Chapter 72: The Giant Whale Gang Leader's Intent to Kill

As Fang Yun observed the entrance to the Giant Whale Gang, he waited for a while until he heard hurried footsteps coming from inside.

He looked up and saw the Black Widow approaching, dressed in a different, dazzling outfit, accompanied by several maids.

Upon seeing Fang Yun at the entrance, her face visibly showed signs of anxiety, and she hurried over.

"Isn't this Hero Fang? Why have you come again? I'm married now and no longer involved in past matters.

If you need manpower, you should look elsewhere!"

Hero Fang?

Listening to the Black Widow's inexplicable words and noticing her anxious expression, Fang Yun realized that she didn't want him to stay there any longer.

However, he couldn't figure out the reason at the moment.

Nevertheless, for safety's sake, it would be best to leave.

He could gradually uncover what had happened later.

Just as Fang Yun resolved to leave, hurried footsteps approached from another direction in the courtyard.

"Madam, this is your acquaintance, isn't it? Why rush him off? Don't you think it will make others believe that our Giant Whale Gang lacks hospitality?"

As they spoke, a burly man dressed in blue tight-fitting clothing approached, leading more than a dozen men.

Seeing this, Fang Yun realized that it was too late to leave now. The man clearly wasn't here with good intentions. Judging by how he was addressed, this man was probably the leader of the Giant Whale Gang.

Fang Yun wasn't sure why the man seemed so hostile, but he could feel the vine beneath his feet, which gave him confidence. The man didn't emit any magical power, meaning he wasn't a cultivator. This put Fang Yun more at ease, as he had little to worry about.

When the burly man approached with his group, the Black Widow's expression changed slightly. She then walked over with a coquettish smile.

"Leader, he's not really an acquaintance, just a guest I met at sea a while back. He came looking for help, but since I'm married to you now, I'm no longer involved in those activities. So, there's nothing I can do to help."

The burly man chuckled, then his face grew serious as he coldly glanced at the Black Widow and said, "That's not necessarily true. I heard that before you returned, you became a servant to a cultivator. Could it be this man here?"

As he spoke, the man's eyes turned to Fang Yun, filled with killing intent.

Fang Yun was slightly surprised. It was unexpected that the man knew he was a cultivator. However, when Fang Yun glanced at the group behind the man, he noticed two of them were former martial artists under the Black Widow's command. It wasn't strange, then, that they knew he was a cultivator.

What puzzled Fang Yun was that, despite knowing this, the man still looked at him with such murderous intent. That was intriguing. Did this man have a way to harm cultivators?

As Fang Yun pondered this, he maintained a faint smile and locked eyes with the burly man, though his mind became more cautious. Unseen, the vine beneath the earth quietly crept closer, just a few centimeters below the surface, ready to act.

The Black Widow, upon hearing the man's words, realized that Fang Yun's identity had been exposed. She cast a dark glance at the two people behind the man, clearly understanding that they were the ones who had revealed Fang Yun's identity.

The burly man, noticing the Black Widow's expression, resumed his smile. "Since the lady isn't denying it, it seems what I said is true! Isn't that right, Immortal Master?"

He pushed the Black Widow aside and took two steps forward, staring intently at Fang Yun.

Fang Yun glanced at the man, then at the gang members around him, who were all on high alert, and the ones rushing over with various weapons. His sense of caution heightened to the maximum.

It was clear that these ordinary people intended to besiege him, a cultivator. Though this was very different from how Fang Yun had imagined mortals would behave toward cultivators, the situation had progressed to this point, and Fang Yun had to admit—this place was indeed a pirate stronghold. These people were bold enough to attempt anything.

"I am indeed a cultivator, but I'm curious. Since you know I'm a cultivator, where do you get the courage to try and kill me? Have you done this before, succeeded, and reaped considerable rewards?"

This was the only explanation Fang Yun could think of for their audacity.

If they had once faced off against low-level cultivators with little means of protection and overwhelmed them when their spiritual energy ran out, it made sense they would dare try again.

"Haha, indeed! You're as smart as a true Immortal Master. You've figured it out!" The burly man laughed heartily, visibly pleased with himself.

Having received the confirmation he sought, Fang Yun no longer bothered with words.

From the moment these people revealed their hostility, Fang Yun had already guided the vine beneath the ground to the burly man's feet.

Now, with a thought, the vine shot up, aiming directly at the man.

The burly man immediately sensed the ground tremble, followed by an overwhelming threat rising from below.

He quickly stomped the ground and leapt backward. Just as his feet left the ground, the earth shattered, and a massive vine covered in sharp spikes erupted like a giant serpent, surging toward him.

The man's face changed, and a thick blue shield of light appeared around him. At the same time, he flipped his hands, producing a short blade from his sleeve, which he swung forward with force.

A several-meter-long slash of blue energy shot out, slicing toward the menacing vine.

Seeing this, Fang Yun knew it was too late to dodge the blade energy. With a thought, the tip of the vine raised up, soaring above the energy and continuing its pursuit of the burly man.

The blue blade energy struck the vine with force, sending dozens of spikes flying in all directions. As a result, the vine was jolted and missed the chance to keep chasing the man.

Fang Yun was somewhat surprised by the power of this blade energy; it seemed similar to the blade energy he had produced with his own weapon before. He wondered how this burly man, being an ordinary person, could wield such strength. However, the blade energy only managed to sever the spikes on the vine's body without inflicting any real damage.