"That is wonderful to hear," Wei Yang said. "Lady Shang Xin Ci will also be delighted..."
"Though of course," Fang Yuan said, "We really do must be leaving now."
"Certainly, though if you don't mind me asking - you haven't used the Purple Crystal Relic Gu as of yet?"
Fang Yuan was still at Rank 5 Initial Stage.
"It takes a while to refine," Fang Yuan answered.
"In that case, you could leave your gu worm behind. There are services that will aide in its refinement - no charges for that, consider it a part of Clan Lord's generosity," Wei Yang said.
Fang Yuan saw through this transparent attempt to solidify the fact that he would come back earlier.
Why else would they offer these Purple Thorn Tokens? This, and the attempt to get him to 'tutor' Shang Xin Ci were just ways to tie him down to the city further. This was the manner of the righteous path, to tie one down through benefits rather than through coercion.
Shang Xin Ci likely did want Fang Yuan to tutor her, but these tokens came from the grace of Shang Yan Fei himself. He more likely than not wouldn't have agreed to such an arrangement readily
Truth be told the Purple Thorn Token was quite useful to Fang Yuan for his future plans, but that still would not deter him from his path.
"No worries, it is not an issue. By the time I come back, I will have refined it."
"I understand, both Lady Shang Xin Ci and I eagerly await your return," Wei Yang said.
"So, with this, we are finally on equal footing - hmph!" Bai Ning Bing said, now that both she and Fang Yuan had Purple Thorn Tokens each.
Still, they were a long ways from being equal. She knew this in her heart- but couldn't get over the fact that she competed with Fang Yuan at every given opportunity.
Wei Yang was kind enough to drop them off at the gates, where the two of them departed on the White Form Immortal Snake, soaring through the clouds at breakneak speed. They did not have any ordinary women with them this time around to cause them to go slow.
"Bai Ning Bing, you didn't use your Golden Yellow Relic Gu yet?" Fang Yuan asked. "Resources are meant to be used, you know?"
As part of their agreement, Fang Yuan would help Bai Ning Bing with any gu she had to refine. His own Purple Crystal Relic Gu was Rank 5 and so the Spring Autumn Cicada's effect was limited there, but Bai Ning Bing could've used hers after fifteen minutes.
"I'm still considering the right time to use it," Bai Ning Bing replied. A part of her did want to use it right away, but the fact that Fang Yuan had suggested she do so now made her have second thoughts about it.
The higher her cultivation rose, the higher her aptitude would begin to come back. She would then become more dependent on Fang Yuan's use of Equality Gu in order to lessen the burden on her aperture.
In other words, she would just be falling deeper under Fang Yuan's control then!
On the other hand, if she didn't get stronger, it would be easier for Fang Yuan to suppress her!
"What about you? You're not following your own advice," Bai Ning Bing noted.
"Me? Well, I need time to refine my gu worm - a Rank 5 gu worm is not so easy to use, you know," Fang Yuan said.
Bai Ning Bing's eyes narrowed. Up until now, Fang Yuan had refined gu without any problems - in a way that was highly suspect. But it looked like this was limited to Rank 4 gu worms only.
'So, he does have a weakness,' she thought. Perhaps he had a Rank Five gu worm of his own that greatly aided the refinement of other gu worms? Such a thing was possible, or some other kind of inheritance that made it easy for him. It was a small weakness, but anything that could potentially give her leverage over him, no matter how small, was something she was very interested in.
As for Fang Yuan, he had no intention of using this Purple Crystal Relic Gu. At least, not now.
He already had three in total, meaning that Rank 5 Peak Stage was easily within reach. But he couldn't act like that - not yet. There was no difference between one of the Purple Crystal Relic Gu worms and another - he could just use one that was pre-refined from his inventory. With the increase to his primeval essence, he could refine this gifted one last so that it would be easier.
Yet again, all of that would have to be done in due time.
***
At the hotel they were staying at, a Gu Master arrived. He looked like he hadn't slept well for the past few days, but was greatly relieved upon finding the location.
"At last! Gu Yue Fang Yuan, I've found you!" he muttered under his breath.
This was none other than Liu Nan. Ever since reaching the city, he had been searching for Gu Yue Fang Yuan. He was unfamiliar with the place, having never been here before, but at long last, he was here.
"Wait - what do you mean that he's not here!?" he nearly screamed at the reception upon hearing the news.
"Lord Gu Master, my apologies, but he left Shang Clan City an hour ago. He still has a room reserved for him, and told us he would be back after a week's time... please understand..." the Gu Master in question was sweating bullets. Liu Nan had a crazed look about him, and Rank 5 cultivation to boot. He could cause a lot of damage before he was stopped.
"Alright... there's nothing that we can do then..." Liu Nan said, quickly composing himself. This was not his homeland where he could behave as he wished. He sighed as he walked away from the location. To think that Fang Yuan had escaped his clutches by only an hour! If he hadn't been slowed down in the morning...
He sighed once again. There was no use crying over spilt milk. He had traveled a great distance in order to confront Fang Yuan, and he couldn't very well turn around now.
'Should I go to where his home his?' he wondered. He was extremely unfamiliar with the city, having not been in a place so filled with... people before. A mountain would be far closer to where he used to be.
Despite having been born in a large city, he had spent most of his time cultivating in a cave all alone under the guidance of his master. Although he looked young, he was in reality approaching two hundred years old thanks to the effect of a Lifespan Gu that his master had helped him attain. Naturally he felt obligated to repay this kindness.
The problem was that he didn't even know where Fang Yuan's home was, and would be more restricted there than here, which was 'neutral' ground where he could maneuver against him.
'I can't let down master here,' he thought to himself. 'He is counting on me. Gu Yue Fang Yuan must be stopped at all costs.'
The world thought of Gu Yue Fang Yuan as a righteous path Gu Master, though Liu Nan knew what the truth was. His master had told him - Fang Yuan was a demon among demons! His wicked nature was currently hidden from the world, but if Liu Nan could reveal that, it would make his job easier. If not, he still had to find a way to put an end to Fang Yuan's schemes.
Wei Yang learned about this inquiry, naturally, and began his own investigation into this Liu Nan figure. He would have done so sooner or later given he was Rank 5, but what connection did he seemingly have with Fang Yuan? As one of Shang Yan Fei's trusted subordinates, he had to get to the root of the matter!