At that moment, they felt a wave of relief. After all, the Fang Chen before them was not the Fang Chen of five years ago; he no longer wielded that monstrous, overwhelming power, and there was nothing left to fear.
"When it comes to the affairs of the imperial court, I've thought much about them over the past five years, and I don't intend to meddle in them anymore."
Fang Chen smiled and shook his head gently. "So in the future, it will be hard for you and me to cross paths in the court."
What?!
Shock washed over everyone's faces.
Not only were the members of the Ye family stunned, but the people from Dahua Temple were equally astonished. Even some of the nearby commoners, scholars, and martial artists who had stopped to watch wore looks of sheer disbelief at Fang Chen's words.
The Military God Fang does not intend to meddle in the affairs of the court anymore?
Wasn't the subtext of that sentence that he would no longer lead troops in the future?!
Ye Qinghe's breathing grew somewhat heavy as he stared fixedly at Fang Chen, trying to gauge how much truth there was in his words.
"The Military God Fang must be joking. Your cultivation has already recovered; I reckon it won't be long before His Majesty orders you to take command of the troops once again, to match wits with the Qingsong Kingdom."
Ye Dongming said in a deep voice.
"Minister Ye can just take it that I'm joking."
Fang Chen smiled.
Ye Dongming's expression flickered. "Military God Fang, what is the exact purpose of your visit today?"
"I simply came to demand a person from your Ye family."
Fang Chen said.
Demand a person?
Doubt flickered across the faces of Ye Dongming and the others.
What kind of person could the Ye family possibly have that required Fang Chen to personally come knocking on their door?
Only Ye Qinghe felt a flash of panic in his eyes, finding it hard to believe. How did Fang Chen know that Xiao En was in the Ye residence?
Could someone have leaked the news that day on the Yuxian Boat?
At this thought, Ye Qinghe felt a surge of annoyance. He refused to believe that those courtesies dared to casually spread a guest's words, especially since they knew his identity.
That left the people sitting at the same table last night. Exactly who was it? Faces flashed through Ye Qinghe's mind one after another as he pondered in secret.
"Military God Fang, who in our Ye residence could possibly require you to personally come and demand them? Could you have come to the wrong place?"
Ye Dongming said with a faint smile, his gaze sweeping over the Dahua Temple officials not far away and the surrounding constables, a slight frown forming on his brow.
"Xiao En, the son of Xiao Tianci. He is currently staying right inside your Ye residence. Minister Ye, you need only hand him over to me."
Fang Chen smiled.
"Wait!"
Shock surfaced on Ye Dongming's face. "Xiao En, the son of Xiao Tianci? Military God Fang, do not talk nonsense! How could I possibly harbor such a person?!"
That was a martial artist from the Qingsong Kingdom!
The son of Xiao Tianci, master of the top-tier Qingsong Hall!
If word got out that he had sheltered such a person and it spread abroad, everyday commoners would surely come here to curse them, smash rotten eggs at their door, and pelt them with stones!
Sure enough, the surrounding commoners erupted into a noisy commotion, pointing and gesturing toward the Ministry of War residence. Some scholars had already begun to hurl curses, while several martial artists rolled up their sleeves.
"Could these people from Dahua Temple... have come for that Xiao En? This fellow Fang Chen has never been one to shoot arrows without a target. Why would he claim Xiao En is in my estate..."
Ye Dongming's thoughts raced.
Ye Qinghe's expression was beginning to crack, beads of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He had thought it impossible for the other party to discover Xiao En's whereabouts, never expecting that after just a single night, the man would come knocking.
This left him somewhat flustered; he was not yet prepared...
"Lord Ye might as well ask your young master."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Ye Dongming suddenly turned to look at Ye Qinghe, shock and anger in his eyes. "Qinghe, have you met this Xiao En? Quickly tell the Military God Fang that he is not in the estate!"
"Father, I have never met Xiao En."
Ye Qinghe shook his head slightly, then cupped his fists toward Fang Chen. "Brother Fang, though I know not where you obtained your information, in my view, you may have been played for a fool."
"That's right... Could the Military God Fang have made a mistake?"
"How could the Minister of War possibly harbor a martial artist from the Qingsong Kingdom?"
