Chapter 119: A Divine Twist (Third Update)

At this moment, Shangguan Lian and Zhuge Jun released Fang Xu’s arms in a tacit agreement, allowing Fang Xu to finally heave a sigh of relief. He felt as though his arms had nearly gone numb, but the current scene left him feeling incredibly awkward.

It was an impossible situation to navigate. He had seen two men fight over a woman, and he had seen two women fight over a man, but who had ever seen a man and a woman fighting over another man? Was this some kind of sick joke being played on him? To Fang Xu, the entire situation was utterly bizarre. Up until this very moment, he had no idea what was going on between Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian. Hadn't their relationship always been perfectly fine? Why had things suddenly taken such a turn? He felt bewildered and unable to comprehend the shift. Was his own understanding flawed, or had these events simply transpired too abruptly?

The guards hidden in the shadows, who were tasked with protecting Fang Xu, Zhuge Jun, and Shangguan Lian, were equally stunned. All three factions of guards were baffled. What kind of development was this? They couldn't make heads or tails of the dynamic between them. To the guards, the whole affair seemed entirely inexplicable.

Fang Xu, increasingly aware of the curious gazes from those around them, hung his head in embarrassment. He even considered pretending that he didn't know Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian at all. But that seemed impossible, especially since neither of them had any intention of letting him leave.

"It seems that since I haven't disciplined you in a long time, your skin is starting to itch, isn't it?" Zhuge Jun said, pulling a black leather whip from his waist and pointing it at Shangguan Lian.

Fang Xu was taken aback. This was the first time he had seen what kind of weapon Zhuge Jun carried, but he never would have guessed it was a leather whip.

"As if I’m afraid of you!" Shangguan Lian retorted, refusing to be outdone, as she drew a pink leather whip to face him.

The situation had truly gone too far. Fang Xu could never have imagined that things would veer off into such a strange direction. Yet, Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian had no intention of stopping; they were clearly in earnest. They swung their whips simultaneously, the two weapons slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before colliding tightly. It was evident that both of them possessed genuine skill. Fang Xu knew that a whip was not a standard weapon; it required immense flexibility and control. He had to admit that both Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian were quite impressive.

However, he didn't want to discover this in such a setting. They were at the Danyang Temple Fair! While there were plenty of acrobatic troupes performing, none could hold a candle to the display put on by Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian. More importantly, they were not only skilled with their whips but also remarkably attractive. It occurred to Fang Xu that perhaps people had been "attracted to beauty" long before his time.

Before he could dwell on it, Fang Xu stepped in to block them. He had no desire to lose face, and he wondered if Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian truly didn't care about their own reputations. After all, they represented the prestigious Earth Clans. Yet, in their current state, they were clearly giving no thought to such matters.

Fang Xu knew he couldn't use force. His own martial arts skills were, at best, amateurish. If he got caught in the middle, heaven only knew if he would end up battered and bruised by their whips. Just as he was worrying, he spotted a small toy nearby that he had loved to play with as a child. A sudden inspiration struck him.

"Hmm, playing with a fishing game alone really is fun," Fang Xu remarked, speaking to himself, though his voice was raised just enough for the others to hear.

As expected, upon hearing his words, Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian instantly retracted their whips and looked toward him. Fang Xu was sitting at an elderly man’s stall, where a large wooden basin filled with all sorts of strange, colorful fish sat waiting. He held a fishing line in his hand, lost in quiet contemplation. The joy of such a simple game lay in the anticipation of a bite and the satisfaction of the final catch. Before long, Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian wandered over to his side.

Clearly, they had no idea what this was. As children of the Earth Clans, they had never been exposed to such trivial pastimes. Yet, the more unfamiliar the toy, the more their curiosity was piqued. Seeing them looking at him with expectant eyes, Fang Xu couldn't help but chuckle.

He asked the old man for two more fishing lines and handed them to Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian, then gave up his own seat and fished a few copper coins from his waist to pay the vendor. The old man took the coins and nodded at Fang Xu with a smile, though Fang Xu felt there was a strange, inscrutable meaning in the man's eyes.

Fang Xu didn't dwell on it. To him, the most important thing was that he had finally managed to get Zhuge Jun and Shangguan Lian to settle down. It was undeniable, however, that the effect of having two such beautiful people at the stall was powerful. The once-deserted area was suddenly swarmed by onlookers, bringing the old man a great deal of business.

What Fang Xu found strange, however, was that the old man didn't seem happy at all. Logically, if one's business suddenly boomed, one should be delighted. Even if not happy, there should be some sort of reaction. But for some reason, the old man remained as unmoved as a boulder.