Chapter 115: Who Agrees, Who Opposes
Chapter 115: Who Agrees, Who Opposes
“That person is…”
Everyone was startled by the appearance of the small boat. As they looked carefully, many recognized the young man in white robes on the deck. Even those who hadn’t seen him before guessed his identity by the shock-white hair, the nearly iconic white robe, and his imposing aura. For a moment, their hearts raced wildly, wondering if it was all a dream…
“Why has he come?”
“Second Young Master of the Fang Family? Why would he grace our gathering?”
Still reeling in surprise, they watched the small boat glide beneath the main ship. The young master gave a light sway, then lifted the little girl and stepped through the air. It was as if he walked upon invisible steps, ascending to the main deck. Ignoring the shocked or bewildered stares around him, he strolled leisurely into the roofless cabin and walked toward the high table at the head.
The seat had been occupied by Master Qing. But at the sight of the approaching Second Young Master, astonishment seized him, and he scrambled aside. Despite his wary gaze, Second Young Master Fang paid him no heed. The Little Fox Girl walked ahead of him. She pulled her tail across the chair, meticulously wiping it twice, then drew a soft, plush cushion from the pouch on her back, carefully arranged it, and respectfully gestured for the young master to sit.
“No wonder she’s so pretty at such a tender age… She’s a little fox spirit…”
Seeing the little girl’s fox tail, the cultivators inwardly nodded. Truly, befitting the Second Young Master of the Fang Family… He indeed had sophisticated tastes…
But almost immediately, they realized—was this really the time for such thoughts?
Why had the eminent Second Young Master Fang suddenly graced them with his presence?
How could a pampered young noble so calmly mingle with the rugged folk of the Jianghu?
Especially since, not long ago, he’d personally beheaded Lao Chao on the bustling street. So, why was he here now…?
…………
Their chests were full of doubts. For a moment, no one dared to speak, uncertain what to say.
“Sec… Second Young Master Fang, M… Might I ask your business here?”
Finally, it was Lin Jiyi—once deputy leader of the Black Water Fort—who trembled as he broke the silence. Others might stay quiet, but he had served under Lao Chao. When Lao Chao plotted against the Twelve Continuous Docks of the Fang Family, he’d offered many schemes himself. Seeing the Second Young Master Fang appear now filled him with dread. He glanced nervously toward the surrounding shore at least seven or eight times…
“What brings you here, brings me here too!”
Second Young Master Fang glanced at the wine on the table. Instantly, the Little Fox Girl understood. From her small pouch, she took out an exquisite wine cup, wiped it clean, filled it with wine from the table, then held it respectfully with both small hands, silently offering it to the young master.
Fang Cun accepted it, sniffed it, then tossed the wine away. Setting the cup down, he smiled brightly as he turned to scan the faces of the assembled rogue cultivators, as well as the dozens of large and small faction leaders crouched by the ship’s hold. Each felt their gaze drop beneath his seemingly pleasant scrutiny. Only his cheerful voice carried: “I heard you’re choosing a new Great Leader for Willow Lake City?”
“This…”
Hearing Second Young Master Fang’s statement sent a shock through the cultivators.
The previous Grand Leader of Willow Lake City was on bad terms with the Fang Family of Willow Lake—and he’d ended up dead at the hands of the very man before them.
Before this, they might not have paid much mind to the second son of the Willow Lake Fang Family. At most, they’d keep to a mutual non-aggression pact. But the news of Second Young Master Fang publicly slaying Lao Chao and executing the hidden envoys had already spread. No one dared underestimate the Fang Family of Willow Lake City anymore.
Everyone could see that Second Young Master Fang’s cultivation seemed only at the Breath Refining Realm!
But if it were truly the Breath Refining Realm, how could he have possibly killed Lao Chao? How could he have slain those hidden envoys?
How would he have the guts… to kick the Academy Dean’s sheep?
