Chapter 89: The Name of Fang Wang, and the Matter of the Marriage Pact

Tucaiyi had not lied to Fang Wang. Hidden within this range of mountains was indeed a blessed land, nestled in a valley. The valley mouth and the surrounding peaks had clearly been fortified with a formation, preventing the spiritual energy within from leaking out and making its special richness impossible to sense from outside.

The spiritual energy here was more than ten times denser than beyond the valley. Once inside, Fang Wang began meditating to absorb it, while Little Purple continued sorting through the storage pouches, its serpent eyes occasionally flicking toward Tucaiyi in the distance.

The valley floor was broad and level, dotted with clusters of flowers and grass. There were not many trees, but those that stood here were all tall and imposing. Tucaiyi lay languidly on the trunk of one such tree, feigning sleep, her body turned on its side and one leg fully exposed, pointed just so toward Fang Wang.

Fang Wang did not devote himself fully to cultivation. His divine sense remained fixed on her at all times. It was not that he harbored any improper thoughts; rather, he was simply wary of Tucaiyi.

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

Fang Wang’s spiritual power had fully reached a state of abundance. During that time, Tucaiyi had not moved a single inch, and Fang Wang even wondered whether she had left her body in spirit.

Little Purple sorted through the pouches day and night at last, and finally finished checking everything. All the items useful to Fang Wang were gathered into twelve storage pouches. Fang Wang hung them all from his belt, then looked toward Tucaiyi.

“All right. It is time to set out.”

Hearing this, Tucaiyi opened her eyes, sat up, stretched lazily, and Fang Wang immediately averted his gaze.

This woman was setting a trap for him!

He would never fall for it!

“Sir, you truly are rather swift. It seems the art you cultivate is no ordinary one,” Tucaiyi said with amused interest as she descended and walked toward him.

Fang Wang did not answer. Instead, he leaped into the air and rode his sword away.

He quickly flew out of the valley. Looking back, he saw Tucaiyi pursuing him barefoot upon two golden wheels.

“Wind and Fire Wheels? Interesting,” Fang Wang thought with raised brows, then turned his gaze back toward the horizon.

Little Purple, meanwhile, kept its eyes on Tucaiyi, watching her without a moment’s lapse.

...

Within a bustling city, cultivators came and went along every street, while the shops on both sides sold magic artifacts, rare treasures of heaven and earth, spirit-beast pets, sundries, and more.

Inside an inn, cultivators drank as they listened to a middle-aged scholar standing in the center of the hall.

“When the Ten Thousand Poisons Formation rose, heaven and earth wailed like ghosts, the winds and clouds changed color, and the scene was truly terrifying. Those within it seemed cast down into the Eighteen Levels of Hell. Yet Fang Wang, the Heavenly Origin Sword Saint, stood high atop the serpent demon’s head without the slightest fear. The tens of thousands of demonic cultivators in Green Cicada Valley never imagined that a formation forged by so many hands could fail to stop Fang Wang!”

The middle-aged scholar spoke with fiery passion, masterfully stirring the emotions of his listeners.

The cultivators around him were utterly enraptured, their eyes shining with longing.

Who would not yearn for the legendary feat of a single man driving back an entire sect?

One person sighed, “He slew a great demon king, defeated the Sword Sect, and then cut through Green Cicada Valley. Could Fang Wang be called the greatest in the world today?”

As soon as this was said, many cultivators immediately echoed it. Their horizons were limited, and Fang Wang was already the most overbearing and powerful figure they had ever heard of.

“Green Cicada Valley has suffered repeated attacks in recent years. Its strength long ago ceased to match that of the nine great sects, and besides, they are a poison sect. Defeating Green Cicada Valley hardly makes one number one under heaven. Poison only works against those of lower realms; once cultivators reach higher levels, they can resist it with internal power alone. In former years, Yang Yuanzi of the Vast Abyss Gate could fight his way in and out, and in recent years even a grand cultivator of the Golden Radiance Cult could do the same. It is only that Fang Wang’s Heavenly Origin Treasure Spirit has exaggerated this accomplishment.”

