Chapter 401: Black-Clothed Venerated Youth
Translator: Myriea_ActiasLuna Editor: Nou
Everything Fang Xing sent over to Hentian Qing had been thrown out thus far, making it quite apparent she absolutely loathed him and that she was too unruly for him to handle properly. This had already become a subject of laughter among the entire Hentian clan, but where would she go if he came in person? Would she flee to the heavens or something? It was finally time to let the Hentian clansmen have a look at the mighty Uncle Fang’s techniques for chasing girls….
“Where are you going, Exalt Xing?”
Just as he was scheming on his way there, a soft and crisp voice abruptly rose from one of the corners. When Fang Xing turned to look, he saw it had come from a large slaughterhouse thick with the scent of blood, and squatting in such a filthy place was a little girl in a purple dress Fang Xing hadn’t even noticed. She had just finished watching the entire process of a Fiery Rhinoceros being slaughtered, and—feeling satisfied—she walked towards Fang Xing with a hearty smile. This very young girl was the younger daughter of the clan master—Hentian Ning.
Fang Xing had known since long ago that this girl had some absurd hobbies, but this was the first time he’d seen it with his own eyes. Without showing any traces of his true emotion, he laughingly replied, “I’m going to have a look at where the elder young master is and send her something. What is the second young miss doing here?”
Hentian Ning looked expressionlessly to Fang Xing. “Why didn’t you gift anything to me?” she abruptly asked.
Fang Xing smiled. “I’ve already asked people to send the second young miss her gifts, right?”
Hentian Ning sneered. “Then why haven’t you had people send me gifts three times, or five times? Why have you not come to gift it to me personally? That good-looking Flying Sword, why did you give it to her but not me?” She suddenly shot towards Fang Xing like a bolt of lightning and pressed a dagger shaped like a cow’s horn right up against his throat. “However many items you’ve given her, I want the same!” she whispered.
Fang Xing was speechless at this. ‘The daughters of the Hentian clan master are all insane….’ He wasn’t afraid of her—her battle prowess wasn’t enough to threaten him—and the only reason he hadn’t slapped her silly was because there were too many people watching. Instead, he pretended to be docile and gentle as he blinked and put on a sincere face. “She’s refused all of the gifts I’ve sent her so far, so do you want to return all the things I’ve sent to you as well?”
Hentian Ning hadn’t expected Fang Xing to say this; he seemed rather different from the other Exalts, and her eyes twinkled before she suddenly let out a burst of laughter. She returned to her original location and put the horn dagger aside before sweetly saying, “Look at how scared you look. I’m only kidding with you!”
‘Which of your eyes saw me being scared?’ Fang Xing smiled before replying, “You just keep watching over there, Second Young Miss. I’ll catch a big one next time and slaughter it in front of you myself!”
As Fang Xing turned to leave, Hentian Ning spoke up behind him. “That red dragon of yours is so pretty. I imagine watching it being killed would be very interesting….”
Fang Xing’s back stiffened before he turned with a smile. “I imagine it probably thinks you’re very pretty, too, and with quite a crunchy texture to taste!”
Fang Xing bickered a bit before leaving, and Hentian Ning saw him off with a laugh before muttering to herself, “He does seem to be interesting, but he’s not as good looking as Venerated Big Brother. With looks like his, how dare he try to compete with Venerated Big Brother? Hmph, he’s overestimating himself! Except… should I help him? If he takes away that she-man, Venerated Big Brother would be all mine….”
Fang Xing felt rather speechless about the Hentian clan’s attitude and he pondered while heading towards Hentian Qing’s courtyard. He knew someone had been secretly observing him the past two months—it seemed the Hentian clan didn’t fully trust new Exalts—and he’d been extremely cautious because of it. It wasn’t until today that the feeling of being secretly watched had gone away.
The only reason he had such an extraordinary position within the Hentian clan was due to the red dragon, and during this period of time, there would always be someone who’d occasionally come visit him in his courtyard to try to get close to the red dragon with a worshipful face. Fang Xing knew these people were specialized in taming beasts and wanted to discover the secret of how he’d managed to tame this red dragon, and he could only sneer.
Fang Xing believed his status would fall off a cliff if the Hentian clan was able to tame the red dragon for themselves one day, and his decision to settle this female young master had in part been due to this. He had the red dragon as an advantage for the time being, but he had to solidify his position within the clan or find a chance to get inside the secret pavilion before the clan was able to figure everything out.
While he was thinking such things, he arrived near Hentian Qing’s courtyard. When he saw no one was around and he didn’t sense anyone watching over him, he shouted out, “Eldest Little Miss, I—Old Xing—am here to send you gifts….” He kicked open the door and entered the courtyard, but his heart and breath stopped for a brief moment before he looked behind him with a grave expression.
A black fog came rushing in, and by the time the fog had passed, another person was standing behind him.
Fang Xing was surprised. This person’s arrival had been so quiet and yet as quick as lightning. His spirit sense was extraordinary enough he was able to sense it just a moment before, but if it wasn’t, wouldn’t this person have shown up behind him like a ghost without him even knowing? For what reason had this person gotten so close to him, and so silently at that?
