Challenge

Li Honggang?

The surname Li immediately made Fang Wang think of the Li Family behind Li Hongshuang. Could the White Clad Startling Swan Li Honggang sought be him?

When he used the Startling Swan Divine Sword Art, he had indeed worn white.

Three and a half months had passed since Li Hongshuang's death. Even Green Cicada Valley had withdrawn, yet the Li Family had unexpectedly found this place.

The Li Family did not know what he looked like.

Having considered this, Fang Wang asked Shan Xiang, the Mountain God Tribe monster beside him, for the details of what had happened.

This monster was named Shan Xiang. He had grown up with the green-robed girl, and they had treated one another as siblings since childhood. Ever since Green Cicada Valley began slaughtering the Mountain God Clan everywhere, Shan Xiang had accompanied the green-robed girl whenever she went out. This time was no exception. While they were gathering herbs, they had suddenly been attacked by Li Honggang.

Though the monsters had joined forces, none had been Li Honggang's match. They could only watch as Li Honggang took the green-robed girl away.

"Why didn't he kill you? Even if he wanted you to spread the news, there was no need to leave every one of you alive, was there?" Fang Wang asked with a frown.

Shan Xiang froze, then shook his head blankly.

Fang Wang looked toward Fang Hanyu in the distance. The green-robed girl had saved Fang Hanyu's life. Now that she was in trouble, they truly could not stand by and watch her die.

Besides, if he allowed the green-robed girl to remain in the Li Family's hands, she would sooner or later be forced to reveal the location of the Fang Realm. He might as well act sooner.

With that thought, Fang Wang stood and extended his right hand toward Shan Xiang. "Give me the mask."

Upon hearing this, Shan Xiang hurriedly handed the fox mask in his hand to Fang Wang.

Fang Wang put it into his Storage Bag, then asked for the direction of Haixia City. After Shan Xiang answered, he walked toward Fang Hanyu.

When he reached Fang Hanyu, Fang Wang explained what had happened. Fang Hanyu wanted to go with him, but Fang Wang refused.

"This trip may be a trap. You'd only get in my way if you came. Since it was the Li Family's doing, they must be coming for me. If they come looking for you after I leave, pretend you don't know me," Fang Wang instructed through voice transmission. He still retained a trace of vigilance toward the Mountain God Tribe.

Hearing this, Fang Hanyu clenched his hands within his sleeves and slowly nodded.

"You must be careful!"

"Don't worry!"

Fang Wang patted his shoulder, then turned and headed toward the cave entrance.

Inside the passage, Fang Wang took out a set of black clothes from his Storage Bag and changed into them before putting on a bamboo hat.

He was not foolish enough to charge in blindly. He first had to investigate before taking action.

After leaving the Fang Realm, Fang Wang flew by sword in the direction Shan Xiang had indicated, quickly vanishing beyond the horizon.

Haixia City was a border city in the western reaches of the Great Qi Dynasty. As early as the dynasty's founding, it had become isolated from the world and turned into a city where immortal cultivators came and went.

Mountains surrounded the city on all four sides. It covered only a radius of a dozen li or so and could only be considered a small city, yet its walls towered high, imposing and majestic.

From time to time, cultivators arrived on flying swords, landing before the northern and southern gates to pay Spirit Stones and enter the city.

Within the city, inside an estate.

Inside a room, the green-robed girl was eating pastries. She had put on another white opera mask, lifting it slightly to reveal only her small mouth. She looked just like a human.

"Mountain God, have you been eating well?"

A full, resonant voice sounded out. A middle-aged man in a black robe strode into the room with the gait of a dragon and the stride of a tiger. His gray hair hung loose behind him, his face was square, his thick brows framed leopard-like eyes, and three scars marked his cheeks, as though some beast's claws had torn them open.

The green-robed girl immediately stopped eating and pulled her mask down. She huffed, "I already told you, I don't know White Clad Startling Swan. I've never even met him. I saved the Taiyuan Sect disciple only because I couldn't bear to see him die. For that, my Mountain God Clan has already paid a terrible price."

Li Honggang sat down across from her and poured himself a cup of wine. "Whether you know him is unimportant. Your Mountain God Clan can command the Monsters of the mountains and wilderness. All I need is for you to help me spread a message. If I did not hold you hostage, how could those monsters possibly spare no effort?"

The green-robed girl fell silent. Only after several breaths did she say, "Several months have already passed. The major sects have all left. White Clad Startling Swan has likely departed long ago."

"No. Those sects are all fighting over the Jihao Sect's inheritance, and my Li Family descendants are among them. They have not learned White Clad Startling Swan's whereabouts. I suspect the Taiyuan Sect disciple White Clad Startling Swan rescued was badly injured and needed time to recover. They should be hiding nearby," Li Honggang said, shaking his head.

