Chapter 118: Night Raid (Congratulations to Silver! )
A month later.
Fang Xi finished his daily cultivation practice and stepped out for some fresh air.
Generally, a single patrol around his spirit fields was considered his outdoor activity for the day.
Just as he was contemplating whether to return to alchemy or delve into array formations, Widow Wang came back, grumbling and cursing.
“What happened? ”
Fang Xi stopped Widow Wang and casually asked.
“It’s terrible, truly terrible! ”
Widow Wang’s expression was extremely grim: “Today, the Mo family came to repossess land. . . The Mu family is in a wretched state, even their family head knelt before them, but it was utterly useless. Several old spirit farmers even died directly in the spirit fields, their blood staining the ground on the spot. . . ”
“Oh? Only the Mo family? ”
“It’s said that the Mo family’s head made a deal with the Feng family’s head, consolidating all the debt rights into his hands. I think it was long-planned, they’ve had their eyes on this land. . . ” Widow Wang said, seething with resentment.
As a spirit farmer, she harbored a strong aversion to such cunning expropriation by landlords.
“Oh, so that’s it! ”
Fang Xi quickly understood. One spiritual land wouldn’t be enough for two families to split, and besides, it was merely the unranked spiritual energy environment of Twin Peaks East. It wasn’t impossible for the Mo family to offer more Spirit Stones or other compensation to reclaim a portion of the debt rights from the Feng family.
Moreover, the Mo family’s head was a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator!
With him taking action and Ruan Xing Ling coincidentally absent, Mu Wen was powerless to turn the tide.
“The Mu family. . . is finished! ” Widow Wang sighed: “Although I couldn’t stand that Mu family head, the Mu family members are innocent. . . To think, how prosperous the Mu clan was back then, and now in just a mere dozen years. . . ”
In those days, when Mu Xiu established the family’s foundation, countless rogue cultivators nearby were envious.
Even Widow Wang had heard people mention it many times, their words full of admiration.
And now, only a few years later?
Fang Xi wasn’t concerned about the Mu family’s future.
He had already put in a word with Ruan Xing Ling to preserve the branch led by Mu Zhong; that was considerate enough.
As for Mu Wen? He truly didn’t care if the man died!
What Fang Xi didn’t expect was that in the afternoon, another person came to visit: Mu Zhong!
The man was already frail with age, his hair completely white, yet his eyes were still bright and piercing. He carried a pot of spirit wine and, upon seeing Fang Xi, immediately bowed: “Nephew greets Elder Uncle! ”
“Please rise quickly, what brings you here today? ”
Fang Xi invited him to sit under the peach blossom tree and had Widow Wang serve spirit tea.
“Today, I don’t feel like tea, I want wine! ”
Mu Zhong smiled, revealing a mouthful of yellowed teeth, and poured out the spirit tea, filling a large bowl with spirit wine.
Fang Xi sniffed the wine; it was potent, very similar to the ‘Red Blood Wine’ he used to sell.
“Glug glug! ”
Mu Zhong gulped down a bowl, his voice choked with emotion: “Our main family is finished. . . all the branches have lost their foothold and are coming to me for shelter, but I only have two mu of land and a whole family to support. How many can I save? ”
“I went to see the land repossession today. . . The old uncle from the second branch, he smashed his head against a field ridge, dying right there! ”
“Our ancestor blazed a trail through countless hardships to secure this family legacy, and it’s all been squandered just like this. How will we face our ancestor when we go down there, boo hoo hoo. . . ”
By the end, the old man seemed drunk, beginning to ramble incoherently.
“Back then, the ancestor greatly praised you. . . saying that Mu Wen had grown arrogant and was unfit to be family head, and he had already considered replacing him. It was a group of elders who persuaded him otherwise, and among them was the old uncle from the second branch, who met such a tragic end today. My heart aches. . . ”
Fang Xi said nothing, simply listening in silence.
