Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 194 Returning the Severed Hibernation (5.3 thousand words)

Your family.

Outside the elegant pavilion where Fang Shu had been waiting, Er Daiyuan stood silently with her head down, guarding the door without leaving for a moment.

An hour or two later, as the sun began to set, a soft sigh finally came from the private room:

"You little rascal, come in."

Upon hearing this, Er Daiyuan let out a slight sigh of relief, immediately opened the pavilion door, quickly stepped inside, and bowed deeply to the middle-aged beauty inside.

"Dai Yuan pays respects to her aunt."

The middle-aged woman sat cross-legged on the couch, looking at her helplessly, and said, "Why are you doing this? That child, Dai Yang, broke the rules in a fit of anger, and I have already punished her."

Why are you still blocking my doorway?

Er Daiyuan raised her head and said, "Please, Aunt, retract your order and do not interfere with Fellow Daoist Fang's competition for the inner sect."

These words, when they reached the ears of the middle-aged woman, caused her smiling expression to change instantly.

She said coldly, "Don't pin such a crime on me. This is my Er family's shop. We haven't stopped supplying goods to that Fang family or completely cut off all ties. It's just that Dai Yang was being willful and gave the order not to allow our family's shops to give that person any discounts."

How is this hindering him?

The middle-aged beauty sneered: "Does he have to give away all the provisions of our clan's noble ladies for free before it's considered an obstacle?"

Originally, this was based on the agreement between Fang Shu and Er's family regarding the immortal seed.

Fang Shu not only has access to the Er family's library every month, but he also enjoys a 30% discount on all purchases of spiritual materials, exchange for spirit stones, and rent of quiet rooms in the Er family's shops and stores.

Therefore, after taking control of the Gu pit, taking advantage of familiarity and preferential treatment, Fang Shu's stewards and servants frequently purchased Gu materials from Er's shop, and even signed long-term supply contracts.

However, ever since Fang Shu disliked the Nardai sheep and ignored their needs, the Er family unilaterally tore up the contract and demanded that all future payments be settled according to the original price in the shop.

This action threw Fang Shu's two Gu pits into considerable chaos. Fang Shu didn't hide anything and directly informed Er Daiyuan of the matter.

Therefore, when Er Daiyuan learned of this, she immediately came to inquire with the head of the Er family.

However, she had failed to find him twice before. It wasn't until today, when she was certain that he was in the room and came to block the door, that she was finally able to see him.

“Aunt, that’s not how it’s said.”

Er Daiyuan's expression changed, and she gritted her teeth and said, "If Aunt is deliberately taking her anger out on Fellow Daoist Fang because of what happened with Daiyang last time, please punish me."

These words caused the middle-aged woman's expression to turn even colder; her eyebrows furrowed, and she rebuked her:

"You lowly servant, how dare you bring this up! Not only did you waste your body on him, but now you're even speaking up for him."

She stood up abruptly, looking down at Erdaiyuan with a condescending air, and sneered:
"How can someone who just got lucky and gained the favor of the Gu Hall Master be compared to that kid from the Pei family?"

Erdaiyuan stopped bowing, stood up straight, and retorted sharply:

“Aunt, the agreement between our clan and Fellow Daoist Fang is a pact of immortality. This is a rule set by our ancestors, and you have no right to cancel it at will!”

"Cancel it? When did I say I was going to cancel the immortal seed contract with that guy? It's just that the shop is having some cash flow problems and the library has been under renovation recently. It will naturally reopen to that kid after a while."

The middle-aged woman spoke.

She noticed the anger on Erdaiyuan's face, narrowed her eyes, and suddenly changed the subject, speaking in a gentler voice:
“Dai Yuan, do you know that Pei family boy’s ancestors were once Foundation Establishment Immortals in this temple? Now he has returned to this temple, and he has a medium-level spiritual root. His chances of achieving Foundation Establishment in the future are not small at all.”

"If this young man's family hadn't fallen on hard times, how could my family have ever been able to curry favor with him? Now, your Fang family's immortal offspring disregard the Pei family's needs for cultivation techniques, and won't even meet Dai Yang. You truly show far too little respect for our clan."

The middle-aged beauty sighed softly:

"If it were that kid surnamed Fang, it would be fine if he showed some self-respect. But who told him to just sit back and enjoy the benefits of his Gu pit for the past six months without ever thinking about earning more Dao merits? Apart from visiting relatives once, he hasn't even gone down the mountain again. Why should you protect someone who doesn't even dare to go down the mountain?"

