Chapter 359

A group of seven moves through a forest toward San Cha mountain, and Tie Ba Xiu thinks they are already very close. He is a rank four upper stage Gu Master, famous across Southern Border. Spurned by the clan when young, he met a righteous Gu Master inheritance and changed to strength path. With rank five earth overlord Gu he is called present age overlord, and his battle strength surpasses ordinary rank four peak stage. He counts Long Qing Tian, Yi Chong, Kong Ri Tian, Wu Shen Tong and Yi Huo as the five rank four peak stage Gu Masters now on the mountain. ^{ch. 359}

Tie Ba Xiu does not lead the group. Answering four old-timers’ call for reinforcements, the clan has, as an exception, put the junior Tie Ruo Nan in charge, so even he must obey her orders. After returning to the clan she displayed extremely strong aptitude, became one of its eight young masters, and is called little divine investigator. Any of the eight young masters can compete to become clan leader. Tie Ba Xiu is very loyal to the clan and willing to be a stepping stone for its future hope. He is grateful for the help Divine Investigator Tie Xue Leng once gave him, and very satisfied with Tie Xue Leng’s daughter. ^{ch. 359}

Her crew is Tie Mu at rank three peak stage and the investigator Tie Ao Kai at rank three upper stage. It also holds Tie Dao Ku, an offense Gu Master who once served another young master, and Tie Xian Hua, a defensive Gu Master praised even by clan elders. Tie Ruo Nan had not meant to join the struggle at San Cha mountain. Unexpected information revealed hidden details about Qing Mao mountain, where her father Tie Xue Leng lost his life. She therefore accepts the order personally, determined to learn the truth from Bai Ning Bing and Fang Zheng. ^{ch. 359}

The group moves in a standard battle formation, with Tie Ao Kai in front, Tie Ruo Nan and Tie Ba Xiu in the middle, and a healing Gu Master at the rear. Tie Ao Kai suddenly stops and shouts, and the formation shifts slightly into its best battle array. A tall man in black stands alone on a boulder. Tie Ruo Nan blurts out the name Fang Zheng, and the man is indeed Fang Yuan. ^{ch. 359}

Tie Ruo Nan says Bai Ning Bing ran into a Tie clan Gu Master and killed him as a last-ditch move. She invites Fang Yuan to come to Tie clan as a guest, explain the matter and redeem the sin with assignments, promising leniency. Fang Yuan sneers that killing one person is no sin, only that the victim has a somewhat tougher background. He calls her childish for trying to lure him in and capture him. She pledges her honor to guarantee his safety and a fair trial. He scoffs that Tie clan cannot even help itself, as Divine Thief Lu Zuan Feng has infiltrated Demon Suppression Tower amid the havoc he causes in the clan. ^{ch. 359}

The seven turn pale, since Tie clan kept the news confidential, and even Wu clan and Shang clan do not know of the humiliation. Tie Ba Xiu refuses the claim, as it concerns the reputation of Tie clan. Tie Ao Kai, scanning nervously for ambush, softly reports that Fang Yuan is alone. Tie Ruo Nan takes the claim for blackmail to trade for Bai Ning Bing’s life, and demands to know how he learned the secret, or they will absolutely not let her go. Fang Yuan laughs that he spoke casually, and names his purpose as the tactic of besieging an enemy stronghold to strike its reinforcements. ^{ch. 359}

The seven think the little beast king has lost his mind, since they have Tie Ba Xiu, Tie Ruo Nan at rank four initial stage and five rank three Gu Masters. Fang Yuan pounces on them from high above like a northern goshawk. Startled and furious, they sense his aura: rank four middle stage, not initial stage, which stuns Tie Ruo Nan. ^{ch. 359}