Chapter 181: Chapter 120: Killing Intent at Nightfall (Part 3)

Fang Shuwen mulled it over. There was plenty of time, so he mentally prepared himself for the trip to Pojun City.

However, aside from this news, Fang Shuwen also heard some other rumors.

The talk was that some followers of the Demon Dao had become increasingly active in the Jianghu, but their movements were furtive and secretive, and the information about them was a mix of truth and falsehood, difficult to verify.

Therefore, Fang Shuwen didn’t pay it much mind.

He was about finished with his meal and had heard the bulk of the rumors.

He left some silver on the table, got up, and headed out, planning to find a teahouse or tavern to gather more information.

But just as he reached the doorway, he came face to face with a young man holding a long spear.

As their eyes met, the man gave Fang Shuwen a sharp glance.

Fang Shuwen, in turn, glanced at the spear in the man’s hand.

He couldn’t tell what it was forged from, but its sharp gleam was dazzling. The spearhead and shaft seemed to be a single, seamless piece; it was clearly an extraordinary item.

Both men were restrained; their gazes swept over each other for only a moment before they both looked away.

Following behind the spear-wielding man was a burly, middle-aged man.

As Fang Shuwen walked past the two of them, the middle-aged man suddenly turned to look in the direction he was going, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Young Master, that must be him."

"And so what if it is?"

The spear-wielding man said flatly,

"Has Shi Meng not done enough outrageous things? I said long ago that sooner or later he would bring about some great disaster.

"Now that he’s dead, what else is there to say, other than the four words ’he had it coming’?"

The middle-aged man first nodded, then said with a wry smile,

"But, Wentian Mansion’s reputation..."

"The reputation of Wentian Mansion lies in fervent passion and chivalrous spirit!"

The spear-wielding man sneered.

"Does it lie in making baseless accusations and defaming an innocent person?

"He was infatuated with Fairy Su Yue, and no one interfered... but just because he saw a handsome young man by her side, he started spouting nonsense?

"It’s a shame I wasn’t there that day. Otherwise, I would’ve killed him myself.

"What an utter disgrace!

"The Seven Eastern Sects have always advanced side by side. How much blood have we shed for the righteous path of the Jianghu?

"In all these years, I believe our Wentian Mansion has always conducted itself with integrity!

"And yet, we produced a rotten apple... If, because of him, the other six sects come to believe that all disciples of Wentian Mansion are trash like Shi Meng, then... we might as well just let the sect be destroyed."

The middle-aged man didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

"Young Master, you can’t say such things.

"It’s inauspicious."

The spear-wielding man glanced at him and shook his head in resignation.

"You’re so rigid. It was just a joke, why take it to heart?"

"By the way... Young Master, I still think it’s inappropriate for just the two of us to attend the Yuqing Banquet..."

"You’ve been repeating that the entire journey."

The spear-wielding man chuckled, tightening his grip on the long spear.

"But what good would more people do?

"At the Yuqing Banquet, I, Dongfang Wujiu, am the only one who will vie for the Yuqing Fruit!

"Besides, Yuqing Pavilion is filled entirely with women. It would be improper to bring a large group of boorish men.

"Especially after that whole affair with Shi Meng, I’m worried they’ll turn us away at the gate."

"...When you put it like that, it is quite shameful. Ah, well. His death cleans up the mess."

"Sirs, are you two here for a meal, or for a room?"

The waiter inside had been waiting for quite a while, but the two just stood outside without entering. The man with the spear looked so intense, and the waiter couldn’t for the life of him figure out what was wrong with these Jianghu people.

Hearing the waiter, Dongfang Wujiu finally snapped out of it and gave an awkward laugh.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. We’d like a room."

With that, the waiter ushered them inside.

...

...

It was dusk, the lanterns just beginning to be lit, when Fang Shuwen returned to his inn.

He had made a circuit of the town, visiting all the places where one could gather information, and the details he picked up were largely consistent.

While there was no guarantee the information was completely accurate, the fact that everyone was saying the same thing made it highly likely.

He therefore decided to stay one night, rest and gather his strength, and then set out for Pojun City the following morning.

Instead of meditating, he took a hot bath. He had also bought himself two new sets of clothes when he passed a tailor’s shop that afternoon.

He realized he was going through clothes at an alarming rate. ’Every time I fight, they get stained with blood, and blood is hard to wash out. If I keep walking around in blood-spattered clothes, people will mistake me for a villain, won’t they?’

’So, a change of clothes is a must.’

’Otherwise, how would anyone believe that I’m a gentle and refined, humble gentleman?’

After cleaning himself up, he tried on one of the new outfits and was quite satisfied with the result.

But just at that moment, a clamor suddenly erupted from within the town.

Fang Shuwen froze for a moment. Heedless of anything else, he leaped onto the rooftop.

He saw fires flaring up throughout the town, where numerous weapon-wielding Jianghu people were on a violent rampage, slaughtering wantonly.

Fang Shuwen’s face fell. Just as he was about to intervene, he saw a flash of silver. A figure had already charged toward the source of the attackers. A long spear in hand, he moved like a dragon, and none of the villains who relied on their Martial Arts to wreak havoc were a match for him.

In that moment, he seemed to possess the might of ten thousand men.

Fang Shuwen couldn’t help but be impressed, but this was no time to be a spectator.

With a leap, he too landed on the street below.

A few men armed with curved blades, who were about to storm into a residence, stopped in their tracks. They turned to look at him, their faces twisting into ferocious snarls.

"Kid, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t..."

As if Fang Shuwen would let him finish.

He leaped forward—Vajra Tower Throwing!

With a deafening BOOM, a massive palm print slammed down before the men even had time to realize what was happening.

SPLAT!!

Several mangled bodies were left impressed into the palm-shaped crater in the ground.

Just then, more figures leaped over the city walls, flooding into the town in a seemingly endless stream.

Fang Shuwen was stunned.

’Where in the world are all these people coming from?’