Chapter 95: Controlled Rhythm
Fang Ming returned before Hei Lou Lan's group left Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
He did not appear from the treasure room directly in front of everyone. Instead, with the copied glass owner token hidden on him, he quietly rejoined the round space before Hei Lou Lan's group fully withdrew.
Not long after, everyone was forced out.
A group of people appeared at the entrance of the first floor.
The Hei tribe guards immediately stepped forward.
"Lord tribe leader has returned!"
"Subordinate greets lord tribe leader and all the lords!"
Hei Lou Lan's group looked miserable.
Some were covered in blood. Some were pale from exhaustion. Some had torn robes and wounds that had barely stopped bleeding.
Their gazes soon landed on Fang Ming.
Curiosity.
Doubt.
Probing.
They had all seen Fang Ming receive the high-grade evaluation and vanish. None of them knew where he had gone, what he had seen, or what he had gained.
Fang Ming's expression remained calm.
The more they wanted to know, the less he would say.
Hei Lou Lan laughed loudly and walked forward, patting Fang Ming's shoulder with an affectionate expression.
"Hahaha! Everyone worked hard today, but Brother Fang Ming's contribution is undoubtedly the greatest. Without your skill, we would not have passed that round so beautifully."
The Hei tribe elders echoed him, but their gazes were complicated.
Hei Lou Lan continued, "After we return, I will organize a banquet. We celebrate for three days!"
Fang Ming smiled faintly and cupped his hands.
"Lord Hei Lou Lan is too generous. But I gained some insight from this trip and need a short time to consolidate it. I hope Lord Hei Lou Lan will forgive me for missing the banquet."
Hei Lou Lan's smile froze for a breath.
Then it returned.
"Of course, cultivation is important. Brother Fang Ming should focus on his gains."
Fang Ming continued before Hei Lou Lan's gaze could deepen.
"Tomorrow, I will continue assisting Lord Hei Lou Lan in pushing through the first floor."
Hei Lou Lan's expression changed slightly.
The faint dissatisfaction in his eyes eased.
"Good!" Hei Lou Lan laughed again, this time with more sincerity. "With Brother Fang Ming helping, our progress will be much faster."
Fang Ming nodded calmly.
He had no interest in attending a banquet where every cup of wine would come with hidden questions.
Where did you go?
What did you get?
What is inside the treasure room?
How did the high-grade evaluation work?
He would answer none of them.
The treasure room, the guest halt stele, the copied glass owner token, Di Qiu's loophole, and his partial control over a section of True Yang Building were secrets that could not be exposed.
But he also could not withdraw completely.
Not now.
If he stepped back too early, Hei Lou Lan would become dissatisfied.
If Hei Lou Lan became dissatisfied, he would think of Fang Yuan.
That could not happen yet.
Fang Ming needed Fang Yuan outside Eighty-Eight True Yang Building for as long as possible.
The later Fang Yuan entered, the later he would obtain the glass owner token.
The later he obtained the glass owner token, the later he would discover Di Qiu's flaw.
And the later he found Di Qiu's chain, the later Mo Yao's help would arrive.
That delay was worth far more than one banquet.
After returning to his courtyard, Fang Ming took Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun aside.
Ma Hong Yun looked nervous. "Master, everyone was staring at you just now."
"Let them stare."
"Did you really go somewhere special?"
Fang Ming glanced at him.
Ma Hong Yun immediately shut his mouth.
Zhao Lian Yun stood nearby, her eyes moving thoughtfully. Unlike Ma Hong Yun, she was far sharper. She knew Fang Ming had hidden something, but she was smart enough not to ask directly.
Fang Ming handed them several Gu worms and cultivation materials.
"These are for you."
Ma Hong Yun's eyes widened. "For me?"
"For both of you."
Zhao Lian Yun looked at the Gu worms and asked carefully, "Senior intends to train us personally?"
"When there is time."
Fang Ming's tone was calm.
Outwardly, this was reasonable.
He had taken Ma Hong Yun as a disciple. Zhao Lian Yun followed beside Ma Hong Yun, so giving her some guidance was natural too.
But this was only a side matter.
His true focus was still Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
Counterfeit Copy had entered cooldown after copying the hidden owner token. Until it recovered, Fang Ming could not copy Hei Lou Lan's owner token.
So this period could not be wasted.
He would use it to help Hei Lou Lan advance.
Not too fast.
Not too slow.
The goal was rhythm.
If he helped too little, Hei Lou Lan would think of Fang Yuan.
If he helped too much, the first floor would be cleared too quickly, and Counterfeit Copy would not have enough time to recover.
Fang Ming needed to be useful enough to keep Hei Lou Lan satisfied, but measured enough to buy time.
