The Fierce Yet Blameless

After many years, Li Wugou's cultivation hasn't improved much—well, wait, she has improved a bit, maybe from the early to Nascent Soul Stage -stage of the Nascent Soul Stage. The speed of cultivation in the Immortal Path can't compare to that of the Tai Su Dao, so it's clear she hasn't had any extraordinary encounters these past years. Unlike Amao, whose power skyrockets with a mere flick of his waist, her cultivation hasn't seen any leaps in advancement.

This is actually quite normal. If a rogue cultivator has the opportunity to join a legitimate sect of Xuanmen, the sect's offerings and daily quest rewards can support their cultivation. Naturally, there's no need for them to brave the wind and rain to fight for the Fourth Department living. These past few years, she's probably been diligently studying at the Golden Summit, solidifying her foundation. After all, without the system's cheat code, mastering any of the five arts of Xuanmen takes more than ten years. I wonder how many subjects she's passed in the comprehensive exam, what her scores were, and whether she needs her senior brother's tutoring... cough cough...

Getting back to the main point, Li Fan's Blood God Child flew to Li Wugou's merchant ship to investigate and found that the old hag had changed into night clothes, put on a mask, and was hiding in a secret room with four swords on her back. She was adjusting her breathing, conserving her energy, and preparing to go into battle.

Meanwhile, the other rogue cultivators, who were originally border soldiers, had also donned armor and coated their short swords with black wax to block out the light. Each of them was conserving their energy, with pills in their mouths, ready for a surprise attack. Judging from their appearance, it seemed as if they were just waiting for the signal to smash a cup.

But with that kind of strength, apart from Li Wugou, there are almost no other experts. They probably wouldn't be able to break through the defenses of Wangwu Mountain at all. I guess there must be some other tricks up their sleeve for this assassination.

Regardless, Li Wugou was a legitimate disciple of the Xuanmen sect, having received the inheritances of both Beichen Outer Mountain and Emei Outer Mountain. According to Xuanmen tradition, one must overcome one's own tribulations. Li Fan wanted to see just how strong Li Wugou was now. So, without disturbing her preparations, he gave her a thumbs-up, offering his moral support, and flew to the Gao Clan's large ship to wait and watch the show.

However, after going around Li Wugu's boat for a while, when he returned to the deck of the ship, Gu Panpan, who had just been wandering around, was entangled by two dandy boys.

Daring to openly flirt with a disciple of Wangwu Mountain, this Golden Core cultivator was naturally a young master of the Gao family. This guy was the standard playboy, dressed in fine clothes, with a fair complexion and red lips, looking quite dignified and handsome. He was clearly here to experience the dazzling world of the Central Plains. Beside him was the standard treacherous and sycophantic lackey, also with a pointed, internet-famous face, red lips and white teeth, and an elegant demeanor. He even seemed to have some non-Han ancestry, and his words were quite obsequious and frivolous.

The two men walked arm in arm, reeking of alcohol. They had clearly gotten drunk in the lobby and had come out to relieve themselves, then struck up a conversation with the pretty girl they saw.

Li Fan found the Gao family members somewhat familiar, but couldn't quite place where he'd seen them before. Perhaps it was because all the Gao family members looked alike...

"It's true what they say, life is full of unexpected encounters, fairy sister, we meet again."

As soon as the young master of the Gao family spoke, the lackey also came forward, took out a small box from his waist, opened it, and revealed three red pills.

"So the Ninth General has been longing for a disciple of the Qingtang Sect. Why must you be lonely here alone, Fairy? Why don't we go inside and have a few drinks, and take some Changchun Pill to warm ourselves up?"

Gu Panpan smiled and playfully flicked her tongue, spitting out a pink sword-shaped pill from her throat. This startled the fawning courtier, who retreated behind the young master of the Gao family.

"Heh, Gao Wan, it's you again, you damned bastard! You dare show your face in front of me? Looks like I didn't punish you enough before. Do you really want to test how sharp my sword is? Believe me or not, I'll chop off your head and use it as a chamber pot! Now get out of my way!"

Oh, so it was him...

Gao Wan, true to his reputation as the son of a military family, was indeed a lecherous man. Even with Jian Wan right in front of him, he didn't change his flirtatious manner. His eyes were fixed on Gu Panpan's cherry lips and tongue. He licked his lips and, emboldened by the alcohol, began to tease her.

"Great! Great! I'd be more than happy to be your chamber pot, fairy! Come on, come on, I'm just looking forward to trying it out! Hehehehe!"

"You!"

Even Gu Panpan, a descendant of the infamous Green Tea Sect and a master of facial expression management, was almost unable to hold back her emotions after being confronted by this lewd guy who lived up to his name. She was so disgusted that her face changed color, and she wrapped her whole body tightly with a red silk ribbon.

