Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 123 Things Have Changed This Time Last Year
Fang Shu stared blankly at the human head on the ground, and stopped in his tracks.

His reaction immediately attracted the attention of those around him.

The dojo disciple, who had just been fierce and had slaughtered the miners, suddenly became hesitant. Looking at Fang Shu, who had stopped, his face visibly showed panic, and he stammered:
"Immortal Master, do you know this person?"

Fang Shu came to his senses, his eyes flickered slightly, and he sighed inwardly. But when he looked at the young-looking Taoist disciple, he didn't say a word, he just shook his head.

The disciple of the martial arts school was greatly relieved. He quickly bowed to him and, with one hand holding the head on the ground and the other dragging the headless corpse like a dead dog, dragged it to the side of the street and laid it out among the other corpses.

The person who was killed was actually an acquaintance of Fang Shu.

His name was Tian Tianquan, a fellow passenger who had traveled with him on the same boat to seek immortality in this place.

More than a year later, Fang Shu successfully passed the test and was about to go up the mountain to join the sect, while Tian Tianquan was hacked to death on the side of the street like a pig or a dog. To be honest, it still touched Fang Shu's heart.

As for why this person was executed by the disciples of the martial arts school, there is no need to think too much about it. He must have been involved in the riot and was besieging the market with other miners and miners.

The tide has turned, and all those who committed murder and assault are being purged without exception.

Suddenly, Fang Shu wondered to himself, "I wonder what the other two are doing now?"

There were five people who arrived on the same ship that year and knew each other. Including him, there were five people in total.

According to current information, two people have died, leaving only Yin Xiaojian and Daoist Lü alive.

Fang Shu had heard of Yin Xiaojian, but he still didn't know where Master Lü was. He only knew that Master Lü had been tricked by Tian Tianquan.

With these thoughts in mind, the group of examinees quickly returned to the center of the market.

Next came another round of boasting, and the names of the dojos and families from which the eighteen people came were also well-known in Guling Town and were admired by everyone.

Despite having just experienced a riot, the scene was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Where there is joy, there is also sorrow.

For example, in the Burning Tail Pavilion.

When the white dog's severed neck was carried back to the Burning Tail Hall, the entire hall was deathly silent.

The museum owner stood in the courtyard, silently looking at the corpse on the ground.

After a long silence, the man waved his sleeve expressionlessly and said, "Find a place and bury him."

After speaking, he put his hands behind his back and left the front yard.

The disciples in the front courtyard looked at each other and clearly realized that with the death of the white dog, all the respect and care the master had shown him had vanished. He hadn't even given them money to buy a coffin, and had only said "cremate and bury" to the dead.

In addition, Ling Baiquan has always been arrogant in the restaurant, and there was the incident involving the Xiao family father and daughter, so no one present wanted to get involved in such unlucky things.

Only a few disciples coveted the white dog's body and were tempted. However, after weighing the pros and cons, they restrained themselves.

In the midst of making excuses, it was decided that this matter could not be entrusted to a servant, so it was given to an outer disciple of the academy.

Yin Xiaojian mingled in the crowd. He looked up with a bitter expression: "Why is it me again?"

Suddenly.

An angry roar, mixed with the clanking of chains, suddenly rang out in the backyard of the Burning Tail Pavilion.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the front courtyard trembled, especially the inner courtyard disciples.

Their eyes met, scanning the white dog's corpse on the ground, and they thought in surprise:
"Could it be that the rumor is true, and that the monster in the backyard is really related to the white dog? Are they really brothers?"

At this moment.

The owner of the Burning Tail Inn was standing in front of a man covered in white hair and with disheveled hair.

He casually informed the other party of the death of the white dog.

Seeing the white-haired man's anger, the owner of the Burning Tail Pavilion frowned slightly and scolded, "White Wolf, your mind is in turmoil again."

The white-haired man suddenly raised his head, revealing a sharp, wolf-dog-like face that resembled both a human and a demon.

His eyes were a deep green as he stared intently at the owner of the Burning Tail Inn, and he hissed, "The white dog is dead! The white dog is dead!"
"Master, didn't you promise me you'd take good care of him?!"

Upon hearing this, the owner of the Burnt Tail Restaurant snorted coldly:
"He died during the spring imperial examination, in order to go up the mountain to cultivate with you. How could I possibly interfere in this matter?"

After saying that, the owner of the Burning Tail Pavilion said slowly, "If you have any ambition, remember his last wish, cultivate diligently on the mountain, and join the immortal sect to fulfill his last wish."

Upon hearing this, the white-haired man lowered his head again.

After a long while, his voice was calm as he asked, "Master, who killed the white dog?"

These words made the owner of the Burning Tail Pavilion frown slightly again, but he did not respond. After all, he couldn't very well say that he hadn't bothered to find out the murderer or the cause of death, and didn't want to cause any trouble.

The man simply said lightly, "Death is death. Why care so much? It wasn't like I was murdered."

If you're really concerned, you can ask the other people who went up the mountain with you once you're there.

