"Murder! It's really murder!"
"What happened?"
"What on earth is going on?"
Ou Fei's corpse lay on the ground like a dead dog. How could it not draw attention?
In the span of just a few moments, the commotion here had already blown up and spread across the entire campsite.
More and more people gathered toward the scene. Many who saw Ou Fei's dead body let out a gasp of shock, then immediately began asking what had happened.
Before long, a triple ring of onlookers surrounded the crime scene, whispering and speculating among themselves.
"The two of them suddenly started fighting — it was terrifying. He died in an instant."
"That man is the murderer!" Someone pointed cautiously toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan stood in place with his arms crossed and head held high, his expression cold and indifferent, paying no heed to the crowd's murmurings as though he couldn't see them at all.
"Huh? He's nothing but a household slave — how could he have killed a Gu Master?" Naturally, someone expressed doubt.
"He's no household slave, I saw it with my own eyes! He shot out a white spear and killed Ou Fei with a single punch — his strength is astonishing!" A Gu Master who had witnessed the whole thing spoke up.
"A white spear?!" Chen Xin happened to overhear those words, and his heart jolted.
He had inadvertently witnessed Fang Yuan killing Zhang Zhu, and the image of Fang Yuan's Spiral Bone Spear was seared deep into his mind. So the phrase "white spear" made him extremely sensitive, and he immediately connected the two.
"What's going on here? What exactly happened?!" Jia Long's displeased voice rang out.
"Oh, it's the chief, and the deputy chiefs!" The crowd hastily parted to make way.
"Someone's dead!"
"Hmm, killed by someone… isn't that Deputy Chief Ou's youngest son?"
The deputy chiefs began murmuring among themselves at the sight.
No sooner had those words left their lips than a shrill, piercing scream erupted in everyone's ears.
"Ah! My son!! What happened to you, what happened to you?!" A figure came rushing out, sprinting to Ou Fei's corpse before coming to an abrupt halt.
It was Ouyang Gong of the Ou family — short, thin, with a hawk's hook nose.
Ou Fei's entire face had caved in, brain matter and blood mingled together in a large pool on the ground. It was obvious that all signs of life had been thoroughly extinguished.
Ouyang Gong stared fixedly at his son's corpse, tears rolling down his cheeks: "My son, you died so horribly. Who — who is so heartless as to murder my son?! I'll tear them to pieces!!"
He fell into a blind rage, screaming until his voice was hoarse.
All eyes inevitably converged on Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan let out a cold laugh and said, unhurriedly: "Of course I killed him. Are you blind? I've been standing here this whole time and you still can't see?"
The reply was so brazen that the crowd immediately stirred into a uproar.
Jia Long and the other chiefs couldn't help but furrow their brows.
Fang Yuan's fearless, untouchable demeanor made them sense something was off. Especially given that he was dressed in a household slave's garb — it made him impossible to read. So they all cautiously chose to stand on the sidelines.
"You're the murderer!" Ouyang Gong's gaze bore into Fang Yuan like a blade. Though he burned with murderous hatred, he did not strike.
This made Fang Yuan somewhat surprised.
His own son had died right before his eyes, yet Ouyang Gong had managed to restrain his killing intent and avoid acting on impulse.
Heh — anyone who could travel on merchant caravans wasn't short on perception. Ouyang Gong had lived to this age and seen plenty of life and death during his travels. As an Elder, he had maintained his standing in the Ou family precisely because he had his own capabilities.
But if Ouyang Gong didn't want to strike, Fang Yuan would make the first move.
Truth be told, Ou Fei's appearance had delighted Fang Yuan — he had been looking for someone to kill as a warning to the rest, and making a forceful entrance was the only way to cow everyone. But Ou Fei alone didn't carry enough weight. If he could add Ouyang Gong to the mix…
Ha — that would be perfect!
At that thought, Fang Yuan let out a menacing grin: "Old man, you've come out just in time. Your son dared to disrespect my young mistress, and the anger in my heart hasn't faded yet. Your son's crimes are a product of your own poor upbringing. You are the root cause — hand over your life!"
With that, he took consecutive strides forward, and in the blink of an eye, he was hurtling toward Ouyang Gong.
Ouyang Gong was so furious his beard went crooked.
What kind of logic was this?! What twisted reasoning!
Fang Yuan had clearly been the one to kill someone, yet he was turning it around and accusing Ouyang Gong of being the culprit!!
He could no longer contain the fury in his heart and launched a savage counterattack directly at Fang Yuan.
BOOM — the two collided with tremendous force.
A muffled impact rang out as shockwaves of air erupted.
Fang Yuan staggered back five or six steps before finally halting his retreat. The white spectral armor covering his body flickered weakly several times before brightening again, while the Tian Peng Gu inside his Empty Orifice had already wilted.
Ouyang Gong was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut. In midair, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, landed on the ground, and barely managed to stay on his feet — his face was already as white as paper.
Who was stronger and who was weaker was clear at a glance!
"How can this be?"
"Clearly that ugly fellow only has Second Transformation aura!"
"Ouyang Gong took the worst of it. He's old and past his prime — his strength has faded. The other guy, meanwhile, played to his strengths…"
The deputy chiefs analyzed rapidly.
"You're courting death!" Having suffered this bitter loss, Ouyang Gong's rage only intensified, and he wished he could tear Fang Yuan limb from limb.
It was just that he hadn't anticipated Fang Yuan attacking first, nor was he familiar with Fang Yuan's background. In his haste, without a moment to think, he had chosen to meet the blow head-on.
"Boy, let me show you the gap between the Second Transformation and the Third Transformation!" Ouyang Gong roared and pounced toward Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan showed no fear. He summoned the Tian Peng Gu… brandished the Spiral Bone Spear… activated the Blood Moon Gu under his hand, with Jumping Grass beneath his feet, and engaged Ouyang Gong in a fierce battle.
The crowd hastily retreated, opening up a wide clearing.
Ouyang Gong was at the Initial Stage of the Third Transformation, while Fang Yuan was at the High Stage of the Second Transformation — a difference of one minor stage plus one major stage, a considerable gap in cultivation.
But Fang Yuan's situation was far from ordinary.