Chapter 134: Smart People Do Smart Things

Fang Xu’s words were, in fact, quite obvious, and they were heavily laced with a warning.

Naturally, this was to warn Murong Bai and Zhang贺 that since they had boarded his boat, they had better stay put and behave themselves.

He did not have many good habits, but his single best habit was nipping trouble in the bud.

It was meant to let Murong Bai and Zhang He know that just as he had the ability to lift them up, he naturally had the means to drag them down.

"This subordinate will naturally follow the lead of Commandant Fang!" Zhang He immediately expressed his determination, while Murong Bai’s expression flickered with struggle.

After all, Murong Bai's ambition was completely incomparable to Zhang He's, and Fang Xu understood this well. He then smiled and whispered something into Murong Bai's ear.

Upon hearing Fang Xu's words, Murong Bai’s entire body of flesh trembled, and he fell to his knees in a panic, his appearance even more exaggerated than Zhang He's.

"Since you both understand, get up. Murong Bai, tell me, how is Murong Fu doing now?" Fang Xu asked Murong Bai with a satisfied nod.

Naturally, Fang Xu was curious about Murong Fu's current state. Did Fang Xu not know whether or not those dolls contained the legendary luminous pearl?!

Fang Xu was merely curious to see how Murong Fu would react upon learning the truth!

Hearing the inquiry, Murong Bai smiled bitterly.

He then told Fang Xu that as soon as Murong Fu arrived at his residence, he had frantically torn apart the dolls to vent his frustration, even muttering incoherently to himself the entire time.

However, when Murong Fu finally realized that the legendary luminous pearl was completely nonexistent, his face turned ashen white.

No one knew what crossed Murong Fu's mind, but he suddenly spat a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed unconscious.

This made Fang Xu couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. It seemed Murong Fu's vitality was truly robust, was it not?

Did he just spit blood at the drop of a hat? Noticing Murong Bai's curious and inquiring gaze, Fang Xu merely shook his head.

Could Fang Xu not know what Murong Bai's look meant at that moment? Naturally, he was asking whether Fang Xu knew the whereabouts of the legendary luminous pearl.

Even if Fang Xu did know, he probably wouldn't tell Murong Bai, let alone the fact that Fang Xu genuinely had no idea right now!

After making a few arrangements, Fang Xu had Murong Bai and Zhang He leave the ancient temple quietly in separate batches.

After all, as the saying goes, one must guard against others, and it is always wise to be cautious. Isn't that so?

Once Murong Bai and Zhang He had departed, Old Wu could no longer hold back and sat down beside Fang Xu, while Gu Bei took a seat on Fang Xu's other side.

Both of them looked at Fang Xu with worried eyes, clearly harboring some things they wanted to say.

"If you have something to say, just spit it out. Why are you looking at me like that?!" Fang Xu picked up his wine cup, drained it in one gulp, and asked with a smile.

"Young Master, is it really wise to tell them everything like this?" Old Wu asked worriedly, clearly lacking any real trust in Murong Bai and Zhang He.

Gu Bei felt much the same way. From the perspective of both Gu Bei and Old Wu, wasn't Fang Xu trusting Murong Bai and Zhang He a bit too easily right now?

Instead of answering, Fang Xu suddenly burst out laughing, leaving both Gu Bei and Old Wu utterly bewildered, clueless as to why he would suddenly find humor in this.

"Do you know why I am laughing? If the two of you can think this way, won't Murong Bai and Zhang He think the same way?" Fang Xu said with profound meaning.

"Young Master, do you mean that your purpose was precisely to make them overthink?" Gu Bei murmured after a brief moment of contemplation.

"Of course not entirely. Let's just say that those involved are often confused, while onlookers see clearly." Fang Xu shook his head with a smile, though his intentions were naturally not that simple.

"Old Wu, Old Gu, let me ask you this: why are Murong Bai and Zhang He willing to be used by me right now?" Fang Xu asked, prompting the two men to fall into deep thought.

"It must be because Young Master can grant them the power and status they desire, right?" Gu Bei muttered to himself, causing Fang Xu to snap his fingers.

"Spot on! Exactly because of that, they are currently in the same boat as me. The only difference is that I am the helmsman, and I call the shots on where this boat heads."

"What if they choose to tell Murong Fu?" Old Wu couldn't help asking, as that possibility certainly existed.

"That possibility does exist, but the premise is that they can endure Murong Fu's wrath. You could see that clearly from Murong Fu's attitude earlier."

"If Murong Fu found out they were dealing with me behind his back, do you think he would choose to trust them? Even if he did trust them, so what? Plans always change, don't they?" Fang Xu said with a smile, leaving Old Wu and Gu Bei stunned.

From Old Wu and Gu Bei's point of view, the plan Fang Xu had previously revealed to Murong Bai and Zhang He surely wasn't the real one.

Yet in Fang Xu's eyes, even if what he told them wasn't entirely true, it wasn't necessarily all false either. Isn't that just how the world works—a mixture of truth and falsehood?

Furthermore, as far as Fang Xu was concerned, Murong Bai and Zhang He were both intelligent people, and intelligent people naturally do not do foolish things.

Moreover, Murong Bai and Zhang He must understand that having chosen a side now, they would not easily switch camps again.

More importantly was what Murong Bai had said earlier: taking profit as the foundation and priority.

Although Murong Fu had given Zhang He and Murong Bai quite a few benefits, he treated them more like livestock. Anyone subjected to that would have reached the limit of their tolerance long ago.

Now that they had the chance to replace Murong Fu, why wouldn't they take it?

If it had just been Fang Xu trying to persuade them alone, Murong Bai and Zhang He might never have chosen to stand by his side.

The real reason they made this decision had much more to do with the presence of Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian. The attitudes of the two toward Fang Xu were quite peculiar, bordering on overly intimate.

One could tell from Zhuge Jun's earlier domineering remark, "I've got you covered," that the relationship between Fang Xu and Zhuge Jun was likely far closer than it appeared on the surface.

Both Murong Bai and Zhang He had also noticed the romantic affection brimming in Shangguan Lian's eyes whenever she looked at Fang Xu. Having experienced the world, they naturally understood what that meant.

Therefore, in the eyes of Murong Bai and Zhang He, Fang Xu was simply a thick, sturdy thigh to cling to—if they didn't hold on tight now, when would they?

Yet, just as Fang Xu had said earlier, Murong Bai and Zhang He were both smart, and smart people always prepare for contingencies from both sides.

And now, were Murong Bai and Zhang He the only ones who had prepared for all outcomes?

Holding his wine cup, Fang Xu narrowed his eyes slightly as he watched a light rain suddenly begin to fall outside the ancient temple.

It seemed that turbulence was about to strike the South.