[Comprehension: 21]
[Root Bone: 39]
[Cultivation: None]
[Cultivation Technique: Turtle and Snake Grand Posture - Entry Level (72/100), Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist - Entry Level (119/150)]
[Skills: Mining Level 3 (283/400)]
[Remaining Lifespan: 57]
[Martial Arts Longevity Points: 0]
The results of half a month of arduous training were remarkable, and Xu Yang was quite satisfied.
The points he had accumulated over the past half-month had already raised his Root Bone to 39. In a few more days, he would be able to reach 40.
At that point, his Root Bone should reach the B-class threshold, putting him on the same level as Lu Ren.
Backed by the money from the Sanhe Gang, his progress in the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture had surged. He would have no problem reaching the first gate of the Martial Dao this month.
Nothing unexpected had happened in the past half-month either. The Sanhe Gang hadn't sent anyone to be stationed at the hall; the people who collected the protection fees came directly from the Main Altar.
"Brother Xu!"
Just then, Qiu Wenjie walked over.
"Shouldn't you be training? What are you doing here? Your father asked me to keep an eye on you, you know." Xu Yang relaxed from the Turtle and Snake Grand Posture.
Qiu Wenjie pointed toward the main gate of Weiyuan Hall. "Xue Fangsheng is back, and he's alone."
Xu Yang glanced toward the gate. He did indeed see Xue Fangsheng, but there was no sign of Zhang Yong and the others who had gone into the mountains with him to hunt Exotic Beasts.
'Something's happened,' Xu Yang's heart sank.
'If I didn't have my panel, I probably would have gone on that 'adventure' into the mountains with Zhang Yong and the others. I was right. There's something wrong with Xue Fangsheng.'
'But seven people... how could he dare to kill them all?'
"Why wouldn't he? None of you have any backing. As long as the Huang Family doesn't intervene, would your families dare to pick a fight with a Qi Gathering Martial Artist?"
"There are so many people in the Outer Courtyard, and that's exactly why he chose you guys. It's a good thing you refused him back then."
Qiu Wenjie sneered.
Many in the Outer Courtyard knew there was something wrong with Xue Fangsheng, but few would offend a Qi Gathering Martial Artist for a couple of nobodies they had no connection to.
"Senior Brother Xue, where are Luo Dehu and the others?"
Lu Ren strode over and blocked Xue Fangsheng's path. He, too, realized something was wrong.
"I'm not their father. Why are you asking me?" Xue Fangsheng didn't give Lu Ren any face.
Lu Ren was a genius, but he still hadn't successfully reached Qi Gathering. As long as he hadn't succeeded, the possibility of failure remained.
And so what if Lu Ren did manage to reach Qi Gathering? From the moment he'd targeted Luo Dehu and the others, he had already taken Lu Ren into account.
With the profits from this venture, he might even be able to reach Marrow Cleansing in the future.
"You..."
Lu Ren was momentarily speechless. "How could you do this? Aren't you afraid Master will hold you accountable?"
"Junior Brother Lu Ren, be clear. What exactly have I done?" Xue Fangsheng sneered.
'They don't even know what happened. How can they hold me accountable?'
'Besides, if Lin Cheng actually cared about this kind of crap, would I have done it in the first place?'
He couldn't believe Lu Ren was still so naive after all this time, actually thinking of Lin Cheng as a true master and all of them as a big, happy family of martial brothers.
'Didn't he see Sun Tao standing right there, not getting involved?'
For a moment, Lu Ren was speechless.
"What did you do? You bastard! You used us as bait for an Exotic Beast! Did you really think we were all dead?"
Xue Fangsheng's expression flickered. He turned to look and saw Luo Dehu staggering into Weiyuan Hall, his clothes in tatters and his face covered in bloody scratches from tree branches.
Immediately after, Zhang Yong, Zhang Hong, and Qian Jiaxing appeared as well.
All four were injured to varying degrees, but none of the wounds were serious—mostly just scrapes and bruises.
