Chapter 633 - 628: Noticing
Chapter 633: Chapter 628: Noticing
’I have to delay the discovery of Yi San’s death for as long as possible!’
Having made his decision, Fang Han began to stall for time.
He took a ceramic jar from his Storage Ring. When he pulled out the stopper, a pungent odor filled the air.
He poured the Corpse-Dissolving Water onto Yi San’s body. Amid a SIZZLING sound, the corpse and its clothes melted away at a visible rate.
It turned into a puddle of murky, dark-yellow liquid that seeped into the disturbed soil.
He then picked up the "Yi San" Jade Token, executed a Body Technique, and ventured deeper into the dense forest.
A moment later, he found a wild wolf hunting its prey.
He captured the wolf and used a strip of cloth to tie the Identity Jade Token to it.
The purpose of this was to keep the Identity Jade Token moving. This would prevent the Dark Abyss from using any means they had to track the token’s location, discovering it was stationary for too long, and growing suspicious.
After doing all this, he returned to the previous spot and erased all traces of the fight.
’I’ll just delay them for as long as I can.’
Fang Han let out a slow breath, returned to the main road, and swung himself onto Chi Huo’s broad back.
Chi Huo let out a low growl and continued forward along the main road on all fours.
The early summer wind whistled past his ears, carrying the scent of earth and plants.
Fang Han sat cross-legged on the lion’s back, the mid-grade Magical Weapon-level silver-gray longsword hanging at his waist, his gaze fixed ahead.
Although a shadow of gloom still lingered in his heart, his expression was no longer tense.
As for the Dark Abyss, he would deal with them when they came.
WHOOSH!
Chi Huo’s pace was incredibly steady; there was almost no jolting as it ran.
The fields and forests on both sides flew backward. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds, stretching the shadows of the man and the lion.
HUMMM—
Fang Han closed his eyes. The Cyan Wood Antitoxic Scripture slowly activated within him, and dark green Inner Qi surged through his meridians, restoring the Inner Strength he had expended in the fight.
He silently calculated his next steps. ’Once I get to Liangshui City, I’ll sort out the betrothal gifts and set off to propose to the Yun Family and the Hundred Treasures Pavilion as soon as possible.’
’It would be best to get these things done before the Dark Abyss’s next wave of assassins arrives.’
Although he was confident he could fend off the next attack, it would be far better to avoid one altogether.
"Chi Huo, a little faster."
He patted the Lion Demon’s neck.
Chi Huo let out a deep roar, pushed off with its four limbs, and its speed suddenly increased. It became a streak of crimson light, racing along the main road.
...
Chi Huo was extremely fast. By that afternoon, Fang Han could already see the familiar silhouette of Liangshui City in the distance.
It was the sixth month, and the city walls were covered in verdant vines that gleamed under the afternoon sun.
The city gate was bustling with pedestrians, even more prosperous than it had been a few months ago. The small city was on its way to becoming a mid-sized one.
The soldiers guarding the gate saw a massive crimson figure racing toward them from afar, and their expressions changed.
Just as they were about to sound an alarm, they saw that the person sitting atop the lion was Fang Han. The captain of the soldiers hastily ordered his men to clear a path, then trotted forward to greet him with a bow.
"Young Master Fang, you’re back!"
Fang Han gave a slight nod as Chi Huo passed through the city gate with steady steps.
The pedestrians on both sides of the street were startled at the sight of the giant lion, whose body was as red as fire. But when they clearly saw the green-robed figure on its back, their shock turned into deep reverence.
"It’s Young Master Fang Han!"
"That mount... its aura is so powerful!"
"Young Master Fang actually has a First-Grade Demon as a mount! That’s incredible."
Low murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some people quickly stepped aside to make way, while others clasped their fists and bowed in respect.
Every time this Celestial Pride True Inheritance of the Fang Family returned, he seemed more and more unfathomable.
Fang Han rode Chi Huo along the city’s main street toward the Fang Mansion.
In front of the Fang Mansion, the vermilion-lacquered main gate was magnificent, and the two stone lions flanking it had a somber gleam in the sunlight.
"Young Master Han is back!"
A guard at the gate shouted loudly, and the news spread through the mansion as if it had grown wings.
Fang Han dismounted from Chi Huo, patted its massive head, and motioned for it to follow him.
Passing through several courtyards, Fang Han walked straight toward Tingyu Pavilion.
Outside Tingyu Pavilion, his father, Fang Zheng, and his mother, Lin Wan, had already heard the news and come out to greet him.
Lin Wan wore a navy-blue blouse and skirt, a joyful smile on her face.
Fang Zheng, dressed in a brocade robe, stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes filled with unconcealable delight.
"Father, Mother."
Fang Han called out, taking a few steps forward.
"Han’er, weren’t you supposed to be back later? Why have you returned so soon?"
Lin Wan stepped forward and took Fang Han’s hand, looking him up and down, her eyes filled with both joy and a hint of confusion.
"A stage of my cultivation has come to an end, so I returned early."
Fang Han smiled faintly and walked into the courtyard with his parents.
His nine-year-old sister, Fang Ying, heard the commotion and ran out from the study.
She was wearing a small, goose-yellow dress and had her hair in double buns. Seeing Fang Han, she trotted forward cheerfully.
"Brother!"
Fang Han reached out and gently ruffled her hair.
The family sat around a table in the side hall. A maid served fragrant tea before silently retreating.
Fang Zheng picked up his teacup and looked at Fang Han. "You’ve come back so early. Are you perhaps thinking of moving the engagement forward?"
"I happen to have some free time now, so I was thinking of moving the engagement forward. Would that be too rushed?"
