Chapter 51

Guangren spoke calmly and composedly, but his words clearly conveyed his intentions. He was demanding that Wu Mian return all the benefits he had received from Xu Fu.

As Guangren spoke, Wu Mian watched him with a continuous sneer. When the current Fangshi finished speaking, just as Wu Mian was about to say a few sarcastic words, Gui Bu Gui preempted him, saying, "Guangren, you're taking advantage of Wu Mian being new here and not knowing the rules."

The old man paused for a moment, glanced at Wu Mian, and continued, "Anything given away is considered the private property of the Fangshi. I've never heard of any Fangshi demanding the return of what the previous Fangshi had given away. Guangren, I'm not saying this to criticize you, but you're setting a precedent here."

Saying this, Gui Bu Gui turned to look at Huoshan and said to him, "And you, little Huoshan, remember this. When you take over your master's position in the future, make sure to get back everything he gave away! Otherwise, you'll be at a loss."

Huoshan seemed not to have heard, staring straight ahead without responding to the old man. Guangren, however, smiled indifferently and looked at Gui Bu Gui, saying, "Brother Gui, that's a good idea. If there ever comes a day, I'll definitely make a list and hand it over to Huoshan to avoid any omissions in the future." After saying this, Gui Bu Gui's eyes widened, he took a few deep breaths, opened his mouth, and then closed it, unable to find a way to counter.

Guangren's words were airtight, leaving Gui Bu Gui speechless. Finally, Wu Mian sneered and said to Guangren, "Fine, a list is best. You make the list, and I'll hand over everything on it. The rest isn't from your sect, right?"

Guangren's eyes narrowed as he looked at Wu Mian, surprised that this young man, despite his youth, could block his words. Guangren didn't have a list; he had been paying attention to Wu Mian ever since Xu Fu left him alone in the lecture hall. After that, Guangren sent disciples to find Wu Mian's whereabouts. Unfortunately, the disciples always arrived a step too late. It wasn't until this encounter that they discovered Wu Mian had reunited with his master.

Initially, Guangren thought Xu Fu had only given Wu Mian a few immortality pills and taught him some techniques. But hearing about the places Wu Mian had visited over the years, Guangren realized that Xu Fu had likely given Wu Mian several addresses, leaving valuable books or magical artifacts at these places, or even something more precious.

There was an object crucial to Guangren that he couldn't find after becoming the Fangshi. Now it seemed that object was in Wu Mian's possession.

After being blocked by Wu Mian, Guangren's smile faded, and he looked at the young man with white hair, saying calmly, "There's no need for a list. Anything left by the previous Fangshi belongs to our sect. Hand it over."

"Why make things so difficult?" Gui Bu Gui sighed, saying, "Guangren, listen to me. The Fangshi isn't dead or gone for good. When he returns from the sea, and finds out you're demanding his things back, what do you think he'll do? With his petty nature, you'll be the one to suffer."

These words had some effect. Guangren fell silent for a moment, but when he spoke again, his intention remained unchanged: "Brother Gui, there's no need for more words. I am the current Fangshi. Even if the previous Fangshi returns, the situation won't change. I won't make things difficult for you two. Just hand over the items left by the previous Fangshi, and I won't ask any more questions."

Gui Bu Gui wanted to persuade him further, but Guangren's words had already provoked Wu Mian. Wu Mian sneered and said before Gui Bu Gui could, "What if I don't hand anything over?"

Looking at Wu Mian, Guangren suddenly smiled and said, "Then I have no choice. I'll take it myself..." As he said this, all the disciples behind him, including Huoshan, fixed their gaze on Wu Mian. Some of them began to reach for the bulging bags on their backs, clearly containing some kind of magical artifacts.

Seeing the situation about to turn violent, Gui Bu Gui suddenly burst into laughter, drawing everyone's attention to him. After laughing, Gui Bu Gui looked at Guangren and said, "Fangshi, did you forget about me? No matter what, this matter involves me, doesn't it?"

"Are you sure you want to get involved?" Guangren sneered, no longer bothering to be polite with Gui Bu Gui. He said directly, "Gui Bu Gui, I know your strength is still above Guangxiao's, but your techniques were sealed for a hundred years. During that time, you made no progress. And now that the seal has been lifted, what are your chances against me? Fifty percent, to be generous?"

Gui Bu Gui laughed and said, "Fifty percent? I don't need that much. A thirty percent chance is enough for me. But it won't be easy for you to subdue me, either."

Saying this, the old man's eyes swept over the disciples behind Guangren, and he continued, "If we really fight, don't expect me to play by the rules. Subduing me won't be a problem for you, Fangshi, but at least half of your people will die. And if you make a mistake and get injured, even slightly, do you think Guangxiao will let such a good opportunity pass? To be honest, Guangxiao's temperament is a lot like mine; neither of us plays by the rules."

Gui Bu Gui's words hit Guangren's weak spot. After Xu Fu went to sea, he passed the Fangshi position to Guangren but left a hidden threat. There was always a pair of eyes watching the new Fangshi, and the owner of those eyes was Guangxiao.

Speaking of Guangxiao, he was a unique individual. When he first became Xu Fu's disciple, Xu Fu saw that Guangxiao had no connection to the Fangshi sect and would eventually leave for another path. Xu Fu, of course, wouldn't easily take on the role of a mentor for someone who would eventually leave. But this young man was incredibly persistent, kneeling at the sect's gate and vowing to stay there until Xu Fu accepted him as a disciple.

He knelt for five days. Just as Guangxiao was about to die, Xu Fu was finally moved by his sincerity and took him as a disciple. Xu Fu also declared that if Guangxiao ever wanted to leave for another path, no one could stop him. This gave Guangxiao a certain degree of freedom but also cut off his chances of becoming the next Fangshi.

While Xu Fu was around, Guangxiao didn't dare to act too recklessly. But once the Fangshi went to sea, Guangxiao's true intentions became clear. He began searching the world for Wu Mian, and even a blind person could see that he was after the seed inside Wu Mian's body.

Guangxiao's intentions were too obvious. Although he suffered a minor setback and had to return to recuperate, his injuries had long since healed. Now he was watching Guangren's every move, ready to seize any opportunity to take his place. Guangren had tried more than once to eliminate Guangxiao, but Guangxiao was too well-prepared, and it was difficult to find a way to deal with Wu Mian.

Mentioning Guangxiao, Guangren began to reassess the situation. Unfortunately, with Guangxiao watching from the shadows, the current Fangshi couldn't come up with a favorable outcome.

Seeing his master's expressionless face and silence, one of Guangren's newly initiated disciples misunderstood, thinking his master was hesitant to act out of consideration for their sect. The disciple decided to take the initiative, believing that subduing the old man named Gui Bu Gui would make the young man named Wu Mian insignificant.