After bidding farewell to the Supreme Elder, Fang Han and Chen Tianyuan left the back mountain.
Upon reaching the mountaintop, Fang Han parted ways with Chen Tianyuan and headed towards the True Transmission Courtyard.
This time, he was away for more than four months, the longest he had ever been away.
He soon returned to the No. 35 Annex the True Transmission Courtyard.
"Senior brother, you're back!"
The servants at the courtyard gate recognized Fang Han from afar and hurriedly ran to greet him, their faces full of surprise and joy.
They shared in Fang Han's glory and his loss, and because of Fang Han, their treatment within the sect was even better than that of ordinary disciples.
The Fang Han stems from genuine affection.
Fang Han nodded slightly and stepped into the courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, Qui Lan quickly came out from the Side Hall to greet them.
Upon seeing Fang Han, she bowed deeply, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy:
"Senior brother, you're finally back!"
"Yes, I'm back."
Fang Han walked through the courtyard to the porch in front of the main house and sat down on the stone bench.
Qui Lan quickly brewed a pot of hot tea and brought it over, and then instructed the Maid to prepare hot water and a change of clothes.
After taking a shower, feeling much better Fang Han went to the backyard.
Compared to when I left, many of the trees in the yard have begun to turn yellow.
It wasn't that Qui Lan and the others hadn't taken good care of it, but rather that it was early summer when they left, and now it was indeed autumn.
" The Supreme Elder is right, we cannot seek revenge against the Thunderlight Pavilion for the time being!"
Fang Han muttered to himself.
Fan Yuan of the Thunderlight Pavilion has been a Grandmaster for decades and has many trump cards at his disposal. Even if he and the Supreme Elder can defeat their opponent, they may not be able to completely capture them.
If a grandmaster were to be allowed to hide in the shadows, the Azure Profound Sect would never have peace, and even the Fang Clan, to which he belonged, might be affected.
Therefore, we cannot seek revenge against the Thunderlight Pavilion for the time being.
"However, charging some interest is not a problem."
A cold glint flashed in Fang Han's eyes.
Although we cannot yet take revenge on the Thunderlight Pavilion, we can still collect some interest.
The method, naturally, was to "return to old ways," secretly plunder the properties under the name of the Thunderlight Pavilion, and Recharge all valuable items into the System Panel to increase the wealth in the System Panel.
He had used this method to deal with the Nether Pavilion Nether Pavilion before, causing them considerable losses.
"This is a good opportunity to raise 10 million gold."
A cold smile appeared on Fang Han's lips.
The System Panel now Possessed Wealth 9.18 million gold. He was originally considering where to get more money to raise 10 million gold and unlock the Level Eight Amplification again.
When Thunderlight Pavilion issued an assassination commission against him, he ran right into their line of fire and became their target.
Dark Abyss Headquarters, it's time for a routine meeting.
The candlelight flickered in the secret chamber carved into the mountainside, casting three seated figures onto the rough stone wall, creating distorted and eerie silhouettes.
Jia One sat upright in the stone chair at the head of the table; his hair and beard were all white, and his face was withered.
Jia Two and Jia Three sat on either side.
An oil lamp sat on a stone platform in the center of the secret chamber. The flame burned quietly in the windless chamber, occasionally emitting a very soft crackling sound.
Jia Two raised his eyelids and said:
" Jia Four has been gone for so long, it's about time he came back."
Jia Three leaned back in his chair, his voice neither too loud nor too soft:
"Although Fang Han has some strength, with his methods, he should be able to succeed."
Jia One was about to speak, his gaze suddenly shifted, landing in the direction of the entrance to the secret chamber.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside the secret room.
The footsteps were much heavier than usual, lacking a coherent rhythm, as if the person walking was struggling with some kind of fatigue or injury.
Jia Two's gaze sharpened slightly, and Jia Three also sat up a bit straighter.
The stone door was pushed open, and a figure staggered in from the stone passage.
In the candlelight, Jia Four's withered face appeared even paler than when he left, with unwashed dust and bloodstains embedded between his wrinkles.
A horizontal wound ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right rib, staining the fabric of his clothes a dark color.
Jia Two's pupils contracted slightly, while Jia Three, who had been sitting upright, leaned forward a little.
Jia One's deep-set eyes suddenly snapped open, landing on Jia Four. He remained silent for a moment before speaking:
You're injured.
His voice was hoarse and dry, revealing no emotional fluctuations, yet it made the air in the enclosed room suddenly freeze.
Jia Four didn't say anything, but simply walked to his seat and slowly sat down.
As he sat down, the pain aggravated the wound between his ribs, causing his expression to change slightly. He merely frowned but did not utter a sound.
Jia Three examined the bandage mark on his chest, his brows furrowing slightly.
"With your cultivation level, how could you be injured like this? Was it Elder Gu Changqing of the Azure Profound Sect Supreme Elder who injured you?"
Jia Four raised his eyes, and a complex mix of emotions surfaced on his withered face.
There was shame and anger, disbelief, and a deep-seated but persistent sense of unease.
He was silent for a moment before speaking, his voice hoarse:
"It's Fang Han... His strength is far greater than it was four months ago."