"The Military God Fang is no true immortal; it's impossible for him to be omniscient and divine every detail. Besides, I heard there was some bad blood between the Minister of War and the Military God Fang in the past."
"Could the Military God Fang be intentionally using this matter to settle old scores?"
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
Hearing this, Ye Dongming's expression shifted repeatedly as he fixed his gaze on Fang Chen. "Military God Fang, that incident back then was indeed a dereliction of duty on my part.
Yet that matter has already been addressed before His Majesty, and I have already accepted my punishment. How can you use this to frame me and blacken my reputation?"
"Minister Ye, would you allow me to go inside and conduct a search?"
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
"Fang Chen! Do not push your luck! This is the Minister of War's residence, not a place for you to trample at will! Do you think you are still the Military God of the past?!
You are nothing more than a commoner now; you don't even have the qualifications to set foot in the imperial court!"
Ye Qinghe said in a deep voice.
He had expected his father to vehemently stop Fang Chen from searching, but instead, Ye Dongming motioned for him to be quiet and shut his mouth, then looked calmly at Fang Chen:
"Military God Fang, the Minister's residence isn't all that large. You may search as you please. But if you fail to find any trace of Xiao En, what kind of explanation will you give me?"
"Fail to find him? If I can't find him, I'll go with them to Dahua Temple. What further explanation could Minister Ye possibly want?"
Fang Chen smiled, pointing toward the Dahua Temple officials not far away.
Only then did realization dawn on Ye Dongming. So this group was actually here to arrest Fang Chen! A wave of relief washed over him.
"Very well, Military God Fang, please."
Ye Dongming nodded slightly.
"Father!?"
A flash of panic flickered in Ye Qinghe's eyes.
"Men do, and heaven watches. Since we have done nothing wrong, what is there to fear?"
Ye Dongming let out a cold snort.
Ye Qinghe said no more; to continue would only give him away.
Just as Fang Chen was about to step into the Minister's residence, a group of people came galloping on horseback, rapidly halting before the gates. The man in the lead leaped down from his saddle and looked coldly at Fang Chen:
"Fang Chen, you may not enter the Minister of War's residence."
"The Crown Prince!?"
Ye Dongming was slightly startled and hurriedly bowed in salute.
The onlookers were secretly alarmed. The Crown Prince himself had actually arrived?!
Chapter 17: Spirit Severing Search
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, why am I not allowed to enter the Minister's residence?"
Fang Chen smiled, his grayish-white pupils turning toward the current Crown Prince.
A sneer flashed across the Crown Prince's eyes as he said indifferently: "You caused a massive uproar at the top-tier Qingsong Hall last night, and you remain a criminal awaiting trial. What qualifications does a prisoner have to set foot in the imperial Ministry of War residence?"
"You from Dahua Temple, come here for a moment."
Fang Chen beckoned with his hand.
The Dahua Temple official was slightly taken aback. With a wry smile, he walked up to the two men, first paying his respects to the Crown Prince before turning to Fang Chen.
"You are quite familiar with the laws. Am I currently considered a criminal awaiting trial?"
Fang Chen asked with a faint smile.
The Crown Prince cast a sharp gaze at the Dahua Temple official. "What is your name?"
"This official is Yuan Zhuang, a Dahua Temple Inspector."
Yuan Zhuang replied respectfully.
"Very well, explain clearly to the Military God Fang whether he is currently a criminal awaiting trial."
The Crown Prince nodded indifferently, a hint of underlying threat hidden within his gaze.
Since Fang Chen couldn't see, he didn't even bother to conceal it.
Yuan Zhuang fell into deep thought while the several constables beside him broke out in a cold sweat. After the span of a few breaths, he spoke slowly:
"According to the rules, Military God Fang must first enter Dahua Temple, where the temple master will preside over a trial and officially convict him before he is considered a criminal awaiting trial. Since Military God Fang has not yet entered Dahua Temple, according to the laws of the current dynasty, he is not a criminal awaiting trial."
The Crown Prince's expression turned somewhat ugly as he stared fixedly at Yuan Zhuang.
A wry smile appeared on Yuan Zhuang's face. He knew in his heart that he had already offended the Crown Prince, and could only curse inwardly. Had he known it would come to this, nothing would have made him take on this hot potato today!
