Chapter 29: Generous Reward, Kill Them All for Five Thousand Spirit Stones
Gu Fan let out a cold snort as spiritual energy surged violently from his entire body.
"Too much nonsense. Go die for me!"
Clang!!
A punch and a saber clashed, producing a sound like metal striking stone.
In the next moment, the magnificent and domineering long saber shattered on impact!
"Impossible!"
The man opposite wore an expression of utter shock.
Someone had actually used physical strength alone at this realm to shatter a weapon!
Was this a monster?!
Then his expression changed drastically!
After smashing the weapon, a tremendous force followed through the broken hilt!
This time, the man couldn’t resist at all—it was like being hit by a primordial beast.
His entire body was sent flying backward in an instant.
Blood gushed wildly from his mouth, mixed with unidentifiable fragments of internal organs.
"Six Fiend Sword!"
A gray light vanished into the void!
Before the man could even make a sound, his body seemed to be sliced by space itself—neatly diced into more than a dozen pieces, piling up together.
Lin Yi sheathed his sword and stood tall, smiling at Gu Fan.
"This one should be mine. I barely killed anyone today."
Gu Fan originally wanted to scold him for being a kill-stealer, but seeing how gleeful the fool looked, he decided to let it go.
The battle in the second-floor private room had started abruptly and ended just as quickly.
Everyone in Hero Gathering Pavilion only felt a surge of spiritual energy, followed by a few miserable screams before everything returned to calm.
But just then, another voice sounded from outside the door.
"Inside are the famed Demonic Path Twin Stars, Gu Fan and Lin Yi, correct?"
"Our Second Master would like to pay a visit. May I ask if the two of you are available?"
"This really never ends! Kill them all!"
Lin Yi frowned and was about to draw his sword again, but Gu Fan stopped him.
"Your Second Master, is he from the palace?"
There was a pause outside.
"Indeed!"
Gu Fan’s eyes lit up.
In the palace, someone referred to as the Second Master could only be the Second Prince!
What a case of seeking with worn-out shoes only to find it effortlessly.
He hadn’t expected to run into the Second Prince right here in the Hero Gathering Pavilion.
"What’s wrong, Brother Gu? Not killing this one?"
Outside, the old man trembled all over upon hearing this.
He muttered to himself in horror—these two really were lawless.
They knew he was from the palace and still debated whether to kill or not?!
Gu Fan coughed lightly and scolded in a low voice.
"Are you an idiot? Don’t always think about killing. The man’s come personally to visit us, and he hasn’t offended you. What are you killing him for?"
"Just follow my lead and watch for my signal later!"
Lin Yi was overjoyed and quickly replied earnestly,
"No problem, I’m best at observing Brother Gu’s expressions and intentions!"
Then Gu Fan exchanged a few polite words with the person outside.
In the end, the visitor said he would relay the message, and the Second Master would be over shortly.
Before long, the old man’s voice sounded again outside the private room.
Gu Fan got up to greet him.
After all, the other party was a prince, and he had shown respect.
Naturally, Gu Fan couldn’t disregard his status.
Although Gu Fan was straightforward by nature, as the saying goes, one does not slap a smiling face.
He still possessed some basic social skills.
As soon as the visitor entered the room, he smiled and cupped his hands politely.
"You two must be the renowned Demonic Path Twin Stars? Zhou Rong greets the two of you prodigies!"
Gu Fan scanned him briefly.
The man before him looked to be in his twenties, wearing understated luxurious robes—clearly the son of a wealthy family. But a trace of regal nobility would occasionally leak from him unintentionally.
"I am Gu Fan. This is my friend Lin Yi. Greetings, Second Prince."
Zhou Rong was momentarily stunned.
Clearly, he hadn’t expected his identity to be seen through.
But it didn’t matter—he had planned to extend an invitation in his princely capacity anyway.
Thinking this, Zhou Rong laughed heartily.
"Haha, we’re outside the palace. Let’s not fuss over titles. I’ve heard of your reputations long ago. Since we met by chance today, I specially came to make your acquaintance!"
Truly a man accustomed to the political scene.
His words were skillfully chosen.
Even Lin Yi, who stood beside them, couldn’t help but smile.
