Chapter 502: Fang Thirteen Surrenders? Seeing the Land of Spirit Raising Again!

Chapter 502: Fang Shisan Turns Himself In? A Second Glimpse of the Spirit-Nurturing Land!

A mere three hundred taels—this left Qi Yuan deeply disappointed.

Still, it was to be expected.

These men had been out robbing on the roads; naturally, they wouldn’t carry much money on them.

“Young master, should we… go demand compensation?” Chen Kangbao suggested from the side. “And while we’re at it… we could even crash a feast.”

Qi Yuan glanced at Chen Kangbao. “I’m starting to wonder if you’re my spirit infant.”

Back in the Mortal Heart Realm, he had often led the villagers to crash feasts.

But ever since leaving the Mortal Heart Realm, Qi Yuan had rarely heard the words “crash a feast.”

“My strength is insufficient right now. If I go demand compensation, I’ll likely get beaten to death,” Qi Yuan said.

These two Profound-rank Weapon Masters, along with three Yellow-rank Weapon Masters, had been able to learn of his strength through the Ghost Market.

Clearly, they were in cahoots with the middle and upper echelons of the Ghost Market.

If he beat the small fry and the mid-level came, beat the mid-level and the big shots came, beat the big shots and the old-timers came—an endless cycle of nesting dolls—he might end up facing the Ghost Market’s ruler, encountering an Earth-rank Weapon Master’s assassination.

In terms of combat skill, Qi Yuan was already near perfection.

By rank, his physical constitution was merely on par with a Yellow-rank Weapon Master, but his technique was enough to let him slay any Profound-rank Weapon Master.

Yet… even skill had its limits.

No matter how skilled an ant, it could never defeat a J-20 fighter jet through footwork alone.

An Earth-rank Weapon Master’s body was indestructible; no matter how skilled Qi Yuan was, he couldn’t break through their defense.

To defeat an Earth-rank Weapon Master, he would need an Earth-rank Weapon Master—or a Heaven-rank Weapon Master.

Of course, the most important thing was that it was too troublesome. He needed to develop first.

“The five of them only let me level up once. Such trash.”

The more Qi Yuan looked at these five, the more hostile he felt.

Not only were they poor, but the experience they provided was pitifully meager.

“Old man, now it’s time for you to be useful. Help me find where the most spirits are—I want to go kill some.” Qi Yuan was sorely lacking in experience.

Playing the role of a son-in-law and the Divine Descent didn’t grant experience.

Experience could only be gained by killing bosses.

“As you command, young master!” Chen Kangbao agreed.

…

The sun rose in the east, its light lazy and warm.

Qi Yuan’s expression carried a hint of melancholy.

“So poor. My storage artifact is almost full.”

“And my silver is nearly spent.”

“Why doesn’t anyone recognize my talent and buy my artifacts?”

So far, only one lightsaber had been sold.

Apart from Third Young Master Tu, who had dropped some coins, no one else had dropped anything.

This left Qi Yuan quite disappointed.

To play the role of a god required a vast amount of resources.

Drones, robots pretending to be angels, and space battleships—all of these he would have to forge himself.

With the little money he had now, how could he forge them?

“Brother-in-law…” Shen Lingfeng walked over, limping, looking somewhat weak.

“What’s wrong? Bullied by a woman?” Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes.

If he had taught a simp, he would be very upset.

“No… no!” Shen Lingfeng quickly denied.

He naturally wouldn’t say that last time, when he asked his mother when she was bathing for his brother-in-law, she had hung him from the roof beam and whipped him.

“Sigh, from now on, don’t say I taught you how to pick up girls.” Qi Yuan could naturally tell that Shen Lingfeng was lying.

He really had been beaten by a woman.

“Brother-in-law, I’ve been having a problem lately, and I want to ask for your advice,” Shen Lingfeng said awkwardly.

“Speak.”

“I wrote a letter, you know, and sent it to the Zhao family. But who replied to me? Not the Zhao family’s young lady, but the Zhao family’s old madam. Sigh… she’s asked to meet me. What should I do?” Shen Lingfeng looked troubled.

