Chapter 599

When Fang Yue was in Gu Yue Cun, burning a Human Soul Torch made him feel like he was losing flesh and blood.

Now, cultivating an Internal Energy Heart Method requires calculating Yang Shou consumption in years.

Of course, he can no longer afford to waste it.

Because his Yang Shou was nearly depleted during the stop in Qingsi County.

This is not good news.

Besides daily consumption, the most significant drain on Yang Shou comes from cultivating Martial Arts, which demands enormous quantities.

The fastest way to acquire Yang Shou, besides taking on tasks for the Qingsi Government, is killing anomalies.

If possible, Fang Yue plans to kill more anomalies on the road to accumulate some Yang Shou.

Once they reach Chunuan City, Fang Yue can settle down to cultivate his Heart Method and enhance his strength.

Compared to his rapid advancement in cultivation realm, Fang Yue's two Heart Methods and Martial Techniques are severely lagging behind.

Also, how does one improve 【Weijing】 strength? Can he really just keep swallowing pills forever?

Although Fang Yue can afford it, he's now like someone bitten by a snake who fears wells for ten years—he's temporarily unwilling to touch such things.

After eliminating the 【Baitou Gui】, the Dayang Merchant Caravan members relaxed and began traveling during daylight.

After this battle, everyone treated Fang Yue with utmost respect.

Even Madam Yang Hongxia became much more restrained and composed in her attitude toward Fang Yue.

As Fang Yue traveled with the caravan, besides his daily cultivation, he also asked Hai Guanjia for information about Chunuan City and Chaoyang Avenue.

Through these conversations, he developed a general understanding of this region.

Surprisingly, Hai Guanjia did not know where the 【Phoenix Organization】 was hiding.

Organizations like the 【Phoenix Organization】, which operate in gray areas, typically do not appear openly.

But as a long-established merchant group rooted in 【Chunuan City】 for years, they could still sense the hidden currents and the presence of some organization lurking in the shadows.

"Chunuan City is a major commercial hub. Aside from the 【Qingsi】 and 【Lanshan】 government forces, the only major power controlling everything is the merchants' alliance, the 【Tianshang Alliance】. Our Dayang Merchant Caravan is a member of the 【Tianshang Alliance】. If the Phoenix Organization has been entrenched in Chunuan City for years, then the top-tier merchant groups within the 【Tianshang Alliance】 are the prime suspects."

The Phoenix Organization seeks grand ambitions, and according to intelligence, it has already transformed 【Chunuan City】 into a vast, stable central hub, using it as a base to supply a continuous stream of 【Human Medicine】 throughout Qing Guo.

Fang Yue even suspects that the 【Qingsi】 government, or perhaps even organizations like 【Lanshan】, have already been infiltrated.

Fang Yue had launched a direct, forceful strike against the Phoenix Organization in the Heiqing Shanmai—he made no effort to conceal his identity at the time.

His face is probably etched into the memories of every Phoenix Organization member who escaped.

Not just internally—there might even be bounties posted for him publicly.

It's not that Fang Yue is overly cautious; he must overestimate a behemoth like the Phoenix Organization.

And the more massive such a behemoth is, the more terrifying its boundless actions become.

Organizations operating in gray areas, once they tear off the mask and insist on dragging you down, seizing your life, are impossible to fully defend against.

Fang Yue's strength is still far from invincible—he still needs to lie low and grow.

If Chunuan City hasn't been deeply infiltrated by the Phoenix Organization, Fang Yue would truly prefer to report to the 【Qingsi】 rather than first devise ways to hide his identity and act discreetly.

The 【Qingsi】 might be dirty, 【Lanshan】 might be dirty, and as for the 【Tianshang Alliance】, it's practically the Phoenix Organization's nest—there could be countless high-ranking members who are Phoenix Organization agents.

Fang Yue still remembers that his first knowledge of the Phoenix Organization came from the Black Crow Merchant Group.

So the Phoenix Organization truly has deep, intricate ties with merchant groups.

Add to that the fact that Chunuan City is dominated by a merchant alliance—this hidden corruption speaks for itself.

After some thought, Fang Yue took out his Fog-Weave Black Robe for the first time in a long while, enveloping his body in black mist.

"What is Night Lord doing?"

"Hai Guanjia, are your people… tight-lipped?"

Upon hearing this, Hai Guanjia immediately understood Fang Yue's meaning and said: "All these companions traveling with me are old hands—they will never leak any information about Night Lord."

After a pause, Hai Guanjia asked: "Night Lord has been asking about the Phoenix Organization repeatedly—have you had a conflict with them?"

"There's some friction. In any case, caution is best."

Hai Guanjia asked no further.

Fang Yue's plan was clear: once inside the city or even on the road, he would swap his face with a Human Skin Mask to perfect his disguise.

After gaining a rough understanding of 【Chunuan City】, Fang Yue became less optimistic about this journey.

It's only because he arrived at 【Chunuan City】 first and remained calm.

If it were Captain Wu, that reckless fool, he'd probably rush straight to the 【Tianshang Alliance】 upon entering the city, determined to root out the Phoenix Organization.

An Dong'er is in the hands of the 【Tianshang Alliance】; Fang Yue must investigate the Phoenix Organization's intelligence and find an opportunity to rescue her.

This place is essentially half the Phoenix Organization's stronghold—operated and deeply rooted for years. A direct confrontation would be pure suicide.

As such a vital trade hub, the Phoenix Organization would certainly station heavy forces to guard it and prevent any casual disruption.

Therefore, the safest approach is to first gather intelligence, then proceed gradually.

This means hiding his identity and ensuring his own safety is especially critical.

At first, when others saw the sudden appearance of a figure clad in a black robe, completely shrouded in mist, they all froze.

But as a merchant group, they had heard of the Fog-Weave Black Robe—though few had ever seen one in person.

Initially, everyone was curious and glanced at him repeatedly.

But after seeing him several times, they stopped noticing. They knew it was Night Lord and simply greeted him each time they encountered him.

The next two days passed peacefully.

The merchant caravan encountered three anomalies, but before the guards could act, Fang Yue rushed out and killed them first.

Fang Yue's extraordinary bravery and eagerness earned him even greater affection from the caravan members.

Yet Fang Yue himself felt nothing about it—he was even frustrated that so few anomalies attacked; the rewards and Yang Shou were barely enough to satisfy his hunger.

Fang Yue himself remained completely unaware, having entirely forgotten that it was because of the anomalies hunting him in the Heiqing Shanmai that this unusual phenomenon occurred.

Under normal circumstances, the Official Road still had a certain degree of safety; otherwise merchant caravans would never have flourished as they had.

Just as Fang Yue felt his remaining lifespan was enough to cultivate the Heart Method for a while, fierce hoofbeats suddenly rang out from outside, rushing from far to near at tremendous speed.

Accompanied by a scream, Fang Yue had already burst out of the carriage.

But it was still too late.

What he saw was the retreating back of a fiery steed already kicking up dust as it vanished!

What a fast horse!

Panic and shouts erupted into a cacophony. With a heavy thud, Hai Guanjia dropped to his knees beside Fang Yue, shouting repeatedly: "Please save us, Lord Night! The eldest young lady has been abducted by the Night Thief! Please save her!"

Night Thief?!

Fang Yue narrowed his eyes.

"Their horse — I want it."

"Wha…"

Whoosh—

Before Hai Guanjia could react, Fang Yue's figure had already streaked at extreme speed in the direction the Night Thief had departed!

Horse Hunter, requesting to sortie!

(End of chapter)