Chapter 57: Hongmen Banquet?

Thinking of Yun Wan, Fang Xu suddenly recalled the jade pendant she had given him that night.

Yun Wan had once said that if he ran into trouble, he could take the jade token to the Yun family to seek help.

"Senior sister." Looking at Lu Qingluo, Fang Xu pulled the jade pendant from his bosom and said, "This is the jade pendant Miss Yun gave me; she said that with the jade pendant the Yun family can protect us."

Lu Qingluo blinked slightly, then delighted, said: "In that case, throughout Huangzhou Prefecture, no one would dare to move against us?"

Fang Xu nodded.

Even if the Wu family had influence, at most they held some power over a tiny plot of land in Qinghe County; placed in Huangzhou Prefecture they would be nothing more than an insignificant minor figure.

If the Yun family gave the word, surely no blind fool would dare to act against their wishes and attack them.

"Senior sister, take the jade pendant and go to Huangzhou right now."

After handing the jade pendant to Lu Qingluo, Fang Xu spoke.

In Maple Forest Town there is Chu Mu and the Wang clan; he cannot leave.

Lu Qingluo also knew the situation was urgent; without saying more, she took the jade pendant, looked at Fang Xu, her expression somewhat complex, and said, "Fang Xu, thank you."

"You be careful yourself."

Fang Xu smiled and nodded: "Senior sister, rest assured."

……

The Hu family.

As a local tyrant dominating Maple Forest Town, Hu Lin himself had cultivated to the sixth level of Martial Disciple; his family had lived in Maple Forest Town for decades, with many members.

But at this moment, corpses lay strewn across the Hu family manor!

A crowd of martial artists dressed in Wu family attire were inside the manor, encircling and slaughtering the remaining members of the Hu family!

When Fang Xu arrived, the common folk dared only to watch from afar; no one dared to step forward to stop them.

Hu Lin was killed by members of the Ascendant Immortal Society, but the Wu family, adhering to the principle of exterminating root and branch, immediately sent men to slaughter every member of the Hu family, not even sparing infants in swaddling clothes.

Seeing the blood‑soaked, grinning martial artists stride out of the Hu family manor, Fang Xu clenched his fists!

But soon his fists slowly relaxed.

Without superior strength, charging ahead would be suicide.

Those Wu family martial artists deserve to die, but I now possess only second‑level Martial Disciple strength; rashly rushing in, facing over ten opponents stronger than me, my two fists cannot match four hands, and I would likely be hacked to death by random blades.

Wait a bit longer!

Wait until my cultivation improves a bit, then I will strike and wipe out the entire Wu family!

Watching the Wu family martial artists rush toward the Qi family manor in the distance, the onlookers including Fang Xu dispersed, and he then slowly entered the Hu family manor, where among the chaotic corpses he found Hu Lin's body.

Gazing at Hu Lin, who died with eyes unclosed, he shook his head and reached out to close his eyes.

【Touching Hu Lin's corpse, gained 35 points of strength attribute.】

After acquiring the inheritance, he then went to several other houses in turn and obtained all their inheritances.

The increase in strength and vitality made him clearly feel the changes occurring in his body.

By evening, Fang Xu dragged his weary body back home.

He drew a basin of clear water from the well, washed off the bloodstains, returned to his room to change into clean clothes, and then came to Chu Mu's door.

"Brother Fang Xu."

Inside, Chu Mu hastily opened the door, looked worriedly at Fang Xu, and asked, "What happened?"

Fang Xu smiled and shook his head: "Nothing, are you hungry?"

"Let's go cook."

Pushing Chu Mu into the courtyard, Fang Xu slipped into the kitchen, about to light the fire to cook, when he heard Chu Mu call from the yard: "Who are you? Have you come to find Brother Fang Xu?"

Hearing the voice, Fang Xu hurriedly came out of the kitchen.

The visitor turned out to be the youth named Taozi, one of the three Ascendant Immortal Society members who had been present that daytime.

"My senior brother sent me to inform you: tonight go to the Wu family banquet."

After speaking, the youth gave Chu Mu a deep glance, smiled gently, and then turned and left.

"Go to the Wu family banquet?"

Fang Xu gave a cold laugh.

