Chapter 4

Jiang Wang had just finished speaking when he unsheathed his sword without hesitation and slashed.

"What, what!?"

A cold light flashed, and Fang Pengju rolled and crawled to avoid the sword, his anger and embarrassment reaching their peak.

Moreover, no one else on the scene reacted. Almost everyone thought the next scene would be a reconciliation between brothers, a deep bond of friendship, even a story of virtue.

No one expected that, under the watchful eyes of everyone and the weight of brotherhood, Jiang Wang would actually draw his sword!

"Pengju." Jiang Wang looked at him with a smile on his lips, but the smile was particularly cold, "You were supposed to offer your neck for the kill, why did you dodge?"

Fang Pengju's face turned pale and then red, and he finally stood up from the ground, gritting his teeth to meet his gaze: "Third Brother, are you really going to disregard our brotherhood?"

"You despicable scoundrel!" At this point, Du Yehu was already furious, "I must have been blind to call you a brother!"

As he spoke, he stepped forward to charge, but Jiang Wang raised his hand to stop him.

"Second Brother, let me handle this."

Fang Pengju glared at him, "Du Yehu! What does this have to do with you!?"

"Fang Pengju, you have disappointed me greatly!" Ling He, who was usually kind, could no longer contain his anger. He stepped forward, drew his sword from his waist, cut a corner of his robe, and threw it to the ground, "From now on, we cut our ties!"

"Big Brother!" Fang Pengju gave a bitter laugh, "Second Brother is impulsive, but even you can't understand me? To prove my innocence, I am willing to die, but my parents only have me, their only hope! My life is not my own, how can I die here? Jiang Wang believes in villains and refuses to listen to explanations, intent on killing me! Does he have any sense of brotherhood?"

"Fourth Brother, this is the last time I will call you that," Zhao Rucheng, the youngest of the Five Heroes of Maple Forest, finally spoke. His face was still somewhat youthful but extremely handsome, and his words were like gold and jade, resonating with authority: "Fang Decai is surnamed Fang! His family has served your Fang family for generations! What conditions could a group of bandits offer to buy him? Are you insulting the wealth of your Fang family, or the wisdom of all of us? How did a group of wastrels from West Mountain infiltrate Maple Forest City and set a trap in the Moonlight Tower? Finally, since you lack the resolve to die to prove your innocence, who were you trying to deceive just now? I, Zhao Rucheng, am ashamed to be your companion!"

Among the five, Ling He and Jiang Wang came from poor families, Du Yehu's family was neither rich nor poor, while Fang Pengju and Zhao Rucheng were both wealthy young masters. The Fang family was well-known, and although the Zhao family had only moved to Maple Forest City in the past decade, their wealth was unfathomable.

"Little Fifth, you have always been close to Third Brother. It's fine to favor him, but am I not your Fourth Brother? You have no evidence, only conjecture, and you say such heartless words. Can your conscience be at peace?"

Fang Pengju was heartbroken, appearing extremely tormented and injured.

"Pengju, you are still eloquent," Jiang Wang stopped Zhao Rucheng and the others, "But have you ever thought about why, even when I was severely injured and fleeing, I did not secretly contact Big Brother, Second Brother, or Little Fifth, but chose to come to you only today?"

He lowered his eyelids slightly: "Because I never wanted them to make any choices, I didn't want them to doubt, I didn't want them to be in a difficult position! The matter between you and me, I will settle it myself. If I die, then I die. Since I am still alive, what you owe me, you must pay back."

Fang Pengju looked at him coldly: "Do you have a persecution complex? I don't owe you anything, how can I pay back? Why are you so stubborn?"

But Jiang Wang no longer spoke to him, instead turning to the tall statue of the Daoist Master in the courtyard and bowing deeply: "Disciple Jiang Wang, wronged by the villain Fang Pengju, nearly lost my life. This grudge cannot be resolved, this hatred cannot be erased. I request a life-or-death duel!"

The crowd was in an uproar.

A Daoist life-or-death duel!!