The next day, Fang Ming entered Eighty-Eight True Yang Building again with Hei Lou Lan's group.
This time, he did not disappear.
He stood openly beside Hei Lou Lan.
The Hei tribe elders watched him with complicated eyes, but none dared to question him directly.
Hei Lou Lan was in a much better mood.
"Brother Fang Ming, I will trouble you again."
Fang Ming cupped his hands. "Since I agreed, I will naturally assist."
The round began.
This time, Fang Ming used his eagle army seriously.
Flying beasts spread out under his command, scouting the terrain, testing enemy formations, and drawing out hidden dangers. When sacrifices were needed, beasts moved forward instead of Hei tribe elders.
This alone changed the atmosphere.
The elders were willing to fight, but none wanted to die meaninglessly. With Fang Ming's eagles bearing much of the risk, their resistance weakened, and their cooperation improved.
Hei Lou Lan noticed this clearly.
His gaze toward Fang Ming grew more satisfied.
This was exactly the kind of helper he needed.
An enslavement expert could spend beasts where others would have to spend lives.
Fang Ming's control was precise.
Sometimes he pressed hard, breaking through a round quickly.
Sometimes he slowed down, claiming that the beasts needed to recover or that he needed to study the enemy arrangement.
No one could easily refute him.
After all, his methods worked.
They passed round after round.
Hei Lou Lan's owner token continued accumulating progress.
Fang Ming watched it quietly.
That token was the true prize.
Hei Lou Lan thought Fang Ming was helping him climb toward a strength path Immortal Gu.
The Hei tribe elders thought Fang Ming was exchanging effort for favor and future benefits.
Ma Hong Yun thought his master was simply powerful.
Only Fang Ming knew the real calculation.
Every round cleared was not merely Hei Lou Lan's progress.
It was future authority being prepared for Fang Ming.
During rest periods, Fang Ming returned to the courtyard and continued teaching Ma Hong Yun and Zhao Lian Yun.
Ma Hong Yun was clumsy, but obedient.
Zhao Lian Yun learned quickly, but hid her sharpness.
Fang Ming did not mind.
Their presence helped explain his movements.
His disciple.
His disciple's companion.
His teaching.
His rest.
All of it formed a surface layer.
Under that layer, he counted the days.
Counterfeit Copy needed time.
Hei Lou Lan needed progress.
Fang Yuan needed delay.
Fang Ming knew the delay could not last forever.
There was a later enslavement test with a heavy requirement on soul foundation. Fang Ming could command beasts, but his soul foundation was not Fang Yuan's. He could not pass that kind of test as smoothly.
When that point arrived, Hei Lou Lan would likely invite Fang Yuan no matter what.
And Fang Yuan was not a fool.
He might act arrogant.
He might demand benefits.
He might bargain like Hei Lou Lan owed him the world.
But Fang Ming knew that arrogance was only a mask.
If Fang Yuan sensed that an opportunity was fleeting, pride would become worthless to him.
He could lower his head.
He could beg.
He could kneel.
As long as the benefit was large enough, Fang Yuan would not hesitate.
That was what made him dangerous.
Flexible.
Slippery.
Impossible to fully bind with a rigid plan.
So Fang Ming did not build his plan on perfect control.
He only needed delay.
Enough delay for Counterfeit Copy to recover.
Enough delay for Hei Lou Lan's owner token to gain first-floor authority.
Enough delay for Fang Ming to copy that authority before Fang Yuan entered the deeper board.
Days passed.
Rounds fell.
Hei Lou Lan's mood improved visibly.
He still had impatience burning inside him. His Great Strength True Martial Physique did not allow him to relax. Ordinary mortal rewards could not satisfy him. His eyes were always fixed on the later stages, on the possibility of a strength path Immortal Gu.
But as long as progress continued, he could endure.
For now, Fang Ming was more useful than Fang Yuan.
That was enough.
After another round ended, Hei Lou Lan looked at the owner token in his hand, then looked at Fang Ming.
"Brother Fang Ming, with you here, this first floor may not take as long as I expected."
Fang Ming smiled faintly.
"That depends on Lord Hei Lou Lan's command."
Hei Lou Lan laughed.
The nearby elders also smiled, but their gazes carried hidden envy.
Fang Ming lowered his eyes.
Command?
No.
This was not Hei Lou Lan's command.
This was Fang Ming controlling the rhythm from behind the curtain.
He would help Hei Lou Lan climb.
He would keep Fang Yuan outside, he would wait for Counterfeit Copy.
And when Hei Lou Lan's owner token finally transformed, Fang Ming would harvest the authority he had helped create.