These Ascendant Immortal Society people are really interesting—during the day they wanted to kill me and Lu Qingluo, yet at night they actually invited me to the Wu family banquet.

Could it be that he doesn't realize I now have a deadly feud with the Wu family?

"Brother Fang Xu?"

Seeing Fang Xu's expression shift, Chu Mu called out softly.

Fang Xu came to his senses, smiled faintly at her, and said, "Just a moment."

Saying that, he again ducked into the kitchen.

He intended to attend this banquet.

Not for any other reason, simply because his list of friends now consists of only one person, he also had to go.

The Wu family patriarch, a disciple of the Ascendant Immortal Society—after these people die, obtaining their inheritances should be quite profitable, right?

As for safety concerns, he had already thought them through.

If the three Ascendant Immortal Society members wanted to kill me, they wouldn't need to go through all this trouble.

If they made a move, nobody in Maple Forest Town—not even Crown Prince Li Xun—would dare to intervene on my behalf.

And the Wu family patriarch, constrained by the rules of the Ascendant Immortal Society, would certainly not dare to act against me.

Besides that, the only thing I need to worry about is the Wu family's martial artists.

Having absorbed the inheritances of Hu Lin and four others during the day, Fang Xu felt his strength was now at least double what it was when he slew Wu Yuanqing.

He could sense that, within the realm of Martial Disciple Perfection, he now had the strength to fight.

He prepared a meal for Chu Mu, meeting her slightly worried gaze; Fang Xu bowed, rubbed her head, and said, "When I return, I'll give you a massage."

"Be careful, Brother Fang Xu," Chu Mu said softly.

Although she didn't know what had happened today, she caught the bloody scent and killing intent on Fang Xu.

Leaving the small courtyard, Fang Xu headed straight for the Wu Family Manor.

Outside Maple Forest Town, the vast manor was draped in white mourning cloth; the gatekeepers, martial artists each with white cloth bound on their heads, glared at Fang Xu as he arrived.

Fang Xu glanced at them, walked straight through the gate, and immediately saw the two coffins placed in the courtyard.

One coffin held Wu Yuanqing, the other was empty.

Huh?

"You've got some guts; I thought you wouldn't dare come," the black-clad youth said, smiling upon seeing Fang Xu.

Fang Xu slightly bowed his hands: "Since the senior brother invited me, how could I refuse?"

"Senior brother?" the black-clad youth shook his head: "Having an Immortal Sect travel permit doesn't mean you're qualified to call me senior brother."

"I'm Mu Xuan, this is Tao Zihuan and Lin Yu; your courage impresses me, and I truly hope you pass the entry examination."

"Please."

The black-clad Mu Xuan gestured; Fang Xu glanced at the banquet set behind the two coffins, smiled slightly, and said, "Quite a spread."

At the wine table, the white-haired Wu family ancestor Wu Huan spoke with a cold expression: "Seeing you off with wine, naturally I should let you eat well."

Meeting his gaze, Fang Xu showed no fear and went straight to the wine table to sit down.

Seeing this, Mu Xuan, quite pleased, greeted the two junior brothers to sit down as well.

No one spoke, and the atmosphere became both awkward and oppressive.

Fang Xu glanced at the wine pot nearby, laughed, rose, picked it up, poured himself a cup, and also poured for Wu Huan and Mu Xuan.

Then he slowly raised his cup and said, "Old Wu… well, by seniority I should also call you senior brother."

"Senior brother, the dead cannot be revived; mourn."

"You!" Wu Huan trembled with rage, a fierce aura burst from his body, and he was about to strike.

"Senior brother, don't forget the rules," Mu Xuan said calmly.

Upon hearing that, Wu Huan instantly lost his temper.

He was merely a registered disciple; in status he could not compare to Mu Xuan and the others, and their polite address of him as senior brother didn't mean he truly was one.

He knew the rules of the Ascension Society.

Seeing Wu Huan struggling to contain his anger, Fang Xu gave a faint smile, raised his cup toward the three senior brothers, and said, "Honored senior brothers who have come from afar, I offer my respect."

Having said that, he tilted his head back, drained the cup, and then looked at the four with a smile.

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(End of chapter)