Penny wise pound foolish

"Heh, you dare to play dirty tricks, but I have no countermeasures?" Fang Xing sneered coldly, his gaze flickering with a relaxed demeanor, as if he didn't regard Hou Qing highly. He continued, "Don't try to act tough with me. Although my cultivation is not as high as yours, you wouldn't dare to touch me even with ten times the courage. Otherwise, you won't see the sun tomorrow! Hmph, did you think your identity was well hidden? I saw through it long ago and even kept a letter..."

Hou Qing's forehead started sweating, his mind racing. A silver light approached Fang Xing, emanating a chilling aura.

It was a silver sword inscribed with runes, looking exceptionally agile.

"How did you know my identity..." Hou Qing's killing intent overflowed, suddenly panicked by the revelation of his identity, almost resorting to violence. However, Fang Xing seemed confident, making Hou Qing anxious, thinking that Fang Xing might have a hidden ace up his sleeve, feeling quite apprehensive.

Fang Xing felt pressured and had to reveal Hou Qing's identity, a reluctant move to ensure his safety. But at this moment, he had to come up with a convincing reason to persuade him; otherwise, Hou Qing might really dare to kill.

His mind raced, and he blurted out, "You fool, have you ever thought about how many outer disciples urgently need Stone Spirit Powder?"

Hou Qing was taken aback, feeling embarrassed. Indeed, among the outer disciples, aside from those who recently joined the sect and a few with connections or outstanding talents, there were few who reached the level needing breakthrough pills.

In fact, Hou Qing knew that among over a thousand disciples, he was the only one at this level. Before joining the sect, he had already achieved the second level of spiritual cultivation and rapidly advanced to the peak of the third level upon entry. However, Fang Xing's deduction startled him; he realized he might have underestimated Fang Xing's intelligence.

"Wait, even if that's the case, you could only suspect it was me. Why are you so sure to call out my name?" Hou Qing suddenly grasped this point, the silver sword again closing in.

He was no inexperienced noble; he had extensive experience in the martial world. However, Fang Xing, after figuring out one aspect, quickly sorted out his thoughts and coldly chuckled, "Indeed, there are about a dozen suspects, but who am I? I've been mingling among the outer disciples since childhood. Among these suspects, I know at least half, and your voice is unlike theirs, which eliminates them. Furthermore, others entering the Ghost Market wear black masks, but you wear a white one. Your clothes are clean, as if just washed and dried, showing either a fondness for white or a cleanliness obsession. By investigating, I narrowed down the suspects. Plus, you emit a strong musk scent..."

Fang Xing couldn't stand it and waved his hand in front of his nose, disgusted, "I can smell you from a mile away!"

Hou Qing's body shook, and he awkwardly sniffed his sleeve, feeling embarrassed, taking a step back.

Fang Xing pressed on, "I asked around after that day, and with so many clues, not finding you would be absurd. In fact, I've observed you closely. Your small mole confirmed your identity. Initially, I didn't intend to expose you, just to secure our transaction. But you dared to deceive me!"

Hou Qing felt a mix of panic and cold sweat, realizing he might have underestimated Fang Xing, who appeared to be a mere second-generation disciple but had keen intelligence. As Hou Qing thought about Fang Xing's astute observations and his own obliviousness, he felt a chill. At the same time, he couldn't help but scrutinize Fang Xing, wondering if he had encountered him before in these nine days...

Seeing Hou Qing's complex expression, Fang Xing knew he still harbored doubts and needed further persuasion. He suddenly lifted his black veil, coldly saying, "I just wanted to complete this transaction peacefully. Now that I've shown you my true face, hand over the Demon Spirit Pill. From now on, we are strangers. Don't worry about me deceiving you. If you fear retaliation, the fact that you've seen my true face is enough to threaten me."

"You..."

Hou Qing was even more shocked when Fang Xing revealed his true face, taking another step back.

"Whoosh..."

A golden light flashed beside Fang Xing as a golden sword with nine intertwining snakes around it soared into the air, exuding a chilling aura.

Hou Qing was astonished, maintaining his composure, "Do you intend to fight me?"

Fang Xing sneered, "I just wanted to make a deal. But let me tell you, even though your cultivation surpasses mine, I'm not lacking in top-tier artifacts. If we really fight, you might not come out on top..."

Hou Qing glanced at the hovering nine-snake golden sword, reluctantly nodding.

To him, that golden sword was troublesome, and if they fought, even if he wasn't afraid, he might end up injured.

He felt a strong threat from the sword. These second-generation disciples often had many excellent treasures, causing headaches for others.

"Alright, since Senior Brother only wants to complete the transaction, I'll apologize here..." Hou Qing retrieved his silver sword, bowed slightly to Fang Xing, and didn't let down his guard.

Fang Xing waved impatiently, saying, "Stop with the formalities. Hand over the Demon Spirit Pill!"

Hou Qing smiled awkwardly, reached into his robe, took out a small porcelain bottle, and tossed it to Fang Xing.

Fang Xing inspected it, ensuring it was genuine. He pretended to smell it before sealing it again, sneering at Hou Qing, "A simple transaction turned so complicated because of you. Junior Brother, don't be so scheming in the future; it will bring trouble upon yourself! Hmph, goodbye, let's never meet again..."

With that, he turned and left, the golden sword still hovering beside him.

"Once again, my respects to Senior Brother..."

Hou Qing politely bowed from behind, not letting his guard down. He didn't want to provoke a second-generation disciple like Fang Xing unnecessarily.

In fact, he regretted it now, worried that Fang Xing might use the sect's power against him afterward.

However, a thought occurred to him; he remembered Fang Xing's appearance, ready to expose Fang Xing's deception if needed. No one would take advantage.

Moreover, he had some connections in Qingyun Sect; otherwise, he wouldn't have reached the second level of spiritual cultivation and joined the sect.

Thinking like this, he put away his flying sword and walked quickly down the mountain.

As he walked, the mountain breeze cooled his sweating body, but his brows remained furrowed, "Who is that person? He's unfamiliar. But just to be safe, I'll have Junior Sister Xun inquire about him. Hmm, this person likes to refer to himself as 'I,' tall and thin, with a golden flying sword..."

"Wait, a golden flying sword, with nine intertwining snakes..."

"I seem to have heard of it somewhere..."

Hou Qing stopped in his tracks, pondering for a long time, suddenly remembering someone told him about a notorious thief who stole a Nine-Snake Golden Flame Sword in the Ghost Market, which was quite extraordinary... This revelation startled Hou Qing, as if he had figured something out. He immediately took out the Stone Spirit Powder to check and noticed a strange color on his hand...

The Stone Spirit Powder was slightly damp from his sweat, but losing color was odd...

How could a second-generation disciple of the sect sneak into the Ghost Market as a thief?

Similarly, how could a thief transform into a second-generation disciple of the sect?

"I'll kill you!"

Many doubts surfaced clearly in Hou Qing's mind.

He was infuriated, veins bulging on his neck, roaring in anger, audible three or four miles away.

After a loud roar, he immediately turned and dashed towards the mountaintop, then chased after Fang Xing along the path. However, Fang Xing had already taken another route down the mountain, moving swiftly. How could Hou Qing catch up?

All of this was Hou Qing's own doing; if he hadn't tried to deceive Fang Xing, he would have noticed the flaw in the Stone Spirit Powder while inspecting it. Unfortunately, at that moment, his mind was focused on tricking Fang Xing, neglecting the inspection—a classic case of 'Penny wise pound foolish.'