Fang Yuan's Engagement
You Chan travels by undercurrent to the sea territory of Nan Gong clan, a righteous path super force of Eastern Sea, seeking help. A rank six Nan Gong clan Gu Immortal, very respectful to a rank seven lone cultivator counted among Eastern Sea’s six publicly recognized great fairies, meets her at the border and says Master Hua already waits at Hua Qiao Pavilion. He leads her through the undercurrents to an Immortal Gu House built in the sea, where Hua An sits brewing tea. Hua An and You Chan are very good friends. He once left Hua clan, escaped with her help, and was taken in by Nan Gong clan, where he cultivated until his wisdom path was known across Eastern Sea. Hua clan has threatened him ever since and tried to assassinate him several times, so he rarely leaves Nan Gong clan’s headquarters. Risking that seclusion to meet her shows his sincerity, and she tells him her heart is full of worries. ch. 1472
At Fang Yuan’s own engagement banquet, Bing Zhuo toasts him and Xue Er, calling it truly wonderful that the two lovers have found each other. Fang Yuan’s rank eight battle strength and his standing in the Northern Plains variant human alliance draw almost all of its Gu Immortals to attend. The snowmen cheer, but the rockmen sit stiff: their long suppressed neighbor has gained a rank eight battle strength ally, a huge nightmare for them. Shi Zong, the rockman first supreme elder, tells Bing Yuan, grandmother of Xue Er and architect of the match, that she really did something amazing and that he is truly, very impressed. Bing Yuan pretends not to notice his mocking tone and answers that her tribe is the unworthy one, though privately she counts this only an engagement, not the wedding she wanted. Xue Er sits close beside Fang Yuan at the main table, uneasy. Both sides gave a little in the negotiation, at a hefty price to the snowmen: Fang Yuan gained new resources, the snowmen gained use of his authority, and Bing Yuan hides her doubt behind a smile. ch. 1472
Hua An admits he could not deduce the stranger’s background. You Chan is very surprised that even Hua An, one of Eastern Sea’s three wisdom path experts, failed. Hua An explains that the stranger’s rank six concealment killer move blocks wisdom path deduction like a dam across a river, stopping every wisdom path Gu Immortal alike. You Chan reasons the stranger either came prepared or has a force behind them; either way, it shows the enemy is very powerful. Distressed but unwilling to give up, she agrees when Hua An proposes gathering more clues to try to break through the stranger’s defense. ch. 1472
You Chan sends her consciousness into treasure yellow heaven once more, probing for Fang Yuan’s will. Fang Yuan’s will answers her directly, telling her to stop testing him and that he definitely wants to be involved in the dragonfish business. Shocked, You Chan returns her consciousness to her body and tells Hua An, whose expression changes: he says the stranger must have a huge background. You Chan retorts that anyone competing with the top dragonfish seller would have one. Hua An clarifies he means wisdom path attainment: the stranger noticed his earlier deduction and reverse deduced You Chan’s identity from it. Though very careful, Hua An judges the stranger’s wisdom path attainment definitely not lower than his own and possibly higher, and You Chan is shocked again that the help she sought found nothing and left her exposed. ch. 1472
