Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 216 The White Protector's Unusual Covetousness
The moment the woman appeared, the Hundred Gu Banner on Fang Shu's head trembled and floated in front of him.

Gu worms emerged from the banner, weaving around his body like silk threads for three feet, completely protecting him.

Fang Shu coldly sized up the person in front of him and calmly said:
"I have come uninvited. May I ask what brings you here tonight?"

The woman who suddenly appeared in his room did not speak immediately, but looked at Fang Shu with a hint of surprise.

"With such alertness, it's no wonder he was able to fight his way back and forth through the gang of filthy bastards from the Four Limbs Temple and withstand Dai Jintong's thunder magic."

The woman in white narrowed her red eyes, examining the Gu array surrounding Fang Shu, and continued speaking with interest:
"Indeed, you are a practitioner of array formations. It was worth it for me to come here specifically to seek justice for you."

Upon hearing the name "Bai Mou," Fang Shu's heart stirred, and he immediately recalled the Floating Mountain Protector Bai that he had seen at the auction.

Upon closer inspection, although the woman before him wore a light veil and her features were slightly blurred, her overall demeanor was indeed exactly the same as that of the White Protector.

After a few moments of contemplation, Fang Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Since the person who came was the one in charge of Fudang Mountain and not from another force, he should be in no danger this time. At worst, he can just reveal his identity as an inner disciple of his own sect.

He stood up and immediately bowed to the woman before him: "Greetings, Protector Bai. May I ask what you mean by the words 'fairness' you speak of?"

The woman in white said frankly:

"Rest assured, I already know what happened during the day. I know that you were tricked by your fellow villager and friend into the den of thieves from the Four Limbs Temple, which is why you committed this crime."

Even if you killed someone outside the market, or even inside the market, with this pretext and some evidence, whether you'll be severely punished is still uncertain, but sparing your life is certainly the least of your worries.

These words reached Fang Shu's ears, causing him to raise an eyebrow and look at the woman in white with some surprise.

He thought the other person's use of the word "fairness" was just a joke or a way to deceive him. He never expected that this person would really stand up for him.

The woman in white was still muttering to herself, shaking her head: "In this Floating Mountain, the most common fate for newcomers is to be cheated by their fellow villagers and relatives, and then regret it deeply. I'm used to this kind of thing."

Then, the other party changed the subject:
"Although you have escaped the death penalty, you may have to come with me to the temple for a discussion regarding your remaining punishment."

However, once they're gone, the market will need to invite those people from the Four Limbs Temple back. What crime you'll be charged with and how many spirit stones you'll be fined will depend on your individual abilities.

These words made Fang Shu's expression slightly strange.

He wasn't stupid; he immediately sensed from the other person's words that there seemed to be an option to avoid a face-to-face confrontation.

"Let's see what this demoness is up to first," he thought to himself.

Fang Shu then tucked his hands in a gesture of shrewdness and said, "Please enlighten me, Protector. If I want to avoid this lawsuit, how should I make the necessary arrangements?"

"A lawsuit?" Upon hearing this, the woman in white chuckled softly.
"Your choice of words is quite interesting, like the mortals in a storybook. It seems you are either of ordinary birth or enjoy reading storybooks."

After making a few jokes to Fang Shu, the other party stopped arguing.

"Since I have come to find you in person, why should you bother to make arrangements? I see that you are skilled in formations and your magical power is not bad. Instead of hanging around on the streets, you should come and work for me."

"As long as you agree, you will receive a salary from my subordinates. As for the so-called 'lawsuit,' no one will bother you again."

Hearing the slightly domineering words from the woman in white, Fang Shu's heart stirred.

He felt a great sense of relief.

It turned out that this woman had come to recruit him, wanting to take him under her wing.

Surprisingly, after considering it in his mind, Fang Shu did not intend to refuse.

If he could get close to this White Protector, regardless of what would happen at the Four Limbs Temple, he would definitely be even more successful in the Floating Mountain Market in the future.

Despite his inner turmoil, Fang Shu remained vigilant, and a hint of unease and difficulty appeared on his face.

He said, "Protector, I am not an ungrateful person. It's just that I am currently only training down the mountain and will have to return in the future, so I cannot stay in Fudang Mountain for long."

Furthermore, with his focus solely on cultivation, he genuinely lacked the energy to attend to matters in the market town on a regular basis.

