62. Fang Baiyu

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The ancestral hall of the Chen estate.
At the entrance of the main hall stood several incense masters and more than a dozen executives, every single one of them wielding sabers and swords, scanning their surroundings with stern gazes and standing at full alert.
Inside the hall of the ancestral hall, candlelight illuminated three figures.
Two of them were seated around a small table. Sitting on the left side of the table was the eldest master of the Chen family. He wore a green scholarly robe and possessed a rather refined aura. At this moment, he was bent over, pouring tea for the bald man sitting opposite him.
The Chen estate was considered a wealthy and prominent family in Water Lamp Town. On the surface, they engaged in the collection and resale of antiques and artifacts, making their business appear quite respectable. However, beneath the surface, they secretly engaged in tomb raiding.
Primarily, the second master and the eldest master of the Chen family had served in the military in their youth. Due to tight military funds, they had been ordered by their general to rob tombs and sell the stolen treasures for silver to finance the military operations. As time passed, they naturally mastered the skills of tomb raiding.
Later, when they retired and returned to their hometown, they secretly resumed their old trade. Such deeds depleted their accumulated virtue and were despised by proper folk. Nevertheless, the two masters of the Chen family relied on digging up graves to make a fortune, eventually becoming one of the most prominent families in Water Lamp Town.
Once a person had money, social status followed, and voices of criticism dwindled. Furthermore, the eldest master of the Chen family was skilled in business management; not only did he bribe government officials, but he also periodically distributed silver to relieve the poor and supplement the military funds of the local garrison. This not only pandered to the officials—earning him a commemorative plaque bestowed by the county yamen—but also established an exceptionally stellar reputation locally.
Even so, despite the momentary glory enjoyed by the eldest master of the Chen family, he would never dare to offend the bald man sitting across from him.
Without a doubt, the bald man in black martial arts attire seated opposite him was none other than Fang Baiyu, the master of the White Feather Hall.
He was truly a towering figure who dominated the surrounding six towns, and with the backing of the Tiger Wolf Sect—a major martial arts sect—let alone the eldest master of the Chen family, even the local magistrate had to show Fang Baiyu due respect.
"Hall Master Fang, thank you so much for coming tonight. Otherwise, heaven knows how the Chen estate would have been ravaged by the Plum Blossom Fiend." The eldest master of the Chen family respectfully poured tea for his guest. At the same time, he handed the kettle to Chen Er, who was standing behind him, signaling him to go boil more water. In truth, this was a deliberate move to dismiss Chen Er so that he could subsequently discuss private matters with Fang Baiyu.
However, Chen Er's gaze remained fixed on the object wrapped in red cloth held in the arms of the eldest master, revealing a greedy expression. Only after hearing the eldest master's words did he withdraw his gaze, cup his fists in salute, and depart.
Fang Baiyu sat upright and straight, as imposing as a towering pine or crane, his aura as steadfast as a mountain. Even the casual gesture of sipping tea carried an oppressive, unangered dignity. "Eldest Master Chen, you are being too formal. The Chen estate dutifully offers its respects and tributes to our White Feather Hall every year. Now that the Chen estate is in peril, it is only out of loyalty and righteousness that I, Fang, extend a helping hand. If the Plum Blossom Fiend dares to show his face tonight, I will ensure he never returns alive!"
Master Chen cupped his fists and said, "The safety of my entire estate rests entirely upon Hall Master Fang."
"Easily done, easily done." After exchanging a few polite pleasantries, Fang Baiyu glanced sideways at the object in Master Chen's arms. "Eldest Master Chen, is this the immortal treasure that the Plum Blossom Fiend has repeatedly raided your estate to obtain?"
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Master Chen tightly clutched the red-wrapped object with both hands. "According to the intelligence I have gathered, this should indeed be the item. I only ask that Hall Master Fang slay the Plum Blossom Fiend and ensure the complete safety of my estate. I will then present this item to you with both hands."
Fang Baiyu's gaze narrowed as he stared at the red cloth, holding it there for a long moment before finally pulling his eyes away. "Hn."
Fang Baiyu did not know much about immortal treasures, having only learned fragmented information about them from interrogating a few underlings of the Plum Blossom Fiend whom he captured earlier while assisting the Chen estate in defense.
In fact, Fang Baiyu could not even be one hundred percent certain whether the immortal treasure truly existed.
Previously, Fang Baiyu had repeatedly questioned Master Chen about the immortal treasure, but Master Chen had flatly denied it every time.
It was only recently, as the Plum Blossom Fiend launched successive targeted attacks against the Chen estate, that Master Chen was finally driven to desperation. Only then did he seek out Fang Baiyu, confess the existence of the immortal treasure, and express his willingness to use it as a bargaining chip to request protection from the White Feather Hall and the eradication of the Plum Blossom Fiend.