Killing a fellow disciple is a sin, but if there is a deep grudge or blood feud, the Daoist sect does not forbid duels.

Among various types of duels, a duel witnessed by the Daoist Master is the most irreversible.

The Daoist sect generally believes that the Daoist Master lies in the ninth heaven, seeing through the universe. Chanting his name means he knows, bowing to his form means he feels. All oaths involving the Daoist Master are irreversible.

A Daoist life-or-death duel, until one dies.

As soon as Jiang Wang finished speaking, a middle-aged Daoist in a black robe appeared before the statue of the Daoist Master.

He had a stern face and a short beard. On the right chest of his black Daoist robe was a small green dragon, which seemed to be alive. This was the腾龙道袍 (Tenglong Daoist Robe) that only middle-third-rank experts could wear.

In the secular world, cultivators are generally divided into nine ranks. Different schools may have different names or extraordinary manifestations, but the ranks can generally be matched to the nine-rank system. Ranks nine to seven are the initial stage, six to four are the intermediate stage, and three to one are the advanced stage. Interestingly, this also corresponds to the ranks of officials in various countries.

Of course, in a small country like Zhuang, even a first-rank prime minister may not truly have first-rank strength.

The moment the black-robed, short-bearded Daoist appeared, all the disciples present bowed, "Dean!"

There were very few Daoists in Maple Forest City who could wear the腾龙黑袍 (Tenglong Black Robe), including the dean of Maple Forest Daoist Academy, Dong A. It was said that he had once practiced in the capital of Zhuang, Xian'an City, and because of his upright and fair character, he offended the nobles and was exiled to Qinghe County, Maple Forest City.

Ling He's face was filled with sorrow, but he did not speak. He knew Jiang Wang's sword skills well. Before officially starting to practice Daoist techniques, no one in the outer academy was his match, including Fang Pengju.

But since Jiang Wang proposed a Daoist life-or-death duel, it meant the grievance was irreconcilable. Now that the dean was present, Fang Pengju had to either fight to the death or wait for the Maple Forest Daoist Academy to investigate the assassination attempt on Jiang Wang.

However, Fang Pengju could not withstand an investigation by the academy.

Therefore, he had no choice.

Amidst countless suspicious, mocking, or angry gazes, Fang Pengju's face remained calm, "Third Brother, are we really going to face each other with swords?"

Jiang Wang said calmly, "The one who brought us to this point is you, not me."

"How can you believe me?"

"I have already paid with my life for this trust. Now, talking is futile. The Fang Pengju I remember is not a coward who avoids a fight."

Fang Pengju was unmoved, "Are you so confident you can kill me?"

Jiang Wang looked at him calmly, "Let's see."

Fang Pengju stared at him for a while, then suddenly laughed, "Unfortunately, you can't kill me, and our duel cannot be established. Just the other day, my Daoist pulse began to manifest, making me an inner academy disciple! We are on different levels, how can we duel?"

As he spoke, he straightened his body and fully activated his Daoist pulse. Everyone could sense a surge of energy rising from his spine, making him appear vibrant and full of spirit. This indicated that his Daoist pulse had manifested, and his physical body could now generate Daoist essence, officially granting him extraordinary power.

The academy had clear rules for duels, one of which was that anyone could unconditionally refuse a duel invitation from a higher rank. This was to protect lower-rank cultivators from being bullied by higher-rank cultivators. But now, it became Fang Pengju's reason to avoid the duel.

Although his Daoist pulse had manifested, it had not been long, and he had not yet begun to practice Daoist techniques, so his strength had not fundamentally improved, and he still lacked the confidence to face Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang was silent.

He looked at Fang Pengju silently, his emotions complex.

Then he said slowly, "To obtain this Pulse-Opening Pill, I single-handedly charged into West Mountain, fighting a bloody battle to destroy the bandit nest. In that battle, I suffered thirteen wounds, two of which were fatal."

