"Chen Fan!" The Alchemy Sect caravan stopped. The Young Master lifted the flap, his face darkened. "Blocking me? Are you going to make an enemy of the Alchemy Sect?"
"Everyone,"
Chen Fan scanned the faces of those present. "As long as I live, the Fan Sect will fight any force that insults the Sect----to the death."
"I'm too young."
"Too impulsive."
"Please excuse me."
With that, cold white Eerie Fire rushed through copper pipes. The twenty Eerie Fires buried in the canyon floor ignited simultaneously. At the same time, a hundred and forty openings revealed themselves on both canyon cliffs.
Before anyone could react,
The sky lit up!
Hundreds of blazing white pillars of light erupted from high above, engulfing the Alchemy Sect convoy.
The ground shook from the impact.
The dazzling white light enshrouded the whole canyon.
Something murderous now pervaded the previously unassuming, crude-looking canyon.
A barrier of white light rose from the carriage, blocking the barrage of fire. But it cracked immediately and seemed about to collapse at any moment.
"Sect Leader Chen!" A giant illusory silhouette of an old man appeared in the center of the canyon, speaking urgently. "The boy was rash! Spare his life, and the Alchemy Sect will surely reward you!"
His voice echoed throughout the canyon. However, it was already too late.
"Chen Fan, I was wro—" The Young Master's plea barely began before the barrier burst into fragments. Those beams of light swamped the convoy; no human could survive such an attack.
"Chen Fan!" The illusory shape began to dissipate, staring fixedly at Chen Fan. "Good. You wait! We got time to play games."
...
The men were dead.
But the white pillars did not stop.
The bombardment lasted a stick of incense's time(30 minutes) before coming to a close.
As the dust settled, there were no Skeleton Horses, no carriages, no trace of the Alchemy Sect Young Master. Peace returned, the breeze stirring up dust as if nothing had happened.
The abyss pit fell into silence.
Even quieter than before.
Behind closed doors, people had long said that the Alchemy Sect Young Master would pay for his arrogance sooner or later. But seeing it firsthand still felt surreal. That was, after all, the Alchemy Sect Young Master.
There was actually someone who had both the guts and means to kill him.
"Sorry you had to see that, everyone."
Chen Fan smiled helplessly. "I seem to have been a bit impulsive. Sigh, that guy was really something. Didn't he know I am younger than him? Of course, I am more impulsive."
"Alright, let's continue. Eat and drink."
The place resumed its buzz.
Everyone surrounded Chen Fan again, talking nonstop, but this time with a hint of fear and respect.
Slaying the Eerie King proved strength.
Daring to kill the Alchemy Sect Young Master spelled courage.
Power alongside nerve—if he didn't die early, he would become an overlord.
However...
The sight of the now-peaceful canyon still sent shivers down their spines. They had just traveled through it but had failed to recognize what a slaughterhouse it was.
They could piece together how the Fan Sect had slain the Eerie King.
Time passed.
The guests bid their farewell one by one.
Only Chen Fan's group remained in Nameless Mountain. The wall of Cave No. 1 stood open as Wang Kui rapidly moved gifts into the warehouse; there were tons of them this time.
"Sect Leader."
Crippled Monkey leaned in, voicing his worries. "What about the future? The Alchemy Sect is a major power in Riversouth; they might use many underhanded tricks against us. Although the King of Medicine Valley Young Master said they would support us..."
"But many forces buy pills from the Alchemy Sect. Were we to expand our presence into Riversouth, we would be facing secret hostility and exclusion."
"And even if we don't, the Alchemy Sect still won't let it go..."
"..."
Chen Fan kept silent, letting the wall of Cave No.2 retract. He looked at the Imperial Dragon-horse Carriage parked inside. One line on the panel was eye-catching:
"Holds a Pocket World waiting to be explored."
After a long silence, he gazed into the horizon and spoke softly.
"I have always sought to grow in the shadows."
"But—"
"Things went against my wishes. Many saw my low profile as a sign of weakness."
"From today, the Fan Sect is renamed Fan Realm.
"When the Imperial Dragon-horse Carriage hovers over the Alchemy Sect, the world will know the name of my 'Fan Realm'."
"Fame and profit are inseparable. We slew the Eerie King; these forces offer gifts to curry favor. As long as our fame is great enough, profit will follow."
"Take stock of assets."
"Spare no cost. Annihilate the Alchemy Sect."
"The rainy season in Riversouth is approaching. Move fast. Depart tomorrow."
"Use the fall of the Alchemy Sect to spread the name of Fan Realm far and wide."
"I want the Alchemy Sect wiped out. At any cost..."
Before Crippled Monkey could reply, Chen Fan withdrew his gaze, murmuring, "Making an example of the Alchemy Sect sounds more thrilling than the Sky-Flattening Chamber of Commerce."
...
Chen Fan walked back into the cave alone, leaving Zhou Mo and the others dumbfounded out there.
"Umm..."
"What about the Chen Clan?" Crippled Monkey asked seriously.
He had been thinking of returning to Rivernorth City after the rainy season to avenge the Young Master.
"Go later."
Wang Kui looked unhappy. "What a joyful day, with so many forces coming to offer congratulations. Never experienced such a glorious day in my life."
"Yet, then, the Alchemy Sect arrived to smash the party. If this isn't resolved properly, how will other forces view our 'Fan Realm'?"
"Thinking we only pick on the small?"
"Too afraid to take on the big?"
"But can we really annihilate the Alchemy Sect tomorrow?"
"If the Realm Lord says we can, we certainly can."
...
This was destined to be another sleepless night.
These past few nights, people in Rivernorth and Riversouth hadn't slept well; too much had happened recently.
The Fan Sect had killed the Alchemy Sect's Young Master.
This news spread like wildfire throughout Rivernorth and Riversouth.
Everyone silently stood by and watched, some guessing the Fan Sect would win, others the Alchemy Sect. But there was one common sentiment:
Young people are impulsive. From now on, don't randomly provoke young people when out.
It's easy to die.