One month later.
Fang Xi completed his daily cultivation routine and stepped out for some fresh air.
Typically, after patrolling around the spirit fields once, he considered it sufficient exercise for the day.
As he pondered whether to return to pill concocting or delve deeper into formation studies, Widow Wang returned, muttering curses under her breath.
“What happened?” Fang Xi intercepted Widow Wang, casually asking.
“A tragedy, such a terrible tragedy!” Widow Wang’s face looked deeply troubled. “Today, the Mo Clan came to claim their land… The Mu Clan suffered greatly; even their Patriarch knelt pleadingly, but it was utterly futile. Several elderly spirit farmers died right there in the spirit fields, their blood splattered everywhere…”
“Oh? Only the Mo Clan involved?”
Fang Xi felt somewhat puzzled.
“Apparently, Patriarch Mo struck a deal with Patriarch Feng, consolidating all debts under his control. It seems like a well-planned scheme, targeting this land for quite some time…” Widow Wang spoke angrily.
Being a tenant farmer herself, she strongly disapproved of such ruthless tactics by landlords.“Oh, I see!”
Fang Xi quickly grasped the situation. A single piece of spiritual land was insufficient for both clans to divide, especially considering it was only from East Twin Peak with mediocre spiritual energy levels. It wasn’t implausible that the Mo Clan could offer more spirit stones or other valuable compensation to regain partial ownership from the Feng Clan.
Moreover, Patriarch Mo was already at Late Stage Qi Refinement!
With him leading the charge and Ruan Xingling conveniently absent, Mu Wen had little chance to counteract their moves.
“The Mu Clan… is finished!” Widow Wang lamented. “Although I couldn’t stand their patriarch, the rest of the clan members are innocent… Just think back to when the Mu family was so prosperous, yet within merely a few decades…”
In its heyday, Mu Xiu’s establishment of the clan foundation had left countless nearby rogue cultivators envious. Even Widow Wang often heard tales filled with admiration about those times.
How swiftly fortunes change!
As for Fang Xi, he genuinely did not care about the Mu Clan’s future. He had already mentioned to Ruan Xingling that saving Mu Zhong’s branch was enough of a gesture.
As far as Mu Wen was concerned? Let him perish!
What Fang Xi didn’t expect was another visitor later in the afternoon - it was Mu Zhong himself!
The man before Fang Xi appeared frail and elderly, with a head full of white hair, yet his eyes sparkled with vitality. Holding a jug of spirit wine, he immediately bowed upon seeing Fang Xi, exclaiming, “Nephew greets my esteemed uncle!”
“Rise quickly, what brings you here today?” Fang Xi invited him to sit under the peach tree and asked Widow Wang to serve some spirit tea.
“Not in the mood for tea today, I want wine!” Mu Zhong smiled, revealing yellowed teeth, as he poured out the spirit tea and filled a large bowl with spirit wine instead.
Fang Xi took a whiff; the wine was potent, reminiscent of the ‘Crimson Blood Wine’ he used to sell.
“Gulp!”
Mu Zhong downed the bowl swiftly, his voice choking with emotion, “Our main family is ruined… Now, all branches have lost their livelihoods and come seeking refuge with me. But I only have two acres of land and a large family to support, how many can I save?”
“I witnessed the land confiscation earlier… The elder from the second branch, he deliberately crashed onto the field ridge, ending his life right there!”
“Our ancestors fought tirelessly through hardships to secure this ancestral legacy land, and now it’s lost just like that. How will we face our forefathers when we join them? Woe…” As Mu Zhong continued, seemingly becoming intoxicated, his words turned rambling and incoherent.
“In those days, our patriarch held you in high regard… He often said Mu Wen had developed an arrogant air, unfit to be the family head, and even considered replacing him. It was only due to the persuasion of several elders, including your second uncle from the second branch, that he relented. To see such an outcome today truly saddens me…”
Fang Xi remained silent, listening intently without interruption.
As Mu Zhong’s speech continued, he seemed to tire eventually. Leaning against the peach tree, he gazed towards East Twin Peak, mumbling incessantly before slowly drifting off to sleep…
Several hours later.
Fang Xi approached and checked Mu Zhong’s breathing, relieved to find he was still alive. Considering Mu Zhong’s advanced age, nearing his natural end, combined with the shock he experienced today, it would have been quite troublesome if he had died here abruptly.
‘Could it be that this man, sensing his own impending demise, deliberately wanted to die on my premises just to cause trouble?’
‘No, unlikely… He was likely overwhelmed by emotions but couldn’t share them with anyone else; certainly not appropriate to burden the widow and her daughter on West Peak…’
Rubbing his temples, Fang Xi sighed and called for Sea Great Noble, instructing him to carry Mu Zhong back to his home.
“Oh my…”
Less than an hour later, Sea Great Wealth returned as if being chased by assassins, panting, “Too terrifying, too terrifying…”
“Hey, what’s wrong with you, Great Noble? Did you encounter a silver-armored demon?” Widow Wang, leaning against the doorframe, couldn’t help but chuckle at his state.
“You guys didn’t see it - Mu Zhong’s house was packed with people… As soon as I entered and laid him down, someone grabbed my clothes asking if we’re still accepting tenant-farmers here… How could I discuss such matters with outsiders? Then, several women started pulling on me, asking if I needed a wife…” A slight blush crept across Sea Great Wealth’s face as he recounted the events.
“Well, well, never thought anyone would fancy you! The Mu Clan girls were always so picky back then, huh? Wait, something’s not right…” Widow Wang doubled over laughing, suddenly sensing something amiss. “Great Noble, weren’t you in need of a wife? Why didn’t you bring one back? Are you afraid Master might blame you and have hidden her outside? Don’t worry, just bring her in boldly; Auntie will speak to the Master for you…”
“I dare not take any Mu woman!”
