Chapter 405: Gathering of Storms and Clouds

Chapter 405: Gathering of Storms and Clouds

...

As for the gathering of storms and clouds that Duan Xiyang discovered, the Guardians, being the local authority, were surprisingly unaware of it for a short time.

After all, they had just experienced the Southeast War, and there were too many incidents happening in the region, all occurring in quick succession.

The various major sects had long prepared to send their core disciples out for training, and everyone was aware of this.

They also knew that these sects were only delaying their plans due to the Southeast War.

Now that the situation had finally stabilized, it was natural for them to take advantage of this period to venture out.

Dongfang Sansan was not a god, and he only knew that the core disciples of the major sects were about to embark on their trials. Therefore, his mind was occupied with other matters: how to ensure that as many of these people as possible would remain in the jianghu.

He couldn't even consider or imagine that there would be a gathering of fortune and the collision of heavenly will.

Consequently, the Guardians in the Southeast were unaware of the subtle gathering of storms and thunder, the clashing of fortunes. Meanwhile, the Guardians were busy cleaning up the aftermath and recuperating; they were not only preoccupied but also lacked experience.

It was unlike Duan Xiyang, who had accumulated experience over thousands of years and still had so much free time...

At dawn,

Fang Che felt that he had been unconscious for eighteen days.

It was about time.

So, he chose a moment when there were many people around: Yuan Jingjiang, Song Yidao, Gao Qingyu, Meng He Jun, Meng Chengzheng, Lu Jiaoshan, Li Changkong, Bing Shangxue...

When everyone was gathered...

Meng He Jun sensed some movement in the room.

The crowd immediately rushed in.

It was Fang Che waking up, looking extremely weak and barely conscious, weakly moaning, "Water... water..."

My cousin is awake!

Fang Qingyun's heart was filled with joy, and he hurriedly brought a cup of water, rushing over in a panic. He stumbled, and half a cup of water spilled onto Fang Che's face.

Fang Che: "..."

That almost exposed my secret.

I'll strangle you after I recover.

Ye Meng quickly took over, carefully wiping Fang Che's face and feeding him water.

Fang Qingyun was subjected to everyone's scolding and criticism, each person glaring at him fiercely.

"Can't you be more careful!"

"So clumsy, what's wrong with you!"

"Have you ever seen anyone take care of a patient like this?!"

"Truly useless!"

"..."

Fang Qingyun also felt regretful and ashamed, "I wasn't careful, I was too excited... It's my fault..."

However, amidst this, the crowd's joy surged!

Fang Che had finally awakened!

He had regained consciousness.

This was great news!

The crowd gathered around the bed, asking after his well-being.

Fang Che looked extremely weak, his breath faint, and he seemed to have no energy left.

"You're finally awake, how do you feel?" Bing Shangxue asked with concern.

"Headache... It hurts terribly."

Fang Che was weak.

"Anything else?"

"My body doesn't seem to be responding well. I can move my hands, but I can't lift my arms. My legs and feet have sensation, but I can't move them."

Fang Che weakly replied, struggling to speak.

"That's to be expected. With such severe injuries and having been bedridden for so long... there will definitely be aftereffects. It won't be easy for a while."

"My head still feels like it's being cut by a knife..."

"It's normal, it will get better in a couple of days."

Meng Chengzheng asked, "Fang Che, do you remember what happened?"

Fang Che looked perplexed, "What happened?"

"For example, the Nightmare Demon... in your body..." Meng Chengzheng inquired.

"I don't remember anything."

Fang Che frowned, "I have no memory of that at all... I only know that the Nightmare Demon seemed to have transformed into a golden light and rushed over... After that, I have no idea what happened."

As he pondered, a painful expression appeared on his face, "My head hurts..."

The crowd quickly stood up, "Then you should rest well, we'll come again tomorrow."

Fang Che furrowed his brows, wanting to support his head with his hand, but as he lifted it, it fell back down, clearly unable to move on his own.

The crowd offered a few words of comfort, knowing that such a situation was difficult for him. They quickly took their leave.

"Let him rest well."

"Take good care of him."

"He hasn't eaten for eighteen days, prepare some nourishing soups."

"We're leaving..."

