By dusk, the white feathers had stopped falling.
The surviving members of the caravan gathered in scattered groups beneath Xiang Ya Mountain. Some returned from the forest covered in mud and blood, some carried injured companions, and some returned alone. Many did not return at all.
The camp they formed that night could no longer be called orderly. Broken carts were dragged together, injured Gu Masters leaned against trees, and servants sat numbly on the ground, their faces pale and empty. Chen Shou gathered the remaining leaders inside a damaged tent, and the report he received was extremely ugly. Many mortals had died, several Gu Masters were missing, more were injured, and although some carts had been crushed by the white feather flying elephants, many goods remained ownerless after their masters died.
When this matter was mentioned, the tent became quiet.
Then the quiet quickly changed.
"Those goods should be divided by contribution."
"Contribution? My men blocked the first wave. Without us, more of you would be dead."
"Your men? Half of them ran before the second charge."
"Everyone lost people. Why should one side take more?"
Chen Shou's face was dark. He was still Rank four, and he was still the caravan leader, but after so many disasters, his authority had become thin. People still listened to him, but only because they had no better choice. The caravan had not collapsed completely, but it was already very close.
Fang Ming stood outside the tent and heard enough. People had just died, but the living were already fighting over their goods. This was normal. In this world, death did not stop greed. Sometimes, it only made greed move faster.
Not far away, Zhang Xin Ci stood beside Xiao Die. Her face was pale, and her hands were clenched inside her sleeves. Zhang Zhu had not returned. Xiao Die's eyes were red from crying as she asked: "Miss, Uncle Zhang will be fine, right?"
Zhang Xin Ci did not answer immediately. After a while, she said softly: "Uncle Zhang is strong. He will return if he can."
Her words were calm, but her gaze kept moving towards the dark forest.
Fang Ming watched her. He did not comfort her with empty words. Zhang Zhu's life or death no longer depended on them. It depended on Fang Yuan. If Fang Yuan wanted him dead, Zhang Zhu would not return. If Fang Yuan wanted him alive, Zhang Zhu would appear.
The answer came before midnight.
A servant suddenly shouted from the edge of the camp: "Someone is coming!"
Several Gu Masters raised their weapons. Three figures walked out from the forest. Zhang Zhu was in the middle. His clothes were torn, his face was pale, and one arm hung weakly at his side. Fang Yuan supported him on the left. Bai Ning Bing stood on the right, her straw hat lowered.
Zhang Xin Ci's eyes widened.
"Uncle Zhang!"
She ran forward, Xiao Die following behind her. Zhang Zhu coughed, then forced himself to stand straighter as he said: "Miss, this old servant was useless and made you worry."
Zhang Xin Ci shook her head. "It is good that you came back."
Her gaze then moved to Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing. "Young Master Hei Tu, Lady Bai Yun, thank you for saving Uncle Zhang."
Fang Yuan lowered his head slightly. "Lady Zhang is too polite. Uncle Zhang was in danger. Since we saw it, we could not ignore it."
Bai Ning Bing said nothing.
Zhang Zhu glanced at the two of them, his expression complicated. He had been saved, but he had also seen enough. During the chaos, Hei Tu and Bai Yun had revealed strength that was even superior to his. Their movements, their reactions, their methods—all of it proved one thing.
They were Rank 3 Gu Masters, and very strong at that.
Zhang Xin Ci was not stupid. She noticed Zhang Zhu's expression and looked at Fang Yuan again.
Fang Yuan sighed lightly. "Lady Zhang, there is something we should explain."
The people nearby became quiet. Fang Yuan said: "Bai Yun and I are indeed Gu Masters."
Xiao Die's eyes widened. "You really were hiding it!"
Fang Yuan continued calmly: "We did not hide it to harm Lady Zhang. We had our own unfortunate circumstances. When we first entered the caravan, we were injured and in danger. If our identities were exposed too early, it might have invited more trouble."
Bai Ning Bing lowered her head slightly and added coldly: "We only wanted to avoid unnecessary problems."
Fang Yuan looked at Zhang Xin Ci, and his tone became sincere. "Lady Zhang has treated poor mortals kindly along the road. We saw this clearly. In this world, mortals are often lower than grass, but Lady Zhang still cared about them. Bai Yun and I sympathize with such people. Because of this, we have always had goodwill towards Lady Zhang."
His words were clean. His expression was steady. To outsiders, there was nothing wrong with them.
Zhang Xin Ci listened silently. After a moment, she turned to Xiao Die.
"Bring the records of our remaining goods."
Xiao Die froze. "Miss?"
Zhang Xin Ci said softly, "Uncle Zhang's life cannot be measured by a few boxes of goods. Since Young Master Hei Tu and Lady Bai Yun saved him, then this debt is priceless."
