Chapter 296

Chapter 296: Mi Qing’s Crisis

Fang Lie, accompanied by Huo Wufang and others, quickly arrived at the hidden cave.

As they entered the cave, they soon saw the large boiling lake and the hundreds of White Jade Divine Fish swimming inside.

These fish were brought by the strange fish Fang Lie tamed. This creature had now completely become Fang Lie’s loyal servant, often luring hundreds or even thousands of its kind here each month to get spirit pills from him.

This time was no different. Seeing the situation, Fang Lie smiled and casually rewarded the fish with a handful of spirit pills, then collected the remaining White Jade Divine Fish into his Herb Garden.

Seeing this lake and the lively White Jade Divine Fish, Huo Wufang and the other Thunder Tribulation Immortals understood that they were likely at the true source of the White Jade Divine Fish.

They were furious. Huo Wufang grabbed Fang Lie’s collar and whispered angrily, "You reckless fool, how can such an important place have no defenses?"

"Exactly! At the very least, there should be a formation set up outside!" another Immortal complained.

"Let go!" Fang Lie pulled away in annoyance and mocked, "Are you all idiots? What formation could a mere Qi Sea cultivator like me set up? If I used a low-quality illusion formation, who could I possibly deceive? Wouldn’t it just tell everyone passing by that there are treasures here?"

"This…" Huo Wufang and the others thought about it and found it true.

The illusion formations a Qi Sea cultivator could arrange were so lowly that strong beings would see right through them, making them even more obvious. It was better not to set up any formation at all, as others wouldn’t know there were treasures here.

"But there are many cultivators passing through here. If a curious person comes in and sees the White Jade Divine Fish, what then?" one person protested.

"What if they see them? They are just low-level demon beasts. Strong cultivators won’t care, and weak ones won’t dare to steal from me. What could possibly happen? Even if someone stole one to eat, it would just taste a bit better. It provides little nourishment for Magic, and it’s not as good as the meat from other demon beasts," Fang Lie scoffed. "You need to eat them for months to feel any difference! Only the original owner of this island discovered that secret after eating them continuously for a long time. So, in this situation, the less I show concern or defenses, the safer they will be. Do you understand?"

Fang Lie made a strong point, and the three felt embarrassed, knowing they were in the wrong.

Seeing them fall silent, Fang Lie took the chance to mock, "How could you, who have lived so many years, not understand this principle of reality and illusion?"

If a young cultivator were to mock them like that, they would have slapped him to death without a word.

However, Fang Lie now had the Mo Token, and officially, he was also an Elder of the Mo Sect, with a position similar to theirs, just slightly lower than Huo Wufang, who held the Righteousness Token.

Considering Fang Lie was also the candidate Token Lord of the Benevolence Token, they were all quite equal, and none could act superior.

So, they could only endure it and dared not get angry with Fang Lie.

Nonetheless, it was unpleasant for the seniors to be ridiculed by a junior. Huo Wufang finally waved his hand in resignation and said, "Fine, you have a point. We’ll let this matter go. Now I need to ask, if I’m not mistaken, is the deep, unfathomable cave beneath this lake the true source of the White Jade Divine Fish? Have you gone down there?"

"No," Fang Lie shrugged and said, "I’m just a Qi Sea cultivator; how could I dare to go there casually?"

"Then we should take a look," Huo Wufang said, then, with the other two, they flew into the lake.

All three were Thunder Tribulation Immortals, immensely powerful. They called upon their Magic, and the scalding lake water automatically parted, allowing them to walk toward the deep abyss as if on a leisurely stroll.

Fang Lie shouted from behind, "This is my territory! According to the rules, I get the half of any good things below!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Wufang and his companions were nearly driven mad by anger, and waves of Magic rippled around them.

Then, they quickened their pace and quickly disappeared.

Fang Lie let out a sly laugh and called out Mao San and Gou Si, instructing them to take care of these people and prepare for big developments.

After sending them off, Fang Lie waited there.

Soon, Little Peach Red and Mi Qing arrived, setting up a table and serving a feast for Fang Lie, sitting down to eat and drink with him.

Previously, Fang Lie had only Little Peach Red as his personal maid, and she didn’t think much of it. But with Mi Qing’s arrival, she felt a strong sense of crisis.

Mi Qing was not only a genius in cultivation but also a young lady from a prominent family, paying great attention to her attire, food, housing, and transportation. Now that she had become Fang Lie’s maid, she served him diligently to compete for his favor.

Mi Qing was smart and knew that Fang Lie had a bright future ahead of him, destined to become the Benevolence Token Lord of the Mo Sect—a position of greater authority than even the Sect Leader. In the entire world, only Semi-Immortals could stand beside him.