The Zhao family’s old madam was a famous widow in Fengshan County, very wealthy.

She had been beautiful in her youth, but now, she was old and faded.

“What, you don’t want to work hard anymore? Trying to take the easy way out?” Qi Yuan asked.

“No, I want to refuse her, but brother-in-law, you know I have no tact when I speak.” Shen Lingfeng looked distressed.

“Tell her: I like Miss Yang.

Miss Yang wears Valentino, while you wear Zu Li Jian.” Qi Yuan said flatly.

Speaking of this, Qi Yuan considered whether to forge a pair of Valentino for Jinli to wear.

But remembering he had no copyright, he shelved the idea for now.

“Huh?” Shen Lingfeng was puzzled, feeling that his brother-in-law’s words were profound and unfathomable.

“Just write what I told you. A boy outside needs to protect himself—don’t let yourself be bullied.”

“Also, brother-in-law, Lin Qinghe sent me a message today. They’ve caught Fang Shisan of the Radiance Society and asked when we want to go take a look.” Mentioning this, Shen Lingfeng admired Qi Yuan even more.

Just by glancing at the rotting corpse, he had identified the murderer’s identity—that was already the work of a master detective.

“Found him?” Qi Yuan’s eyes were calm.

What a coincidence?

His left eye didn’t twitch, and his right eye didn’t either.

“Let’s go. Let’s go see this Fang Shisan—just who the hell he is!”

…

At the same time, in the government prison.

Lin Qinghe stared at the burly man in the cell, his expression puzzled.

“There really is such a person. How did Qi Yuan know?” Lin Qinghe found it baffling.

The man in the cell had a solemn expression, showing no sign of panic.

This Fang Shisan had not been caught by Lin Qinghe—he had turned himself in.

Anyway, this whole affair reeked of strangeness.

Just then, footsteps sounded. Lin Qinghe perked up and hurried over: "Master Shen, Master Qi, you've arrived. Fang Shisan of the Radiance Society is right here."

Lin Qinghe led the way for the arriving Qi Yuan and Shen Lingfeng.

The smell in the prison was far from pleasant—a pungent stench assailed the nose, mingled with the damp, rotting odor of moldy straw, much like passing by a pigsty.

Soon, Qi Yuan laid eyes on Fang Shisan, locked in the cell.

"This is Fang Shisan. He came to the yamen today to surrender himself. I tried to interrogate him, but he wouldn't say a word.

He claimed he'd only speak after seeing... Master Qi," Lin Qinghe explained from the side.

He looked at Qi Yuan and Shen Lingfeng, a hint of surprise in his heart.

Wasn't this Qi Yuan... just a live-in son-in-law?

Back in Ninghe County, he'd shown no skill—nothing but a cowardly, useless man.

Yet, judging by how Shen Lingfeng and Qi Yuan stood, the latter seemed to be the one in charge.

"So you killed Old Zhong?" Qi Yuan's gaze was calm.

Fang Shisan looked at Qi Yuan, his eyes serene, showing no fear of death.

"Yes," Fang Shisan replied, sizing up Qi Yuan in return.

"Why did you kill him? Does it have to do with me?" Qi Yuan pressed on.

Since he was to play the role of the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan, he needed to clear up all the grudges and entanglements tied to that identity.

Besides, if those people wanted to harm him, would they believe he wasn't the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan?

"Yes," Fang Shisan answered without hesitation.

This left Lin Qinghe beside them looking baffled—the conversation before him was too bizarre.

Question and answer, no concealment—it didn't feel like interrogating a criminal, but rather questioning a subordinate.

"The reason, and... why did you surrender?" Qi Yuan asked again.

"The reason..." At this, a strange smile crept into Fang Shisan's eyes. "Because you don't deserve to live."

Qi Yuan was taken aback.

The man spoke with sincerity.

But thinking about it, the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan's character truly didn't deserve to live.

