Chapter 168: Chapter 116: Hundred Ghosts Hall Master

The moment this train of thought surfaced in Fang Shuwen’s mind, he felt no sense of relief or sudden clarity. Instead, a chill ran down his spine.

Because if this guess turned out to be true...

Then the earlier provocations against Yuqing Pavilion by the Hundred Ghosts Hall and the Sang Mountain Seven Face were definitely not just to test whether Yu Yaoguang was truly severely injured!

It was very likely also a feint intended to gauge her reaction!

Since Yu Yaoguang already knew the Hundred Ghosts Hall’s objective, another provocation from them would, in her eyes, still be aimed at the Hundred-Pound Saber. It was a frontal provocation, but who knew if there was some hidden scheme behind it?

Even entertaining the slightest possibility of a trick, she should have altered her plans.

But in the end, Yu Yaoguang remained as steady as a mountain.

From her lack of reaction, the Hundred Ghosts Hall could very well have deduced that the Hundred-Pound Saber was in the Cold Ice Pond.

But by the same token...

If the enemy truly deduced this from her inaction, then it meant... someone had been hiding within Yuqing Pavilion all along, observing every move.

Otherwise, even if Yu Yaoguang made no move, the Hundred Ghosts Hall would have had no way of knowing.

Most importantly, the person who deduced this possibility and relayed it to the Bone King and the Vermilion Bird Hall Master *didn’t* tell them that Yu Yaoguang had already recovered from her injuries!

He had deliberately let the Bone King and the Vermilion Bird Hall Master plunge headfirst into a confrontation with Fang Shuwen, who was lying in wait.

From Fang Shuwen’s perspective at the time, it seemed like a great victory for him.

He would inevitably grow complacent and overlook the details that didn’t quite add up.

At the critical moment, the Vermilion Bird Hall Master had suddenly turned and fled. His Lightweight Technique was so superb that Fang Shuwen would have needed Miao Feichan’s help just to catch him.

He couldn’t have spared a thought for anything else!

And this... was exactly the result that person wanted.

The Vermilion Bird Hall Master, the Bone King—they were nothing more than bait he had cast out.

He wanted to create a perfectly clear opening. At the front of the mountain, Yu Yaoguang was pinned down by the Hundred Ghosts Hall and the Dragon Emperor Hall. In the rear, Fang Shuwen was lured away by the Vermilion Bird Hall Master. The entire Cold Ice Pond would be left completely unguarded. Who, then, could stop him from obtaining the Hundred-Pound Saber and the Asura Iron?

As for who could accomplish all this, who could hide in Yuqing Pavilion for so long without being discovered—Fang Shuwen racked his brain, but could only think of one person...

The Master of the Hundred Ghosts!

Once this thought struck him, how could he possibly be in the mood to continue chasing the Vermilion Bird Hall Master?

This might just be his paranoia getting the best of him, but what if it were true?

This was the item Xu Zeyuan had risked his clan’s entire future—risking its complete annihilation—to hide. It was the secret Xu Wenwan had dedicated her youth to, enduring decades of loneliness to guard.

How could he allow it to be lost over this?

So, no matter what, he had to come back and check!

And what did he see when he came back? The mysterious Master of the Hundred Ghosts himself.

He couldn’t help but curse inwardly, ’This Master of the Hundred Ghosts is one crafty old bastard...’ 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’Such scheming. If I hadn’t reacted so quickly, the Hundred-Pound Saber would have been lost and I wouldn’t even have known how it happened.’

He had wanted to launch a sneak attack and capture the man in one move.

But as expected, this Master of the Hundred Ghosts was extraordinary; Fang Shuwen’s palm strike had failed.

Now, the man wasn’t even willing to face him directly—he just turned and fled!

The two of them ran one after the other, heading straight for the base of Qingyang Mountain.

They passed the main complex of Yuqing Pavilion and, in a flash, arrived at the front gate.

There, the members of Yuqing Pavilion were still locked in a fierce battle with the men from the Hundred Ghosts Hall and Dragon Emperor Hall.

The Vermilion Bird Hall Master had brought a total of sixteen Undead on this expedition. Eight were left behind in the caves of Cyan Blue Valley, and the other eight had just launched their attack, attempting to overwhelm and kill Yu Yaoguang.

But Yu Yaoguang’s Martial Arts were far more formidable than they had anticipated.

The moment the eight Undead engaged her, two died instantly. Their subsequent attacks were all met with failure.

The Young Venerable had previously told his subordinates that the Undead could escape with their lives even from the likes of the Three Immortals, Two Kings, and One City Madman.

But judging from this battle, that was nothing more than blind arrogance.

Just as Yu Yaoguang was cutting a bloody swath through her enemies, she suddenly heard the sound of rushing air. Her head snapped up, her pupils contracting sharply.

’The Hundred Ghosts Hall Master!?’

The moment this thought arose, a sense of dread washed over her.

’He’s coming from the direction of Yuqing Pavilion... Does that mean...’

Just then, Fang Shuwen’s voice rang out:

"As the Hundred Ghosts Hall Master, you don’t even dare to face me in a fight! If word of this gets out, how will you ever show your face to your peers in the Jianghu again?"

"If I die here, then I’ll *really* have no face to see anyone."

The Hundred Ghosts Hall Master was apparently shameless to the core, for he responded to Fang Shuwen even as he continued to flee for his life:

"If you have the guts, then stop chasing me! Wait until my Martial Arts have reached grand completion, then we can have a proper duel. How about that?"

At this moment, even Fang Shuwen was exasperated.

He had been wandering the Jianghu for a long time and had met plenty of characters.

But the Hundred Ghosts Hall Master was in a league of his own.

The Hundred Ghosts Hall committed every evil imaginable; their cruelty was simply appalling.

Fang Shuwen had long since made a silent vow to kill every single one he came across, leaving none alive.

’But it turns out their leader isn’t just a profoundly cunning old bastard—he’s also so damn shameless!’

’Facing a junior from the Jianghu like me, he just bolts without a second thought.’

’A moment ago, I saw the crowd and deliberately tried to provoke him, but it was completely useless.’

’Damn it all. Earlier, when I sensed something was wrong, I told Miao Feichan to secretly follow the Vermilion Bird Hall Master while I returned to Yuqing Pavilion. If Miao Feichan were here, how could this bastard be so brazen in front of me?’

’If this keeps up, should I ask Miao Feichan to teach me her Lightweight Technique?’