"To achieve the best effect from the Pulse-Opening Pill, I planned to wait until my body recovered to its peak before taking it. I understood the principle that possessing something valuable invites trouble, so I never mentioned it to anyone. Everyone thought I would take the pill on the same day, except for you, except for us five brothers who have faced life and death together. Because I had nothing to hide from you."

"Since I was five years old and entered the world of cultivation, I have been chasing this Pulse-Opening Pill. I do not have a naturally manifesting Daoist pulse, so I can only rely on the pill to become extraordinary. It is my path of cultivation, my hope, my light. You know my family situation, you know how hard I have worked. I wake up before dawn every day to practice swordsmanship and only rest when the moon is high in the sky. I never visit brothels or indulge in any way. In the entire Maple Forest Daoist Academy, I can say that no outer academy disciple works harder than I do. I have been working hard for this Pulse-Opening Pill for eleven years!"

As Jiang Wang spoke, he stared intently at Fang Pengju, "Mixed with my sweat, blood, and tears, is this Pulse-Opening Pill useful?"

The hall fell silent.

Ling He's lips were tightly pressed, Zhao Rucheng gritted his teeth, and even a tough man like Du Yehu had tears rolling down his cheeks.

Yes, who among them did not know Jiang Wang's dedication, his fatigue, his suffering?

And Fang Pengju, could he be so heartless?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" A hint of unease flashed across Fang Pengju's face, but he quickly suppressed it, "My uncle's caravan passed through Yun Country last month, and he happened to buy a Pulse-Opening Pill from a financially struggling cultivator. That's how I was able to manifest my Daoist pulse. What does this have to do with you? Don't assume everyone is as poor and desperate as you, willing to do anything to advance! My Fang family is wealthy, can't we afford a Pulse-Opening Pill?"

Zhao Rucheng was filled with hatred, no longer holding back his words: "Yes, the Fang family is wealthy. Unfortunately, your parents died early, and you are not the only heir, so the family resources allocated to you are limited. Otherwise, how could you have gone so long without a Pulse-Opening Pill, and then coincidentally have one after my Third Brother was attacked?"

"That is a coincidence. I can only say, it's too coincidental!" Fang Pengju's eyes flashed with cold light, "Don't talk about things without evidence. For the sake of our brotherhood, I won't hold it against you. If it happens again, I, as an inner academy disciple, will teach you the meaning of hierarchy!"

"You!" Zhao Rucheng was furious.

Du Yehu gritted his teeth, and if the dean were not present, he would have punched Fang Pengju's handsome face.

Only Jiang Wang remained calm, "Fang Pengju, I told you. You are too arrogant, too self-righteous, and often ignore the truth. I taught you, but why can't you learn?"

"Why don't you think about it, if a Daoist life-or-death duel cannot be established, why would Dean Dong be here?"

He took a step forward, also activating his Daoist pulse, the worm in his spine wriggling intensely, making him sharp and straight like a sword!

"That's because I have also manifested my Daoist pulse, officially gaining the potential for extraordinary power!"

"Our levels are the same, and you don't want the dean to investigate. Therefore, the duel is established!"

As Fang Pengju turned pale with shock, Dean Dong A waved his sleeve.

At the entrance of the academy, beneath the feet of Jiang Wang and Fang Pengju, a sapling suddenly sprouted from the ground and grew rapidly, forming a huge wooden pillar that lifted the two of them and separated the other outer academy disciples.

The top of the wooden pillar was as flat as if it had been cut by a sharp blade, a square platform ten steps wide. From a distance, it looked like a wooden circular platform. Around the "platform," branches swayed.

Fang Pengju had no doubt that if he turned to run, these seemingly harmless branches would turn into ferocious beasts.

Jiang Wang's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, ready to strike.

Dean Dong A casually waved a branch, which twisted and picked up the sword Fang Pengju had dropped, throwing it onto the platform.

Fang Pengju caught it.

Before the statue of the Daoist Master, whose face could never be seen, the fifth-rank inner academy Daoist, Dong A, announced in a cold voice: "Daoist life-or-death duel, begin!"