Silver light flashed.
Two neat rows of ingots weighed down the servant holding the tray, making his arms tremble slightly.
Fang Yuan didn't even glance at them. Compared with this worldly gold and silver, he was far more interested in the other box of Realgar Powder.
"Zhang Han? You're with the Zhang Family?"
He looked at the man who had led the group from the start, his eyes full of amusement. "Do you know me?"
Inwardly, he already knew the answer. Most likely, the Grocery Store owner had betrayed him. The Zhang Family's web of influence was indeed vast—they had managed to arrange everything and find him in such a short time.
The rising great family of Qingye City truly lived up to its reputation.
"That's right... Young Master Fang, your miraculous skill brought Old Master Zhou back from the gates of death. You're truly the greatest physician of our time!"
Zhang Han smiled ingratiatingly.
Of course, what frightened them even more was the rumor that Fang Yuan had slain Song Zhong in the commandery city.
In the eyes of Qingye City's people, that Great Elder Song was practically a god of slaughter.
So what if the Zhou Family had been a local power and had a Gui Ling Sect Steward among its ranks? They'd still been wiped out just like that!
And yet even the arrogant, overbearing Song Zhong had died at this man's hands. Who would be fool enough to offend him? If the Zhang Family wanted to establish itself in Qingye City, currying favor with him was only natural.
According to the family head's estimate, this man is very likely an Inner Force Realm expert. And he's so young...
Looking at Fang Yuan's youthful face, Zhang Han couldn't help feeling envious.
"I won't accept gifts I haven't earned!"
Fang Yuan waved a hand. "I can't take these things."
"Are you dissatisfied, Young Master? Please, just give the order. Your humble servant will see it done!"
Seeing Fang Yuan refuse, Zhang Han grew anxious at once. After all, the family had tasked him with doing everything he could to win over Divine Doctor Fang.
"I'm serious," Fang Yuan said, his expression unusually stern.
Ever since his master, Heart-Questioning Hermit, the two of them in Hidden Valley had shared this temperament.
Whatever they wanted, they would strive to obtain for themselves or trade for it. They would not casually accept favors from others.
As Heart-Questioning Hermit put it, too many entanglements were hard to repay.
Strictly speaking, only a handful of lucky souls, like Old Man Tian and Steward Lin, had formed ties with Hidden Valley through sheer coincidence. Only because of those personal connections could they trade.
"Go," Fang Yuan said, waving them away.
"Young Master..."
Zhang Han's lips moved. Facing this young man, he suddenly felt an immense pressure and authority, and couldn't bring himself to argue. He led the household servants away in disgrace.
"People who show kindness for no reason are either up to no good or after something."
Fang Yuan watched them leave and shook his head.
Then he suddenly chuckled at himself, realizing that without even noticing, he had become a major force capable of shifting the balance of power in Qingye City.
After all, even Zhou Tong, the former pillar of the Zhou Family, had only been at the Fifth Gate of Martial Arts, with the added status of a Gui Ling Sect Outer Sect Steward.
"The Zhang Family and Guo Family have only recently risen. Even with their foundations, they probably have just a few experts at the Fourth or Fifth Gates... The Lin Family is even worse off. If they weren't trading on their ties to the Gui Ling Sect and Lin Leyue, they never would've become the foremost family..."
Thinking this, Fang Yuan was at a loss for words.
This was how things stood in a tiny place like Qingye City. It really did feel like a mountain without tigers, where monkeys could rule as kings.
"The world is vast, but Qingye City is too small. It's the countryside of the countryside... Even the whole of Qinghe Commandery is just a remote corner..."
Fang Yuan shook his head, his resolve in a certain matter growing stronger.
Once I've made enough progress in my cultivation, I'll travel the world and see this rich and colorful realm for myself!
Of course, you can only eat one bite at a time. For now, I need to break through Jingmen, one of the Three Dangerous Gates!
The Seventh Gate of Martial Arts was Jingmen. Once he broke through, he would reach Song Zhong's peak level.
Fang Yuan, however, had absolute confidence in himself.
"Jingmen, the Gate of Shock. It damages the essence and stirs the spirit... Its test should be a martial artist's Divine Essence! With Heart-Questioning Tea and the Sitting-Forgetting Tea Ceremony to help me, I fear no peril that tests this aspect..."
"And the Eighth Gate, the Gate of Death: fail to break through, and you die. It's closely tied to a martial artist's three elements of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. My guess is that the higher your basic attributes, the more likely you are to pass!"
At this point, the first eight gates of Martial Arts held no mysteries for Fang Yuan.
"If I break through the Gate of Death and enter the realm of the Four Heavenly Gates, I'll be able to run rampant throughout Qinghe Commandery. Even within the Gui Ling Sect, it seems only two or so elders have such strength!"
The Twelve Gates of Golden Lock and Heavy Tower culminated in the Four Heavenly Gates after the first eight.
A martial artist at that level stood at the peak of a commandery. They were powerful enough to found a sect in some backwater place, or even form a faction within a sect like the Gui Ling Sect and stir up a storm.
"After all my efforts to raise the Flower Fox Ferret, it should now be about as strong as a Seventh- or Eighth-Gate expert. The Spiritual Beasts among the Red-eyed White Birds are probably around that level too. Only their king is at least at the Four Heavenly Gates..."
Thinking of that group of Spiritual Beasts, Fang Yuan's good mood vanished.