Jia Two's gaze froze at that moment, while Jia Three's fingers tightened slightly on the armrest, leaving obvious fingerprints on it.
A very subtle ripple flickered in Jia One's deep-set eyes as he spoke.
"Tell me in detail."
Jia Four then recounted the entire process of his fight with Fang Han.
He didn't exaggerate, nor did he try to hide his embarrassment; he simply recounted the course of the encounter in a straightforward manner.
From the moment he lay in ambush in the woods waiting for Fang Han to pass by, to the moment his sneak attack was blocked head-on by Fang Han.
From that brief exchange to Fang Han turning defense into offense and forcing him into a disadvantageous position.
From the moment he tried to escape using Body Movement speed and agility, to the moment he discovered that Fang Han was even faster than him.
Finally, he had no choice but to use the Divine Speed Jade Talisman to escape.
When he said that he "only escaped by using the Divine Speed Jade Talisman," his voice noticeably lowered.
The sealed room fell into dead silence.
Jia Two and Jia Three exchanged a glance, both seeing the same surprise and doubt in each other's eyes.
Jia One sat at the head of the table, the faint tapping of his fingertips on the armrest having ceased at some point.
After a long silence, Jia Two slowly spoke, his voice carrying an unusual solemnity:
"Four months ago, he could only flee in panic from you, and only survived thanks to Gu Changqing's arrival. Four months later, however, he can now defeat you head-on, and you even had to use the Divine Speed Jade Talisman to escape."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the shock in his words was self-evident.
Jia Three leaned back in his chair, his expression grave.
"In just four months, he went from being completely powerless to directly suppressing a grandmaster. This rate of growth is simply too abnormal."
Jia One slowly sat up straight.
His deep-set eyes flickered in the candlelight, and after a moment, he spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying a resolute determination:
"The assassination request regarding Fang Han ends here."
Jia Four abruptly raised his head, a hint of displeasure flashing in his deep-set eyes, and said:
"No, this assassination mission cannot be canceled."
Having suffered such a huge loss, if he doesn't get his revenge, he'll have completely lost face.
Jia One's voice was still hoarse and dry, but it carried an undeniable air of authority.
" Dark Abyss is no fool. To knowingly confront an impossible situation is the act of a idiot. Losing a Class B assassin and injuring you is enough of a price to pay."
Jia Four's fingers tightened suddenly on the armrest, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
"I have already tested his strength. If another person joins forces with me—"
" Jia Four."
Jia One's voice deepened, interrupting Jia Four.
" Fang Han's speed is even greater than yours. Even if two grandmasters joined forces to kill him, it would be very difficult for them to succeed with his speed."
Jia Four's lips moved, as if he wanted to refute, but he swallowed the words back.
He recalled the terrifying speed at which Fang Han had pursued him; he had only managed to escape using the Divine Speed Jade Talisman, and without it, he probably wouldn't be back today.
With Fang Han's speed, even if two people ganged up on him, they might not succeed.
Jia Two also spoke up, " Jia Four, the reason why Dark Abyss has been able to survive until now is because of its ability to assess the situation and act accordingly. If it were to destroy its foundation for the sake of momentary impulse, that would not be revenge, but rather courting death."
Jia Three also said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:
"Besides, Fang Han's growth rate is simply too terrifying; there's no need to continue antagonizing him."
Jia Four's expression grew increasingly grim, but the anger in his deep-set eyes was gradually replaced by a heavier emotion.
After a moment of silence, he finally loosened his grip on the armrest, his voice hoarse:
"Fine, then cancel it."
Jia One nodded slightly and said in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft:
"Pass down the order: the assassination commission targeting Fang Han is cancelled, and the commission fee already paid will be refunded according to regulations."
East Foothills Prefecture is an inconspicuous little town.
After nightfall, the streets were much sparsely populated, most shops were closed, and only a few taverns still had dim lights shining through.
Deep in a secluded alley in the city, the back door of a general store was pushed open a crack from the inside.
Lei Qianting was dressed in an ordinary gray robe, and his face was covered with a mask as thin as a cicada's wing.
He Beginner stage and closed it behind him.
The shop was small, piled high with all sorts of odds and ends, and the air was filled with the smell of old wood and oilcloth.
A tall, thin man with an ordinary face sat behind the counter, holding a cup of fairly warm tea in his hands, looking at the person who came in with a calm gaze.
"What brings you here so late at night?"
Dark Abyss Lei Qianting took out the unique token from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
The tall, thin man took the item, examined it carefully, nodded, and gestured for Lei Qianting to sit down on the wooden stool in front of the counter.
Lei Qianting skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point:
"I'm here to ask about the progress of that previous commission. Is Fang Han dead yet?"
The tall, thin man's eyes flickered slightly. He remained silent for a moment before speaking:
" Dark Abyss has cancelled that commission."
Lei Qianting's expression suddenly changed.
Although the mask covered most of his face, the shock and rage surging in his deep eyes could not be concealed:
"Cancel? I've already increased the reward to thirty million taels of gold, why are you still asking me to cancel the commission?"
His voice couldn't help but grow louder, filled with suppressed anger, echoing back and forth in the cramped back room.