"That's right, an information business. The merchant's martial arena has over a hundred bouts every day. The martial atmosphere there is so intense—it's perfect to take advantage of. I've thought it over. We can collect profiles on all the Gu Masters who fight in the arena, big and small, and then sell that information. We could invite some prominent figures to make predictions before major matches and provide commentary afterward," Shang Xinci replied with a smile.
"Brilliant!" Bai Ningbing slammed the table in delight immediately.
This idea truly was brilliant!
Bai Ningbing had fought in many arena matches herself, so she understood the merits of this idea on a much deeper level. She immediately recognized it as a superb scheme with real business potential.
Even Fang Yuan couldn't help but glance over with interest.
In truth, he had thought of this idea in his previous life and had even put it to use at the Wu Clan. The Wu Clan's martial arena was far grander than the merchant's, with an even more intense atmosphere. Fang Yuan's innovation had caused a sensation at the time, earning him pots of profit every day. But before long, members of the Wu Clan had stepped in. All manner of competitors and suppressors came one after another, and within a few months, profits had plummeted to rock bottom. After half a year, it was completely unviable.
Fang Yuan mused to himself that the reason he could come up with this idea was because of his memories from Earth. The fact that Shang Xinci had thought of it on her own was a genuine stroke of genius—proof of her extraordinary talent for business!
But though the idea was good, Fang Yuan shook his head.
Shang Xinci gritted her teeth. "Does Brother Heitu think the idea isn't good?"
"The idea is excellent, but let's not rush into it. Xinci, do you trust me?" Fang Yuan fixed his gaze on Shang Xinci.
Shang Xinci smiled gently.
"My very life was saved by you, Brother Heitu. What could I possibly not trust you about?"
Bai Ningbing let out a silent "heh" in her mind but said nothing.
She was in the know. Having traveled with Fang Yuan all this way, she understood clearly: every danger Shang Xinci had encountered along the way had been entirely caused by Fang Yuan himself.
Fang Yuan nodded. "Since you trust me, then follow my instructions. In just twenty days, I can triple the Yuan Stones in your possession."
"Oh, is that so?" Curiosity surfaced on Shang Xinci's face. "Then I'll follow your arrangements, Brother."
"What scheme is he cooking up now? Who's he going to destroy next?" Bai Ningbing swept a sidelong glance toward Fang Yuan, unable to hold back her speculation.
…
Fork Mountain sat between the Zuo Family's Cold Ridge Mountain and the Che Family's Flying Mountain.
The Zuo Clan had over six hundred years of history, while the Che Clan had stood for a full five hundred and eighty years.
The two families were blood feud enemies. Generations of accumulated hatred had made them irreconcilable mortal foes.
Over the past century, both families had expanded, and in their struggle to seize Fork Mountain, they had clashed violently.
On a mountainside of Fork Mountain, a fierce battle was already drawing to a close.
Blood flowed across the ground. Dozens of Gu Master corpses lay strewn across the rocky slope. Only seven people remained standing.
Three from the Zuo Clan, four from the Che Clan.
The Zuo Clan's Elder, Zuo Wusheng, had a deep, gaping wound in his chest. Blood seeped from it. With one hand pressed against the wound, he shielded Zuo Chanyu before him, his expression grave: "Eldest Miss, please leave quickly. We'll hold them here!"
Zuo Chanyu was the Zuo Clan's firstborn legitimate daughter. She possessed a Grade A aptitude and was the Zuo Clan's hope for the future. Young and beautiful, barely twenty years old, she had already reached mid-stage Third Transformation. She absolutely could not be allowed to perish here.
"Elder Wusheng…" A look of reluctance and hesitation crossed Zuo Chanyu's face.
"Think you can leave? In your dreams!" The Che Clan's Elder, Che Youyin, sneered from the other side as he stepped forward.
"Wusheng, old ghost, so this is your end. Heh heh heh—right here, right now, I, Che Youyin, will make sure the three of you die without even a grave!" His voice brimmed with killing intent.
But after saying this, he turned and whispered to a fresh-faced, elegant female Gu Master beside him: "Xiang'er, you're wounded. When the fighting starts, fall back and cover our flanks."
Che Qiaoxiang's delicate brows immediately furrowed. "Father, it's just a minor injury. I'm perfectly fine! I want to fight alongside you!"
She was deeply worried.
Their opponent, Zuo Wusheng, and her father Che Youyin had been rivals for decades. Their strength was actually quite evenly matched. Although Zuo Wusheng was gravely wounded, killing him would be far from easy. A deathbed counterattack would be absolutely terrifying.
"Don't be foolish!" Che Youyin snapped in a low voice. "Listen to your father. That's an order."
Che Qiaoxiang pouted her cherry lips, about to protest, when suddenly a long laugh rang out.
"Hahahaha… heh heh heh… hoo hoo hoo…"
The laughter was bizarre. One listen and it felt like a gust of sinister wind blowing past.
With the laughter, a figure appeared on a rocky outcrop.
The man was handsome as jade and stood tall amid the pines, dressed in a flamboyant robe embroidered with a sky full of pink butterflies. On his head sat a flower crown topped with a fluffy red blossom ball that trembled with each burst of his laughter—like an opera performer on stage, lending a comedic air to his appearance.
But whether it was Zuo Wusheng or Che Youyin, the moment they saw this person, their faces changed drastically. Far from any sense of amusement, they felt nothing but alarm and dread.
"You're… the Pink Butterfly Gentleman…"
"Kong Ritian!"
The two of them spoke one line each, revealing the newcomer's identity.
Now even the others' expressions shifted. Especially Zuo Chanyu and Che Qiaoxiang—both women went pale, their nerves on edge.
Kong Ritian was a Demonic Path Gu Master of infamy. He favored wearing a flamboyant robe embroidered with pink butterflies, which earned him the title "Pink Butterfly Gentleman."
In truth, he was a bandit of violated virtue, preying specifically on the chastity of Righteous Path women. Reviled by men and detested by spirits, he roamed alone.
The critical matter was that he possessed Fourth Transformation cultivation. His appearance here instantly shifted the entire battlefield's balance of power.
Both the Zuo and Che Clans were spent arrows. Their two main fighters, Che Youyin and Zuo Wusheng, were both wounded, their True Essence depleted, and only at Third Transformation level.
"Hahahaha… heh heh heh… hoo hoo hoo… That's right—it's me, Kong Ritian!" His identity exposed, the Pink Butterfly Gentleman was delighted, letting out another round of his signature bizarre laugh.
Abruptly, he swept his wide sleeve. True Essence surged into his Gu Insects, and a shower of petals rained down across the sky.