Chilling snapping sounds rang across the maze block as Rong Suishan's skull cracked under the might of Xinzi's fist. Blasted upon impact, the outer court's prime disciple flew out—barrelling into a molten wall that welcomed him with scalding heat. With one punch, Xinzi broke half of Rong Suishan's face and seared the other half. His teeth fell, his limbs refused to obey, his throat lacked the strength to wail, and Xinzi appeared beside him.
"Rong Suishan, there is no sentiment I can relate to more than wanting to retaliate against deluded freaks hell-bent on controlling every aspect of your existence. However, it is one thing to understand—another to tolerate. Since you had the mind to threaten me with a Life Extinguishing pill, you have to be ready…to pay the matching price." In Rong Suishan's ears, Xinzi's voice had become the vector of death incarnate.
Massive blood Energy surged from Xinzi's flesh. Dazed and terrified, Rong Suishan attempted to crawl out of Xinzi's way. The monk wouldn't have it, hoisted Suishan by the collar, and punched him in the throat!
"Ugh!" Rong Suishan's eyes rolled into the back of his head. His jaw dropped, and even as he struggled to draw his breath, his internal organs suffered severe damages—adding to the side effects of the Life Extinguishing pill. The same pill outright crippled Rong Suishan's subordinates, making Xinzi, Xia Hu and him the last conscious disciples. Not for long. As Xia Hu's sword condensation got increasingly close to completion, Xinzi raised his fist and aimed for Suishan's heart.
"Thank you, Rong Suishan for reminding me that, without a foolproof plan, going up against your superiors will result in self-destruction. Still, I have a flawless understanding of my relatives. You don't. Let's see which one will fall first, my fist, or Guang Fanghu's offer?" With Rong Suishan's life as the ante, Xinzi made a bold bet.
Outside, electrifying tension encapsulated the atmosphere. There was something about men brutalizing men, something that aroused crowds faster than a naked mermaid's waistline—making them shiver even as they questioned the ethics of the events they witnessed. This was one such event, one such something, and the crowd didn't know how to deal with it. Their trembling limbs wanted to cheer the madness on, their minds stood in the way, refusing to lead them further astray. So they just stood there, eyes stretched to impossible limits.
Guang Fanghu, however, couldn't afford to idle. 'Damn it he's going to kill him! This is not fair! Not right! Xinzi has broken through the first-order of Blood Energy! With that alone, his fleshly body compares to a rank three Mysterious Beast while his battle abilities can mirror the same tier of Blood Spirits! When even early-stage Pulse Condensation experts can only wash their necks and await death…how can you expect Suishan to survive his wrath?
On Jiuli's deathbed, I promised her that I would take care of her relatives. Jiankang is her only brother, so I've not allowed anyone to threaten his throne. Suishan is her son, so I keep him by my side. Although I often seem to not care for him, I have my reasons to treat him so—reasons that don't change the fact that, if you don't let me talk to Xinzi now, I will end this contest by blasting the little fucker's head off his neck! When Qingxin learns that you allowed his beloved disciple die on stage, will he ask for the reason…before or after destroying our sect?'
'Hypocritical bastard, how dare you? This contest has already claimed the lives of dozens, but now you want to let it all go up in flames because of a mere Suishan? Guang Fanghu, if you don't behave yourself, This Seat doesn't mind appointing another sect master!'
'How are they related to me? They are neither my children nor my nephews! In my eyes, there are only two kinds of people in this world, my kin and the rest! Since they belong to the latter, why should I give them the same treatment and care as those I cherish? I am not hypocritical. You self-righteous idiots just don't have your priorities straight!
Don't forget, back then it wasn't just me that Jiuli saved. You and I both owe her more than we can ever pay back! If only to repay her favor, connect me to Xinzi! Damn it, I'm not asking you to cheat or kill! Unless pushed to the extreme, what harm could I possibly do to Qingxin's disciple?" Guang Fanghu raved through a barrage of mental messages, forcing Hanxing to acknowledge the seriousness of his threats.
