The edges of Xuanzhao's lips curled into a faint smile, an expression of mild derision instantly flashing across his face before he continued, "However, with only one set of these rewards, it will only be enough for Shidi Fang to progress into the second tier and not any further. Have you ever considered how you'll obtain more resources to continue cultivating once you've used it all up? You weren't really planning on going back to relying on the two Stones every month, were you? The path of cultivation never ends, and no matter which way you look at it, two Stones a month from the sect is not even close to enough!"
'Oh f*ck you! Of course you A-Ranked disciples get two per month, I only get one every three months!' While Fang Xing was cursing him inside, he released a sigh outside. "There aren't any other options. I'm really poor…."
Xuanzhao suddenly halted his footsteps while continuing to smile. "Let me be honest with you, little Shidi Fang. The amount of Spirit Stones in your hands will never be enough. At most, it will push you into the peak of tier two. The Ore Essence Powders you have, on the other hand, you don't have much use for right now. Why don't you sell them to me in exchange for more resources?"
'Ah-hah! I knew it….' With another round of silent curses, Fang Xing did not reject the offer directly, as Xuanzhao was being rather courteous. Instead, he pondered upon what he should do next while filling his face with astonishment. "Shixiong Xuanzhao, do you need some Ore Essence Powder?"
"Within a year at most, I will progress to the peak of tier three, and it is only natural that I will need Ore Essence Powder to make a Poji Pellet by then. Although the powders may be hard for others to obtain, it's not such a huge difficulty for me; this suggestion is mainly because Shidi and I are getting along so well and the fact that Shidi would benefit a lot more from other resources."
'Haha. You bastard, you really think I'm an idiot! Trying to take advantage of me while pretending to be doing something for the greater good...' Fang Xing coldly thought to himself.
There were now very few people still walking down the mountain peak, and Fang Xing could see a tinge of iciness beneath Xuanzhao's smile; it seemed that if Fang Xing were to reject him now, Xuanzhao would very likely resort to coercion. Although Fang Xing was not afraid of him in the event things did become physical, the true challenge for him to deal with would be Xuanzhao's uncle and family elders within the sect. All manner of scenarios and possibilities flashed through his mind as he looked towards the nearly empty road ahead of them.
Soon, he had a plan.
Faced with Xuanzhao's menacing demeanor, Fang Xing acted as though he was sold on the idea and wore a greedy and hopeful expression. "Shixiong Xuanzhao, thank you for your help. How much would you like to offer?"
Xuanzhao was of course relieved to hear this; it was much easier for him to buy the Ore Essence Powders than to utilize force. "Of course I can't let my little Shidi Fang down. How about twen— thirty Spirit Stones?"
'Thirty Spirit Stones? You son of a bi*ch, how dare you! Ore Essence Powder might not be useful during everyday practice, but it is the most difficult ingredient to find for the Poji Pellet! That Hou Qing chased after it but failed to get it even after offering a Demon Pellet—which is worth a hundred Stones—on top of thirty-five Stones as well! What does this guy think I am to offer only thirty stones?' Though Fang Xing immediately began to curse inside his head with even greater anger, to others he appeared to be unable to decide after being given a difficult offer.
Seeing the troubled expression on the boy's face, Xuanzhao spoke with great purpose, "Does Shidi think the offer is too little? You have to know that even within our sect, it is normal for the weak to be preyed upon by the strong; I'm simply worried that if you were to have more Spirit Stones, it would be no use if you are unable to protect yourself. The moment we met, there had been an instant connection. You can count on me—your Shixiong—to protect you, based on that alone from now on. Not to boast or anything, Shidi Fang, but as a friend of mine, you will be able to do almost anything you want within the outer courts from today onward."
This had begun to sound like a genuine threat. If Fang Xing were to sell the powders to him, Xuanzhao would look after him within the outer courts, but if Fang Xing refused the offer, a revenge was likely to follow. If he could allow Fang Xing to do anything he wished, he could also make sure Fang Xing was unable to do anything at all.
Upon hearing Xuanzhao's words, Fang Xing acted as though he was pleasantly surprised. "Is Shixiong Xuanzhao really going to protect me from being bullied? I've been alone and had no one to rely on ever since I entered the sect, and lots of people have bullied me. Last time I went to pick up my Spirit Stone from the sect, a man named Liu Feng[1] robbed me. And there's the Yunyin Summit duties disciple Hei San; he always demands things from me when he's bored…."
It was a brilliant performance showing a poor child suffering from numerous bullies.
Now completely reassured, Xuanzhao replied with disdain. "Humph, they are not going to be a problem, as I've never even heard of these people's names. As long as you tell them my name, Shidi Fang, you will no longer be mistreated by them. Actually, come with me! I'll show you how to vent your anger on them with me!"
Xuanzhao had taken complete charge of the situation and was prepared to help Fang Xing in his revenge. To Xuanzhao, teaching these nobodies from the outer court would not require much effort, especially since doing so would allow him to receive some Ore Essence Powder for a mere thirty Spirit Stones. Who would decline such an easy trade?
