"What the hell is that supposed to mean, boss? We came all this way, and this is how you treat us? Believe me, I can make sure your shop never opens again!"
At that moment, Ning Rongrong spoke up from the crowd. The spoiled, willful look on her face made Fang Xuan sick.
She was quite pretty, but with a personality like that, she couldn't hold a candle to his wife.
"Oh, and then what? I wasn't planning to keep the shop open anyway. So what if I close it? Do I look like I care?"
It was almost a joke. He was going to Heaven Dou City to marry his wife soon. Why would he stay here?
Besides, he was an orphan who'd been alone and helpless since childhood. Even if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was powerful, would they really target him over something this trivial?
If they actually dared, he had a thousand ways to make sure the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was the first to fall.
He simply didn't want trouble. That didn't mean he was afraid of it, especially when the other side had picked a fight first.
"I'll say it again: get out. You're not welcome here!"
"You!"
"Get lost!"
Ning Rongrong was about to say more, but Fang Xuan had run out of patience. He didn't bother sparing her any face and simply told her to get lost.
Damn it, did they really think he was a pushover? They'd harassed his wife and still thought they were in the right.
If he weren't worried that Tang Hao, that mangy mutt, might be nearby, he would've thrown them out already.
As for Zhao Wuji and Flender, he didn't think much of them.
They were Soul Saints, that was all. They weren't unbeatable.
Besides, this was Suotuo City. If they dared cause trouble in town, there were plenty of people who could deal with them.
"Lingling, go upstairs first."
Seeing that the group still hadn't moved, Fang Xuan lost the last of his patience and prepared to throw them out himself.
"Don't be rash. I'm fine."
Ye Lingling tried to hold Fang Xuan back. There were a lot of them, and judging by their attitude, they probably had some backing. It would be bad if he got himself into trouble.
"It's fine. I know what I'm doing. I can't just stand by and watch them bully you."
"Hey, hey, hey. What do you mean, 'bully'? I only took a couple of looks. That's called admiring—do you even know what admiring—!"
Ma Hongjun hadn't finished speaking when Fang Xuan appeared right in front of him.
"Admire this, you bastard!"
"Look out! Fatty, dodge!"
Tang San reacted quickly and tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
Fang Xuan's fist slammed squarely into Ma Hongjun's face. The blow was so powerful that it sent his bulky body flying.
Watching him roll across the ground like a ball for several turns before finally stopping, Fang Xuan's eyes remained utterly calm.
"Now," Fang Xuan said, looking at the others as Soul Rings appeared behind him once more, "are you going to leave on your own, or should I help you?"
"A Soul King!"
Tang San and the others' pupils shrank. They clearly hadn't expected him to be a Soul King.
Their strongest was only a Soul Elder. A gap of two major ranks was no joke.
Dai Mubai, who'd been acting so arrogantly earlier, had gone pale with fright. Realizing they'd picked a fight with someone they couldn't handle, he took several steps back, regretting that he hadn't brought Zhao Wuji and Flender along.
Everyone else was intimidated by Fang Xuan's strength too. Everyone but Tang San.
A mere Soul King was nothing. If he used Hidden Weapons, Fang Xuan might not be a match for him.
After all, even Zhao Wuji, a Soul Saint, had suffered badly at his hands. What did a Soul King amount to?
Perfect. Since Fang Xuan had made the first move, Tang San could now strike back with a clear conscience.
The next instant, his arm shifted, and his fingers brushed discreetly over the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges at his waist.
A tiny, slender needle appeared between his fingers.
The Dragon Whisker Needle could pierce the protective inner force around the body. Zhao Wuji had suffered badly to this move before.
And now Tang San was about to use it again.
With a light flick of his fingers, the hair-thin Dragon Whisker Needle shot toward Fang Xuan.
But the instant it was about to touch him, it bounced off an invisible barrier.
Clink!
A crisp sound came from Fang Xuan's body. He gave a cold laugh.
"I gave you your chance."
Trying to catch me off guard? I saw that coming.
You think your little needle can pierce me? Did you take me for Zhao Wuji, that fool?
Immovable Wisdom King? More like a sitting duck.
Second Soul Skill: Nut Defense.
It absorbed the ability bestowed by the Tall-nut, allowing it to absorb a great deal of damage. If the damage exceeded its limit, it would reflect the attack at the instant it shattered.
