Chapter 86: Changing Generals On Stage Before Battle
Fang Shu remembered the Dojo Master’s instructions: he was only there to assist in the fight. That was important to outsiders, not to them.
He hid in his room to recover from his injuries. Within a day or two, he had fully healed from his minor wounds but didn’t rush to go out.
Instead, he used the pressure from sparring with Qin Min to thoroughly temper his tendons and bones, until all the remaining Purple Lead Mica Milk in his hands was refined into his body.
Only then did he get the urge to go out and stretch his muscles.
And at this moment, in his Dao Talisman, a line of text had clearly changed to:
【Realm: Second Tribulation Refining Essence Human Immortal（ Fifty percent and one tenth）】
After consuming both bags of Purple Lead Mica Milk, Fang Shu had, in a short period, completed more than half of the Second Tribulation cultivation process in one go!
This efficiency, compared to the first time he obtained Purple Lead Mica Milk, seemed to have dropped significantly.
But in reality, this was an extremely normal situation.
After all, the further one progressed in cultivation, the slower the speed of advancement, and the greater the consumption. Especially during the process of taking medicine, Fang Shu placed great importance on his foundation; he would rather waste medicinal power than let his own Qi and Blood foundation appear shallow.
In addition, besides taking it himself, he also allocated a considerable amount of Precious Medicine to feed his Long Tongue Sword and Gu Worms, and occasionally refined new Gu Worms.
That two bags of Purple Lead Mica Milk could help him progress more than halfway through his cultivation was already a great surprise to him, making him feel that his “superior superior” Spiritual Root was not in vain.
If he still had his original average Spiritual Root, the gains would have been even less, and achieving thirty to forty percent would have been considered good.
In the room.
Fang Shu slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and his condition excellent.
He no longer thought about it and immediately took the Du Gu Guan Daoist Robe from the hanger. Without putting on an outer robe, he crisply walked out of the room and headed towards the Inner Courtyard Assembly Hall.
Today was the last day he had asked someone to inform Seven Fragrance Tower about his appearance to assist in the fight.
As a result, Fang Shu did not find the Dojo Master in the Assembly Hall. After briefly explaining things to Senior Sister Du Yu Er, he discreetly left the Dojo and headed straight for Seven Fragrance Tower.
Along the way, he felt no fear about the upcoming fight; only anticipation and excitement filled his heart.
The matter of assisting in a fight was completely different from sparring with the Dojo Disciples; it allowed and, in fact, required the use of magic!
If one’s skill was too poor, it was possible to be crippled or even useless on the spot while assisting in a fight.
Fortunately, assisting in a fight was ultimately under the guise of “sparring.” Even if blood was drawn, situations where someone was directly crippled were extremely rare, and fatalities were even rarer. This was fundamentally different from life-and-death combat.
This was also the primary reason why the various Dojos in the town allowed the practice of assisting in fights.
This practice allowed disciples to fight and compete within a certain scope of rules, fostering a fierce spirit, rather than becoming “young masters and ladies” who only knew how to cultivate and spar but not how to kill.
Not long after Fang Shu left.
The Dojo Master also learned that he had gone to the Seven Fragrance Tower to fulfill the appointment for the fight.
The old woman pondered for a moment and immediately instructed Du Yu Er to call Qin Min out of her room.
Qin Min had also been in arduous cultivation during this period. Her Qi and Blood aura was even more vigorous, closer to the Third Tribulation than before.
Her minor injuries had long since healed completely.
“Greetings, Master.” Qin Min saluted and then looked up at the Dojo Master in confusion.
The Dojo Master got straight to the point and ordered:
“Fang Shu has already rushed to Seven Fragrance Tower to assist in the fight. Since it is merely a matter concerning Second Tribulation Immortals, it would be overkill for me to personally intervene. You will lead the disciples who are currently free in the hall to observe and gain some experience.”
Qin Min was immediately stunned: “I’ll lead?”
Her eyes widened in surprise, and a look of resistance appeared. She didn’t respond but looked at Du Yu Er beside her.
Before she could speak, the Dojo Master sternly rebuked:
“Qin Min, I don’t know what kind of friction has occurred between you two, but you must know that you and Fang Shu are fellow disciples. As long as there is no enmity that obstructs your Dao or a blood relation, you are not adversaries.
Brothers may quarrel within their own walls, but they unite against external threats. Today, he is representing this dojo by accepting an invitation to fight; how can he not have fellow disciples accompanying him!”
Upon hearing this, Qin Min’s expression slightly stiffened, but she remained unconvinced in her heart.
It wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to make amends with that surnamed Fang. The first time Senior Sister Fang Lu came, and again during the last small gathering’s invitation, she had swallowed her pride and made overtures twice.
On the other hand, that surnamed Fang was petty and narrow-minded, holding a grudge over a minor matter before entering the Dao and refusing to be close to her. He was truly too self-confident.
However, no matter how much she grumbled in her heart, Qin Min did not dare to mouth a “no.”
She lowered her head to face the Dojo Master and accepted the task: “This disciple understands.”
Seeing that Qin Min’s face remained impassive, the Dojo Master did not know if she had truly taken her words to heart. However, since the girl had complied, she said nothing more, only adding one final instruction:
“Even if you enter an Immortal Sect in the future, you will still have a connection with each other.”
With that, the Dojo Master picked up her tea and ushered Qin Min out, urging her to hurry so as not to be late.
As Qin Min was leaving, the Dojo Master looked at her granddaughter beside her. After some thought, she decided to have Du Yu Er follow along as a safeguard.
