In his previous life, Fang Xi had also lent money to relatives and friends, and it had rarely ended well.
Now, hearing this sudden request, a faint feeling of disgust rose in his heart.
"About that..."
He put on a thoughtful expression, preparing to stall for time.
Meanwhile, Wu Ji, who had been waiting anxiously, watched as his expression darkened bit by bit.
In his own mind, Wu Ji held a fairly high status within the martial arts hall, having reached the second transformation blood qi early on, a level considered part of the higher ranks.
After Fang Xi joined the martial arts hall, Wu Ji had deliberately tried to pull him into his circle.
Yet Fang Xi seemed oblivious to every hint he dropped, as if he were a complete fool.
And now, even a simple request for a loan was being dragged out.
Feeling Wu Ji's gaze on him, Fang Xi sighed inwardly.
Some people were just born petty.
Even if he agreed to lend the money, treating Wu Ji like a beggar just to get it over with, the man would probably still hold a grudge, simply because Fang Xi hadn't agreed fast enough!
'Besides... is someone like Wu Ji even worth my concern?'
At this thought, Fang Xi made up his mind, "I'm terribly sorry. I too have been short on funds recently. I'm afraid I can't help you."
"You!"
Wu Ji's face turned red, then green, as if he had opened a paint shop on his face, truly a sight to behold. "Junior Brother, very well, very well..."
He could feel the mocking gazes of the surrounding disciples, and unable to bear it any longer, he stormed off, sleeves flaring.
After Wu Ji left, Tang Xuan approached. "Junior Brother Fang, you should be careful. Senior Brother Wu has a very narrow heart."
Fang Xi gave Tang Xuan a slightly surprised glance.
This seemingly honest third senior brother clearly wasn't as simple as he appeared.
Or perhaps, after Fang Xi had displayed his talent, many within White Cloud Martial Hall were trying to curry favor with him.
Which was only natural.
After all, Fang Xi had talent and wealth!
It would be stranger if no one tried to win him over.
"What does Wu Ji's family do for a living?" Fang Xi asked casually.
"Senior Brother Wu's family are merchants. They have a small caravan and employ quite a few martial artists as guards," Tang Xuan replied.
"Merchants, huh..."
Fang Xi chuckled softly.
He might not know much about the world of commerce, but he had money!
If it ever came to it, he could completely ruin Wu Ji by burning through his own fortune, a case of harming himself a thousand to wound the enemy eight hundred.
'Still, would it be too cruel to destroy someone's livelihood just because he gave me an ugly look?'
'Sure, being a tyrannical protagonist is satisfying, but in a world like this, those who act like that usually don't end well…'
He quietly mocked himself.
Still, he genuinely appreciated Tang Xuan, who had taken the initiative to approach him without hidden malice, and they chatted for a while longer about martial arts progress.
Tang Xuan, like Wu Ji, had reached the second transformation, a level not considered weak within the martial hall.
Unfortunately, reaching the third transformation still seemed a distant dream.
At this point, even Tang Xuan couldn't help but show some bitterness, "Actually... my situation isn't too bad. Our Fourth Junior Sister has been stuck at the first transformation for so long that her family is already pressing her to return home and get married."
Fang Xi was slightly stunned.
He hadn't expected that the senior sister who always seemed so eager around him was in such a precarious situation.
Still, when he thought about the many disciples at the outer court, those who had paid tuition only to quietly leave after failing to grasp blood qi, he felt much more balanced.
In truth, martial arts heavily favored both talent and resources.
Back then, the people from Yuanhe Mountain had been right, his own body's natural aptitude was very average.
It was only thanks to the nourishment of spiritual energy and spirit rice from the cultivation world that he had achieved such progress, comparable to the martial hall's young elites.
Such was the tragedy of commoners.
If you had talent, you could rise quickly and become one of the upper class.
If you had no talent, and no resources, you would spend your entire life sinking in the mud.
"But I'm different. I will fight!"
"I'll seize every resource I can in the Daliang world!"
With this resolve, Fang Xi left White Cloud Martial Hall and returned to the Fang residence.
"Young Master is back!"
Ah Fu and several maids greeted him, their faces bright with smiles, especially the maids, whose eyes were practically sparkling.
After all, their young master had mysteriously disappeared for days again, and today he had finally returned.
"Prepare the training grounds. I need to practice."
Ignoring the slightly plaintive gaze from Laurel, Fang Xi headed straight for the martial training grounds.
Swish!
In a flash, he was atop a wooden post, beginning his practice of the Serpent Slithering Eight Techniques.
He hadn't neglected the Red Serpent Leg technique either.
By now, he too had reached the second transformation of blood qi!
"Serpent Kick!"
In an instant, Fang Xi lashed out with three kicks in midair.
His legs were flexible, boneless, and eerily serpent-like, striking from unexpected angles.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three wooden posts shattered instantly.
"This Red Serpent Leg isn't just deadly, it's also an incredible training aid for leg strength..."
Retracting his leg, Fang Xi muttered to himself.
After obtaining the Red Serpent Leg's divine will diagram, he essentially had the complete core transmission of the technique, enough to train it to the level of a martial hall master.
He naturally wouldn't abandon it easily.
If one were to roll up his pants now, they would see that his legs had thickened considerably, the muscles sharply defined.