Even the lackey beside him couldn't help but glance at his master with a "Holy crap" look, and before Gu Panpan's flying sword could directly attack, he quickly tried to persuade her with clever words.

"Fairy, fairy, please don't be angry! My Ninth General was just joking! He was just joking!"

"Speaking of which, Wangwu Mountain and my Ba Fu Gao Clan are of the same lineage and have a long-standing alliance. Since you are a disciple of the Qingtang Sect, you must not object to the idea of forming a cultivation partnership. Since my general is so devoted to you, it is a perfect match. Is his status not worthy of you?"

Seeing that Gu Panpan had temporarily suppressed her killing intent and did not immediately make a move, seemingly intimidated by the reputation of the Ba Fu Gao family, the lackey regained his confidence, becoming smug and arrogant, and taunted her with an overbearing grin.

"These three Nine-Turn Changchun Pill are just a small gift. In the future, our Heavenly Treasure will certainly not lack any rare treasures. However, if you, Fairy, are unwilling to incur a lifelong bond, then being a fleeting couple for a night of Pleasure is also perfectly acceptable! Just name your price, and I will prepare it immediately."

Upon hearing that the young general of the Gao family was so lewd, and that even this lackey dared to pimp in front of her and ask her how much she would get for a night of fun, Gu Panpan was furious. She sneered as she touched the gold bracelet on her wrist.

"Hehe, so how many 'duty' do you think a disciple of my Qingtang Sect would get for playing all night?"

Upon hearing that there was hope, Gao Wan trembled with excitement, shouting, "It's worth every penny! It's worth every penny! With He Nu, with He Nu! Quickly, prepare!"

This lackey, called He Nu, wasn't as insane as his master. He immediately noticed the female cultivator's strange expression, his face changed, and he threatened her in a low, sinister voice.

"Fairy, have you thought this through? My lord has already received the Grand Tutor's promise that you will be appointed Left General, Jinyang County, and Gen Province this time you pay tribute. Fairy, you are a disciple of Wangwu Mountain. If you displease my young general, my mistress will be unhappy, and the elders of both families will be unhappy. At that time, I'm afraid that even though Hebei is vast, there will be nowhere for you to stay..."

Upon hearing this, Gu Panpan's eyes darted around, and she smiled gently.

"How could that be? She has already severed all worldly ties and broken off her engagement. She's all alone, cultivating in seclusion in the mountains. It's my good fortune that General Jiu has taken a liking to her. You want to spend the night together, right? Fine, come to my cabin after the banquet. I'll be waiting for you! And you, He Nu, right? Good, you're quick-witted. I'll remember you. Dare to come along?"

He Nu was momentarily doubtful, not quite believing that the other party would back down so easily. Gao Wan, however, couldn't wait any longer. He put his arm around He Nu's shoulder and said, "Come on, come on, let's do it together! He Nu is my good brother, what can't we share? The three of us are even more fun, hahaha!"

"Ninth Brother! What are you doing here! It's a rare opportunity to come to Luoyang, why don't you come and pay your respects to the gentlemen and broaden your horizons! Quickly come back to your seats with me!"

At this moment, a young man, eight feet tall with a waist ten spans in circumference, possessing an imposing and unique appearance, stood out from the crowd. Judging from his appearance and attire, he was clearly the son of a high-ranking family and was probably one of the young generals numbered nine or higher.

Upon this person's appearance, Gao Wan, like a mouse seeing a cat, quickly abandoned his lewd and lascivious expression and respectfully bowed.

"Sixth Brother, I've had a bit too much to drink. He Nu is here getting some fresh air."

The He Nu dared not put his arm around the young master's shoulder anymore, and quickly took three steps back, kneeling on the deck with his buttocks sticking out like a slave.

"Hmph, just blowing in the wind!"

When the Sixth General saw Gu Panpan, dressed as a disciple of Wangwu Mountain, blocking the ship's railing, he glared at the two men and clearly knew what kind of person this younger brother was. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gu Panpan and said, "Fellow Daoist, please forgive my rudeness. My Ninth Brother is a heavy drinker and gets carried away when he's drunk. If his words were frivolous or impolite just now, I apologize on his behalf."

Gu Panpan smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong with it. General Jiu was just worried I'd caught a cold, so he came to bring me some nourishing medicine."

He Nu quickly presented the brocade box in his hand, saying, "Yes, yes, please accept it, Immortal Master."

Seeing this, the six generals nodded and led Gao Wan back to the ship for the banquet. He Nu quickly followed, and Gao Wan even turned his head to give Gu Panpan a look that said, "Wait for me, I'll come find you later."

