Chapter 105 : We Just Happened to Meet by Chance
Chapter 105: We Just Happened to Meet by Chance
At sunrise, Canglan Immortal Mountain's reinforcements arrived.
After all, this was still within Jinzhou's territory. There were naturally quite a few Canglan Immortal Mountain patrol teams operating outside, and this one had evidently been nearby.
Looking into the distance, Fang Chang saw the clouds suddenly split apart as golden radiance burst forth. More than a dozen figures stood within the light, their Dao robes billowing in the wind like divine soldiers arrayed for battle.
Confident.
Powerful.
After all, they were one of the Twelve Orthodox Sects.
Their grandeur and imposing presence were simply beyond reproach.
However,
once they entered to investigate and personally witnessed the mutations and horrific state of the cultivators within the manor,
that imposing aura weakened considerably.
Fang Chang could clearly sense that the Sixth Realm cultivator leading the group had been stunned.
He obviously realized that this matter was anything but ordinary.
They quickly sealed off Twin Su Manor and relocated all surviving cultivators to the perimeter.
At the same time, they established a temporary inspection station.
Every surviving cultivator was gathered there for treatment, examination, and questioning.
Coincidentally,
the temporary station had been set up in the medicinal garden where Fang Chang had previously stayed.
As for the results of the examinations...
Naturally, there were none.
The cultivation techniques of this era had not yet developed to that level.
Fang Chang's background was legitimate, his mission credentials were legitimate, and his identity was legitimate.
Since they found no problems during the inspection, his questioning was little more than a formality.
In the end, he was merely instructed that "this matter must not be disclosed to outsiders," and that was the end of it.
He was then classified as one of the injured and arranged to board a Flying Boat back to Canglan Immortal Mountain.
This was one of the benefits of belonging to a sect.
The unconscious Lü Shu was a disciple of the Supreme Unity Talisman Palace, so Canglan Immortal Mountain would personally contact her sect to retrieve her.
However, Song Zitan and her female companion were cultivators of the minor Enchantress Path, so they could only contact their own people.
Providing immediate treatment and examination was already one of the privileges afforded by the Orthodox Path.
But if no one could be contacted?
Then there was nothing to be done.
They would simply have to find their own way home.
"Why didn't you teach them?"
Aboard the Flying Boat,
Fang Chang was idly admiring the sea of clouds when Zhao Yuntong's voice suddenly transmitted into his mind.
"Teach them what?"
"Those techniques—the Pupil-Peering Technique, the Essence-Sniffing Art, the Bone Sound Scripture. Didn't you say they could all detect the existence of Demonic Seeds? At the very least, you could have taught them how to use the Purification Altar Talisman."
"Why would I teach them? I'm not teaching them."
"I'd say it's because there weren't any pretty girls among the reinforcements. Even the leader was a short, stocky man. That's why you refused to teach them... If they'd been women—beautiful women—you'd have been wagging your tail and running over to them."
Zhao Yuntong's voice remained as mocking as ever.
Fang Chang merely smiled and ignored her.
Of course he could teach them.
It just wasn't the right time yet.
During the early stages of discovering the Demonic Seeds, the Twelve Orthodox Sects devoted the greatest effort to researching them. Many cultivation techniques were unexpectedly developed during this period.
There were also quite a few chance encounters and hidden opportunities tied to this stage.
Those techniques would become extremely useful in the middle and later stages.
They would continue to play important roles throughout future versions.
In fact,
they would even contribute during the final apocalyptic catastrophe of the last version.
He, Fang Chang, might act recklessly,
but he could not act recklessly without restraint.
For now, it was enough to wait a little longer...
Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Chang noticed Cheng Hua quietly taking a seat beside him.
"Here."
She handed him a storage pouch. As she turned slightly sideways, the plain white sash around her waist tightened, making the graceful curve that narrowed upward from her hips appear even more slender and ethereal.
"The skeletons."
Her whisper was so soft it was almost inaudible.
Her head remained turned to the side. Her snow-white, graceful neck stretched from behind her ear all the way to her collarbone, glowing faintly beneath the morning sun.
Fang Chang gave her a brief look.
Then he accepted the storage pouch and examined its contents.
Inside were precisely the two twin skeletons belonging to the Twin Souls.
Not a single piece was missing.
Corpse refinement did not require an intact corpse.