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, did you hear that?"
Fang Chen let out a faint smile. "Minister Ye has already agreed to let me search his estate. Since there are no other legitimate grounds, Your Royal Highness would do best not to obstruct me any further."
He paused for a moment. "Could it be... Your Royal Highness knew that Xiao En was in the Minister's residence and was involved in hiding him, which is why you are in such a desperate rush to stop me from investigating?"
Hearing this, the expressions of the surrounding commoners shifted instantly.
Ye Dongming immediately barked, "Search if you will, but do not frame the Crown Prince! How could the Crown Prince possibly harbor a Qingsong Kingdom martial artist!"
"That's good, then."
Fang Chen smiled and walked straight into the Minister's residence.
The Crown Prince did not stop him, merely watching Fang Chen's retreating back with cold eyes.
"Dahua Temple sent you out to make an arrest, yet you let him run amok everywhere and even barge into the Minister's residence. As an Inspector, I'd say you've severely neglected your duties."
The Crown Prince turned his gaze to fixate on Yuan Zhuang as he spoke coldly.
"Your Royal Highness, this subordinate is caught in a difficult position. If we were to use force, how could the likes of us be a match for the Military God Fang? I've heard that the Military God Fang's cultivation has already recovered, making him Daxia's only Pill Qi expert..."
Yuan Zhuang said with a helpless expression.
To arrest a man like that, they shouldn't be given a squad of constables; they should be given an army—at least a thousand strong, fully equipped—and even then, he couldn't guarantee they could capture Fang Chen alive.
"The court and the country are now overrun with worthless wretches like you in power, which is why our Daxia grows weaker by the day."
The Crown Prince let out a cold snort. Ignoring Yuan Zhuang thereafter, he led his men into the Minister's residence.
Yuan Zhuang's expression turned rather ugly at those words. After a long moment, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle and said, "Let's go inside as well. Since the Military God Fang came here, he hasn't been acting blindly. I want to see for myself whether this Ministry of War residence truly harbors remnants of Qingsong."
With that, he led several constables into the estate as well.
Seeing that Fang Chen had walked into the Minister's residence and stood frozen in place without moving a muscle shortly after entering, a mocking sneer immediately appeared on Ye Qinghe's face, and the tension in his heart eased.
"No matter how crafty your methods are, you're no immortal. As long as Xiao En hides properly, how could you possibly find him?"
Earlier, a guilty conscience had left him flustered, but now, thinking back on his arrangements, he felt thoroughly reassured. It was impossible for the other party to find Xiao En!
At least, not within a short time.
"Military God Fang, where do you plan to start looking? This humble official's estate only has four courtyards—it's not big and can't hide many people."
Seeing Fang Chen standing motionless, Ye Dongming stroked his beard and smiled faintly.
Fang Chen still didn't reply.
Ye Dongming's expression became somewhat awkward.
Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince also let out a cold chuckle, saying indifferently, "Military God Fang, aren't you here to find someone? How can you possibly find anyone just standing here? You need to walk around."
Still, Fang Chen gave no response.
A Minister of War and the Crown Prince—both of them were heavyweight figures of immense weight within Daxia, yet their words were completely ignored by Fang Chen as if he were deaf to them. This sent a wave of shock through the surrounding crowd.
"So this is the Military God Fang... Someone of our generation can only gaze at his back in despair."
Yuan Zhuang muttered inwardly with a sigh.
What the crowd could not see was that Fang Chen's spirit had long since left his physical body, quietly standing suspended high above the Ministry of War residence, scanning every inch of the estate with his gaze.
Unlike his physical body, what his spirit could perceive was far more vast than before—or rather, it wasn't merely seeing, but a form of profound perception.
There were over thirty rooms within the Ministry of War residence, and none of them currently held any trace of Xiao En. Yet Fang Chen was not in a hurry; he was entirely certain that Xiao En was within this estate. If the man attempted to flee halfway, someone would naturally notify him.
A few breaths later, Fang Chen noticed that an artificial rockery not far away possessed a rather peculiar structure. The next moment, his spirit shifted, instantly plunging straight into the rockery and arriving at a secret chamber hidden deep beneath it.
