Chapter 730: Mi Fang – Long Fu, You Are a Devil!
Ice Sculpture Capital.
“Clan Leader, you summoned me?” Mi Fang had the whiff of wine on him as he staggered into the study.
“Look at yourself!” The Jing Xiang Clan Leader had specifically hurried to the capital from his territory for this, and he showed no quarter in his reprimands, “Mi Fang this isn’t how you should appear. It was just one loss, yet you’ve been drowning your sorrows all day and been extremely depressed!”
“Yes, you were stripped from your position.”
“But you brought this upon yourself, not I. It was done according to clan rules.”
“Your duel with Long Fu really disappointed people!”
Mi Fang was silent and sullen.
His defeat to Long Fu cast him from heaven into hell.
The authority he gained from the mount potion business was expropriated jointly by the primed factions within the Jing Xiang Clan.
Mi Fang didn’t just lose the power he gained beyond his limits, but also the power base he once had before all this too.
The implication of this beating was very clear!
The Jing Xiang Clan Elder sighed; he stood up from his chair, walked around the desk, and faced Mi Fang.
Mi Fang took a nervous step back.
The clan leader nevertheless extended a hand and helped him sit down on the guest seat.
The clan leader’s voice became gentler, “Your loss to Long Fu was too ugly.”
“It wasn’t just your reputation that slumped, the entire clan has also suffered immensely too.”
“You will climb back up from where you fell. Mi Fang! The clan still believes in you, I also want to give you a chance to strive again.”
“I specifically came over from our territory just for you!”
“Go challenge Long Fu, fight him again in the arena! Grab your mettle and win. You need to shatter your nightmare with your own hands and stand up like a man again.”
Mi Fang’s mind and body shook, and he stared open eyed at the Jing Xiang Clan Leader.
The latter looked earnest and serious.
But Mi Fang’s heart was ice-cold. He knew Long Fu’s strength, how he easily won a 3 v 1. Challenging him again was courting disaster.
Regretfully, very few apart from him knew this truth.
The outside world universally believed that Mi Fang’s tactics were too conservative, too mindful of the gains and losses, and he fundamentally didn’t display the fighting strength he should have.
Gods above!
“If I really displayed my power, I fear I’d already be dead!” Mi Fang knew the severity, but the outside world didn’t.
Lots of his supporters, many of which were women, spurned him.
His friends couldn’t understand him; his family were unable to console him either.
“Lord Clan Leader, I am not Long Fu’s match!” Mi Fang shook his head.
The Jing Xiang Clan Leader raised his head, turning from a leaning posture to an upright one as he walked around the desk and towards the master seat.
During this process, with his back to Mi Fang, lightly stated, “That is the reason why I brought you this.”
As he sat down again, there was already a small potion bottle laid out on the desk.
Under the lighting, the potion glistened with a scarlet light and looked very strange.
Mi Fang was an outstanding pharmacist, and when he saw this potion, his expression changed, “A devil transformation potion?”
The Jing Xiang Clan Leader nodded, “This is a saint level potion, it can transform you into a devil for a short time and increase your battle strength enough for you to defeat Long Fu.”
Mi Fang’s brows wrinkled, “But the residual effects of this transformation potion are very strong.”
The Jing Xiang Clan Leader shrugged his shoulders, “This is the biggest help I can give you. Mi Fang, you are a pharmacist, you can bear this kind of sequelae, and it is unlikely to drop you from the gold level.”
“You must defeat Long Fu!”
“It was he who threw you into the abyss.”
“The clan also needs you to defeat Long Fu, it would revitalize our prestige.”
“Your current circumstances were bestowed upon you by Long Fu.”
Mi Fang hesitated, “No, Long Fu really isn’t my mortal enemy, and there is no need to use such desperate measures to deal with him.”
The Jing Xiang Clan Leader sneered, “Come up with a bit of courage, Mi Fang!”
“You think I don’t know?”
“Through the other duelists, you plotted against Long Fu and tried to poison him.”