After they left, Gu Panpan's face immediately darkened. She crushed the brocade box in her hand, but instead of complaining to her sect or going back to her room to cry, she acted as if nothing had happened. She continued to wander on the deck, enjoying the cold wind, pacing left and right. Every now and then, when no one was watching, she would carve a word or place a talisman on the ship's deck...

Huh? This is... breaking the formation? What? Could Gu Panpan be the inside agent in this assassination attempt? This girl, she's not a reincarnation, she should be a proper disciple of the Wangwu Mountain Qingtang Sect, raised by her sect since childhood, right? Could it be that she's been disgusted by these sleazy bastards from the Gao family and wants to betray them?

Li Fan was also somewhat confused. In fact, Gao Wan He Nu were both trash who practiced dual cultivation by consuming external elixirs. They were utterly useless. In his opinion, there was no need for him to take action personally. With Gu Panpan's own abilities, she could kill them with a wave of her hand. If she were to be cautious and use some methods, they wouldn't even know how they died.

Besides, Gao Xing had so many sons in one go, so the death of one or two wouldn't be a big deal. This guy was a powerful figure of his time; he tolerated the annulment of the engagement, so why would he turn against Wangwu Mountain over this?

Therefore, Li Fan estimated that Gu Panpan's actions were probably not due to personal grudges against the Gao family. Perhaps, there were people within Wangwu Mountain who felt that the Gao family was too powerful and uncontrollable, and wanted to use them as a tool to kill someone.

After all, at this point in time, someone died in Sanyuan; who knows who killed them?

Sure enough, Li Fan didn't have to wait long before the Demonic Sect came to rob him.

"Roar--! The protectors of the Divine Cult are here! Hand over all your magical treasures!!"

A Divine Transformation cultivator dressed in a Divine Cult suit emerged from the dark clouds and launched a sneak attack, unleashing a palm strike that immediately shattered the array barrier that Gu Panpan had secretly weakened.

Yes, that's the kind of place Sanyuan is. If you're determined, everyone can be a demon, and everyone can rob...

"It's here! The Blood Hand Demon has appeared!" "Protect the Prince!" "These demonic cultists are too arrogant!" "Is this the legendary Blazing Blood Palm? It actually broke through the barrier in one go! So powerful, it truly lives up to its name!"

Upon seeing that they had indeed been discovered by the demonic cultists, and that the enemy was so powerful, the fleet was thrown into chaos. The various merchant caravans scattered like birds and beasts, each trying to find others to provide cover, fearing that their goods would be targeted by that demon. The flying boats collided with each other, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, they also blocked the path of the Imperial Guards's ships, breaking their masts and preventing them from keeping up with the Gao family's delegation.

Three beams of divine light suddenly flew out from the Gao family's large ship, surrounding and attacking the "Blood Hand Demon." Jing Yao from Wangwu Mountain was among them. Among the four divine lords of Wangwu Mountain, the one with the most profound skills continued to sit on the ship to protect the sons of the Gao clan.

When Li Fan saw that Gu Panpan was not surprised at all by the situation, and even took out a cloak and a bundle of cloth with ease, and took advantage of the chaos to run into the cabin and set it on fire, he knew that this little girl probably had a complete plan, and had a plan for retreat and self-preservation, so there was no need to worry.

Meanwhile, Li Wugou was waiting for the signal to smash the cup and began to act. The border soldiers, carrying short swords and spears, crossbows, and planks, sneaked onto the ship and launched a surprise attack from behind while the Gao family's guards were busy putting out the fire. Li Wugou, hidden among the crowd and concealing her strength, charged forward with two swords, slashing all the way to the upper deck of the ship.

Startled by the attack, the Gao family's personal guards also jumped off the ship and engaged in battle. In an instant, swords flashed, fire flew, and screams of fighting filled the air, with blood and flesh flying everywhere!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Li Fan used his Divine Sense to scan the area and quickly calculated the fortunes of Li Wugou and Gu Panpan, who were setting up the food.

The divination results showed that Li Wugou was in "danger but no blame," meaning there was danger but no disaster, while Gu Panpan was in "minor regret," meaning she would be ruined by a villain and would face some difficulties and troubles afterward. In short, neither of them was very auspicious, so Li Fan knew that their grand plan was unlikely to succeed, but at least their lives were not in danger.

Although overcoming this calamity wouldn't be difficult for Li Wugou and Gu Panpan, the greatest benefit would be if they succeeded. Therefore, Li Fan was also willing to lend a helping hand and turn misfortune into good fortune. He transformed into a bloody shadow, swept past the soldiers and guards fighting amongst themselves, and drifted into the hall where the Gao family was hosting a banquet.