An ill-timed voice came from the corner, laced with mockery, whether aimed at Green Cicada Valley or Fang Wang was impossible to tell.

“Oh? You talk big. Why don’t you try storming Green Cicada Valley yourself?”

A man slapped the table and rose in anger. It was none other than Gu Tianxiong.

Gu Tianxiong had been drinking and listening to the scholar praise his brother, feeling quite pleased, when someone dared to belittle Fang Wang.

Unforgivable!

His gaze locked tightly onto the cultivator who had spoken with such contempt. The man was dressed in black and wore a rain hat, its brim obscuring his face.

Faced with Gu Tianxiong’s goading, the black-clad cultivator drank a cup of wine and snorted coldly. “Green Cicada Valley? I happen to have a score to settle with them. I shall go give them trouble right now!”

With that, he rose and left at once.

“Wait—shouldn’t you at least leave your name?” Gu Tianxiong called out hurriedly, thinking the other man was deliberately making excuses to slip away.

The black-clad cultivator did not look back. He only said, “Golden Radiance Cult, Xiao Kuang!”

The words Golden Radiance Cult caused every face in the inn to change. All fell silent in fear, and even Gu Tianxiong dared not say another word.

Though not one of the nine great sects and founded only more than a decade ago, the Golden Radiance Cult’s achievements were simply too terrifying. It was regarded by the nine great sects as a hidden danger in the Great Qi world of cultivation.

After Xiao Kuang departed, the cultivators in the inn finally breathed again.

“Everyone, please continue eating and drinking. Scholar, continue with the tale of the Heavenly Origin Sword Saint!” the innkeeper hurriedly called out.

He had run this inn for more than a hundred years. What storms had he not seen?

Hearing this, the middle-aged scholar immediately continued his story.

Gu Tianxiong felt somewhat embarrassed and, lifting his chin, said, “Yes, continue. Fang Wang is my brother. I should like to see whether what you say matches what I have heard.”

But the cultivators merely gave him sidelong looks, not believing him in the least, though none dared mock him.

Finding it dull, Gu Tianxiong could only sit back down awkwardly.

He began drinking in sullen silence.

After quite some time, a youth in plain clothes, appearing only sixteen or seventeen, came to his table and seemed to want to speak but hesitated.

Gu Tianxiong glanced at him and said irritably, “What is it?”

The youth in plain clothes gathered his courage, sat down on Gu Tianxiong’s right, and asked in a low voice, “Senior, is Fang Wang really your brother?”

Gu Tianxiong stared at him and said, “Of course. I never lie!”

The youth took a deep breath and said, “Senior, could we speak somewhere else? I have something to ask of you, and I will certainly not let you suffer a loss.”

At this, Gu Tianxiong looked at him with suspicion.

“Something to do with Fang Wang?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Let’s go!”

...

Under the blue sky, mountain ranges rose and fell like dragons coiling across the earth, lofty and magnificent.

Fang Wang, flying on his sword, gradually slowed. Turning his head, he said, “The Vast Abyss Gate is ahead. Thank you for seeing me off.”

Tucaiyi kept a distance of thirty feet from him. Hearing this, she smiled faintly and said, “No need for thanks. Then I shall send you only this far.”

Having said that, she stopped and hung in the air, watching Fang Wang depart.

Fang Wang nodded and continued speeding toward the Vast Abyss Gate.

Little Purple muttered, “Sir, she really means no harm?”

“Who knows? At least for now, it does seem to be goodwill,” Fang Wang replied softly.

Ahead, above the sea of clouds on the horizon, the ten mountain peaks of the Vast Abyss Gate had already appeared, like a pair of giant hands reaching into the heavens, or like a mirage—part illusion, part truth.

At last, he was back.

Fang Wang sighed inwardly. For him, more than four hundred years had passed since he had last returned, and some nostalgia for the Vast Abyss Gate was only natural.

Little Purple perched on his shoulder, still watching Tucaiyi behind them. Only when Tucaiyi vanished from sight did it finally relax. So long as they had not entered the Vast Abyss Gate, it could not feel at ease.

