Chapter 720 - 473: Between 2 Women (2)

The Bee Queen, Fang Ruoxi, dejectedly walked away on her eight long legs. Ever since reaching the Golden Core Realm, her diet had become quite varied; she sometimes even wanted to taste things like Spirit Ore deposits.

In her own words, her previous food could no longer sufficiently replenish the Spiritual Qi she consumed when using her innate abilities. She needed food with more Spiritual Power.

...

Three days later, Situ Jingyu could no longer suppress her thoughts and went to the eighth level of the grotto alone, where she found Fang Qingyuan sitting cross-legged in meditative cultivation.

Fang Qingyuan slowly opened his eyes. His powerful divine soul had sensed Situ Jingyu’s arrival long before, so he had already stopped collecting the magma and assumed a meditative posture.

"Has your cultivation been going well these past few days? If you need anything, Junior Brother, please don’t hesitate to tell me."

The excuse Fang Qingyuan had given was that he wanted to stay for a while to cultivate his Fire Element Techniques using the unique environment. Naturally, Situ Jingyu had no reason to refuse such an excuse; in fact, she was hoping Fang Qingyuan would stay for a while longer.

Ever since becoming the Sect Leader, Situ Jingyu had discovered that there was no one left with whom she could have a sincere conversation.

The attitude of her Junior Brothers within the sect had also changed drastically. This wasn’t simply due to the change in her status, but also the physical disparity between a Golden Core Cultivator and Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Sometimes, when Situ Jingyu got angry, her Junior Brothers wouldn’t even dare to breathe too loudly. When this happened too often, she herself began to find it dull.

Only Fang Qingyuan had remained completely at ease in her presence from beginning to end. Their interactions had always been on equal and harmonious terms.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister. Everything is fine. And during my cultivation these past few days... look what I found."

Fang Qingyuan stood up, and the two of them stepped onto a nearby rock wall, a formation left behind by magma that had cooled over many years. As he spoke, over a hundred brilliant Fire Spirit Crystal Stones suddenly materialized in the air before them.

"These? You fished all of them out, Junior Brother?"

Situ Jingyu was first shocked, then delighted. As the saying goes, you live off the mountain you’re on; how could she not recognize these Fire Spirit Ore Deposits? It was just that most of them were hidden within the river of magma, and Sect Disciples who weren’t powerful enough couldn’t retrieve them.

"I have a bit of a knack for mining," Fang Qingyuan admitted with a smile. "It’s just a shame Jinbao isn’t here. That little guy is an even better digger than I am."

At the casual mention of Jinbao, Situ Jingyu also fondly recalled the time they had all eaten meat together.

The next issue was how to divide them. Fang Qingyuan suggested giving all the ore deposits to Situ Jingyu, but she adamantly refused.

"These ore deposits belong to your sect to begin with. I just happened to dig them up in the process of my cultivation. And while these deposits are valuable, they aren’t an indispensable resource for the Qingyuan Sect right now. Your sect, Senior Sister, needs them more than mine does."

With just a few short sentences, Fang Qingyuan left Situ Jingyu with nothing to say. She wasn’t the type to put on a brave face when she was struggling, after all. The facts were plain to see, leaving her no room to refuse any further.

"Then I shall accept your kindness, Junior Brother. I’m just not sure how long you plan to stay. If you could remain for a year or so, that would be wonderful."

Hearing Situ Jingyu’s words, Fang Qingyuan grinned. Based on the rate his Immortal Mansion had been absorbing and processing the magma over the last few days, he would be able to reach the Sixth-Layer Golden Core in less than three months.

After all, since his last trip to the black soil, Fang Qingyuan had already been cultivating diligently for nearly six years. It normally took fifteen or sixteen years to advance a single layer in the Golden Core Realm; this boost was simply making up for ten of those years of hard work.

"Half a year is too long. Three months should do it. I have a mountain of sect affairs waiting for me, so I can’t stay away for too long."

"It’s the same for all of us. Ever since becoming a Sect Leader, I feel I’ve lost the freedom I once had. There are no disciples in my sect capable of shouldering the burden right now. If I’m not there to oversee things, I dread to think what trouble might break out."

The two had much to discuss on this topic, and so they spent the next hour engaged in a friendly conversation.

......

Back at the Qingyuan Sect, Tu Dai’Er stared in astonishment at Liu Xun, who had just returned from the peace conference at Black River Square.

"Fang Qingyuan actually left on a trip? When is he coming back?"

