Chapter 464 - 215: Gate 3
Chapter 464: Chapter 215: Gate 3
CLICK. CLACK.
The dagger slid in two inches when, with a sharp DING, it struck something hard. It wouldn’t budge another fraction of an inch.
Fang Shuwen paused, glancing back at Miao Feichan.
Miao Feichan looked just as surprised. ’Did we guess wrong?’
’Is the Seven Stars not the key to this door after all?’
Yu Yaoguang seemed to realize something. Just as she was about to speak, Fang Shuwen had already begun gently wiggling the dagger up and down.
Pushing down met resistance, but when he tried pushing up, the tip of the dagger found an open space. He followed the opening and slid it in further.
"So that’s how it is."
Fang Shuwen instantly understood. The Seven Stars was shaped like a snake, full of rises and falls. He had to follow its winding curves to insert it completely.
With this realization, he quickly fed the entire dagger into the lock.
Fang Shuwen had Yu Yaoguang and Miao Feichan step back. He then gripped the hilt, applied pressure, and gave it a slight twist.
A series of clicks and clacks echoed.
It was the sound of the door’s internal mechanisms. But then, the entire door itself began to groan in response.
The stars carved into the door were opening, each revealing a small hole.
WHIZZZ!
With no room to dodge, countless sharp projectiles instantly enveloped Fang Shuwen.
Miao Feichan’s expression changed drastically. She instinctively moved to rush forward and pull Fang Shuwen back.
But Yu Yaoguang grabbed her wrist, holding her fast.
A resonant chime, like that of a great temple bell, echoed through the corridor. A translucent, golden, ancient bell had materialized, enveloping Fang Shuwen completely.
This was followed by the incessant whirring of mechanisms.
SCREEECH!!!
The heavy, thick, enormous door suddenly groaned open, revealing a narrow slit.
It all happened too fast.
Before Miao Feichan could even turn to look at Yu Yaoguang, it was all over.
Fang Shuwen retracted the Twelve-Gate Golden Bell Shield. The projectiles that had failed to pierce the Body-Protecting Divine Technique clattered to the floor.
They were needle-like projectiles, shaped like small shuttles—a strange and peculiar type of Hidden Weapon.
Fang Shuwen picked one up and examined it in his palm.
"What is this thing?"
Miao Feichan took one look, and a fine sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead.
"That’s the Celestial Spirit Qi-Breaking Needle!"
"The Celestial Spirit Qi-Breaking Needle! It’s said they can pierce any Body-Protecting Divine Technique in the world!"
Fang Shuwen’s eyes lit up.
"In that case, this is some good stuff."
He glanced back at the floor, which was littered with them... ’I wonder if they can be reused after being fired once?’
’I’ll gather them all up later. I don’t really have a use for them, but I can give them to Yu Yaoguang and Zhou Qingmei.’
’Yu Yaoguang has the entire Yuqing Pavilion and vast connections in the Jianghu. If she can find a master craftsman to replicate these, it’ll be another tool in her arsenal.’
When he voiced this idea, Miao Feichan, who was still shaken from the scare, was suddenly left speechless.
Yu Yaoguang was also stunned.
"That idea of yours... is certainly interesting."
"Is it?"
Fang Shuwen was puzzled.
"Isn’t that a perfectly normal way to think about it?"
"If it can’t kill me, then it’s mine."
"After I killed Ye Wufeng at the Northern Domain Sword God Palace, I bundled up the entire Sword God Palace and sold it to the Golden Bell Tower."
Yu Yaoguang and Miao Feichan exchanged a glance, each seeing the same astonishment reflected in the other’s eyes.
They couldn’t help but ask in unison:
"You did *what*?"
Fang Shuwen was a little surprised by their reaction. He glanced at the now-open door. A strange smell was wafting out. After so many years without ventilation, he couldn’t be sure if the air inside was poisonous, so he decided to let it air out for a while.
He used the time to explain his business deal with the Golden Bell Tower.
It was only then that understanding dawned on Miao Feichan.
"No wonder the Golden Bell Tower spread the news about us without charging you any silver."
"I thought it was because your reputation as the Demon Evil God was so fearsome that the Golden Bell Tower wanted to curry favor with you..."
"Turns out it’s because they still owe you silver."
Yu Yaoguang, however, remarked thoughtfully:
"An entire Sword God Palace... while the Golden Bell Tower can certainly afford it, I’m guessing they didn’t pay you directly in silver."
"That would stretch the Golden Bell Tower’s finances thin..."
Fang Shuwen smiled. Their liquid capital, of course.
He had, of course, already considered that.
In fact, it suited his intentions perfectly.
The Golden Bell Tower is a savvy business organization. Fang Shuwen didn’t just want a golden egg; he wanted the goose that lays them.
Not the whole goose, of course. Just a piece of it.
But even with just a piece, Fang Shuwen would never have to worry about money again.
Seeing his smile, Yu Yaoguang knew exactly what he was planning and couldn’t help but laugh as well.
"Aren’t you afraid the Golden Bell Tower will just default on the payment and take advantage of you?"
Fang Shuwen shook his head.
"They’re not that foolish... And if they were, it wouldn’t exactly be a bad thing for me."
"It would just mean that the next thing I’d be bundling up and selling is the Golden Bell Tower."
"..."
For a moment, Miao Feichan didn’t know what to say.
’This young man... how long has he even been active in the Jianghu?’
’A year at most, right?’
’And now he’s plotting against the Golden Bell Tower... Well, not really plotting. It was a mutually agreeable arrangement.’
’Both sides stand to benefit.’
Still, she had to ask:
"And will the Golden Bell Tower really go along with your plan?"
Fang Shuwen thought for a moment and said:
"There’s a high probability. After all, the Sword God Palace is extremely valuable."
"If they tried to convert its entire value into silver to pay me, their daily cash flow would seize up. The resulting losses would be even greater than what they owe me."