Chapter 197: Old Fang Will Accompany The Young Master on Your Journey (1)
Around five days ago, Wu Yuan, Li Yan, and Song Guang entered the Fourth Eldritch Realm at night. As they emerged, night had fallen once more.
This isn't the same place I entered from. Wu Yuan looked around, realizing he was currently on a desolate hill. Even amidst the pitch-black night, his vision was sharp.
The realm master randomly scattered the cultivators who entered the Fourth Eldritch Realm across various parts of Jiexian Mountain, preventing them from immediately attacking each other once they left. Such measures were in place to honor the original purpose of the Fourth Eldritch Realm.
The realm master is just a spirit that follows protocol, enforcing the rules without exception.
Wu Yuan's gaze finally landed on the refined middle-aged man dressed in white robes. He had to admit, the man was handsome. He didn’t exude the charm of a pretty boy, but the magnetic appeal of a mature uncle. A phrase from Wu Yuan's past life came to mind—lady killer.
Why did the realm master forbid Fang Xia from intervening in the Fourth Eldritch Realm? According to Wu Yuan's deductions, there was only one possibility—the realm master did not allow those above the Grandmaster level to enter. For example, Heavenly Rankers were barred from the Fourth Eldritch Realm. Fang Xia had become an eldritch mage within the Fourth Eldritch Realm. Hence, he was prohibited from taking action.
"Young Master?" Fang Xia regarded Wu Yuan with a gaze full of care and concern, as if tending to a mentally challenged child.
"I'm alright," Wu Yuan replied calmly. "Senior Fang Xia, I've told you to address me as 'Wu Yuan'..."
"It’s good that you’re alright," Fang Xia nodded repeatedly, then smiled, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. "Wu Yuan, is it? Alright, Young Master, I've got it now. And please stop calling me ‘Senior’. Just Fang Xia will suffice, or even Old Fang, if you'd prefer."
Wu Yuan was at a loss for words. He gave Fang Xia an odd look, causing a shiver to slither down Fang Xia's spine.
"Young Master?" Fang Xia's voice quivered, sensing the unsettling shift in Wu Yuan's demeanor.
"Is it possible that you’re so concerned about me because you know my true identity?" Wu Yuan asked.
"Young Master, let heaven and earth bear witness to my vow." Fang Xia's expression transformed abruptly, his tone solemn, "Even if you doubt the world, Young Master, never doubt my unwavering loyalty. If you tell me to go East, I will definitely not..."
"Halt!" Wu Yuan interjected sternly. “Get to the point. One sentence.”
"Young Master, if any harm should befall you, I’ll be imprisoned once more," Fang Xia's eyes welled up, teetering on the brink of tears. "Young Master, I have endured 136 years, seven months, and nine days in captivity, surviving solely on the consumption of qi for survival."
"Spiritual qi is delectable, but anything, no matter how delightful, can drive one to madness when consumed as the only source of food over a century. It is nothing short of miraculous that I, Fang Xia, have managed to retain my sanity."
"I was confined within those walls with no food, no one to talk to, no books to read, no melodies to savor..." A deluge of words spilled forth like a breached dam.
"Stop!" Wu Yuan's forehead beaded with cold sweat. By this point, his former image of Ancestor Fang Xia had crumbled into dust. He couldn’t tell whether the century-long imprisonment had irreversibly transformed Fang Xia's character or if this was his original personality.
Books cannot be trusted. Wu Yuan recalled the descriptions of Ancestor Fang Xia’s noble and heroic character within the Cloudstride Sect's records, then contrasted them with the person in front of him. He found it hard to look him in the eye.
"Senior Fang Xia," Wu Yuan weighed his words, then chose to disclose the truth, slowly uttering, "In actuality, you are my ancestor."
"No!" Fang Xia vehemently shook his head. "Young master, you mustn’t do this."
Wu Yuan was taken aback by Fang Xia's strong reaction.
"Young Master, I understand your desire to maintain a low profile and preserve my dignity by not embarrassing me with a formal title," Fang Xia spoke solemnly. "But rest assured, Young Master, I, Fang Xia, see through all of this. Empty titles mean nothing to me. I don't mind pretending to be a housekeeper or disguising myself as an old servant, as long as I get some time off for vacation."
