Upon seeing this, the common folk of Daxia gradually felt their eyes turn bloodshot, their breathing grew heavy, and their gazes subconsciously began searching the surrounding area for the figures of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists.
"General, what should we do?" One of You Longchang's subordinates suddenly spoke up.
"What should we do?" You Longchang looked somewhat dazed.
"The Military God Fang has already recovered his cultivation. We have nothing to fear from Qingsong Kingdom; how can we let them run amok in the Capital? Naturally, we should cooperate with Military God Fang and exterminate them one by one!" the subordinate said in a low voice.
"But..." You Longchang gritted his teeth. This matter was of vital importance, and he did not dare make a decision on his own; to kill Qingsong Kingdom martial artists required a personal imperial decree from the Emperor.
"General, my younger brother was beaten to death by Qingsong Kingdom martial artists right on the streets of the Capital." The subordinate spoke quietly.
"Damn it, forget it!" You Longchang let out an angry roar, "Xihu Camp soldiers, heed my command!"
"Here!" A thunderous roar resounded.
"We are following Military God Fang, and today we will slaughter every last Qingsong Kingdom martial artist in the Capital!" You Longchang's eyes gradually became suffused with a layer of blood, as if he had returned to his days of campaigning on the battlefield, and a terrifying murderous intent swirled wildly around him!
"Understood!!!"
With that single response of assent, You Longchang led his subordinates to catch up with Fang Chen, rushing all the way in a certain direction. Over there stood a martial arts hall established by Qingsong Kingdom, where practically all the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists hung out!
Countless common folk upon seeing this also swarmed to follow. Although they were empty-handed, the foul rage pent up in their hearts for a full five years made them feel as though they were brimming with spirit and possessed inexhaustible strength!
"Empress, the Heir he..." The palace maid stared blankly at the Empress.
After pondering for a few moments, the Empress turned to the commander of the honor guard's imperial guards and said, "Take your men and follow Chen'er. If he wants to kill Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, you will help him kill them."
"Yes!" The guard commander nodded excitedly, then left a few guards to protect the Empress while he led the rest to pursue Fang Chen.
"After today, the heavens are going to change." The Empress murmured to herself.
"Empress, people in the palace might use this matter to attack you..." The maid wore a look of worry.
After all, Fang Chen was the Empress's nephew, and now on his way home, he had suddenly begun slaughtering Qingsong Kingdom martial artists. If this incident blew up, it would inevitably implicate the Empress.
Especially that Imperial Noble Consort Hua; she would absolutely not let slip an opportunity like this.
"Some people may have forgotten that before I entered the palace, I was also a member of the Fang family." The Empress chuckled lightly, a flash of lightning gleaming in her eyes as the jade thumb ring she was toying with suddenly turned into a heap of powder, slowly spilling from her fingertips.
...
...
The Qingsong Superior Hall covered an extremely vast area. It was originally a Daxia government office, but after Daxia suffered defeat five years ago, this building was seized by Qingsong Kingdom to establish a martial arts hall here.
They used the word "Superior" simply to flaunt their status as superior people, while treating the citizens of Daxia as inferior pariahs.
It was bustling and exceptionally lively; eight or nine out of every ten Qingsong Kingdom martial artists making a living in the Daxia Capital frequented this place.
"Hey, do you guys think Goddess Xiao will come to stay here?"
"Naturally she will. Our Hall Master is a veteran of the Wolf Army and once followed the First Wolf Chief to personally defeat Fang Chen at Three Realms Mountain."
"I heard that Goddess Xiao is incomparably stunning. This time, it's a cheap deal for Fang Chen."
"Don't put it that way. If Fang Chen becomes one of our Qingsong Kingdom people, wouldn't that mean Daxia will never have the slightest hope left? It's only a matter of time before Qingsong Kingdom flattens this place, hahaha!"
In the front hall, a group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists were chatting casually, occasionally bursting into loud laughter. The servants walking among these martial artists, however, were trembling with fear, their expressions filled with dread.
