Chapter 218: What Can You Do to Me?

“Kill, kill, kill…”

“Kill a beast like you, I will chop you into a million pieces…”

The entire Lingwu Sect had fallen into an indescribable dilemma. They watched as the Shoushan Sect disciple Yu Qingli charged toward their own Elder Xue. They felt deeply embarrassed and hesitant. No one knew why this Shoushan Sect disciple suddenly had so much anger. It looked as if he truly intended to fight their elder to the death. Yet, the person behind this Shoushan Sect disciple was Second Young Master Fang. They did not wish to offend Second Young Master Fang. But if they did not offend him, should they just allow his follower to be so vicious?

That was their Lingwu Sect elder. How could they let a disciple from another sect bully him like this? What shame would that bring?

If this spread, what shame would it bring to their Lingwu Sect?

You, a disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm, why were you so relentless in front of a Golden Core Realm Qi Refiner? Did you not fear that this elder could easily end you with a single strike? Did you not even have a shred of awareness? Did you not know how you had managed to stay alive until now?

Many disciples among the Lingwu Sect felt unspeakable rage.

Watching Elder Xue, a Golden Core practitioner, constantly dodge and be forced to retreat step by step, they could not bear it.

But still, no one dared act rashly.

At that moment, they instinctively turned their gaze toward the small courtyard in Tranquil Valley…

They were all waiting for the sect leader’s order.

…

Meanwhile, in the courtyard at that time, the Lingwu Sect sect leader Liang Xiangzi just sank into deep silence.

Since becoming the Lingwu Sect sect leader, he had never been so overwhelmed as now.

Looking at the woman, he felt uncomfortable inside. Yet, facing Fang Cun’s questioning, he remained unmoved.

Previously, Lingwu Sect had already done its best. If Shoushan Sect wanted to take this woman back, even though she was Elder Xue’s daoist companion, they had agreed. That was already a huge concession. But now, your disciple demanded to kill Elder Xue. How could Lingwu Sect possibly allow that? Taking your sister away was different from demanding the killing of our sect elder, wasn’t it?

If Second Young Master Fang pushed further, it would no longer be Lingwu Sect’s fault.

Even if argued to the heavens, it would be Second Young Master Fang who was unreasonable!

“You… are you Second Young Master Fang?”

But in this oppressive silence, the woman in the jar suddenly mumbled, her breath weak as a thread. At this moment, her vitality seemed faint, almost gone. There was no spark left in her eyes, but now, it was as if she gathered every remaining bit of life. She turned her rigid, slow body and fixed her gaze unwaveringly on Fang Cun’s face.

“I am listening!”

Fang Cun turned and bowed respectfully to the woman in the jar.

“I heard them… I heard them mention your name…”

The woman said with a faint whisper: “I… I have a request…”

Fang Cun softly replied: “Please speak!”

“I want to ask you… to let them let me die…”

The woman spoke with effort, her voice seeming scattered and numb. On her nearly stiff face, a look of sorrow emerged. Her dried eyes looked as if tears wanted to flow, but not a drop of moisture could be found: “A’Li… A’Li has grown up now… he no longer needs my protection… I finally can… go and die…”

Fang Cun listened carefully to her words but did not answer. He remained silent for a long time.

Even the Lingwu Sect sect leader Liang Xiangzi by his side was silent at this moment. His aura radiated, preventing outsiders from entering. He was worried others might see the woman like this. But he also felt helpless. He did not know how to handle such a matter.

After all, for him, although he did not wish and somewhat dared not to offend Fang Cun, this was still his Lingwu Sect elder…

Moreover, this elder, on the surface, had broken no sect rules. He even had many achievements to his name.

Despite being young, at the County Mansion, he was a seasoned veteran with countless feats to his name. He cracked many strange cases and killed countless bandits. Outsiders saw him as almost legendary. He originally had no relation to the Seven Clans’ Xue Family, but by his own efforts, he won their admiration. They recommended him strongly, bringing him into Lingwu Sect as an elder!

Even in the sect, he stayed cautious and decisive.

To ease relations with Fang Cun this time, Lingwu Sect and the Seven Clans demanded he hand over his daoist companion. Such a humiliating act, he agreed. Of course, no one had anticipated then that what he gave was nearly a skeleton…

Facing such a person, what could Lingwu Sect do?

In Great Xia, no law could control private matters between daoist companions!