"As for surrendering, I wanted to see you with my own eyes," Fang Shisan said calmly, a peculiar glint in his eyes. "You're different from before."

"Hmm, I've descended as a god, so naturally I'm different from before," Qi Yuan replied earnestly.

Chen Kangbao chimed in from the side: "The young master is a god!"

Lin Qinghe, standing nearby, wore a look of utter bewilderment.

Today's events were steeped in the most profound oddity.

"From the moment you gave... to someone else, you deserved death!" Fang Shisan said flatly.

There was clearly something omitted in the middle—he hadn't said it. "What did I give to someone else?" Qi Yuan asked, genuinely curious.

Fang Shisan fell silent, offering no answer.

Still, Qi Yuan could deduce that everything Fang Shisan said was true.

Had the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan... once given something to another, inciting the Radiance Society's revenge?

But why was the Radiance Society's revenge so convoluted—killing Old Zhong, then plotting against him? Or was it... out of some fear?

Suddenly, Qi Yuan paused.

As he sifted through the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan's memories, he realized they were fragmented, many parts seemingly erased.

Of course, it could also be that his role-playing wasn't deep enough, and he hadn't fully awakened all the memories.

In response to Qi Yuan's question, Fang Shisan was, for once, uncharacteristically silent.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan pressed on: "What is the Radiance Society?"

A flicker of surprise crossed Fang Shisan's calm eyes: "You don't know the Radiance Society, yet you know I'm Fang Shisan of the Radiance Society?"

He stared at Qi Yuan, his expression turning fervent: "Night falls, all worlds are doomed to sink—only the Radiance Society can show the way!"

As he finished, blood suddenly gushed from his mouth, and the vitality in him ebbed away.

"He... killed himself?" Lin Qinghe was stunned.

This Fang Shisan of the Radiance Society was clearly no ordinary man.

Such mental fortitude, and that swift sword strike that killed Old Zhong—all marked him as extraordinary.

Yet he'd come to surrender, and then, mid-conversation... he killed himself.

The scene was utterly bizarre. Lin Qinghe stepped into the cell to examine Fang Shisan's body.

Fang Shisan had indeed severed his own meridians and died.

"Madman, this man is a madman!" Shen Lingfeng couldn't help but exclaim.

Suicide—how much pain that must entail!

He couldn't do it.

Qi Yuan stood in the cell, lost in thought: "It seems the waters here run deep."

The identity of this live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan appeared far from simple.

Lin Qinghe stole a glance at Qi Yuan. Somehow, after witnessing Fang Shisan's suicide, he found this live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan increasingly enigmatic.

Could it be that he had misjudged him all along?

Back at the Shen residence, Qi Yuan sat in his room, his thoughts tangled.

Today's events were shrouded in many shadows; for the moment, he couldn't see through them.

"The live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan gave something to someone else, angering the Radiance Society."

Qi Yuan murmured to himself.

Hmm, his nose didn't grow.

That meant this statement was true.

Qi Yuan's nose could detect lies, and naturally, it could detect whether he himself was lying.

Now, Qi Yuan was testing the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan.

Though he lacked some of that man's memories, he still counted as the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan. If he spoke a lie, he would know it himself.

Of course, this test depended on his own perception.

What he said now were all things the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan had experienced.

Otherwise, by constantly judging right from wrong, he could even cheat his way to becoming a Dao Ancestor in one step.

"I gave it on the eleventh day of the third month this year."

The nose grew longer. Wrong.

"I gave it on the sixteenth of May this year."

Wrong.

…

"I gave it on the twenty-first of July this year."

At this moment, the nose did not grow longer.

A complex emotion flickered in Qi Yuan's eyes.

"This was a few days before the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan returned to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors."

Qi Yuan was not testing randomly; he was only testing the days when the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan's memory was defective.

"So, on July twenty-first, the live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan gave something to someone, angering Fang Shisan of the Glory Society, who then took a risk... to kill Qi Yuan?"

"But why didn't he do it himself? Could it be... he was avoiding something?"

"Ah, too complicated. My brain's going to grow again."

