Chapter 29

The Divine Beast's Selection (29)

"What, a highwayman like that..."

"Even worse than us!"

The two people who had cursed in whispers nodded their heads simultaneously.

Seeing this, Fan Jiawei cracked his fingers, making a cracking sound.

"If you're annoyed, come at me..."

"I'll give it to you."

"Huh? So easily?"

Fan Jiawei, who had been slowly loosening up, was instead taken aback by Wang Yan's immediate response.

"I'll bring it right now."

As Wang Yan turned around, Wang Jue slumped to the ground.

It meant he would take himself hostage until his brother returned.

Fan Jiawei found it even more unsettling that he was complying so readily.

"Hold on!"

Fan Jiawei frowned and muttered.

"What's the problem? Why are these guys being so obedient all of a sudden?"

"What? Are you asking us?"

Wang Jue's retort made Fan Jiawei's expression turn even more sinister.

"Yeah. Why are you guys just giving away a spirit medicine like the Gouzixianye Grass? Isn't it supposed to be extremely rare?"

"Well, you asked for it as a gift..."

"So why are you just giving it away? Is it something you just hand over when asked?"

"No! I'm giving it because you asked for it!"

Fan Jiawei's eyes narrowed as Wang Jue's voice involuntarily rose.

"Are you angry now?"

"N-no way. I've been having ear problems lately... I sometimes speak louder without realizing it."

Fan Jiawei stared intently at Wang Jue, who was stammering out excuses.

Just then, a whispered message arrived.

"There's something more important than the Gouzixianye Grass."

It was Han Xuehua, watching the situation from a distance.

Fan Jiawei grinned.

"Alright. Then bring it over."

As soon as he said that, Wang Yan's figure disappeared.

A moment later.

When Wang Yan returned, his hand held a wooden box about the length of a forearm.

Fan Jiawei opened the box.

At that moment, another whispered message from Han Xuehua arrived.

"The Gouzixianye Grass has nine branches, and the leaves are long and thread-like."

Fan Jiawei nodded, as the characteristics matched exactly what Han Xuehua had described. He closed the lid and pushed the box aside.

Then he extended his hand again.

"One more."

Wang Yan's eyes were filled with confusion.

"Not the Gouzixianye Grass. You have something else, right?"

"Something else?"

"Yeah, that one."

Wang Yan's pupils dilated.

He couldn't tell how much Fan Jiawei knew about their cargo.

"No matter what, not that..."

Fan Jiawei directed a wave of killing intent at the hesitant Wang Yan.

"!"

Wang Yan and Wang Jue's faces turned pale instantly.

They had known from the start that their opponent was a formidable monster.

They had almost died at his hands before.

But the aura now was on a completely different level.

Their bodies froze under the overwhelming presence.

"I'll give it to you."

This time, Wang Jue moved, and Wang Yan stayed behind as a hostage.

A moment later, Wang Jue returned from the carriage where the cargo was stored, carrying a palm-sized box, which he carefully placed in front of Fan Jiawei.

At Fan Jiawei's nod, Wang Jue opened the box.

Instantly, a dazzling light illuminated the surroundings.

It was the Night Pearl inside the box.

Even at a glance, it was clear that it was a treasure of immense value. Satisfied, Fan Jiawei's expression prompted Wang Yan to cautiously speak up.

"Then we'll be on our way..."

Suddenly, Wang Yan and Wang Jue felt a sense of foreboding.

Fan Jiawei's smile had deepened.

Sure enough,

"Just one more thing."

"Damn!"

"Shit!"

The two men's faces gradually turned sour as they exchanged short whispered messages.

"Is this really the last time?"

Fan Jiawei nodded.

"Have you ever seen me go back on my word?"

With a firm answer, Wang Yan got up and started walking towards the carriage.

At this point, Fan Jiawei also felt something was off.

"Hold on."

Fan Jiawei stopped Wang Yan.

"Really going to bring it?"

"You asked for it, didn't you?"

At that moment, the smile vanished from Fan Jiawei's face.

The intense light in his eyes made the Sanmol Shuanggui brothers' faces stiffen. Despite his often slightly off-putting mannerisms, no one who knew Fan Jiawei's true nature dared to underestimate him.

He was, after all, the entrance to Beimang Mountain, the gateway to Youfu.

"Where are you headed?"

"Huh?"

"Where are you going with all these precious treasures?"