How could he hope to rule Qingfeng Spiritual Land without driving out or wiping out the Red-eyed White Birds?
As for Spiritual Fertilizer, its miraculous effects required a long time to accumulate. What had been produced recently was practically useless. Once he obtained the Spiritual Land, though, it would naturally speed the growth of spiritual plants.
He simply didn't know whether that land held dangers even more terrifying than the Red-eyed White Birds.
But that only makes it more interesting... doesn't it?
Fang Yuan rubbed his chin, realizing that his temperament had subtly changed since he began practicing Martial Arts.
Had he grown more passionate, with a yearning to keep climbing higher?
It seems Martial Arts really can shape a person's temperament. And after killing Song Zhong recently, my thoughts have been clear and unblocked. Maybe that's also made my nature more lively?
As he pondered, Fang Yuan visited several other shops, gathered the rest of the Realgar Powder he needed, and bought a batch of daily necessities. He stuffed them all into a large backpack, then headed for the city gate.
"Ah! Spare me! Please, spare me!"
A crowd had gathered by the entrance, and pained cries kept rising from within. Fang Yuan was a little curious.
But when he walked over, he was even more surprised.
"Isn't that the Grocery Store owner? What's he doing here? And the people beside him..."
A glint flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes as he took in the scene.
The chubby Grocery Store owner from earlier lay on the ground, his cheeks swollen from repeated slaps. He'd lost who knew how many teeth, and one of his legs was broken. He looked utterly miserable.
Two burly servants stood beside him, whips in hand, glaring down at him. Every so often, they struck him again, drawing a pig-like squeal from the shopkeeper.
The two servants were dressed just like the men who had accompanied Zhang Han.
"How... tragic."
Fang Yuan watched without any real sense of satisfaction or joy. He shook his head, then turned and strode away.
He knew that Zhang Han must have noticed the slight displeasure he had shown earlier. In response, he had dragged out the shopkeeper who had betrayed Fang Yuan's whereabouts and beaten him—right in front of a crowd—to vent his anger and win favor.
That was the misery of being a servant. The master could beat you whenever he pleased—or, for some incomprehensible reason, drag you out and have you killed at any moment.
"Divine Doctor Fang!"
Sure enough, Zhang Han was waiting outside the city gate, smiling broadly. "May I ask whether you're satisfied?"
"Is that shopkeeper one of your people?" Fang Yuan asked flatly.
"No. He used to favor the Zhou Family, and now he wants to throw in his lot with my family. He's just a weather vane, turning whichever way the wind blows."
Zhang Han shook his head, contempt in his expression. "But since he offended you, Divine Doctor, he has only himself to blame..."
"Forget it. It was a trivial matter."
Fang Yuan had no doubt that if he showed even the slightest inclination, Zhang Han might truly make the chubby shopkeeper "disappear" without a trace.
But what good would that do him?
At the same time, a trace of pity entered Fang Yuan's eyes as he looked at Zhang Han.
The man was full of himself, unaware that the shopkeeper's fate today could be his tomorrow.
The Zhang Family head hadn't come in person. Instead, he had sent Zhang Han to take the lead. Wasn't the intention obvious? It was all to have a safeguard in place.
If things went well, everyone would be happy.
But if Fang Yuan lost his temper, the family would immediately cut off a limb to save itself, tossing Zhang Han aside as a scapegoat. Then Zhang Han would be the one beaten half to death.
"I've received the Zhang Family's goodwill!"
Fang Yuan waved a hand and continued walking, his figure growing ever more distant. "I'm just a country bumpkin from the mountains. I have no wish to get involved in the affairs of your city. You and your family can rest easy!"
Zhang Han bowed respectfully, watching Fang Yuan's retreating figure. Then, all at once, his eyes widened.
When Fang Yuan spoke his first sentence, he was still nearby. But by the time the last word left his mouth, Fang Yuan had vanished around the corner. Such Lightness Skill was on a completely different level from Internal Breath.
"Could it be... really... Inner Force?!"
He shuddered, nearly every pore on his body trembling. At last, he understood why the family head was so determined to win Fang Yuan over, no matter the cost.
Song Zhong alone had been enough to leave all of Qingye City cowed and silent. What if it were this man instead?
Unlike Song Zhong, Fang Yuan was so young that he could keep advancing in Martial Arts, perhaps even reaching a realm Zhang Han couldn't begin to imagine.
At that thought, Zhang Han knew he shouldn't feel this way, but a thread of jealousy still coiled inside him like a venomous snake.
"All right, everyone, move along!"
Zhang Han entered the crowd and dispersed the onlookers. Then he ordered the two burly servants to stop and lift the chubby shopkeeper, who looked close to death.
"Master Han... spare... spare my life. I won't dare do it again..."
The shopkeeper's cries came out in broken gasps, enough to make anyone who heard them grieve and anyone who saw him weep.
"Hmm... You were bent on siding with my family, and that wasn't wrong. Your mistake was offending that lord..."
Zhang Han stepped forward and patted the shopkeeper's fat cheek with a show of affection.
"Of course, my Zhang Family rewards and punishes fairly. That beating was your punishment! This is your reward!"
He pulled out a banknote and waved it in front of the shopkeeper.
"Take it. Do whatever you like afterward. Even if you come looking for revenge against Master Han, I'll gladly accept it. Understand?"
"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
The shopkeeper kowtowed repeatedly. He stared at the banknote on the ground, his throat bobbing as the light in his eyes grew terribly hard to read.
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