…………
“Second Young Master, do not misunderstand!” Lin Jiyi’s heart tightened violently. He hastily bowed. All the words burst out in one breath: “We lowly strays scrounging in the shadows for scraps wouldn’t dare call ourselves any sort of ‘Great Leader’. It’s merely drunken nonsense. Besides, the Devouring Sea Gang has been destroyed. Lao Chao, who offended you, has rightfully met his end. And that man hoarded Human Elixir in his lifetime, conspired with Demonic Evil. Even if you hadn’t slain him, us humble folk of the Jianghu wouldn’t have let him live. This matter is concluded. Within Willow Lake City, no one would dream of crossing the Fang Family again…”
He truly feared being misunderstood by the Second Young Master in this moment…
If this young master suddenly unleashed carnage like he had a month ago in Willow Lake City… wouldn’t they all be ruined? Rumors said that among those the young master killed that day was even an Imperial Guard from Phoenix City! The actual status and cultivation of an Imperial Guard serving the Divine Kings were utterly beyond the comprehension of mere Jianghu vagrants…
“No misunderstanding. I came precisely for you…”
Fang Cun heard him speak, then smiled, maintaining politeness: “I heard you say earlier—whoever kills Lao Chao becomes Willow Lake City’s new Great Leader. Fairness must prevail. Since it was I who killed him… naturally, I should be the Great Leader.”
“What?”
The cultivators stared, stunned.
Second Young Master Fang had hinted at this upon his arrival, yet no one had taken it seriously.
But now… he seemed entirely earnest?
The lofty Second Young Master of the Fang Family… had come to their broken-down ship… to compete for leadership over their insignificant gangs?
What nonsense were they hearing?
He was Immortal Master Fang Chi’s younger brother…
“Therefore,” Fang Cun spoke amiably while the cultivators reeled in confusion. His gaze swept over the crowd: “Starting now, I am the Great Leader of all gangs and factions within Willow Lake City…” He smiled warmly: “Who agrees? And who opposes?”
For a long moment, silence reigned. Not a voice could be heard.
An odd, suffocating stillness filled the air, thick with palpable awkwardness.
“HAHAHAHA…”
Wild laughter suddenly shattered the silence in the cabin. All eyes turned to see its source—the Pot Mountain Ancient Demon floating mid-air, enveloped in swirling Demonic Qi! He saluted Fang Cun with a mocking bow: “I truly never imagined a gentleman such as Second Young Master Fang would take interest in the scrap-business of Willow Lake’s underworld. But since you have come, who would dare contest the position?”
“Only,” his laughter gained a sharper edge: “The prestigious Second Young Master Fang… stooping to lead a rabble of Jianghu bandits? Ha! Ha!”
Amidst his boisterous laughter, his sleeves flung wide. A tempest of black wind erupted around him. In a flash, he vanished into the surrounding darkness.
Suo suo suo…
Along with the retreating trail of his chilling green sword-light, rustling sounds echoed in the night—several others were swiftly departing too.
Everyone understood. They had no patience for Second Young Master Fang’s bizarre game. Leaving was the simpler option.
Many in the crowd shared the impulse…
Whether this was Second Young Master Fang’s jest or deadly earnest, his mere presence meant no one else could dare claim leadership that day. It seemed the meeting to select Willow Lake City’s new Great Leader was ending before it even began. They might try again another time…
…………
Watching the restive mood, seeing people leave without even uttering farewells, Fang Cun merely smiled serenely.
He did not stop them. Nor did he speak.
The atmosphere grew painfully awkward. Unseen in the shadows, countless cold stares fixed upon his face.
Those who left did so contemptuously. Many who remained simply waited… curious what potions this young master brewed in his mysterious gourd. Seeing the play unfold seemed worth their while. After all, while Second Young Master Fang had displayed terrifying power slaying Lao Chao a month prior, that had only unveiled a hint of the Fang Family’s legacy. They weren’t looking to murder him, nor provoke his family. How deep the Fang Foundation ran concerned them not!
Splash splash splash…
But just as thoughts of departure multiplied among the gathering, a rapid sequence of spattering water sounds echoed outside the ship.