After saying that, the owner of the Burning Tail Pavilion turned around and disappeared, leaving the white-haired man still bound in chains.

After a long time.

The white-haired man raised his head again, his eyes filled with pain and resentment. However, the main object of his resentment did not seem to be the murderer, but someone else.

He was staring intently in the direction where the owner of the Burnt Tail Inn had disappeared, his teeth clenched, revealing a set of sharp teeth, as he growled indistinctly:

"Taking them in but not raising them, raising them but not teaching them...you old fool!"

After a grand celebration, the eighteen successful candidates went their separate ways.

Fang Shu returned to the Dugu Pavilion.

Seeing his second uncle, Yu Le, safe and sound in the restaurant, looking quite pleased with himself, he breathed a sigh of relief.

His second uncle, Yu Le, walked to his side, his mouth dry with excitement and his eyes shining.

Whether the other person couldn't speak or not, they simply patted his shoulder forcefully and said:

"Good good!"

At this moment, in the Dugu Hall, Du Yu'er, Li Hou'er and other disciples of the Daoist Hall, along with their neighbors Dou Sufu and the talisman master Li Yuan, were all standing on both sides of the main hall of the Dugu Hall.

After a moment of excitement, Uncle Yu Le gently pushed Fang Shu forward.

This action seemed to trigger a mechanism; everyone in the hall immediately bowed respectfully to Fang Shu in unison.

"Welcome back to the Immortal Master Fang's residence!"

Their shouts were also perfectly synchronized, as if they had been rehearsed.

The owner of the private residence stood at the end of the crowd. His usually indifferent face was all smiles today, and he even took the initiative to bow to him.

Fang Shuxiu stood tall and straight, looking at the admiring and envious eyes around him in the hall, and for a moment he was also filled with a sense of intoxication.

At this moment, receiving congratulations and homage from the people in the hall seemed to bring him even more joy than when he was strolling through the streets of the market.
After pondering quietly for a couple of breaths, Fang Shu strode forward and walked confidently to the owner of the Du Pavilion, bowing respectfully.
"Your disciple Fang Shu has fortunately fulfilled his mission."

From today onwards.

He has already stepped out of this ancient martial arts school and is about to transcend the mortal world once again, becoming a "legend" among the disciples.

Next.

All sorts of chores came knocking.

After hearing about this year's list of successful candidates for the imperial examinations, the various chambers of commerce and the neighbors of the courtyard houses all wanted to come forward and pay their respects to Fang Shu.

For them, this move, even if it's not about seeking protection, is at least a way to become known to others.

Fang Shu entrusted all these miscellaneous tasks to his second uncle, Yu Le.

He didn't even step out of the gate of the Dugu Pavilion anymore, but just waited for the market to decide how to arrange for the eighteen of them to go up the mountain to cultivate.

Only one thing caught Fang Shu's attention again.

This day.

A commotion, mixed with sobbing, erupted inside the Dugu Pavilion, and it was quite a scene.

In the pharmacy between the front and back yards, a patient lay on a door panel, her face pale, her lips tightly closed, her expression stubborn and blank.

Her relatives and friends knelt to the side, weeping and wailing, their grief overwhelming.

In addition, there was a circle of disciples surrounding the patient on the door panel, whispering among themselves.

One of the men, with an unhappy expression, reprimanded:

"You, surnamed Qin, are already crippled. I'm only willing to marry you as a wife because of our camaraderie."

Even if you disregard your own well-being, you should think of your sister. You're crippled and need medication to recover, and your sister is just an ordinary woman. Are you trying to force her into prostitution?!

Qu Yan spoke these words with a tone that was both righteous and excited:

"If you're worried about the future, I can simply marry your sister as well. Or I can make your sister the principal wife and you the concubine, giving her a proper status and ensuring she'll have a comfortable life..."

At this moment, Qin Min finally opened her tightly closed eyes.

She stared blankly at the sky, her eyes darting around. She glanced at her older sister, Qin Ji, who seemed to be pondering something, as if she had made a decision.

But she didn't respond; instead, she uttered:

"roll!"

Qu Yan heard this but didn't pay any attention.

A smile appeared on his face as he pointed at Qin Min, who was lying on the door panel, glanced at the disciples of the martial arts school to his left and right, and continued to laugh and tease.

As he was laughing, he noticed that the people around him did not respond with laughter; instead, their eyes flickered and they lowered their heads in silence.

Qu Yan was surprised. He turned around, and his laughter stopped abruptly, his expression freezing.

In front of the pharmacy, a person was standing behind the group, coldly scanning them, especially Qu Yan.

The person who came was Fang Shu. He followed the sound and happened to see this scene.

Walk closer.

Fang Shu surveyed the scene, a hint of emotion flickering in his cold gaze.

The tragic scene before him was strikingly similar to what he had seen when he led Qin Min here more than a year ago.

The only difference is that today's patients and their relatives are all different people; the onlookers have become the patients themselves.

(End of this chapter)