"Going down the mountain for training?" the woman in white asked.

She chuckled softly, understanding the implied meaning in Fang Shu's words. Fang Shu was reminding her that he was not someone without a solid background.

Especially at this time of year, the Wuzang Temple and the Kugu Temple in Lushan Mountain are currently closed to the public.

Those who are able to descend the mountain for training at this juncture are likely to be disciples of the two sects, and most of them will probably have some kind of Foundation Establishment connection with them.

However, the woman in white didn't pay much attention to Fang Shu's words and said directly:
"In other words, if I, Bai, do not impose any time limit on you, nor interfere with your daily cultivation, you would be willing to serve under me?"

Fang Shu hesitated and did not speak immediately.

To everyone's surprise, the woman in white immediately said:
"it is good!

In that case, I, Bai, will give you a token. With this token, you can enjoy the same treatment as the old fellows in Fudang Mountain, and you can come and go freely from merchants and auctions.

Normally, you don't need to report for duty, but if there's something important, I'll summon you with my token, and you must obey my orders!

After a pause, the other party added, "Don't worry, I won't summon you unless it's something important. And whether you participate or not, I won't force you, I'll only offer incentives."

After saying this, the woman in white put her hands behind her back and looked out the window, as if waiting for Fang Shu's reply.

This matter is actually the real purpose of the woman's visit today.

She merely wanted to take this opportunity to win over this suddenly appearing array master and make him owe her a favor, so that she could easily control this fiend later.

Once the person agrees and they have made contact, it won't seem abrupt when she comes to ask them for help three months later, and she'll be more confident in getting them to work for her.

The thought of the "good thing" three months from now made the woman in white restless.

Fang Shu looked up at the woman in front of the window and immediately narrowed his eyes.

He realized that the white-clad woman's true purpose was to make him play a role similar to a "covert informant" or a "lackey."

He didn't hesitate for long, since it was just a verbal promise and the token would indeed make it easier for him to mingle in the market.

"Alright," Fang Shu replied, bowing slightly.

Upon hearing this, the woman in white standing by the window immediately turned around with a smile, looking at Fang Shu with satisfaction, her red eyes like crescent moons.

Immediately, a token was thrown from the other party's hand and landed in front of Fang Shu.

The token is grayish-white with marks on the surface. It has five claws on the front and four claws on the back.

The woman explained, "Leave your name so that I, Bai, can contact you in the future. Don't worry, this tag is anonymous; only Bai will know your identity."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu nodded solemnly and then earnestly gave his name:

“Replying to the Dharma Protector, my surname is Hu and my given name is Muhuang.”

"Hu Muhuang." The woman in white chewed, a strange glint in her eyes, and asked casually:

"Your surname is Hu, and you even have a hint of fox demon scent. Could it be that Fellow Daoist Hu's ancestors were related to the fox demon clan?"

The question came as a surprise, leaving Fang Shu momentarily at a loss for words.

In particular, when he looked at the white-clad woman in front of him, his eyes were reddish and she had a demonic aura. She was clearly a demon immortal, but he couldn't tell for a moment what kind of demon she was.

He worried that answering rashly might offend some taboo.

This is not something that Fang Shu should be overthinking.

It should be noted that in this Floating Mountain, all kinds of demons gather. Even though the demons have escaped ignorance, their habits and taboos are different, so that various conflicts arise in the market every day because of this.

The woman in white noticed Fang Shu's hesitation, smiled, and said, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. There are countless fox demons in the world. Even if I have a grudge against foxes, I have no reason to blame you."

Not to mention, what you possess is a skill of skinning animals to transform them into foxes. If the fox clan sees this, they'll hold a grudge against you.

Fang Shu felt a slight stirring in his heart, realizing that the newcomer was indeed quite skilled, truly able to recognize all the skin-wearing spells he had used when he went out before.

He flattered without batting an eye: "Guardian of the Dharma, I, Hu, am merely showing off my limited skills before an expert."

After laughing for a while, the white-clad woman's face turned listless. Her bare feet moved slightly, lively and cheerful, as if she were about to take flight at any moment.

But suddenly, she stopped, turned to stare at Fang Shu, and shouted:
"Fellow Daoist Hu, put on your fox fur and let me take a good look at you, so that I won't not recognize you when we meet again tomorrow."