Now that Dai Yang has taken the initiative to make his stance clear in order to appease the Pei family, if we were to back out now, we would offend the Pei family.

Erdaiyuan wanted to say something, but suddenly, a spell landed on her, making her qi stagnate and making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Things have come to this, you may leave."

The middle-aged beauty flicked her sleeves, and maids emerged from her ranks, approaching Er Daiyuan and separating the two.

Er Daiyuan's expression shifted. She gave the middle-aged beauty a deep look before turning away.

Just as she was about to step out of the pavilion, the beautiful woman's light, airy voice came from inside again:
"Our ancestor is currently in seclusion and strictly forbids outsiders from disturbing him. You should not go there, lest you waste your time and violate the clan rules, which would mean I would confine you to your quarters again."

Erdaiyuan paused, then staggered as she walked out of the pavilion.

………………

Not long after.

In the Yang-character Gu pit, Fang Shu sat cross-legged in front of a tea table, with a chessboard in front of him. The chess pieces were all made by him using Yin-Yang Gu worms of the fifth calamity.

He tapped the chessboard and said calmly, "It seems this is the attitude of the nobility."

Erdaiyuan knelt in front of the chessboard, hesitant to make a move, clearly not focused on the game.

With a look of shame on her face, she immediately stood up: "Daiyuan is useless and has failed Brother Fang's expectations."

Fang Shu smiled and said slowly to Er Daiyuan:

"Why do you say such things, fellow Daoist? It is enough that you have spoken up for me. I can still distinguish between your family and you."

Then, seeing that the woman's face still showed signs of shame, he pointed to the surrounding Gu pits and joked:
"It's just a slight discount. Fellow Daoist, you must have forgotten that this place only belongs to me in name, but in reality it belongs to Master Long. No matter how expensive the spiritual materials in the temple are, the money and food expenses are all allocated through the Gu Hall. If it's too little, we can just ask for more."

Fang Shu spread his hands: "Anyway, it's not my money, and I've never taken any kickbacks in this regard. It won't displease Master Long or expose any unclean practices."

Upon hearing this, Er Daiyuan couldn't help but ask, "Really?"

"really!"

Er Daiyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She had already inquired at Er's house and learned that Er's reason for starting with the discount on spiritual materials and hindering the operation of the Gu pit were only secondary.

What's even more disgusting about that slut is that she took kickbacks from your family's business dealings, thinking that Fang Shu was acting selfishly at the expense of the public good.

Now that the Er family has lost its cheap channel, Fang Shu must find another way to keep the Gu Pit running.

This would likely require spending money to purchase supplies or reducing the resources in the Gu pit, easily exposing the act of accepting kickbacks and displeasing the Gu Hall Master.

Now that Fang Shu has openly stated that there are no kickbacks, she can finally relax.

Er Daiyuan hesitated, unsure whether she should tell Fang Shu about that bitch's scheme.

She was worried that Fang Shu might not understand and might make a mistake that would give others leverage against him later, but she was also worried that saying these words would further alienate Fang Shu from the Er family.

But the next moment, she realized that Fang Shu knew everything, and her worries were meaningless.

"I invited you here today because I would like to trouble you with another matter."

Fang Shu then took out a token from his sleeve, granting him access to Ergu and the library, and handed it to Er Daiyuan:
"Please return this Immortal Seed Token to the nobleman for me."

From this day forward, a bond of kinship will remain between me and the noble family, but the so-called Immortal Seed Contract ends here and is considered closed.

“This…” Erdaiyuan’s expression changed.

She said urgently, "It's just that someone in your family is blind. Why did you have to go to such lengths, Brother Fang? Please wait for me to return for a few more days... At least, wait until I have made your stance clear to the clan before you make a decision."

But in response, Fang Shu calmly shook his head.

Seeing this, Er Daiyuan looked dejected, immediately realizing that there was no way to salvage the situation.

A few days ago, it wasn't just that Fang Shu asked her to go and inquire about this matter; it was also that Fang Shu gave the Er family an opportunity.

Now that the Er family's attitude is clear—they would rather offend Fang Shu than retract their so-called order—Fang Shu can naturally also adopt a clear attitude.

With mixed feelings, Er Daiyuan looked at Fang Shu, still trying to organize her thoughts and persuade him from various perspectives.

