"And how on earth are we supposed to believe you?" Xiang Zhu asked.
It was a pertinent question, but Bai Ning Bing had an answer to that as well.
"Shang Clan City is nearby. I'm certain that some of you must have a Poison Vow Gu. We can make an agreement along those lines," Bai Ning Bing said. "On the other hand, if you intend to fight me..." she gave them a wicked grin. "I'm quite skilled at fighting. I've even sparred with Fang Yuan once or twice, and he is currently at Rank 5. I'm sure that I could kill at least two of you, if not all three of you, before I die."
The three people there shuddered involuntarily. It wasn't just the fact that Bai Ning Bing's demeanor was frosty. It was the fact that it seemed to be completely emotionless, devoid of any kind of warmth and compassion. When Bai Ning Bing told them that she would try to kill as many of them as possible if she knew that she was going to die, they believed it. They felt it deep within their hearts.
The clan heads naturally did not wish to die, as it would leave their clans defenseless. As for Xiang Xie, he was a mercenary. He fought for primeval stones and wouldn't risk his neck unnecessarily.
"If such is the case," Xiang Xie said, "it is going to take us time to get the Poison Vow Gu. We request that you stay here in the meantime."
Bai Ning Bing snarled. "How long is it going to take you to get one?"
"Well, we'd have to send a merchant train and all to Shang Clan City. It could be a few weeks," he answered. "Don't worry, Fairy, we will ensure that you are well supplied in the meanwhile."
"Is it really good to antagonize her?" one of the others said. "She is friends with Fang Yuan after all, and he is Rank 5."
"Which is exactly why we can't risk word getting out to him," Xiang Xie said. "He would come in and snatch the inheritance for himself. What would remain of your villages then? Even if she doesn't tell Fang Yuan, she could tell someone else."
"But I've heard that Fang Yuan is a righteous person..."
"Exactly," Xiang Zhu said. "Fang Yuan is a righteous person almost to the point of fault. Given the fact that he has such a gentle heart, even if he does happen to find us, all we need to do is beg for forgiveness, and he'll let us go if it actually comes to that. Since the two of you have hired me, you can even say that I tried to coerce the two of you into doing so. I will take the blame. It is here that we can abuse Fang Yuan's good nature. I heard that he is so soft that he allowed; despite being Rank 5, another village to settle by his village on Bei Gu Mountain. Such an act of mercy... he truly seems to have taken after Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable himself."
"You know this, and yet you would go against him?" Bai Ning Bing asked.
"Why not?" Xiang Xie said. "If he truly is like Paradise Earth Immortal Venerable, all I have to do is bow my head and ask for forgiveness, and he'll let me go. On the other hand, I can be as wicked as I want until I meet him. What do I have to lose?"
The two clan heads backed away slightly. This kind of completely utterly shameless declaration did not fit someone who was working on the righteous path. Then again, Xiang Xie was not a righteous path cultivator, but a lone cultivator, and he could say such things more brazenly.
Bai Ning Bing frowned. It was here that Fang Yuan's kind reputation was coming back to bite him. She knew that he was a heartless fiend, but the wider world didn't. This Xiang Xie didn't know that Fang Yuan would've gladly torn his intestines out and fed them to him if it would benefit Fang Yuan by a single primeval stone - but Bai Ning Bing had no method to convince Xiang Xie of the same. "I'll have the three of you know that Fang Yuan and I have an agreement using Poison Vow Gu. If anything were to happen to me, he would be honor-bound by the poison vow Gu, even if he doesn't want to, to kill all of you in retaliation."
"Even if I assume that that's true," Xiang Zhu said, "not that you have any evidence of the same, so long as we don't kill you, there won't be a problem, will there?"
Bai Ning Bing grit her teeth.
"In that case, there's no point in talking things out."
By now, her primeval essence had recovered, and she let out a massive wave of ice at the three Gu Masters standing before her. All three of them had already been on edge and were seasoned veterans, so they were able to respond.
Xiang Xie was a Blade Path cultivator and withdrew a Rank 4 Bladefly Gu, which attached itself to his arm, its edge glistening in the sunlight. The prismatic refractions off of the waves of ice that Bai Ning Bing created made rainbows which danced along its silver edge.
Vines began to grow around the Zhu clan head's arms, indicating that he was likely of the Wood Path, while the Jun clan head's body suddenly turned a deep shade of silver, the effect of some kind of Gu worm which made it as hard as iron.
'A Metal Path, a Wood Path, and a Blade Path Gu Master,' Bai Ning Bing thought to herself, readying herself for a battle. She had not fought anyone who was that specialized in any of these paths at Rank 4.
One major advantage that she had over them was the fact that she was fighting with a complete set of gu worms. Most Rank 4 elders did not have a complete set, given the rarity of Rank 4 gu worms, unless they had been in some place like Shang Clan City where resources were abundant. She doubted that Xiang Xie, being a lone cultivator, would have had a complete set either.
The biggest detriment against her, of course, was the fact that she was one and they were three.
The waves of frost that she sent out nearly froze the Metal Path Gu Master in place, though he slowly but surely broke out as the layer of metal resisted the cold.
The bladefly cut through the air as Xiang Zhu came down upon Bai Ning Bing, whose body encased itself in layers of ice against which the blade found itself useless. Bai Ning Bing then began answering with ice blades of her own, most of which shattered under the bladefly's blows. However, Bai Ning Bing could simply regenerate them in perpetuity, while the Bladefly's edge slowly began to dull from the ice and from repeated use. Much like the Chainsaw Golden Centipede, if used too often the Bladefly Gu would rust and need to be repaired before use again.
Xiang Xie scowled. From his expression it was clear that this was his most valuable gu worm.
Vines erupted beneath her feet, trying to trip her but burst of ice erupted from her body which froze them in place and snapped them like twigs.
After only exchanging blows for a minute, it became clear to Bai Ning Bing that when it came to battle experience, she was far above these mooks.
Not only was she a natural-born battle genius, but she had also honed her talent within the arena, revising her strategy multiple times in order to try and catch up to Fang Yuan. That was a goal that she still lagged far behind. However, when it came to these kinds of cultivators, they soon found themselves on the defensive end. If it were not for their advantage in numbers, she would have been able to mow them down quickly.
Both sides retreated and began sizing each other up once more.