The Grandmaster 06

The disciple, immersed in the joy of making money, was oblivious to the awkwardness in the room. "Most people in the martial world have never seen Sun Kui. This portrait will surely fetch a good price..."

The dinner table fell silent for a moment. Fang Zhiyi suddenly laughed. "A brilliant idea!" He felt some appreciation for this disciple of his disciple. The boy had brains!

The junior disciple, receiving praise, chuckled gleefully, completely missing Sun Kui's flushed face.

Suddenly, Sun Kui slammed the table. "So you are the rumor-monger?"

The junior disciple was stunned. Sun Kui suddenly felt an immense force press down on his shoulder; having just stood up, he was forced back into his seat.

He looked in shock at Fang Zhiyi, who wore a faint smile, his mind reeling. His sworn brother's master possessed such profound skill!

Fang Zhiyi pointed at himself. "The rumor-monger isn't him. It's me."

Upon hearing this, Sun Kui's face was full of astonishment. "You... I have no grievance with you. Why would you harm me?"

He suddenly realized something and looked toward Li Xiuyu and his wife, his eyes brimming with shock and disappointment.

Fang Zhiyi waved his hand. "Ah, it has nothing to do with them. And what exactly have I done to harm you? Did I leak your whereabouts, or did I sell your portrait?"

Sun Kui was taken aback. Put that way, it did seem true...

But who was Sun Kui? He couldn't just let someone manipulate him so easily!

However, when he saw someone bring Li Weiyang in and watched Fang Zhiyi kindly pat the child's head, Sun Kui's courage faltered.

Gnashing his teeth, he said, "Speak. What do you want? If it's this Sun's head, take it!"

Fang Zhiyi waved his hand again. "Why would I want your head? It's not edible." Dealing with these three stubborn individuals, he didn't have a great plan, so he chose the fastest method.

That very night, Sun Kui handed over his treasured blade and three secret manuals, his face a picture of agony, looking at Fang Zhiyi as if he wanted to devour him.

Fang Zhiyi then summoned Yue and instructed her to send these items out separately.

He wasn't worried at all about Yue running away, as the child was still in his hands.

Yue was also somewhat bewildered. Initially, she thought Fang Zhiyi coveted Sun Kui's treasures, but now he wanted to give them away? And to the very addresses she had previously given to the Valley Master of Muyun and the Black Vajra? What was this...

Fang Zhiyi said meaningfully, "We must give them something real."

Yue was sharp. After a moment's thought, her expression changed. In her eyes, Fang Zhiyi had become even more inscrutable.

Just a few days later, news spread like wildfire that Qian, the valley master of Muyun Valley, had found a peerless divine weapon at one of Sun Kui's hideouts.

Valley Master Qian was thrilled when he found the weapon, but trouble soon followed. Someone had leaked the news. No sooner had he obtained the blade and was rushing back than he was intercepted.

He was blocked by two other sects.

"Valley Master Qian, is it true you've found the villain Sun Kui's treasured blade?"

Valley Master Qian narrowed his eyes. "This old man has no need to answer to you."

"So it is true then? Where is Sun Kui?"

"Hmph! This old man didn't see him!"

"Perhaps he offered you the blade, and you let him go?"

"Hand over the divine weapon today, and your Muyun Valley may leave!"

Valley Master Qian looked at the opposing forces, feeling uneasy. These two sects had almost mobilized their entire strength, clearly lying in ambush here. To move quickly, he hadn't brought many people this time, confident he could handle Sun Kui alone.

"Since Valley Master Qian is unwilling to hand over the blade, we'll have to take it ourselves!"

The news quickly spread throughout the martial world. Muyun Valley encountered three waves of ambushes on their way back: one from martial artists, one from the demonic cult, and one from imperial agents. Valley Master Qian was severely injured, his disciples suffered over fifty percent casualties, and the treasured blade was seized.

Similarly, no sooner had the Black Vajra obtained the secret manuals than the news reached others' ears. The Vajra Gate received the same treatment as Muyun Valley.

In an instant, everyone's attention shifted from Sun Kui to the sects now in possession of the blade and manuals. Operating under the logic of "if they can snatch it, so can I," the entire martial world descended into chaos.

Meanwhile, Fang Zhiyi was planning a transformation. He used the swindled silver to purchase some businesses and sent his disciples out to manage them. He had his own methods for conducting business in ancient times. The entire Cangyue Sect prospered, and under Fang Zhiyi's leadership, the disciples were full of drive for making money.

Sun Kui, who had been anxious all day, gradually relaxed upon realizing Fang Zhiyi had no intention of harming him. When he heard about the endless bloodshed outside over his blade and manuals, he was greatly alarmed.

Fang Zhiyi's rumor-mongering didn't stop. Numerous new rumors emerged: Liushuang Sect had obtained Sun Kui's treasure map, Tianying Sect had acquired an elixir of immortality... such tales were endless.

The once seemingly solid alliance of the righteous path gradually disintegrated. Sun Kui's blade and manuals had become hot potatoes. Whichever sect obtained them, the news would immediately leak, bringing challenges from martial arts masters, robberies by dark forces, and even suppression by the imperial court.

With the blade's appearance, people in the martial world became even more convinced of the existence of Sun Kui's other treasures. In just a few months, the martial world was bathed in a storm of blood. Today you kill my disciple, tomorrow I kill your master's brother.

With little to do daily, Sun Kui passed the time by listening to the day's news. The more he heard, the more fearful he became. Li Xiuyu's master was too terrifying! He, Sun Kui, had merely killed a few dozen people, but with a few casual words from Fang Zhiyi, the entire martial world suffered heavy casualties!

Yet, watching the Cangyue Sect act as if it had nothing to do with them, Sun Kui felt a sense of dissonance. Just what kind of people were this bunch?

Yue was also quite busy now. Fang Zhiyi seemed intent on grooming her. Yue took on many business affairs, sometimes leaving early and returning to the sect only late at night. This somewhat frustrated Li Xiuyu. In the past, she would do whatever he said, but now Yue seemed more assertive, even preventing him from interjecting on some decisions.

His master found him foolish and didn't let him help with anything, just telling him to focus on raising the child. So, with time on his hands, Li Xiuyu and Sun Kui hit it off perfectly. They took turns teaching Li Weiyang, much to the boy's misery.

Little Hei laughed. "I thought you were going to teach the protagonist yourself. I didn't expect this."

Fang Zhiyi curled his lip. "I'm not a nanny. His parents are still here; is it my turn to teach him? Parents should manage their own child. In the original plot, this kid lacked proper discipline, hooking up with girls everywhere—a complete scoundrel. Let's see if he dares mess around now with his father and his sworn uncle teaching him together."

Having said that, he looked up at the sky. The Heavenly Dao showed no unusual movement, indicating things were fine.

Little Hei looked at the mist steaming from his body. "You're also insane, actually trying to cultivate immortality here?"