Who gave you permission to travel through time with Earth?

Chapter 113 side quest completed

If it were a genuine member of the Fang family, this offer would actually be quite generous. Having gotten involved in the matter of the Buddha statue, he would no longer be able to live in the capital, and the Zhou dynasty would never let him go.

But Fang Jin doesn't belong to this world. He's just here to complete the mission of destroying Buddhism and protecting Buddhism. He has to leave when the time is up, so Hu Chuan's promise has no appeal to him.

However, he did not completely refuse. Fang's father still left a deep impression on him. Fang Jin was willing to fight for the survival space of the original owner and the Fang family before leaving, and Hu Chuan was unexpectedly a good choice.

"Let's talk about it when I get back from Kitahara."

Fang Jin drank a glass of wine; the rough, raw aroma was surprisingly intoxicating. It took him a while to steady his swaying head, and he said lightly,

"I never paid attention to what tasks the Li Dynasty assigned me, but protecting the Buddha and returning him to his hometown is something I truly want to do. Cui Cui felt a call from the North from the relics."

These words were pure fabrication. Cui Cui had just lifted her face from the full basin of roasted pork, the bits of meat covering the blank look on her face, but at least she didn't stupidly shout "Huh?"

"...Does Buddha really exist?"

Hu Chuan was stunned for a moment. Before this, considering Cui Cui's identity and the smashed Buddha bone, he had always thought that this Buddha offering was just a farce to humiliate the Buddha City, a silk veil covering a festering sore.

Fang Jin was quite certain of this. Even if there were no real Bodhisattvas or Buddhas, the Northern Heaven Buddhist City must have a genuine lineage of Buddhist teachings; otherwise, the issuance of the main quest would be completely illogical.

He helps "Mingfo" to infiltrate and corrupt this system of knowledge and power, but if that Buddha hasn't left a trace in this world at all, how can he possibly complete this damned main storyline?

Or if all else fails, could you just make it up yourself?

"If you're pursuing higher levels of power, then I have no reason to stop you. If you do manage to bring out a mythical level of inheritance, remember to look after my Hu family."

Hu Chuan raised his hand and laughed, saying that it was only natural for martial artists to pursue power. Even he couldn't say that he hadn't had any other thoughts about the relic before, let alone now that he had already interacted with Fang Jin, so he no longer insisted.

"However, how about you arrange a marriage before you leave? My eldest daughter is almost of marriageable age..."

"..."

"...A sister-in-law isn't out of the question either."

"..."

"My little...my youngest daughter too..."

"Bang—!"

He didn't even need to say the last sentence. Miao Ying and Miao Xiu had already appeared behind him at the same time, one smiling and the other glaring angrily. Hu Chuan's head smashed into the cutting board and was buried in the ground on the spot.

Fang Jin chuckled and shifted back a little. To be honest, he was quite afraid of these Miao Gu women. Just knowing about their traits and abilities was enough to send chills down his spine.

"Actually, I think Young Master Fang is indeed a good person to entrust your affairs to. What do you think, Xiuxiu?"

The proprietress smiled at her younger sister, but her brows furrowed so deeply they almost fell off. The latter was clinging to her neck like a sloth, her delicate face not even glancing at Fang Jin.

This child is ruined. She only hopes that if she has a son in the future, her aunt won't have any ulterior motives… Miao Ying felt a pang of despair, then looked at Fang Jin, who was watching the scene unfold, and solemnly said:

"But actually, I also feel that now is not a good time to go north. The two children from Chiling Village brought me some bad news. Li Fu's behavior... to be honest, makes me a little scared."

After speaking, Miao Ying recounted the events that had occurred an hour earlier at Chiling Village. Recalling the events, she broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that her child had narrowly escaped certain death.

"We thought we had fooled him, that we were secretly doing things under the guise of Hu Shan, but in reality, all of this was the result of Li Fu's inaction. If he decides to get involved, things will become even more complicated."

"Now that Li Fu has escaped the court's surveillance, the twenty-nine people are not only reinforcements for the Buddhist nun, but also a means of monitoring Li Fu himself. If they get out of control, the imperial palace will be notified immediately."

"...But now that the monitors are all dead and unable to send messages, there will be a vacuum before the one on the throne discovers Li Fu's defection. This is the moment Li Fu has been waiting for."

Fang Jin also realized the problem. If Li Fu was not a member of the court, his choice to supervise the army's return to his hometown to protect Buddhism might simply be an excuse for his escape.

So what exactly was Li Fu's purpose in doing all this, or rather, for whom? Was he really just a spy planted by the Sacred Hand Manor... or some other kind of anomaly?

"..."

"...It can't be that bad."

Fang Jin considered a possibility, and a bitter feeling welled up inside him. He immediately downed the wine in his cup, put on his brocade robe, picked up Cui Cui, and was about to leave the tent when he said to the Hu family members,

"I have to head north immediately. Li Fu's goal may have always been the same as mine, or even... he wants to get one step closer to mythology than anyone else in the world."

"General! We're following..."

Tao Shan and the other two immediately stood up, but only Shi Dahu was full of fanaticism. He was interested in the powerful enemies and forces ahead, while the other two were simply inclined to obey instinctively.

"...Xuanwu Guard no longer exists here. If you wish, you can choose to stay in Chiling Village. The Nine-Bend Corridor, rife with bandits, can be considered a safe place. The Northern Plains may be more chaotic than I imagined."

Fang Jin waved his hand and said that after reaching this depth and shaking off the imperial court's pursuers, he no longer needed to worry about the threat posed by the emperor... Moreover, Li Fu's defection might be even more of a headache for him.

"The Far North Manor is a Grandmaster's private domain. Even if the Divine Physician won't make things difficult for you, not all of her disciples are good people. Brother Fang, you should still bring some men to help her out..."

Hu Chuan was about to offer some advice, but then his words caught in his throat. Fang Jin casually scooped up a circle of scorching red flames, and the extreme heat caused all the martial artists present to change their expressions drastically!

True Qi leaves the body, manifests in substance, condenses and does not disperse. This is a martial arts characteristic that only a Grandmaster of the Jiazi level can possess. Could it be that Fang Jin was never an elder from beginning to end, but the fifth supreme Grandmaster in this world?

Tao Shan and the others felt dizzy and almost fell off their desks. Their initial encounters with Fang Jin were anything but pleasant. Zhou Bensi intended to use the Golden Cauldron Gathering's powerful figures to cripple Fang Jin.

It seems like a complete fantasy now. They actually thought of killing a powerful being who had reached the age of sixty? If they hadn't chosen to submit in the first place, none of the winners of the Fifteen Golden Cauldrons Tournament would have left that maple forest.

[Congratulations, player! The side quest "Intimidating the Fifteen Victorious Heroes of the Golden Cauldron Gathering" has been completed.]

[Side quest reward completed: Obtained a Tier 3 Peak Alien Creature, Purple Black Steed]