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A sudden patch of dark clouds appeared, obscuring the moonlight.

In the dimness, the back gate slowly opened, and a figure swiftly emerged.

The silhouette glanced around cautiously, ensuring no one was watching, then hunched over and moved along the alleyway’s edge towards a street corner. Suddenly, with a flash, it disappeared into a nearby residence.

“Heh heh… He Laofu, you’ve finally arrived!”

Inside the house, lit by an oil lamp, a tall, masked man glared coldly at Steward Fu.

“I’ve done everything as instructed. Where is my grandson?” Steward Fu asked stiffly.

If not for his beloved grandson being held hostage, he would never have betrayed his master’s family.

“Hmph, did you find out where that person went during his disappearance? And what about the location of his hidden wealth?” the masked man queried.

“How would I know? That man has always been cautious,” sighed Steward Fu. “I searched his room multiple times but found nothing… Return my grandson quickly; this old man needs to flee far away!”

While unaware of Fang Xi’s background, the masked man observed his refined tastes and meticulous habits, surmising that he must be of significant stature—possibly a young master from a wealthy aristocratic family!

Having betrayed such a powerful master, Old Fú knew only survival mattered to him.

“Our previous agreement required you to gather useful information first,” the masked man scolded. “You’re truly useless; no wonder you nearly starved to death before!”

“Yes… I never imagined that after saving A-Fu and your grandson from starvation on the roadside, you would betray me.”

Suddenly, another voice echoed from outside the window.

“What?”

Both Old Fú and the masked man stared incredulously towards the window.

Bang!

The door burst open as Fang Xi swaggered into the room.

“Die!” In the next instant, the masked man leaped high, delivering a downward strike with his leg like a colossal axe splitting a mountain! His reaction was swift; upon realizing someone else’s presence, he immediately chose to attack.

“So it is indeed the Red Snake Leg!” Fang Xi laughed heartily, unleashing a palm strike in response.

His palm struck swiftly, like an impenetrable wall, intercepting the masked man’s descending kick.

Bang!

As their shadows collided, the masked man shattered through a nearby window and flew outwards.

“Excellent White Cloud Palm!”

A raspy voice echoed as Fang Xi reached the window, watching the figure rapidly vanish around a street corner in the blink of an eye.

Fang Xi didn’t pursue, turning instead to face Old Fú, whose complexion alternated between red and pale.

“My lord, it is this old servant who has failed you!” Suddenly, Old Fú knelt down, tears streaming from his eyes. “It’s all that cursed masked man’s fault; he kidnapped my grandson and forced me to work for him…”

“He Laofu, I naturally understood,” Fang Xi replied calmly. “As a trusted steward, you wouldn’t betray me unless coerced. However, betrayal is betrayal. One act of disloyalty means there can be no further trust. Farewell!”

“What?” He Laofu jerked his head up, his expression filled with shock.

Never could he have imagined that beneath the ever-smiling and amiable facade, his master harbored such cold ruthlessness!

However, it was too late for him to say more as a jet-black hand quietly pressed down on his head.

A dark aura enveloped He Laofu’s face; he convulsed a few times on the ground before turning lifeless…

“I can understand your betrayal for your grandson, but that doesn’t mean I forgive you… My role is merely to send you to the underworld; forgiveness is up to King Yama.”

Fang Xi withdrew his palm and turned to leave.

In truth, there was another reason behind Fang Xi’s decision to kill A-Fu. After betraying him, with just a few words from the masked man, A-Fu had lowered his respectful address from ‘Master’ to ‘that person’. This indicated that even under duress, some resentment might have lingered within him!

‘Considering his administrative abilities, perhaps he hailed from a scholarly lineage. Serving as my steward must have felt demeaning to him…’

‘Scholars tend to be proud and ambitious; how could they willingly accept servitude? Their overthinking often leads them to weigh pros and cons easily, making unfaithfulness more common among educated individuals - indeed, there’s truth in this saying!’

As Fang Xi returned to his mansion, he quickly forgot about Old Fú.

As for the old man’s grandson, Fang Xi left him to fend for himself, with not even the slightest ripple of concern for such insignificant vermin.

The next day.

Yuegui and other maids stood in a row, eyes lowered respectfully, not daring to make any slight movement. A few of the more timid ones even trembled visibly.

Fang Xi had summoned a slave trader today, intending to sell all servants who were close to Steward Fu.

“Please spare me, Master! Have mercy on me!” One maid wailed desperately, but Fang Xi’s expression remained unchanged as he stirred his tea leisurely.

Servants had no personal freedom; once sold again, their new master might not be as lenient, or worse, they could be directly sold into the lowest brothels!

It was a grim scene, causing even Lily nearby to feel uneasy, yet she dared not utter a single word. She knew too well that if she spoke up, Fang Xi would sell her off alongside the others without hesitation.

“Many thanks, Master Fang. Here is the payment for the sales.” The slave trader grinned widely, barely showing any eyes amidst his broad smile, clearly pleased with this lucrative business. Respectfully, he handed over a pouch of silver coins.