Because they were Daxia common folk who had been forced by circumstance to come here and serve these Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, and a single careless mistake could cost them their heads in the blink of an eye.
Just then, a Qingsong Kingdom martial artist noticed something amiss.
"Why is it so noisy outside?"
He stood up to look outside, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What is it?" Someone asked.
"People, a lot of people..." That Qingsong Kingdom martial artist muttered, "It looks like they're coming toward our place."
A lot of people?
A group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists immediately gathered at the entrance, instantly startled by the vast, imposing procession before them.
Among this procession, many were merely ordinary Daxia common folk, but they also spotted soldiers clad in military uniform, and some even recognized Fang Chen walking right at the front.
"Isn't that Fang Chen?"
"Something's wrong. I'm going to notify the Hall Master!"
Someone hurried away.
By then, Fang Chen had already arrived before the gates of the Qingsong Superior Hall. Glancing at the signboard, he said indifferently, "General You, smash the sign."
"Yes!"
You Longchang leaped up fiercely, smashing the signboard to smithereens with a single punch, the fragments scattering across the ground.
"You have a lot of nerve!"
Seeing this, the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gathered at the entrance felt their eyes split with rage, turning instantly bloodshot.
"Kill them." Fang Chen said.
"Military God Fang, are you sure?" Having walked all this way, You Longchang's mind had cooled down a bit, and he began calculating the gains and losses.
"Stop spouting nonsense." Fang Chen frowned slightly.
You Longchang felt that he was already riding a tiger and difficult to dismount; at this moment, he could only make a choice. The next second, he let out a roar:
"Kill!!!"
Charging ahead of his men, he led his subordinates straight into the Qingsong Superior Hall!
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists who bore the brunt of the assault were somewhat caught off guard and were swallowed up in a sea of people within a few moves. Each of them suffered at least a dozen knife wounds, showing just how intense the hatred of the Daxia people was toward the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists.
You Longchang cleared the path ahead while Fang Chen strolled leisurely behind, and the common folk closely followed Fang Chen's footsteps, their expressions a mix of terror and excitement.
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gradually reacted as well, immediately organizing a forceful counterattack. At the same time, a figure hurried over, and upon seeing this scene, he immediately shouted angrily:
"All of you, stop!"
This person was none other than Xiao Tianci, Master of the Qingsong Superior Hall.
He was not a member of the Xiao family, but he had followed Wolf Chief Xiao on campaigns since childhood, and was therefore granted the surname Xiao by him!
Chapter 12: How to Appease the Anger in One's Heart?
The battle between the two sides temporarily paused, and everyone's gazes fell squarely upon Xiao Tianci.
"Fang Chen, what is the meaning of this!"
Xiao Tianci gazed coldly at Fang Chen, a flicker of uncertainty and doubt flashing deep within his eyes.
The other party had been dormant for five years, and today he suddenly brought a group of... a mob, to storm the Qingsong Superior Hall?
Right, in his eyes, these people at Fang Chen's side were just a mob with virtually no combat power! He could easily deal with all of them by himself.
An Imperial Qi expert was not just for show; on the battlefield, a single Imperial Qi expert could easily match a thousand troops!
"Wolf Chief Xiao arranged for you to make contact and scheme with certain restless fellows in the Capital. I could originally pretend I didn't see it, because after all, those fellows... cannot sway the national fortunes anyway." Fang Chen sighed softly. "But you should not have condoned the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists running amok in my Daxia Capital."
"A defeated general, what qualifications do you have to bring up a bunch of demands?" Xiao Tianci stared fixedly at Fang Chen. "Before long, you will be my Xiao family's son-in-law. For the young lady's sake, I'll spare you now. Take your men and leave, and I won't report this matter to your Emperor."
Just then, a carefree voice rang out: "Hall Master Xiao, who has eaten the heart and gall of a bear and a leopard to dare come here and cause trouble? Don't worry, you guys don't even need to lift a finger—I, Li Huang, will be the first to butcher him!"
