Chapter 425: Chapter 256: Contention (Part 2)

Sun Xing said quickly, "My lord, I will never forget your noble act. May I ask for your name?"

"My surname is Fang."

Fang Yue answered simply, not revealing any more about his identity or background.

Hearing this, Sun Xing’s heart stirred.

However, he couldn’t recall anyone named Fang Yue. Still, that did nothing to diminish his awe and gratitude toward the man.

"Lord Fang, thanks to your timely assistance, our Four Seas Trading Company has been saved. To show our gratitude, we’ll waive your passage fee. Furthermore, our company would like to present you with twenty thousand silver taels as a token of our appreciation," Sun Xing said sincerely.

Fang Yue waved a hand. "Steward Sun, it was only right for me to help. As for the passage fee and the silver, that won’t be necessary."

Sun Xing was taken aback, not expecting Fang Yue to refuse. He quickly protested, "Lord Fang, that simply will not do. You saved the lives of everyone on this ship, not to mention all the cargo. How could we not repay such a kindness? Besides, while this sum may be nothing to you, it is a sincere gesture from our Four Seas Trading Company. I implore you to accept it."

Fang Yue smiled faintly. "Steward Sun, I didn’t intervene for the sake of money. As for repaying me, if you are truly sincere, simply do more good deeds in the future. That will be repayment enough."

Upon hearing this, Sun Xing’s admiration for Fang Yue grew even stronger. He bowed deeply and said, "Lord Fang, your integrity is inspiring. I will take your words to heart. If ever there is an opportunity, I will surely repay your kindness."

Fang Yue nodded without another word.

He then returned to his cabin to rest.

He didn’t care why the pirates had attacked, what the Hidden Soldier Map was, or whether it was even on this ship.

However, the matter was far from over.

Although Fang Yue had returned to his cabin to rest, he did not lower his guard.

He knew full well that the people behind the pirates would not let this matter go, and that the secret of the Hidden Soldier Map was far more complex than it seemed.

Night fell. The sea wind howled across the deck, bringing with it a biting chill.

Fang Yue lay on his bunk, eyes slightly closed. He appeared to be resting, but in reality, he was secretly observing his surroundings.

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps echoed outside his cabin. Fang Yue’s eyes snapped open in alert.

He held his breath, listening intently to the sounds outside. The footsteps drew nearer; someone was clearly approaching his cabin.

’They’ve finally come,’ Fang Yue sneered inwardly.

He didn’t move, but waited quietly for them to enter.

Sure enough, moments later, the cabin door was pushed open gently, and a dark figure slipped inside.

By the faint moonlight, Fang Yue could see the visitor’s face clearly. It was the same woman who had been with Qing’Er.

The woman saw that Fang Yue was already awake. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but she quickly hid it.

She tiptoed to Fang Yue’s bedside and whispered, "Lord Fang, I know you aren’t asleep. I have something important to tell you."

Fang Yue said nothing, merely watching her coldly. The woman took a deep breath and continued, "I know the secret of the Hidden Soldier Map, and I know where it is."

"What is it you want to say?" Fang Yue asked.

The woman paused, seeming to gather her thoughts, then said slowly, "The Hidden Soldier Map isn’t hidden somewhere on this ship. It’s on a person."

Fang Yue’s brow twitched. This was unexpected. "On who?"

"On me."

The woman’s voice was a whisper, as if she were afraid of disturbing the sea wind outside.

"I am the Guardian of the Hidden Soldier Map, and the one who brought it onto this ship. I had originally planned to move it to a safe location without anyone noticing, but I didn’t expect to be found out."

Fang Yue narrowed his eyes, studying the woman before him.

Though the night was dim, his gaze seemed sharp enough to pierce the darkness and see straight into her heart.

He didn’t respond immediately, instead rapidly weighing the possibilities in his mind.

"The Hidden Soldier Map is on you?" he began slowly, his tone probing. "So why are you telling me this?"

At the same time, his eyes were locked on her, trying to read any clues in her expression.

"Because I can no longer protect it. I hope you can help me take the Hidden Soldier Map to Gongzhou Prefecture and give it to..." The woman started to continue.

But at that moment, Fang Yue cut her off.

"Don’t say another word. Leave now, and I’ll pretend you were never here."

The woman was stunned by his interruption. She hadn’t expected such a reaction.

But seeing the serious, resolute look in his eyes, she knew he wasn’t joking.

"Lord Fang, you may not understand the importance of the Hidden Soldier Map. It’s not just a Treasure Map; the security of the entire realm hangs in the balance," the woman said urgently, trying to persuade him.

But Fang Yue remained unmoved. He said coldly, "I don’t care what it’s about. All I know right now is that I can’t help you."

The woman fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her options.

Then, she left in silence.

After the woman left, Fang Yue lay on his bed, his mind in turmoil.

It wasn’t that he had no interest in the Hidden Soldier Map. On the contrary, he was well aware of the treasure’s importance.

But he knew even better that once he got involved in this conflict, it would be nearly impossible to get out.

He had come here to complete his own mission and didn’t want any unnecessary complications.

Yet, events seemed determined to unfold contrary to his expectations.

First the pirate attack, then the appearance of the Hidden Soldier Map—it all exerted a strange pressure on him.

’Forget it. I’ll get off as soon as the ship docks at the next port,’ Fang Yue decided. He would leave the ship early to escape this vortex.

~~~~~~

Five days later, the ship sailed into the next port, Dongshan Port.

Fang Yue decided to disembark here and distance himself from the conflict surrounding the Hidden Soldier Map.

With his simple luggage, he slipped off the ship unnoticed and set foot on the soil of Dongshan Port.

Dongshan Port was a bustling center of commerce. Crowds thronged the streets, and the calls of merchants hawking their wares in various languages filled the air.

Fang Yue moved through the crowd, doing his best to keep a low profile and avoid attracting any unwanted attention.

He found an unremarkable inn to stay at, planning to rest for a short while before continuing toward his destination.

The next day, Fang Yue bought a horse and set out for Gongzhou Prefecture.

Before long, as Fang Yue reached the edge of a dense forest, he suddenly halted.

He turned to face the depths of the forest and said coldly, "Come out. I know you’re in there."

The words had barely left his mouth when a RUSTLING sound came from the woods. A moment later, a man dressed in black emerged.

He held a gleaming Longsword, and his eyes were filled with killing intent.

"Hand over the Hidden Soldier Map," the man in black said coldly.

Fang Yue looked at the man in black, feeling no great alarm.

He had known all along that escaping the conflict over the Hidden Soldier Map wouldn’t be easy. He just hadn’t expected them to catch up so quickly.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. What does the Hidden Soldier Map have to do with me?" Fang Yue retorted coldly.

The man in black clearly didn’t believe him. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and the Longsword in his hand trembled slightly with a sharp RING. "Do you think you can fool me? I know you have the Hidden Soldier Map. Hand it over if you know what’s good for you. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what happens next!"

Fang Yue felt a wave of resignation.

"Since you’re so fixated on the Hidden Soldier Map, then come and take it," Fang Yue said, settling into a combat stance, ready for battle.

Seeing this, the man in black wasted no more words. With a flicker of movement, he became a black shadow, lunging at Fang Yue.

The Longsword, imbued with sharp Sword Qi, thrust straight for Fang Yue’s chest. Fang Yue’s eyes narrowed as he shifted his body slightly to the side, evading the fatal strike.

At the same time, Primordial Qi surged in his palm as he struck out, his hand colliding with the man in black’s Longsword.

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