Peering In

"Ever since the Zhou family was wiped out, two families have risen in Qingye City: the Zhang family and the Guo family... I've heard of the Zhang family before. They used to have a modest reputation, but this time they've really shown the strength they'd been quietly building... From Zhang Han's conduct, one can see that the Zhang family's head is a shrewd old fox... Then there's the Guo family, which has risen at astonishing speed. I wonder why."

The mountain forest was lush and verdant.

Fang Yuan's mind wandered, but he moved swiftly.

Ever since he had broken through the Sixth Gate and developed Eagle Claw Internal Energy, his abilities had all improved to some extent.

For instance, when he channeled his internal energy into his feet, he naturally ran faster than an ordinary person. It wasn't a Lightness Skill, but it was the simplest application of his energy.

With this advantage, Fang Yuan now moved through the mountain forest as easily as if he were walking on level ground.

"Hm?"

But when he reached the valley entrance, he saw a dark figure kneeling there, ramrod straight.

"Young Master Zhou, was there any need to go this far?"

Fang Yuan stepped closer and saw that the kneeling figure looked haggard and young. Who else could it be but Zhou Wenwu of the Zhou family?

"Divine Doctor Fang? You... you weren't in the valley?"

At the sight of Fang Yuan, the dullness in Zhou Wenwu's eyes gave way to a glimmer. Then he knocked his head heavily against the ground again, his forehead blood-red, the flesh split down to the bone. "Thank you, Young Master, for your great kindness in avenging my family's Sea of Blood Deep Grudge!"

The Zhou family had been wiped out entirely by Song Zhong.

First, Fang Yuan had saved Zhou Wenwu's life. Then he had taken him all the way to Qinghe Commandery to testify against Song Zhong, and finally had slain his enemy with his own hands.

That kindness was more than enough to merit a deep bow.

Fang Yuan furrowed his brow but let Zhou Wenwu continue. After a pause, he asked, "Let's put the past behind us. What do you plan to do next, Young Master Zhou?"

"To be frank!"

Zhou Wenwu straightened his back, a stubborn look on his face. "This useless man has already earned the Sect Leader's favor. She has transferred Father's Steward position to me!"

Strictly speaking, there was a considerable gap between Zhou Wenwu and Zhou Tong, but this was compensation, and the matter could certainly be worked out.

"I volunteered to come and take charge in Qingye City!"

Zhou Wenwu clenched his fists. "I must rebuild my family's estate here!"

"I see!"

Fang Yuan nodded. Borrowing the Gui Ling Sect's authority, Zhou Wenwu had made a pretty good move.

But what came next wouldn't be so easy. How could he get the rising Lin, Zhang, and Guo families to back down? It was hardly a simple matter.

In particular, those families had taken advantage of the Zhou family's destruction to secretly pocket a great deal. Their hands weren't exactly clean.

Fang Yuan estimated that all of Qingye City would remain unsettled for some time.

"Then I wish you success, Young Master Zhou!"

Thud!

Zhou Wenwu knocked his head heavily against the ground again. "You've shown me and the Zhou family great kindness, Young Master. Should you ever have any orders, just send word to Wenwu. Wenwu will brave fire and water, work like an ox or a horse, and never refuse!"

Fang Yuan gave a faint smile at that. "There's no need. Young Master Zhou, take care of yourself. This remote mountain is a humble place, so forgive me for not playing host. Please go back."

With that, he paid Zhou Wenwu no more attention and walked straight into the Hidden Valley.

As Fang Yuan's figure disappeared, a trace of disappointment flashed in Zhou Wenwu's eyes, but he continued to kneel upright.

Zhou Wenwu... He really is a man with a heart.

Fang Yuan returned to the Spirit Cottage, set down his supplies, and called over the Flower Fox Ferret. After confirming that Zhou Wenwu was merely kneeling at the valley entrance, he couldn't be bothered to concern himself with him.

Zhou Wenwu knew how formidable he was, so he naturally wouldn't dare offend him.

Moreover, his earlier words had carried an unspoken meaning: if the Zhou family rose again, he was willing to be Fang Yuan's dog.

"Cultivating Peripheral Forces? The Zhou family... would practically have to start from nothing. The price would be too high..."

Fang Yuan shook his head.

Even if he had the ability to help the Zhou family rise again, it would wear him out for very little gain.

Besides, if he wanted Peripheral Forces, why would he need the Zhou family?

Hadn't the Zhang family already shown goodwill by lowering themselves to him?

"Mm... All things considered, the cost is too high and the returns too low. It's not worth it!"

Fang Yuan shook his head, mixed up a batch of Fire-Returning Liquid, and made his rounds through the Plantation.

Night deepened.

The mountain wind was cold, and the ground was icy beneath him.

Zhou Wenwu stubbornly knelt there, watching the lights in the valley gradually go out, and found himself at a loss.

He was confident he had offered his biggest bargaining chip, even putting himself on the line. Yet Fang Yuan had no intention of dealing with him and had simply shut the valley to visitors. It was clear his mind was made up.

A man like that wouldn't even furrow his brow if Zhou Wenwu knelt there until he died.

And as the Zhou family's bloodline, with the duty of carrying on the family, would Zhou Wenwu really kneel until he died and let the Zhou family become extinct?

The moon slowly crossed the heavens.

In the utter silence, Zhou Wenwu let out a long sigh. His body was stiff, and after struggling for a long while, he finally stood up again. He gazed deeply at the Hidden Valley, then limped away into the dense forest.

