Chapter Eighty-Seven: The Tassel on the Spear

After recovering the remaining tuition and meal fees, Fang Xiao left the Sixth River Study Hall with his long-spear in hand.

Of course, this money had not been demanded back from He Zhizhou.

The chief instructor had simply tossed Fang Xiao back to the steward to deal with.

Then he had swept away in a huff.

He had not made things difficult for the very person who had angered him!

Fang Xiao understood.

This old cultivator was not a bad man.

At the very least, he bore him no malice.

But He Zhizhou was far too old.

Fang Xiao could not smell it with his nose, and yet he could clearly sense the indescribable air of twilight and decline that clung to the man.

So Fang Xiao firmly believed that quitting school was the right choice beyond all doubt.

"Fang Xiao!"

Before Fang Xiao had ridden his big green donkey half a li, a burly man like a black tower came running hard from behind.

It was Han Dahu.

Fang Xiao hastily pulled on the reins, then sprang down from the donkey at once. "Senior Brother Han?"

"It's me."

Han Dahu wiped the sweat from his forehead and said urgently, "Junior Brother Fang, have you heard?"

"Just now, Instructor Xue Zhenhai died in the old Gao family mansion in the county seat."

"They say he died miserably!"

Fang Xiao was stunned. "Really?"

"Absolutely true!"

Han Dahu swallowed hard and went on, "The county office has already sent constables and a coroner over. I heard the news and wanted to tell you, but then you came out just in time."

The county town of Sixth River was not small, though neither was it very large.

Now that something so huge had happened, all kinds of rumors were already spreading wildly inside and outside the town.

Even the study hall had heard about it.

"Thank you."

Fang Xiao smiled. "This is truly good news, but I have already withdrawn from the school."

Naturally, he felt no fondness for Xue Zhenhai, who had tried to frame him.

All he felt now was relief.

As for the cause of the man's death, Fang Xiao did not care.

He knew Han Dahu had come all this way merely to put his mind at ease, so that he would no longer have to fear retaliation from that martial hall instructor.

"Withdrew?"

Han Dahu was dumbfounded. "Was that really necessary?"

He thought back to how Fang Xiao had landed a single punch on the overbearing Gao Hong during the combat stage, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

It had been simply too cool.

And then Fang Xiao had quit.

He was done playing.

After taking his leave of the deeply disappointed Han Dahu, Fang Xiao returned to Little Thorn Mountain.

As soon as he stepped through the gate of the Daoist temple, he saw Priest Pang sitting in a wicker chair, rocking his head to and fro as he hummed a little tune.

Seeing Fang Xiao return, Priest Pang said with a chuckle, "Student Fang Xiao, I hear you cut quite the figure today!"

Fang Xiao led the big green donkey aside and fed it a spirit-nourishing pellet.

Then he said with a smile, "Not bad, I suppose. I never expected that Gao Hong would be so easy to beat."

Fang Xiao truly had not expected it.

A so-called prodigy among his fellow disciples, a young master from a prominent family who had passed the first martial examination at the Azure Origin Academy, had actually been unable to withstand a blow using even half of Fang Xiao's strength.

Had the fellow not been cheating with hidden armor, he very well might have died on the spot.

That would indeed have been a little troublesome.

Looking at Fang Xiao's carefree smile, bright as sunshine, Priest Pang silently marveled inwardly.

This little fellow from his hometown was growing faster and faster.

In truth, at this very moment, Priest Pang did not yet know that Fang Xiao had nearly fallen into mortal danger because of it.

"Hm?"

Priest Pang's gaze suddenly fell upon the long-spear Fang Xiao had kept in hand ever since he entered.

"Where did this spear come from?"

He stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "It looks rather interesting!"

Fang Xiao let out a long breath, then recounted how Instructor Lin Chongyuan had traveled to Pine Prefecture and, at their parting, had gifted him the spear.

After hearing the story, Priest Pang sighed. "This Instructor Lin is also a man of feeling."

He asked, "So how do you plan to handle this spear? Set it up on an altar and worship it?"

In truth, Fang Xiao was also troubled.

This long-spear, passed down in the Lin family for more than a hundred years, contained a spear soul within it that could resonate with him in a marvelous way.

That was also why he had not stored it in his military satchel along the way.

The problem was that Fang Xiao already had the Tempered Black-Iron Spear.

Aside from lacking a spear soul, the Tempered Black-Iron Spear was of far higher grade than this long-spear.

And the astonishing killing power of the tri-edged spike was one of his most important trump cards against formidable enemies.

Most crucial of all, Fang Xiao did not think Lin Chong had entrusted him with the long-spear in order to have him continue venerating it as a sacred object.

After learning of Fang Xiao's dilemma, Priest Pang immediately offered his opinion: "Easy enough. Just refine the spear soul of this long-spear into your black-iron spear."

Fang Xiao blinked. "And this spear?"

"The spear will still be here. I guarantee it won't be damaged."

Priest Pang said with confidence, "If that Instructor Lin knew, he would certainly agree with my idea!"

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

Fang Xiao no longer hesitated and handed the long-spear in his hand to him. "Just be sure not to ruin it."

"I must have owed you something in a past life!"

Priest Pang's nose nearly twisted in anger. "Even if I did owe you, shouldn't it be about paid off by now?"

He actually dared to question his craftsmanship.

That was going too far.

Fang Xiao scratched his head and smiled apologetically.

Priest Pang grumbled as he carried the spear toward the artifact-refining chamber.

Fang Xiao hurriedly called out, "Master Daoist, thank you!"

Priest Pang immediately turned back.

He extended his plump hand toward Fang Xiao. "Give me that ragged towel of yours!"

Fang Xiao hesitated.

But he did not ask why, merely took out the towel from his satchel.

Though the old, battered towel was no longer something Fang Xiao used, he had never thrown it away.

It had already been torn into two strips.

One of them still clung to a good deal of long-dried blood - blood left behind from when Fang Xiao had once wrapped his wounds.

And Priest Pang, of all things, took only the bloodstained one!

He went into the artifact-refining chamber.

Time passed little by little.

Morning gave way to noon, noon to afternoon, and the sun slowly sank.

Before long, the earth was wrapped in night.

When the pale moonlight shone into the little courtyard of the Daoist temple, the chamber door creaked open from within.

Priest Pang stepped out with dark circles under his eyes, carrying the Tempered Black-Iron Spear.

"What a vicious spear soul. It nearly got me killed!"

He cursed as he walked. "I'll never do this kind of work again. What a bloody loss."

As he spoke, Priest Pang could not help yawning hugely.

He was so exhausted that his eyes could barely stay open.

"Thank you for your hard work, Master Daoist!"

Fang Xiao, who had waited half the day, eagerly gripped the re-forged black-iron spear tightly in his hands.

At first glance, the spear appeared unchanged from before.

Its length, color, and weight were all the same.

Yet at the junction between the tri-edged point and the shaft, there was now a vivid blood-red tassel tied in place!

A streak of utterly familiar red instantly flooded Fang Xiao's vision.

It set his blood surging.

Countless memories rose in Fang Xiao's heart.

Unable to help himself, he reached out and gently touched the tassel.

Speartassel

To gather qi, to kindle blood, to stir the soul

If miracles had a color, it would surely be the red of the sun

At that moment, Fang Xiao felt as if something had lodged in his throat.

Born toward the sun, blazing with crimson fire.

He would never forget it.

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