A sufficiently skilled Corpse Refinement Path cultivator could use the bones of an ancient expert to regrow flesh and blood before refining them into a Yin Corpse.
It merely required some time.
Fortunately, time was exactly what Fang Chang did not lack.
The final version of the apocalyptic catastrophe was still a very long way off.
"Are they complete?"
Cheng Hua asked again.
"You're unbelievably reliable, Fellow Daoist Cheng. Not a single piece is missing. They're even more complete than they were when they were alive."
Fang Chang smiled.
"Nonsense."
The corners of Cheng Hua's lips curved upward by perhaps a few millimeters.
She rose to return to her seat, only then noticing that the junior brothers and sisters aboard the Flying Boat had all turned to look at them.
They watched the two of them curiously.
Aside from Cheng Hua and Yue Han, who had both been injured, the remaining Canglan Immortal Mountain disciples had merely been frightened, so they too were returning aboard the Flying Boat.
Cheng Hua had long grown accustomed to scenes like this.
She had always been used to being the center of attention.
Without hurrying or slowing her pace, she walked through everyone's line of sight before returning to Yue Han, who was piloting the Flying Boat.
Yue Han quietly whispered something to her. At the end, she turned her head, seemingly glancing toward Fang Chang.
Though with the upper half of the socially withdrawn fairy's face hidden behind the curtain, who knew who she was actually looking at?
The gathered disciples all watched Cheng Hua leave.
Then they unanimously turned to look at Fang Chang again.
Chatter immediately broke out among them.
The male disciples now regarded him with a measure of scrutiny.
The female disciples, meanwhile, grew visibly excited, repeatedly sneaking glances at Fang Chang's face.
When Fang Chang noticed and smiled at them,
their laughter immediately became even more animated as they hurriedly looked away, unable to hide their embarrassment.
Not long afterward,
a fairly handsome disciple approached with a stiff smile.
"My name is Wang Teng. I'm a disciple of Outer Sect Elder Perfected Yun Hua. May I ask who you are, Junior Brother?"
"Fang Chang."
"Junior Brother Fang looks unfamiliar. Have you only recently joined the sect?"
"Less than half a year ago."
"So that's how it is. No wonder Junior Brother Fang has such an extraordinary bearing... May I ask which elder you study under?"
Fang Chang smiled.
"I'm an outer sect disciple. I have no master."
Within Canglan Immortal Mountain, the positions of inner sect disciples were highly fluid.
Whether or not one had a master was the distinction between the inner and outer sects.
There was certainly no such thing as earning promotion from the outer sect to the inner sect through competitions.
Though such competitions could indeed attract the attention of elders interested in accepting disciples.
The moment Wang Teng and the other disciples heard that Fang Chang had no master,
their interest visibly faded.
Wang Teng's smile relaxed considerably.
"Which of the Five Elements do you cultivate, Junior Brother Fang? I've been in the sect somewhat longer, so perhaps I could offer you a pointer or two."
Just then, a rather plump disciple behind him chuckled.
"Junior Brother Fang, you seem to know Senior Sister Cheng? What's your relationship? Forgive my curiosity... It's just that I've rarely seen Senior Sister Cheng act so familiar with anyone."
Well asked, Junior Brother Liu!
Wang Teng secretly praised him.
His expression remained calm, but his ears had already perked up.
The others likewise held their breath.
"Senior Sister Cheng?"
Fang Chang smiled.
"We're on fairly good terms, I suppose. We just happened to meet by chance."
"Oh——"
Everyone drew out the word in unison, revealing expressions of sudden realization.
Yet the disbelief written all over their faces could not have been more obvious.
"Really? I don't believe it."
Someone muttered quietly, their tone full of suspicion.
But Fang Chang merely smiled and shook his head, showing no intention of responding.
Wang Teng did not join in the teasing.
Watching Fang Chang maintain such an air of mystery only made him feel increasingly uncomfortable.
Cheng Hua had never been close to anyone. Even several senior brothers from the Cui Family had received nothing but cold indifference despite trying to court her favor.
She had always treated everyone with the same distant attitude. Not to mention men—even with women, she almost never behaved as intimately as whispering into someone's ear.
How could they possibly have "just happened to meet by chance"?
Wang Teng silently repeated Fang Chang's name several times in his heart.
Seeing Fang Chang's indifferent attitude,
he quietly let out a sigh.