Their eyes burned with unadulterated fury as they glared at Xue Fangsheng.
"You bastard! You waited outside the mountains for a whole day, trying to kill us all to silence us! It's a good thing we hid."
Qian Jiaxing's eyes were bloodshot. The high spirits he'd had upon his last return were completely gone.
Xue Fangsheng's expression remained unchanged. In fact, he put on a look of deep sorrow. "Junior Brother Qian, you truly don't know a kind heart when you see one. I, your Senior Brother, was worried sick about you. I waited outside the mountains for a whole day without food or water."
"Seeing that you're all safe, I can finally rest easy."
At these words, Zhang Yong and the others looked ready to breathe fire. He had clearly been trying to kill them to tie up loose ends, yet Xue Fangsheng twisted it into an act of concern.
"You animal! You're the one who got Tang Ruiyang and Yang Dacai killed! You're not even human!"
Even if he couldn't do anything to Xue Fangsheng, Luo Dehu was determined to expose him and completely ruin his reputation.
However, few people sympathized with them. Who could they blame but themselves for not being smart enough?
'Did they really think they were the chosen ones? That fortune would just fall into their laps? Why would a Qi Gathering Martial Artist kindly offer to help them make money without wanting something in return?'
"They were killed by an Exotic Beast. Don't you dare blame me," Xue Fangsheng said, completely unfazed.
He dared to do these things because he had already considered the consequences.
"Cut the crap. Give us the money we're owed. Otherwise, we'll all go confront Master about it," Zhang Yong said coldly.
'I'll settle today's score once I become a Martial Artist. Right now, getting the money is what's important.'
"That's right! Give us our thirty percent share!"
Zhang Hong, Luo Dehu, and Qian Jiaxing all chimed in.
"What money? The tiger was right on our heels. We didn't manage to bring anything out."
Xue Fangsheng had no intention of coughing up what he'd already swallowed. He hadn't expected Zhang Yong and the others to be so sharp. They had figured out he would wait to ambush them and simply stayed hidden. He'd left thinking they were all dead.
Zhang Hong retorted angrily, "Do you think we didn't see you carry that Exotic Beast off to sell it?"
Xue Fangsheng's gaze turned grim. He hadn't expected these flunkies to have been secretly following him.
Sun Tao walked over, his eyes holding a clear warning. "Junior Brother Xue, don't bring matters from the mountains into the Martial Arts Hall. If this blows up in front of Master, you know his temperament."
The unspoken message was clear: 'If you're going to do something, do it cleanly.' Now that he had failed to do so and brought the mess back to the Martial Arts Hall, he was causing trouble for their Master. Even if their Master didn't want to get involved, he would be forced to for the sake of the hall's reputation.
Reluctantly, Xue Fangsheng took out the money that was supposed to be their share and handed it to Zhang Yong's group. As for the shares of the two who died... whether Zhang Yong and his friends would split it among themselves was none of his concern.
He shot Zhang Yong's group a venomous glare before turning and leaving.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Sun!"
Zhang Yong's group bowed deeply to Sun Tao. Without his intervention, they knew it would have been difficult to get their money.
"You're on your own."
Sun Tao shook his head and turned to leave. He hadn't wanted to get involved, but since the dispute had spilled into the Martial Arts Hall, he had no choice but to step in.
The crowd dispersed, leaving just Zhang Yong's group.
"What do we do now?" Luo Dehu asked with a bitter smile.
They had gotten the money, but from the look on Xue Fangsheng's face before he left, he definitely wasn't going to let them off the hook. For a Qi Gathering Martial Artist, killing them would be effortless.
"I regret being blinded by greed. We should have listened to Xu Yang from the start," Zhang Hong sighed.
Thinking about it now, Xu Yang was the one who saw things clearly. They might be alive for now, but the moment Xue Fangsheng got an opportunity, he would surely strike.
"He's no saint, either. If he knew Xue Fangsheng's intentions were so malicious, why didn't he warn us?" Luo Dehu, surprisingly, had started to resent Xu Yang.