Fang Shu found the woman's request somewhat strange.

But since he had already been tricked into the inn by the local demon and his fox fur had been recognized, it wouldn't hurt to cast a spell on him in person now.

Without a word, Fang Shu took out a gray fox pelt from his sleeve, channeled his inner energy, and slapped the pelt over his body.

Although the fox fur of the third tribulation quality is still only a refining magic weapon, it is much more convenient to use than when it was a low-grade one.

It went swiftly, without needing to loosen one's clothes or take off one's belt.

The fox fur, like a snake or insect, burrowed into his clothes and wrapped him from head to toe.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Shu's body shrank, and he turned into a fox monster about four or five feet tall, standing upright.

Fang Shu placed his two paws on his hands and bowed to the woman in white in front of him.

When he transformed into a fox, the white-clad woman's gaze towards him became noticeably more serious.

Fang Shu also sensed a divine sense spreading towards him, as if it wanted to scan his entire body.

Faced with such abrupt action, he narrowed his fox eyes and calmly looked at the other party, immediately channeling his magic power to reject the other party's gaze.

After all, no one could guarantee that what the woman in white said just now was not a ruse, and that her real purpose was to take advantage of his moment of carelessness to launch a sudden attack!

With her divine sense blocked, the woman in white frowned slightly, clearly showing her displeasure.

Seeing Fang Shu's calm gaze, her brows relaxed again. She silently withdrew her gaze and commented:

"The color of this fox fur is not right, and its scent is too mixed."

"If you wish to deceive us Qi Refining demons, you must at least forge a fourth-tribulation magic weapon."

For some reason, there was a clear hint of disappointment in the woman's words.

This left Fang Shu even more confused.

His spells were just ordinary spells; what was the other party expecting?

It should be noted that if he hadn't meticulously modified the original spell, sewn on various high-quality fox furs, implanted hair and whiskers, and used medicinal liquids to soak and refine it, this fox fur magic artifact wouldn't even have reached the quality of the third tribulation.

Before Fang Shu could raise any questions.

As soon as the woman in white finished speaking, her body moved swiftly and effortlessly, passing directly through the inn's wall and appearing outside the window.

Fang Shu's gaze froze for a moment.

He immediately took two steps forward and then realized that he was indeed not seeing things.

All that could be seen below was the moon.

The woman in white walked on a beam of light, seemingly disappointed, and departed in the moonlight. Her movements were extremely agile, and she cast a shadow under the moonlight, indicating that it was neither a ghost nor an illusion.

Fang Shu stood in the room, a look of surprise and doubt rising on his face.

He pondered for a long time, then walked to the window and touched the window frame with his hand. After confirming that it was not made of paper, he immediately thought to himself, "What a brilliant wall-penetrating spell!"

Being able to pass through walls is not unusual; Fang Shu can do it himself.

However, the walls of the inn he rented contained cinnabar, lead, mercury, and other substances, and he activated the array in the room after returning to his room.

Although the inn's array was ordinary, it could still prevent outsiders from spying on it and hinder the passage of divine sense or magic. At the very least, it could alert guests in the event of an intruder.

Just now, the white-surnamed protector not only did not make any spell casting movements, but his aura did not even change. He simply took a step and passed through the formation without leaving a trace of smoke or fire.

It was only after a moment's realization that Fang Shu understood why he hadn't noticed the person until they appeared in the room.

It wasn't that the formation malfunctioned, nor that the Gu worms were useless; rather, it was the opponent's powerful magic.

He had always thought his ability to leap through walls was extremely impressive, with few spells below the seventh tribulation level able to compare. But after meeting this person today, he realized that there are always people more powerful than him, and mountains beyond mountains.

Fang Shu's expression changed in an instant. He slowly exhaled and thought to himself, "Fortunately, this woman seems like a friend but not an enemy."

Otherwise, even if he had a Gu formation to protect him, with the opponent's methods, if he were truly targeted, he might very well fall into a huge pit and his life might be in imminent danger.

At the same time, he also coveted the woman's ability to pass through walls.

If he could obtain the white-clad woman's wall-penetrating technique and integrate it into his own wall-penetrating method, after killing Dai Kuan and the others today, he wouldn't need to break the formation; he could simply escape and avoid any trouble.

(End of this chapter)