“No need, keep it for your tea expenses.” Fang Xi rose from his seat and looked at Yuegui. “From now on, our mansion’s steward will no longer be A-Fu, but you. Remember that?”

“Yes, sir!”

All the maids and servants hastily bowed in acknowledgment.

After settling matters within the mansion, Fang Xi changed into casual attire and leisurely stepped out.

Although the masked intruder last night was a formidable cultivator with three transformations of blood and qi, Fang Xi could have easily apprehended him by using his trump cards. However, he chose not to, preferring to cast a wider net for bigger prey.

Moreover, how can ordinary people defend against the methods available to cultivators? This is precisely the advantage of a higher-dimensional strike.

“The current tracking techniques typically involve leaving scented powders or employing animals and humans to surveil along the way…”

“After escaping, that masked man would likely destroy all his clothing and might even shed a layer of skin to avoid detection…”

As Fang Xi strolled through the streets, he suddenly turned into a corner and retrieved a jade bottle from his robes.

Upon removing the stopper, a snow-white Jade Spirit Bee emerged.

This was a ‘Spirit-Seeking Bee’, naturally highly sensitive to spiritual energy. Spirit farmers often used them to locate nodes of spiritual power in their fields or for pollinating spirit flowers.

During the confrontation last night, Fang Xi had subtly infused a trace of his magical energy into the masked man.

Magical energy is refined spiritual energy.

“Go!”

Fang Xi formed hand seals with both hands and pointed at the Spirit-Seeking Bee!

Buzzzz!

The snow-white bee took flight, circled around him three times, then steadily flew onto the main street.

Fang Xi promptly followed suit, overtaking numerous pedestrians along the way. After traversing several streets, the Spirit-Seeking Bee paused near a courtyard wall.

Fang Xi rounded to the front gate and looked up.

The words “Red Snake Dojo” boldly caught his eye.

“Could it truly be someone from the Red Snake Dojo?” Fang Xi murmured, stroking his chin. “It’s not entirely impossible…”

However, after waiting for a moment, the Spirit-Seeking Bee made a loop and suddenly flew in another direction.

Fang Xi sensed progress and continued to trail behind.

After several twists and turns, they arrived at the edge of a large lake shimmering like jade.

Within the lake, remnants of lotus plants could be seen, but past their season, no flowers remained, leaving only dry and withered seed pods.

There was no need to inquire further; Fang Xi recognized this place well.

“Yuanhe Mountain?”

After confirming his suspicions once more, Fang Xi recalled the Spirit-Seeking Bee and muttered with a wry smile, “I didn’t even plan to provoke you, yet here you come after me?”

“And not only that…you’re attempting to frame the Red Snake Dojo…”

If Fang Xi had followed the trail last night, there was an eighty percent chance he would have directly implicated the Red Snake Dojo.

Given his past grievances with Lu She and She Lei, any normal person would naturally assume they were striking out again!

They wouldn’t suspect any connection to Yuanhe Mountain at all!

“This scheme is truly malicious; I fear it must involve Qiao Wuchang.”

Recalling the intelligence report’s assessment, Fang Xi immediately identified his target.

No matter how cunning their plans, absolute power renders them futile!

Fang Xi approached the main entrance of Yuanhe Mountain, found a tea stall, and sat down, pondering his next course of action.

‘Let’s wait first. With the newly acquired Beefwood meat, I can undoubtedly break through to the true force realm, giving me greater confidence when the time comes…’

Just as Fang Xi was about to leave,

Boom!

The gates of Yuanhe Mountain’s branch opened dramatically, and a large group emerged, mounted on fine horses, heading towards the outskirts of the city.

Among the procession, a spirited young warrior led the way, followed closely by a strikingly beautiful woman, both leaving lasting impressions.

“Isn’t that Garrison Commander Linghu and Manager Chun?” Clearly recognizing them, patrons exclaimed with surprise at the tea stall. “They’ve ventured out together? Could it be due to the beast terrorizing the trade routes?”

Upon hearing this, Fang Xi’s expression turned serious.

“Yes… things have become increasingly uneasy lately,” sighed a peddler dressed in coarse clothing, smiling bitterly. “First, Three Mountains Ridge; then, Changshui River; now, the trade routes… Aren’t these beasts appearing far too frequently?”

“We’re fortunate to have cultivators around!” The tea stall owner clearly held Yuanhe Mountain in high regard. “With Garrison Commander Linghu on the case, capturing such minor beasts should be effortless, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Absolutely, absolutely…” The group nodded in agreement before continuing their tea-drinking.

“Waiter, settle the bill!”

Fang Xi placed a small piece of silver on the table, showing no interest in joining the commotion.

Instead, he recalled Fatso Han mentioning beast-hunting opportunities through the black market.

‘Maybe these incidents are connected!’

‘But the frequency of these monster appearances is unusually high… something seems off.’

For a moment, concern flashed across Fang Xi’s face, only to quickly vanish as if nothing troubled him.

After all, when the sky falls, it’s the tall ones who bear the brunt!

And should danger arise, he could always flee to the southern wilderness’s cultivation world; it wouldn’t be too problematic.