half of your wealth. Third, come with me to a certain place." Hidan raised three fingers as he listed his demands.
"Deal, no problem!" Hana agreed without hesitation.
"I'll fetch the drink right away." She said, rushing off toward the tavern's storage.
Watching her go, Hidan's lips curled into a cold smirk.
Just as he expected, when Hana returned, she was accompanied by four masked Shinobi, each wearing Yugakure's forehead protector.
"If you don't want to suffer, come with us." Hana said, crossing her arms. The panic she'd shown earlier was entirely gone, replaced by a smirk.
"No problem."
Hidan replied with a shrug, then stood up and followed her without resistance.
From the moment he realized the down-and-out man was telling the truth, Hidan knew Hana must have muscle backing her up. After all, how could a weak woman dare con people so brazenly without protection?
When they arrived at the tavern's storage room, there was a secret door inside. After entering, there was no smell of alcohol, only a stench of decay.
To the left, several men were tied to wooden stakes, and their bodies were covered in blood from severe torture.
On the right, women were similarly bound, their vacant, eerie grins suggesting they were no better off than the men.
"Hiss…"
Seeing Hidan drew a sharp breath, Hana said smugly, "Are you scared now?"
"I'm not scared." Hidan replied with a wide grin, "It's just been so long since I've felt this intoxicating stench of blood. It's absolutely exhilarating."
To Hidan, this was paradise.
When he first joined the Jashin cult, it was because scenes like this had captivated him, drawing him into the cult's darkness.
Though he no longer worshipped Jashin, the evil rooted in his soul remained unchanged.
"Still pretending to be tough? Teach him a lesson!" Hana snapped, convinced Hidan was bluffing.
"Yes!"
The four Yugakure's Shinobi shouted as they charged at Hidan.
Swish!
With a single motion, Hidan summoned his scythe with Summoning Technique and effortlessly severed all four Shinobi's legs in one sweeping strike.
"Ahhhh!"
Suddenly, their bloodcurdling screams echoed through the chamber like pigs being slaughtered.
Hidan looked at the four people with interest and sneered, "I thought Yugakure prided itself on peace. So how come scum like you exist? Or has the village's policy changed since I left?"
"You brat! If you're from Yugakure, you'd better kill yourself right now! If our boss comes, he'll torture you to death!" The leading Yugakure's Shinobi, who is trembling in pain and drenched in sweat, glared at Hidan with bloodshot eyes.
"Oh? You've got a boss? Now I'm interested. Call him out, let's see what he's got." Hidan became even more interested.
Since he wasn't allowed to attack first, he had let Hana summon help. Now, if they initiated the trouble, he could go all out.
Four weaklings could not satisfy Hidan at all, so he was very interested in this so-called boss.
The leading Yugakure's Shinobi snorted coldly, "You're going to regret it! Our boss is none other than Hidan, the infamous Missing-nin from Yugakure!"
"Huh?"
Hidan was immediately confused, with a black question mark on his face.
'Their boss was actually me?'
'Am I supposed to... kill myself?'