The enormous purple ship sailed steadily along the Han River.
Although Duan Qian had fled in defeat, the Ghostshadow Organization had always been impossible to shake off, and no one knew when they might come back. The Hidden Dragon Unit, Xiao Sang, and Xiao Zhang therefore stopped concealing themselves. Together with the Fu family guards and the Ghostshadow members who had defected with Wei Li Ming, they openly patrolled the ship.
Fu Xuan and Wei Li Ming sat in the main hall of the ship’s cabin, watching Fu Fu and Fu Li An play chess.
Fu Fu lost another game. With one sweep of his hand, he wiped the board clear and looked around. “Where’s Little Four? Why does he spend all day hiding in his room?”
Fu Xuan said, “He said he just advanced and needs to consolidate his cultivation.”
“Really?” Feeling that the matter of his lost game had now been successfully brushed aside, Fu Fu was just about to suggest another round. Unfortunately, his son had an excellent memory.
Fu Li An reminded him, “Father has already lost the agreed three games today. I should go back and study.”
Fu Fu: “…”
If you want to study, just go study. Why say, “lost the agreed three games”? With an outsider sitting right there, how could you undermine your father like this?
Wei Li Ming saw nothing wrong with it. After so many days traveling together, Fu Fu had lost practically every day. He was already used to it. Once Fu Li An left, Wei Li Ming immediately turned to Fu Xuan. “How about we play a game?”
Fu Xuan gladly agreed.
Fu Fu reluctantly gave up his seat.
Hmph. Two lousy chess players.
When Fu Li An returned below deck, he spotted his younger brother waiting outside his room from a distance, staring at him ingratiatingly.
Fu Li An immediately turned around.
Fu Xi Yan rushed after him, grabbed his sleeve, and dragged him back. “My dearest brother, I’ll come sit in your room for a while.”
Fu Li An was no match for his strength and could only say coldly, “Your sister-in-law is there today. It’s inconvenient.”
“I already scoped the place out. Sister-in-law just went to see Xia Qing. She’s not there. Come on, come on, let’s go play.” Fu Xi Yan pushed him into the room, then swiftly shut the door behind them.
Fu Li An immediately planted himself in front of the chest behind him. “If you want to play, sit down and entertain yourself.”
Fu Xi Yan gave a dry laugh and pulled out banknotes from his robes. “This is an honest transaction, Eldest Brother. Don’t be embarrassed. Bring out the goods and let me have a look. I brought money. We’re brothers, so refund any excess and round down anything short, all right?”
Fu Li An’s face darkened. “I am not a merchant.”
“I know, but I can’t exactly find a second stone dealer on this ship.” Fu Xi Yan smiled placatingly. “Sell me two more pieces of chicken-blood stone.” He genuinely could not be blamed for pestering him relentlessly.
He had already reached the Object-Commanding Art in Introduction to the Puppet Arts. He had tried stones, honeysuckle, jade pendants, and all manner of objects, but only the chicken-blood stone seal Fu Li An had given him had worked.
Unfortunately, Fu Xi Yan had used too much force and extracted all the spiritual power from the seal, leaving it completely drained until it crumbled into powder. Later, he had asked Fu Li An for another one. That attempt succeeded too, and it lasted longer than the first, but Fu Xi Yan still failed to control his strength properly.
The most important part of practicing anything was the practice itself. If they were in Haojing or Luoyang, Fu Xi Yan could simply go to a shop and buy more. Now they were surrounded by water in every direction, so he could only shamelessly return to Fu Li An for fresh supplies.
Fu Li An was so exasperated that he laughed. “So in your eyes, I’m a stone merchant now?”
Fu Xi Yan hurriedly said, “If Eldest Brother is willing to give them to me for free, naturally I’d be even happier.”
Fu Li An looked at his younger brother, whose skin was thicker than a city wall. Reasoning with him did not work, and fighting him was even less possible. In the end, he could only compromise helplessly. “The last two?”
“A gentleman’s word cannot be taken back even by four galloping horses.” Fu Xi Yan held out his little finger.
Fu Li An ignored it. He took out a key, opened the chest behind him, and pulled out two pieces of chicken-blood stone.
“Isn’t this one a little small?” Fu Xi Yan immediately moved closer and began picking through them.
“If you don’t want it, forget it.”
Fu Li An made as though to take it back, and Fu Xi Yan instantly snatched it away, carefully accepting the chicken-blood stone. “What is Eldest Brother saying? How could I possibly complain? I’m nothing but grateful.”
He made a heart with two fingers. Whether Fu Li An understood it or not, Fu Xi Yan happily prepared to leave.
Fu Li An caught him. “Thank you for your patronage. Two thousand taels.”
Fu Xi Yan’s heart ached. “Isn’t two thousand taels a little…”
Fu Li An smiled. “I already rounded it down. Rare goods command a high price.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
After reluctantly producing two banknotes, Fu Xi Yan suddenly handed the larger piece of chicken-blood stone back. “Eldest Brother, could you cut this into four pieces for me and sharpen one end of each, like a blade?”