"Forget it, I can't be bothered to think. Improve my strength. Once I'm strong enough, won't I know everything?"

Qi Yuan decided he couldn't be bothered to think about it anymore.

"Young master, a major discovery! I've found... a spirit-nurturing ground!" At that moment, Chen Kangbao rushed back, his face full of excitement.

"A spirit-nurturing ground? Like the one at Red Cloud Stockade?" Qi Yuan's eyes lit up.

Since arriving in Fengshan Prefecture, Qi Yuan hadn't spent all his days just swatting mosquitoes.

To him, knowledge was the primary productive force.

If he didn't master enough knowledge, how could he quickly find easy-to-kill white moonshines—no, identify high-quality white moonshines?

A spirit-nurturing ground like Red Cloud Stockade was clearly the kind that easily gave birth to white moonshines.

"Thorn Blood also has a spirit-nurturing ground in Fengshan Prefecture?" Qi Yuan was surprised.

Fengshan Prefecture was not Ninghe County.

There were Earth-grade Imperial Weapon Masters here. How could an Earth-grade Imperial Weapon Master allow such a spirit-nurturing ground to exist?

"There is!" Chen Kangbao quickly said. "This old servant exhausted himself to find this information!"

As he spoke, Chen Kangbao held his head high and pursed his lips, as if waiting for Qi Yuan to reward him with a steamed bun.

"If you could find this information, couldn't others in Fengshan Prefecture find it?"

"Others can find it, but they can't enter. That spirit-nurturing ground is surrounded by an absolute formation. Even an Earth-grade Imperial Weapon Master cannot enter!" Chen Kangbao told Qi Yuan the information he had obtained.

"If that's the case, it makes sense." Qi Yuan stretched. "Let's go take a look at this spirit-nurturing ground. I hope it doesn't disappoint me—more white moonshines, please."

He was in a hurry to level up.

Having seen Fang Shisan today, he sensed a whiff of danger.

The previous live-in son-in-law Qi Yuan had clearly lived under the watch of certain people.

Whatever he did, he was probably being watched.

The current Qi Yuan was too weak. He didn't want someone peeping while he bathed without him noticing.

Perhaps, even now, someone was secretly watching him.

"Today, I'll set a great goal!"

"To become stronger so I won't be unaware of being peeped at while bathing!"

…

Within the Tu residence, the lamplight was dim.

Third Young Master Tu held a light sword, unable to hide the admiration in his eyes. "Truly... very good, definitely worth a thousand taels."

Every time he wielded this light sword, he felt as if he had become much more handsome.

However, thinking that he had spent ten thousand taels for three special abilities, he felt a pang of pain.

To be honest, he had some doubts about its authenticity.

But he didn't dare to test it recklessly, after all, one try cost three thousand taels.

Just then, suddenly, Third Young Master Tu sensed something, and his expression turned serious.

About a quarter of an hour later, Third Young Master Tu changed into a black robe and appeared in an alley.

The alley was pitch black, with no sign of anyone.

Suddenly, a crow flew over and landed in front of Third Young Master Tu.

Seeing this crow, Third Young Master Tu's eyes showed a look of reverence.

"Greetings, Elder!"

This crow was none other than the incarnation of an Elder of Thorn Blood.

A mysterious Earth-grade Imperial Weapon Master.

He hadn't expected that this Elder would summon him.

"In a few days, I will leave the Ning Kingdom. I need some things. Collect them for me... I will convert them into contribution points for you."

The crow spoke, its voice hoarse.

Immediately, a string of names of resources and materials was uttered.

Third Young Master Tu's face changed repeatedly. "Elder, these things are too precious. I might not be able to afford them."

"Hmph!" The crow snorted coldly. "Do you think... you have hidden yourself well, Third Young Master Tu?"

Third Young Master Tu's face changed drastically again. He hadn't expected to be exposed.

"I want to see these things the day after tomorrow!"

Having said that, the crow spoke no more and left domineeringly, giving Third Young Master Tu no chance to argue.

(End of this chapter)