The answer to Fang Yuan's question was, for the Fang family, practically self-evident.
Fang Gong nodded, his tone grave as he chose his words carefully: "We are naturally willing to conclude this transaction. But Lord Fang Yuan, what is it that you want? If your demands exceed what our Fang family can bear, I'm afraid we—"
Fang Yuan raised a hand, cutting Fang Gong off. "First, I need the bandit stronghold. Second, I need the Fang family to station forces in the Green Ghost Desert and provide me with an enormous supply of soul cores. What I will offer your Fang family, of course, will not be limited to Fang Di Chang's soul. The specifics can all be discussed at length, in due time."
Fang Yuan's lenient conditions made the Fang family's Immortal Gu Masters' eyes light up, though plenty of doubts lingered as well.
Fang Yuan seemed to know what they were thinking. "If I wanted to deal with your Fang family, I could simply attack directly. Why would I bother resorting to other schemes? And I'm not afraid to tell you — I've already struck a deal with Wu Yong of the Wu family. I am not a bloodthirsty person. Killing and fighting are merely tools. Unless it is absolutely necessary, I do not wish to resort to force to get what I want."
A chill ran through the hearts of every Fang family Immortal. Fang Yuan's words carried a veiled threat. The subtext was clear: if they did not meet his demands, war would follow, and the Fang family would suffer devastating losses — perhaps even total annihilation!
Fang Gong's heart tasted bitter. Facing such an overbearing Fang Yuan, what choice did he actually have?
In truth, the moment Fang Yuan appeared, the Fang family had been left with no other option.
They had to cooperate with Fang Yuan. They had to do business with him.
Refuse?
Then die!
Even Heavenly Court could not stop Fang Yuan. The Demon Venerable Soul had been destroyed at his hands. Further back still, several Eighth Transformation Gu Immortals of the Southern Border had met their ends because of him!
A mere Fang family — how could they possibly resist?
Even supreme powers could perish.
The most recent example was the Hei family of the Northern Plains. They had already fallen, replaced by the Hundred Leg family.
Geographically closer still was the Qing family. Back in their day, the Qing family had been formidable as well — until they provoked a young Soul and were exterminated to the last. The Green Ghost Desert was the Qing family's tomb, right next door to the Fang family.
Sometimes, a single individual could destroy an entire faction.
The Gu Master world had always operated on the principle that the strong ruled supreme!
For this reason, even supreme powers, despite their vast resources, would be extremely cautious about declaring war on lone rogue cultivators or demonic cultivators.
In order to survive, the Fang family agreed to Fang Yuan's terms.
The two sides deliberated for only a short while before reaching a decision.
Fang Yuan's conditions were so lenient that the entire Fang family found it somewhat hard to believe.
Was this really Gu Yue Fang Yuan, the world's foremost demonic figure?
Because reality had turned out far better than they had anticipated, the Fang family Gu Immortals found their spirits lifting!
"I've told you before — I am not, by nature, a bloodthirsty killer. Cooperating with me brings great benefits." So spoke Fang Yuan with a sincere expression on his face — this same Fang Yuan who had slaughtered his own clansmen, massacred every single Gu Immortal in the Black Iron Blessed Land, participated in the destruction of the Dongfang clan and the Great Snow Mountain Blessed Land, annexed the allied Lang Ya sect along with various other races, demolished the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, captured a large contingent of Righteous Path Gu Immortals from the Southern Border, killed Gu Immortors across the Five Regions and Two Heavens, fought in the battle against Heavenly Court, and laid the ambush that slew the Demon Venerable Soul.
The Fang family Gu Immortors' eyelids twitched, but they quickly voiced their agreement.
"Lord Fang Yuan speaks truly!"
"It is our Fang family's fortune to be able to cooperate with Lord Fang Yuan."
"We are, of course, aware of the circumstances Lord Fang Yuan once faced. Heavenly Court was simply going too far!"
The Fang family Gu Immortors spoke with great conviction, their words sounding as though they came straight from the heart, entirely devoid of pretense.
Fang Yun and Fang Leng were still a bit too young for this. They remained silent.
"If Lord Fang Yuan has any intention of establishing a clan, our Fang family will offer our full support!" Fang Gong finally delivered a line that showed real polish.
Fang Yuan cast him a deep, inscrutable glance, then said his farewells.
The next moment, he activated his killer move and vanished before the assembled Immortals' eyes.
Fang Gong's suggestion that Fang Yuan establish a clan was also made with the Fang family's interests in mind. Once the secret transaction between the Fang family and Fang Yuan was exposed, it would place the Fang family in a passive position — their reputation would plummet, and they might even draw the aggression of other supreme powers.
However, if Fang Yuan established a clan, he would shift from the Demonic Path to the Righteous Path. At that point, even if this deal came to light, it would merely subject the Fang family to controversy at most.
Gu Masters and Gu Immortals from the Demonic Path and the rogue cultivator factions could change their identities and become part of the Righteous Path.
Heavenly Lord Hundred Legs was a prime example.
A demonic or rogue cultivator with sufficient combat strength would make Righteous Path factions wary, too afraid to attack casually. If such a Gu cultivator then founded a clan, and proved adept at establishing sufficient exchange of interests with neighboring factions to achieve a certain compromise and equilibrium, then they could successfully transition into the Righteous Path.
In fact, if one traced history back far enough, many of the supreme powers in the Eastern Sea, Western Desert, and Southern Border had risen to prominence through precisely this kind of transformation.
Fang Yuan's initiative in trading with the Fang family made Fang Gong realize that Fang Yuan possessed the skill and political awareness to pull it off.
Once a powerful demonic cultivator stopped mindlessly slaughtering and began conducting himself with the bearing of the Righteous Path, then his identity could indeed be transformed.
"What a pity — that is not where my ambitions lie," Fang Yuan thought to himself with a faint smile.
Five hundred years ago in his previous life, he had founded the Blood Wing Demonic Sect, which at its peak boasted over ten thousand followers. He had long understood that strength and weakness were what truly mattered.
In this world, an individual's power could surpass the sum of all others combined. Every organization was merely icing on the cake.
Only personal strength was true strength!
Even the foremost supreme power, Heavenly Court, had survived its darkest hour only through the singular abilities of individual Venerables. Had it been otherwise, Heavenly Court would have been utterly destroyed by Fang Yuan long ago.