“You’re the new Exalt, Exalt Xing Fang?”
Fang Xing’s mind froze and he didn’t reply. The voice within the black fog had been clear, and the speaker was a man in his thirties wearing a long black robe. His features were extremely handsome, yet as cold as the sharp edge of a sword. Fang Xing quietly checked this person’s cultivation level and was even more shocked; although this person wasn’t that old, he’d already formed the golden core.
Forming the golden core before a hundred years of age was extraordinary, and the person in front of him clearly hadn’t reached three digits yet. Although it was possible to use cultivation power to maintain a youthful appearance, it would be difficult to hide the weariness that would naturally settle in the eyes of age. This person’s appearance was like a knife with a hidden edge, and his true age shouldn’t be any more than fifty years old.
Fang Xing looked at him in alarm. “And who are you?” No one would be happy to have this person appear and get so close in such a silent manner. This was especially true for a cultivator; having someone unexpectedly close in like this was like having their life gripped in the hand of another.
The black-clothed man no longer spoke to Fang Xing. He quietly looked over and went up to knock on a door further inside the courtyard, but once he did, an angry voice suddenly shrieked from inside, “Go away! Go far far away! I don’t want your presents!”
The voice belonged to none other than Hentian Qing. She must have heard Fang Xing’s earlier shout at the outer door, and now she’d exploded while refusing to properly answer. She’d been privately scolded by her father numerous times that she shouldn’t be so cold to this new Exalt and that she should send an apology, and this made her hate and fear Fang Xing so much she didn’t even want to see his face.
When Fang Xing heard this, he didn’t feel a shred of self-consciousness and looked at the black-clothed man. “Didn’t you hear? They want you to go away!”
The black-clothed man gave Fang Xing an expressionless look before he ignored him altogether and quietly said, “Younger Sister Qing’er, it is me!”
“Venerated Big Brother? You’re back?” A surprised and joyful voice rose up within the courtyard before the sound of wind swooshed by. The door opened up, and right inside was Hentian Qing who’d been forbidden from leaving for the past two months. At the moment she was dressed as a female, but her hair hadn’t been properly arranged and was simply rolled up into a lazy bun. When she saw the black-clothed man in front of her, she let out a delicate call and rushed forward.
Seeing the pair about to embrace each other, Fang Xing suddenly shouted, “What are you doing?” The yell was so loud it was perhaps enough to even shock the heavens, and both Hentian Qing and the black-clothed youth both jumped in surprise. The two froze and looked towards Fang Xing, one showing fury and the other showing creased brows.
Fang Xing stared at them both and solemnly said, “Men and women should not touch one another; do you not know this? What are you two doing in broad daylight?”
Hentian Qing’s face blushed purple-red. “How is that any of your business?” She hadn’t seen her Venerated Big Brother for the past two months, so she’d forgotten herself and rushed over. Of course, she also yearned to be within this man’s embrace but would normally never dare to do such a thing due to the Hentian clan’s heavy guard. It had been such a good chance, yet it was ruined by this bastard.
“Not my business?” Fang Xing spoke as though he’d just caught his wife cheating red-handed. His expression was embarrassed and angry, as though looking for a fight. “I was on the side and saw you two about to embrace each other. It’s not my business, but are you two planning on having sex out on the street?”
Such crude language left Hentian Qing so embarrassed she was nearly on the verge of tears. Although she disliked Fang Xing, she’d thought he was a docile and weak person, but this guy had changed completely in only two months. It was enough for her to nearly faint in anger as soon as he spoke, yet her tongue was not as quick as his and she couldn’t get in a reply.
By now, the black-clothed man showed a look of impatience, and although he hadn’t bothered paying Fang Xing any attention before, he couldn’t keep holding his tongue any longer. He released his aura and sent it crashing towards Fang Xing like a cold tidal wave using the suppression of a golden core. “How dare you be so rude in front of Younger Sister Qing’er,” he demanded while taking a step towards Fang Xing. “Are you seeking death?”
No matter how large Fang Xing’s guts were, he wouldn’t take the suppression and threat of a golden core lightly. He quickly retreated about ten feet away on full alert despite his fearless expression, right before he pointed at the black-clothed man’s nose and cursed, “What? You want a fight?”
The black-clothed man was a little surprised, but he remembered the things he’d heard after returning to the clan and quickly understood why Fang Xing wasn’t afraid of him. “I heard you became a high-tier Exalt because of a red dragon?” he sneered, his eyes full of ridicule. He guessed Fang Xing intended to call out the red dragon to deal with him and he looked down on Fang Xing with disdain.
Fang Xing sneered as well. “Why would I need both myself and my big doggie just to deal with a little wretched-looking tramp like you? Do you dare fight one on one?”
Hentian Qing angrily scolded, “Little bastard, how dare you speak to Venerated Big Brother like this!”
“You shut up, just wait for me to sort you out after I’ve bedded you!” Fang Xing cursed back at Hentian Qing before turning to the black-clothed man. “I’m asking you. A one-on-one fight; do you dare?”