Chapter Seventeen: Night Dreams

Sun Yuan escorted Fang Che home and, after giving some instructions to Fang Qianyi, took his leave.

"My disciple has exceptional talent; what he lacks is accumulation. I must go and find some rare treasures and natural wonders for him. The sect leader and the others are far too stingy—they didn't leave a single medicinal pill or elixir for my apprentice."

Fang Qianyi was quite intrigued by the unconscious young woman her son had brought home. She had her settled in a guest room and instructed Qiu Xue and Dong Mei to attend to her with the utmost care. Still feeling uneasy, she took some medicinal pills and personally administered them to Ye Meng, channeling her own energy to help the girl absorb the medicine. She then sent Dong Mei to summon a physician.

Fang Qianyi personally took a snow-white towel to wipe Ye Meng’s face. She couldn't help but chuckle. "My son certainly has good taste; this girl is truly a great beauty."

Her eyes darted around, and checking that no one else was nearby, she muttered to herself, "I should check where she's injured and how severe it is."

She proceeded to examine her from head to toe: head, face, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen, hips, thighs...

She couldn't stop grinning. "Not bad, not bad at all. A generous chest, full hips, and she's still a virgin. Mmm-hmm... Good taste, he has very good taste."

Suddenly, she coughed, straightened her expression, and muttered, "The poor child, she is not lightly injured..."

A shadow appeared at the door; it was Qiu Xue, carrying a bowl of medicine. "Mistress, the medicine is ready."

"Oh, I see." Fang Qianyi coughed again. "Take good care of her."

"Yes."

Fang Qianyi turned and walked away. Neither of them noticed that Ye Meng, lying on the bed, had a faint flush on her face, and the tips of her delicate ears had turned bright red.

It wasn't until evening that Ye Meng slowly regained consciousness. After another night, she recovered a bit of her strength and managed to express her gratitude. Three days later, she finally regained the ability to move, and her recovery accelerated.

Fang Che continued his training. He had many techniques to master, and he basically had no spare time throughout the day. He practiced the blade, spear, sword, and halberd techniques from the *Boundless True Scripture*. As for the skills he possessed in his previous life, he only selected a few to maintain, discarding the rest. For one, his starting point in his past life had been too low, and some of those techniques were not worth keeping. Secondly, the fortuitous encounters and techniques he gained later in his past life were too distinct. If he used them and they were spotted by his old rivals or former brothers, it would inevitably raise suspicions.

Therefore, he remained as cautious as possible. If he could avoid using them, he would.

*If one day you all strike me down, thinking I am a deviant of the Heart-Unity Sect, I will have no complaints.*

That was what he thought in his heart, and he knew that if it came to that, he would indeed face it. But naturally, Fang Che did not want to reach that point. Thus, the intensity with which he trained was enough to leave anyone who witnessed it completely stunned. It didn't look like training; it was as if he were forging himself like raw iron.

In particular, he scrutinized the blade, spear, sword, and halberd techniques of the *Boundless True Scripture*, grasping every detail with fierce dedication. These four sets of techniques were all-encompassing, consisting entirely of foundational moves, yet they were incredibly diverse. For instance, in the "Sword" category, the simple act of drawing a sword was divided into many types: the upward draw, the left-waist draw, the right-waist draw, the hand-held draw, the out-of-sheath draw, the flying-sheath draw, the back-carry left draw, and so on...

Fang Che couldn't help but gasp. It was incredibly comprehensive. As for the thrust, the slice, the flick, the hack, the tap, the collapse, the intercept, the smear, the lift—every single move had dozens of variations compared to the basic draw. The blade, spear, and halberd were the same. There were no specific "tricks," only various "forms." Yet Fang Che knew this was the work of a true master. Once these were mastered, any technique could be performed effortlessly. One would not even need "moves," because one would have mastered the method of attacking in any given situation.

"The understanding of these four weapons recorded here has already reached the pinnacle."

Once these were mastered, the only thing lacking was proficiency. However, with this comprehensive foundation, the various techniques he was learning from Sun Yuan—including the "Flying Blade Technique" that Sun Yuan was famous for—came to Fang Che as naturally as water flowing into a channel. Even the "Seven Blood Spirit Forms" of the Yin Shen Palace could be understood through analogy. Practicing them was not difficult at all.

His next focus was on the *Ice-Clear Spirit Platform* and the *Phantom Bone Transformation*.

Admittedly, practicing so many techniques at once, even for someone several times more talented than Fang Che, was impossible to balance perfectly. Thus, he would rise before dawn to practice the basic forms of the blade, spear, sword, and halberd for two hours. He would have breakfast accompanied by spirit beast meat and medicinal tonics. Then, two hours of the *Flying Blade Technique* and *Seven Blood Spirit Forms*. Lunch. Then another two hours of the same. Dinner. Then two hours of *Phantom Bone Transformation* and *Ice-Clear Spirit Platform*. A midnight snack, and then he would sleep while keeping the *Boundless True Scripture* running. He supplemented this with various medicinal pills and any cultivation resources he could get his hands on.

Another seven days passed. Fang Che had pushed his cultivation to the sixth level of the Warrior realm. In half a month, he had advanced two levels; while they were minor steps, such progress was already shocking. Yet Fang Che was not satisfied. On the contrary, he felt a deep sense of crisis and had no confidence in reaching his goal of being the "Number One in the Southeast Province."

