The serving girls at Fengle Tower were mostly children of Rogue Cultivators from around Five Dragon Island, who came to earn a living and ease the burden on their families.
The serving girl before them was only fifteen or sixteen, with a cultivation of merely the second level of Qi Refining.
Fang Hong seized her wrist, snatched the wine jug from her hand, and demanded coldly, "What did you put in the wine?"
The serving girl gave a startled cry. Panic-stricken, she froze where she stood.
Everyone turned to Fang Hong. Xiao Yuansha, who counted as half a host at Fengle Tower, asked curiously, "Senior Brother Fang, is something wrong with the wine?"
Fang Hong nodded.
"Let me see."
Half doubtful, Xiao Yuansha took the jug, then produced a talisman and activated it with a spell. A layer of azure spiritual flame ignited on the paper and fell into the jug.
Poof!
The next instant, a thick, seven-colored mist rose from the wine jug.
Even a distant whiff sent a rich, sweetly rank fragrance washing over everyone at the table. Their souls felt so blissfully light they might ascend to immortality, making them unable to resist wanting a few more breaths.
"Ultimate Bliss Powder!"
Chu Yuechai frowned and swept her fair hand, sending the thick mist swirling out the window.
Xiao Yuansha's expression darkened. His cold gaze fixed on the serving girl as he barked, "Who put you up to this?"
Ultimate Bliss Powder was not poison, but it was even more harmful than poison.
It had an extremely powerful intoxicating effect on the soul. Once consumed, it filled the Sea of Consciousness with illusions, leaving its victims immersed in rapture and unable to extricate themselves.
It was also extremely addictive!
Once someone became addicted, it was enough to shroud their Dao heart in dust. From then on, a single day without it would leave them tormented by unbearable cravings, finding life worse than death and unable to care about anything else.
Their path to immortality would be ruined from then on.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator had once refused to believe the warnings and tried Ultimate Bliss Powder himself. Sure enough, his Dao heart soon shattered. Not only did his cultivation regress, but he also became half-mad.
However, Ultimate Bliss Powder was extremely difficult to refine and very rare. Who knew where this serving girl had obtained it?
Chai Hongzhou, Gu Hongchen, and the others were also shaken by belated fear. Had they carelessly drunk the spiritual wine laced with Ultimate Bliss Powder just now, their lives would have been ruined.
Chu Yuechai cast Gu Hongchen a glance with a faint, ambiguous smile and sneered, "Junior Brother Gu, didn't you say the Xun Household wouldn't make a move against Senior Brother Fang?"
Gu Hongchen's expression was solemn as he said evenly, "It is also possible that an enemy of the Xun Household used this to frame them and provoke a dispute between the Yunchuan Fang Household and the Xun Household."
Chu Yuechai chuckled and turned to Fang Hong. "Senior Brother Fang, Senior Brother Chai is skilled in the Ghost King Sect's secret Soul Searching art. Why not let him see who wants to harm you?"
Fang Hong had precisely that in mind and looked to Chu Yuansha for his opinion.
After all, this was the Chu family's restaurant. Once the serving girl underwent Soul Searching, her soul would inevitably suffer severe damage. At best, she would become a witless fool; at worst, her soul would dissipate on the spot.
Chu Yuansha knitted his brows tightly and said to Chai Hongzhou, "Then sorry for the trouble, Junior Brother Chai."
"All right."
Just as Chai Hongzhou was about to rise, a strange, sinister look flashed through the serving girl's eyes. A heart-chilling Blood Flame surged from her entire body, and her aura climbed level after level from the second level of Qi Refining, abruptly surging to the sixth!
All her magical power and vital blood were burning. In a brief instant, she ignited all her vitality, unleashing a force that detonated something inside her and caused her cultivation to soar.
The change came suddenly. The serving girl's other hand turned pitch-black, and she pressed two fingers together and thrust them toward the space between Fang Hong's brows.
A layer of azure waterlight lit up around Fang Hong, protecting him with a supreme-grade first-tier talisman. The serving girl's two fingers were stopped half a foot before him.
Ripples spread across the azure waterlight. Wearing a cold smile, Fang Hong unleashed Ice-Soul Mystic Light, a frigid gleam flashing in his hand.
In an instant, layers of frost covered the serving girl's right arm and rapidly spread toward the rest of her body.
A savage look flashed across her face. She abruptly swung her hand and severed her own right arm, then turned and leaped out the window, transforming into a streak of blood-red light as she tried to flee.
Fang Hong shook his broad sleeve. A golden streak of sword light shot out, caught up with the serving girl in an instant, and circled lightly around her waist, cutting her in two.