The crowd hurriedly left.

Ye Meng went to the room, brought some porridge, and carefully fed Fang Che.

Fang Che struggled to swallow, eating a few mouthfuls before gasping for breath and resting. He looked like a person recovering from a serious illness, his weakness reaching an extreme.

After eating half a bowl, he stopped.

Then, after a while, he ate again.

Even Dongfang Siwu, hidden in the shadows, couldn't detect any flaws in this performance.

At noon,

Upon learning that Fang Che had awakened, an unexpected visitor suddenly arrived at the Scholar's Residence.

Yan Jun Di and Yang Luoyu, accompanied by Song Yidao, came to the residence.

"How is Fang Che doing?" Yang Luoyu asked.

"He can move his upper body, but his legs can only wiggle his toes."

"Let me see him."

"Yes."

They entered the room.

"Fang Che!" Yang Luoyu exclaimed in surprise, seeing him struggle to sit up, but Yang Luoyu gently pushed him back down, "Your injuries are severe, it's best to stay lying down."

"My apologies, I'm being rude. Please don't mind, Yang Luoyu."

Yang Luoyu smiled, "This time, you've made a great contribution by eliminating the demonic cult's evildoers, including some high-ranking members."

However, the price was also heavy, and now I feel that the spiritual energy and divine sense are all affected."

"The spiritual energy is fine, but the divine sense is in chaos. Even now, it still feels like a raging sea of anger, as if my mind is filled with water, and I can even hear the sound of it. Every movement causes excruciating pain."

"That's what it's like when the divine sense is injured. It must not be taken lightly."

Yang Luoyu said, "I came here to ask you about what happened after the Nightmare Demon entered your divine soul."

He smiled and asked, "What exactly happened?"

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, but I truly don't know..."

Fang Che grimaced and said, "I have no impression at all. My memory stops at the moment he entered, and then suddenly, my divine soul experienced excruciating pain, and I just kept feeling the pain... until I lost all consciousness."

"I wanted to immerse my divine sense into the sea of consciousness, but before I could even start, I passed out completely."

As Fang Che spoke, his eyebrows furrowed.

It was clear that he was enduring the pain.

"Then how did you wake up?" Yang Luoyu asked.

"I don't know either. Suddenly, I felt the pressure lessen, and then I could sense the endless pain. It was so unbearable that I couldn't help but groan a couple of times... and then I woke up..."

Fang Che carefully recalled, "Oh, and there's another feeling... as if I had just endured a thousand pounds of pressure, like an entire mountain was pressing down on my body, but then it suddenly disappeared, and I felt a sense of relief."

Yang Luoyu carefully took notes.

Then he asked a few more questions.

Before leaving, he also checked Fang Che's divine sense and spiritual power. Only then did he stand up and say, "You can rest assured and focus on recovering. For now, the situation in the southeast is stable, and there's no need for you to fight. Haha, take a break. I'll keep an eye on your appointment."

Fang Che was taken aback, "Appointment? What appointment?"

Yang Luoyu smiled faintly, "You don't know yet, but you're about to get a promotion soon. However, your appointment still needs to be discussed. Don't worry."

"Understood."

"Rest, I'll be on my way."

Yang Luoyu smiled, rose, and left.

Fang Che squinted, watching the door after Yang Luoyu left, his eyes revealing a thoughtful expression.

He was being investigated.

It must have been arranged by Ninth Lord.

It seems that what I did recently was indeed a bit sloppy.

Fang Che had a simple way to gauge whether he was right or wrong: if Ninth Lord immediately responded to cover his mistakes, then he had made a blunder.

On the contrary, if Ninth Lord didn't respond, then he had done something impressive.

Unfortunately, by this standard, he hadn't done many impressive things, and there were indeed quite a few sloppy mistakes.

"The Only Righteous Sect's suspicion of me being a traitor shouldn't happen. But it's possible that the Heavenly Palace incident caused serious consequences due to a lack of consideration for the overall situation."

"Ninth Lord should have erased the consequences of this incident. Because I suffered injustice here, it's enough to erase all my mistakes over there! This is the basic consensus for informants."

After reviewing the situation, Fang Che couldn't help but sigh.