By the time Mu Zhong finished drinking, he seemed exhausted, leaning against the peach blossom tree, gazing in the direction of Twin Peaks East, mumbling incessantly, and slowly falling asleep. . .
Several hours later.
Fang Xi stepped forward, checked Mu Zhong’s breathing, and felt relieved to find that the man was still alive.
After all, Mu Zhong was quite old, nearing the end of his lifespan, and having suffered such a shock today, it would have been a minor nuisance if he had died right here.
‘This man wouldn’t be deliberately trying to die here to cause trouble for me, just because he feels his end is near, would he? ’
‘No, that’s unlikely. . . It should just be an emotional outburst, and he had no one else to talk to. He couldn’t very well go to the mother and daughter on Twin Peaks West. . . ’
He rubbed his temples, sighed, went out, and called Hai Da Gui, telling him to carry Mu Zhong back to his own home.
...
“Oh my goodness. . . ”
Less than half an hour later, Hai Da Gui returned, looking as if someone was chasing him: “It was terrifying, so terrifying. . . ”
“Oh, Da Gui, what’s wrong? Did you encounter a silver-armored demon? ”
Widow Wang, leaning by the door, couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.
“You didn’t see it, but Mu Zhong’s house was packed with who knows how many people. . . As soon as I went in and put him down, someone grabbed my clothes and asked if Master here was still recruiting tenant farmers. . . How could I tell outsiders? Then a few more women grabbed me, asking if I wanted a wife. . . ”
As Hai Da Gui spoke, his face flushed slightly.
“Oh, I never thought you’d be eyed by anyone. In the past, the Mu family women were all haughty. Hmm, wait a minute. . . ”
Widow Wang laughed, bending at the waist, then suddenly felt something was amiss: “Da Gui, aren’t you in need of a wife? Why didn’t you bring one back? Are you afraid Master will blame you, so you hid her outside first? It’s fine, just bring her in openly, Auntie will talk to Master for you. . . ”
“I wouldn’t dare to want a Mu family woman! ”
Hai Da Gui quickly shook his head: “Even though I lack a wife, I know the implications, so I wouldn’t dare. . . ”
“Alright, alright, everyone go back to work. ”
Fang Xi had listened for a long time and found the conversation getting increasingly off-topic, so he couldn’t help but step in to scold them: “Go do what you’re supposed to do. . . By the way, where’s Mu Wen? ”
“I heard that after the Mu family’s head had his land repossessed, he had no face to remain on Peach Blossom Island and left directly. . . ”
Hai Da Gui relayed everything he knew.
Although the Mu family members had lost their spiritual land, they still had some savings and could rent cave dwellings. If worse came to worst, they could work as spirit farmers or handymen. . . With their skills, it wasn’t impossible to survive on Peach Blossom Island, though it would be much harder, like rogue cultivators.
But Mu Wen absolutely had no face to stay any longer.
He might go to Spirit Sky Island, but it was highly probable that the Mu family’s shop on Spirit Sky Island had been exchanged with the Feng family, and whether Ruan Xing Ling would continue to appoint him as the grand shopkeeper was truly hard to say.
With Ruan Xing Ling absent, Young Island Master Ruan Dan was in charge. Judging by her daring to challenge him and making a name for herself by stepping on him back then, Fang Xi confirmed that this woman was a ruthless character who acknowledged no kin.
...
Half a month later.
Deep in the night.
Tonight was dim and lightless, dark clouds obscuring the moon.
A figure stealthily ascended Emerald Cliff, arriving beside the Small Cloud Rain Array. From within his robes, he pulled out a talisman—it was a first-order Restriction-breaking Talisman!
Second-order Restriction-breaking Talismans had extremely strict requirements for materials and talisman master craftsmanship, making them incredibly rare. In comparison, first-order Restriction-breaking Talismans were much more common.
The figure cast the Restriction-breaking Talisman, opening a passage through the mist of the Small Cloud Rain Array, and walked into the formation.