But suddenly, Fang Shu unexpectedly asked her:

"Fellow Daoist, have you ever considered leaving your family and supporting yourself in the temple?"

Er Daiyuan's expression froze.

She subconsciously glanced around, examining the Gu pit in Fang Shu's hand. Her expression shifted, and envy inevitably surfaced.

After a few moments of silence, she sighed softly: "Brother Fang is joking. My aptitude is ordinary, and my luck is also average. If I were to leave my clan, I would never have the chance to establish my foundation again in this life, not even the possibility of trying."

Although there have been many unsavory things in the clan, they are, after all, the ones who gave me birth and raised me…

Faced with the woman's answer, Fang Shu didn't say much. Instead, he sipped his tea and nodded, saying:

"That's true, it's good to take shelter under a big tree."

Immediately, Fang Shu changed the subject and started chatting with Er Daiyuan about other things.

As night fell, he repeatedly hinted to Erdaiyuan that she should stay overnight in the Gu pit and leave the next day.

Erdaiyuan's face flushed slightly.

She naturally understood the hidden meaning behind Fang Shu's suggestion. She bit her lip slightly, shyly agreeing, while a certain worry in her heart instantly vanished.

It seems that although this Fellow Daoist Fang has developed a grudge against her family, the Er family, and wants to take this opportunity to end the Immortal Seed Contract, the relationship between him and her remains the same as before, without any estrangement.

Perhaps because she felt guilty, Er Daiyuan tried her best to satisfy Fang Shu's every whim.

The next day, at daybreak.

Fang Shu had no more excuses to keep her. Er Daiyuan, her face flushed, practically fled from the Gu Pit Quiet Room and quickly left the place.

After the woman left, Fang Shu lay in the room filled with a lingering, strange fragrance, not savoring the moment for long.

He immediately got up, dressed neatly, and stepped into the adjacent Gu-refining meditation room to begin studying Gu techniques.

the other side.

Er Daiyuan returned to Ergu and sought an audience with the head of the Er family again, but to no avail.

Therefore, she could only entrust Fang Shu's Immortal Seed Token to the head of the family's personal maid, asking her to pass it on and convey Fang Shu's attitude.

Not long after Er Daiyuan left, a clanging sound rang out in the elegant room.

The middle-aged beauty was right inside the pavilion. She only glanced at the Immortal Seed Token presented by the maid, and she understood exactly what Fang Shu meant.

A cold snort escaped her lips:
"What an ingrate! You only got a little scolding and you're already quitting. You've enjoyed the benefits of my family for ten years, do you think you can just walk away so easily and end it all so easily?!"

The middle-aged woman sternly ordered the woman beside her, "Bring me that Fang fellow's immortal seed contract. I want him to know that my Er family is not a place where just anyone can come and go."

The woman next to him was Erdaiyang.

The woman had been standing in the pavilion with an air of anticipation, but upon hearing her mother's instructions, a look of hesitation appeared on her face.

The middle-aged woman snapped unhappily, "Hurry up and go!"

"Yes, mother."

Erdaiyang could only suppress his hesitation and quickly agreed, then retrieved the deed that had been kept in Er's house and presented it to the middle-aged beauty.

The middle-aged woman's anger intensified after seeing this, her voice filled with resentment:
"How come only this much was signed back then, without a single unnecessary clause?"

"Reporting to Mother, I tried my best to persuade him back then, but that man surnamed Fang just wouldn't agree, and Erdaiyuan was also there to back him up," Erdaiyang explained, forcing herself to speak. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she whispered:
"Perhaps this guy had the idea of ​​breaking the contract back then, which is why he refused to sign any more clauses."

The contract in front of the two contained only one clause: that Fang Shu hoped to preserve his bloodline in the Er family after he established his foundation. There were no other binding conditions.

Even this rule only applies if both parties are on good terms.

Your family's unilateral withholding of our treatment and failure to respond constitutes a breach of contract.

Logically speaking, Fang Shu doesn't even need to return the Immortal Seed Token, and can therefore disregard your family's Immortal Seed Contract. If any future disputes arise, your family will be entirely in the wrong.

Having realized this, Erdaiyang felt uneasy, vaguely sensing that he had done something wrong.

But then she thought of her beloved Pei Lang, and her mood improved again.

The woman thought to herself, "Even if a fairy seed escaped, it was Er Daiyuan who escaped. What does it have to do with me?"