Half an incense stick of time later, Fang Wang entered the Vast Abyss Gate. The two disciples who had earlier inspected his disciple token were overjoyed to see him, but they did not dare disturb him for long, and so they did not delay him.

After entering the sect, he took out a bamboo hat and put it on, lowering his head slightly to keep his face from being seen.

Even so, as he flew all the way toward the First Vein, he still heard disciples along the way discussing him and Green Cicada Valley.

“Tsk, the news in the cultivation world really travels fast,” Little Purple remarked from Fang Wang’s arms. As soon as it neared the sect gates, it had slipped into his embrace to hide.

Fang Wang’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he felt rather pleased.

With such a dazzling record, of course he would not want to hide it.

As for whether it might make enemies, he was not concerned. Even without this incident, his Heavenly Origin Treasure Spirit had already placed him at the center of every storm.

Fang Wang soon arrived before Zhou Xue’s cave dwelling. The moment he landed, the mountain gate opened.

He raised a brow and stepped inside.

“Sir, why do you come straight to her as soon as you return? Don’t you dislike women?” Little Purple said sourly.

Fang Wang simply pressed down its serpent head and ignored it.

The gate closed, plunging the cave dwelling into dim shadow.

He walked all the way to Zhou Xue’s side and saw her meditating within a small pool, her entire body encircled by an eerie black mist.

Hmm?

That seemed to be ghostly energy.

Fang Wang frowned and asked, “You’re injured?”

Zhou Xue did not open her eyes. “Only a minor wound. It is nothing.”

“How did it happen?”

“I was wounded by one of Lu Yuanjun’s ghost artifacts.”

“What?”

At this, Fang Wang’s brow furrowed even more deeply, and killing intent spilled from his eyes.

Zhou Xue opened her eyes. Seeing his expression, she could not help but smile and said, “Lu Yuanjun left the Vast Abyss Gate with Chen Anshi, so I followed the Demon Lord in pursuit of them. I did not expect Lu Yuanjun’s ghost artifact to contain three more ghost gods now, and even Yang Yuanzi emerged to save him. The Demon Lord was very interested in that ghost artifact, so he deliberately let Lu Yuanjun and Chen Anshi escape in order to trace its origin. I could not persuade the Demon Lord otherwise. Fortunately, he dealt them a severe blow.”

Fang Wang lifted his brows, not expecting Lu Yuanjun to be so hard to kill that even his master had to intervene.

Tsk. And that Demon Lord as well—he was truly formidable.

Chen Anshi was the deputy master of the Vast Abyss Gate, and yet with his master beside him, they had nearly died at the Demon Lord’s hands?

Zhou Xue continued, “Lu Yuanjun is probably never coming back after this. Once the Demon Lord obtains his ghost artifact, he will surely die. You can sit safely in the position of senior disciple, lay down the knots of hatred in your heart, and I will reveal the truth so that the Vast Abyss Gate will completely abandon Lu Yuanjun.”

After hearing this, Fang Wang had many doubts. For example, was the Demon Lord perhaps lying in wait near the Vast Abyss Gate?

But he still held them back and instead asked, “Are the other members of my clan all right?”

Zhou Xue answered, “Three of them were badly injured. They will be fine after a few years of recovery. That no one died is already a stroke of fortune.”

Fang Wang let out a breath of relief. Looking at Zhou Xue, he said seriously, “Thank you.”

He guessed that only because Zhou Xue had returned in time were the lives of the other six members of the Fang family preserved.

“Go and see your master,” Zhou Xue said with her eyes closed. “First, you have just returned, and by the proprieties between master and disciple, you should pay him a visit. Second, his injuries are serious; he will likely need twenty years of rest.”

The Demon Lord struck so ruthlessly?

Fang Wang frowned. At once he turned to leave, but after taking only three steps, he seemed to think of something and looked back, asking, “By the way, Grandfather and the others want to arrange a marriage between us. My fourth uncle said that it depends entirely on my wishes. Is that true?”