He didn't notice that after he left, two figures in black emerged from a nearby clump of plants.

"Heh. He's all alone, yet he still thinks he can restore his family's prestige? Does he not know that the Zhou family is yesterday's flower?"

One of them sneered.

"The Zhou family may be gone, but it hasn't been long. Their connections and favors are still there, especially now that they've regained the Gui Ling Sect's recognition. That's no small matter!"

The other man argued, "If the family head weren't wary of the Zhou family rising from the ashes, why would he have sent us to watch this man?"

"You have a point. But why don't we just take action and kill him here in this Deep Mountain Old Forest? Then we can put an end to it once and for all!"

The first man's eyes gleamed with ruthlessness.

"Have you lost your mind?"

The other man in black was startled. "He's already a Gui Ling Sect Steward. When Zhou Tong died, even Song Zhong, a Seventh Gate Elder, couldn't withstand the consequences and paid with his life. Do you think you're better than Song Zhong? You want to kill another one?"

At those words, the first man fell silent.

After a long while, he finally said, "Fortunately, the master of this Hidden Valley hasn't agreed to come out and help. Otherwise, with both a righteous cause and the strength to back it up, the Guo family would have a real headache."

"Exactly... Still, what the Zhang family did before was laughable. All he is is a physician who knows a little Martial Arts, yet they groveled before him. It was sickening!"

"The Zhang family came from a merchant background, so they believe in harmony bringing wealth. My family, on the other hand, relies on Martial Arts. Every child in the family must train their body through Martial Arts by the age of nine. By now, we have quite a few experts at the Fourth and Fifth Gates. And besides... we have the Old Ancestor!"

As they spoke the last few words, both men lowered their voices, their expressions filled with reverence.

"As long as the Old Ancestor is here, my Guo family will rise rapidly and become the foremost clan in Qingye City. We'll even expand into the commandery seat!"

"Hmph. If we weren't afraid of standing out too much, what would be so difficult about ruling Qingye City right now?"

The man in black spoke with great pride.

"There are plenty of talented people among the wandering martial artists. Take this Hidden Valley, for instance: first there was the Heart-Questioning Hermit, and now there's Divine Doctor Fang Yuan. Their Medical Skills are superb, and their Martial Arts are unfathomably deep. If they became our enemies, they'd be a massive obstacle to our family's rise."

The other man sighed leisurely. The two men in black glanced at each other, both itching to give it a try. "Why don't we... test the waters first?"

It was only a passing thought, but once it took root, they found themselves stepping forward without thinking.

"We're both experts at the Two Level Gates, and we've hidden our presence. Even if the worst comes to the worst, we can still run..."

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The two shadows swiftly slipped through the valley entrance and reached the Spirit Cottage.

So this is the mysterious Hidden Valley? It looks perfectly ordinary...

Disdain flashed in one man's eyes as he murmured.

But halfway through his words, a streak of white appeared before him.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

"Ah!"

A piercing scream rang out, echoing through the Hidden Valley again and again.

"What... what kind of monster is that?!"

The other man in black retreated rapidly, only to see his partner lying on the ground. One of his wrists had been severed, and blood gushed like a spring.

" Hiss! Hiss!"

Before them stood a creature as white as snow and as big as a large dog... a White Sable?

"An... an exotic beast?!"

The man in black's voice trembled with sheer terror. He regretted his decision more than anything.

So the Hidden Valley is so mysterious and terrifying because it has an exotic beast guarding the place?

Unlike the two men's tension, the Flower Fox Ferret calmly groomed its snowy fur, occasionally letting out a cry.

Creak!

The Spirit Cottage door opened. Fang Yuan yawned, his eyes half closed, and looked at the two men in black. "Another pair of snoopers? Seems I've been attracting too much attention lately... This time, I'll have to give the outside families a bloody warning, or things will only get more troublesome in the future..."

"You're Fang Yuan!"

The man in black's eyes shifted. "Why did you let your beast attack us?"

"Attack you? Ha..."

Fang Yuan chuckled, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. "You trespassed into the valley with ill intentions, and now you're trying to turn the tables on me? Truly, there's no limit to stupidity!"

"Stupidity?!"

The two men in black glanced at each other. Even if they didn't quite understand the word, they knew it couldn't be a compliment. Their eyes were full of menace.

They knew full well that the White Sable was incredibly fast, as swift as lightning. They'd never escape through the forest.

Their only way out was to capture Fang Yuan, its master!

Though rumors about Fang Yuan had spread throughout the city, until they had seen his Martial Arts for themselves, they still clung to a sliver of hope.

"If you want to keep them alive, it looks like I'll have to act personally!"

Fang Yuan paid no heed to the glint in their eyes and stepped forward with effortless grace. "Come on. Don't say I didn't give you a chance!"

"Kill!"

The two men in black exchanged a glance. Even the one who had lost a hand let out a furious roar and charged forward, unleashing a rapid series of kicks. For a moment, his legs seemed to vanish.

"Fierce Tiger Palm!"

"Shadowless Leg!"

A dense barrage of palm strikes and whip-like kicks rushed toward Fang Yuan. He neither dodged nor retreated, merely drawing a slightly deeper breath. His skin immediately took on a bluish-black sheen.

Thud! Thud!

Deep, muffled impacts rang out again and again, like rain beating on banana leaves.

When the assault finally stopped, the two men in black were gasping for breath. They stared in terror at Fang Yuan, still standing firm, their eyes filled with sheer horror. "The Sixth Layer of Iron Cloth Shirt—an Inner Family Master!!! He can really be this powerful?"