Chapter 315 - 207: Enemies on a Narrow Road

Chapter 315: Chapter 207: Enemies on a Narrow Road

As if recalling something, Zhang Hu added another sentence, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes.

Hearing Zhang Hu’s words, Fang Yue’s pupils suddenly constricted, his mind instantly reeling with shock.

’Ten years ago, an Innate Grandmaster at Great Perfection?’

In that instant, Fang Yue finally understood why Zhang Hu had made such a demand.

’An Innate Grandmaster at the Great Perfection stage ten years ago could have already reached the Transformation realm by now. This Zhang Hu is trying to rile me up. It seems he’s really not happy that his grandfather gave the Treasure Medicine to me.’

"You lead the way. We’ll go have a look." Fang Yue mused for a moment before nodding in agreement.

’I can’t let this Qi Sensing Martial Master look down on me.’

’Besides, someone who was an Innate Grandmaster ten years ago is most likely still an Innate Grandmaster now.’

’The leap from the Innate to the Transformation realm is a major hurdle. It’s unlikely that Zhang Hu’s grandfather’s opponent made that leap so easily.’

’As long as he hasn’t reached the Transformation realm, I have nothing to fear.’

"Good!"

Seeing Fang Yue agree, Zhang Hu broke into a grin.

The two of them immediately spurred their horses, galloping away down the road.

Two mornings later, the pair arrived inside a mountain valley.

"We’re here."

Zhang Hu halted, pointing toward the familiar valley as he spoke.

This was the very valley where his grandfather was supposed to have his duel.

His grandfather had brought him here more than once, saying the feng shui was excellent and that if he were to die, this is where he should be laid to rest.

Therefore, his grandfather would have undoubtedly chosen this as the location for his duel.

Fang Yue focused his gaze. On an open, grassy patch in the center of the valley ahead, several bodies lay on the ground.

After observing them for a moment, Fang Yue noticed that while their clothes were tattered, the damage wasn’t from a blade. It looked more like they had been killed by a devastating blow that had shattered every bone in their bodies.

’No wonder that old fellow said his opponent was formidable.’

Fang Yue murmured to himself, his mind racing.

He knew that Zhang Hu’s grandfather, Zhang Yunhe, was also an Innate Grandmaster. However, due to an old injury, his realm had stagnated for years, preventing him from making even half a step of progress. He couldn’t even touch the threshold of the Innate Stage.

The opponent Zhang Yunhe faced, however, was an Innate Grandmaster at the Great Perfection stage. The gap between them was enormous.

’Barring any surprises, his grandfather was probably already dead.’

However, after searching the entire area, they found no other clues besides the bodies they had seen at the start.

This caused a potent sense of unease to well up within Fang Yue.

"There are signs of a fight, but your grandfather is nowhere to be seen. Do you think he might still be alive?" Fang Yue asked with a frown.

By nightfall, they still had nothing.

By nightfall, they still had nothing.

"HUUUH..." Zhang Hu exhaled, tilting his head back. His face was the very picture of dejection. "It’s no use. We’re not going to find him. Let’s go."

Fang Yue fell silent at his words, a flicker of doubt in his mind.

’Judging by Zhang Yunhe’s actions, he must have been certain he was going to die; that’s why he was settling his affairs.’

’But we didn’t find his body here.’

’Could it be... that he actually escaped?’

Fang Yue breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.

’If that’s the case, it means he’s still alive.’

’Perhaps he’s just hiding somewhere to recover from his injuries.’

’Either way, no body means there’s still hope. That’s a good thing, no matter how you look at it.’

And with that, the two of them left the valley.

But what Fang Yue didn’t know was that not long after they departed...

...a neatly dressed, composed-looking man slowly emerged from the shadows where they had just been standing.

He was tall, with snow-white skin, and wore a set of green robes with long, flowing sleeves, cutting a rather dashing and elegant figure. It was none other than Li Xiujie.

This was the very same formidable foe Zhang Yunhe had faced in his duel.

Except, at this moment, his aura was faint, and he appeared somewhat listless and dispirited.

The fluctuations of Primordial Qi around his body were also abnormal.

"Damn it! That old bastard actually used a life-sacrificing Secret Technique to force back my assault! But he has to be dead!" Li Xiujie cursed through clenched teeth, his face terrifyingly grim.

But then, a smile crept onto Li Xiujie’s lips.

"I didn’t think that old bastard had a grandson. Perfect. I’ll just get rid of him, too."

With that, Li Xiujie quickly gave chase in the direction Fang Yue and his companion had gone, vanishing into the depths of the dense woods in the blink of an eye.

...

That night, the moon was dark and the wind howled—a perfect night for murder.

Inside a Mountain God Temple, Fang Yue and Zhang Hu sat on the ground, each taking out dry rations to eat.

Just then, the sudden sound of urgent hoofbeats broke the silence.

THUMP THUMP...

Following the sound, two fine steeds galloped over.

Soon, a somewhat familiar voice called out.

"Such rotten luck! We haven’t even found him yet, and we get forcibly conscripted. If I ever get my hands on Fang Yue, I’ll skin him alive!"

Atop his horse, Luo Wei ground his teeth, wishing he could tear Fang Yue to pieces. But a moment later, his eyes lit up, and he turned to the Scholar’s Attendant beside him.

"Quick, look! The man in that ruined temple—is that Fang Yue?!"

These two were none other than Luo Wei and Wu Wende’s Scholar’s Attendant, who held a grudge against Fang Yue from their time in Yujing City.

The two of them had originally been sent to hunt down Fang Yue, but someone had interfered, allowing him to escape.

Afterward, instead of returning to Yujing City, they searched for Fang Yue within the borders of Guangfeng Prefecture, but they never managed to find any sign of him. Finally, just as they were preparing to return to Yujing City, the unlucky pair got conscripted by Guangfeng Prefecture.