“Long Fu isn’t your mortal enemy, what? It was precisely because of him that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ mount potion business is so prosperous, and from beginning to end, has dominated the largest market share.”
“You must know that the Alchemy Guild has already acted. If we don’t shoot down the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps in time, my clan’s future mount potion business might take a dive and be supplanted.”
The study sank into a deathly silence; the atmosphere was quite heavy.
After a good while, Mi Fang took a deep breath, “I need to think it over.”
“Think well!” The Jing Xiang Clan Leader stood up and left the study. The devil transformation potion was left quietly sitting on the desk before Mi Fang’s eyes.
Mi Fang didn’t know how he left the study.
His thinking was very chaotic, he didn’t know when the potion came into his hand.
When he came to his bedroom, he was astonished to find his wife was already waiting for him.
After a touching scene, his wife hugged him and tenderly advised, “Challenge Long Fu again, go duel him and win this crucial battle; the potion’s residual effects are unimportant, your contribution to the clan for this will ensure you are handsomely paid.”
Mi Fang suddenly felt ice-cold, and he looked at his lovely wife. His wife’s eyes were tender and soft as water, concealing her calculations.
But Mi Fang didn’t rebuke her.
His marriage to her was due to a cost benefit analysis. When he shamefully lost, his wife had to bear immense pressure from the clan.
Mi Fang slowly closed his eyes, his voice somewhat hoarse, “I am tired, let me sleep first.”
He fell into a deep sleep, waking up at noon the next day.
Fate’s tribulations continued.
He received three massive pieces of news.
The first was that Yao Ma’s group had smoothly advanced and passed the Warm Snow Cup’s second exam. Furthermore, Cai Jing and the others built a new faction, becoming the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ partner in the Alchemy Guild. The Alchemy Guild approved of Cai Jing’s contribution and had no choice but to stand by and watch as this faction was established.
The second was that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps began to sell a large amount of honey snow. Crucially, this honey snow originated from Shuang Lian’s demiplane. According to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ external explanation, the missing Shuang Lian had actually been doing confidential study and research and was unable to appear right now.
The third came from the duelists. He, Long Fu, had become a duelist!!
This all happened yesterday.
Mi Fang had a better grasp of this information than the Jing Xiang Clan Leader, and after consulting the other duelists, he quickly reconstructed the facts and truly understood the situation.
Mi Fang’s body and mind were in incomparable agony.
His foe had taken a massive step forward, while he was consigned to the infernal abyss.
In his pain, he also began to feel regret.
“Perhaps, from the start, he was wrong to attack the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps!”
“Now that this matter has reached this point, there is no use in saying anything.”
Mi Fang’s mind was inundated with hatred.
“The reason why I am in these circumstances is all due to Long Fu!”
He was already forced to the end of his rope.
He was a Jing Xiang Clan son-in-law, already bound to this clan. Even if he wanted to cut ties and jump ship, which noble would accommodate him?
Could he leave the Ice Sculpture Kingdom and grow in another nation?
Just thinking about it caused Mi Fang to despair.
This was the place he had arduously worked for many years; he had given his youth to this ice-cold land. Could he renounce these things and start afresh?
As a gold level, it wasn’t like he didn’t have other chances to grow.
But in truth, duels weren’t popular in other places. Duels, joining his wife’s clan, these shortcuts allowed Mi Fang to save a lot of time and energy. He was already accustomed to surviving and growing in this kind of environment.
Mi Fang tried to contact Mei Lin again.
Mei Lin was exhausted. During this period, she had been attacking all over the place, taking on the incomparably difficult challenge of keeping the seaboard safe.
But the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s seaboard was very long, and it was difficult for the First Navy Fleet alone to ensure it was totally secure.
Most dreadful was Da Han hadn’t attacked yet. He was like a sword hanging over everyone’s head, no one knew when it would suddenly fall and behead them.
The psychological pressure from military affairs physically and emotionally exhausted Mei Lin.
At this moment, she was still accepting startling news – Long Fu unexpectedly became a duelist and also climbed to the top of Tranquil Hill! After that, Long Meng took Long Fu to Honey Snow Tower and both sides reached a cooperation agreement.
