Chapter 17: Demonic Plague (Seeking Collections)
Chapter 17: Demonic Plague (Seeking Collections)
Several days later, night fell.
At the back gate of Fang Xi's residence.
A patch of dark clouds appeared from nowhere, obscuring the moonlight.
In the gloom, the back gate slowly opened, and a figure slipped out.
The figure glanced left and right, and after confirming no one was watching, immediately hunched over, moving along the alley's edge and around the corner. Suddenly, with a flash, they darted into a civilian house.
"Heh heh. . . A Fu, you're finally here!"
Inside the room, an oil lamp glowed. A tall, masked strongman was sneering at A Fu, the butler.
"This old man has done everything you asked. Where is this old man's grandson?"
If his beloved grandson hadn't been taken hostage, he would never have betrayed his master.
"Hmph, have you found out where that man went during the time he disappeared? And where are his gold and silver hidden?"
The masked man asked.
"How would I know? That man has always been cautious. " A Fu sighed. "I entered his room several times, but found nothing. . . Quickly, return my grandson to me. This old man wants to flee far away!"
Although he didn't know Fang Xi's origins, seeing how particular Fang Xi was about his belongings and how refined his diet was, he knew the man's background was certainly not simple. Perhaps he was the young master of some wealthy aristocratic family!
Having betrayed such a master, the old butler only thought of escaping with his life!
"Our previous agreement was that you must uncover useful information."
The masked man cursed, "You're utterly useless! No wonder you almost starved to death back then!"
"Indeed. . . I also didn't expect that when you and your grandson, A Fu, were almost starving to death by the roadside, it was I who saved you, and yet you betrayed me."
At that moment, a voice suddenly came from outside the window.
"What?"
Both the old butler and the masked man looked out the window in shock.
Bang!
The door suddenly swung open, and Fang Xi strolled in nonchalantly.
"Die!"
The next instant, the masked man leaped high into the air, his calf striking downwards like a massive axe cleaving a mountain!
He reacted swiftly; upon discovering someone, he immediately chose to attack!
"Indeed, it's the Red Snake Leg!"
Fang Xi laughed heartily and unleashed a palm strike.
His palm strike, though launched later, arrived first, like a solid wall, intercepting the masked man's downward kick.
Bang!
Amidst the clash of palm and leg shadows, the masked man directly smashed through a window, his entire body flying backward and out.
"What a White Cloud Palm!"
A hoarse voice drifted over. Fang Xi pursued to the window, only to see the figure rapidly retreating, vanishing around the street corner in the blink of an eye.
Fang Xi didn't give chase. He turned around, gazing at the old butler, whose face shifted between red and green.
"Master, this old servant has wronged you!"
The old butler suddenly knelt on the ground, tears and snot streaming down his face. "It's all that damned masked man's fault! He kidnapped this old servant's grandson and forced this old servant to do his bidding. . ."
"A Fu, of course I know that you were doing a perfectly fine job as the head butler. If you hadn't been threatened, why would you betray me?"
Fang Xi said, "However, betrayal is betrayal. One act of disloyalty means you're never trusted again. Go well on your way!"
"What?"
A Fu abruptly lifted his head, his expression filled with terror.
He could never have imagined that the master, who was usually smiling and easy to talk to, would have such a ruthless side!
However, he had no time to say anything more, because a dark, inky palm had quietly pressed down on his head.
A layer of black qi enveloped A Fu's face. He writhed on the ground a few times, then became a corpse. . .
"You betrayed me for your grandson; I can understand that, but it doesn't mean I have to forgive you. . . I'm only responsible for sending you to the underworld; forgiving you is a matter for the King of Hell."
Fang Xi withdrew his palm, turned, and left.
In fact, Fang Xi had another reason to kill A Fu.
After betraying him, A Fu, merely by listening to a few words from the masked man, had demoted his address from 'Master' to 'that man. ' From this, it was clear that even when forced into rebellion, A Fu's heart might not have been entirely free of resentment!
'Judging from his ability to handle affairs, he might have come from a family of scholars. Becoming my butler was indeed a humiliation for him. . . '
'Scholars are often arrogant, how could they willingly be servants? Because they overthink things, they easily weigh pros and cons. Indeed, those who are faithless are often scholars! How true this saying is! '
Fang Xi walked back to his residence, forgetting the old butler in an instant.
As for the grandson, he left him to fend for himself. Such an insignificant ant wouldn't cause a ripple in his heart.
...
The next day.
Yue Gui and the other maidservants stood in a row, each keeping her eyes on her nose and nose on her heart, not daring to make the slightest movement.
A few timid ones had trembling calves.
Because today, Fang Xi had called for a human trafficker and sold off several maidservants and servants who had been close to A Fu.
"Master, spare my life! Please spare me, Master!"
A maidservant cried out to heaven and earth, but Fang Xi's expression remained utterly still, merely stirring the tea in his cup.
Maidservants and servants possessed no personal freedom. Once sold again, their next master might not be as benevolent as he was, and they might even be directly sold into the lowest-tier brothels!
It was a terrible sight, and even Bai He, standing nearby, felt a pang of pity, but she dared not say a single word.
For she knew very well that if she dared to utter one more word, Fang Xi would sell her off as well.
"Thank you, Master Fang, here are the proceeds from the sales."
The human trafficker looked at Fang Xi, grinning so wide his teeth were barely visible. This was truly a big client.
He respectfully presented a pouch of silver.
