"Who is injured?"
Fang Niuzi's face was grim as he looked at me, his eyes filled with grief, then bitterness, and finally rage.
"Who is injured? I'd like to ask you, Young Master Song, what exactly are your intentions? This move of yours is truly brilliant! I, this old Daoist, must admire it."
Fang Niuzi's words completely stunned me. Seeing his gritted teeth, I had no idea what he was talking about.
"What brilliant move? What are you saying? I don't understand."
"Haha... Good... A very good 'don't understand.' Today, this old Daoist will make you understand."
Clang—
With a crisp sound, Fang Niuzi had already taken down the steel sword he always carried on his back. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he lunged at me.
I had been on guard since he drew his sword. My feet slid, and with a twist, I dodged to Li Zuquan's side. Seeing Fang Niuzi still aiming to stab, I directly used Li Zuquan as a shield, positioning him in front of me.
Using Li Zuquan as a shield was completely unexpected for Fang Niuzi. Fortunately, he was agile. The sword body slid past Li Zuquan's ear, but it still gave me a scare.
Because if he had reacted even a tiny bit slower, both Li Zuquan and I would have been skewered like candied hawthorns.
Li Zuquan was also quite startled, but compared to me, he was much calmer.
"Daoist Fang, let's talk things out properly. Don't let this ruin our harmony."
Fang Niuzi did not appreciate Li Zuquan's plea. Instead, he continued to point his sword at me and said, "You brat, have the guts to come out. This old Daoist is here to uphold justice today. If I don't hack you a few times, I won't be able to quell the hatred in my heart."
Hearing this, I stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Uphold justice? Is this old scoundrel drunk? Uphold justice? Does he really think I'm a vengeful spirit?
However, seeing his bloodshot eyes and his tattered clothes, it seemed his escape hadn't been smooth. Although I was angry, I decided to ask for clarification before fighting.
"Daoist Fang, what exactly do you mean? Explain it clearly to me. Although my skills are not as good as yours, I'm not a pushover. Even if we fight, I want to fight with understanding."
"Cough cough... Young Friend Song, I naturally believe your words. However, you used me as a shield. This is somewhat inconsistent with your youthful image!"
Li Zuquan's words made me so embarrassed that I wished I could find a hole to crawl into.
At this moment, I dared not confront Fang Niuzi. Firstly, he seemed genuinely intent on killing me. Secondly, the Xuan Yang Qi within me was almost depleted, and without the augmentation of the Tian Qiao Seal, I wouldn't last more than a few rounds against him.
"Old Li, that's unfair of you. We were all invited by you. Now he wants to kill me, and you're not speaking up for me, but instead, you're provoking me with your words. If you feel I'm a burden on this trip, you can just tell me to leave. Why resort to fighting?"
"Shameless, simply shameless! I have never met anyone as shameless as you." Fang Niuzi's goatee twitched back and forth, and the steel sword in his hand bobbed up and down, looking as if it might fall to the ground at any moment.
"I'm shameless?" I pointed to my nose and retorted, "You're the shameless one, you old scoundrel! I didn't want to argue with you because of your age, but you're relentless. If you don't explain things clearly to me today, I'll yank off that goatee of yours."
"Brat, stop wagging your tongue. If you have the ability, come out from behind Old Li. If I don't beat you so badly that your parents don't recognize you, I'll take your surname."
Fang Niuzi was so enraged that he was jumping and stamping his feet. But I refused to move from behind Li Zuquan, circling him. If he dared to draw his sword, I would immediately use him as a shield.
Finally, it was Li Zuquan who intervened, bringing the farce to a halt.
"Alright, Daoist Fang, put down your long sword first. Young Friend Song, stop playing games with me. You're making my head spin."
Although Fang Niuzi still looked furious, he eventually sheathed his steel sword. However, I did not step out from behind Li Zuquan.
He was my death-defying shield now. Who knew what these two old foxes were plotting? What if Li Zuquan tricked me, and Fang Niuzi killed me with a sword as soon as we got out? I wouldn't even have a place to cry.
Li Zuquan said nothing about this, but Fang Niuzi was still unwilling to let it go.
"Brat, I'm asking you, did you know beforehand that there were Ghost Mountain Fiends in the valley? Why didn't those beasts chase you, but instead chased us all over the mountain?"
Fang Niuzi's words left me speechless. What does it have to do with me that you were chased all over the mountain by Ghost Mountain Fiends? I didn't ask the Ghost Mountain Fiends to chase you.
Although I thought this in my heart, I couldn't say it aloud. Everyone has to maintain a polite demeanor. Since he brought up the Ghost Mountain Fiends, I felt a sense of relief.
"I don't know anything about the Ghost Mountain Fiends. Besides, Kang Pangzi was with me at the time, and he didn't notice them. Do you think my abilities are stronger than his? If he didn't see the Ghost Mountain Fiends, why do you think I would know about this?"
My words made Fang Niuzi's face turn green, then white. Finally, he gritted his teeth and retorted, "You're quibbling. Then how do you explain why those beasts chased us relentlessly, while very few chased you?"
"Do I need to answer this question? This must be related to your character. With your character, the Mountain Fiends can tell you're a bad person, and even worse, an old scoundrel among scoundrels, a bull-nosed among bull-noses. If they don't chase you, who will they chase?"
Hearing this, Fang Niuzi drew his steel sword again and pointed it at me. If I were standing in front of him now, he would have certainly run me through with his sword.
"Alright, neither of you should argue anymore."
Seeing the atmosphere becoming tense again, Li Zuquan spoke once more, "Let's talk properly. Haven't we shed enough blood these past few days?"
"Daoist Fang, please put down your steel sword. I know you're angry because Fellow Daoist Kang is injured. And Young Friend Song, when you speak, mind your words. You're young, don't be so hot-tempered."
I snorted, "He wants to kill me, why aren't you blaming him, but instead, you're talking about me? What, is the death of someone my fault? Old scoundrel, you're willing to incur bad karma, but I'm not. I'm telling you, the Mountain Fiends are chasing you because of your bad character, and there's nothing you can do about it!"
"You... you..."
"Enough. Young Friend Song, you speak first. Why did the Mountain Fiends chase them relentlessly, while they chased you very little? If you don't explain this clearly, don't blame me and Daoist Fang for dealing with you together."
I could ignore Fang Niuzi's words. Since he wasn't using firearms and wanted to kill me with his steel sword, it was somewhat difficult for him.
But Li Zuquan was different. He had nearly a hundred men under him, and some of them were equipped with firearms. If a fight broke out, I would be at a disadvantage. Moreover, if Zhang Dabiao was unconscious and they used him to threaten me, I would have no choice but to surrender.
"You've all forgotten one thing: Mountain Fiends are extremely vengeful. You got too close, and the Mountain Fiends personally saw you kill their companions. It's no wonder they chased you."