The green-robed girl snorted. "Your Li Family is powerful. Why not mobilize all your family descendants to search?"

"How could that be possible? Li Hongshuang joining a Demonic Path sect was already a disgrace to the Li Family. The Li Family will not make a great show of force over this, much less retaliate against the Taiyuan Sect. But Li Hongshuang was my son. From the family's standpoint, his death was no great matter, not worth pursuing. Yet from a father's standpoint, I must fight White Clad Startling Swan once and settle this karmic entanglement!" Li Honggang said coldly. An indescribable aura blanketed the room, leaving the green-robed girl scarcely daring to breathe.

The room fell silent once more.

Li Honggang drained the wine in his cup in one gulp, then said, "I came this time to tell the Mountain God not to worry. Even if White Clad Startling Swan does not come, I will release you in one month. I have already spread the news. If White Clad Startling Swan has even a shred of pride, he will come. When that time comes, Mountain God, you will even be able to witness my decisive battle with him!"

With that, Li Honggang rose and left.

The green-robed girl did not get up. She sat silently in her seat.

Naturally, she knew who White Clad Startling Swan was. Whoever had saved Fang Hanyu was White Clad Startling Swan. Yet she had not told her clansmen about this, afraid of bringing trouble upon them.

All she could do now was pray in her heart that Fang Wang would not act rashly.

The sun set in the west.

Dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat, Fang Wang stood before the city gate, watching the cultivators passing to and fro. Doubt rose in his heart. This city did not look like a trap.

He walked up to the city guards and asked about the fee to enter.

"Entering the city requires ten low-grade Spirit Stones, or twenty Spirit Qi Pills," the guard answered.

In Great Qi's immortal cultivation world, Spirit Stones were divided from low to high into low-grade, middle-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade. Like magical artifacts, the major sects cut Spirit Stones into pieces of equal weight to distribute among their disciples and trade with Aristocratic Clans, forming a currency. The value between each grade differed tenfold. One middle-grade Spirit Stone was worth ten low-grade Spirit Stones. As a Personal Disciple, Fang Wang could receive ten high-grade Spirit Stones each month. Spirit Qi Pills were likewise a form of currency. The standards for pills had long been unified; they could be used for cultivation or to restore spiritual power, and were equivalent to Spirit Stones.

After paying twenty Spirit Qi Pills, Fang Wang entered the city. His attire was not unusual. Most cultivators wore bamboo hats, and some even covered their faces.

As he walked along the streets, Fang Wang took in the sights of Haixia City. Before becoming an immortal cultivator, he had already heard the legends of Haixia City.

Among mortals, Haixia City was known as the vanished ghost city. There were countless versions of its legends, nearly all claiming that it had disappeared because ghosts and monsters had occupied it. Should a mortal encounter Haixia City, death would be inevitable.

So it was not a ghost city after all. It had merely been occupied by immortal cultivators.

Haixia City had a great many shops. Fang Wang finally saw street stalls, and the place appeared bustling and prosperous.

Cultivation arts, secret manuals, pills, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, magical artifacts, Talisman Paper, rare treasures, demon pet eggs, and more—everything was available, making it even more flourishing than the town he had visited before.

Along the way, Fang Wang often heard cultivators mention names such as Li Honggang, White Clad Startling Swan, and Jihao Sect. Before long, he understood the situation. Li Honggang had already announced that he would challenge White Clad Startling Swan, doing so in the capacity of Li Hongshuang's father. If White Clad Startling Swan won, then this karmic entanglement would be wiped clean with a single stroke.

The city was so lively because many cultivators had come for White Clad Startling Swan and Li Honggang.

From the looks of it, this did not seem like a trap. Li Honggang was taking the open and honorable path.

As Fang Wang pondered this, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure. Looking more closely, he found that it was indeed Gu Li.

Gu Li stood before a stall crowded with people, her gaze fixed on a batch of demon pet eggs on the ground. She wore fitted purple clothing, carried a sword case on her back, wore a bamboo hat, and veiled her face with green gauze. She looked exactly as she had when Fang Wang first met her.

Fang Wang immediately walked behind Gu Li and softly asked, "Miss Gu, why are you here?"

Hearing this, Gu Li turned to look at him, delight bursting from her beautiful eyes.

Her gaze tugged at Fang Wang's heartstrings. He secretly reminded himself, An illusion. It must be an illusion. She only wants to challenge me.

"Senior Brother Fang, you... Let's find somewhere else to talk."

Gu Li said happily. Before she could finish, she grabbed Fang Wang's hand and led him away.

In both his lives, this was the first time Fang Wang had held hands with a woman other than his mother. He was caught completely off guard.