Bribing People Is Nothing New to Me—Bribing Ghosts Is Truly a First

"Stay calm in the face of great events, stay calm in the face of great events, stay calm in the face of great events..."

Fang Li sat in the mud, his face so pale it was utterly bloodless. His lips kept moving as he muttered the words Fang Xuan had once taught him, trying to steady his mind.

But the moment the corner of his eye caught sight of the pit, where bodies had been disemboweled and blood and intestines lay scattered everywhere, he could no longer hold it in. His whole body convulsed as he vomited violently.

Fang Lan stared blankly at Fang Li from the side, her mouth wide enough to fit an egg.

S-s-someone had been killed?

Was this really the second brother who did not even dare kill chickens in ordinary times?

"Se-second brother, are you all right?"

Seeing how miserably Fang Li was vomiting, Fang Lan hurried over and gently patted his back.

Fang Li vomited until stars danced before his eyes, as if he were about to throw up his liver and guts, before he finally recovered a little.

"I-I'm fine."

Forcing himself not to look at the corpse pit, Fang Li waved a hand.

"You're not afraid?" Then, pale-faced, he glanced at Fang Lan.

"Of course I'm afraid. I just force myself not to look and not to think about it. Besides, Big Brother told me that when killing someone, don't think of them as people—just imagine they're the chickens and ducks we usually kill," Fang Lan replied.

"Amazing! You're better than me!"

Fang Li forced his limp body upright, picked up the bloodstained book from the mud, and carefully tucked it into his clothes against his chest.

He looked at the corpse pit and took a deep breath.

A thug's life was worthless. If they died out here in the wilderness, no Yamen Runner would investigate specifically for them.

Once the rain let up later and the smell of blood spread, wolves, tigers, leopards, and other beasts would naturally drag these corpses away.

"Second Brother, where are we going now?" Fang Lan asked.

"We can't stay here. We're heading back to the city!"

"Alright! Second Brother, how did you know someone would come after us? Did you set this trap in advance?"

"Big Brother told me it never hurts to keep an extra eye open when you're away from home. Besides, Brother Monkey is rather impulsive by nature. He lived a hard life for years, and now that he's suddenly become rich following Big Brother, he'll definitely want to enjoy everything he never got to enjoy before. Once he starts meeting more people, it's inevitable that he'll let something slip, so I..."

"Should we tell Big Brother about this?"

"Let me think... Ah, with Big Brother's protective nature, if he finds out the two of us were attacked, I'm afraid something truly terrible will happen!"

The fine rain continued to fall as the two siblings supported each other and walked onward.

Rumble—!

A bolt of furious lightning tore across the horizon, its flash briefly turning heaven and earth incandescent white.

Fang Xuan raised his head and looked at the sky, his brows knitting slightly.

For some reason, he had felt restless all day.

A haze could not help but gather in his eyes.

"Brother Fang, Bright Jade Pavilion is up ahead. It's the finest restaurant in our Pingjiang City. Today, we have to drink until we drop!"

Sikong Jihuai rubbed his chubby little hands together, excitement written across his face.

"Brother Sikong, I really can't drink today. I have some matters to take care of."

Fang Xuan stopped and cupped his hands toward Sikong Jihuai.

"My apologies."

With that, Fang Xuan turned and strode away into the distance.

"Huh? Fang Xuan... Fine, then we'll drink next time!"

Sikong Jihuai helplessly rubbed his nose.

"Tch, what's he acting so high and mighty for?"

"Young Master, with your status, do you really need to be so polite to some thug?"

"That's right! Who doesn't fawn over you with flattering smiles when they see you? Fang Xuan is just the head of a gang of thugs—what does he have to be so arrogant about?"

The martial artists at the side could not help voicing their indignation.

"Don't say that!"

Sikong Jihuai waved them off. "No one gets to choose the circumstances of their birth. Brother Fang managed to rise to the position of hall master all on his own, with nothing but a single spear to rely on. That's already incredibly impressive! If I were him, I'd definitely be even more arrogant than he is!"

After a pause, Sikong Jihuai looked at the martial artists and smiled.

"Besides, if I really judged my friends by their birth and status, then you all..."

Sikong Jihuai did not finish the rest.

The martial artists immediately flushed red and lowered their heads, saying nothing more.

By the time Fang Xuan returned to where Old Man Yu had been, the place was already deserted.

The few thugs who had once tended to his daily needs had long since vanished without a trace.

A brazier burned in the dim room.

Flames danced, casting the entire room in a yellow glow.

Old Man Yu sat on the floor, folding the yellow joss paper used to honor the ancestors before placing it into the brazier to burn.

"Come on, Boss? Qingming isn't even here yet, and you've already started burning paper money for someone?" Fang Xuan looked down at him and laughed.

"Who said it's for someone else? It's all for me."

Without even raising his eyes, Old Man Yu shook his head indifferently.

"Doesn't the Art of War say it well? Before the troops move, provisions must go first! I don't have many days left, so I'm laying down a little road for myself in advance. When I get down there, if King of Hell takes my gifts, he'll have to show me a little face and spare me too much suffering."

"Wow, I've seen people bribe people plenty of times, but bribing ghosts? That's a first! Boss, your brain really is sharp!" Fang Xuan said with a grin, giving him a thumbs-up.

"Alright, so now that I'm a cripple, even you've come to mock me, huh? You've got time to visit this old relic today? Zheng Juexiong hasn't been causing you trouble lately?"

Old Man Yu braced both hands against the armrests of the wooden chair beside him and pushed himself up with effort, then dropped heavily into the seat.

Only then did he raise his head and look toward Fang Xuan.

"Hold on, A Xuan—wearing red today? All dressed up festive like this? Just came back from the pleasure quarter? Wait! This is the ceremonial robe of a hall master who has ascended the altar?!!"

Before Old Man Yu had even finished speaking, he abruptly jerked his head up, his eyes widening as he stared at Fang Xuan.

The hall master's ceremonial robe was something only the Black Whale Gang's four hall masters were qualified to wear!

"Hall Master, you still recognize this long robe?" Fang Xuan smiled. Seeing him like this today, Fang Xuan knew that compared with the dying, orphan-entrusting look Old Man Yu had worn last time, he had recovered quite well these past days. He could even crack jokes with full vigor. At this rate, he should be able to hold on long enough to personally see Zheng Juexiong off.

"Bullshit! There's one hanging in my own wardrobe. How could I not recognize it?"

Old Man Yu shot Fang Xuan an annoyed glare, then asked anxiously, "A Xuan, what the hell happened? I've only been lying at home like a corpse for a dozen days or so. Why does it feel like I've been lying there for more than a decade?"

"Don't rush. I'll tell you slowly."

Fang Xuan pulled over a chair, sat beside him, and began recounting everything.

When Fang Xuan spoke of crippling Xie Han and Yu Zifu, the two top enforcers, Old Man Yu's expression barely changed. He even continued sipping his tea calmly.

How could those two pieces of trash compare to A Xuan?

But when he heard that Fang Xuan had entered the realm and exchanged palms with Zheng Juexiong without being defeated, Old Man Yu nearly sprayed out a mouthful of tea, his expression becoming spectacular in an instant!

"You said you entered the realm? And even exchanged a palm strike with Zheng Juexiong??"

Old Man Yu's eyes widened like bronze bells as he stared at Fang Xuan, utterly dumbfounded.

How long had it been since he gave Fang Xuan that Dragon Whale Technique capable of allowing one to enter the realm?

At most half a month, right?

Half a month to break open the first heavenly gate of martial arts?!

Your mother's ass! You sure you're not joking with me?