Everyone looked up and saw a slightly plump young man walking leisurely over, flanked by several guards whose cultivation was not weak.
"Why is he here?" You Longchang frowned slightly.
Just like Fang Chen, this Li Huang had an aunt who was a concubine to the Daxia Emperor, making him a member of the imperial relatives.
"Fang Chen?! You Longchang of the Xihu Camp?"
Li Huang's footsteps suddenly halted. He spotted Fang Chen, and a look of terror flashed in his eyes along with a deep-seated resentment hidden away.
"Young Master Li, I can handle this matter." Xiao Tianci said with a faint smile.
"Good, good, good. Let Hall Master Xiao handle it." Li Huang immediately caved, then stood off to the side, secretly sizing up Fang Chen. He couldn't understand why Fang Chen, who had already become a cripple, would suddenly appear at the Qingsong Superior Hall.
"Fang Chen, you should withdraw." Xiao Tianci said indifferently.
A look of hesitation crossed You Longchang's face, and the Daxia common folk, who had just been full of excitement, also grew somewhat apprehensive.
They knew that the man before them was an Imperial Qi expert!
"The Qingsong Superior Hall has three Imperial Qi experts—two in the Imperial Qi Early Stage and one in the Imperial Qi Mid-Stage—fifteen Qi Burst Peak martial artists, and a remaining total of one thousand and thirty-two other martial artists." Fang Chen spoke slowly.
Hearing this, everyone inwardly gasped in cold air. They had no idea the Qingsong Superior Hall possessed such terrifying strength; you had to know that the Daxia Capital only had a dozen or so Qi Burst Peak martial artists in total!
As for Imperial Qi masters, after the battle five years ago, very few remained—you could count them on one hand!
"And this is just one martial arts hall established by Qingsong Kingdom. Just how many experts must there be over in Qingsong Kingdom?" Everyone thought to themselves in secret.
Xiao Tianci's expression shifted slightly. How did the other party accurately state the number of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists in the Daxia Capital?
If these martial artists were rallied together, they could completely wage a small-scale war, and it might not even be impossible for them to storm the Daxia imperial palace!
For some unknown reason, an ominous premonition suddenly arose in Xiao Tianci's heart. He had thought that Fang Chen's five-year silence meant he had given up everything, but those words just now precisely proved that Fang Chen was still paying attention to everything!
"Military God Fang, what is your true purpose in coming here today? Don't forget, you are about to marry into my Xiao family." Xiao Tianci's words contained a subtle threat.
"You don't even know that Goddess Xiao has already left the Capital?" Fang Chen smiled.
Left the Capital?
Xiao Tianci was startled; he truly did not know this news.
"You didn't know... well, it doesn't matter. Knowing the inside story or not won't change anything I'm about to do."
Fang Chen waved his sleeve, and a bolt of lightning instantly blasted into Xiao Tianci.
A dignified Imperial Qi expert didn't even have time to make the slightest reaction before being struck into charred wood right on the spot.
"Hiss—"
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
You Longchang had already witnessed this scene, but he still found it inexplicably shocking.
As for the common folk all around, they fell into a deep, stunned shock. Many among them gazed at Fang Chen with a mixture of awe and adoration.
"The Heir is truly the Heir; he has never once surrendered!"
Their spirits soared, and they longed to let out a long whistle.
"Now, the Qingsong Superior Hall only has two Imperial Qi martial artists left." Fang Chen said softly.
"General You, kill them. Do not let a single Qingsong Kingdom martial artist here today escape."
"Understood!"
You Longchang let out a loud shout, his eyes glaring with blood-red fury as he led his troops charging toward the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists who were still immersed in shock.
Things had reached this point; he had no retreat left and could only act as a sharp blade in Fang Chen's hand—wherever Fang Chen pointed, he would slash!