'So be it. But Wei'er, you are as reckless and emotion-driven as your father was and will one day die in the same pitiful way. Men like you…aren't worthy to lead a faction. Henceforth, I will retake control of day-to-day activities and administrate the White Immortal sect alongside Yao'er. Accept these terms, and I will help you.' Calling Guang Fanghu by his given name: Dong Wei, Lord Hanxing gave his only offer.
In truth, he didn't need Guang Fanghu's permission to retake control of sect affairs. But the sect master's surrender would turn a hostile takeover into a smooth transition—making things easier for all parties involved.
'You, however, are a perfect match for your Cold Star Lord title. Lord Hanxing, I hate nothing more than when people compare me to…you. That said, I agree!' Tapping his storage ring, Guang Fanghu summoned a golden sword token—the sect master seal—and hurled it at Lord Hanxing. Catching it mid-air, Lord Hanxing narrowed his eyes at Guang Fanghu. Unexpectedly, he didn't spare a second before trading his power for Rong Suishan's life.
'What are you doing?' Startled by Guang Fanghu's move, Zi Yao chimed into the exchange.
'Apologies. I know I've been holding you back. Uncle is a better schemer than I can ever hope to be. With him as co-leader, you can accomplish a lot more in a shorter timespan. And it's not like you've not been cooperating already. Now I can finally sit back and focus on my daughter. Nothing wrong with that.'
The retort made all of Zi Yao's words die in her throat, and as she stared at Guang Fanghu, the latter shifted towards the yang platform. True to his words, Lord Hanxing forced an opening and connected Guang Fanghu to Xinzi.
'Xinzi, what do you want in exchange for Suishan's life? Name the price! So long as it is within my power to grant and doesn't make me betray my kin, I will give it to you!' Guang Fanghu didn't beat around the bush—fortunately for Suishan whose heart only stood an inch away from getting destroyed by Xinzi's punch.
'You know what they say, bad nephews will nuke your purse. Previously, you wanted to give me the last remaining Wisp of Heaven's Breath. I had no intention to side with you, so I refused. Turns out that was the wise move. That said, after I breakthrough to the Foundation Building stage, my Spiritual Root could use another upgrade. So…' Thirsting for Evil Qi, Xinzi aimed to twist and pervert the Wisp of Heaven's Breath so that it'd enable him to speed up the Reincarnation of Mahasura.
'Agreed!' No novice to the blackmailing business, Guang Fanghu knew that by agreeing to Xinzi's demands so fast, he was basically giving the monk a free license to ransack his treasury. Alas, emotions got in the way of reason, making Guang Fanghu not dare to drag things out. Our monk still had a Xia Hu to pummel, so he agreed with the sentiment.
'Ten million spirit stones, and the businesses directly under your name throughout the Dongli state.'
'Despicable! How can an Enlightened Monk be this greedy?! Xinzi, don't go too far!'
'Dead nephew! Dead nephew! Dead nephew!'
'Alright! Alright! Alright! I can give you the spirit stones, but these businesses constitute Dong Ling's dowry. I can't put them on the table. However, I also control the Xihai prefecture's Dark Chamber of Commerce. Ling'er would never touch that kind of business. If you want it, it's yours!'
'Agreed!' Xihai was the wealthiest prefecture of Dongli, by controlling its Dark Chamber of Commerce, Guang Fanghu effectively handled the most lucrative black market business of the state, no wonder he didn't flinch before giving up 10 million spirit stones, an astronomical sum that most Nascent Soul stage experts couldn't afford to put out. Satisfied, Xinzi tapped Rong Suishan's forehead, enthralling him just like the others. The prime disciple vanished, reappearing at the formation's core, where all other disciples gathered.
'Don't worry, I'm just keeping him as an insurance policy. Contact my initiates and transfer all relevant documents. Once they receive them, I will kick him out,' Xinzi said, and without waiting for Guang Fanghu's reaction, shifted his attention towards Xia Hu.
'Stay true to your word,' Guang Fanghu said and vanished from the leaders' platform. In the following minutes, the sect's foremost bureaucrats kicked into gear, packaging heaps of documents and contracts under Guang Fanghu's command.
