Chapter 654: Chapter 278: Martial Pavilion

Today, they stood on the sidelines, watching Fang Shuwen fight against Li Qiuyu and Lin Xiaoyan. They wanted to see for themselves exactly how high Fang Shuwen’s Martial Arts truly were.

Although they couldn’t gauge the exact depths of his strength, one thing was absolutely clear: if any of them were to face Fang Shuwen alone, it would mean certain death.

After a moment of silence, Hong Zhengwu spoke slowly.

"If my guess is right, that fog-shrouded island is where the secret treasury is located.

"We now have two choices...

"One is to go with Fang Shuwen and explore it together tomorrow.

"The other is to head out on our own tonight."

There wasn’t much debate to be had over these choices; they would undoubtedly choose the first.

The Three Heavenly Demons of the Dark Sea had been entrenched here for years. If that place were easy to explore, the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror would have fallen into their hands long ago. There had to be some crucial secret unknown to outsiders.

Lin Xiaoyan had wanted to say something earlier today, but unfortunately, Fang Shuwen hadn’t given her the chance, crushing her to death instead. Thinking of this, Hong Zhengwu still felt a faint sense of regret.

Once everyone had made their choice, Hong Zhengwu proposed an agreement.

"Since that’s the case, let’s make a pact.

"Fang Shuwen stated beforehand that once the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror is found, it will be every man for himself.

"But though this person is young, his Martial Arts are peerless.

"We need to join forces. Before we kill Fang Shuwen, no matter who finds the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, no one is allowed to snatch it away."

"Agreed," Ye Weiyang nodded, being the first to accept. "After we kill Fang Shuwen, we’ll fight among ourselves.

"When that time comes, the victor gets the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror, and the losers must not cause any further trouble."

"No matter who the ultimate victor is," Dugu Sheng added, "they must not drive the other factions to extinction."

Bai Qianfang stated expressionlessly, "In that case, whoever obtains the Profound Celestial Iron Mirror shall become the head of the Forbidden Land, and the losers will all submit to them."

The group exchanged glances and nodded.

Ye Weiyang, however, said coldly, "Except for the Celestial Water Palace."

If Shui Tianxin hadn’t found the key object to the secret treasury and handed it over to Fang Shuwen, they wouldn’t have ended up in such a passive situation. While Ye Weiyang hated Fang Shuwen to the core, his hatred for Shui Tianxin was no less deep.

He originally had quite a few children, but now only Ye Wusheng was left. And then, Fang Shuwen had struck him dead with a single palm... How could he not be consumed by hatred?

The others had no objections to this, and so the matter was settled.

***

"What do you think they’ll discuss after you left?" Luo Shuqing asked. She had departed early with Fang Shuwen, waiting until there was no one around before speaking up.

Fang Shuwen chuckled. "Most likely figuring out how to kill me."

Luo Shuqing shook her head helplessly. "Isn’t it nice to stay alive? Why must they seek death?"

"You can’t blame them," Fang Shuwen smiled. "They are all powerful warlords of the East Sea, each a top-tier expert.

"How could they willingly submit to others?"

"Shui Tianxin is very smart, though," Luo Shuqing remarked. "Once I take over the Qingxiao Pavilion and become its Pavilion Master, I will follow your every command. How does that sound?"

Fang Shuwen’s footsteps paused slightly.

His sudden stop caught Luo Shuqing off guard. She bumped her head squarely into his back, making her see stars for a moment.

"Why did you stop walking all of a sudden?" Luo Shuqing rubbed her forehead, her face full of confusion.

Fang Shuwen just smiled. "The depths of the Jianghu are truly unexpected. One really cannot underestimate the people of this world."

His words came without any warning. As Luo Shuqing was trying to make sense of them, she heard Fang Shuwen say, "Wait for me here."

Hearing this, Luo Shuqing finally realized what was happening, and a rare solemn expression surfaced on her face. Fang Shuwen had noticed something that she hadn’t, which meant the person he sensed was incredibly skilled.

"Be careful," she whispered.

"It’s fine." Fang Shuwen shook his head gently and strode toward the inner courtyard.

A rhythmic RUSTLE echoed in the air. As Fang Shuwen pushed open the courtyard gates, he saw a hunched elderly man inside, sweeping the ground stroke by stroke with a broom.

His movements were unhurried, each stroke perfectly executed, exuding an extreme sense of natural comfort. In other words, his every action implicitly aligned with the Dao.

Hong Zhengwu’s Myriad Streams Return to the Source technique contained a similar profundity, but compared to the old man in the courtyard, it fell drastically short. The former was deliberate, while the latter was entirely natural.

Fang Shuwen took a step forward. Where his foot landed, it was as if ripples of water flowed outward, as though he had trespassed into another world altogether.

But the instant his foot touched down, a loud CRASH echoed out.

It sounded as though some invisible object had been directly shattered beneath his foot. The courtyard was still the same courtyard, but the person sweeping was no longer sweeping.

The broom was placed neatly against the wall as the hunched figure slowly walked over to the stone table.

He waved at Fang Shuwen. "Come, keep this old man company and have a cup of tea."

Fang Shuwen smiled. "Alright."

He walked to the table and sat down, raising his eyes to study this uninvited guest.

The old man’s hair was completely white, and he appeared quite elderly, yet his eyes showed not the slightest hint of cloudiness. In his every gesture, there was no trace of the demeanor of a martial arts expert; he seemed just like an ordinary old man...

This was the state of returning to natural simplicity—a realm achieved only when one’s Martial Arts reached a certain absolute peak.

Watching the old man casually pour the tea, Fang Shuwen took a sniff and couldn’t help but pause in surprise.

He considered himself a lover of good tea. Having traveled far and wide in recent years, he had tasted countless varieties.

But none were quite like the cup set before him now.

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