Xiao Die hesitated, but still obeyed.
Soon, she brought over the list of Zhang Xin Ci's remaining goods.
Zhang Xin Ci offered it to Fang Yuan with both hands.
"These are all the goods I still have. Please accept them as my thanks."
Fang Yuan looked at the list, then shook his head.
"Lady Zhang, please take it back."
Zhang Xin Ci paused.
Fang Yuan said: "We helped because we wished to help, not because we wanted reward. If we accept these goods now, then the meaning changes."
Bai Ning Bing glanced at him but did not speak.
Fang Yuan continued: "The road ahead is still dangerous. Lady Zhang needs these goods and primeval stones more than we do."
Zhang Xin Ci looked at him for a while, then slowly nodded. "Then I will remember this favor."
Fang Yuan smiled faintly. "That is enough."
From nearby, Fang Ming watched the whole scene. His face showed no change, but inwardly, the answer had become clear. Zhang Zhu was alive. Fang Yuan had saved him. Not only that, Fang Yuan had also refused Zhang Xin Ci's goods.
On the surface, it was righteousness. Refusing reward after saving a loyal servant would naturally leave a good impression. But Fang Ming saw another layer. If Zhang Xin Ci lost her goods, she would have fewer reasons to remain with the caravan. If her goods were gone, her servants scattered, and Zhang Zhu dead, Fang Ming could take her away directly. With his Rank four strength, leaving the broken caravan and heading towards Shang clan city was not impossible.
But Fang Yuan did not allow that.
He kept Zhang Zhu alive. He let Zhang Xin Ci keep her goods. He preserved her reason to stay.
Fang Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.
So that was it.
Fang Yuan did not want Zhang Xin Ci to leave the caravan yet. He wanted her to remain inside this broken group until Zombie Mountain. Zhang Zhu was not spared out of kindness. The goods were not refused out of righteousness. Both were anchors. One held Zhang Xin Ci emotionally, and the other held her practically.
With Zhang Zhu alive, she still had an old protector advising her. With goods and servants remaining, she still had business to manage. She would not easily abandon everything and follow Fang Ming alone.
Fang Yuan was keeping the pieces in place, and Zombie Mountain was where he intended to make his real move.
Later that night, Zhang Xin Ci came to Fang Ming. Zhang Zhu followed behind her. His face was still pale, but his eyes were clear. Xiao Die stayed outside the tent.
Fang Ming poured tea but did not speak first.
Zhang Xin Ci sat opposite him. "Young Master Fang Ming, what do you think of Hei Tu and Bai Yun?"
Fang Ming looked at her. She was calm, but there was doubt in her eyes.
Good.
She had not swallowed Fang Yuan's words completely.
Fang Ming said directly: "They are most likely demonic Gu Masters."
Zhang Xin Ci's fingers tightened slightly around the teacup. Zhang Zhu did not look surprised. Fang Ming continued: "They say they sympathize with poor mortals, but they hid their strength while many mortals died. They only revealed themselves after the caravan's fighting strength was crippled and exhausted. Their timing is too convenient."
Zhang Xin Ci lowered her gaze.
Fang Ming's voice remained calm. "They approached us from the beginning. They are either targeting you or targeting me."
The tent became quiet.
Zhang Zhu finally spoke. "I agree."
Zhang Xin Ci looked at him.
Zhang Zhu said heavily: "They saved me, but that does not mean they are clean. Their strength is real. Their concealment is also real. People who hide so deeply must have a reason."
He paused, then added: "Miss, you can be grateful, but you must not trust them."
Zhang Xin Ci nodded slowly. "I understand."
Fang Ming looked at her expression. She was kind, but she was not blind.
After Zhang Xin Ci and Zhang Zhu left, Fang Ming remained seated alone. The tea had already gone cold. Zhang Zhu had returned alive. Fang Yuan had refused the goods. The meaning was clear—Fang Yuan wanted the pieces to remain on the board.
Fang Ming's lips curved slightly. He had already stepped out of the game; next came flipping the table.
He glanced at his Gu and felt relieved. The reason he dared to consider such a move was simple: might makes right. With enough strength, he could always overturn the board and refuse to play entirely.
Eclipse Moonlight Gu Rank 4 attack / copied from Gu Yue Bo.
Thousand Mile Smoke Gu Rank 4 movement/support / copied from Chen Shou.
Mountain Shell Gu Rank 4 defensive / copied from Chen Shou.
Until now, Fang Ming had not used any of them.
In Fang Yuan's eyes, Fang Ming was only a newly advanced Rank 4 Gu Master who still relied on Rank 3 Gu. That misunderstanding will be useful.