Chapter 968: Fang Canran's Revenge

Fang Canran's appearance had changed completely from what it was in Lingxu City. There was a slight dimple in the center of his chin, making him look more resolute. Even his voice was deeper. Only his demeanor and movements still felt somewhat familiar to He Lingchuan. If they had just passed each other, He Lingchuan wouldn't have recognized him.

"Are you wearing a mask?" After causing such massive destruction in Lingxu City, it made sense to change his name and appearance to ensure lasting anonymity.

"No, an elder from Mount Ling used the Art of Daogui," Fang Canran said, patting his face. "No divine power or spell can see through it because this is my real skin and real face." The Art of Daogui? So, cosmetic surgery. He Lingchuan instinctively looked at Dong Rui, who also had his face altered, but National Master Shuangye's method seemed less complicated.

"You've been incommunicado for the past year. I only knew you were still alive by observing the Beijia commands." Fang Canran also looked at Dong Rui. "And who might this be?"

"His name is Dong. He was also involved in the bad things we did."

Fang Canran understood and immediately became more friendly towards Dong Rui. "So, you're also a good friend! Please, sit down and let's talk."

In Lingxu City, although he and He Lingchuan cooperated, they were wary of each other, and there was a deep barrier between them. However, having accomplished something earth-shattering together that couldn't be spoken of to outsiders, their reunion in a foreign land now felt especially close. Both had proven their intentions through their actions, and it was clear they shared a common enemy: Beijia. Having fought side by side, their bond was different.

Fang Canran led them into a small waterside pavilion in the garden. It was a quiet, walled structure with windows covered in Xuan paper, providing shelter from the wind and offering guests a view while dining and discussing. As this was an island, the architecture wasn't delicate, but it had a distinct charm.

Dong Rui glanced at the pond through the Xuan paper window and suddenly said, "There's a golden lotus in the pond." Lotuses bloom in summer, and in late autumn, the pond should have been full of withered leaves. Yet, there were still three or four green lotus leaves in the pond, and among them floated a budding golden water lily.

"That's a small lotus spirit," Fang Canran said. "With it here, our conversation is safe; we don't have to worry about being overheard." He lifted a silver basin from the stove; the hot water inside was just beginning to form fish-eye bubbles. He immersed the wine vessel in it. It was getting cold, so a little warm wine would be good.

He Lingchuan asked him, "Are you a disciple of the Taihang Sect?"

"Please, have a seat," Fang Canran said, opening a nearby octagonal cabinet and taking out a set of exquisite square dishes containing four appetizers. "Yes, I've been with the Taihang Sect since childhood, only going to Lingxu City later. After exacting my revenge, I returned to the Taihang Sect, found Platinum Island to be a good place, and came here. The two seafarers Brother He entrusted arrived just in time; had they been a day later, I would have been out."

He Lingchuan had sailed to Blade's Edge Port, meeting two seafarers along the way. They got along very well, and the seafarers happened to deliver a letter to Fang Canran for him. Of course, Fang Canran had a different alias and secret code in this foreign place.

"Congratulations on getting your revenge, Mr. Fang," He Lingchuan said, picking up a piece of dried squid, tearing it, and eating it. "Mm, it's salty, savory, sweet, and chewy. What happened to the Ke family?"

Over 180 years ago, an ancestor of the Ke family reported to Lingxu City, forcing the Yuan Kingdom to hastily revolt. After a thousand days of fierce resistance, they ultimately failed. The officials and citizens of Thousand Star City were massacred, and the descendants of the Yuan Kingdom were reduced to chattel slaves, never to rise again. However, the Ke family, thanks to their betrayal and their success in recovering the Qingle Treasure Canopy, enjoyed nearly two centuries of wealth and prosperity. Their extravagance was so extreme that even Lingxu's powerful nobles were envious. As a descendant of Shao Jian and the Yuan Kingdom, Fang Canran harbored a deep national and familial hatred for the descendants of this traitorous family. He had been undercover in Lingxu City for nearly twenty years, partly to carry out Mount Ling's orders and partly to seize an opportunity to avenge his family and nation. When He Lingchuan spoke with him before, he had already concluded that the Ke family's suffering would be a natural consequence, a clear retribution. During the chaos in Lingxu City, Fang Canran orchestrated the entry of the Thunder-Aura Giant Beast into Tiantong Island via the Jinghong Crossing teleportation array, allowing it to thoroughly trample the Ke family. This was him settling his personal grudge after fulfilling his official duties. He Lingchuan had already heard the aftermath from Elder Dao of Mount Rong, but Fang Canran's account was undoubtedly firsthand information.

Fang Canran chuckled, "The Ke family's initial losses from the Thunder-Aura Giant Beast's attack exceeded ten million taels, including garden structures, art sculptures, rare treasures, and more."

He Lingchuan immediately recalled the Ke family's exceedingly luxurious ancestral mansion, a worldly fortune amassed over a century of divine grace and favor. Each generation of the Ke family had meticulously refined it based on their predecessors' work, with every brick and tile carefully chosen. Coral trees taller than a person, with golden branches and jade leaves, were merely ordinary landscaping features at garden corners. As for the tiles of the Clear Sound Pavilion, they sounded like a flute in the wind and like a zither when it rained, creating an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere. These tiles were selected after eight hundred firings by renowned craftsmen and kilns over a period of more than seventy years, costing at least twenty thousand silver taels, a testament to both immense labor and time. The Thunder-Aura Giant Beast crashing into the Ke mansion was like an elephant in a china shop; there was no telling how many ancient artifacts and treasures it had shattered.

"But money is a small matter," Fang Canran continued. "Over forty members of the Ke family died, and more than twenty went missing. Although Patriarch Ke Shouyi only sustained minor injuries, his favorite fifth son, Ke YanJing, died, and his third and fourth sons were severely wounded. The fourth son was trampled, paralyzing half his body; he'll likely never walk again. And, coincidentally, out of his nine grandchildren, six grandsons were trampled to death that night. The three who survived were all granddaughters."

A once flourishing large family suddenly suffered a devastating blow.

"That bad?" Dong Rui, with nothing else to do, picked up two pieces of peppercorn-flavored scorched rice and crunched on them loudly.

"After this upheaval, Ke Shouyi fell gravely ill and nearly died, barely recovering after taking divine medicine. Of all the nobles on the floating island, only the Ke family suffered the most severe damage. The officials and common folk in Lingxu were all speculating that the Ke family was being targeted for revenge. However, the enemies and rivals the Ke family had made over the past two centuries were simply too numerous; just sifting through the list would take over half a year."

Fang Canran's face was filled with satisfaction. "Despite suffering such a blow, Mount Xu's mountain spirit, Zuju, further accused the Ke family of withholding offerings, claiming it was their constant hunger that led to their resentment and subsequent rampage in the Heavenly Palace. Both the Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Palace reached an agreement with Zuju, raising the standard for mountain spirit offerings and ordering the Ke family to strictly comply from now on."

"So, the Ke family will have to offer more to Zuju from now on?"

Zuju had broken free from the restraints of Mount Xu's great array and could freely enter and exit the earth's core; even the gods couldn't control it. If the Heavenly Palace didn't want its rear end to be constantly on fire, it had to be kinder to this powerful fire spirit. He Lingchuan immediately thought of the King of Yin Hui deep within Dragon's Ridge Island. Compared to the insatiably greedy Zuju, Longhao was truly an honest and simple great demon, asking only for the least valuable evil beads as offerings. As for whether the Heavenly Palace had a way to restrain Zuju again, that was a matter for later.