A moment later, Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing were seated in a private room on the third floor, before them a large table laden with dishes, each one exquisite in color, aroma, and taste.
Fang Yuan picked up his bamboo chopsticks and casually ate a few bites. He first tried the steamed yulan slices—fresh and refreshing, they lifted his spirits. Then he took a piece of caramelized peach—sweet but not cloying. Next, he tried the bear paw, which was tender and delicious, and the steamed lamb was crisp and tender, its flavor enhanced by a dip in the seasonings.
Bai Ning Bing took a sip of the three-delicacy osmanthus soup. Her mouth instantly filled with saliva, and the fragrance lingered on her teeth and lips, stirring her appetite as well.
"In the time I've known you, this is the first time you've been so generous," she said, continuing to eat while not missing the chance to mock Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan smiled but didn't reply. He knew the doubt and anxiety in Bai Ning Bing's heart.
He had gone to great lengths to get close to Shang Xin Ci, sparing no effort and taking no rest to protect her. Yet now that they had reached their destination, he deliberately parted ways. This confused Bai Ning Bing.
Moreover, Fang Yuan was now at the peak of the Second Turn, only a single step away from the Third Turn. He and Bai Ning Bing had once made a pact regarding the Third Turn, and now the final moment had come.
But of course, Fang Yuan had no intention of keeping the pact! In his eyes, integrity was nothing more than a compromise born of helplessness, a beautiful disguise, a convincing mask.
Fang Yuan was well aware of this, and so was Bai Ning Bing.
Thus, she was anxious.
Because she could already sense that this bastard Fang Yuan would definitely break his promise. Yet she could do nothing about it. The Yang Gu was in Fang Yuan's hands, and she had to tread carefully for fear of harming what she valued.
Now, there was no pursuit by the Bai clan, no beast tide. Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing sat at the same table, seemingly harmonious and warm, but in reality, their relationship was stretched to the breaking point. One more step forward, and it would all fall apart.
That step was Fang Yuan's formal advancement to the Third Turn.
Once he reached the Third Turn, the last bit of leeway between him and Bai Ning Bing would be gone. They would have to clash head-on.
How should he deal with Bai Ning Bing?
Fang Yuan ate while he pondered.
His cultivation couldn't stagnate forever. The day of conflict would inevitably come.
The current situation was very delicate.
Fang Yuan held the upper hand because he controlled the Yang Gu. However, the truth was that Bai Ning Bing also held leverage over Fang Yuan.
She had traveled with him the entire way. She had personally participated in the inheritance of White Bone Mountain and had witnessed how Fang Yuan lured the beast horde to attack the merchant caravan.
She knew too much.
Compared to a potential threat like Ding Hao, Bai Ning Bing was undoubtedly far more dangerous to Fang Yuan.
"If I kill Bai Ning Bing, I won't have to worry about Shang Xin Ci. But my strength is insufficient. The trade route was probably the best chance to kill her, but back then I still needed her power to ensure my survival. Besides, it was hard to act near Shang Xin Ci. This Bai Ning Bing has always been secretly on guard against me. With her Ice Skin Jade Bones protecting her, I can't kill her in a single blow. Moreover, her combat sense is exceptional, and tempered by recent events, it has become even more seasoned..."
Fang Yuan's mind churned with thoughts, and at the same time, Bai Ning Bing was also lost in deep contemplation.
"From the moment we left Qing Mao Mountain until now, I finally have a moment to catch my breath. I absolutely must obtain the Yang Gu and return to being a man! Directly taking it by force has a low chance of success. Unless I kill Fang Yuan instantly. But this bastard Fang Yuan, though his cultivation is only at the Second Turn, his overall combat strength is far more formidable. He's a freak, with incredibly seasoned combat experience. Moreover, his mind is extremely deep and ruthless. There is no evil he won't do, no morals to bind him; he is capable of anything."
"More importantly, I haven't fully uncovered his trump cards. However, I have my advantages. His cultivation right now depends on my efforts. And I know many of his secrets. Perhaps I can use these things to force a compromise! I can use the Poison Vow Gu to sign an irrevocable contract with him. Besides that, I can use the Forcible Acquisition Gu, the Plunder Gu, the Sleight of Hand Gu, and so on, to steal the Yang Gu…"
Bai Ning Bing was by no means stupid. She had been patiently observing and scheming throughout their journey.
The two sat at the same table, only a few steps apart, appearing as friends, but their hearts were plotting against each other.
With the external pressure subsiding, the contradictions between them immediately came to the forefront. In the relatively safe environment of Shang Clan City, they had the leisure to think these things through.
But the more deeply they thought, the more intractable the situation seemed!
Fang Yuan acted without scruples, and wasn't Bai Ning Bing the same? In her philosophy of life, living brilliantly was all that mattered. Wait, moral principles? What was that?
The two of them were actually very similar. Both held the secular world in contempt, both possessed indomitable wills, both craved power immensely, and both trusted only in themselves.
From the perspective of others, they were demons deserving of death, dregs that harmed society. Their deaths would be a blessing to the world.
Precisely because of these similarities, they found each other so difficult to deal with.
The enemy that is truly hard to defeat is often oneself.
What was more, each held the other's secrets. If they couldn't land a decisive blow and gave the other a chance to catch their breath, then the other side would inevitably be finished as well!
The more they thought about it, the more their heads ached.
"This Bai Ning Bing is not easy to deal with," Fang Yuan gritted his teeth. The resources at his disposal were too few.
"This bastard Fang Yuan simply has no weaknesses…" Bai Ning Bing narrowed her eyes, her gaze cold.
Unable to come up with any good ideas, they both looked up at the same time and met each other's eyes.
Their gazes clashed in the air before parting instantly.
The dishes before them, though exquisite, could not be tasted due to their heavy thoughts.
Even with a fifty percent discount, it still cost Fang Yuan fifteen Primeval Stones.
As expected of Shang Clan City, the prices were exorbitant.