Chapter 194 - 191: Mountain Path Interception
"Second Brother, eat faster. We have to get to Biluo Mountain. If we’re late, there won’t be anything left for us," the elder of the Fang Brothers, Fang Yuanqing, urged.
"Alright!"
The Fang Brothers immediately began shoveling down their meat and rice, clearing the table in moments.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two grabbed their Great Sabers, left the Wind and Cloud Inn, and headed toward Biluo Mountain.
"You ahead! Are you the Fang Brothers?"
The Fang Brothers had not gone far from the inn when a shout came from behind. They immediately turned to see three burly, saber-wielding men approaching.
"That’s right. I am Fang Yuanqing, and this is my younger brother, Fang Yuanzhu." Fang Yuanqing’s gaze flickered as he studied the trio. "Judging by your attire, I’d guess you’re the Three Heroes of Xibei. What can we do for you?"
The Three Heroes of Xibei’s reputation and strength were comparable to that of the Fang Brothers, so Fang Yuanqing’s tone was naturally polite.
"We’ve long heard of your reputation! We’ve come to propose a partnership," the leader of the Three Heroes of Xibei said in a low voice. "A great many Martial Artists have come to Biluo Mountain. There are over a dozen at the Sixth Level of Martial Arts, and even powerhouses like Elder Feng of the Quicksand Gang, who is in the Martial Arts Seventh Realm. The longer this drags on, the more masters will arrive. Snatching the Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill from Shi Bolang will be incredibly difficult. That’s why we want to work with you. The five of us are all saber experts. If we coordinate well, we can definitely match a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Sixth Realm. Are you interested?"
Having said their piece, the Three Heroes of Xibei watched the Fang Brothers, awaiting their reply.
Fang Yuanqing’s eyes flickered in thought. "We can cooperate," he said after a moment, "but if we actually get the Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill, how do we split it?"
"We’ll split it fifty-fifty," the leader of the Three Heroes of Xibei said grimly. "As far as I know, the box Shi Bolang has contains more than one Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill."
"Alright, deal!" The Fang Brothers immediately agreed. "No time to waste. Let’s go!"
Cooperating was mutually beneficial, so the choice was natural. The Three Heroes of Xibei and the Fang Brothers were all at the Peak of the Fifth Realm. On their own, each group could match a Martial Artist who had just entered the Martial Arts Sixth Realm. But if they joined forces, their combined strength would skyrocket. Forget an early-stage Sixth Realm Martial Artist; they could even hold their own against someone in the Late Stage. This alliance drastically improved their chances of seizing the Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill. And so, being two sides of the same coin, they hit it off immediately.
The group of five immediately set off for Biluo Mountain.
The Wind and Cloud Inn was already at the foot of Biluo Mountain, so it wasn’t a long walk. After about ten minutes, the five of them had entered the mountain proper.
The slopes of Biluo Mountain were treacherous, covered in dense forests and ancient, sprawling trees.
As the group of five walked along the mountain path, the expressions of the Fang Brothers, who were leading the way, suddenly changed. "Careful," one of them said in a low voice. "Killing intent!"
All five of them froze. Martial Artists who constantly roamed the martial world were exceptionally sensitive to killing intent.
𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
"This killing intent is so strong! Don’t tell me an expert is targeting us?" The Three Heroes of Xibei also grew extremely cautious, scanning their surroundings.
"Stay on your guard. Our opponent is likely a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Sixth Realm!" one of the Fang Brothers said in a low voice.
"Damn it, why is an expert targeting us?" The leader of the Three Heroes of Xibei frowned in confusion. "This doesn’t make sense. We don’t have the Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill, so why would any Martial Artist be after us? Is it an old enemy? Fang Brothers, have you two offended anyone lately?"
"Of course not! Who could we have offended?" said the younger brother, Fang Yuanzhu. "The most we do is bully some Little Martial Artists in the Third or Fourth Realm. We’re not stupid; we wouldn’t dare provoke a Sixth Realm Martial Artist! This isn’t because you Three Heroes of Xibei offended some expert and dragged us into it, is it?"
"What are you talking about? It’s even less likely to be us! When it comes to being arrogant and overbearing, we Three Heroes of Xibei are no match for the Fang Brothers," the third Hero of Xibei said with a sneer.
The two began to trade barbs.
"Alright, enough arguing!" Fang Yuanqing, the elder brother, said grimly. "Even if it is a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Sixth Realm, the five of us together don’t need to be afraid. Just stay alert and don’t let them pick us off one by one!"
The five of them immediately grew vigilant, warily scanning their surroundings as they proceeded slowly forward.
The further they walked, the thicker the killing intent became, and a knot of anxiety tightened in their stomachs. The path was flanked by dense thickets of bushes, and the five men stared intently into them. For all they knew, their enemy could be hiding right there, so they had to be even more vigilant.
After inching forward another hundred steps, they rounded a bend in the path. There, both the Fang Brothers and the Three Heroes of Xibei froze, their faces a mask of confusion.
Standing right in the middle of the path ahead was a young man in green. Both the Fang Brothers and the Three Heroes of Xibei had seen him before. The Fang Brothers had even spat in his bowl of soup. Humiliated like that, the kid hadn’t dared to say a word and had simply scurried away with his tail between his legs. At least, that was how the Fang Brothers remembered it.
"What’s this kid doing here?" the leader of the Three Heroes of Xibei wondered aloud.
"I was wondering who it could be. Turns out it’s just this brat!" The younger Fang brother, Fang Yuanzhu, sneered. "Hey, kid! What are you doing standing in the middle of the road? You got a death wish, blocking our path?!"
"You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you," Ye Xing said calmly.
"Waiting for us?" Fang Yuanzhu froze for a second before bursting into a derisive laugh. "Don’t tell me, kid. Are you looking for revenge?"
"Heh, you guessed right. I’m here to settle the score," Ye Xing said with a grin, baring a row of stark white teeth.
If Ma Feng, Hong Hai, or any of the Great River Gang members who knew Ye Xing had been there, that expression would have sent a chill down their spines. Because whenever Ye Xing smiled like that, it meant he was about to kill someone.
However, the Fang Brothers and the Three Heroes of Xibei didn’t know Ye Xing. To them, he was just some Fourth Realm Martial Artist, with a cultivation far weaker than their own.
Hearing that this Martial Artist, who was barely even in the Fourth Realm, wanted to settle scores with them, the five men erupted in laughter.
"Hahaha! This is killing me! Brother, did I hear him right? This kid actually wants to settle a score with us!" the second Fang brother roared with laughter.
"Looks like it. You two bullied the poor guy so badly, of course he’s going to be upset!" the Three Heroes of Xibei chimed in, laughing.
"If we were still at the Wind and Cloud Inn, we might have had to show some restraint. But we’re out here now. Since the kid has come offering up his life, we’ll grant his wish. Alright, Second Brother, stop laughing. Go take care of him. Make it quick; we’re in a hurry to fight for the Eight Treasures Profound Spirit Pill!" Boss Fang, Fang Yuanqing, said grimly.