Of course, everyone was focusing on the fact Fang Xing had already fled without considering that actually managing to escape was not as easy as it seemed. In truth, escaping from the Mysterious Domain was a very difficult task; not only was the Huangfu clan chasing after him and trying to block his path, but his large fortune attracted the attention of unrelated cultivators eyeing him from the shadows as well. A large number of people hadn’t gained anything from the Mysterious Domain, but things wouldn’t be so terrible if they were able to obtain their fortune through capturing this brat instead. For this reason, a large number of people sent messages outside the Mysterious Domain to their clans and sects telling them to pay attention for someone with Fang Xing’s features. This person absolutely had to be captured and couldn’t be allowed to escape, no matter how many people died in the process.

　　As for the Huangfu clan, after they received news of how their dignity had been tarnished, they vowed to take him down and sent their Eight Bewitched Followers to guard the area immediately outside the Mysterious Domain. Those who came from the Nine Songs Tribe were the most emotional of the group, as their young leader Lei Jiu had been extremely talented and was named the most powerful person below Huangfu Shenji. His future potential had been limitless, yet he’d been killed by this little demon’s unscrupulous methods—his death had simply been too unjust….

　　With such an inescapable net spread out, the odds Fang Xing would be able to escape were nearly nonexistent.

　　In fact, many cultivators believed Fang Xing would enter the depths to battle against the Huangfu clan’s young master for precisely this reason—since the little demon already had no chance of escaping, he may as well gamble everything on a last stand. People were so certain Fang Xing would go and challenge the Huangfu clan’s young master that the perimeter outside the Mysterious Domain had loosened. Everyone was too busy using any means they could to hear more news about what was going on inside while waiting for Fang Xing to show up near God’s Bridge. Fang Xing had taken this opportunity to flee with the golden crow, slipping out of the Mysterious Domain and escaping despite the many obstacles placed in his path….

　　By the fourth day when everyone was waiting at the God’s Bridge, Fang Xing was long gone!

　　It hadn’t been easy, of course. Although all of the forces had been expecting Fang Xing to head to the depths of the Mysterious Domain to challenge the Huangfu clan’s young master, they still placed plenty of defenses just in case and everyone leaving was subjected to a strict interrogation. To get around this, Fang Xing and the golden crow planted themselves in a group of miserable-looking sect disciples who were going to teleport out and made them carry a coffin while showing extremely mournful expressions. Fang Xing himself wore Ye Gu’yin’s dress, put on a wig, powdered his face, and let out tears with high-pitched cries, while the golden crow used the Mask of Wanluo Fang Xing had given him to hide his golden feathers and take on the shape of an owl sitting atop Fang Xing’s shoulder. Adding in their wounds, the group looked like a group of mourning cultivators in a miserable state.

　　Most cultivators who entered the Mysterious Domain experienced greater losses than gains and only just barely managed to flee with their lives, so this was a common sight. This group was even carrying a coffin, and the fact the group wasn’t willing to leave the deceased inside the Mysterious Domain meant the person inside definitely had to be someone important from their sect. For even their leader to perish, it doesn’t get any sadder than this….

　　Things went surprisingly smoothly and the group wasn’t hindered at all—even the people from the Huangfu clan didn’t bother to stop and check such insignificant cultivators. After a few dozen miles later, however, someone did catch up to them: people intending to rob them.

　　These kinds of cultivators were worth mentioning as well. These were people who either hadn’t obtained anything from the Mysterious Domain themselves, or simply hadn’t had the opportunity to enter but still wanted a share. They would hide in the shadows and specifically target those who’d come out from the Mysterious Domain to rob, kill, and plunder the opportunities gained inside. Of course, these people did not dare do such things in close proximity to the Mysterious Domain; all the seniors and teachers would usually be there, and someone might decide to interfere if things got too far out of hand. They would usually pick their targets at the border and only show themselves a hundred or so miles later when it came time to act.

　　How could they have ever imagined that the fat lambs they’d been eyeing were actually so difficult to deal with?

　　Within only a few breaths, the three cultivators who’d intended to rob the group were killed by Fang Xing and the golden crow. Once that was taken care of, the golden crow flew back and looked at the seven or so muttering cultivators and said, “I suppose you all know how domineering the Huangfu clan is, right? If they knew the two of us used you as cover to come out, your entire sect would likely disappear from Jambu. You’re not stupid, right?”