People snapped their heads toward the sound. In the darkness, a dark figure appeared, bearing a wrapped sack. He sprinted across the water’s surface, leaping swiftly aboard. Without ceremony, he retrieved head after head from the sack—five in total—and arranged them neatly at Fang Cun’s feet.
He bowed respectfully, spun around, and swiftly vanished back into the night.
“Pot Mountain Ancient Demon?”
“The Three Ghosts of Yan Mountain?”
“Green Frost Sword?”
“Hiss…”
The occupants of the ship stared at the five heads laid out, momentarily stunned. Their hearts felt suddenly encased in ice.
“What kind of play is this being staged…?”
The chilling wind blowing off the lake pierced gang leaders, underlings, and cultivators alike, leaving them numb to the core.
The renowned Second Young Master Fang—brother of Immortal Master Fang Chi, scion of the Willow Lake Fang Family—had genuinely come to their filthy underworld seeking leadership? Absurd already! Now he demonstrated such ruthlessness? Pot Mountain Ancient Demon and the others were formidable, infamous bandits! Their reputations rivaled Lao Chao himself! How could they all die instantly… only their heads remaining?
Crucially… no one had heard a single commotion…
Eyes turning toward the dark, unreadable shores surrounding Willow Lake… goosebumps erupted down their spines…
…………
“Five heads… five thousand per head… which means…”
The corner of his eye swept the five heads at his feet. Fang Cun’s heart twinged… slightly.
Master Qin was the only person in Willow Lake City who managed to give Fang Cun a sense of… expense.
And today marked the first time an upfront cost caused him actual… financial grief…
Stillness reigned within the cabin. Only the sound of water lapping against the hull broke the silence.
Whether it was the faction leaders crouching in corners watching the spectacle, or the diverse figures perched on massive corpses, astride fiery birds, shrouded in cloaks, or fading indistinctly in and out of the night – all wore expressions tinged with frost and apprehension.
What mysterious scheme hid within this Second Young Master Fang’s gourd?
Had he truly come for the title of Great Leader?
Who discarded the life of a wealthy young master to chase the fragile, perilous throne of a bandit chief?
“The Jianghu crowd was fiercer than I’d hoped. I thought at most two or three would refuse me outright…”
His inward sigh echoed without sound: “Pot Mountain Ancient Demon ripped out hearts to cultivate demonic arts. Multiple bloody murders in mere days—he needed killing. The Three Ghosts of Yan Mountain slaughtered merchant caravans wholesale after robbing them—they deserved death. That Green Frost Sword… ah, true… Green Frost Sword was an unscrupulous assassin; perhaps Master Qin shouldn’t have charged for that kill…”
“But this throws off my preparation. I only readied enough ‘chickens’ for one round of warnings, one display of authority…”
“This play has barely begun. Establishing real dominance might require two more waves of… executions. But that leaves only… among those available for instant elimination to make a point… aside from that old, bald lecher sneaking into boudoirs to… harvest yin essence… the only other obvious candidate would be…”
His mind churning subtly, his gaze shifted toward the former Great Helmsman of the Devouring Sea Gang… Lin Jiyi.
Schwoop!
Lin Jiyi—the former Great Helmsman who’d been observing everything intensely from the back—suddenly felt a bone-deep chill! He was the first to grasp the peril.
Instantly, his knees buckled. He knelt heavily on the deck, declaring to Fang Cun:
“When Chao Rong fled with the Human Elixir, our brothers under the Willow Lake banner issued the Jianghu decree: whoever slew that demonic traitor would become our new Leader. Later, Lao Chao died by your hand, Second Young Master Fang. By right, we should have already pledged allegiance to you. Only… your nobility and status deterred us lowly Jianghu vermin from daring to approach. Now that you, gracious Young Master, have stooped to guide us, unworthy as we are… it is fortune accumulated over three lifetimes…”
He bowed his head: “I, Lin Jiyi, swear to follow the Young Master’s command! Should you ask mountains of knives or seas of fire… not a soul among us would dare to disobey…”
Fang Cun’s teeth suddenly ached…