Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
“Go!”
A group of horsemen shouted as they escorted a carriage into the territory of the Divine Armament Mountain Villa.
The people riding the horses were in black, and evident from their agile movements, they were all skilled martial artists.
“Sisters!”
Fang Yuan took a rare break from his cultivation and welcomed them with his third sister, Nangong Fu, at the gates of the villa.
“It’s been so many years since we’ve left, but the villa looks the same as before!”
The eldest sister, Nangong Qing, was a gentle woman. She approached Fang Yuan and took his hands. “Wuwang, you’ve become skinnier!”
Her husband was standing beside her. His name was Chang Kun, a renowned martial artist of Yuhe Commandery known for using the Flying Feather Sword. He had thick brows, large eyes, and an honest and good-natured appearance.
“I walked an extra fifty kilometers this time to fetch Eldest Sister. How is it? Do you feel like expressing your gratitude, Little Brother?”
Opposite to what her name suggested, Nangong Xiu 1 did not have a delicate countenance. Her glistening eyes and attractive smile gave her an exotic charm, just like a witch or an enchantress in the Pugilistic World.
Her husband, Xu Ruyu 2 , was also far more handsome than the husband of the eldest sister. His skin was like flawless jade, and his powerful aura suggested that his ability was above the third-grade. Fang Yuan could not help taking a few more glances at him.
He was in the fourth-grade, but his foundation was hidden well, and origin power also helped conceal the inner power in his dantian. Thus, outsiders could not notice his progress at all.
Even those close to him, such as Uncle Fu and Nangong Fu, would only lament that all his effort spent on martial arts for the entire month had been a wild-goose chase.
“What’s up? I heard from Third Sister that you’ve recently become interested in martial arts again?” Nangong Xiu embraced Fang Yuan’s shoulders. Such an act was outrageous even in the Pugilistic World.
“I was only slightly intrigued, and my interests have already changed. Now, I want to forge my own Divine Armament…” Fang Yuan touched his nose and looked at his Second Brother-in-law, Xu Ruyu.
Being aware that Fang Yuan was looking at him, Xu Ruyu displayed a feminine smile, making Fang Yuan feel goosebumps all over.
“Forge an armament? That’ll be very tiresome. Will you be able to endure it?” Nangong Fu rolled her eyes, pointing out Fang Yuan’s laziness.
“Haha… I’ve gotta give it a try!” Fang Yuan laughed it off.
“All right. We came back this time primarily for Dad’s birthday. Is he well these days?” Nangong Qing changed the subject.
“He’s very good. Sisters, please come inside!”
Fang Yuan turned sideways and made a gesture to invite them in. His perception of these two couples, however, had changed.
…
Night.
The two daughters visited Nangong Wentian and had a seemingly harmonious family meal together before resting at their respective places.
Fang Yuan sat cross-legged in his small courtyard. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. “These people I met today feel really fishy.”
He sneaked out with that thought. Under the moonlight, he moved speedily but stealthily through the Divine Armament Mountain Villa.
Fang Yuan’s martial arts and concealing ability were sufficient for him to go anywhere in the Divine Armament Mountain Villa except for a few restricted areas like Nangong Wentian’s study and bedroom.
“There’s something wrong with these two couples…”
Moving on roofs and walls, Fang Yuan quickly arrived at Nangong Xiu’s room. He summoned the Qi of the Six Extremes and became as light as a feather, floating slowly onto the rooftop.
He lowered his body to hear every sound inside the room.
“Ruyu, we must do something to celebrate my Dad’s fiftieth birthday! He’ll definitely be happy with that gift…” Nangong Xiu’s voice was heard.
“Hehe… Even if that old man is happy, so what? Can you inherit anything in the Divine Armament Mountain Villa?” Xu Ruyu sneered. “In the end, everything will belong to your brother. Hmm… perhaps Nangong Fu should be counted as well. Why didn’t we realize what she was scheming for? She should’ve been married earlier…”
Fang Yuan was dumbfounded.
The wastrel remembered that his three sisters had always coddled him and treasured him.
Of course, no one knew whether that was purely due to their love for the brother. It might have been faked, and they might have even been pressured by Nangong Wentian.
If the original Nangong Wuwang had heard this, he would have felt so hurt and even confronted them.
But Fang Yuan did not care and continued eavesdropping. It seems that… Nangong Xiu and her husband want to please Nangong Wentian for his fortune. That’s understandable!
He knew how affluent the Divine Armament Mountain Villa was.
Other things aside, the medicinal cuisines he consumed every day and the precious minerals and secret manuals readily available to him were definitely not accessible to an ordinary family in the Pugilistic World.
While Xu Ruyu is a highly skilled and gifted martial artist, he doesn’t have a prominent family background. No wonder he’d have such thoughts… Understandable. Understandable!
Fang Yuan silently nodded his head.
But the door opened and an unexpected person barged in.
“Eldest Sister? You… have been outside all the while? How much of our conversation did you hear?” Nangong Xiu was shocked.