　　The cultivators all hurriedly nodded their heads. “Not stupid, not stupid! We never saw that little demon… we never saw you!”

　　Fang Xing nodded and laughed in satisfaction before tossing out a few Foundation Cleansing Pellets. “With this, it can be said you didn’t enter the Mysterious Domain for nothing!” Once he was finished, he lifted the coffin onto his shoulder and flew away close to the ground alongside the golden crow.

　　Only now could it be said Fang Xing had truly escaped. His next goal was to find a few spirit veins to increase his cultivation level before checking on the Huangfu clan’s activities again. If the Huangfu clan really did plan to find him at all costs, the Jambu continent would no longer be a safe place for him to remain any longer. He might be strong but he wasn’t stupid; he knew battling with the Huangfu clan would be seeking his own death.

　　—

　　Seven days after Fang Xing escaped from the Mysterious Domain, a grey and shabby-robed old Wanluo showed a faint smile within the grand hall that had been temporarily built by the Spirit Mountain Temple. It had been confirmed the little demon had escaped, but the smile was soon replaced by a long sigh as he centered himself and ceased caring about the outside world. He’d been like this for ten whole days.

　　Demon God Valley’s Zhang Daoyi walked in from outside the hall and began whispering, “We’ve already sent an explanation to the Huangfu clan. The disciple the Snowy Mountain took in was called Fang Xiaojiu, and he once used Fang Xing’s name to fool us, hence causing all of the prior misunderstandings. Since Fang Xiaojiu died trying to capture the little demon Fang Xing, all of his crimes are annulled. From today onward, the Snowy Mountain is the Snowy Mountain, the little demon is the little demon; there is not a single connection between them!”

　　Mu Longyin showed a half-smile. “The Huangfu clan will believe this?”

　　“The buddhist master from the Spirit Mountain Temple sent it with me,” Demon God Valley’s Zhang Daoyi replied. “The Huangfu clan should believe it!”

　　Mu Longyin let out a long sigh. “That would be great. At last, we avoided a great calamity. This little demon is just….” He paused halfway through his words before glancing towards old Wanluo, who sat on the other side of the room with his eyes closed.

　　When news Prince Chu Huang had been killed by the little demon was heard ten days ago, Chu Taishang and the old Wanluo had a battle. In the end, Chu Taishang was wounded and fled back to the Chu Royal Court, but he made a vow in front of everyone that he would gather all the power he had to capture and kill that little demon Fang Xing. If anyone dared to stop him, they would then become a great enemy of the Chu Royal Court as well. It was an enmity that wouldn’t cease until one of them died.

　　When someone suggested cutting off all connections between Snowy Mountain and the little demon Fang Xing, the old Wanluo did not object to this. He’d snickered and said, “The opportunities obtained for the Snowy Mountain’s sake, at least fifty percent came from the little demon you all speak of, right?”

　　The cultivators no longer dared say much to this old Wanluo from that day on, but they still cut off all connection between the little demon and Snowy Mountain. As for the process itself, it wasn’t really that difficult; Fang Xing had used a fake name when joining the Snowy Mountain, and although he’d said his real name once before, it wasn’t really a problem to cover it up if someone really wished to do so.

　　After Mu Longyin and Zhang Daoyi grew quiet, old Wanluo broke the silence to ask, “What did the Huangfu clan say?”

　　Zhang Daoyi knew what he wanted to ask. After a while, he finally whispered, “Even if they have to dig three feet into the earth, they would capture Fang Xing at all costs.”

　　The old Wanluo’s gaze grew cold before dimming. He let out a long sigh and muttered to himself, “Can you escape from this?”

　　Zhang Daoyi knew what he was concerned about. “All Eight Bewitched Followers of the Huangfu clan have mobilized already. They’ve locked up the large teleportation altars and gathered divination masters to determine the kid’s location. Under these circumstances, fleeing for a couple days would be easy, and even hiding for a year or two isn’t impossible if he’s lucky enough. However, unless he hides inside a rathole his entire life….” He didn’t continue further beyond that, as the meaning was clear. The power and force of the Huangfu clan—Jambu’s so-called hidden royal family—was so great they could be considered the legitimate ruler of Jambu. Even their Eight Bewitched Followers were abnormal and had extremely high battle prowess, each akin to a major sect of Jambu by themselves. Not even Golden Core Stage cultivators like them could escape death if such a great power placed a bounty on them, so how could this little kid in Foundation Stage do so?