Consequently, the two parties devised a trap for tonight: Fang Baiyu intentionally manufactured an opportunity for the previously captured underling of the Plum Blossom Fiend to escape, ensuring that the underling would overhear the incense masters discussing the plan—specifically, that Master Chen intended to hand the immortal treasure over to Fang Baiyu tonight.
To make the act convincing, Fang Baiyu brought all the high-ranking members of the White Feather Hall tonight to anchor the position, putting on a show of guarding against any unexpected contingencies.
Moreover, the timing of Fang Baiyu's release of the Plum Blossom Fiend's underling was meticulously calculated, occurring just two hours prior. It gave the underlings only enough time to report back to the Plum Blossom Fiend, without affording them the luxury of verifying the information or formulating a comprehensive deployment strategy.
After all, once the immortal treasure fell into Fang Baiyu's hands, attempting to retrieve it would require facing the entire Tiger Wolf Sect, increasing the difficulty a thousandfold.
Thus, tonight presented the absolute best opportunity for the Plum Blossom Fiend to strike. Even with the high risks involved, compared to facing the entire Tiger Wolf Sect afterward, it was still a gamble worth taking.
If the Plum Blossom Fiend dared to storm this perilous trap tonight... Fang Baiyu would then be certain that the matter of the immortal treasure was absolute and set in stone.
Had it not been for this, Fang Baiyu would never have courted disaster by crossing paths with the Plum Blossom Fiend merely for a small sum of silver.
A single Plum Blossom Fiend was not enough to make Fang Baiyu bat an eye, but behind the Plum Blossom Fiend stood the Corpse-Refining Hall.
This bandit faction had been hiding in the Great Gloom Mountains for decades, defying even the local garrisons and county yamens, which spoke volumes about their viciousness. Even the Tiger Wolf Sect found it difficult to suppress the Corpse-Refining Hall.
In stepping into this trap tonight, Fang Baiyu had not reported the matter to the higher-ups of the Tiger Wolf Sect; it was entirely an individual operation. Because he knew that once reported... the immortal treasure would no longer have anything to do with him.
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Should the operation fail, he would inevitably face reprimand from above. Yet Fang Baiyu harbored his own ambitions—so long as he acquired the immortal treasure unearthed from the ancestral tomb of the Corpse-Refining Hall, let alone a reprimand, even being stripped of his rank would be entirely worthwhile.
According to the claims of the Plum Blossom Fiend's underling: that was the supreme treasure brought into the grave by the founding ancestor of the Corpse-Refining Hall himself. Others might not know the true identity of the Corpse-Refining Hall's ancestor, but he, Fang Baiyu, was well aware of it.
At that very moment, a group of men in black scaled the walls and poured into the compound.
The leading Plum Blossom Fiend immediately spotted the red box inside the ancestral hall and brandished his broadsword without hesitation. "Brothers, charge! Whoever retrieves the immortal treasure will be heavily rewarded!"
"Audacious miscreants! Hall Master Fang is present, how dare you act so insolently!"
Standing in the courtyard, Zhang Hengshui was the first to step forward, leading his men forward with drawn sabers to engage in combat. He deliberately raised his voice, seemingly intending for Fang Baiyu inside the hall to hear him clearly.
With Zhang Hengshui taking the lead, the remaining incense masters and executives also drew their sabers from their scabbards, rushing forward to meet the enemy, each putting on a show of utmost effort and dedication.
Had Fang Baiyu not been present, these incense masters and executives would likely not have fought with such desperation.
However, since Fang Baiyu was right there in the ancestral hall, they, as subordinates, had no choice but to perform well! Doing so would leave a favorable impression in the hall master's mind, sparing them from reprimand while paving the way for future promotions and heavier responsibilities.
In truth, this was standard operating procedure.
This was precisely why ancient generals needed to personally visit the front lines to oversee battles; even an emperor embarking on a personal military campaign served this very purpose. Boosting morale was one aspect, but more importantly, it provided subordinates with an opportunity to perform valiantly and contend for merits.
"Lin Yun, we cannot compare to the other incense masters. Don't be too reckless later; just shout at the top of your lungs so the hall master hears us," Wei Dian softly instructed Lin Yun before drawing his saber to strike.
"Rest assured, incense master, I know what I'm doing," Lin Yun replied with a nod. Ever since Wei Dian had assigned Xie An and Zhang Lin to the perimeter, Lin Yun had understood Wei Dian's true intent.
Their foundation was thin, and they could ill afford casualties.
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