"Come, come, let’s sit and talk."
Gu Fan gestured for Zhou Rong to come over to the table.
Zhou Rong paid no mind and took a step, but accidentally kicked something.
Instinctively, he looked down, and in the next moment, his face nearly turned green.
There on the floor was a small, neatly stacked pile of meat chunks—at a glance, one couldn't even tell what it was.
Unfortunately, the thing Zhou Rong had kicked happened to be a furry human head.
Gu Fan noticed and gave an awkward chuckle.
There was no time to clean up now, so he could only pretend nothing had happened.
“Hehe, Second Prince, forgive us. A little accident just occurred.”
“Haha, it’s nothing, it’s nothing!”
Zhou Rong casually nudged the head aside with his foot.
That nudge made him even more alarmed!
He inadvertently saw the face on the severed head.
If he remembered correctly, this man had been a retainer serving the Fourth Prince.
To think he had died so casually at the hands of Gu Fan and Lin Yi!
It was clear these two had no regard for royal power.
No matter who you were, if they were displeased, they’d kill without hesitation!
But Zhou Rong quickly turned that thought around—this was actually a good thing!
At the very least, it meant these two could never work with the Fourth Prince again!
With that in mind, Zhou Rong's smile became even more enthusiastic.
He immediately ordered another round of fine wine and delicacies to be brought in.
The few of them chatted casually and bragged while probing one another.
Among the three, aside from Lin Yi, everyone understood that this meal was certainly not just about drinking.
After three rounds of wine, Gu Fan smiled and took the initiative to speak.
“Surely the Second Prince didn’t come just to drink with the two of us, right?”
Gu Fan wasn’t an idiot.
Wanting to meet for the task was one thing.
But the other party proactively coming to flatter them was another matter entirely.
It was better to first understand the Second Prince’s intent—there was no rush to discuss the task.
Zhou Rong burst out laughing upon hearing this.
“Brother Gu, you speak straightforwardly. Then I won’t beat around the bush! Come in!”
With that, Zhou Rong’s personal strategist slowly walked in.
Gu Fan looked over and saw the man holding two storage pouches, which he placed on the table.
“You two are incredibly gifted talents with formidable cultivation. To be honest, I have my eyes on the Crown Prince position, but several of my rivals have gained the support of the Five Major Righteous Sects. So, I wish to invite the two of you to join my faction and lend me a hand.”
With that, he pushed the two storage pouches toward them.
“They say the more talented the disciple, the more resources they need. Here are some spirit stones I’ve prepared—not much, a thousand each, as a token of sincerity.”
Gu Fan and Lin Yi exchanged a look, both amazed.
A royal prince was indeed wealthy—just like that, he offered two thousand spirit stones!
They both smiled and weighed the pouches in their hands, the corners of their mouths curving up as Gu Fan said,
“Working together isn’t an issue. I’m just curious—what exactly does the Second Prince want the two of us to do?”
“Haha, simple! Just do what you two are best at—killing!”
“Kill who?” Lin Yi asked.
“Kill all the retainers of my competing rivals!”
Gu Fan smiled faintly and casually set the pouch down.
He began lightly tapping his fingers on the table.
The private room fell silent.
Just as the Second Prince began to think the deal had fallen through, Gu Fan spoke.
“The Five Major Righteous Sects are already our enemies. Killing them is justified.”
“But from what I understand, quite a few strong disciples are involved. It won’t be easy for the two of us.”
Zhou Rong sighed in relief upon hearing this.
They were all smart people—how could he not understand Gu Fan’s meaning?
He immediately cupped his fists and promised,
“Rest assured. These storage pouches are just a gift. Once it’s done, I’ll prepare a far greater reward!”
“It will certainly be no less than this amount! I mean per person!”
As he spoke, Zhou Rong raised five fingers.
This time, Gu Fan and Lin Yi were truly shocked.
Five thousand per person—that was ten thousand spirit stones!
Such a windfall, no one could ignore.
Zhou Rong was also thrilled at the moment.
Ten thousand spirit stones—that was a huge amount. Even he would have to sell off everything to gather that much!
But as long as he could become Crown Prince, never mind ten thousand, he’d be willing to pay even more!