"Oh, no, as long as Shixiong Xuanzhao is willing to help me, these Ore Essence Powders will be my gift of appreciation." Together in his two little hands, Fang Xing extended the pouch of powder in front of him towards Xuanzhao.
In other words, no Spirit Stones were required.
Xuanzhao was more than happy to accept it for practically free. Hastily accepting the powders, he replied with slight embarrassment, "Are you sure? I will still have to give you some Spirit Stones!"
"Shixiong Xuanzhao, to be honest, I have really had enough from those bullies. As long as Shixiong Xuanzhao helps me by saying a few words with the outer court brothers so that nobody dares to pick on me again…. Those Spirit Stones, I shall refrain."
"Not a problem at all!" Xuanzhao laughed before holding on to Fang Xing's hands. "Shidi Fang, I will see you as one of my own. If others insult you, then it will be the same as insulting me. Heh, within these outer courts, I may not be the most influential, but there are not many who dare to see me as someone unimportant. If anyone dares to even make fun of you, I—Xuanzhao—will make sure they would rather die than continue their lives."
Then, as though to settle Fang Xing's mind once more, Xuanzhao ordered some clever-looking disciples to send his message to the Culinary Department, Miscellaneous Department, Herb Department, and the Pavilion of Spiritual Tools: from today onwards, Fang Xing was a close friend of Xuanzhao, and to insult Fang Xing was to become an enemy of Xuanzhao. Furthermore, it would be for the best that those who had bullied Fang Xing in the past to come and apologize first; if they were to wait for him to come find them, things could get messy.
Once that was taken care of, Xuanzhao looked to Fang Xing with pride. "Shidi, I would imagine that no one would dare to bully you after today. But are you sure you don't need me to show them who's the new boss?"
"No no no, not at all. Shixiong must be busy with his own matters," Fang Xing quickly replied.
Xuanzhao was indeed in a rush to check out these Ore Essence Powders and so gave a polite bow. "In that case, if you have any problems in the future, you're more than welcome to see me."
"Please take care, dear Shixiong…." As Fang Xing watched Xuanzhao off, it was now his turn to curl the edges of his lips. 'Bastard, you're a hundred years too early to take advantage of me!'
Fang Xing strolled casually away after seeing Xuanzhao's silhouette disappear into the mountain paths. Once Fang Xing had gotten out of sight from others, he stealthily made his way into a forest nearby before quickly putting on his [Mask of Wanluo], using it for a complete physical transformation before dashing at top speed towards Xuanzhao. Before long, his target was within sight, and Fang Xing began to trail close behind while waiting for the right opportunity to show itself.
It was already close to dusk and there were very few people on the mountain paths; it would not be unusual to not see anyone else for some period of time. Before long, Xuanzhao walked past a bamboo forest, which was quiet and secluded with no one around.
'This is a good spot.' As soon as the thought went through his head, Fang Xing activated a large amount of Qi and—along with the sound of rushing air—he went straight towards Xuanzhao like a bolt of lightning.
The more Xuanzhao looked at the clothed pouch in his hand, the more pleased he was with himself. He had done such a good job; Ore Essence Powder was something that every outer court disciple would consider just as important as their very own life, and he had managed to obtain it for free.
It was also at this exact moment that he felt a strong rush of wind coming towards him from the back. After a moment of tensed alert, he swiftly dodged to the side.
SWISH
A giant fist rubbed across his cheek; it was a close call. As he looked up, he saw a tall, slender man with half of his face covered in a black veil. After the punch missed its intended target, the man violently jerked his knee up for another attack, showing just how ruthless this tall man was.
"Who are you?" Angered, Xuanzhao brought both of his hands up to defend against the man's knee before curling his hands into the shape of claws and—like a snake—smoothly striking out towards the man's neck.
"Heh, wouldn't it be too excessive to keep such precious Ore Essence Powder all for yourself when you got it for free?" Fang Xing responded, his voice deep from the disguise.
As the exchange of questions continued, the man tilted his head to avoid Xuanzhao's grasp while sending his fists towards both of temples at the sides of Xuanzhao's head.
"How did you know about this? Have you been eavesdropping?" Xuanzhao shouted coldly, startled. "Are you trying to rob me within the sect? Have you grown tired of living?"
Before Xuanzhao had finished shouting, he withdrew his body while activating as much Qi as possible to form a deadly blow towards the man's chest.
"You're the one that's tired of living!" Fang Xing responded with a similarly deep shout, bending his knees before thrusting both of his fists forward at the same time.
BOOM
Both men had raised their Qi up to the maximum. When their attacks collided in the air, it was as fierce as the dragon confronting the tiger.
"The upper third tier?" Upon impact, Xuanzhao was surprised to realize his cultivation was actually lower than the man in front of him.
NOTES
[1]Liu Feng: Also known as Liu, or Shixiong Liu. The man who had his tendons damaged by Fang Xing after he attempted to extort Spirit Stones from Fang Xing and Yu. He was also the one who introduced Hou Qing to Fang Xing for the Duty Talisman mission.