Withered Plum

Inside the main hall.

After Fang Yunhua gently pushed open the doors, Master Withered Plum, who had been lost in some unfathomable thought, raised her eyes to him.

Her face betrayed no expression. She sat perfectly upright, not a hair on her body stirring, like a stone statue that had occupied that spot since time immemorial.

Fang Yunhua instinctively straightened his back and spoke with great caution.

"Master."

"Mm." Withered Plum nodded in acknowledgment, then a rare trace of hesitation surfaced on her face, making Fang Yunhua all the more apprehensive.

Although his master was slight of build, she possessed an indescribable air of authority. Anyone who so much as glanced at her would lower their voice when speaking.

That furrow in her brow made the already cavernous hall feel even more oppressive.

After several minutes of silence, the perpetually stern and composed Withered Plum suddenly sighed.

"Yunhua, a friend has come to see you."

Fang Yunhua's heart skipped a beat, and the words on his lips involuntarily became a stammer.

"A... a... a woman?"

"A man."

Fang Yunhua let out a long breath of relief, only to feel puzzled a moment later.

This time, Withered Plum did not keep him guessing. She spoke plainly.

"It is Jin Ban Hua from the capital."

"Old Jin? I suppose he counts as a friend."

Yes, a wine-and-meat friend-the sort he simply had fun with.

While sorting through his memories of his previous life in his room earlier, Fang Yunhua had discovered that he had inadvertently become acquainted with quite a few characters from the original story.

It was just that the way he had met them was a little...

"Yunhua!"

Withered Plum's tone grew even sterner, snapping Fang Yunhua out of his wandering thoughts.

"Master..."

"Tell me honestly. You did not cause any more trouble during your last trip outside, did you?"

"No, no!" Fang Yunhua hurriedly explained. "Actually, I never bothered anyone. It was just a chance encounter... I couldn't help myself... and before I knew it, I'd made friends with a few sweet younger sisters."

"Sweet younger sisters! Hmph!"

At this point, Withered Plum's expression grew conflicted.

She had no idea what sins she had committed to deserve constantly cleaning up this wretched disciple's messes.

First there had been Zuo Mingzhu, the darling daughter of Zuo Qinghou of Goblet-Tossing Manor, then Shi Yin of Shi Family Manor, and then Jin Lingzhi, Madam Jin's youngest granddaughter from the Ten Thousand Blessings and Longevity Garden. And those were merely the ones whose families had come knocking.

Who knew how many others were still hidden in the shadows?

Her blood pressure was rising.

Looking at the wretched disciple before her, Withered Plum truly wanted to slap him. Yet he was also exceptionally accomplished. In talent and comprehension, he far surpassed her first disciple, Gao Yanan. As for his handling of women, although their families had come knocking...

Since this wretched disciple had already breached their defenses from within, those three beauties, each among the finest in the martial world, had stubbornly taken his side. In the end, the matter could only be shelved for the time being.

Moreover, thanks to these special relationships, Mount Hua had been able to use those three channels to establish trade routes and strengthen itself.

In other words, all of Mount Hua was currently living off women alongside this wretched disciple.

"Ah, forget it. Go and..."

Withered Plum waved a hand weakly, but when she saw that her wretched disciple had not moved, she asked,

"Is there something else?"

"Master, I'd like to tell you a story."

"What?"

Fang Yunhua first drew a deep breath, then screwed up his courage and spoke.

"Actually, the last time I went down the mountain, I also met an older sister. Perhaps she'd never met anyone she fancied before, because after exchanging just a few words with me, she started pouring her heart and soul into showering me with silver. But am I the sort of man who lives off a woman?

"Of course not!

"So I firmly refused her. But that incident also made me realize something: older sisters who've never experienced romance can easily be cheated out of everything they own by despicable pretty boys!

"And in Mount Hua, the yin flourishes while the yang wanes. Those elders are also pretty much all..."

"Wait! The elders?" Withered Plum's gaze turned rather strange as she looked at Fang Yunhua. "How much older was this older sister of yours?"

"Twenty..."

"Two years?"

"Twenty or thirty years..."

"Wretched disciple!" Withered Plum blasted out a gust of palm force. Damn it, twenty or thirty years older-he was clearly pointing right at her! This wretched disciple actually dared to make such cheeky remarks to her!

But a moment later, her expression shifted slightly.

Given her understanding of her wretched disciple's strength, that palm strike she had unleashed in anger should have sent him crashing out through the doors with a bang. Yet after he jabbed several times, using his sword as a pointing finger, he effortlessly dispersed the blast instead.

"You have comprehended intent?"

"What intent?"

Fang Yunhua had acted entirely on instinct. After successfully neutralizing Withered Plum's palm strike, he belatedly realized that something about his condition seemed unusual.

First, his control over his body and his ability to draw out its potential seemed to have suddenly risen a level. It was like a leap in the very essence of his life, allowing him to instantly perceive the weak point in that palm force and neutralize it.

Second, his comprehension seemed to have improved again.

After Withered Plum asked whether he had comprehended intent, Fang Yunhua vaguely began to grasp something.

"Go and see your friend first."

Withered Plum, who had still been somewhat angry a moment ago, returned to her usual stillness.

After Fang Yunhua nodded and left the hall, Withered Plum continued gazing thoughtfully at the candlestick nearest to where he had just stood. A faint layer of cloudy vapor enveloped its flickering flame.

Only after roughly half an incense stick's worth of time had passed did that gradually thinning vapor dissipate completely.

Mount Hua had a guest hall specifically for receiving visitors.

When Fang Yunhua entered the guest hall, most of his attention was still devoted to studying the changes in himself. Raising his eyes, he also noticed Jin Ban Hua, dressed like a nouveau riche.

The man's sudden arrival surprised him.

"Brother Fang!"

Jin Ban Hua looked very excited and spoke as soon as he approached.

"I've come to ask for your help, Brother Fang!"

Fang Yunhua frowned slightly. He said nothing, merely gesturing for him to continue.

"You must have heard the recent rumors in the martial world."

"Which ones?"

"That detestable Chu Liuxiang stole my White Jade Beauty!"

"So you want me to help you take it back?"

"I've gathered some men. I want to see whether we have a chance."

Jin Ban Hua clenched his fists, looking thoroughly unwilling to accept his loss, but this only drew a mocking smile from Fang Yunhua.

Noticing that undisguised sneer, Jin Ban Hua's expression also began to change.

"Brother Fang, why are you..."

"You don't understand Young Master Jin, much less my friendship with Old Jin. He cares far too much about saving face to come knocking over something like this. Especially in front of me, he would never say anything that showed such weakness."

Jin Ban Hua's face became expressionless.

He made no further attempt to argue. Instead, he looked as though he was first choosing his words in his head.

But Fang Yunhua was not about to give him time to think.

Based on his deductions about the original story's timeline, he had already guessed the man's identity.

And this was practically a combat-strength testing device delivered straight to his door!

An opportunity like this was hard to come by!

"You... you've come with ill intentions! Speak! Did you kill Old Jin? I'll avenge him!"

Having seized the moral high ground with his opening move, Fang Yunhua drew the sword at his waist. A glint of cold steel flashed as the sword's ringing cry reverberated throughout the guest hall!