Early spring in the third month should have been a time of warmth and blooming flowers.
However, the farther north one traveled, the more this process was delayed.
Green grass was tinged with morning frost, and a thin layer of ice coated the river’s surface.
Suddenly, a figure leaped into the air. Reaching down over the river’s surface, he snatched a fat, plump carp right out of the water and into his palm.
His figure turned again, landing by the riverbank, where he deftly killed and cleaned the fish.
He skewered it on a wooden stick and brought it over to a pre-lit fire to begin roasting.
He reached into his personal bundle and rummaged around for a moment, pulling out several small jars and pots, which he set aside for later use.
After finishing all this, he finally took out a map from his robes to examine it.
"That guy Chen Yan is so unreliable. He promised to come to the Northern Domain with me, but all I found at our meeting spot was a letter.
"If he were here, he’d probably be more useful than this map."
Fang Shuwen sighed to himself. The letter from Chen Yan had said that he’d suddenly received an urgent summons from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion and had to go back.
And so, Fang Shuwen had to set off alone.
After a long and hurried journey, he had finally set foot in the Northern Domain.
But on his very first day, he discovered that his surroundings didn’t match the map.
As a result, he’d been forced to camp in the wilderness last night.
Lately, however, he’d grown less resistant to the idea of sleeping outdoors.
He had often missed finding an inn for the night during his travels, but those times had been uneventful, and last night had also been peaceful.
While the fish was roasting, he decided to study the map carefully.
The maps of the Eastern and Northern Domains were clearly not made by the same person, so Fang Shuwen had to reorient himself using the surrounding landmarks.
The aroma of cooking fish gradually began to spread.
Fang Shuwen occasionally put down the map, picked up one of the small jars, and sprinkled some of its contents onto the fish.
After sniffing the air, Fang Shuwen flipped the fish over with a satisfied nod.
Just as he was about to pick up the map again, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps, someone stumbling and crawling as they scrambled in his direction.
Fang Shuwen looked toward the source of the sound and saw a woman with disheveled hair and a face as black as charcoal, only her eyes shining brightly.
As their eyes met, he saw extreme fear in her gaze.
Only after Fang Shuwen looked away did she let out a slight sigh of relief. Her gaze swept over him, and for a moment, she was unsure whether she should keep moving forward.
As she hesitated, she heard Fang Shuwen say:
"If you don’t get going, your pursuers will be here any second."
At his words, the woman’s expression changed drastically. She gritted her teeth, darted around Fang Shuwen, and hurried past him.
But Fang Shuwen just shook his head.
"Too late."
Sure enough, as the words left his mouth, a series of whooshing sounds cut through the air.
Seven or eight figures appeared in quick succession, surrounding the woman.
The leader sneered.
"Seize her!"
At his command, two men stepped forward and pinned the woman down.
Their methods were vicious, employing a Bone Shattering technique. The woman truly seemed to know no Martial Arts, but she had a stubborn spirit. Despite the excruciating pain, she clenched her jaw and remained silent.
Seeing this, the leader’s gaze shifted to Fang Shuwen.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you know who this woman is?"
"I don’t."
Fang Shuwen felt that his fish was almost ready. The aroma grew stronger, making his mouth water. He picked up another small jar, sprinkled more seasoning on the fish, and the scent became even more tantalizing.
The corner of the leader’s eye twitched as he said coldly:
"Her name is Long Qingzhi."
"Hm? So?"
Fang Shuwen looked at him, confused.
"Now you know who she is," the leader stated flatly.
"...So what if I know?"
"If you know, you die!"
The leader suddenly waved his hand. All but the two men holding Long Qingzhi—the remaining five—charged at Fang Shuwen to kill him.
Fang Shuwen was shocked. He looked at the leader in disbelief.
"You... you..."
A smug look appeared on the leader’s face.
But then Fang Shuwen suddenly spun, his right hand raised into a fist that he brought crashing down.
A massive, phantom fist materialized above the five men’s heads.
BOOM!!!
A thunderous crash, and five bloody mists.
This move was called Hammer Sea Shocking Heaven.
It was from the only Fist Technique manual, Sea-Shaking Divine Fist, among the Martial Arts that Fang Mingxuan had given Fang Shuwen. This Fist Technique had six moves in total: Hammer Sea Shocking Heaven, Shocking Wind and Breaking Waves, Four Shocks and Waves Splitting, Eight-direction Burst, Breaking Sea and Overturning Clouds, and Wind Calming and Madness Stopping.
Each and every move was powerful and heavy, a style that suited Fang Shuwen perfectly, which was why he had practiced them often during his journey.
Today, however, was the first time he had truly put it to the test.
The smug look on the leader’s face instantly froze.
The unabated force of Hammer Sea Shocking Heaven sent a gale tearing through the area, flinging the leader backward. Halfway through his flight, however, an extremely powerful force yanked him back.
Fang Shuwen slammed his hand down on the man’s head and said softly:
"You’ve really opened my eyes. I’ve seen plenty of people with a death wish, but you’re the first one I’ve met who asked for it in such a roundabout way."
The leader’s face paled.
"You... you can’t kill me..."
The words sounded familiar to Fang Shuwen. He couldn’t help but ask:
"Don’t tell me you have a powerful father, too?"
The man froze.
’What kind of question is that?’
’Of course I have a father. Was I born from a crack in a rock?’
He hurriedly said:
"I’m from Snow Eagle Castle! If you kill me, Snow Eagle Castle will never let you go!"