A man in brown armor strode into view, a massive sword strapped to his back. A chill radiated from him.
"Xia Fanbai!"
Tao Shang's eyes lifted slightly when he saw the newcomer. He hadn't expected Xia Fanbai to come too. It seemed plenty of people knew what was going on—they all knew Fang Mo was heading through Red Flame Gorge to Red Rock Valley.
"Xia Fanbai, I didn't expect you to come too."
Jiang Yuanjiu watched Xia Fanbai warily.
Xia Fanbai gave him a cool glance. "You came too, didn't you?"
Jiang Yuanjiu didn't seem bothered by Xia Fanbai's coldness. He smiled. "Looks like this Fang Mo is quite a catch. I never thought you'd come all this way, Brother Xia. Seems you're not so confident either."
Xia Fanbai replied coolly:
"You left Blackwater Marsh, where you were honing your sword skills, and came here too. You're not exactly brimming with confidence yourself."
The two were at each other's throats from the start, every word between them edged with the tang of blades.
Su Lan asked in a low voice:
"My lord, I don't quite understand what they mean. Do they both have designs on Young Master Fang?"
Qi Zhu answered:
"How can you not understand? Whoever gets Fang Mo will have the Profound Grade Token all but secured. Besides, Young Master Fang is a Pre-Heaven alchemist. Bringing him into their ranks would be a tremendous asset. Otherwise, even a Guardian wouldn't have stepped in to recruit him!"
"I see!" Understanding dawned on Su Lan's face. But then she looked at Tao Shang. "What good will that do them? Young Master Fang is closest to my lord. How could he possibly choose them?"
Tao Shang spoke slowly. "Because whoever can keep Fang Mo alive can win him over."
Su Lan's