Chapter Sixty-Four: The Lake of Desperation

Fang Mu fled toward the back mountain of Wildland Village, a path he knew well. The forest behind the village was dense, its trails winding and intricate. To move faster, Fang Mu chose a straight route. Whenever he encountered trees or rocks, he hacked them to pieces with his butcher’s knife. Yu Youde, who chased after him, simply followed in Fang Mu’s footsteps.

One cleared obstacles as he ran, the other pursued single-mindedly, so naturally the gap between them shortened swiftly. Five hundred meters... three hundred... one hundred... fifty! The distance shrank to fifty meters, and Yu Youde, seeing the figure ahead, felt increasing delight in his heart.

This cunning youngster would finally be slain by his own hand.

The black mist whip lashed about. Just a little closer, and Yu Youde could strike Fang Mu down.

But just then, Fang Mu, running ahead, shouted—

“Wait! I have something to say!”

Yu Youde instinctively slowed for a moment—

Fang Mu didn’t look back, instead running even faster.

The gap, which had just fallen below fifty meters, instantly widened again to over a hundred, thanks to Yu Youde’s hesitation.

“Brother Fang, brilliant!”

Iron Abacus Immortal’s voice came from ahead, infuriating Yu Youde.

He had been tricked!

“Die, die, die!”

Yu Youde grew ever more frenzied, chasing Fang Mu like a madman. This time, no matter what Fang Mu said, Yu Youde would not pause again. Even if Fang Mu surrendered, he would beat him half to death first.

Though Fang Mu’s ruse had widened the gap, time brought them back again to fifty meters.

“Sigh.” Iron Abacus Immortal sighed, hesitating, “Brother Fang, this is getting difficult. Maybe you should put me down, and we run separately?”

The trick would not work again; sooner or later, both would be doomed.

“It’s not time for that yet,” Fang Mu said, focused on running and never looking back. “Can you use your teleportation technique? The one you used to visit the Zheng family?”

Iron Abacus Immortal shook his head. “No, the distance is too short. Teleportation relies on the earth as a base. If I land, I won’t have time to cast it before he catches me.”

He pondered Fang Mu’s words—‘It’s not time yet... What does that mean?’

Before he could think further, a tremendous force gripped his neck, turning him so he faced Yu Youde.

“Brother Fang... what are you doing?” Iron Abacus Immortal asked in confusion.

Fang Mu said, “Do you have anything you can use now, while I’m carrying you?”

Iron Abacus Immortal was startled, then quickly understood. He was no fool, and admired Fang Mu’s quick thinking.

“Hurry up,” Fang Mu said, still not looking back.

Iron Abacus Immortal nodded, took out his copper compass, and pointed it toward Yu Youde.

“Eight Trigrams! Rise!”

A beam of light shot from the compass, striking Yu Youde directly.

Yu Youde, controlling the black skull in pursuit, was surprised. Bathed in the beam, his movements slowed for a moment.

The gap widened again, and Yu Youde howled louder than ever.

“Brilliant, Brother Fang!” Iron Abacus Immortal called back, “No wonder even your enemies want to recruit you—you’re a genius.”

Fang Mu didn’t reply. He had already caught a subtle sound in his ear.

This strange interference brought them to a delicate balance: Fang Mu couldn’t escape far, and Yu Youde couldn’t catch up.

Time passed, and Fang Mu’s speed began to falter.

Iron Abacus Immortal, still shining the copper compass, glanced back and was bewildered by what he saw.

Not far ahead was a small lake.

Calling it a lake was almost an exaggeration—it was tiny, barely twenty meters across.

Iron Abacus Immortal couldn’t understand why Fang Mu ran to its shore.

It couldn’t be a panic-stricken escape, for Fang Mu’s direction had never changed. But could a lake really fend off Yu Youde?

“It’s still here,” Fang Mu sighed in relief.

He had discovered this little lake when he first arrived in the world.

“You can’t escape, you won’t escape!”

“Watch out!”

A fierce wind and vicious roar sounded behind, with Iron Abacus Immortal’s warning.

Fang Mu looked back at the black mist whip speeding toward him. Gathering his true energy in his legs, he leapt into the lake like an arrow released from its bow.

A tremendous splash erupted, then the surface quickly calmed, ripples whispering across the water.

The black skull arrived at the shore, Yu Youde’s furious voice resounding: “Jump into the water if you like—you won’t escape! I’ll tear you to pieces!”

Without hesitation, Yu Youde, controlling the black skull, jumped in after him.

As soon as he entered the water, Yu Youde saw a flash of light before his eyes.

Fang Mu, butcher’s knife in hand, darted toward him like a swift fish.

Golden light enveloped Fang Mu—the aura of a desperate battle.

Yu Youde was delighted, sending countless black mist whips from all directions.

Boom!

The golden light flickered and shattered, vanishing in an instant.

Yet Fang Mu gathered his remaining true energy and charged directly into the black skull.

The immense backlash came, and true energy exploded from Fang Mu’s butcher’s knife.

Earlier, when Fang Mu had struck Yu Youde, he saw Yu Youde use the black mist whip to defend, meaning the skull itself was not very durable.

Yu Youde reacted swiftly, startled by Fang Mu’s full-force attack. Pain stabbed his chest, forcing him to withdraw the black mist whip.

Smack!

The whip struck Fang Mu’s Golden Body technique, shattering it and sending Fang Mu flying, his expression wilted.

Iron Abacus Immortal seized the moment, swam over, and swiftly led Fang Mu out of the lake.

...

On the shore, Fang Mu gasped for breath, sitting with Iron Abacus Immortal.

Boom!

A huge splash erupted, and a figure descended from the sky—Yu Youde himself.

On Yu Youde’s chest was a tiny, nearly invisible wound; if not for the tear in his clothes, it would have gone unnoticed.

“Well, well, well!” Yu Youde laughed in rage. “So this is all you can do? A wound as thin as a hair—this is your counterattack?”

Fang Mu’s expression was calm. He gazed at Yu Youde, as if waiting for something.

Yu Youde, caught by Fang Mu’s gaze, was first puzzled. Then his body suddenly bent double, his face darkening as he clutched his chest.

“When did you do this?” Yu Youde’s face twisted with pain and confusion.

“Guess,” Fang Mu replied.

By now, Fang Mu had recovered some true energy and slowly stood up.