Sea Great Wealth hastily shook his head, “Although I need a wife, I’m well aware of the risks involved. I wouldn’t dare accept such an offer…”
“Alright, alright, everyone back to work.” Having listened long enough, Fang Xi noticed the conversation veering further off-topic and couldn’t resist stepping in with a reprimand. “Get back to your tasks… Oh yes, where is Mu Wen?”
“Heard that after losing their spiritual lands, the Mu Clan patriarch felt too ashamed to stay on Peach Blossom Island and left immediately…” Sea Great Wealth shared all he knew.
Despite losing their spiritual lands, the Mu Clan still had some savings, allowing them to rent an immortal’s cave. If necessary, they could also work as spirit farmers or servants… With their skills, survival on Peach Blossom Island was possible, albeit much harder akin to rogue cultivators.
However, Mu Wen definitely lacked the face to remain any longer.
He might have gone to Spirit Hollow Island, but unfortunately, it was highly likely that the Mu Clan’s shop there had been transferred to the Feng Clan. Whether Ruan Xingling would continue appointing him as the Great Shopkeeper remained uncertain.
With Ruan Xingling currently absent, the island was under the charge of Crown Princess Ruan Dan. Recalling how she dared to challenge and publicly humiliate him years ago, Fang Xi concluded she was ruthlessly indifferent even towards her own kin.
Half a month later.
Late at night.
The sky was dim and devoid of light, with black clouds obscuring the moon.
A shadowy figure stealthily ascended Jade Cliff, approaching the Little Cloudrain Array. From within their robes, they produced a paper talisman—a tier-1 Barrier Breaking Talisman!
Creating second-rank barrier-breaking talismans required exceptionally stringent materials and skilled craftsmanship, making them extremely rare. In comparison, first-rank barrier-breaking talismans were much more common.
With this talisman activated, the figure opened a pathway through the cloud mist of the Little Cloudrain Array and stepped inside.
“Fang Xi… I’ll make you pay with your life!”
The intruder bore a menacing expression, wielding a magical artifact in his right hand and holding a small black bottle in his left.
As the black clouds dispersed, moonlight illuminated his face—it was Mu Wen!
He glanced at Widow Wang and Sea Great Wealth’s log cabin before turning towards Fang Xi’s residence. With a sinister grin, he quietly approached the four-sided courtyard house.
This time, Mu Wen had meticulously prepared and was determined to…
“Hm?”
In the next instant, he lost his balance, falling face-first into the muddy ground, mouth filled with dirt.
“What…?” Stunned, he looked down to find numerous dark tree roots entangled around his ankles, seemingly out of nowhere.
“What the hell is this?”
Mu Wen swung his black dagger-like magical artifact but failed to leave any significant marks on the tree roots, causing his face to pale in shock.
Although not as potent as a high-grade Glorious Gold Ring, this dagger was still a mid-grade magical artifact!
Before Mu Wen could gather resolve and risk exposing himself by casting a powerful spell,
“Plop!”
A strong force yanked him downwards, pulling his entire body into the earth.
Aboveground, only a small pit remained, quickly covered over as the retracting tree roots concealed their presence…
“Whooosh!”
Before Mu Wen could comprehend what was happening, he plummeted from the cave’s ceiling, disoriented and dazed by the fall.
Swiftly, tree roots snaked towards him from all directions, entangling his limbs and lifting him into the air, forming a cruciform position.
As he looked ahead, his pupils widened in shock at the sight of an indescribably terrifying giant tree.
Below it, Fang Xi sat cross-legged, connected to the Demon Tree through a single aerial root.
“This… An evil cultivator? A demonic entity?!” Mu Wen exclaimed in surprise, only to realize that his bag of holding, magical artifacts, and the dark bottle had been seized by tendrils and brought to Fang Xi’s side.
“Oh, isn’t this my little nephew?” Fang Xi opened his eyes, composed and unruffled as he approached Mu Wen. “What brings you here to visit your old uncle tonight?”
“This…” Large beads of sweat dripped down Mu Wen’s forehead. Attempting to circulate his magical energy, he found it seemingly blocked throughout his body, filling him with even greater despair.
Fang Xi took the black dagger artifact, casually tossing it aside, then glanced at the dark bottle. He instructed a tendril to hold it at a distance while opening it; immediately, the tendril began turning black and decaying…
“I must commend you for obtaining such potent poison like Hundred Turtledoves Poison, capable of inflicting severe harm even on Middle Qi Refinement cultivators…”
Fang Xi then used another tentacle to close the bottle cap carefully. Although this poison held little threat to him, he still needed to be cautious. “However, I can’t quite understand why you targeted me specifically? Is it just because I’m well-off? Oh, and given that Jade Cliff is far from Mirror Moon Lake, did you think no one would notice any commotion there? Were you concerned about potential witnesses if you chose the mother-daughter pair at Twin Peak West as your targets instead? Or perhaps, do you harbor resentment over my refusal to lend you spirit stones earlier?”
Mu Wen stared at Fang Xi, astonished, feeling as though every thought had been accurately read by this man.
Moreover, considering this cave and the Demon Tree…this person must undoubtedly be a seasoned old demon. Fear instantly brought tears to Mu Wen’s eyes: “Uncle, spare me! For the sake of our patriarch…sob…sob…”
In the next moment, writhing vines stuffed his mouth, making it difficult for him to speak.
“Don’t worry, dear nephew, your uncle only needs a small favor from you before letting you go…”
Fang Xi produced a dusty seed and approached Mu Wen. “Your uncle has never received any formal puppetry training, so I’ve had to develop my own techniques through trial and error. Could you please help refine them further…”
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