Besides, how could that fellow surnamed Fang compare to my young master Pei?

The middle-aged woman standing to the side grew angrier the more she thought about it.

This was the first time the woman had been contradicted like this. Even when Erdaiyuan lost her virginity last time, Erdaiyuan only dared to kneel and accept the punishment when the woman scolded her.

But Fang Shu is not a member of the Er family, and now she doesn't even want to be a Celestial Seed anymore, so all the control methods she usually uses are useless.

"hateful!"

This left the middle-aged beauty with no choice but to curse out loud, "They're all worthless trash, even dragging our clan down with them!"

Seeing her mother's fury, Erdaiyang quickly stepped forward to help massage her shoulders and acupoints, speaking softly:
"Mother, don't worry, he's just an ungrateful wretch. Isn't there still Pei Langxianzi? He's different from this person; he's a man of great loyalty and righteousness."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman's anger subsided considerably. She looked at her daughter intently and slowly nodded.

When Erdaiyang saw this, her face lit up with a smile, thinking that it was because her son Pei Lang had done a good job that her mother's anger had subsided.

But unbeknownst to her, the middle-aged beauty was secretly thinking:

"Back then, when Yang'er's body was lost prematurely, that Pei family member was actually willing to accept Yang'er. He even ignored my suggestion to change her as a Daoist partner."

It seems that this young man from the Pei family is indeed a loyal and honest person.

………………

After the disturbance from Erjia, Fang Shu was no longer bothered by others. He only occasionally heard from others that the competition among the inner disciples of the temple was becoming increasingly fierce.

For example, even the gambling hall inside the temple has put up signs to include all outer disciples with Taoist cultivation levels exceeding one hundred, allowing them to place bets.

The gambling hall has a variety of games. In addition to betting on whether someone can enter the inner circle, there are even games for betting on the corresponding rankings. Different odds are set for different candidates and different names.

As for Fang Shu's name, although it was not ignored, it was only placed at the very bottom of the list, barely making it into the top ranks.

Because of the gambling den's facade, the amount of Taoist merit earned by each of the powerful candidates was immediately revealed to everyone, making it impossible to conceal.

It should be noted that although the gambling hall is not one of the eighteen halls, it is backed by a Foundation Establishment Immortal who is addicted to gambling.

He established connections with the local shrine, causing the number of Taoist merits on the fake artifacts to change constantly, with the corresponding names appearing and disappearing in turn, which was quite intriguing.

Not only the disciples who placed bets on this matter, but also those on the list of candidates became restless and agitated.

Those who are temporarily lagging behind and outside the top nine are the most severely affected.

Therefore, with three months left before the competition ended, those dangerous and long-neglected jobs in the outhouse began to be taken on.

In just one month, some disciples jumped from outside the top nine, even to the bottom, and directly into the top nine, causing a great deal of discussion and excitement within the temple.

Some disciples' names suddenly disappeared from the signboard, but not because they were pushed off. It was because the person had died outside, and the immortal sect had confirmed their death.

In such an atmosphere, the competition among inner disciples became increasingly fierce.

Even Fang Shu felt a little restless because of the messages from his friends.

So he simply secluded himself in the Gu pit, temporarily cutting off all contact with the outside world and no longer paying attention to the selection of other disciples.

This behavior was observed by others.

Some people thought he had given up on himself and felt ashamed of himself, while others thought he was still quite composed and unaffected by trivial matters. Still others secretly speculated whether Fang Shu was secretly preparing for something big.

After all, the competition for inner disciples is most intense in the last month of the year, to the point where it changes every day.

Some might even deliberately hoard their accumulated Dao power, preferring not to put it into use, but rather wait until the last few days to exchange it for Dao power in large quantities, stunning everyone and catching their competitors off guard.

Of course, such people are quite rare, appearing only once every few years. Many people will suffer the consequences of their own actions, finding that they can no longer exchange for Daoist cultivation points.

Most disciples, however, would immediately spend the Dao merit they earned, turning it into a foundation to facilitate earning even more Dao merit in the future. In any case, what the Hall of Revenue measures is the total amount earned by everyone in a year, not the remaining amount in their hands.

Inside the temple of the five internal organs, people's hearts are divided, and there is a great deal of restlessness.

This day.

After nearly a month of seclusion, Fang Shu finally emerged from the quiet room of the Gu Pit.

At this moment, his face was filled with an irrepressible look of anticipation and excitement.

(End of this chapter)