"No, impossible... How could he... Xiao Tianci was an Imperial Qi martial artist, how could he be struck dead by Fang Chen in a single move?! Has his cultivation recovered?!
Where did that lightning just now come from?! What kind of technique is this?!"
Li Huang's face turned pale as paper, his thoughts spinning in chaotic disarray. When he saw the surrounding Qingsong Kingdom martial artists being systematically slaughtered by You Longchang's troops, his body couldn't help starting to tremble.
"Li Huang, let's catch up on old times."
Passing by Li Huang's side, Fang Chen dropped these words and walked deep into the interior of the Qingsong Superior Hall.
With a bleak expression, Li Huang glanced at the surrounding situation and had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow Fang Chen.
"Over the past few years, you've gotten very close to Xiao Tianci." Fang Chen said as they walked.
A forced smile squeezed onto Li Huang's face. "Not very close, really—I just frequently came here to practice martial arts and exchange pointers."
Pausing for a moment, Li Huang probed cautiously, "Military God Fang, killing Xiao Tianci like this will likely provoke dissatisfaction in the court. If His Majesty finds out about this, I'm afraid he will punish you..."
"Qingsong Kingdom's martial artists—I killed them, so why would His Majesty punish me?" Fang Chen smiled faintly.
"Because... this will provoke the fury of Qingsong Kingdom. How many people in our Daxia will have to die before they let it go?" Li Huang said.
"How many people do you think need to die in Qingsong Kingdom to appease the anger in my heart?" Fang Chen countered.
At the same time, he had arrived at the backyard of the Qingsong Superior Hall. It seemed they had yet to realize what was happening outside; many Qingsong Kingdom martial artists were bare-chested, eating meat and drinking wine in large gulps while cheerfully pointing and gesturing at targets in the distance.
In the distance stood dozens of targets, stained and dripping with fresh blood. Tied to these targets were living human beings—they came from Daxia!
"Li Huang, did something happen outside? With the Hall Master here, what are you blind-worrying about? The sparring match just reached your turn; I hit that pariah right between the eyebrows with a single arrow. If you can't do it, you lose the match—remember to pay me a thousand taels of silver!"
A Qingsong Kingdom martial artist called out to Li Huang with a hearty laugh.
The crowd immediately burst into loud laughter, because Li Huang had lost a fair bit of silver here over the years, leading them to view him as a prime sucker!
Combining Fang Chen's words from moments earlier with what he was hearing from this group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, Li Huang's face abruptly turned deathly pale, the trembling in his body growing more and more violent.
"You haven't answered me yet. Tell me, how should I appease the anger in my heart?" Fang Chen looked at the corpses hanging from those targets, their eyes still wide with unfulfilled resentment, and spoke softly.
Chapter 13: After Today, Report Back to Your Unit
"I, this, this matter has nothing to do with me! I just came here to watch the commotion, these targets—no, I haven't killed a single one of these people..."
Li Huang's voice was already laced with a tremor.
His few guards exchanged glances and instinctively shielded Li Huang's vital points, terrified that Fang Chen would strike him dead on the spot.
"Is that so..."
Fang Chen smiled.
This group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gradually sensed that something was wrong, and after taking a few extra looks at Fang Chen, they were horrified to recognize his identity!
"It's Fang Chen!"
"Why is he here?!"
Subconsciously dropping the wine and meat in their hands, some drew sabers, some drew swords, and others raised the longbows in their grips, staring fixedly at Fang Chen.
"Fang Chen, what are you doing here?"
At that moment, a figure swept over like a whirlwind. The person's aura was powerful and their movement arts agile; when they arrived, their feet seemed barely to touch the ground—it was precisely the phenomenon of Imperial Qi applied to the feet!
"Lord Tiedama!"
A look of pleasant surprise appeared in Li Huang's eyes.
The newcomer was one of the two Imperial Qi Early Stage masters of the Qingsong Superior Hall. He had once been a renowned swordsman of Qingsong Kingdom before defecting to follow Wolf Chief Xiao on campaigns, and later accompanied Xiao Tianci to the Daxia Capital to take charge of the Qingsong Superior Hall!