He had fought Yan Suyue over a hundred times in the Romantic Painting Album. Under the pressure of life and death, his swordsmanship had already improved greatly.
His sword light was also several times faster than before.
Before anyone at the table could react, a golden flash passed before their eyes, and Fang Hong cut the serving girl down with a single strike.
"What a fast sword!"
Everyone inwardly shuddered, instinctively imagining how they would defend themselves if suddenly confronted with such keen sword light.
At that thought, they could not help feeling a few degrees more wary and awed by Fang Hong.
Fang Hong came to the window and flicked out a streak of ice-blue mystic light. It landed on the serving girl's severed upper body, instantly freezing it into an ice sculpture.
Fengle Tower occupied a sizable area in Five Dragon Island's marketplace. It was a large courtyard spanning several mu, with three imposing towers within it.
At that moment, the fluctuations from the magical battle drew the cultivators in all three restaurant towers to their windows to watch.
"That Divine Ability should be Ice-Soul Mystic Light, shouldn't it? So it's a Yin-Yang Sect disciple throwing his weight around."
"Judging by its power, he seems to be only at mid Qi Refining. Could he be some inner disciple...?"
"They say Ice-Soul Mystic Light can only be learned in the Ice-Soul Mystic Realm, and the Yin-Yang Sect produces only one such person every ten years. This fellow's status is no simple matter."
"That sword light earlier was formidable too. To think there's a swordsmanship expert among the Yin-Yang Sect's Qi Refining disciples."
"Who knows what happened? They actually dared to fight in the marketplace. Even Yin-Yang Sect disciples probably won't escape punishment."
Some were surprised, while others watched with delight at another's misfortune.
After all, flying and magical combat were forbidden in the marketplace. Anyone who broke the rules would have the Yin-Yang Sect disciples on duty coming to hold them accountable.
Two Foundation Establishment True Disciples of the Yin-Yang Sect took turns on duty in the marketplace year-round. When the Yin-Yang Sect held an auction, a Golden Core elder would also come to oversee it.
Fang Hong, Xiao Yuansha, and the others flew down from the window into the courtyard. Just as they were about to examine the serving girl, Fengle Tower's shopkeeper hurried over with three stewards.
At the same time, two streaks of light descended from the sky. The arrivals wore Yin-Yang Sect robes and asked with stern expressions, "Who was fighting just now?"
Their spiritual auras were not weak; both had late Qi Refining cultivation. Judging by the black-and-white spiritual markings on their cuffs, they should be inner disciples.
Xiao Yuansha stepped forward of his own accord and produced his identity token, saying solemnly, "Senior Brothers, I am Xiao Yuansha, an inner disciple of the Yin-Yang Sect. These are all fellow disciples of our sect."
He then pointed at the serving girl's mangled body. "This woman tried to poison our banquet just now. When that failed, she ruthlessly attempted to assassinate Senior Brother Fang Hong. After failing again, she tried to flee, and only then did Senior Brother Fang cut her down."
The two Yin-Yang Sect inner disciples' expressions eased somewhat at his words. They looked at the hard, deep-blue ice covering the serving girl, then turned their gazes to Fang Hong.
"You are Junior Brother Fang Hong? According to sect rules, we need to inspect your identity token."
Fang Hong took out his token and handed it over.
One of the inner disciples took the token, glanced at it, and handed it back to Fang Hong.
"There is no issue with the token." A playful look appeared on his face as he smiled. "Junior Brother Fang, this woman caused trouble in the marketplace. We must take her back to the Inspection Office to deal with her."
Fang Hong cupped his hands in salute and was just about to speak when the inner disciple waved a hand. "Rest assured, Junior Brother. We will perform Soul Searching on her. If we discover the true culprit behind this, we will certainly inform you."
"Then thank you, Senior Brother," Fang Hong said without betraying anything. "I will pay you both a visit later."
He understood what this inner disciple meant. If he wanted to know the true culprit behind this, he would have to offer something in return.
With so many people around, this was naturally no place to offer a gift outright.
Seeing that he understood the ways of the world, the inner disciple immediately said with a broad smile, "Of course. We're usually on duty at the Inspection Office. Come have some tea when you're free, Junior Brother."
With that, he called to his companion, preparing to take away the serving girl's remains.
Just then, an abrupt change occurred!
The serving girl's head suddenly exploded. Several talismans glowing with black-and-red demonic light scattered through the air and vanished into the void.
"Soul-Transferring Curse?!"
In the crowd, Chai Hongzhou could not help blurting out the words at the sight.
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