“You want to make concealed weapons? These are Balin chicken-blood stones, which are relatively soft. If you want concealed weapons, stone from Guilin would be better… but why not simply use iron?”
Fu Xi Yan smiled. “I like chicken-blood stone. It gets the blood pumping. Good for fighting.”
Fu Li An weighed the stone in his hand. “That costs extra.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Next time, he was definitely going back to shamelessly playing the family card. Throwing money around sounded impressive, but somehow he was the one getting hurt!
It had to be said that Fu Xi Yan truly did have an affinity with chicken-blood stone. After destroying one small piece of chicken-blood stone and one tiny chicken-blood sword, he finally learned to control the remaining three little swords as easily as moving his own limbs. Wherever he pointed, they struck.
Not only that, once he understood the principle, he could apply it elsewhere. Now, when he wanted to move a chair, he no longer had to walk over and drag it himself. He only needed to point from a distance.
With this, who needed a remote control?!
For a moment, Fu Xi Yan found himself reminiscing about his dormitory days in his previous life, when he and his roommates would play rock-paper-scissors to decide who had to get up and turn off the lights. If he had possessed this skill back then, wouldn’t his roommates have offered him instant noodles every day and called him Daddy Greatest Under Heaven?
After the chicken-blood swords, his demonic claws began reaching toward everything else. Supplies aboard the ship were limited. He had already pulled hair from Fu Chen Xing’s head twice and could hardly keep shearing the poor child bald, so he resorted to stealing vegetables from storage a couple of times. Unfortunately, their food supplies were not exactly abundant either.
Sure enough, as soon as the ship entered the waters around Xiangyang, Wei Li Ming announced that they needed to go ashore and resupply.
Xiangyang had two docks. Freight ships loaded and unloaded at Laolong Embankment, while passengers normally came ashore south of Xianshou Mountain. The former was more prosperous because merchant ships gathered there, so the group decided to stop at Laolong Embankment and stretch their legs.
Their temporary guard force aboard the ship was divided among the various “tour groups” according to the number of people in each, aside from those remaining behind to guard the vessel.
Madam Fu worried that the soap would become harder to sell if they kept it too long, so she sent the steward ashore with guards to look for buyers. She herself took several concubines, Fu Li An’s wife, and Fu Xia Qing to browse the commercial district.
Fu Chen Xing had long since grown unbearably restless aboard the ship and came looking for Fu Xi Yan early that morning. For anything involving eating, drinking, and entertainment, Fourth Brother was naturally the most reliable. But Fu Xi Yan intended to spend the day mainly buying stones and worried the boy would find it boring. Under the crushing pressure of Fu Chen Xing’s stare, he ultimately entrusted him to Fu Fu instead.
Fu Fu also wanted to be a responsible father and asked kindly, “Have you finished all the books we bought last time? Why don’t we go to a bookstore and pick out some more?”
Fu Chen Xing: “…”
Watching his younger brother’s resentful back disappear into the distance, Fu Xi Yan could only wave from afar and offer his blessings.
Once they reached Laolong Embankment, the Fu family gradually disembarked, each group already having somewhere to go. Yet Pei Yuan Jin did not seem to be accompanying anyone. Fu Xi Yan immediately transformed into an overly concerned activities coordinator, afraid the transfer student might be left alone. He went and knocked on Pei Yuan Jin’s door to ask whether he wanted to come buy stones with him.
Pei Yuan Jin said, “I need to visit the Thunder Division.”
“Oh.” Seeing that Pei Yuan Jin had plans of his own, Fu Xi Yan did not insist. He casually said, “All right. Be careful, and come back early.” Then he happily went ashore with Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang.
Although shops lined Laolong Embankment, most were restaurants and inns serving travelers. Finding a shop that carved seals was unexpectedly difficult, and the farther Fu Xi Yan walked, the farther he drifted from the riverbank.
Fu Xi Yan stopped and was debating whether to turn back when Xiao Sang whispered, “Someone seems to be following us.”
Fu Xi Yan had sensed them too. There were seven or eight people, all with light, unsteady footsteps that did not resemble trained martial artists. He could not yet tell whether they were actually following him.
After advancing to the Mortal-Shedding Stage, the range of his awareness had expanded considerably. He had been trapped aboard the ship for so many days that he had long wanted to test how much his actual combat ability had improved. Still, these were unsettled times, and he had no desire to attract attention. He abruptly turned into an empty side path and walked for a while. When the people behind him finally had no choice but to reveal themselves, he doubled back without warning and charged directly toward them.
The men had not expected to be discovered so quickly, much less that their target knew martial arts. They panicked and turned to flee. Fu Xi Yan caught one by the back of his collar. “Who are you?”
Advancing a cultivation stage really did increase combat ability. His movement speed was a full two or three times faster than it had been at the late Vajra Stage!
