Chapter 16: The Traitor

It was once again the fifteenth day of the month.The moonlight shimmered like mercury spilling across the ground.

Fang Xi stepped onto a black-roofed boat and arrived at the Island in the River’s black market.

Inside the log cabin,

Fatso Han remained as obese as a mountain. Upon hearing Fang Xi’s request, he jumped with surprise, “What?! More?”

He scrutinized Fang Xi from head to toe, “Ten pounds of meat is enough for an average cultivator to last half a year! Have you already finished it all, or did someone else claim it?”

“How about this? When selling items in your black market, do you really need to know their destination?” Fang Xi smiled faintly, producing gold leaves.

While jade leaves could have been used, doing so would immediately reveal his identity.

“Of course not…” Fatso Han’s massive body shifted slightly, seemingly exerting great effort just to lean aside. From beneath him, he retrieved a large chunk of Tai Sui meat. “How much do you want this time?”

“Another ten pounds!” Fang Xi’s expression remained unchanged.

“Well then… Given your strength and courage, would you be interested in taking on some private work?” Fatso Han tossed over the ten pounds of meat before posing the question.

“Oh? What kind of job?” Fang Xi casually inquired.

“Head outside the city to hunt monsters!” Fatso Han bared his teeth with a menacing grin. “Only martial disciples with at least three transformations of blood and qi can participate, though true force cultivators would be even better. The rewards will be distributed based on individual contribution!”

“Hunting demonic beasts?”

Fang Xi indeed had great interest in this world’s demon race, but after some thought, he decided against it.

His current strength was merely at the early stage of Qi Refinement. Encountering any danger could prove too risky.

“How… is there not enough monster meat for your shop?” Fang Xi countered with a question.

“No, no, it’s just that a roaming demonic beast has been frequently disrupting trade routes… In a few days, your dojo might also receive an assistance request,” Fatso Han shook his head repeatedly. “As for monster meat, our shop will never run short… Want to know why?” A peculiar smile spread across his face, which combined with his mountainous girth, looked quite unsettling. Anyone with a vivid imagination might start feeling nauseous…

“I’m well aware, actually. Unlike other demonic beast meats, Beefwood grows rapidly when buried underground and provided with nutrients…”

Fang Xi nodded slightly.

This explained why this shop consistently offered demon meat for sale. Other establishments, once their supply ran out, would need to organize dangerous hunts for demons, leading to unstable stock availability.

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Fatso Han’s playful grin vanished, his face mirroring the collapsed pile of meat mountains.

Fang Xi silently grumbled but didn’t respond, maintaining his enigmatic demeanor as he stepped out of the log cabin.

After browsing around the black market, he entered another shack-like structure.

Compared to the previous places, this log cabin appeared much simpler. An elderly man with white hair sat behind the counter, seemingly engrossed in a book.

Dressed in a faded blue robe, he exuded a scholarly aura; however, given his age, he gave off the impression of a failed scholar or impoverished literati.

Upon seeing Fang Xi enter, a smile instantly spread across his face. “Looking to purchase information, sir?”

In the black market, everything was for sale, and this particular log cabin was renowned for selling intelligence.

“Indeed.”

Fang Xi wore a conical bamboo hat and had changed her attire once more. “May I inquire how information is sold here?”

The old man leisurely set down his book. “In our establishment, every piece of information has its price, categorized into four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Each tier’s cost varies accordingly. If you’re interested in ‘Heaven’ tier intelligence, it covers all details extensively, but regarding the silver required, heh…”

His words trailed off as Fang Xi produced a stack of gold leaves.

“I want information on martial forces within a hundred-mile radius, notable cultivators, and advanced martial arts… All should be ‘Heaven’ tier!”

“Certainly.”

The old man promptly stood up, his wrinkled face beaming like a blooming chrysanthemum. “Honored guest, please have a seat. Would you care for some tea? Our shop recently acquired several pounds of premium bird tongue tea, quite renowned even in Ding Province…”

Fang Xi found the old man’s change in demeanor entirely understandable; after all, business is business!

Nothing shameful about making a profit!

However, when the old man dragged out a heavy chest from the backroom filled with numerous books, Fang Xi’s expression beneath her veil began to dramatically shift.

‘Damn, I underestimated this…’

‘I didn’t expect the intelligence to be so detailed…’

At Fang Manor.

Fang Xi summoned several maids to massage his shoulders and legs while he activated the earth-powered air conditioner. Settling down, he began flipping through the intelligence reports.