Especially since Fang Lie has an undying nature, even if he offends many people, he can still grow and is not afraid of being secretly plotted against. It is almost certain that he will achieve the rank of Thunder Tribulation Immortal!

If Mi Qing can secure the position of a concubine, she will enjoy great advantages. Even ordinary Thunder Tribulation Immortals will treat her with respect.

Facing such a bright future, Mi Qing is determined to seize the opportunity, so she goes to great lengths to please Fang Lie.

Unfortunately, even though Fang Lie took her in, he is not obsessed with her beauty; he only appreciates her as a decoration and has not taken any further steps.

While Fang Lie is straightforward and does not rush at beautiful women, he still enjoys the changes Mi Qing brings.

Now, Fang Lie’s daily life has improved significantly and is no longer as shabby as before. At a glance, one can see how high his taste and status have risen. Previously, he was just a poor country boy, and no matter how high his position, others looked down on him.

Little Peach Red is undoubtedly the most upset about Mi Qing’s rise. She arrived early, yet now her position feels seriously threatened.

For this reason, she quickly became more proactive. Before, she served Fang Lie with a dismissive attitude since she had been captured by him and didn’t put her heart into it.

But now, Little Peach Red sees Fang Lie’s promising future, and the threat from Mi Qing makes her anxious as well.

While Fang Lie drinks here, the two of them take turns pouring wine, smiling and acting as if they are ready for him to choose, while secretly trying to undermine each other.

Fang Lie is well aware of this; he quietly finds it amusing but does not intervene, instead he enjoys the competition.

After about an hour of drinking, Huo Wufang and his companions finally arrived.

Seeing Fang Lie surrounded by two beautiful women, they all felt a wave of frustration.

Huo Wufang’s face darkened, and he said directly, "Fang Lie, where is this place? How can you casually let outsiders in?"

"Hey hey~" Fang Lie smiled slightly and replied, "They are all my personal maids; compared to them, you are the outsiders here!"

Personal maids are considered the closest and most trusted companions of their master, sharing honor and disgrace and even life and death, basically like family.

Moreover, there is a high chance that they will become Fang Lie’s concubines, which naturally makes Huo Wufang and the others feel more distant.

Upon hearing Fang Lie’s words, Huo Wufang and his companions were momentarily stunned, then they gasped in shock.

As Thunder Tribulation Immortals, they have sharp eyes and immediately saw through the identities and cultivation levels of the two women. One is a rare wood element Fourth-Rank demon, and the other is a genius Purple Palace realm cultivator with a Qi Sea extending for miles. Either one is a rare treasure.

Little Peach Red is somewhat acceptable since demons have little standing in front of cultivators. However, Mi Qing is different; her talents are not commonly seen even in a major sect like the Mo Sect.

Among the Purple Palace cultivators in the Mo Sect, those with a Qi Sea extending for miles do not exceed ten!

Such geniuses are treasures for the sect, but now, she has become Fang Lie’s maid? No, just a maid, not even a concubine—what qualifications does Fang Lie have?

Huo Wufang and his companions felt envious and jealous, thinking that even when they were young, they weren’t qualified to enjoy such talented beauties. How does Fang Lie, with just a Qi Sea level, deserve such luck?

Amidst the envy, Huo Wufang raised his doubts. He frowned and said, "If I’m not mistaken, this female cultivator comes from an evil faction, right? Are you sure she’s not an undercover agent dispatched by another sect?"

"Undercover agent?" Fang Lie smiled slightly and replied, "Do you think any sect would be willing to send out talents of this level as an undercover agent? Would the Mo Sect do that?"

"Well…" Huo Wufang hesitated, then said, "Under normal circumstances, they would not, but if the situation is special, it could be considered. You must understand, the demonic sect values practicality and, before they mature, even the most talented disciples can be sacrificed."

"I understand~" Fang Lie nodded and continued, "But I also understand that the more demonic the sect, the more they focus on practical benefits. I do not believe her future in the Ghost Realm Sect would surpass what she could achieve by staying by my side! Moreover, she has no restrictions on her, which shows she is not controlled by anyone. Therefore, I do not believe she would betray me. In that case, she would only harm herself, not me."

"That is not necessarily true~" Huo Wufang said uneasily, "You have many secrets; if she sells them to outsiders, it would be enough to exchange for Eighth-rank Treasures. Can you guarantee she wouldn’t be tempted by such offers?"

"This~" Fang Lie was momentarily stunned.

Little Peach Red immediately exclaimed, "Yes, Master, this woman is very enchanting and practical; she seems unreliable. She is not like me, controlled by you with my spiritual root; who knows if she would betray you?"