Moreover, along the tendons, faint serpent-like patterns were starting to emerge.
This was the hallmark of reaching the second transformation in Red Serpent Leg cultivation.
"My top priority now is to breakthrough to the third transformation... and gain access to demonic beast meat resources."
Having finished his training, Fang Xi mentally outlined his next steps.
But when he caught sight of the lively and lovely maids, he decided to delay his plans just a little longer.
After all, after the backbreaking toil of farming spirit fields in the cultivation world, wasn't it time to enjoy life a bit?
The next day.
White Cloud Martial Hall.
Despite his indulgences the night before, Fang Xi remained disciplined.
Today, he returned again to train, and he could distinctly feel his blood qi stirring restlessly.
Perhaps... today would be the day he broke through to the third transformation!
"Add more fire! Keep it burning!"
In front of the earthen stove, as the poisonous medicinal decoction in the cauldron grew less and less effective in stimulating his palms, Fang Xi remained calm and steadily urged the servants on.
"Yes, sir!"
Several shirtless servants, drenched in sweat, hurriedly fed the flames with more wood and added more poison into the pot.
Unnoticed, a circle of onlookers had gathered around.
Among them was Wu Ji, who looked on and sneered loudly, "Junior Brother Fang is making a serious mistake here… Carelessly increasing the dosage might cripple his hands!"
Tang Xuan's lips twitched, he wanted to speak up, but Liu Taotao beat him to it, "I think Junior Brother is simply pushing for a bold breakthrough!"
Her clear, ringing voice stunned Wu Ji into silence, and even Tang Xuan gave her a surprised look.
What had gotten into their junior sister today, to directly oppose Second Senior Brother?
Soon, Mu Canglong and Mu Piaomiao also arrived, drawn by the commotion, and their faces showed varied expressions.
Half an hour passed.
"Hu..."
Fang Xi withdrew his palms.
They were bright red at first, but as the redness faded, a layer of gray began to spread, starting from his palms, extending to the sides, then to the backs of his hands...
By the end, his entire hands had turned a dusky gray.
"This is... the 'Dark Cloud' stage?"
Mu Piaomiao cried out in shock.
Blood qi third transformation, the Dark Cloud level!
This meant Fang Xi's mastery of White Cloud Palm had already caught up to her, second only to Mu Canglong!
"He actually brokethrough?!"
Wu Ji gaped, looking like a toad about to croak.
But by now, no one was paying any attention to him.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Fang, on your tremendous progress!"
Tang Xuan raised his voice in celebration.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother (Senior Brother) Fang, on your tremendous progress!"
One by one, the other disciples bent low in respect.
"Thank you all."
Fang Xi remained calm and composed, but as he passed Liu Taotao, he gave her a slight smile, "If you encounter difficulties with cultivation resources in the future, feel free to come to me."
With just those words, the surrounding disciples' expressions shifted.
Many cast envious looks at Liu Taotao.
Everyone knew her family was pressing her to get married because she hadn't made any progress in martial arts.
But now, with Senior Brother Fang's support, her future looked much brighter.
"Thank you... Junior Brother..."
Liu Taotao's voice quivered with emotion.
"No need to be polite."
Fang Xi waved casually.
To him, it was merely a small investment.
Martial Hall Main Hall.
"Good, good! Very good!"
Mu Canglong beamed at Fang Xi, obviously very satisfied.
He hadn't expected that a student he originally accepted just for the silver would turn out to have such astonishing talent in White Cloud Palm.
"Since you've achieved the third transformation, your next step is to refine your Blood Qi and step into the realm of true force."
Mu Canglong's expression grew serious as he handed Fang Xi a scroll, "This is the secret Divine Will Diagram of White Cloud Palm. Study it carefully, pay more attention to the spirit behind the image than the image itself!"
"Thank you, Master."
Fang Xi made a note to have Ah Fu send a lavish thank-you gift later, and accepted the scroll without hesitation.
Unrolling it, he found only swathes of clouds, rolling, swirling, full of an ethereal grace.
He stared at it for a while, trying to sense the deeper meaning hidden within.
"It's normal if you can't grasp it right away," Mu Canglong said gently. "From now on, you'll study it half an hour daily with your Senior Sister Piaomiao."
"I understand," Fang Xi replied, returning the scroll.
There would be plenty of chances to secretly copy it later.
For now, he had other priorities, "Master, I'd like to ask about the demonic beasts and Monsters."
"I heard from Piaomiao that you're very interested in demonic beast meat?"
Mu Canglong nodded, then shook his head, his face darkening with an unusual hint of fear, "Monsters are one thing, feral creatures that often attack travelers, but still manageable... True terror comes from 'demons.'"
"Demons?"
Fang Xi showed a questioning look, but Mu Canglong only waved his hand dismissively, "Just know this, even martial artists at my level are certain to die if we encounter a true demon. In any of the nine prefectures of Daliang, whenever a demon disaster occurs, that place often becomes a dead zone!"
"So terrifying?"
Fang Xi sucked in a sharp breath, mostly for show.
"As for demonic beast meat resources... a martial artist at the third transformation can just barely handle a small amount," Mu Canglong added, tossing Fang Xi a wooden token. "In Blackstone City, there's an underground market where demon meat is sold. If you want some, go buy it yourself."