“Yuanhe Mountain… founded over three hundred years ago by ‘Superior Master Yuanhe.’ It consists of one sect leader, six elders, and eight guest experts… Their signature technique is the ‘Yuanhe Five Thunder Hands’…”

“The Blackstone City branch of Yuanhe Mountain is led by Linghu Yang. He defeated Dojo Master Stonebreaker within mere moves and effortlessly handled multiple dojo masters’ assaults…”

“Cunyu… has vanquished Red Snake Master Lu She…”

“Qiao Wuchang, with few notable achievements, is known for his treacherous nature and preference for ambushes…”

“Solo cultivator Zheng Tianbao, proficient in ‘Cloud Soaring Art’, notable achievements…”

“Gold Badge Constable Shangguan Yun, known for capturing numerous notorious thieves, estimated strength surpasses that of average Dojo Masters…”

Line by line, Fang Xi swiftly analyzed the intelligence, forming a general impression of the local martial forces.

“From what I see here, the strength of these dojos is truly… quite weak.”

After a long moment, Fang Xi put down the book, somewhat resigned.

This was not surprising; genuine experts rarely opened their own dojos. However, their weakness reaching this extent was genuinely unexpected.

In comparison, even just one branch of Yuanhe Mountain’s Blackstone City division could likely annihilate all the combined dojos!

To sect cultivators or even solo practitioners, those seemingly powerful Dojo Masters serve merely as backdrops or stepping stones for bolstering their own achievements…

‘Linghu Yang… may have already surpassed the typical Dojo Master realm, entering a new level. He won’t be easy to eliminate; for now, let’s set aside plans against Yuanhe Mountain…’

‘Maybe exploring other dojos and learning from their strengths could be another path for body refinement?’

‘Before that, should I resolve matters with the Red Snake Dojo? Both She Lei and Lu She undoubtedly harbor resentment towards me…’

Having pondered his options, Fang Xi placed the intelligence booklet aside and prepared to instruct Baihe in some leg techniques.

A fragrant breeze accompanied Yuegui as she gracefully approached and bowed, “Gongzi… Butler Fu requests an audience!”

“A-Fu? Send him in!”

Fang Xi nodded thoughtfully.

Moments later, A-Fu, the old housekeeper with long white hair and a sage-like appearance, entered and respectfully bowed. “My lord!”

“Please rise,” Fang Xi waved his hand dismissively.

In the cultivation world, one’s appearance was not indicative of strength; numerous cultivators projected a deceptive aura of sageliness while harboring ulterior motives.

This was especially true in Great Liang.

“Reporting to my lord, during my time in the city, I came across some information that might be useful…” A-Fu said, still bent at the waist.

“Useful for me? Speak on! If it truly is valuable, there will be generous rewards.” Fang Xi maintained a relatively lenient attitude towards his servants.

At least, unlike certain noble families in the city, he didn’t frequently send them off to the potter’s field as punishment.

Moreover, any servant who performed meritorious deeds would invariably receive substantial rewards, fostering high motivation among the staff of Fang Manor.

“It goes like this… There will be a gathering in the city, inviting only the wealthiest individuals. Rumor has it, rare items for entertainment will be auctioned during the event… Apart from antiques, precious herbs, fine steeds, there will also be martial arts manuals and even demonic materials!” A-Fu explained.

“Oh?” Fang Xi’s eyes lit up. “When and where?”

“In five days, at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion!” A-Fu responded promptly. “If my lord wishes, this humble servant can secure an invitation.”

“Excellent, excellent! You shall indeed be handsomely rewarded!” Fang Xi laughed heartily.

Nightfall.

The Fang Manor was enveloped in tranquility.

Fang Xi sat upright at his desk, observing several discreet arrangements he had made within the room, his expression somewhat uncertain.

Despite enjoying luxury, he maintained the cautious habits of a lone cultivator. His most critical private quarters were accessible only to himself; even when engaging with servants, it always occurred elsewhere.

With a sigh, he noted, “Several hair strands show signs of disturbance. Has someone secretly entered my bedroom?”

In truth, Fang Xi was aware that his servants, all purchased rather than generations-long household staff, lacked thorough loyalty and indoctrination.

Occasional petty theft, he could tolerate to some extent.

But this incident crossed the line!

“Who could it be? Bribing someone in my manor? Are they trying to uncover where I disappear for days and locate my hidden gold and silver reserves?” Fang Xi’s demeanor turned utterly cold.

To resolve this, one simply needed to investigate meticulously, focusing on servants who frequently left the manor and interacted with outsiders - clues would surely emerge!

Moreover, with the means available to cultivators, any traitor would find it impossible to remain undetected!

“I hope it’s not those few…” Fang Xi murmured, suddenly letting out another sigh.

In this world, there are often numerous troubles, which is why some cultivators renounce emotions entirely, forsaking personal attachments throughout their lives in pursuit of the grand Dao.

While Fang Xi wasn’t as extreme, he too considered himself…indifferent and detached from deep affections!