“Fang Xi. . . go to hell! ”
The intruder’s face was twisted with ferocity, his right hand gripping an artifact, his left holding a small black bottle.
The dark clouds parted, and a ray of moonlight fell upon his face, revealing it to be none other than Mu Wen!
He gazed at Widow Wang and Hai Da Gui’s small wooden huts, then looked towards Fang Xi’s residence, a sneer twisting his lips, and crept towards the courtyard.
This time, he had made thorough preparations; he was certain he would. . .
“Hmm? ”
The next moment, Mu Wen lost his balance and fell into the muddy ground, biting a mouthful of dirt.
“What the. . . ”
He stared in astonishment at his feet, discovering pitch-black tree roots that had, at some unknown point, coiled around his ankles.
“What. . . what in the world is this? ”
Mu Wen brandished the black dagger artifact in his hand, but it failed to leave much of a mark on the tree roots, causing him to pale with shock.
Although this dagger couldn’t compare to the superior-grade artifact Blazing Gold Ring, it was still a mid-grade artifact!
The next moment, before Mu Wen could steel himself and risk alerting others by casting a powerful spell,
Thump!
A powerful tugging force came, pulling his entire body into the earth!
Above ground, only a small pit remained, which was quickly covered with soil by the coiling roots retreating back. . .
...
“Wuwu! ”
Mu Wen had no idea what had happened. He had simply plummeted from the top of the cave, hitting the ground with a dizzying impact.
Soon, tree roots from all directions coiled around his limbs, lifting him into the air, spread-eagled.
He looked ahead, his pupils widening suddenly as he saw an indescribably terrifying colossal tree.
And Fang Xi was seated cross-legged beneath the demonic tree, connected to it by a single aerial root.
“This. . . a demonic cultivator? A demonic creature? ! ”
Mu Wen shrieked, but found his storage bag, artifact, and the small black bottle being rolled by tendrils and sent to Fang Xi’s side.
“Oh, isn’t this my little nephew? ”
Fang Xi opened his eyes and calmly walked over, gazing at Mu Wen: “What brings you to visit your old uncle today? And at night, no less? ”
“This. . . ”
Large beads of sweat trickled down Mu Wen’s forehead. He tried to circulate his magic power, but found his entire body’s magic power seemed to be sealed, deepening his despair.
Fang Xi took the black dagger artifact, casually tossing it aside. He then looked at the small black bottle, instructing a tendril to hold it far away and open it. He watched as that tendril began to blacken and decay. . .
“It must have been hard for you to even find a poison like ‘Hundred Dove Poison,’ which has such powerful lethality against mid-stage Qi Refinement cultivators. . . ”
Fang Xi manipulated another tendril to go and cap the small bottle. Although this poison was useless against him, it was still better to be cautious: “However, I don’t understand why you would target your old uncle? Is it just because your old uncle is wealthy? Oh, and Emerald Cliff is quite far from Mirror Moon Lake, so you weren’t afraid of causing a commotion? Or perhaps, if you had chosen the mother and daughter on Twin Peaks West as targets, there would have been the danger of too many watchful eyes? Or are you still resentful that I didn’t lend you Spirit Stones earlier? ”
Mu Wen stared at Fang Xi in astonishment, feeling as if this person had spoken every thought in his mind.
And this cave, this demonic tree. . . This person was definitely a seasoned demonic fiend, and he was so scared that tears welled up: “Uncle, spare my life, for the sake of our ancestor. . . boo hoo hoo. . . ”
The next moment, his mouth was stuffed by a writhing vine, preventing him from making a sound.
“Don’t be afraid, dear nephew, your old uncle just needs a little favor from you, and then I’ll let you go. . . ”
Fang Xi took out a dull grey seed and came before Mu Wen: “Your old uncle hasn’t been able to obtain any puppet arts inheritance, so I could only crudely devise one myself. I’ll need your help to perfect it a bit. . . ”
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