The Sanmol Shuanggui brothers exchanged glances and looked at Fan Jiawei with serious expressions.

"Don't we need to survive too?"

"What do you mean?"

"Recently, the Martial Arts Alliance declared a hunt for the Hundred Great Evils."

"Hundred Great Evils? Not the Ten Great Evils?"

"Yes. They announced a purge of a hundred new evildoers selected according to their standards."

"Are you included in those hundred?"

"Yes."

"You've grown a lot, haven't you?"

The two men bristled.

"Even before the Martial Arts Alliance labeled us as the Hundred Great Evils, we were already among the top hundred martial artists."

"In the black path, we're probably in the top tier."

Fan Jiawei chuckled.

"So? Where are these great masters fleeing to, to avoid the Martial Arts Alliance?"

"That's something we can't disclose."

Fan Jiawei released his killing intent again.

But this time, the Sanmol Shuanggui brothers gritted their teeth and held their ground. Despite their pale faces and cold sweat, they refused to speak.

Seeing this, Fan Jiawei reached behind him.

The Sanmol Shuanggui brothers flinched and gripped their weapons.

Even if the outcome was obvious, they couldn't just sit there and be killed. They had to at least swing their swords before dying, as befitting martial artists.

At that moment, Fan Jiawei threw something at them.

The Sanmol Shuanggui brothers caught it absentmindedly and were surprised.

It was the box containing the Night Pearl.

"Why are you giving this back to us?"

"To add to your travel expenses."

"Excuse me?"

"You're running for your lives, right? As seniors, I can't send you off empty-handed."

"Thank you."

The two men bowed in gratitude and took a few steps back, watching Fan Jiawei's reaction. When they felt they were far enough, they started running.

"Wait! This is what we gave you!"

"Still, it feels grateful to get it back after it was taken."

"Alright, let's use this trick next time."

They exchanged whispered messages and disappeared into the darkness.

A moment later.

Neigh!

The sound of a horse neighing echoed through the night.

They had decided to hurry along the night road to get as far away from Fan Jiawei as possible. As the Sanmol Shuanggui brothers and their convoy moved further away, Chao Ailiang and Han Xuehua approached Fan Jiawei.

Han Xuehua gazed in the direction the Sanmol Shuanggui had disappeared, and Chao Ailiang, following her gaze, spoke up.

"What are they so determined to keep secret?"

"That's what I'm wondering. They're not usually this tight-lipped."

"There must be some kind of focal point gathering them somewhere."

Chao Ailiang's words made Fan Jiawei respond nonchalantly.

"Well, it's none of our business."

"That's true."

Fan Jiawei, who had been moving without much thought, suddenly looked puzzled.

He had just noticed the intense killing intent in Chao Ailiang's eyes.

The reason was not hard to guess.

It was due to the increasingly outrageous actions of the Martial Arts Alliance.

"How about we completely dismantle the Martial Arts Alliance now?"

Chao Ailiang frowned at Fan Jiawei's casual suggestion.

"Make the Martial Arts Alliance a public enemy?"

"No, that's not a good idea."

In any case, the three of them, having successfully secured the Gouzixianye Grass, hurried back to their camp.

They were eager to see Duan Aoxian's joy at finally obtaining the spirit medicine they had long desired.

The destination of the Sanmol Shuanggui was no longer of interest to them.

* * *

As expected, Duan Aoxian was overjoyed when he received the Gouzixianye Grass.

Chao Ailiang, Fan Jiawei, and Han Xuehua were equally delighted.

They had always been on the receiving end from Duan Aoxian, which had made them feel heavy-hearted.

This time, they felt as if they had shed a burden.

Throughout the journey, Duan Aoxian never let the box containing the Gouzixianye Grass out of his sight.

He even hugged it while sleeping.

"Is it really that good?"

Chao Ailiang smiled fondly as he looked at the sleeping Duan Aoxian.

"He looks like he has all the spirit medicines in the world."

Han Xuehua's words made Fan Jiawei's eyes light up.

"That's it!"

Confused, the two looked at Fan Jiawei.

"Let's make Duan Aoxian the richest in spirit medicines!"

Chao Ailiang and Han Xuehua looked at Fan Jiawei in surprise.

It was a reasonable idea, as Duan Aoxian had almost no desire for material things. Whenever he received a large sum of money, he spent it on medicinal herbs, and he rarely used it for himself.

The only time he showed