"Didn’t I tell you before?"
Yu Yaoguang swayed gracefully over to Fang Shuwen. She leaned in and blew a soft breath on his chin.
"I’m here to make a deal."
Fang Shuwen’s eyes narrowed. Passivity wasn’t his style. He reached out, grabbed Yu Yaoguang’s chin, and tilted it up gently.
"I’m listening..."
Yu Yaoguang’s lips parted slightly.
"I want you... to help me with my Cultivation."
"?"
Fang Shuwen froze, his mind suddenly flashing to the Cloud Rain Harmony Technique.
He had read the manual. Its purpose was to unearth one’s latent potential through yin-yang dual cultivation, mutually advancing the Cultivation of both partners.
Hearing her words now, it was as if a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
The inheritance of the Seven Sect Leaders of the Eastern Domain involved receiving all of their master’s Inner Strength and then slowly converting it into their own Cultivation through secluded training.
The Cloud Rain Harmony Technique, which unearthed one’s foundational potential, fit this principle perfectly.
’This woman... She actually intends for me to help her with her Cultivation!’
For a moment, Fang Shuwen didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.
"I’ve figured it out," he said. "You didn’t come here for Ye Wucheng at all. You came for me."
"And what if I did?"
"Why me?"
"Because in the last thirty-odd years, you’re the only one who has ever caught my eye... And I don’t want to have any regrets."
Yu Yaoguang’s breathing grew ragged. Fang Shuwen’s actions were even bolder than she had imagined.
She was strong with her words and bold to the point of recklessness. But when Fang Shuwen actually held her, feeling the strength in his arms and the heat from his body, her confidence wavered.
But she wouldn’t let him see it, so she stiffened her neck and said:
"You’ve read the Cloud Rain Harmony Technique. Do you remember its core principles?"
"Of course I do..."
"Good that you remember!"
As soon as she spoke, she shoved Fang Shuwen down, pounced on top of him, and reached up to remove her thin veil.
From her dominant position, she looked down at Fang Shuwen with her frosty, phoenix-like eyes and asked that question again:
"Tell me, do you think I’m old?"
In this Jianghu, many people were liars.
Some told lies riddled with holes, while others could lie with seamless perfection.
Fang Shuwen was also a very good liar.
But at this moment, gazing at the woman before him, he simply couldn’t bring himself to say the word "old."
In a daze, he hooked an arm around Yu Yaoguang’s neck. With a twist of his body, and amidst her cry of surprise, their positions were reversed.
"Not old..."
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Fang Shuwen was no saint, and certainly no gentleman. Moreover, he was a young man brimming with vigor... If he could still remain composed in a situation like this, he wouldn’t be a gentleman, he’d be a eunuch!
In the quiet courtyard, the little donkey’s ears twitched. It suddenly heard a woman’s suppressed voice coming from Fang Shuwen’s room.
"You little rogue, why aren’t you... circulating the Mental Method..."
"Then I’ll start circulating it now..."
"Wait... Just... just like this..."
...
...
The expedition to Pojun City had, in truth, already come to a complete end on this very night.
Starting the very next day, all sorts of news concerning the Seven-String Ancient Chapter began to spread throughout the Jianghu.
From the initial bloody conflicts to Xiao Ruofeng shattering the Jinghua Pavilion with a single sword strike and plunging everyone into the underground labyrinth, every detail was recounted with relish.
Furthermore, Lin Fan, wielder of the Purple Nether Sword, had also appeared in the Earth Palace, where he was nearly surrounded and killed.
Several mysterious, unidentified figures had also appeared, their identities sparking layers of discussion.
Little Madman Zhang Xuanfeng had died a tragic death in the Earth Palace... yet his killer remained unknown.
Finally, the news that Chen Qi, the Young Venerable of Dragon Emperor Hall, had absconded with the Seven-String Ancient Chapter caused the greatest uproar of all.
Some people also knew Fang Shuwen had been in the Earth Palace, and they wondered why this fearsome devil hadn’t taken the Seven-String Ancient Chapter for himself.
But soon, news about Fang Shuwen’s activities also began to circulate...
Demon Evil God Fang Shuwen beat Jue Tong of the Joyful Zen Temple to death.
Demon Evil God Fang Shuwen beat Gu Panxi of the Flower Sect to death.
Demon Evil God Fang Shuwen beat Ye Wucheng of the Sword God Palace to death.
When these three reports came out, everyone had a sudden realization.
It turned out that while everyone else had gone for the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, Fang Shuwen had gone there just to kill people.
And the various changes stemming from this battle were also quietly brewing.
After obtaining the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, Chen Qi rushed to a coastal city and set sail.
He left a trail of clues, causing the major port cities to become instantly overcrowded as people scrambled to set sail in search of him.
Some even resolved to go after Dragon Emperor Hall itself.
As word of these events spread, many were filled with righteous indignation.
The Eastern Domain Martial World was filled with talent and countless masters; how could they let some punk from overseas take the ultimate prize?
It was simply outrageous!
Some even formed alliances, procured large ships, and set out to sea in droves.
Even Yu Yaoguang received a message by carrier pigeon. Some had turned their sights on the Seven Great Sects, demanding that they uphold justice for the Eastern Domain Martial World.
Yu Yaoguang, naturally, didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
These people had fought over the Seven-String Ancient Chapter for themselves, and if they’d won, they certainly wouldn’t have offered to share it with the Seven Great Sects. Yet now they remembered the Seven Great Sects and expected them to "uphold justice"...
’They must be dreaming.’
Of course, Yu Yaoguang paid no mind to these messages. She didn’t have the time. The morning after returning from the Earth Palace, she had already sent the disciples of Yuqing Pavilion back to their sect.
She herself then followed Fang Shuwen and his group, setting off for Guangning City.
The days on the road were peaceful enough, but as for the nights... Fang Shuwen couldn’t have found peace even if he wanted it.