Fang Yuan's eyebrows raised slightly, his gaze sweeping across them lightly.
Bai Zhanlie — he had an impression of him. The foremost junior of the Bai family. They had shared drinks before.
Bai Lian was someone he knew even better. She had accompanied him for a time and even attempted to use a honey trap on him. Unfortunately, mere beauty could never shake Fang Yuan's resolve. Instead, he had turned her own scheme against her.
As for the others — Bai Feng, Tie Daoku, and the like — Fang Yuan did not know them.
But even so, Fang Yuan understood this group's origins and motives.
The wronged had come knocking at his door.
"The net of heaven is vast and wide, and nothing escapes it. Guye Fang Zheng, you murdered two young patriarchs of our Bai family — think you can escape to Merchant City? Not a chance!" Bai Feng snarled.
"Fang Zheng, you dug a trap and blasted my Iron family's young master and nearly a dozen clansmen to their deaths! This grudge cannot coexist under the same sky. I, Tie Daoku, will take your head!" Tie Daoku's expression was wild with agitation as he jabbed his finger toward Fang Yuan's nose and roared.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of nearby passersby. Watching the spectacle was human nature, and countless gazes converged on the scene.
"Oh? You're from the Iron family? How strange — I don't recall killing any of your clansmen." Fang Yuan sneered.
"Stop playing innocent! You have the Scorching Thunder Bean Mother Gu. You dug a deep pit with the most sinister of intentions. My Iron family's group stepped right into your trap and was blown to smithereens — not even bones remained. We've tracked you all this way, and who else could it have been but you?!" Tie Daoku's eyes were nearly spitting fire, wishing he could tear Fang Yuan apart on the spot.
"Heh heh heh." Fang Yuan froze for a moment, then broke into laughter. "So that's how it is. Seems my pit was well-dug after all. Thank you for telling me this wonderful news — it's really put me in a good mood."
"You!" Tie Daoku's eyes went wide, his hair bristling with rage. "You admit it! You actually admit it! Fine — fine, Fang Zheng. You're as good as dead. You dared to kill our Iron family's young master — you've declared yourself our enemy!"
"So what if I'm your enemy?" Fang Yuan shrugged, sneering. "Truly laughable. I dug that pit to deal with grass-skirt monkeys. You lot happened to step on it — blame your Iron family for not watching where you're going. Besides, what crime have I committed? On what grounds is your Iron family hunting me down? You brought this on yourselves. Heh heh heh — good death, marvelous death..."
These words left the surrounding crowd dumbfounded.
"He's openly provoking the Iron family?"
"Has Fang Zheng gone mad? The Iron family is one of the Southern Border's overlords — no weaker than the Shang family!"
"The Iron family hunts Demonic Path Gu Masters across the land. They have the world-renowned Demon Suppression Pagoda. They're the bane of the Demonic Path. And he actually killed their young master!"
"He's got a Bauhinia Token in hand — he's got nothing to fear! As long as he stays in Merchant City, he's the Shang family's honored guest. Even if the Iron family patriarch himself came, Lord Shang Yanfei would still have to protect him. If he didn't, word would spread that the Shang family fears the Iron family. Heh heh..."
The murmuring of the crowd helped cool Tie Daoku's blazing fury ever so slightly.
Fang Yuan had the Bauhinia Token in hand. And now that his cultivation had reached the Third Transformation, dealing with him was no longer as easy as before.
"Hmph, Fang Zheng, don't think hiding here makes you safe. You want to become a non-clan Elder of the Shang family through the Martial Arts Arena? Keep dreaming! Let me tell you — as long as I, Bai Feng, am here, you will never dominate the Martial Arts Arena!" Elder Bai Feng said coldly.
Tie Daoku added: "Fang Zheng, I will finish you at the Martial Arts Arena. You can't escape. You've committed a heinous crime and must face severe punishment!"
"Oh? You want to intercept me at the Martial Arts Arena?" A cold glint flashed through Fang Yuan's eyes.
He did not fear these people — not even if Bai Feng, Tie Daoku, Bai Zhanlie, and Bai Lian were all Third Transformation Gu Masters.
If they wanted to deal with him through the Martial Arts Arena, they couldn't leverage their numerical advantage anyway.
"But my current situation..."
Fang Yuan mused inwardly, then suddenly gave a soft laugh and said to Bai Feng: "Your Bai family received the White Bone Legacy, yet that's still not enough — you still want to come after me? Without me, how would you ever have discovered the White Bone Legacy? Hmph, seems you don't want to know the whereabouts of your two young patriarchs after all."
These words immediately drew looks of surprise from the Bai family group.
From Fang Yuan's tone, it sounded as though the two young patriarchs were not dead...
"Fang Zheng, what do you mean?" Bai Feng asked immediately, his expression shifting between alarm and suspicion.
"Fang Zheng, don't think you can deceive us with honeyed words. We've searched the White Bone Legacy almost thoroughly — there isn't a trace of the two young patriarchs!" Bai Lian snapped coldly.
"The White Bone Legacy — I discovered it. Does your Bai family really think you understand it better than I do? Ridiculous!"
Fang Yuan let out a contemptuous scoff and continued: "Why on earth would I drag those two burdens along when retreating? Use your heads. Deceive you? Hmph — I don't even fear the Iron family, let alone your pathetic little Bai family."
"Fang Zheng, if both young patriarchs are still alive... then I believe this may be a misunderstanding. Our Bai family... is not an unreasonable clan." Bai Feng chose his words carefully, trying to keep Fang Yuan talking and extract the whereabouts of their young patriarchs.
"If you want to know, heh, fine. As it happens, I'm hungry — take me to dinner. Let's go to Lion Tower, the most extravagant place in the Third Inner City," Fang Yuan said flatly.
The Bai family group exchanged glances.
The whereabouts of the two young patriarchs was no small matter — it concerned the future of the entire Bai family.
Though the Bai family harbored deep hatred for Fang Yuan, Elder Bai Feng ultimately gritted his teeth and nodded: "Fine. We'll go to Lion Tower!"
Lion Tower was not merely a restaurant, but a luxurious pleasure house.