This was to prevent any unforeseen accidents during the fight, as Qin Min’s lack of experience and her lingering resentment might lead her to make a serious mistake.
…………………………
At the same time.
Fang Shu arrived at Seven Fragrance Tower.
This building was the main structure of the Seven Fragrance Tower’s enterprise. It stood seven stories tall, appearing opulent and magnificent. While its footprint wasn’t excessively large, it was certainly not small; it was indeed a renowned and substantial establishment.
The building today was not cleared of guests; instead, it was bustling with activity. It seemed many patrons had come specifically for the enjoyment of food and tea, drawn by the prospect of witnessing the fight.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of eyes were already scattered throughout the building, all fixed on a seven-tiered structure within Seven Fragrance Tower that resembled a rock garden.
The structure was simple, mainly consisting of thick pillars of varying heights, somewhat like the posts used by lion dancers’ “lion legs” to tread on, and a high platform from which the competing incense balls were hung.
This was where the fight would take place. Whoever landed first would lose.
Fang Shu arrived alone. He observed the lively scene in the building and merely found the gazes of many people to be somewhat irritating, not paying much attention to the surroundings.
Fighting in public was, after all, a good opportunity for disciples of various dojos to glorify their lineage and display their magical prowess.
While Fang Shu paid no mind to the scene, many people in the building were taking notice of his arrival.
“Someone wearing a Du Gu Guan Daoist Robe has arrived!”
“Wait, why is it a man? Didn’t they say the most skilled person in Du Gu Guan was a woman?”
Someone scrutinized Fang Shu and immediately exclaimed, “This person is not that Qin Min. Du Gu Guan has replaced their fighter!”
A wave of clamor immediately erupted within the building.
Especially the family of the Seven Fragrance Tower Master, who had been waiting by the high platform for the fight, their expressions changed drastically when they saw Fang Shu enter.
The daughters of the Seven Fragrance Tower Master began to whisper among themselves:
“How can Du Gu Guan do this? Not only did they make us wait for so long, but they also swapped their fighter!”
“Mother, I remember we were looking for that sister Qin Min, not a man!”
“Hmph! If we had known this would happen, we should have gone to another dojo. At the very least, we could have hired an Immortal Cultivator from the marketplace.”
Even the Seven Fragrance Tower Master herself looked somewhat embarrassed, especially since she recognized Fang Shu.
Although Fang Shu didn’t look bad, and had successfully passed through the Scorpion Basin Tribulation, in the Seven Fragrance Tower Master’s opinion, he was still inferior to Qin Min, who possessed a Spiritual Root.
However, the Seven Fragrance Tower Master did not utter any unpleasant words. Instead, she shot a stern look at her gossiping daughters and then, with a polite smile, approached Fang Shu, subtly inquiring:
“Fellow Daoist, how many people has your esteemed dojo sent today? Should we wait any longer?”
Amidst the noisy crowd, Fang Shu, though he hadn’t heard the family’s discussion, had noticed their questioning glances.
Not bothering to explain, Fang Shu directly stated:
“Just one. I’ve come to assist.”
At this, a hint of disappointment clearly flickered in the Seven Fragrance Tower Master’s eyes. However, her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she smiled sweetly and let out a breath, saying:
“Then we’ll trouble you, Daoist. This tower and your esteemed dojo have always been on good terms. The fifty thousand Talisman Money required for assisting in the fight has already been prepared! You can take it whenever you wish.”
Fang Shu nodded and glanced over, seeing the Talisman Money piled up like a small mountain beside them.
The Seven Fragrance Tower Master had apparently deliberately exchanged all the money for individual Talisman Money pieces, rather than using Black Tickets, in an effort to be more enticing.
The other party also thoughtfully invited Fang Shu: “Daoist, please come this way and rest for a moment. I will have someone called from upstairs.”
Immediately, the Seven Fragrance Tower Master briskly led her people upstairs, leaving only her daughters to attend to Fang Shu around the high platform.
Among them, Xiang Xing Wu also recognized Fang Shu. Her sisters, through the odd expression on her face, also recognized Fang Shu.
In an instant, worry and doubt clouded the faces of the Seven Fragrance Tower Master’s children.
They dared not speak directly to Fang Shu but whispered among themselves:
“What should we do? That person challenging the venue isn’t young, but they’re definitely over twenty and have a fierce look, not someone who’s only cultivated for a year or two.”
Their words clearly showed doubt about whether Fang Shu could handle it, hoping to get Qin Min back.
To their utter disappointment, a short while later, Qin Min, leading a group of Du Gu Guan outer and inner courtyard disciples, entered Seven Fragrance Tower.
But before they could speak, Qin Min and the Du Gu Guan disciples took their seats in the spectator area, adopting a posture of support. Qin Min herself closed her eyes and appeared to be resting.
Not only were the people of Seven Fragrance Tower disappointed, but a group of tough-looking individuals emerged from the building and stood before the high platform.
The leader seemed to be the one scheduled to fight, but after sizing up Fang Shu and then looking at Qin Min in the spectator seats, he frowned and did not step forward himself.
He gave an instruction to the crowd behind him.
Immediately, a man who looked similar to him but appeared younger stepped out from behind him and, with a light leap, stood atop the high platform, looking down at the crowd.
Fang Shu, meanwhile, kept his gaze lowered, calmly mobilizing the Qi and Blood within his body.
He was not blind and had already taken in all the questioning, dismissive, and contemptuous glances in the arena. He understood that his reputation was not well-known, and hardly anyone paid him any heed.
To this, Fang Shu’s expression remained calm. He continued to sit leisurely in his armchair, deliberately keeping the challenger waiting, as if his rear end was rooted to the spot.
