Distorting The Truth
Fang Yuan’s accusation leaves the immortal zombies shocked, and a humiliated Bo Dan swears on his reputation that his action was sound, calling Fang Yuan a jealous scoundrel bent on slander. Tai Bai Yun Sheng retorts that he knows Fang Yuan’s ability best and names Bo Dan the true scoundrel. Shark Demon silences them both and demands that Fang Yuan explain himself. Fang Yuan says only that he has nothing to add, then turns the exchange into a question for Bo Dan: how many hidden Gu worms remain inside the killer move right now. Bo Dan cannot answer. ch. 891
He had located and destroyed only the one spot he deduced, and finding more would take time he lacks. Removing that Gu worm has definitely created new flaws, and lying would be very easy to disprove since anyone doubting him could simply attack the named point. He can only promise to advise them once he finishes deducing further, read by the Gu Immortals as weakness. Fang Yuan tells him that with more patience he would find further hidden Gu and understand how rash his earlier attack was. Trapped, Bo Dan demands in turn that Fang Yuan name the trap and spell out how Bo Dan’s action was inappropriate, invoking Su Bai Man’s lie detection method as a threat. The destroyed worm was never a trap. So Fang Yuan cannot answer that either, and he deflects instead by claiming his wisdom path inheritance is too unique to disclose, accusing Bo Dan of scheming to learn it. ch. 891
Fang Yuan reads from one glance that Shark Demon, a long standing Zombie Alliance partner of Bo Dan’s, still leans his way. Contemptuous now, Fang Yuan calls Bo Dan a fool and promises a lesson. Starlight streams from his fingertips and marks eight or nine points, one method named for each: fire path here, ice then lightning there, one that must wait for the next wave. His intense confidence makes the Gu Immortals believe him without any doubts. Agitated, Bo Dan moves to test one point, but Fang Yuan stops him, warning that the marked points are interconnected traps: destroying any would render Fang Yuan’s deductions completely obsolete and force a restart from scratch. He then bows to Shark Demon, apologizing that he is truly not good enough, and Shark Demon, as their leader and because Tai Bai Yun Sheng introduced this friend of his, bows back. ch. 891
Having watched the exchange, Shark Demon now judges Xing Xiang Zi’s wisdom path attainment above Bo Dan’s, a talent worth keeping for the coming attempt on Yu Lu blessed land. Rank seven and an Eastern Sea expert, he speaks to Fang Yuan with new courtesy, calling him brother and asking how they should proceed. Fang Yuan answers with practiced humility, saying his ability is low and that he spoke rashly from a flash of inspiration he did not want wasted. He calls himself a weak snake among expert dragons. Bo Dan, breathing hard, is extremely angry yet uncertain, since his own wisdom path inheritance is very incomplete, far inferior to Fang Yuan’s, and Fang Yuan has just exposed more flaws than he ever could. Against his own anger he begins to wonder whether the destroyed Gu really was a trap after all. ch. 891
Fang Yuan smiles bitterly outward but laughs coldly within, watching Bo Dan’s every reaction. He has wanted to retreat already: the next wave will be extremely powerful, careless Gu Immortals could die, and the essence cost would definitely be severe regardless. Since the immortals would waste those resources while he, their hope, made no progress, and would turn unhappy with him, his humility now partly mocks Bo Dan and partly plants a seed in their minds. He tells Shark Demon that this change has undone his earlier work, that even more time would bring little hope of success, and that they should retreat now. The others are unwilling to give up now that they have come this far, and Shark Demon asks him to try once more. Fang Yuan only pretends, sitting and shutting his eyes again as the fifth wave arrives exactly as strong as he warned, and the Gu Immortals’ scorn needles Bo Dan worse than the ice rain. Shark Demon’s assessment of gains against losses turns over completely after Fang Yuan makes no further progress, and he finally orders a retreat. ch. 891
