Chapter 100 - It's a Little Dirty
Tan Ling escorted Song Ru to the door, and this Jade Void Female Crown had made the rather serious decision to use all her possessions as compensation.
While it might have seemed extravagant, in reality, as a genuine adventurer, she didn't share the player-like habit of Guo Fan, who stuffed everything into his backpack, knowing he could sell the surplus items in a store for money.
In the Obsidian Tribes, most of the system shops were situated in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion. Though these items could indeed be sold, esteemed cultivators had their own pride; who would want to exchange scrap metal for money all day long?
Song Ru didn't possess many valuable items, just a sword. Her Soul jewels numbered only around a hundred, but she did have some well-preserved furs that could be used for crafting. However, these held no value for Guo Fan. Instead, there was a Fire Opening Pearl that matched Guo Fan's Water Cleansing Pearl, along with three pearls that could be used to forge a Five Lights Divine Pearl.
These pearls rendered the wielder immune to the additional damage from all elemental attacks. They could turn the opponent's Fireball Technique into something akin to a harmless ball, causing no harm upon impact. They were incredibly useful as auxiliary tools.
After Guo Fan “took it for Tan Ling,” Song Ru grew increasingly convinced that the two of them were a married couple. Before departing, she even offered assistance if their relationship faced any obstacles.
If only she knew that Guo Fan and Eldest Senior Sister were also genuinely wedded, she might have refrained from making such an offer.
However, thoughts of Song Na reminded her of her warm and tender smiles, her willingness to prepare plain soup with her own hands despite her lofty stature, and the many cherished and heartwarming moments they had shared.
Guo Fan gazed at Song Ru's receding figure and found his heart strangely unsettled.
It made no sense. There was absolutely no reason for him to feel this way…
Tan Ling closed the door and turned to face Guo Fan with a smile. Her furry ears and tail had yet to revert to their original form as she approached, addressing him in an endearing tone, “Official!”
“What a fucking vixen.”
Guo Fan suspected that Tan Ling had been intentionally playing with his favorability level since they first met. It seemed either the favorability was already maxed out, or the condition for change hadn't been met. Could it be that they needed to do something beyond their current relationship?
It was as if only by amplifying his desire to have multiple romantic interests and having the other party willingly accept it could he raise his favorability further.
Guo Fan had tested this approach on Gu Yaling before. He had openly mentioned his intention to marry multiple people, and the young girl, after a brief period of sadness, had mentally prepared herself. She resolved to work hard in her cultivation, determined not to be the weakest… It was during this time that her favorability meter locked.
Guo Fan believed that Tan Ling didn't seem interested in hiding her intentions either. She openly flirted with various people, and it seemed like he was the one struggling with this favorability bar. He sighed and teased, “Are you planning to compete for my lovers too? There are already three of them in Night's Fall Sword City. Be careful not to put their lives at risk.”
Regardless, within these amicable strategies, few factors affected his deliberately created strategy that targeted his personality. He didn't need to be overly concerned about his image.
Tan Ling's ears perked up. Observing Guo Fan's exasperated expression, she realized that things were indeed complicated for him. She smiled and inquired, “To make you this worried, did the Rotten River Tower Master personally intervene?”
Her question was casual, but Guo Fan's lips twitched. “That's not the case. If she had, I wouldn't be worrying like this… Sigh.”
If Cui Hu, the Rotten River Tower Master, could leave the Rotten River Tower, things would be far less troublesome.
With her exceptional sword skills, none of the other contestants would stand a chance. Guo Fan would belong to her, and the Asura Arena would be the ideal place for him to stay. Looking at it from another angle, it would also save her a lot of effort.
Unfortunately, she still had to contain the Demonic Abyss. Her duty was to remain inside…
Tan Ling “…”
She gazed at Guo Fan's concerned countenance and softly inquired, “Is it possible that you've genuinely provoked the Rotten River Tower Master? What have you been occupied with these past few years? Who were those three individuals in Night's Fall Sword City? I suspect they aren't ordinary…”
How could I possibly fathom what led to my transmigration?
Guo Fan sighed and responded, “Sun Fen of Blistook Pavilion, Xun Yimu from the Profound Yin Family, and… Night's Fall Sword City Lord Fang Xiang.”
Tan Ling widened her eyes and couldn't resist exclaiming, “Leave aside the first two. Night's Fall Sword City Lord is the widow of the previous Sword Pavilion Master. Her daughter is roughly your age. Why on earth did you confront her?”
Moreover, it occurred within someone else's domain… Rumor has it that the former Sword Pavilion Master's tomb rests on the cliffs of Jolcana Road, adjacent to Night's Fall Sword City. Essentially, it's akin to assaulting someone's spouse in front of another's grave. Quite audacious, one must admit.
Guo Fan arched an eyebrow. “Don't you have a child as well?”
Guo Fan pulled over Tan Xinyue, who seemed bewildered. Tan Ling was momentarily at a loss for words. She turned her head, nonchalantly twirling a strand of hair with her fingers, as if nothing had transpired. She murmured, “However, I've never been married to anyone…”
A slight blush tinged her cheeks, and her gaze flickered. It was evident that this fox, despite her dressed appearance, lacked any experience and was an untainted fox spirit.
The fox spirit beauty with her flirtatious demeanor might have indeed acted. It wouldn't be fair to say she was na?ve and inexperienced in every regard. Speaking of which, it might sound crude, but Guo Fan… ahem, no, let's not go there.
“Let's set this matter aside for now. I've temporarily shaken off Sun Fen's pursuit. Xun Yimu and Fang Xiang have crossed paths, but neither suspects anything yet. We'll see if I can figure things out when we meet. Fang Xiang probably got wind of it first. She's never sought to possess me exclusively and should be able to lend a hand. The situation isn't entirely bleak.”
Guo Fan's tone was resolute. “At present, the most pressing threat remains Sun Fen. She previously unsheathed her sword, intent on killing me. If I can't handle it properly, she might cut me off to cultivate the Heartless Dao.”
“The Destiny's Song Sword Cultivator from Blistook Pavilion… So she left Blistook Pavilion for your sake,” Tan Ling mused, her astonishment evident. She even felt her mouth going dry. Each one of them… their cultivation and family backgrounds were all elite. No wonder Guo Fan was so anxious.
“But have you never considered using them against each other?” Tan Ling's eyes gleamed, and she suddenly proposed, “Just as you mentioned, Fang Xiang will assist you in dealing with Xun Yimu. What about the others? You must have provoked more than just these three, right? Fleeing alone won't suffice. They'll hunt you down relentlessly. You should take a more proactive approach…”
Guo Fan was stunned and fell into deep thought.
……
“Reporting to my lord, these are all the information of the people who entered the city with fake identities. Please take a look.”
“Mm.”
Fang Xiang casually replied. She picked up a copy and looked at it one by one. Finally, she stopped at one of the drawings. She looked at the portrait on it. It was Guo Fan, who had shown his face to others with Xia Shui.
“He was the first person to leave that day?”
“Yes.”
The corner of her mouth curled up. “Give me all the information on this person's whereabouts.”
This content is taken from free web nov𝒆l.com