That instantly washed away all of Mei Lin’s prior efforts.
And what made Mei Lin even more depressed was the command she received from the Ice Sculpture Royal Family yesterday.
She comprehended the royal family’s opinion; she was to stop attacking the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and instead use mainly appeasement strategies.
Due to this, Mi Fang couldn’t get any more outside support from the duelists.
After the connection with Mei Lin ended, for a split second, Mi Fang had a terrible feeling that the world had abandoned him.
“Look at the letter.” Suddenly, a voice could be heard.
“Who?” Mi Fang’s hair rose, his body and mind wildly jolting.
Gold level battle qi bubbled out, covering his body in a split second.
But he couldn’t find the source of the sound, he only found a letter on the desktop.
“When did this sealed letter appear? It obviously wasn’t there a moment ago…” A strong chill rapidly pervaded Mi Fang’s heart.
He looked at the letter with rapt attention for a good while, then extended his hand and slowly opened it.
The letter’s contents caused his eyes to suddenly contract.
Ten minutes later.
He arrived at a restaurant.
In a private room, the dragonman youngster was feasting on magic beast meat, it was half cooked and still reeked considerably of blood.
The dragonman youngster’s sharp teeth were constantly chewing, mashing the flesh between them into bits.
Mi Fang entered the private room and saw this exact scene.
It was only him and the dragonman youngster in the private room.
But Mi Fang knew it wasn’t just the dragonman youngster here, there had to be an expert hiding elsewhere.
Mi Fang was impolite, coldly sitting across from the dragonman youngster.
The dragonman youngster was busy eating the meat and didn’t bother raising his head to look at Mi Fang as he said, “My time is limited, I will speak to you directly.”
“Mi Fang, come over to my side.”
Mi Fang didn’t anticipate this, he almost believed he misheard it.
A moment later, he angrily cackled, “Hehehehe, it’s all thanks to you I am in an awful situation.”
“You actually said you want me to join you? Hahaha!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Who do you believe you are?!”
“You are my foe!”
“It’s all because of you that I fell into this state!”
Mi Fang grew angrier as he spoke, and just as he sat down, he stood back up and roared loudly as he constantly waved his arms.
He was so flustered and exasperated that he even threw the chair behind him.
The chair smashed into pieces against the wall.
When the dragonman youngster saw this, his tone was cold, “You will die.”
Mi Fang was flushed red, huffing and puffing, his eyes contracting as he grinded his teeth, “Are you threatening me?”
“Hehehe, do you think I will be scared?”
“I am not worried about informing you that next, I will challenge you. I already have a way of winning; I will ruthlessly defeat you and take back everything that belongs to me from you. Everything!”
The dragonman youngster was unruffled by the chaos, “A way of winning? Are you talking about that devil transformation potion?”
“A saint level potion…” When the dragonman youngster said that, he lightly chuckled, “Hehehe.”
Mi Fang’s eye twitched, and his complexion became as gloomy as water.
His greatest trump card was easily uncovered by the dragonman youngster, but Mi Fang wasn’t surprised.
Because he thought of that mysterious voice as well as the strange appearance of that invitation letter. It was precisely according to that invitation letter that he secretly met with the dragonman youngster.
Since the other side could accomplish this, then making inquiries about the saint level potion was very possible.
Hatred and battle intent quickly waned from Mi Fang’s mind, replaced with endless cold thoughts and despair.
“It seems you’ve calmed down, excellent.” The dragonman youngster seemed to squeeze out a smile, it was fleeting.
He drank red wine while saying to Mi Fang, “So long as you calmly reflect, you will think that I am right. You have already lost so much. Continuing to oppose me will lose you even more, including your life.”
“Don’t be so stupid, Mi Fang.”
“Do you really believe the Jing Xiang Clan’s promise? That as long as you take the saint level potion to deal with me, that they’ll handsomely reward you?”
