Chapter 196

Wu Yong, after experimenting with various configurations of the Small Binding Array Flag, happily tucked it away and bowed to Lu Fang: "Thank you, my lord, for this generous gift."

Lu Fang did not correct the title; he disliked the term "my lord," and had previously instructed Shu Ling Yan Chixia to address him as "Young Master."

But the situation was different now—building a power base required "my lord" over "Young Master"; an upper ruler must maintain a certain air of mystery and distance.

Mostly for others to see.

He had no concern over the loyalty of the One Hundred and Eight Heroes.

After some discussion, Lin Chong and Wu Yong proposed giving their faction a name; as their power grew, a proper name would become essential.

As their lord, the task of naming naturally fell to Lu Fang.

The One Hundred and Eight Heroes of Water Margin!

The Hero Camp?

The Heaven's Gang Earth's Sha Army?

In an instant, every name that popped into Lu Fang's mind was tied to Water Margin—he frowned. He'd been too excited earlier and hadn't thought enough.

If the faction's name was linked to Water Margin, anyone could easily guess its connection to him.

That was not what he wanted.

He wanted a force under his control, yet one no one could trace back to him. If so, not only the faction's name, but even the identities, lives, and appearances of Lin Chong and Wu Yong needed disguise.

After a moment's thought, Lu Fang ordered: "From now on, you all use numbers instead of names. Do not reveal your real names to anyone. Your attire must also be uniform. As for the faction's name, call it 'Invincible Army.'"

Lin Chong and the others all responded in unison, shouting loudly: "Invincible Army!"

Watching their roaring cheers, Lu Fang's heart stirred—today, he had his own force. The feeling was strange.

A seed called "ambition" sprouted in his heart.

Earlier, he'd thought it absurd that the spirit possessing Song Ce and the Demon Heart spoke of dividing the world.

But now, a faint thought had begun to form.

And he himself may not have noticed it.

Lu Fang carefully considered possible exposure risks and the future direction of the Invincible Army. He did not leave immediately, but followed the Invincible Army to a secluded spot on the edge of a deep wasteland zone.

Establish a camp, build shelters, store grain, and scout surrounding forces.

Once everything was orderly underway, Lu Fang departed alone. He expected to spend a long time in the wasteland zone; if any issue arose with the Invincible Army, he could communicate directly via a transmission talisman.

At his current Sixth Rank, Third Stage, he could easily enter the deep wasteland—the aura of Punishment resided there—but he chose not to go. Instead, he searched for Hard Stone.

After all, he had leads on Hard Stone; he had to investigate.

If he could find large quantities of Hard Stone, he could forge weapons faster and more easily eliminate Punishment or its aura.

The Demon Heart thought the same—searching for Hard Stone was far more important than confronting Punishment's aura directly.

Rather than blindly confronting Punishment's aura without knowing its current strength, it was better to search for Hard Stone while secretly gathering information.

…

"Strange—I've searched for two days and found no Hard Stone. Did I get the location wrong? That shouldn't be."

After two days of searching, Lu Fang hadn't seen even a single decent ore, let alone Hard Stone. Too many people had come here; even if there had been valuable deposits, they'd likely been taken.

"Should I change locations? I've searched every inch—this place seems devoid of Hard Stone."

He asked the Demon Heart.

"Either there's none here at all, or the Hard Stone is buried too deep—I can't sense any. If all else fails, we can move elsewhere."

During these two days, the Demon Heart had used its perception and found nothing.

Lu Fang sighed: "Then let's go see Punishment's aura first—see what state it's in. For now, forging a weapon from Hard Stone is out of the question."

For other matters, he'd never consult the Demon Heart.

But regarding Punishment, he believed the Demon Heart understood better, so he naturally turned to it for advice—though if the Demon Heart suggested something he doubted, he'd reject it.

Overall, he'd let the Demon Heart offer suggestions; the final decision remained his.

Demon Heart: "I agree. Have your men search for Hard Stone. Let's go together and assess Punishment's aura—see how strong it is now."

Instantly agreed, Lu Fang didn't need to choose—the Demon Heart sensed the location of Punishment's aura, and he headed deeper into the wasteland.

At the wasteland's edge, the monstrous beasts Lu Fang encountered were easily dispatched. But once he entered the deep zone, he finally understood why outsiders considered this place dangerous.

Though he was Sixth Rank, Third Stage—strong even among Confucian cultivators—he nearly died when facing a beast here.

The ferocity of these beasts was unimaginable.

Poisonous Swamp.

A flash of blade severed a two-headed serpent beast in the mud. As Lu Fang collected the beast and the strange herb into his storage pouch, the poisonous mist rolled back around him.

The beasts here weren't especially powerful—it was the poison mist that deterred all but the bravest.

Lu Fang swallowed a sip of Book Fragrance, looked up at the endless swamp, sighed helplessly, and turned back the way he came.

Thanks to Book Fragrance, he could ignore the poison mist.

But to fully cross it or enter its depths would drain too much Book Fragrance—he had no choice but to retreat.

The deep wasteland was vast; if this path was blocked, he could simply go another way. No need to force it.

Demon Heart: "Aren't you going to explore the depths of the Poisonous Swamp? Such a treacherous place must have a reason for existing—perhaps a rare opportunity awaits."

Lu Fang rolled his eyes. "I was barely at the edge. If I went deeper, who knows what deadly beasts I'd face? Sure, a rare opportunity would be great—but only if you live to see it."

"This much Book Fragrance consumption? Impossible."

"Book Fragrance is so hard to obtain. How could I waste it on a mere possibility?"

The Demon Heart had already learned of Book Fragrance, so hiding it was pointless—he'd admitted it openly. The Demon Heart knew he could obtain Book Fragrance, but it didn't know he carried dozens of strands of it.