Liu Xun wore a pained expression. He didn’t dare offend this beautiful Golden Core Cultivator who was so entangled with his Sect Leader. He could only say helplessly:

"Well... before the Sect Leader left, he said he would be back in a few months, half a year at the most. He also specifically instructed me to relay a message to you, Fairy. He said that he is not a man who shirks his duties and that he will absolutely take the responsibility he owes. He just hopes that you might grant him a little time to think."

"That bastard! How dare he just run off! I’ll..."

Tu Dai’Er couldn’t stop herself from cursing Fang Qingyuan, but she realized her mistake as soon as the words were out. Liu Xun was staring at her with a peculiar expression; clearly, her outburst was leading him to misunderstand.

"Hmph. Fine. I’ll just wait here for him to return. If he isn’t back in six months, he can’t blame me for being unreasonable."

After leaving this harsh threat, Tu Dai’Er turned and returned to her residence. Only after she was gone did Liu Xun wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

But before Liu Xun could even breathe a sigh of relief, a disciple from outside the hall announced,

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, someone outside the sect has presented a visiting card. They claim to be an old friend of the Huo Family and have come to pay their respects to the Old Ancestor. As the Old Ancestor is away, we request the Sect Leader’s decision."

Liu Xun took the visiting card. He recognized the seal as belonging to the Huo Family of the Beast Taming Sect, and the handwriting itself was quite elegant. But when he saw the signature at the bottom, his head began to throb again.

’Huo Yao’Er? Another Golden Core Female Cultivator? Just how many of them has the Old Ancestor provoked? And why are they all picking this exact moment to show up?’

With no other choice, Liu Xun went to welcome her personally. He had just escorted Huo Yao’Er into the sect’s main reception hall and had yet to exchange more than a few pleasantries when Tu Dai’Er stormed back in.

"One more thing, has your sect been... "

Before Tu Dai’Er could finish, she caught sight of Huo Yao’Er, and her composure faltered.

"Huo Yao’Er of the Beast Taming Sect?"

"Fellow Daoist Tu of Black Wind Valley?"

’Well, what do you know, they’re acquainted.’ Liu Xun’s eyes darted around, and he immediately said:

"Ah, so you two are old acquaintances. Please, Seniors, take your time catching up. Allow this junior to step out and hurry the kitchen along."

Seizing the opportunity, Liu Xun slipped away, leaving the vast hall to the two Golden Core Female Cultivators. Once he was gone and there were no outsiders present, the two beauties finally revealed their true attitudes.

"Huo Yao’Er, what are you doing here? Fang Qingyuan is someone I have my eye on, so you’d best not get any ideas about him."

Tu Dai’Er’s statement caused Huo Yao’Er to misunderstand. ’What does she mean, "someone I have my eye on"? Don’t tell me she’s also here to throw herself at him and offer marriage?’

Tu Dai’Er’s true intention was to make Fang Qingyuan a weapon for her master to wield. In Huo Yao’Er’s eyes, however, Tu Dai’Er’s intentions were malicious—she believed Tu Dai’Er was after Fang Qingyuan’s body. Thus, she instinctively adopted the posture of a future matriarch and said:

"There is an order to things—first come, first served. My elder brother and Fang Qingyuan had dealings when you were still a nobody. The saying goes that an elder brother is like a father, and my brother has already reached an agreement with Fang Qingyuan. You should be showing me some respect."

’What is all this nonsense?’ Tu Dai’Er frowned. ’Does the Huo Family of the Beast Taming Sect also want to use Fang Qingyuan? But their family has fallen so far... what bargaining chips could they possibly offer him?’

’Could it be... Huo Yao’Er herself?’

Tu Dai’Er was no fool, and she figured out the truth in an instant. With this new development, she felt it was necessary to report back to her master.

After all, even though the Huo Family was in decline, they still represented the stance of the Beast Taming Sect. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The Huo Family had stood for millennia; their web of relationships, built through generations of marriages and alliances, was incredibly complex. They couldn’t be dismissed as a simple Golden Core Clan just because they no longer had a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

Originally, after learning of Fang Qingyuan’s stance, Tu Wuzhao had already made some concessions. But that was because she didn’t know the source of his confidence. Now, it seemed Fang Qingyuan’s trip and Huo Yao’Er’s arrival were a clear play to reveal his trump card and haggle for a better deal.

In that moment, Tu Dai’Er’s mind raced with possibilities. Meanwhile, Huo Yao’Er looked at the frowning Tu Dai’Er and thought to herself, ’Is being his concubine really that unacceptable?’