Fang Shen shook his head as he stared at the black flames with interest.
Tan Zheng looked at his right arm, which was burned by the black flames. If his bones were burned to ashes, he would lose his right arm forever.
After all, few masters of medical skills are able to help a person renew his arm, and these masters are treated by rich and powerful people with the utmost respect and care. They would by no means treat Tan Zheng.
Without wavering for even a second, Tan Zheng gnashed his teeth and went down on his knees. "Mr. Fang, please forgive me! I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have lied to you."
Fang Shen curled his lips and answered nonchalantly, "I'm sorry to tell you that I'm unable to take the black flames back myself. They won't stop until their target is burned to ashes."
Tan Zheng thought Fang Shen was angered and refused to withdraw the black flames because he had lied to him. He kowtowed to Fang Shen one after another, begging him, "Mr. Fang, I was completely wrong. As long as you spare me, I will be your servant in the future. I won't hesitate to go through fire and water for you." He looked terrible, shorn of all his pride and dignity.
Fang Shen smiled in resignation. "If you had known it would come to this, I guess you would have acted differently. I was lying. There is no way to stop these flames."
Hardly had his voice faded when Tan Zheng's right arm was burned to ashes as if it vanished in the air. Only the flying ashes revealed what had happened just now.
Tan Zheng's clothes were soaked in blood. He fell to the ground, eyes empty, and murmured, "I'm finished. I'm unable to use sword anymore. My money, my cultivation, my fame… I'm screwed."
Fang Shen snorted, "Judging from your movements, you only know the first four moves of Dugu Nine-Stabs. And you haven't fully mastered the fourth move. Am I right?"
His words were a life-saving straw to Tan Zheng. Ignoring the bleeding shoulder, he crawled towards Fang Shen, raised his head and looked at him with a hopeful expression, "Mr. Fang, do you know Dugu Nine-Stabs too?"
"Of course, I know." Fang Shen stood up and picked up Tan Zheng's sword on the ground. "Watch carefully. I'll just show you once."
Fang Shen began to show Dugu Nine-Stabs in front of Tan Zheng.
Tan Zheng was familiar with the first and second moves; when it came to the third and fourth moves, he was suddenly enlightened; when Fang Shen showed the fifth and sixth moves, he widened his eyes in disbelief; when Fang used the seventh move, his jaw went slack as he yelled, "Oh my goodness!"
Tan Zheng was astonished by Fang Shen's moves.
In the Dugu Faction, only the Second and Third Elders were able to use the sixth move of Dugu Nine-Stabs. Maybe the Grand Elder also knew it, but he had been gone for many years.
It was an unwritten rule that only members who mastered the first six moves of Dugu Nine-Stabs were qualified to compete for the leader of Dugu Faction.
Fang Shen, however, even mastered the seventh move! If he went to Dugu Faction right now, he would be promoted as the leader immediately.