Yet after that flash of joy, Li Huang suddenly shrieked in alarm: "Lord Tiedama, be careful! Hall Master Xiao has already died at Fang Chen's hands!"
What?!
"Hall Master Xiao died at Fang Chen's hands?!"
"How is that possible!"
"Wasn't Fang Chen's cultivation completely crippled?!"
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists present were shocked dumb on the spot.
Upon seeing this, Tiedama immediately unclipped the sword at his waist. With a sweep, a sword aura over a zhang long cut across the space like a scythe cutting down a field of wheat!
In an instant, the heads of more than ten Qingsong Kingdom martial artists all rolled to the ground.
Tiedama did not stop his movements. As an Imperial Qi expert, his figure darted and shifted through the courtyard like a phantom, every single sword strike taking the lives of several Qingsong Kingdom martial artists.
In just a brief moment, dozens of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists—including Qi Condensation and Qi Burst martial artists—all perished beneath Tiedama's sword.
Fresh blood slowly dripped from Tiedama's longsword onto the ground.
Li Huang stared dumbfoundedly at this scene, his brain struggling to turn corners as he failed to comprehend what on earth was happening.
Why would Tiedama turn his blade on his own people?
The few guards at Li Huang's side were also left tongue-tied, secretly terrified by the methods of an Imperial Qi expert; if it were any of them, they would find it hard to block even a single sword strike from Tiedama.
"Heir, Xiao Tianci was watching closely, which is why I couldn't go to the Hidden Courtyard that day."
With a vibration of his arm, Tiedama shook the blood completely from his blade before walking up to Fang Chen and folding his fists in a bow.
"You've had a hard time all these years, having to look at scenes like this every day. Tell me, is the resentment in this Qingsong Superior Hall already towering to the skies?" Fang Chen murmured.
"It is the Heir who has had the hard time." Tiedama said in a low voice.
"I knew of this matter, yet lacked the ability to prevent it..." Fang Chen mocked himself.
"The Heir must not think that way. They... were fated to suffer this calamity, and what the Heir must do is not merely save one or two lives.
If Daxia didn't have the Heir, countless more people would die!" Tiedama said solemnly.
Their conversation left Li Huang staring agape, his mind a chaotic void.
"You, you guys..." Li Huang pointed a trembling finger at Tiedama and Fang Chen.
"The Daxia Hidden Guards have been reactivated. Your mission... has also come to an end. After today, report back to your unit." Fang Chen patted Tiedama's shoulder.
"Yes, Heir." Tiedama replied in a deep voice.
Though he tried his hardest to appear calm, the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.
For many years, back when Fang Chen had arranged for him to infiltrate Qingsong Kingdom, rising step by step until he successfully embedded himself within the Wolf Army and even won the appreciation of the First Wolf Chief—
Using that position to transmit countless vital intelligence reports to Fang Chen and sway the outcomes of several military campaigns—
He knew his value to Fang Chen was immense, but living day in and day out in enemy territory, sometimes even forced to personally execute Daxia soldiers with his own hands, had subjected him to endless torment night after night.
Today, he had finally returned to his unit!
"Heir, the other one already died by my hand; there shouldn't be any Qingsong Kingdom Imperial Qi martial artists left in the Capital. What should we do next?" Tiedama calmed his emotions and asked in a low voice.
"Leave none alive." Fang Chen smiled faintly. "Now, Daxia no longer needs to play nice or posture with Qingsong. The first step will start with purging the remaining poison from the Capital."
"Then what about these few?" Tiedama glanced toward Li Huang and the others.
"Military God Fang, I was wrong, I was wrong! I'm also a Daxia citizen—please, considering that both my aunt and the Empress are imperial consorts of His Majesty, spare my life!"
Li Huang suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, repeatedly kowtowing and banging his head against the ground.