“What are you encountering now? Your painstaking and hard fought authority was stripped away overnight.” Your power, wealth, and status are at their behest. In the end, you attached yourself to the Jing Xiang Clan, and whatever power they gave you, they can take back at any time.”
“It is not I who is humiliating you, but them!”
“Do you not understand? Here, even though you became a member of their clan, you are still a human, an outsider.”
“You are not a snow elf.”
“Think about it carefully, does the Jing Xiang Clan really treat you as one of them?”
Mi Fang didn’t know what to say, so he was silent, like he was dead.
The dragonman youngster finished drinking his wine, then belched in satisfaction.
Then he casually pushed his meal tray towards Mi Fang on the opposite side of the dining table.
On the meal tray, there was still a small piece of mangled magic beast flesh.
“You’re hungry, eat a bit.” Said the dragonman youngster.
“No, I ate breakfast. Furthermore, I don’t have a habit of eating other people’s leftovers.” Mi Fang’s silence was effortlessly smashed, he felt humiliated and resolutely declined.
“Hehehe.” The dragonman youngster sneered out a laugh.
He looked up, leaned back on his chair, then extended a dragon claw, pointing it at himself, and then to Mi Fang.
“You and I are the same.”
“We are both outsiders.”
“We are both duelists.”
“We both have taken countless risks, and experienced numerous tribulations, so many in fact, we have lost count.”
The dragonman youngster shook his head, then lifted both hands and clenched then into fists before Mi Fang.
“We rely on our two hands to work and struggle. And those people, those out of touch people were born into everything we exhausted ourselves working for!”
“Why?”
“More hateful is that our efforts might be denied by those people and be completely lost in a night. In their eyes, we are a joke!”
“This is precisely why I am willing to take risks, why I wanted to leave home to make my way in this world.”
“I want to use hard work to establish my own force!”
“Look at you now, Mi Fang, you have nothing left to lose. Join me, work with me, and you can gain so much more, much more than you can possibly imagine.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t want to truly belong to your own force?”
“I can help you.”
“Don’t tell me you don’t want to take control of the Jing Xiang Clan and show those people your true colors?”
“I can still help you.”
“The prerequisite is that you join me.”
The dragonman youngster intentionally stopped there.
Then he clearly saw Mi Fang’s Adam’s apple roll and heard him swallowing his saliva.
His orange dragon eyes clearly reflected Mi Fang’s captivated expression; each subtle change in his expression was taken in by the dragonman youngster.
“You’re hungry.”
The dragonman youngster chuckled, “I can see now that you are very hungry.”
“Eat a bit, have my food, take a bite.”
The dragonman youngster’s voice eased, like it was hypnotic.
Mi Fang’s train of thought seemed to be chaotic and also blank.
He also didn’t know why, as if demons and gods were at work, he was seeing himself stepping towards the dining table, slowly stretching out his hand, and touching the meat on the meal tray.
Without tableware, Mi Fang picked up the magic beast flesh and put it into his mouth.
This magic beast flesh did not suit him, and the reeking blood made him nauseous.
But he still took a big bite and devoured it.
During this process, his bewilderment and despair slowly shed away, his gloom began to turn into viciousness.
His cheek puffed up, and watery blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, went down his chin, and down his neck, dyeing his exquisite, noble elven apparel red.
The dragonman youngster burst into boom laughter, and he got up to leave.
As he brushed past Mi Fang, he lightly left a sentence, “Leave the potion bottle behind, I’ll inform you of what to do next.”
Mi Fang understood.
Just by eating the meat, he had made clear his attitude, he would leave behind the potion and display his sincere submission.
Mi Fang also didn’t know why he was moving so briskly, there was no hesitation. He immediately took out the potion and clacked it onto the table.
The dragonman youngster was already at the door.
Mi Fang hastily asked, “You’re leaving at once? Are you a devil?! I left behind the potion, what are you going to give me?”
During the entire talk, the dragonman youngster never openly promised to give him anything.
“What can I give you? Hehehe.” The dragonman youngster opened the door, “I accept your dueling challenge, and promise that during this duel, I will only beat you up, I won’t kill you.”
A second later, the door closed.