Tang San's Dragon Whisker Needle clearly wasn't strong enough to break through the defense. It didn't even count as a tickle.
"Tang San, Tang San. I never wanted to be your enemy, but you brought this on yourself. Don't blame me for what happens next."
To borrow Tang San's own words: You've earned your death!
The next instant, Fang Xuan's third Soul Ring lit up, and a duplicate of himself appeared behind him.
The moment it appeared, the clone didn't attack. Instead, it used the same third Soul Skill as the original and created another copy.
Third Soul Skill: Perfect Doppelganger (Transformation Eggplant)
It could perfectly copy all of the original's abilities into a clone (limit: 1).
But that limit only applied to the number summoned by a single Soul Skill. The clones also had this skill, which meant the skill could be refreshed. And so the chain began.
So you liked having the numbers on your side? Let's see who can field more people.
In just a few breaths, Fang Xuan had created more than a dozen clones.
Tang San and the others were startled by the sight, but Tang San quickly spotted the flaw.
"Don't worry. This Soul Skill consumes a massive amount of Soul Power. He won't be able to keep it up for long."
Tang San was completely confident. Clone skills were powerful, but they also consumed enormous amounts of Soul Power.
And having so many clones was the biggest flaw in Fang Xuan's plan.
If Fang Xuan were fighting alone, Tang San might have found him troublesome. But now...
Before Tang San could enjoy his victory, Fang Xuan's first Soul Skill lit up.
In the next instant, a golden glow covered every clone, including the original.
The Soul Power that had seemed to falter from creating so many clones rapidly filled back up.
This was Fang Xuan's first Soul Skill: Sunlight Recharge.
This Soul Skill came from the Sunflower. It could draw on the energy of light to rapidly replenish its user's Soul Power.
That was why Fang Xuan had kept this skill all along. It was just too useful. As long as there was light, his Soul Power was endless.
You want to wear me down? Let's see who runs out first.
Next, Fang Xuan directed his clones to give Tang San and the others a thorough "look after."
Whether they'd spoken up earlier or stayed quiet, men and women alike received equal treatment.
Tang San and the others tried to fight back, but under such a dense barrage of attacks, they had no chance to retaliate.
After giving them all a good beating, Fang Xuan tossed them outside like trash.
Dai Mubai had it the worst. Fang Xuan had paid him special attention.
Fang Xuan's technique was exceptionally vicious: he only struck flesh, never bones or tendons. The injuries might not look serious, but they hurt no less than broken bones.
To be precise, a broken bone only hurt at first. The body would naturally grow numb to the pain.
But if only the flesh was injured, the pain would keep going without ever exceeding the body's limit.
Most importantly, Fang Xuan had knocked Oscar unconscious ahead of time to stop him from healing the others.
As for Ma Hongjun, he was lying there motionless like a dead dog.
His face was streaked with blood, his nose completely flattened, and his features were twisted out of shape.
Several of his teeth had fallen out, leaving him in a pitiful state.
He was also the only one Fang Xuan had treated with his fourth Soul Skill.
Fourth Soul Skill: Bonk Choy Fist.
It inflicted devastating damage on a single target and briefly stunned them on impact. It also greatly increased the user's strength, with no time limit until the skill was manually deactivated or the user ran out of Soul Power.
This skill had extremely strong single-target damage. Paired with the clones created by the third Soul Skill, it could keep an enemy locked down until they were dead.
Looking at Tang San and the others sprawled across the ground outside, Fang Xuan couldn't be bothered with them.
He lifted a stone slab from the ground with both hands and completely blocked the entrance.
After all, the original door had already been damaged by Dugu Yan. There was no need to call anyone to repair it. He'd be leaving soon anyway.
Once he was done, he dusted off his hands and turned to look at Ye Lingling.
She was staring at him in a daze, apparently startled by what he'd just done.
But Ye Lingling wasn't afraid. Instead, she felt an inexplicable sense of security.
After all, everything Fang Xuan had done was to protect her.
It seemed no boy had ever cared for and protected her like this, from the time she was little.
Of course, with Dugu Yan as her domineering best friend, no boy would ever have had the chance.
Fang Xuan smiled at Ye Lingling.
"Don't worry. I'm strong. I'll protect you from now on."
"Mm."
Ye Lingling nodded and gave Fang Xuan a sincere smile.
Perhaps it was only now that she had truly accepted Fang Xuan completely.