"This..." Fang Yun looked hesitant, as though caught in an inner struggle.
"What, you want to go back on your word? Had we not intervened, you would have been murdered in the Chu Kingdom long ago!" Lei Tingzhen's face was cold as ice.
Fang Yun let out a long sigh, a faint trace of grief, indignation, and pain flashing in his eyes. "Very well. This once, and never again! Furthermore, I will only compete with Void Sage Fang for literary renown. If you ask me to do anything else, I would rather die than comply!"
Lei Tingzhen's expression softened. "Naturally."
"Can we dispense with despicable tactics? I wish to defeat Void Sage Fang in an honorable literary contest!" Fang Yun declared, raising his head.
Lei Tingzhen sneered. "On the battlefield, there are no fathers and sons. Killing the enemy admits no distinction between the base and the noble."
"I understand," Fang Yun said.
"Good that you understand. But I hope you remember this: the price of going back on your word is more than you can bear!" Lei Tingzhen's gaze fell upon Fang Yun like a blade.
"Rest assured. I will never go back on my word," Fang Yun said.
"Very good! Farewell!" With an expression entirely different from the one he had worn on arrival, Lei Tingzhen left with Gu Ju Wu.
Fang Yun revealed an enigmatic smile and continued reading.
At four in the morning, Fang Yun put down his book and drifted off to sleep.
After an unknown length of time, Fang Yun woke naturally, feeling that he had enjoyed the best sleep of his life. Both his body and his mind felt utterly at ease.
Fang Yun opened his eyes, froze for a moment, then hurriedly rose.
Looking around, Fang Yun discovered that he was no