“Not much…” Nangong Qing sounded indifferent. “I just didn’t expect that my adorable Second Sister has become this kind of person…”
“The Chang family is a well-known family in Yuhe Commandery, so you simply don’t understand my pain…” Nangong Xiu was on the verge of tears. She said emotionally, “Moreover… our brother was born not being able to learn martial arts, and if he manages the Divine Armament Mountain Villa, it’ll definitely collapse in the end and become a joke in the Pugilistic World. Why can’t I take over? I’m also helping him this way!”
“Helping him? What a way of helping him!” Nangong Qing sneered and then said solemnly, “As your sister, I’ll give you some advice. You can always take away what belongs to you, but you won’t be able to plunder what’s not yours, including the Divine Armament Mountain Villa!”
“Why? Does the Chang family covet the Divine Armament Mountain Villa as well?” Nangong Xiu became slightly alert.
If her eldest sister joined the fight, her chances would be significantly diminished.
“Covet?” Nangong Qing shook her head. “You can’t undertake that thing in the villa, neither can Third Sister nor me. Only Fourth Brother will have the ability.”
She was the eldest daughter and seemed to know more about the secrets in the family.
“What ‘thing’?” Nangong Xiu was stunned.
“You don’t need to know!” Nangong Qing walked out elegantly. Her husband, ‘Flying Feather Sword’ Chang Kun, had been waiting for some time in the courtyard.
Although this swordsman’s demeanor and skills were inferior to Xu Ruyu’s, he held his sword tightly.
“Let’s go!” Nangong Qing held her husband’s hand and smiled.
The couple walked out hand in hand, strolling through the garden.
” Sigh… When I was young, I often played in this garden with my brother and sisters. Second Sister was an innocent child at that time, and she always liked to fight with Third Sister for fresh desserts from the kitchen, but she would give them to Fourth Brother instead of eating them…” Nangong Qing plucked a peony flower and sighed. “Why has everything changed?”
“Are you going to visit Father-in-law later?” Chang Kun asked earnestly in a resolute voice. “I’ll accompany you!”
“That bastard!!!” Nangong Qing looked agitated. “I’ve come here this time to intercept his scheme, and everything will be fine if he stops on his own. But if… if…”
As she talked, her stubborn and indifferent attitude disappeared and tears started flowing.
Fang Yuan waited until the couple left before walking out of the shadow, looking expressionless. It appears there are many secrets in the Divine Armament Mountain Villa.
Furthermore… the secrets are related to me. Is it because of the rune?
Never mind… If anything bad happens, I can simply leave. How could it be possible that I wouldn’t find a place to live in this vast Pugilistic World?
Since he was using spiritual possession, he could stay optimistic about all of this.
“The light’s still on in the Divine Armament Building, so Nangong Wentian hasn’t gone to sleep yet…”
Fang Yuan was already satisfied with the new intelligence he had collected tonight.
He took another glance at the Divine Armament Building on his way back.
This was the tallest building in the Divine Armament Mountain Villa. The study and the bedroom of the villa lord, Nangong Wentian, were located in this building as well.
At this moment, Fang Yuan heard something and his expression changed. He immediately rolled onto the ground like an agile rat and rushed into the shadows.
Whoosh whoosh!
A light breeze blew gently.
In the darkness, a gray-robed figure floated forward in the air like a ghost. He had broken through numerous lines of defense before approaching the Divine Armament Building.
He did not make a sound with his movement, as if he had fused into the darkness. Other than Fang Yuan, no one else could notice him at all.
His lightness skill is impressive. He’s at least in the upper third-grade, and I’m not sure whether Uncle Fu could defeat him…
Fang Yuan’s eyes gleamed.
“Stop hiding. You’re acting suspicious. Who are you?” The man wearing the gray robe stopped in his vicinity. His face looked young, and a pair of eyebrows dangled from his face, a cinnabar mole between them. His voice, however, was old and rough.
He waited for a while, but seeing that Fang Yuan did not move, he flicked his fingers. Sword Qi emerged and pounced aggressively at the place where Fang Yuan was hiding.
“Sigh…”
Fang Yuan let out a sigh. He summoned the Six Extremes True Qi in his legs and rolled his body into the air to evade the attack. He then stared at this strange intruder.
“Quite skillful, but how many moves can you evade?” the man in gray said mischievously, as if he was a cat tricking a rat. He suddenly crossed his hands.
Whoosh whoosh!
Qi currents flowed in his hands like Taiji. He pushed casually, and two streams of palm strength, Yin in one and Yang in the other, intertwined as they assaulted Fang Yuan.
“Is this the balance between Yin and Yang, the combination of water and fire?” Fang Yuan’s pupils contracted as he retreated continuously. “Expert… This is definitely an expert! His skill is even above the second-grade Nangong Wentian. Who is he exactly?”
There were not many first-grade experts in the Pugilistic World.
Thump!
He protected his chest with both arms. A strong force tore up his clothes and revealed his face.
The man in gray was stunned and stopped attacking. “You’re… Nangong Wuwang! How is this possible! Since the Divine Armament has become self-aware, you’re lucky enough to even be alive, so how can you still practice martial arts?”
He seemed extremely shocked and was petrified as a result.
“Who’s intruding in my villa?”
They were finally noticed by the guards outside, and it seemed that the entire Divine Armament Mountain Villa started moving.