I clearly feel that my brain has improved a lot, and I should be on par with Ninth Lord, but why do I feel more and more distant from him?

Ye Meng entered and asked, "Are you feeling stronger?"

Fang Che rolled his eyes and said, "Much stronger. I should be able to eat eight or nine meals today."

"Then I'll go and prepare."

In the afternoon, Fang Che, claiming to be stronger, was able to walk around the courtyard with Ye Meng's support, exercising his legs.

This news brought great joy to everyone who came to visit.

The news of Fang Che's awakening spread quickly.

Dong Fang Sansan immediately sent a message to Dong Fang Si Wu, "Come back, and do what you need to do."

Since Fang Che had woken up, it meant everything was fine.

That guy over there was affecting Fang Che's contact with the Demon Sect. Hurry up and get him out of here!

Dong Fang Si Wu almost choked, feeling like he had received a pardon upon hearing those words.

He immediately soared into the sky, a gray mist streaking across the sky, and in an instant, he disappeared without a trace.

After completing his investigation, Yang Luoyu also began his journey back to headquarters to report.

In a short time, under Dong Fang Sansan's command, the White Cloud Continent once again became a 'vacuum of high-level Guardian forces'!

Everything... was left for Fang Che to handle.

This point couldn't be explicitly stated, nor could it be.

But Dong Fang Sansan believed that Fang Che understood.

Although Fang Che didn't know all of Dong Fang Sansan's arrangements, he truly understood. So by evening, he was able to move around the courtyard without assistance.

It was as if a stroke patient was recovering.

Late at night, he could even swing his knife a few times.

Then he would feign weakness and cough a few times, covering his head to indicate that he was still in pain.

Fang Che didn't realize that there was no longer any surveillance around him, and he was subconsciously putting on a show.

He didn't know that his performance was now only for the air to see...

And there was also Ye Meng, watching like a clown.

Everyone else... was gone.

Whenever Fang Che pretended to be clumsy and half-paralyzed, Ye Meng would watch with a blank expression, and then quickly go inside to cook.

As she was afraid she would laugh.

This almost uncontrollable emotion, along with the information that Fang Che had regained consciousness, was finally suppressed. Night Dream used her identity and the guilt of 'betraying and selling out her husband' to suppress herself, leaving no room for laughter.

By midnight, Fang Che finally sensed something.

The surveillance should be gone.

The vague unease in the depths of his heart had disappeared.

After washing up, Fang Che lay on the bed.

He hugged Night Dream in his arms, "These past few days have been suffocating..."

Night Dream struggled slightly and transmitted her voice, "Aren't we still acting?"

"I think it's not necessary anymore. Besides, I've recovered..."

"You haven't fully recovered yet..."

"But... there's a way. Come here..."

"Huh?"

"Quick! Do as I say!"

"..."

"There's nothing to be shy about between husband and wife. Come, let me teach you..."

"..."

Afterwards.

Fang Che lay on the bed with a relaxed expression, holding Night Dream, who was like a lump of fragrant mud, and sighed, "These nearly twenty days, how much has been delayed..."

Night Dream didn't feel like talking. She closed her eyes and leaned against his chest, "Don't talk..."

And she fell asleep.

Fang Che held Night Dream, but he couldn't help thinking of Zhao Ying'er. He wondered how her recovery was going.

Fang Che was recovering.

The Grand Elder of the Netherworld Palace had been pestered by Lan Xinxue for two days, but he had already made up his mind to leave no matter what.

"Tomorrow morning, we set off immediately."

The Grand Elder was even secretly relieved.

It was fortunate that Fang Che had been unconscious and couldn't come out; otherwise, this time would have been truly difficult.

As he was thinking, a clear voice suddenly reached him, "Elder Qin of the Netherworld Palace?"

Elder Qin was startled, and then he heard the sound of something passing through the air outside. A dark shadow landed, and the window was knocked twice.

He opened the window.

A man in white stood in the air outside the window.

Elder Qin immediately noticed the emblem on the man's sleeve and collar, "Someone from the Heavenly Palace?"

"Indeed. Elder Qin, you are indeed knowledgeable." The visitor smiled faintly and stood outside the window, hands behind his back, looking like a celestial being.