He knew that major families were never short of geniuses. Those geniuses had experts clearing their meridians with true energy from birth, their techniques were top-tier, and their cultivation resources were far beyond what he could currently access. The only things he could truly rely on to overtake them were the *Boundless True Scripture* and his weapon training, along with his own unprecedented, peerless talent.

The word "diligence" was his most important trump card. Therefore, he did not dare to relax for even a moment.

...

One day, while Fang Che was practicing, he sensed someone watching him. He turned to see a delicate, slender figure at the door of the guest room, leaning against the frame and moving one step at a time. She looked incredibly frail and pitiful. Seeing Fang Che look over, she trembled like a frightened little deer.

*She really is quite pretty, with a natural, dazed cuteness,* Fang Che thought, observing her. It had to be said that Ye Meng had a very distinct look. She was beautiful, and her figure was good, though a bit thin. But her most striking feature was her eyes. They were larger than those of an average girl, round and extremely cute. This made her look as if she hadn't yet grown up, despite being eighteen or nineteen—when she opened her eyes wide, a sense of natural, naive innocence washed over people.

Fang Che did not speak, looking at her coldly.

The woman shrank back, realizing this new master was not easy to approach. She mustered her courage and said, her face pale, "Ye Meng thanks you, Young Master, for saving my life."

Fang Che nodded, set down his spear, and said calmly, "You already know your new name is Ye Meng?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice soft. Her large eyes flickered—partly dazed, partly pitiful.

"I have bought you. From now on, you belong to me. Do you understand?"

"This maid understands."

"From today onwards, know your place, be diligent, do not do what should not be done, and do not think what should not be thought. Do you understand?"

"This maid understands."

"Get yourself cleaned up and recover quickly. I need someone to wait on me."

"Yes."

Fang Che took out two Heavenly Vein Vermilion Fruits. "These are for you. Eat them quickly, and from now on, you must not have any divided loyalties."

Watching Ye Meng eat the fruit, Fang Che turned away, ignoring her to focus on his training. He was certain that this Ye Meng was an undercover agent sent by the Guardians to lurk by his side, steal intelligence, and report his movements. But in Fang Che's heart, she was already one of his own.

Although they viewed him as a demonic disciple, a cultist, and a terrorist, they were, in truth, kindred spirits. Therefore, Fang Che was not stingy with benefits. Even if this girl wasn't one of the Guardians, she would be his person, and cultivating a capable assistant was exactly what he needed. So, regardless of which side she was on, as long as she wasn't with the Heart-Unity Sect, she would benefit from what he gave.

There were nine Heavenly Vein Vermilion Fruits in total. Fang Che had eaten three, Fang Qianyi had eaten three, Ye Meng had two, and he planned to save the last one for Fang Qingyun—his cousin, that honest, simple-minded fellow. The Fang family had been truly kind to him and his mother, treating them like family, and Fang Che could feel that. He didn't mind giving a little benefit to his eldest cousin. He had originally reserved three for Fang Qingyun, but the guy hadn't appeared in a while, and the arrival of Ye Meng was an unexpected development. Thus, three had become one.

*Better than nothing,* Fang Che consoled himself. Fortunately, the Heavenly Vein Vermilion Fruit was a rare treasure, and since he had picked it himself, the thick peel allowed it to be stored for a longer time. Otherwise, he really would have had to give them all to Ye Meng.

...

After consuming the Heavenly Vein Vermilion Fruits, although Ye Meng didn't know what they were, she could feel the injuries she had deliberately inflicted upon her internal organs healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a moment, she had completely recovered!

Furthermore, her body was undergoing subtle changes. Her talent was being refined, and impurities were being purged! The old, hidden injuries she had accumulated over years of training and fighting had vanished. She felt as if she had been reborn.

She was shocked. *These are peerless treasures!*

Her true foundation and cultivation were not those of the frail girl she pretended to be; she was actually a peak martial arts Xiantian Grandmaster, one level higher than Fang Qianyi, only a step away from entering the realm of Martial Generals. In Bibo City, she was a true powerhouse. It was only because of her innate constitution and the cultivation technique she practiced that she could hide her strength so effectively—a technique that could be called the best in the world for concealing one's cultivation. Even an Emperor-level expert couldn't see through her unless she made a move.

She never expected that after accepting this mission to Bibo City, she would nearly be exposed because of two fruits. In her shock, she immediately returned to her room. The impurities secreted from her skin were already beginning to smell. She hurriedly took off her clothes, drew hot water, and began to bathe.

The more she washed, the more shocked she became. If she wasn't mistaken, these were either the legendary Heavenly Vein Vermilion Fruits, the Marrow-Cleansing Heavenly Fruits, or the Immortal Spirit Vermilion Fruits! How could Fang Che be so willing to give her such good things? It didn't make sense. And now... she was about to breakthrough. What was she going to do?

For a moment, Ye Meng was in a state of chaos. After washing, she didn't dare to leave the room. Her internal energy was surging so violently that she feared even passing gas would trigger a breakthrough.

Just then, she heard Fang Che’s impatient voice at the door: "Why aren't you finished washing yet? Stop dawdling."

"I... I'm almost done..." Ye Meng’s voice trembled. This wasn't a deliberate tremor, but one born of sheer nervousness.

*What do I do? I'm going to be exposed...*