The man had no idea how delighted Fu Xi Yan currently was and shouted with false bravado, “What do you think you’re doing?! Trying to rob us? Haven’t you counted how many of us there are?”
The others shouted a few threats along with him.
“Isn’t this the thief crying ‘thief’?” Fu Xi Yan said. “Look around. We’re in the middle of nowhere, and a whole group of you have been hiding kitchen knives while following us. What are you doing, selling knives?” He smiled. “Though if you are knife sellers, that’s fine too. What a coincidence—we’re not good people either! This place is so deserted that you could scream yourself hoarse and nobody would hear.”
Every now and then, saying one of these unbearably embarrassing villain lines and watching someone else become even more embarrassed than he was proved surprisingly thrilling.
The man really did panic. “Let go of me, or all my brothers will attack at once and make you suffer the consequences!”
His “brothers” heard that and immediately turned tail and ran.
Seeing the man’s shocked expression, Fu Xi Yan laughed and exerted a little force, spinning him around. “Your brothers don’t seem to agree with your suggestion. So now I suppose it’s up to you to show me exactly how you’re going to make me ‘eat it and take the rest away.’ To be honest, I’m looking forward to it. Even an all-you-can-eat buffet only guarantees you leave full—it doesn’t include a takeaway bag. Your promotion is pretty innovative.”
Elio’s Notes: 吃不了兜着走 is an idiom meaning that someone will “suffer the consequences,” but literally it means something like “if you can’t finish eating it, wrap the rest up and take it away.” Fu Xi Yan deliberately turns the threat back into a food joke.
The man sucked in a breath and dropped to his knees. “I-I’m just narrow-minded and ignorant. I’ve never seen someone as… as handsome as you before. I just wanted another look.”
Xiao Sang burst out laughing.
Fu Xi Yan’s face darkened. “Are you flirting with me?”
The man stared blankly. “Huh?”
Fu Xi Yan looked at Xiao Sang. “He flirted with me.”
Xiao Sang rolled up his sleeves. “Even Young Palace Master barely gets to flirt with Young Madam, and you dare? You deserve a beating!”
Before the man could work out the logic of why another man was being called “Young Madam,” Xiao Sang dragged him aside and gave him a thorough beating. When he returned, he said, “They’re all pickpockets.”
Fu Xi Yan nodded. Looking at how sparse the buildings became farther ahead, he figured continuing might not lead to anything useful. It would only take him farther from the others and increase the danger. This group happened to be ordinary pickpockets, but the next one might be Ghostshadow. Rather than waste more time, he might as well find a tavern, sit down, and listen to some storytelling or music. After all, he had spent the past several days shut in his room studying puppet arts and was getting thoroughly bored.
They dumped the man beside the road. Fu Xi Yan had just turned around when Xiao Zhang suddenly kicked a pebble into the air.
Fu Xi Yan whirled back.
A short man was approaching from the far end of the deserted path, both hands tucked into his sleeves. He appeared to be strolling slowly, yet every step carried him a full zhang. Even from a distance, that handsome but sinister smile was painfully conspicuous.
“Senior Xuan Ou Zi.” Fu Xi Yan’s heart sank, but he forced out a smile and cupped his hands.
When they first met, Fu Xi Yan had understood almost nothing about the Puppet Path and assumed the pressure Xuan Ou Zi had released came from puppet arts. Only after studying it himself did he understand that Xuan Ou Zi had to be an expert cultivating both the Martial Path and puppet arts.
There were three people on Fu Xi Yan’s side, but facing Xuan Ou Zi could still end badly.
Fu Xi Yan put one hand behind his back and lightly waved toward Xiao Sang, signaling for him to fetch reinforcements.
Xiao Sang hesitated.
The last time he had gone for help, everything had already been over by the time he returned. Although neither the Young Palace Master nor Fu Xi Yan had blamed him, he still felt guilty. He looked toward Xiao Zhang instead, indicating that Xiao Zhang should go. Xiao Zhang had remained behind the previous time and accidentally injured Fu Xi Yan, so by any measure, sending him away seemed safer.
Their silent exchange lasted only an instant. Xuan Ou Zi had already arrived in front of Fu Xi Yan.
“Come with me.”
What kind of opening line is that for a reunion after a long separation? Why does it sound so intimate?!
Fu Xi Yan said awkwardly, “Senior, this is rather sudden. I haven’t prepared myself emotionally.”
Xuan Ou Zi said, “The people who came ashore with you split into several groups. If you refuse to come with me, I’ll go capture them instead. They may have guards, but none of those guards are my match. Why don’t you see whether you can protect every group at once? Or perhaps think about which group you can afford to sacrifice without feeling too much pain.”
Fu Xi Yan’s expression changed. “What do you mean by that, Senior?”
Xuan Ou Zi said, “Senior Martial Aunt died in the Ministry of Justice prison. You were there. You should know what happened.”