Fang Han put down his teacup, his expression turning more serious.
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan exchanged a glance, and smiles appeared on both their faces.
"It’s already the sixth month. Everything that needs to be prepared is ready. It’s a little earlier than planned, but that’s not a problem," Lin Wan said with a smile.
"The betrothal gifts, the matchmaker, the dates... we’ve asked the Patriarch to help us with the planning. We were just waiting for you to come back and finalize things."
Fang Han nodded slightly and took out two Cold Jade Boxes from his bundle, placing them gently on the table.
"What are these?"
Fang Zheng’s gaze fell on the two boxes.
"Two Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures I acquired during my travels."
Fang Han opened the lids one by one.
In one Cold Jade Box lay a fruit emitting a strange fragrance.
The fruit was the size of a longan, pale gold in color, with a faint shimmer of light swirling across its surface.
He opened the other Cold Jade Box, revealing a fiery red flower the size of a bowl.
The flower had nine petals, each a fiery crimson hue. At its center, a cluster of red mist slowly swirled.
A very faint, unusual fragrance spread out, and inhaling it was enough to make one’s spirits feel slightly refreshed.
"This is...?"
Fang Zheng frowned slightly. With his level of experience, he naturally couldn’t recognize these two items.
"A Realm-Breaking Fruit and a Longevity Flower."
Fang Han said.
"The Realm-Breaking Fruit can help a person break through a cultivation bottleneck in the Upper Three Realms. Even for the bottleneck between the peak of Fourth Grade and Third Grade, taking this fruit will increase the chance of success by at least fifty percent."
"The Longevity Flower can extend one’s life by thirty years. It’s a rare treasure for longevity, and its value is no less than that of the Realm-Breaking Fruit."
The hand Fang Zheng was using to hold his teacup paused slightly.
Lin Wan looked at the two items in amazement, her voice tinged with disbelief:
"To think such Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures actually exist."
Fang Han pushed the two Cold Jade Boxes toward his parents.
"Add the Realm-Breaking Fruit to the gift list for the Yun Family. Patriarch Yun Yueshan of the Yun Family has been stuck at the peak of Fourth Grade for many years. This item will be most precious to him."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"As for the Longevity Flower, add it to the gift list for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion. As a chamber of commerce, the rarity of this flower makes it a perfect signature treasure for them."
Fang Zheng stroked his beard in thought, then slowly nodded after a moment:
"You’ve been very thoughtful. Patriarch Yun has been stuck at the peak of Fourth Grade for many years, so the Realm-Breaking Fruit is a perfect betrothal gift. As for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, a longevity treasure is indeed worthy of being their signature treasure."
Lin Wan picked up the conversation, her tone somewhat urgent.
"With these two Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, the gift list certainly won’t seem shabby. When do you plan to go and make the proposal?"
"The sooner, the better."
Fang Han nodded, his expression calm. He didn’t say a single word about the assassination attempt.
His parents were ordinary people. An assassin organization like the Dark Abyss was too far removed from their world; telling them would only cause them needless worry.
As for the Sect, he had sent a message through a special channel. However, with his current strength, there was very little the Sect could do to help him.
For the next hour or so, Fang Zheng retrieved the betrothal gift list that had been drafted long ago, and the three of them went over it item by item.
The gifts for the Yun Family included not only the Realm-Breaking Fruit but also generous presents like gold, silver, and jewels, fine silks and satins, and various kinds of elixirs.
The gifts for the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, besides the Longevity Flower, included several rare antiques that the Fang Family had specifically sought out in the Commandery City.
After reviewing the lists, Fang Han had no objections, only adding a reminder:
"Let’s handle everything as quickly as possible. I can’t stay for too long."
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan simply assumed that Fang Han was busy with his cultivation and wanted to settle the engagement quickly, so they didn’t think much of it.
...
「Inside a shop.」
A middle-aged man with a plain face, dressed in gray cloth robes, frowned slightly as he looked at the cup of long-cold tea on the table.
He was the Dark Abyss’s intelligence chief for Qingyang County.
According to intelligence, Fang Han had already left the Qingxuan Sect and returned to Liangshui City.
Logically, this should have been an excellent opportunity to assassinate Fang Han.
But so far, no intelligence had returned about Fang Han being assassinated, which he found highly unusual.
’Has the operation not yet begun? Or has it already been carried out and failed?’
SWISH!
The middle-aged man took a palm-sized, compass-shaped object from his robes.
The Compass was pitch-black, with a dark red Jade Pearl embedded in the center. It was the Tracking Compass used by the Dark Abyss to track their Identity Tokens.
He channeled his Inner Qi and gently pressed his fingertip on the dark red Jade Pearl. A faint layer of dark red patterns appeared on the Compass’s surface, and an extremely thin, crimson needle slowly turned to point northwest.
’The Identity Token is moving, but its location...’
The middle-aged man’s brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of doubt flashing in his otherwise unremarkable eyes.
The Identity Token was moving, which should mean that nothing had happened to Yi San.
But Yi San’s current location, if his guess was correct, should be in the mountain forest.
’Why isn’t Yi San going to assassinate Fang Han? Why is he in the mountains instead?’
’I’ll go investigate first!’
The middle-aged man put away the Compass, left the shop, and executed a Body Technique, speeding off in the direction the needle pointed.
Several hours later, he arrived at the source of the Compass’s reading.
It was a dense pine forest, lush with grass and trees. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
He stopped and his gaze fell forward.
A gray wolf was hunched over, gnawing on the carcass of a wild rabbit.
Tied around the gray wolf’s neck was a pitch-black Jade Token, glinting with a cold light in the sun.