Xigou took three steps and looked back each time, and amidst little Ah Hua’s repeated calls, he gritted his teeth and left resolutely, his heart feeling all sorts of discomfort.
"Hey, Fang Zhixing!" Xigou chased after him, calling out urgently.
Fang Zhixing, riding on his horse and without looking sideways, responded, "What’s up?"
Xigou paused briefly, then suggested, "How about we come back to visit them often in the future?"
Fang Zhixing answered indifferently, "If you want to come, come. No one is stopping you."
Hearing this, Xigou inwardly cursed Fang Zhixing for being cold-blooded, not cherishing old affections at all.
Putting oneself in his shoes...
From Fang Zhixing’s perspective, he actually didn’t want to establish a long and close relationship with any woman.
Firstly, it was in his nature.
If he couldn’t even trust a dog, how could he possibly trust a woman?
Secondly, he was an overpowering character.
For such a character, he was gaining strength at the speed of light, while the progress of others was as slow as a turtle.
This led to the fact that no normal person was qualified to accompany the overpowering character for long; they would eventually be left far behind.
Everyone else would only watch the overpowering character soar to the skies while they were stuck in place, helplessly.
The only companion for an overpowering character could be another overpowering character.
Women, for Fang Zhixing, were mostly instruments to satisfy physiological needs.
Fang Zhixing didn’t understand women and didn’t bother to study them.
Only he, Xigou, knew what true love was.
A man and his dog, each with their own thoughts, walked the same path from dawn till dusk.
Along the way, they encountered a group of violent mobs who blocked the road to rob them.
"Threaten a widow with a knife, hijack a ship at sea. On a night black as pitch they kill, on a wind-swept night they set fire."
The mob was quite talented, starting with a catchy ditty.
Then, they were unilaterally slaughtered by Fang Zhixing, cut down as easily as slicing vegetables, all cleanly dispatched.
The scene was somewhat brutal, and Xigou couldn’t bear to watch.
Alas, why provoke him?
Fang Zhixing and Xigou, hurrying slowly, finally reached the city gate of the county.
"Oh, isn’t that Instructor Fang?"
The gatekeeper recognized Fang Zhixing and rushed forward, smiling and bowing obsequiously.
Fang Zhixing, still on his horse, glanced at the city gate.
Years damage, winter fierce, snow violent, wind ravenous.
The simple porridge booth continued to serve porridge, with refugees queuing in the cold wind, all frozen purple, shivering uncontrollably.
Fang Zhixing appeared indifferent and casually asked, "Brother, has anything significant happened this past month?"
The gatekeeper smiled and asked, "Are you asking about inside or outside the city?"
Fang Zhixing replied, "Start with inside the city."
The gatekeeper suddenly became animated and excitedly said, "Inside the city, the biggest event is naturally that Incense Master Xu issued a challenge to you. The betting opened long ago, and I’ve wagered three months’ salary on your victory!"
Xu Dazhi had ultimately issued a public challenge.
Fang Zhixing was not surprised at all.
After all, the grudge of killing a son lay between them, a grievance no one could swallow easily.
Of course, Xu Dazhi’s boldness in issuing the challenge was not an impulsive act; rather, he believed he could win.
"What about outside the city?"
"Cloud Tiger Hall has changed hands!"
The gatekeeper chuckled, "Cloud Tiger Mountain used to be Iron Mountain Sect’s territory, then it was taken by Black Tiger Sect, and now Iron Mountain Sect has taken it back from Black Tiger Sect!"
Fang Zhixing curiously asked, "What about Zhuo Yuqiu, who is the new Hall Master?"
The gatekeeper replied, "It is said that Zhuo Yuqiu committed suicide after his defeat, and the new Hall Master is surnamed Cheng, seems to be called Cheng Tianen!"
Fang Zhixing’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Xigou clicked his tongue, "How come it’s that guy? I always thought he died on that merchant ship too."
Fang Zhixing took a deep breath, no longer hesitated, and immediately spurred his horse into the city.
Qinglin County was as bustling as ever.
Even on the streets at night, one could see the citizens enjoying a rich nightlife.
Fang Zhixing did not stop anywhere and went straight to the Government Office, entering his separate courtyard.
Fang Zhixing pushed open the door and looked around.
Nothing had changed inside the room, including the letter on the table, which appeared to never have been touched.
He first placed his luggage properly, then lit the furnace, and threw the letter into the fire to burn it.
The night quickly passed.
The next morning, the weather was still nice.
Fang Zhixing showed up on time at the drill grounds, instantly causing a stir.
There are no secrets in this world.
These days, the matter of Fang Zhixing slaughtering Xu Xiaodao had already spread widely.
Subsequently, an enraged Xu Dazhi directly turned hostile, vowing to battle Fang Zhixing to the death.
The situation thus became highly chaotic.
Naturally, everyone loved watching the excitement, eagerly anticipating a bloody duel.
Who would have thought...
Fang Zhixing suddenly left without saying goodbye and disappeared, unknown where he had gone.
Thus, rumors abounded for a time: Fang Zhixing had fled without a fight, Fang Zhixing was afraid of Xu Dazhi.
Fang Zhixing suddenly reappeared in everyone’s sight.
He looked even taller and more robust, full of an imposing aura, awe-inspiring.
This made people wonder if he had been hiding away all this month, diligently training.
Training hard for a month, just to prepare for a battle with Xu Dazhi!
His reemergence, does it mean he now had full confidence in winning?
People’s minds were tumultuous, filled with speculative thoughts.
"Greetings Instructor Fang!"
Three hundred archers from the archer army saluted in perfect unison.
Fang Zhixing, expressionless, swept his gaze over everyone, stood with his hands behind his back, and spoke flatly, "How have you all been training during my absence?"
Huang Dashun was the first to answer, "To answer Sir, we have been training diligently, day and night, never daring to slack off even the slightest."