Seeing that the visitor had come with hostile intentions, Xiao Zhang stopped wasting time and vanished instantly.
Fu Xi Yan saw that Xuan Ou Zi remained perfectly calm and unhurried, as though he had nothing to fear, and his unease deepened. “If Senior wants to know what happened, I’ll tell you everything I know. There’s no need for me to leave with you. It’s a very simple matter. I can explain it in a few sentences.”
“I’m not asking you to tell me,” Xuan Ou Zi said. “You’re going to tell my master.”
Fu Xi Yan finally understood where Xuan Ou Zi’s confidence came from. He tentatively asked, “Is your master, City Lord Tong, nearby as well?”
Xuan Ou Zi gave a cold, indescribably sinister smile. “If I were you, I’d come with me immediately rather than implicate innocent people.”
Xiao Sang whispered, “He’s bluffing. I’ll hold him off. Young Master, leave first.”
“No. Even if I can escape alone, my family is still outside. I can’t gamble with their lives.” Fu Xi Yan stared at Xuan Ou Zi, let out a deep sigh, pushed Xiao Sang aside, and slowly walked toward him. “I’ll come with you.”
A triumphant smile appeared on Xuan Ou Zi’s face. “You spent so long thinking about it that you wasted my time. You want to come with me now? Fine. Ten thousand taels.”
The instant the word “taels” left his mouth, Fu Xi Yan used Shattered Stars, Lingering Shadows to glide directly in front of him and threw a punch.
Fu Xi Yan truly did not dare risk his family.
There were Hidden Dragon Unit members and former Ghostshadow operatives among the guards, but most of his family did not know martial arts. Puppet arts were unpredictable and strange. If casualties occurred in the chaos of a fight, he would never forgive himself for the decision he made today.
But if Xuan Ou Zi really was only bluffing, then surrendering without a fight would make Fu Xi Yan look monumentally stupid.
The best solution was therefore to capture Xuan Ou Zi. Even if Tong Fang Yu had truly come herself, Fu Xi Yan would at least have a bargaining chip.
There was a saying in his previous life: the bold gorge themselves while the timid starve. Compared with starving to death, Fu Xi Yan would rather die from overeating. Once he attacked, Xuan Ou Zi’s pride would probably keep him from fleeing. The absolute worst outcome would still only be Fu Xi Yan himself being captured—assuming the other side genuinely wanted the truth about Tie Rong Rong’s death from him.
So compared with surrendering, fighting back was actually the one path that might carve out the slightest chance of survival!
This was Fu Xi Yan’s first real fight against an outsider since advancing to the Mortal-Shedding Stage. The instant he used the Soft-Gentle Fist, he distinctly felt that the force behind the technique had changed again. Previously, it had begun soft and ended hard. Now, when he threw the punch, there was almost no wind or force to sense at all. It looked like nothing more than an ordinary punch from someone who knew no martial arts—but the instant it reached the opponent’s body, the explosive force could practically sweep away everything in its path.
The greatest difference between the Soft-Gentle Fist and other martial arts was that it had no fixed level. Different people practicing it could produce completely different results.
Wanderer Shanbei’s true qi had been soft, sinister, and poisonous, allowing him to roam the Yellow River region without equal. Put the technique in another person’s hands, however, and they might never reach the same heights. Because of the unique nature of Fu Xi Yan’s true qi, he had taken yet another path: first hardness within softness, yang within yin, and now an evolution from nothing into force, making the attack even harder to defend against.
Xuan Ou Zi still remembered Fu Xi Yan mainly as the sharp-tongued nuisance he had met the first time around. Caught completely off guard, he took the punch squarely in the chest, and his internal organs were immediately badly injured.
“You’re courting death!”
He spat out blood. Against his already greenish-white complexion, the expression on his face looked even more vicious and sinister. A jade-green snake shot from his sleeve and sank its fangs into Fu Xi Yan’s palm.
Fu Xi Yan hissed in pain and hurriedly flung the snake away, but he could clearly feel the poison spreading through his bloodstream. At that moment, Xiao Sang had already rushed forward and struck a palm toward the top of Xuan Ou Zi’s head.
Xuan Ou Zi clutched his chest with one hand and turned the other palm upward, meeting Xiao Sang’s attack head-on. Xiao Sang was blasted more than a zhang backward and landed with a backflip. Just as he prepared to charge again, a piece of straw pierced straight through his knee, sending him crashing to the ground.
On the road behind them, a masked woman in a cloak black on the outside and red within approached slowly, carrying the unconscious—or perhaps dead—Xiao Zhang in one hand.
Delight appeared on Xuan Ou Zi’s face. He saluted her. “Master!”
Fu Xi Yan shook the hand where the bite wound had already healed and slowly retreated to Xiao Sang’s side. Looking at the unknown woman and Xuan Ou Zi blocking the road on either end, his heart sank to the bottom.