"Never mind. Consider this silver a tip for your tea."
Fang Xi stood up and looked at Yue Gui. "From now on, the butler of this residence will no longer be A Fu, but you. Do you understand?"
"Yes!"
The entire group of maidservants and servants immediately bowed.
...
After settling matters at the residence, Fang Xi changed into casual clothes and gracefully stepped out of his home.
Although last night's masked man was a master of Blood-Qi Transformation, if Fang Xi had revealed his trump cards, he could have easily captured him.
The reason he hadn't acted was merely to cast a long line to catch a big fish.
Moreover, how could mortals guard against the methods of a cultivator? This was the advantage of a 'dimensional strike. '
"Their current tracking methods would likely involve assuming I've used some scented powder, or employed animals and people to monitor and follow me all the way. . ."
"After that masked man escaped, he'll likely destroy all his clothes, and might even try to shed a layer of skin. . ."
Fang Xi wandered through the streets, then suddenly turned into a corner and pulled out a jade bottle from his bosom.
After uncorking the bottle, a snow-white jade bee flew out.
This was a 'Spirit-Seeking Bee,' naturally extremely sensitive to spiritual energy. Spirit Farmers typically used them to locate spiritual energy nodes within fields or to pollinate spirit flowers.
And last night, when Fang Xi had exchanged blows with the masked man, he had secretly imbued a trace of his spiritual power into him.
Spiritual power, in other words, is refined spiritual energy.
"Go!"
Fang Xi formed a hand seal with both hands and pointed at the Spirit-Seeking Bee!
Buzz buzz!
The snow-white bee flew up, circled him three times, then gently drifted onto the main street.
Fang Xi immediately followed close behind.
He bypassed numerous people one by one, and after crossing several streets, the Spirit-Seeking Bee stopped by a courtyard wall.
Fang Xi went to the front gate and looked up.
The four large characters, 'Red Snake Martial Arts Hall,' prominently entered his view.
"Could it really be someone from the Red Snake Martial Arts Hall?"
Fang Xi murmured, stroking his chin, "It's not impossible. . ."
However, after a moment, the Spirit-Seeking Bee circled once, then suddenly flew in another direction.
Fang Xi inwardly thought, 'Aha, this is interesting,' and continued to follow.
After many twists and turns, he arrived at the edge of a large, jade-like lake.
Within the lake, there seemed to have been some lotus flowers, but the season had passed, and the blossoms were gone, leaving only dried, shriveled lotus pods.
He didn't need to ask for directions here; Fang Xi was very familiar with the place himself.
"Yuan He Mountain?"
After confirming again, Fang Xi retrieved the Spirit-Seeking Bee and pursed his lips. "I didn't expect. . . I hadn't even decided to provoke you, and yet you've come to provoke me?"
"And you even tried to frame the Red Snake Martial Arts Hall. . ."
If Fang Xi had followed the trail last night, he would most likely have gone directly to the Red Snake Martial Arts Hall.
And both Lu She and She Lei held grudges against him, so any normal person would naturally assume it was them launching another attack!
They would never have thought it had anything to do with Yuan He Mountain!
"This scheme is quite venomous. It probably can't be separated from Jiao Wu Chang."
Recalling the evaluation in the intelligence reports, Fang Xi immediately locked onto his target.
No matter how cunning or resourceful his opponent was, it would be futile in the face of absolute strength!
Fang Xi arrived at the main gate of Yuan He Mountain, found a tea stall, and sat down, slowly contemplating his future actions.
'Wait a little longer. With the newly purchased Taisui meat, I'll definitely be able to break through to the True Vigor realm, and then I'll have more confidence. . . '
Just as Fang Xi was about to leave.
Rumble!
The main gate of the Yuan He Mountain branch swung open, and a large group of people marched out grandly, riding fine horses, heading towards the city outskirts.
Among the contingent, the young martial artist leading the way, full of heroic vigor, and the graceful woman slightly two horse-lengths behind him, both left a deep impression.
"Isn't that Guardian Linghu and Deacon Chunyu?"
At the tea stall, several people clearly recognized the two, letting out exclamations of surprise: "To think they both left the city at the same time! Could it be for that monster ravaging the trade route?"
Hearing this, Fang Xi's expression subtly tightened.
"Indeed. . . Things have been getting more and more restless outside lately. Sigh, my sister, who married into a village, now regrets it and wants to sell her land and buy a house in the city!"
A peddler dressed in coarse cloth chuckled bitterly, "Some time ago it was the Three Peaks Ridge, then the Changshui River, and now it's the trade route. . . Haven't these monsters been appearing a little too frequently lately?"
"It's all thanks to the martial artist sirs!"
The tea stall owner clearly held a favorable impression of Yuan He Mountain. "With Sir Linghu taking action this time, wouldn't a mere monster be easily captured?"
"Precisely, precisely. . ."
The group nodded repeatedly, then continued to drink their tea.
"Waiter, check please!"
Fang Xi tossed down a piece of broken silver, having no intention of joining the excitement.
Instead, he thought of the monster-hunting business Han Pang Zi from the black market had introduced to him.
'Perhaps these two matters are one and the same! '
'But these monsters have been appearing far too frequently. Something's amiss. . . '
Fang Xi's expression showed a flicker of worry, then he reverted to looking unconcerned.
After all, when the sky falls, the tall ones bear the brunt!
And if he encountered danger, he could simply flee to the South Barrens Cultivation World; it wouldn't be a major issue.
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