Although a fierce battle raged outside, the Gao family sons remained completely calm. With the Heavenly Soldiers Army's personal guards and the divine beings of Wangwu Mountain by their side, what was there to fear?

Gao Ming, the heir of the Gao family, remained composed as he drank and conversed with numerous prominent figures from the Jingji's aristocratic families. His demeanor was exceptional; he was handsome, eloquent, and his conversation was always calm and elegant. Even with the rebel soldiers charging downstairs, he remained unfazed. It's no wonder that all the gentry in the capital were convinced of his superiority. Li Fan, watching from the side, also felt a sense of admiration.

Gao Ming is a leader who has received elite education from aristocratic families since childhood. When he came to visit the aristocratic families in the capital, they would only exchange a few polite words because of his title as the Divine Lord. In their hearts, they certainly did not look down on him, a country bumpkin from the mountains.

Gao Ming is different. With the demeanor of a renowned scholar and his virtuous reputation, if he were to make a name for himself in a place like Sanyuan and spread his fame throughout the world, he might actually gain power in the future and even subdue the powerful families of the local warlords with a single proclamation.

Perhaps this kind of personal charisma is what is known as the 'demeanor of a king'.

On a whim, Li Fan used Lou Guan's astrological divination technique to interpret his fate. He discovered that the man's life was short and he would not live long. The white aura above his head contained a bloody light, indicating that he would die young and die at the hands of an assassin sooner or later.

Hiss... Could this be what they call destiny, the appointed time?

Thinking of Gao Ming, who had treated him to a dragon and given him a horse, thus establishing a good relationship, Li Fan couldn't help but sigh.

"Who's there!"

Unexpectedly, this single sound caused a major incident. Amidst the clinking of glasses and joyful conversation at the banquet, a burly, halberd-wielding strongman standing beside Gao Ming, with a blue turban covering his head, leopard-like eyes, and a broad back, heard the sigh and suddenly leaped from his seat! He raised his hand and hurled his halberd, which crashed down on Li Fan with a deafening roar, shattering half of the pavilion!

Li Fan was focused on the Wangwu Mountain deity when he was greatly surprised!

Wait! This is... Divine Transformation Realm Martial God! How come there's another one?! What kind of Cultivation Method is this that can conceal the strength of an entire realm?! And this person is actually a personal guard of the Ba Fu?! A dignified Nascent Divine Transformation Realm Martial God, can't even get a general's rank in the Three Realms?! He's actually willing to serve a local lord as a servant?! And he even has the ability to discover his existence before the Xuanmen cultivators!

"Die--!"

While Li Fan was still in shock, the strongman showed no mercy, instantly moving and throwing a punch right in his face!

This seemingly ordinary punch came hurtling towards him, initially posing no threat, but in the instant it was about to land, it suddenly surged with power! It unleashed a terrifying force far exceeding the strongman's own level by tens of millions of times! The fist's energy and speed increased exponentially!

Li Fan suffered another setback in an instant. Before he could dodge, he was locked onto by the killing intent of the fist. He felt a shiver run down his spine and was forced to retaliate with a counterattack.

"Dingjia Wuwang Divine Fist!"

Bang!

The clash of fists blasted the massive ship apart from the middle! The strongman was sent flying like a cannonball. Li Fan wasn't faring much better; the punch had instantly shattered half of his Blood God Child clone, but he quickly rebuilt it using the Blood God Child Great Law, managing to forcefully deplete at least 40% of the clone's power!

But at this moment, the cultivators from Wangwu Mountain and the personal guards of the powerful clans also reacted. A large number of magical treasures and Daoist incantations were thrown at Li Fan. At the same time, they all flew into the sky and disappeared into the earth. With a burst of light, they each wrapped up the young nobles around them and immediately abandoned the ship to escape.

Li Fan had only come to see how the plot would unfold, never expecting to encounter such a strange turn of events. There was nothing he could do now. Prince Gao Ming was immediately protected by the old god of Wangwu Mountain and escaped first, with a group of experts surrounding him. He had already escaped to safety.

With a single glance, Li Fan's Divine Sense only caught sight of the Gao family sons fleeing with the Wangwu Mountain cultivators. He then casually unleashed a burst of blood sword energy, and by sheer coincidence, amidst the chaos of battle, he struck down Gao Wan... Gao Wan.

Then Li Fan also flashed away, pursued by a large number of magical treasures and techniques. He used the Blood Shadow Godly Movement to escape into the sky, and only after rushing a hundred miles away did he finally shake off all the tails behind him.

The assassination attempt failed as expected. But you know what, the Gao clan is quite powerful; they've managed to gather so many trusted and skilled men to serve them. The various warlords of Hebei were already militarily strong, and now, united and aligned, they've formed a formidable alliance. The future of the land is likely to be quite promising...