Xuan Ou Zi had not been bluffing.
Tong Fang Yu really was here!
Tong Fang Yu tossed Xiao Zhang down beside Xiao Sang. Enduring the pain in his knee, Xiao Sang checked Xiao Zhang’s pulse. Finding it still beating, he relaxed slightly and signaled Fu Xi Yan with his eyes.
Fu Xi Yan respectfully bowed to Tong Fang Yu. “Junior thanks City Lord Tong for sparing his life.”
Xuan Ou Zi hated Fu Xi Yan for injuring him. He licked his pointed canine with the tip of his tongue and approached with a vicious smile. Fu Xi Yan knew how narrow-minded he was and understood that he intended to take advantage of his master’s presence to retaliate. With a bitter smile, Fu Xi Yan stepped forward to meet him.
Xiao Sang instinctively reached for his ankle, but Fu Xi Yan lightly avoided his hand.
Xuan Ou Zi used eighty percent of his strength. The palm came down with a faint howl of wind. Fu Xi Yan did not dare dodge and took it head-on. He staggered backward three steps and lowered his head to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The pain lasted only a brief instant. His body’s recovery ability quickly restored him to normal.
He did not dare show that, however. He remained half-crouched on the ground, pretending the injury was agonizing.
Tong Fang Yu said to Xuan Ou Zi, “I don’t want anyone to know I came to Northern Zhou.”
Terrified that they might kill Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang, Fu Xi Yan’s brain spun faster than an F1 engine for the first time in his life. He abruptly chopped Xiao Sang across the back of the neck, then dropped to one knee and shouted toward Tong Fang Yu, “Martial Aunt, these two are useful to me. Please spare their lives!”
Tong Fang Yu looked as though she had only just noticed there was another person present. She turned toward him. “What did you call me?”
Fu Xi Yan gave her his most ingratiating smile. “My master is Tie Rong Rong. You are my master’s junior martial sister, so naturally you are my Martial Aunt.”
Tong Fang Yu looked suspicious. “You’re Senior Sister Tie’s disciple?”
Xuan Ou Zi was equally stunned by the sudden turn of events and hurriedly said, “Master, this brat is silver-tongued and full of schemes. You absolutely cannot believe his lies!”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Senior Brother, what kind of brilliant person is Master? If I were lying, how could I possibly deceive her? If you don’t believe me, I’m willing to swear to Heaven.”
He immediately raised three fingers and made a vicious oath.
Tong Fang Yu studied him for a moment. “If you’re Senior Sister’s disciple, then presumably you know puppet arts.”
Xuan Ou Zi had already decided Fu Xi Yan was lying to stall for time and immediately smiled smugly. “Exactly. Junior Brother is Senior Martial Aunt’s disciple. Surely you wouldn’t tell us you don’t even know the simplest Object-Commanding Art?”
Fu Xi Yan secretly relaxed.
Thank goodness this was in the material I previewed.
His gaze shifted to a stone on the ground.
The stone suddenly shot through the air and flew three or four zhang away.
Both Tong Fang Yu and Xuan Ou Zi could tell that what Fu Xi Yan had used was indeed puppet art rather than true qi.
Seeing Xuan Ou Zi shocked speechless, Fu Xi Yan immediately pressed his advantage. He said to Tong Fang Yu, “To tell you the truth, before Master died, she told me to go to the western frontier and seek refuge with Martial Aunt. Unfortunately, Pei Yuan Jin clings to me far too closely. I was afraid of exposing myself, so my journey was delayed. Who would have expected Martial Aunt to arrive here personally today? Clearly Master’s spirit in Heaven has been watching over us all along.”
If Tie Rong Rong really does have a spirit in Heaven, she probably wants lightning to strike me dead right now!
Tong Fang Yu did not think of that.
If Fu Xi Yan truly was Tie Rong Rong’s direct disciple, then after learning that she was certain to die, it would make sense for Tie Rong Rong to run to the Ministry of Justice prison to see him one final time and leave her last instructions.
Because Fu Xi Yan knew puppet arts, Tong Fang Yu already believed him by about thirty percent. “If you hate Pei Yuan Jin, why do you still want those two alive?”
Fu Xi Yan imitated Xuan Ou Zi and produced what he imagined was a wickedly charming smile but in reality looked rather foolish. “They’ve followed me for a long time, and I understand them extremely well. If I turn them into human puppets later, it will be twice the result with half the effort. If I kill them now, wouldn’t all the work I put into them be wasted?”
Xuan Ou Zi sneered. “At your current cultivation, who knows what year you’ll finally be capable of making human puppets!”
He had already possessed martial arts when he entered his master’s sect, but his progress in puppet arts had always been slow. The thing he feared most was someone else displaying greater talent for puppet arts than he did.
Fu Xi Yan looked around. “Martial Aunt, this isn’t a suitable place to talk. Why don’t we go somewhere else?”