…

“Fine, I admit I took your family’s life force…”

Under the Lingwu Sect’s mountain gate, under countless gazes, Elder Xue Zhizheng did not fight back at all. He did not even use his cultivation to escape. He only clumsily—even awkwardly—dodged the frantic spells and abilities of the crazy Yu Qingli. Outsiders saw only his troubled expression, his appearance of grief and even shame…

Only when Yu Qingli could see him did he occasionally reveal a dark, sinister look. His voice sounded eerie: “Your family’s life force was truly excellent. Every bit I took boosted my cultivation greatly. I started like your father, just a Foundation Building Realm small official. But since acquiring your sister, I easily crossed the threshold of the Divine Realm, Light Condensation, and quickly reached Golden Core. Haha, I am Golden Core now. What can you, a mere Foundation Building Realm pup, do to me?”

“Kill, kill, kill… I will surely kill you…”

Yu Qingli had lost almost all reason, barking crazily.

But the madder Yu Qingli got, the more Xue Zhizheng delighted: “Haha, shout away! The louder, the better…”

“If you had this much courage back then to challenge me, perhaps I wouldn’t have dared touch your sister. I was just a small official then. I feared harming my reputation if I touched her, or drawing disdain from colleagues. But no—you didn’t. You just knelt there, begging for my mercy. You watched as your sister clung to me, pleading for me to spare your life. How is that different from handing her to me yourself?”

“Now you have backers, so you’re bold enough to come fight me. But it’s too late…”

“The raw rice is cooked rice—what can you solve now?”

“I saw through you long ago. You’re a coward at your core…”

“…”

Xue Zhizheng’s words wormed into Yu Qingli’s heart like snakes. They reminded Yu Qingli of that day he cowered in fear, trembling in a corner, seeing himself weeping and begging this man for mercy. Those thorns grew from his own heart, piercing his chest into a mush, driving him even more insane. He wanted only to die with this man.

“Good, get as mad as you can…”

Watching Yu Qingli’s madness, Xue Zhizheng’s expression turned icy: “The fiercer you act, the more my fellow disciples around cannot tolerate it. They are almost at the breaking point now. Lingwu Sect still has its face. A dignified Golden Core elder has yielded so much—I’ve gone beyond kindness. The whole world will say only you are mad…”

“What can you do to me?”

“Even with the Fang Family’s Second Son backing you, what can he do to me?”

“Haha, haha…”

“You now are no different from the coward who kneeled and begged for mercy…”

“…”

Amid his laughter, the entire Lingwu Sect was indeed building up a suffocating anger.

Enough!

You, a petty Shoushan Sect disciple, pressing our elder so harshly—have you any respect left?

If we don’t stop you now, how can Lingwu Sect maintain any face in Qingjiang?

…

“Speak. What do you want?”

Also in this courtyard under the stifling silence, Fang Cun suddenly spoke coldly.

The Lingwu Sect sect leader Liang Xiangzi froze for a moment, seeming surprised Fang Cun would ask this.

He realized the predicament but saw no way out. As a sect leader, what could he do?

He had braced himself for Fang Cun’s fury and hatred, yet now Fang Cun’s tone seemed softer, no longer as aggressive.

“I will bow to Lingwu Sect. I will compromise with you!”

Fang Cun said in a low voice: “So, state your terms. Whether it’s Dragon Stone, Magic Treasures, gold, secrets—anything I can give, I will. My condition is simple: stop protecting that elder immediately. I don’t care how you do it. I want his life, and for that, I’ll pay any price within my power!”

Hearing this, Liang Xiangzi was stunned.

Fang Cun calmly continued, faintly saying: “Everything has a price. So does your Lingwu Sect elder!”

“You…”

The Lingwu Sect sect leader looked both shocked and angered. Who talks like this in person?

“If you agree, it’s good for all. If not, I will kill you.”

Fang Cun said coldly, in a matter-of-fact tone: “You know I can do it.”

The Lingwu Sect sect leader instantly fell silent.

He had heard of that General Lord who died at Willow Lake in Phoenix City!

That made him realize Fang Cun was serious. Waves of shock crashed through his mind.

“I am still weak. Many things upset me, but I can control few.”

In this silence, Fang Cun looked at the woman in the jar, listening to Yu Qingli’s frantic shouts from outside. He muttered softly to himself.

“If we see injustice, we must do all we can, right?”

“That person is my friend.”

After a long silence, he murmured gently: “And the most I can do for him now is to give him a thorough vengeance…”