Elder Qin looked again and saw that on the man's collar, besides the emblem of the Heavenly Palace, there was also a bright red sun emblem.

He couldn't help but tremble, "Sun Star Lord?"

The man in white outside smiled, "Exactly."

"Please come in, Star Lord, and do grace us with your presence." Elder Qin's face broke into a sweat.

The Star Lords of the Heavenly Palace varied greatly in status.

Among the Star Lords, the Moon Slaughter Star Lord was a fifth-grade Star Lord, the lowest rank.

The Sun Star Lord, on the other hand, was the highest-grade first-grade Star Lord, and among the first-grade Star Lords, he was the main star, the Supreme Star Lord.

There were fourteen first-grade main stars in total, and the Sun Star Lord ranked fourth. The first-ranked was the Purple Emperor, and if the Purple Emperor was excluded from the rankings, the Sun Star Lord would be in the top three!

Even in the Heavenly Palace, he was a top-tier figure!

He could even speak on behalf of the Purple Emperor.

And the Purple Emperor was the third-ranked figure in the Heavenly Palace!

Although Elder Qin held a high position in the Netherworld Palace, when compared to the Sun Star Lord, he instinctively felt inferior.

The Sun Star Lord floated into the room, and said indifferently, "I heard that Elder Qin plans to leave the White Cloud Continent with your disciples?"

"Yes, that's my intention."

"Can you stay a few more days?"

The Sun Star Lord asked.

"What do you mean, Star Lord?" Elder Qin was puzzled.

"It's best if you stay longer on the White Cloud Continent." The Sun Star Lord spoke implicitly.

"If you wish us to stay, there's no problem, but... why?"

"Not only the Netherworld Palace, but also the Underworld, Azure Palace, Snowflake Palace, Purple Robe Palace, White Cloud Palace, Dream Illusion Sect, Carefree Sect, and Floating Pagoda Sect... All those who have come here recently will stay."

The Sun Star Lord spoke calmly, "And those who haven't come will also arrive."

Elder Qin was now truly shocked, "This is..."

His heart trembled, worried that something big was about to happen.

"It's not a big deal, just... the Reclusive Sect is on the White Cloud Continent, so we can gather here."

The Sun Star Lord continued, "Also, we've booked the Four Seas Eight Desolations Inn, the largest inn on the White Cloud Continent. We've reserved rooms for the Netherworld Palace; Elder Qin, you can take your people there."

"Star Lord, what... what's the reason for this?"

"Within three days, you'll know. In any case, it's not a bad thing."

The Sun Star Lord flew out the window, and with a flash of his white clothes, he disappeared, leaving behind a reminder, "Elder Qin, please go there quickly."

Elder Qin frowned, watching the direction the Sun Star Lord had left, his eyes gleaming.

He muttered, "It's just the younger disciples coming out to train, why is the Heavenly Palace getting involved?"

Although he couldn't understand, it seemed that this face-saving gesture was necessary.

Staying was a definite decision.

With the other sects mentioned by the Sun Star Lord, it could be said that all the influential Reclusive Sects in this world had already gathered!

"There must be something going on..."

...

After entering the White Cloud Continent, Feng Yun didn't choose to stay in a high-end inn.

"Instead, he chose the 'Peaceful Inn', the closest inn to the Guardian Palace in White Cloud Continent."

And so, Feng Yun specifically visited the Guardian Palace to pay his respects. He was very polite and said, "This time, the safety of White Cloud Continent is in your hands. Thank you for your hard work."

He also presented a generous gift.

This left everyone in the Guardian Palace speechless.

Some even felt like the world had turned upside down.

The first young master of the Only Righteous Sect had come so openly, and he was so polite.

The key point was that he had applied in advance, and this side had already approved and agreed.

In other words, his visit this time was completely reasonable and legal.

Moreover, he was considered a VIP.

Requesting the protection of the Guardian Palace was a legitimate right. It was all done through proper procedures!

Song Yidao almost choked on his anger and waved his hand, "Hong Er Cripple, lead two ordinary priests to the Peaceful Inn to carry out the protection task."

Er Cripple almost cried.

Why me?

This was so unfair and unwilling.