Tong Fang Yu had originally suspected he was stalling while waiting for reinforcements. Hearing him voluntarily suggest leaving with her made her believe him another twenty percent. “Then what do you intend to do with them?”
Fu Xi Yan had not expected her to ask his opinion at all. That meant Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang’s lives could actually be saved. Suppressing his wild delight, he said, “How about leaving them beside the road? They’ll wake up after a while and return on their own.”
Xuan Ou Zi said, “No. They belong to the Immortal Treasury Palace, and they’ve seen Master. If we release them, the Immortal Treasury Palace will cast a dragnet over the entire region, which will interfere with everything we do afterward. Better to kill them.”
Seeing Tong Fang Yu nod, Fu Xi Yan thought this “Martial Aunt” did not appear to be especially bright and was far too easily swayed. He hurriedly said, “Then I’ll bring them with us. Finding suitable candidates for human puppets isn’t easy these days. I can’t bear to waste them.”
Unexpectedly, Tong Fang Yu nodded again and said approvingly, “It’s good that you have such ambition. The Puppet Path truly does need an outstanding third-generation successor.”
Fu Xi Yan was slightly surprised.
He had assumed a complicated art like puppet cultivation would have developed through many generations just like martial arts, repeatedly tested and revised over time. Could it actually have been created entirely by Mo Xiao Ran?
A person with a vicious heart was frightening enough.
A vicious person who was also extremely intelligent—no wonder he had become a scourge of the martial world.
Under Tong Fang Yu’s watchful gaze, Fu Xi Yan silently hoisted Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang over his shoulders. Fortunately, cultivating martial arts had greatly increased his strength. Otherwise, even with his build, carrying two grown men would have been difficult.
Tong Fang Yu led the way, Fu Xi Yan walked in the middle, and Xuan Ou Zi followed last. Every time Fu Xi Yan looked back, he found Xuan Ou Zi staring at him like a tiger watching its prey, clearly warning him not to try anything.
Fu Xi Yan smiled sweetly at him, then turned around and thought viciously, I should’ve punched you harder earlier!
The first thing Fu Xi Yan saw after following them into their temporary hiding place was a small box Xuan Ou Zi took from his robes. He opened it gently, revealing a pitch-black insect lying inside.
“Eat this Gu.”
“No, thank you.” Fu Xi Yan felt nauseated just looking at it.
Covering his mouth, he backed away while waving both hands. “Senior Brother, we’re both young and in the prime of life. Why rush things? Relationships between people are about understanding each other. As the saying goes, distance tests a horse’s strength, and time reveals a person’s heart…”
Xuan Ou Zi said, “If you refuse to eat it, that proves everything you said earlier was a lie.”
Fu Xi Yan immediately raised his hand. “I already swore to Heaven!”
“Swearing is a Central Plains habit. We don’t believe in that nonsense in the western frontier!”
Fu Xi Yan laughed dryly. “The gods are everywhere. They don’t distinguish between the Central Plains and the western frontier. You know, there are spirits three feet above our heads, so we must maintain respect, reverence, admiration, admi—ra—tion, ration, station—Martial Aunt, save me!”
Tong Fang Yu had already composed herself outside and now walked calmly back in. She came directly to Fu Xi Yan and lightly pressed one hand onto his shoulder.
Fu Xi Yan saw Xuan Ou Zi put the box away and was just beginning to relax when Tong Fang Yu said, “That is a Myriad-Poison Gu. Once you eat it, ordinary poisons will no longer affect you. It is very beneficial to the body. Eat it.”
Every hair on Fu Xi Yan’s body stood on end. His expression stiffened. “Myriad-Poison Gu… sounds like something extremely, extremely difficult to cultivate. Wouldn’t giving something so valuable to me be a terrible waste?”
Tong Fang Yu said, “Not necessarily. If I later discover that you lied, I can kill you whenever I wish.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
He “angrily” shook off Tong Fang Yu’s hand. “Martial Aunt, you actually don’t trust me! If my master were still alive, she would never let you treat me like this!”
Tong Fang Yu said, “But your master is dead. Since she is gone, I am now your only elder. Eat this Gu, and from this day forward, you will be Lord Xuanwu of the City of Ten Thousand Beasts.”
Fu Xi Yan had absolutely no desire to become anything called Lord Xuanwu. It sounded like some mythologized old tortoise.
Unfortunately, Tong Fang Yu gave him no chance to refuse. She grabbed his jaw, picked up the black Gu, and stuffed it straight into his mouth.
The instant Fu Xi Yan felt the insect crawl into his throat, he genuinely wanted to die.
How could he describe the sensation?
It was even more agonizing than that childhood moment when his pants had already been pulled down and he was waiting for the injection needle to stab his backside!
The moment Tong Fang Yu released him, Fu Xi Yan grabbed a pillar and retched violently, repeatedly digging his fingers into his throat.