He paused for a moment before asking, "By the way, Young Master, is the Moonlit Haven still open? It's been over a hundred years since I last visited. Lonely Moon, Autumn Dust, and Winter Frost... These fairies must have passed away by now. But no matter, there must be others with the same names..." Fang Xia's words kept pouring out without restraint, changing topics every few sentences.
"Senior Fang Xia, stop," Wu Yuan interjected with a serious expression. "From now on, listen to me, and do not interrupt."
"Alright, I will obey whatever Young Master says," Fang Xia obediently complied, shutting his mouth.
"Senior Fang Xia, you truly are my sect ancestor!" Wu Yuan sighed helplessly. "I am a disciple of the Cloudstride Sect..."
Fang Xia’s jaw dropped.
"We are in the year 3227 of the Eastern Martial calendar. The current hierarchs are Bu Yu and Huan Jian. The Cloudstride Sect..."
Wu Yuan quickly briefed him on the current situation, primarily focusing on three key aspects. Firstly, he revealed his own identity, including his secondary persona as Shadow Blade. Secondly, he provided details about the Cloudstride Sect and its relationship with the Great Jin Empire. And thirdly, he delved into the current state of affairs in the Middle Land. Last, he explained the situation that unfolded in the Fourth Eldritch Realm. However, Wu Yuan only gave a vague account of his harvest from the Fourth Eldritch Realm, refraining from divulging specific details.
"The Moonlit Haven still stands," Fang Xia remarked thoughtfully. "It's no surprise, given that it has existed for a thousand years. A hundred years is nothing. The Chu-Jiang Empire, on the other hand, is actually demolished. I had planned to pay them a visit and have some fun by taking down their old ruler and claiming the emperor’s title for myself."
Wu Yuan remained silent.
After a century of isolation from the mortal world, the transformations that had taken place were a lot to process, and Fang Xia needed some time to digest everything. Finally, after a while, he lifted his head with a stern expression.
"Young Master," Fang Xia began firmly. "I've made up my mind. We’ll let it be known that you were the one who rescued me. You can call me ‘Ancestor’, and I will refer to you by name."
"But in my heart, you will always be my young master," Fang Xia's voice was resolute. "When we're alone, I'll call you Young Master, and you can call me Old Fang."
"That's it?" Wu Yuan couldn't help but feel a vein popping in his temples. After all that thinking, Fang Xia was stuck on the issue of titles?
"Haha, there's more to it than that," Fang Xia chuckled, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Rest assured, Young Master, I understand the gravity of our situation. I won't go looking for old flames at Moonlit Haven before we sort things out.”
“Young Master, at this moment, we face two major threats."
"What two major threats?" Wu Yuan asked.
"The first one is the Great Jin," Fang Xia replied, his usually playful demeanor replaced by a somber expression. "If you hadn't killed Jin Qing, Great Jin might have tolerated it. But since you were able to defeat Jin Qing, it proves that you're on the verge of becoming a qi refiner. If I were an ancestor of the Great Jin, as soon as I confirm this news, I would rush to Cloudhill to hunt you down."
Wu Yuan nodded slowly. He had considered this possibility as well, but made the decision to kill Jin Qing decisively, knowing that Fang Xia would support him in the future.
"Unfortunately, Young Master, you are too softhearted," Fang Xia shook his head with a sigh. "You should have killed everyone, including Song Guang and Li Yan."
"If all of them had been eliminated, the news would never have been leaked," Fang Xia added, his face filled with regret. "And we could have seized more treasures."
Wu Yuan was taken aback by Fang Xia's words. He had thought he had been decisive enough, but compared to Master Fang Xia, his actions still seemed naive.
"What's the second threat?" he asked.
Fang Xia's expression grew solemn as he declared, "The danger lies in your softheartedness. When Song Guang and Li Yan return to their factions, they will report the fact that you killed Jin Qing to the Pleiades Guild, Starcom Consortium, and even the Ninedeaths Circle. Don’t you think the Heavenly Rankers behind these powers will be tempted?"
"By killing you, they’ll be able to obtain numerous spirit fruits and at least two suits of spirit battle armor, several spirit weapons, possibly mysterious treasures from the Eldritch Chamber, and several Chu-Jiang Tokens... If it were me, I would rush over immediately to kill you upon receiving the news."
Wu Yuan fell into silence, realizing he had not considered this point.
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