Chapter 188

Chapter 188: Intercepting the Young Master

The waiter had been waiting outside. Hearing Fang Lie’s call, he rushed in immediately, bowing his head with an apologetic smile. "Young Master Fang, what do you require?"

"Spirit Turtle Blood Brew. How much do you have?" Fang Lie pressed.

The waiter hesitated before forcing a smile. "We’re a business. We have as much as you need."

"Excellent!" Fang Lie declared. "Price per jar? Bring me ten."

"What?" The waiter gaped. "Young Master, you truly want that much?"

"Are you questioning my funds?" Fang Lie retorted coldly.

"Of course not! This matter exceeds my authority." The waiter dipped his head lower. "Please wait while I fetch the Shopkeeper."

Soon after, a crimson-clad beauty glided into the room, her mature allure palpable. "Young Master Fang," she purred, batting her lashes. "I’m Hong Yi, keeper of this tavern~"

Fang Lie remained impassive. "Shopkeeper Hong. My apologies."

"Oh, such formality!" She pretended to pout. "I’m only slightly older. You could call me Sister Hong~"

Any ordinary man would’ve melted under her coquettish gaze, particularly those of passionate youth. Certain of her charm, Hong Yi awaited his flustered response.

Instead, Fang Lie replied frostily, "I don’t hand out kinship titles. Shopkeeper Hong suffices."

Hong Yi stiffened, fighting the urge to check her reflection. How could this man resist her?

Cutting through her stunned silence, Fang Lie demanded, "Ten jars of Spirit Turtle Blood Brew. Name your price."

Recovering, Hong Yi dropped her act. "Ten? Impossible. One jar. One hundred million spirit stones." She thrust out an expectant palm.

Frowning, Fang Lie tossed two Sumeru Bags. Hong Yi inspected them, her stern expression thawing. "Approximately 110 million low-grade stones. This covers your meal with ample leftover. How generous, Young Master."

She produced a sealed two-foot wine jar. Fang Lie stored it without inspection – the boldness of one who knew merchants wouldn’t risk cheating him. Destroying the Jade Sea Tavern would be simple retribution.

"Use the surplus for information," he stated.

Hong Yi smirked. "That depends on the information’s value. This mightn’t suffice."

"Has any Purple Beard Villa notable recently appeared beyond their grounds?"

Grinning, she leaned closer. "The young master returned from his studies recently. The whole town knows."

Fang Lie’s eyes gleamed. "The last escapee. His arrival time and route?"

"Normally costly information." Hong Yi’s smile turned venomous. "But that lecherous debtor has harassed me for the last time. Consider this complimentary. I trust he’ll… cease visiting?"

"Permanently," Fang Lie confirmed with a nod.

He knew the other party wanted him to kill, but considering the Purple Beard Master family’s conduct, Fang Lie simply agreed.

After obtaining the information, Fang Lei departed without hesitation.

Seeing Fang Lie off, Hong Yi’s first action was pulling out a mirror to examine herself closely. She then cursed resentfully, "This lady’s still dazzlingly beautiful! Why doesn’t that little rascal show interest? Could he prefer men? Disgusting!"

Meanwhile, after leaving the tavern, Fang Lie flew westward using his wings. After several hundred miles, he retrieved a fifteen-foot boat from his Sumeru Bag, tossed it into the sea, and began meditating aboard.

This shoddy first-rank treasure couldn’t cross oceans, only serving as temporary shelter at sea – one of Fang Lie’s many Spoils of War.

Two days passed swiftly.

At noon that day, azure teleportation light approached from afar with rumbling thunder.

Fang Lie immediately opened his eyes, grinning. "Finally showed up!"

He stored the boat with a wave and soared to intercept the blue light.

They met mid-air and halted.

Fang Lie observed a domineering middle-aged Cultivator with crackling blue hair and lightning dancing around him – clearly a Thunder Law practitioner.

The faint purple glow on the man’s chest confirmed him as a genuine Purple Palace Master.

The young master frowned at the winged figure blocking his path. "Who are you? Why obstruct me?"

"Fang Lie of Mo Sect." Fang Lie smiled. "Are you Purple Beard Villa’s young master?"

"Indeed." The young master coldly replied. "Your name means nothing. State your purpose."

"Simple enough." Fang Lie said casually. "I’m here to kill you."

"What?" The young master’s rage flared. "Do we have enmity?"

"Ah…" Fang Lie feigned a sigh. "My quarrel’s not with you, but your Villa and brothers. How dare you exploit Mo Fang Shop, our Mo Sect property? Especially your idiot brother who tried stealing my treasure!"

"So you seek vengeance through me?" The young master rolled his eyes.

"Vengeance? Already settled." Fang Lie chuckled. "Killed one-and-a-half of your three brothers. My anger’s mostly spent."

"What?!" The young master paled. "You killed three brothers?"

"More than that." Fang Lie grinned. "I battered your father into hiding within Purple Beard Villa. Now help me enter and finish him – that’ll clear my mind completely."

"You…!" The young master sputtered. "You killed my kin yet expect help patricide? You’re mad!"

"Knew you’d refuse." Fang Lie shrugged. "No matter – after I half-kill you, you’ll comply."

"Half-kill?" The young master scoffed. "A Qi Sea Cultivator defeating Purple Palace realm? Are you deranged?"

"Perfectly sane." Fang Lie drew his Red Peak Divine Sword. "Enough talk – let’s fight!"

"Explosive Qi! Blood Ignition!"

Crimson flames erupted around Fang Lie as Spiritual Energy formed a tornado above him.

"Pathetic!" The young master sneered, conjuring crackling lightning between his palms. "Self-harm techniques and a decent Flying Sword won’t save you!"

He hurled thunderbolts at Fang Lie – the latter’s first encounter with a true Thunder Law expert.

Fang Lie excitedly deployed his three defenses: Demon-Subduing Golden Bowl’s Buddhist light, second-rate Alchemy Cauldron’s glow, and newly-refined Bright Silver Shield.

Lightning cocooned Fang Lie in a crackling prison as the young master maintained relentless bombardment.

Inside the electric cage, Fang Lie felt his Magic draining rapidly, control over treasures slipping.

Now he understood why Thunder Cultivators were feared – persistence meant certain death by lightning.