“The Gu has already entered your body. No amount of digging will get it back out.” A malicious smile curved Xuan Ou Zi’s lips. He was just about to activate the poison and torment Fu Xi Yan for a while when he discovered that the instant the Gu entered Fu Xi Yan’s body, it vanished like a clay ox entering the sea. He could no longer sense it at all.
He tried several times, then directly used the Spirit-Sight Art to examine Fu Xi Yan, but all he saw was a hazy mass of pale yellow surrounding his entire body.
Tong Fang Yu noticed his strange expression. “What is it?”
Gu were also a form of puppet, and only their owner could completely control them.
Tong Fang Yu’s voice turned cold. “Is there something wrong with the Gu?”
Xuan Ou Zi knew perfectly well that his talent for puppet arts was poor and that Tong Fang Yu had always been dissatisfied with him because of it. He had only recently performed an important service. If he allowed something this trivial to make his master look down on him again, the loss would outweigh the gain.
Besides, although he kept claiming to doubt Fu Xi Yan, Fu Xi Yan’s story really was logical and supported by evidence. In truth, Xuan Ou Zi already believed seventy or eighty percent of it. If Fu Xi Yan was mostly telling the truth, then the Myriad-Poison Gu could only benefit him, not harm him.
Hah. If it’s gone, even better!
After weighing the matter, Xuan Ou Zi chose to conceal it. “Nothing. I was only trying to scare Junior Brother.”
Seeing Fu Xi Yan still desperately attempting to vomit, Tong Fang Yu could not help saying, “Enough.”
Fu Xi Yan clung weakly to the pillar. In reality, he was frantic.
For some reason, after swallowing the Gu, his true origin had begun losing control, and true qi surged out in waves.
He did not dare sit down and cultivate right now, so he could only follow Pei Yuan Jin’s earlier advice and let the true qi move freely through his body. Fortunately, the currents did not collide, and he showed no signs of qi deviation.
Tong Fang Yu took a token from her robes and held it out to him. “Take this.”
Fu Xi Yan prayed inwardly, Ancestor, hurry up and go back inside! What if I reach out and accidentally turn it into a palm strike?!
Perhaps sensing his desperation, the true qi finally obediently returned to his true origin.
Tong Fang Yu said, “Why aren’t you taking it?”
Fu Xi Yan tried to refuse. “Martial Aunt, I fear my talent is meager and my knowledge shallow. I may not be capable of carrying such a responsibility.”
“If you refuse again, I’ll become angry.” Tong Fang Yu’s voice lowered slightly.
Fu Xi Yan immediately extended both hands and accepted the token with utmost respect. “Many thanks, Martial Aunt. But what exactly does Lord Xuanwu do?”
Tong Fang Yu said, “The City of Ten Thousand Beasts has four Divine Beast Kings: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Xuanwu.”
“My eldest disciple, Xi Mo Ya, serves as the Azure Dragon King. The White Tiger King is a famous expert of the western frontier. He cares only about martial arts and ignores worldly affairs, so you probably won’t encounter him. In addition, there was Lord Qilin, another expert of the western frontier. Your master once complained that she was short-handed, so I sent him to serve her. I don’t know what task your master assigned him, but there has been no news of him since. He may already have met with disaster.”
Fu Xi Yan noticed Xuan Ou Zi’s expression turning rather ugly and deliberately asked, “Then Senior Brother Xuan Ou Zi is…?”
Tong Fang Yu looked at Xuan Ou Zi.
Xuan Ou Zi immediately put on a pitiful expression.
Tong Fang Yu produced another token. “Since he has one now, it would be unfair for you not to. I have kept the position of Lord Vermilion Bird vacant all this time. Take it.”
Xuan Ou Zi was instantly moved. “Master…”
Fu Xi Yan could not resist interrupting his acceptance speech. “Martial Aunt, what exactly can these tokens do?”
Tong Fang Yu said, “Within the City of Ten Thousand Beasts, the four Divine Beast Kings rank directly beneath me. Lord Xuanwu stands on equal footing with the Azure Dragon King, White Tiger King, and Lord Vermilion Bird.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
So basically the Ming Cult’s Four Guardian Kings?
That actually sounded rather impressive.
Unfortunately, the City of Ten Thousand Beasts was a thoroughly evil organization, and Fu Xi Yan intended never to set foot there in his life.
Ptui, ptui, ptui!
Don’t set a flag!
Elio’s Notes: The Four Guardian Kings are high-ranking martial figures in the Ming Cult from Jin Yong’s wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber. Fu Xi Yan is comparing his new ceremonial rank to theirs.
Tong Fang Yu saw him making strange faces. “You’re dissatisfied?”
“Of course not! Martial Aunt trusts your martial nephew just as much as your own disciples. I feel deeply honored. My master has passed away, so from this point onward, Martial Aunt is my master too.”
The words were so saccharine that Fu Xi Yan nearly disgusted himself.
Unfortunately, Tong Fang Yu was completely unmoved. “Your master is your master. Even if she is dead, the relationship remains. I already have enough disciples. I don’t need another.”