Er Cripple felt like he was being raped, and it was even more painful.

But with the order given, he had no choice but to agree.

Crying, Er Cripple said, "Lord, in four more days, it's my wedding day..."

Song Yidao flipped his eyes, "With so many people helping you, what are you worried about? Do more work, and it won't delay your wedding, right? Considering everyone's efforts, what's the harm in you carrying out a task?"

"Fine..." Er Cripple surrendered.

The Lord was so shameless.

He was actually threatening me with my wedding...

So Er Cripple chose two people and went to the Peaceful Inn. After arriving, Feng Yun was very friendly, kind, and polite. However, after two hours, he suggested that staying here wasn't very comfortable.

He wanted to move to the Four Seas Eight Wastes Inn.

And so, Feng Yun and his two companions went to the Four Seas Eight Wastes Inn.

"I'm sorry, but this inn has been booked," the waiter said apologetically.

"Go and tell the person who booked the inn that my name is Feng Yun," Feng Yun said with a warm smile.

After a while, the waiter returned with a smile, "Please, sir, we have prepared three upper-class rooms for you."

"Where are the people?"

"What people?"

"The person who booked the inn, why haven't they come to greet me?"

"Er... that..."

"Hehe, it's fine."

Feng Yun smiled warmly and entered the inn. Deep in his eyes, a glimmer of light flashed.

Were the people from the Heavenly Palace looking for trouble?

However, what Feng Yun didn't know was that Duan Xiyang, Yan Beihan, and Hong Yi had also arrived at the Four Seas Eight Wastes Inn.

It was unclear what identity or reason Duan Xiyang used to stay there.

As for the other Reclusive Sects, it was uncertain whether they didn't care about Feng Yun or were unaware of his presence, but from early morning, they started to arrive in large numbers, one wave after another.

The rooms in the Four Seas Eight Wastes Inn were all emptied, and the various sects moved in.

Although it seemed like business had decreased, and the number of guests was much smaller than usual, the income of the Four Seas Eight Wastes Inn suddenly increased by several times.

Subsequently, everyone behaved themselves, and by noon, there were no incidents. But behind the scenes, there were already numerous secret meetings and private discussions.

...

In the morning, Fang Che appeared to have recovered significantly.

He strolled in the courtyard, practiced his sword skills, and those who came to visit him had relieved expressions on their faces. They witnessed Fang Che's sword aura transform from weak and labored breathing to a steady and powerful force.

This process was very healing to witness.

Everyone smiled like doting aunts.

Although they could see that Fang Che was still far from his peak state, his progress was evident, and it was only a matter of time.

His improvement was rapid, and perhaps tomorrow or the day after, he would be able to fully recover.

"Lord, I'm almost there. I feel like I can return to my duties."

Fang Che requested to resume his work.

Song Yidao was taken aback for a moment, and his expression became complicated. He coughed and said, "There's no rush. Take your time to rest and focus on a full recovery."

"I've already fully recovered," Fang Che insisted, demonstrating his strength by swinging his sword with a powerful 'Hei Ha' sound.

Fang Che's face was filled with pride, indicating that he was now in top form.

"There's still no rush," Song Yidao said, feeling even more awkward.

Fang Che sensed the strangeness in the situation.

Song Yidao coughed and said with difficulty, "Your position has been temporarily relieved, and you should wait at home... wait for the new appointment... cough."

"I've been dismissed?"

Fang Che was stunned. "Am I being removed from my position? And the new appointment hasn't been announced yet? Is that what you mean?"

"Cough, if you understand it that way... it could be said to make sense..."

Song Yidao sighed. "I've been asking about this matter. Rest assured, I estimate that it's because your contributions are too great, and the higher-ups haven't decided on a new position yet. Moreover, you've just recovered from your injuries... cough, so please wait patiently for a few more days."

"..."

Fang Che nodded, his face serious.

Li Changkong and the others also offered their comfort.

After all, his achievements were there for everyone to see, and it was only a matter of time.

So he relaxed and waited...

However, as soon as they left the room, Li Changkong grabbed Song Yidao's collar and said angrily, "You made me eat that black bear meat, and now you're spitting it out!"

...

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end