Chapter 92

This disciple of the火山 sect, named Qiongrong, claimed to be a grand-disciple level figure. After all, there was no one in the Fangshi sect who could match Wu Mian's status. Since they couldn't be on equal footing, Guangren decided to take a different approach, sending one of his grand-disciples to deliver his message.

Qiongrong bowed deeply to Wu Mian and then took out a bamboo slip from his robe, presenting it with both hands. He said with a smile, "When I left, the Great Fangshi specifically instructed me to convey that the previous misunderstandings were just that. He was also afraid that I might be inarticulate and cause you to misunderstand again."

Before Qiongrong could finish, Wu Mian frowned and interrupted the young Fangshi, who was now indistinguishable in rank: "So Guangren thinks I'm petty, right?"

"Absolutely not," the young Fangshi Qiongrong said, already kneeling before Wu Mian and his companions. He wiped away his cold sweat and continued, "The Great Fangshi was afraid of such misunderstandings, so he wrote this bamboo slip himself. You will understand once you read it."

Wu Mian glanced at the young Fangshi and slowly opened the bamboo slip, reading it from beginning to end. After finishing, he gave a cold laugh and handed the slip to Gui Bu Gui, who was standing beside him, saying, "The words are very polite, but in the end, it's just one thing: he's asking me for something."

In the bamboo slip, Guangren first lavishly praised Wu Mian, calling him the younger brother of the first Great Fangshi, Yan Aihou. He then explained the previous misunderstandings, stating that he had invited Wu Mian to return to the Fangshi sect to bring him back to the orthodox path. He subtly mentioned the names of Guangxiao and Guangyi, indicating that the misunderstandings were due to listening to others' slander. Finally, Guangren got to the point: the master Xu Fu had mistakenly given a bronze sword to Wu Mian. This sword was not a magical artifact and was of no use to Wu Mian. If Wu Mian still had the sword, he was asked to return it.

"These are all empty pleasantries, with no real substance," Gui Bu Gui said after reading the content of the bamboo slip. He casually placed it on the table and looked at Qiongrong, saying, "Does your Great Fangshi have anything else to say? Did he mention what they would offer in exchange if the sword is in Wu Mian's hands? I doubt Guangren wants it for free, just by talking, right?"

Qiongrong sized up the old man and said with a smile, "I have only recently joined the Fangshi sect. May I ask if your name is Gui Bu Gui?"

Seeing that the young Fangshi recognized him, the old man grinned and said, "If you had been born a hundred years earlier and had better luck, you might have met me. But now, being able to see me is quite a blessing for you. Tell me, what kind of legends about me are there in the Fangshi sect now?"

Qiongrong hesitated for a moment, then stood up silently and walked to Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui. Under their watchful eyes, he picked up the bamboo slip from the table and, in front of Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui, used his fire control technique to burn the slip to ashes.

"Truly a disciple of the火山 sect, that fire was quite fierce," Wu Mian said, looking at the now timid Qiongrong. He gave a strange laugh and continued, "So this was Guangren's intention? To have you come here to deliver the message and then burn it after we read it?"

Feeling the chill in Wu Mian's words, Qiongrong knelt before him again. He glanced at Gui Bu Gui and said timidly, "When I left, the Great Fangshi personally instructed me that this message could only be read by you. If anyone else read it, especially Gui Bu Gui..."

Qiongrong's voice became very soft, but after another glance at Gui Bu Gui, who was already looking displeased, he gritted his teeth and finished, "If Gui Bu Gui is present, regardless of whether he has read the bamboo slip or not, I must burn it. This is what the Great Fangshi personally instructed, and I dare not disobey."

Qiongrong paused, glanced at Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui, and continued, "The Great Fangshi also instructed that if Gui Bu Gui reads the content of the bamboo slip, please have him state the conditions for exchanging the bronze sword. As long as they are not too excessive, the Great Fangshi will do his best to meet them."

"Finally, we get to the point," Gui Bu Gui and Wu Mian exchanged a look and then said to the kneeling Qiongrong, "Go back and tell your Great Fangshi that the Duanzheng sword is in Wu Mian's hands. Xu Fu personally handed it over to him as private property, and it is of no use to us. If Little Guangren wants it back, I remember he has a soul artifact personally refined by Xu Fu, and the thirty-three stone talismans created by Bian Keng. Oh, and he should have a Storage Pearl, right? I remember Xu Fu gave him a dragon bone, which I saw in its entirety at Xu Fu's place. That's also quite valuable."

"Wait a moment!" Before Gui Bu Gui could finish, the kneeling Qiongrong suddenly looked up and, mustering his courage, interrupted Gui Bu Gui. Under the old man's surprised gaze, the young Fangshi said with a smile, "Please, sir, provide me with a set of bamboo slips and ink. I am not very smart, and I can't remember everything you said."

After finally filling an entire bamboo slip, Gui Bu Gui reluctantly stopped. He took a sip of the honey water offered by the Gui brothers, then his eyes darted around before he continued, "By the way, does your Great Fangshi know about something? Your great-uncle Guangxiao has rebelled against the Fangshi sect and is now setting up his own banner."

"I am of low rank and have not heard of such matters. However, I will report this to the Great Fangshi upon my return. Such a significant matter should be decided by the elders of the sect," Qiongrong said, though his expression and tone did not show much surprise, suggesting he might not be entirely truthful.

After Qiongrong packed up the bamboo slip and bowed deeply to the two men, he took his leave. Once his figure had completely disappeared, Wu Mian said to Gui Bu Gui, "I thought you would quickly get rid of that hot potato, but I didn't expect you to be so bold. You know the Duanzheng sword is already destroyed, yet you dare to make such outrageous demands with a fake."

Gui Bu Gui chuckled and said, "Do you think Guangren is so easy to fool? If I didn't ask for anything and just let Qiongrong take the Duanzheng sword, even if it were the real one, he would think it was fake. The more I demand, the more he will believe it's the real thing. It's all just for show. Why not get some benefits while we're at it?"

As Gui Bu Gui spoke, Yan Aihou and Little Ren San approached. Hearing what had happened, Yan Aihou gave a strange laugh and said to Gui Bu Gui, "You've calculated well, but how could you be sure that Qiongrong was really a disciple of the火山 sect and a grand-disciple of Guangren? Just based on what he told you?"

Gui Bu Gui was taken aback, blinked his eyes, and after a moment, looked at the first Great Fangshi and said, "From what you're saying, it seems you know something we don't. Did you use your magic to see something happening down the mountain?"

"It's not a big deal," Yan Aihou admitted straightforwardly. He smiled and continued, "Two people died down the mountain, one of whom also claimed to be named Qiongrong, and the other was his companion. By the way, the one who killed them is someone you know, De Yuan, who seems to be Guangxiao's disciple. Then, someone who came with De Yuan brought this bamboo slip up the mountain, and that was the 'Qiongrong' we just saw."