Fu Xi Yan could only obediently say, “Yes.”
Tong Fang Yu said, “Since you are now Lord Xuanwu, I have a task for you.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Listen to yourself. Did I ask for this job? You were the one who forced the title on me! I don’t even operate in the western frontier. What use is being Lord Xuanwu to me?!
Isn’t this the textbook definition of getting something for nothing?
He hurriedly said, “Please give your instructions, Martial Aunt.”
Go on. Let me hear what you want. I’ll do my absolute best to ruin it for you!
Tong Fang Yu said, “Go to Flower Moon House in Jiyang County and kill Meng Chun Qiu.”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “Who is Meng Chun Qiu, and how strong are her martial arts?”
Tong Fang Yu said coldly, “She is a traitor. She also practices puppet arts. You do not need to ask anything else.”
Fu Xi Yan thought, Someone in your own faction rebelled, and instead of sending your own disciple to clean house, you have the nerve to order your martial nephew to do it? Sure enough, a child without a master is like grass in the wind. Another day of missing my dear Master Tie Rong Rong…
Oh.
He had nearly deceived himself.
Tie Rong Rong was not his master.
Tong Fang Yu said, “Once you finish this matter, bring these two to the western frontier. I will teach you how to refine human puppets.”
Fu Xi Yan immediately put on an expression of overwhelming delight. “Thank you, Martial Aunt!”
Tong Fang Yu nodded. “I have other important business. You’ll have to travel the rest of the way yourself.”
Hearing that she was leaving, Fu Xi Yan wanted to set off firecrackers inside his heart, but his face immediately filled with reluctance. “Ever since Master passed away, Martial Aunt has treated me better than anyone.”
Urgh!
“A grown man should not behave like a sentimental little girl.”
Tong Fang Yu took one long step and drifted away.
Xuan Ou Zi deliberately remained behind for a moment. He turned and glared viciously at Fu Xi Yan. “If you fail to obey Master, don’t blame the Myriad-Poison Gu inside you for becoming disobedient too.”
Fu Xi Yan replied obediently, “I’ll listen to Master. I’ll listen to Senior Brother too.”
“Hmph.”
Xuan Ou Zi snorted and hurried after Tong Fang Yu.
Fu Xi Yan stood at the entrance of the ruined temple like a welcome pine for a while. Only after confirming that the two had truly left did he finally release the breath he had been holding.
He clearly had not been handed the script for a Republican-era drama, yet somehow he had spent the entire encounter acting as though he were in an espionage thriller, maneuvering constantly along the boundary between life and death.
Exciting.
Far too exciting.
He was about to wake Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang when, the instant his hands closed around their wrists, his mind involuntarily produced those espionage-drama scenes where a big shot suddenly turned around and came back to check.
He had made it this far.
He could not lose because of a tiny detail now.
Fu Xi Yan thought for a moment, hoisted the two men back onto his shoulders, and returned along their original route to the deserted side path where they had first encountered Tong Fang Yu. They had not been gone for very long, so no one else had noticed their disappearance yet, and the path remained empty.
Fu Xi Yan arranged Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang in roughly the same positions they had occupied before, messed up his own hair and clothes, then rolled around on the ground to make himself look as though he had just fought a desperate battle.
Only then did he wake them.
Not far away, Tong Fang Yu nodded in satisfaction. “Your junior brother is very meticulous.”
Xuan Ou Zi said, “Master, everything we heard was still only his own account.”
“We are heading to Haojing anyway to investigate your Senior Martial Aunt’s death. We can verify everything then. If it’s true, so be it. If it’s false…” Tong Fang Yu’s voice turned chilling. “If he dares impersonate a disciple of my Puppet Path, I’ll kill him even if I have to chase him to Heaven or into the earth.”
Xuan Ou Zi immediately said, “There’s no need for Master to act. This disciple can kill him himself.”
Tong Fang Yu nodded. “Very good.”
After thinking for a moment, Xuan Ou Zi added, “And even if he goes to Jiyang, he may not return alive.”
Tong Fang Yu said coldly, “Then that is his fate.”
She had indeed possessed affection for Tie Rong Rong.
But what did Tie Rong Rong’s disciple have to do with her?
In Tong Fang Yu’s eyes, Fu Xi Yan was no different from Zhang Da Shan. One glance was enough to tell that he had no talent for puppet arts. Even his Object-Commanding Art was so crude. She truly could not understand what had possessed her Senior Sister, who had always set her standards so high, to accept two such unsightly disciples!
Tong Fang Yu glanced back at Xuan Ou Zi.
He happened to look at her at the same moment and gave her a sinister smile.
Tong Fang Yu was immediately satisfied.
Her own disciple’s talent was admittedly ordinary too.
But at least he was pleasant to look at.
That was enough to count as continuing the Puppet Path’s legacy.
Next
Leave a Reply