Xiao En sat cross-legged within the secret chamber, his ears twitching incessantly as he strained to listen to the movements outside.
"Fang Chen, the vengeance of my father's death is a debt written in blood! I, Xiao En, will surely execute you with my own hands one day! And that Ye Qinghe—a mere lowly commoner of Daxia, daring to use my life as a bargaining chip to forge a future for himself. What a joke, what an utter joke!"
Xiao En muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with vicious malice from time to time.
Seeing this, Fang Chen smiled faintly, and his spirit returned to his physical body.
"Minister Ye, this rockery of yours is quite unique. Which artisan did you hire to craft it? I feel that our Fang family ought to have a rockery just like this one as well."
Fang Chen took a few steps forward, pointing toward the nearby rockery and smiling at Ye Dongming.
Ye Dongming frowned slightly.
Ye Qinghe, however, broke out in a cold sweat. The Crown Prince remained expressionless, seemingly unaware that the rockery harbored secrets within, but this did little to stop Fang Chen from suspecting him.
Given that Ye Qinghe was harboring Xiao En, it was likely orchestrated behind the scenes under the Crown Prince's instigation.
"Military God Fang, are you here to look for people, or to admire the scenery of my Minister's estate?"
Ye Dongming sneered.
"I am here both to find people and to admire the scenery. If I hadn't made this trip, how else would I have known that this rockery of yours hides a universe within?"
As Fang Chen spoke, he raised his hand and flicked out a bolt of lightning.
The Purple Lightning Talisman activated, and a bolt of thunder crashed violently down upon the rockery, blasting the massive pile of stones into smithereens and revealing the heavy doors of the secret chamber.
The expressions of everyone present shifted drastically—half were stunned by Fang Chen's terrifying methods, while the other half were shocked by the newly exposed entrance of the secret chamber beneath the rockery.
Ye Dongming froze; even he hadn't known that a secret chamber existed beneath this rockery!
Chapter 18: No One Can Stop Me
Whispers buzzed continuously through the air. The servants and maids of the Minister's estate were utterly shocked by the secret chamber; having lived here for years, none of them had ever discovered that there was more to the rockery than met the eye.
Ye Dongming's expression turned rather ugly as his gaze fell upon Ye Qinghe. To be able to construct a secret chamber beneath the rockery right under his nose without his knowledge—only his own son, Ye Qinghe, could have pulled it off.
Yuan Zhuang was deeply shocked. As an Inspector, his first instinctive thought was how Fang Chen could possibly have known about a secret chamber here, followed closely by a wave of awe at Fang Chen's earlier display of power.
Thank goodness they hadn't tried to make an arrest by force; with methods like that, reducing them to ashes would be as easy as turning over a hand!
"Inspector Yuan, if you would be so kind, please bring your men and open this door for me."
Fang Chen said.
Yuan Zhuang was slightly startled. He first glanced at Ye Dongming, and seeing that the Minister of War raised no objections, he signaled to his subordinates.
Two constables immediately stepped forward and tried to pry the doors open, but the heavy barriers refused to budge. In the end, they had to draw their sabers and hack the doors to absolute pieces.
"Xiao En, are you going to come out on your own, or shall I go in and drag you out?"
Fang Chen asked with a faint smile.
"There's no need, I'll come out myself."
A resounding voice rang out from within as a tall youth slowly emerged. His gaze was fierce as a wolf's, locked relentlessly onto Fang Chen, the bone-deep hatred in his eyes practically hardening into a tangible substance.
"It really is Xiao En!?"
Shock surfaced on the faces of everyone present.
While the servants and maids of the Minister's estate might not have recognized the man, veterans like Ye Dongming and Yuan Zhuang recognized him at a glance.
As the son of Xiao Tianci, he had inherited his father's talent, reaching the late stage of Qi Burst at a very tender age. Among the younger generation of the Qingsong Kingdom, he enjoyed quite a formidable reputation, and his future advancement to Imperial Qi was practically guaranteed!
Ye Dongming's expression turned abysmal. He cast a cold, sharp glare at Ye Qinghe, who was now drenched in cold sweat, his expression frantic as he instinctively looked toward the Crown Prince.
"This Xiao En truly was hiding here. However... Minister Ye, you did the right thing. The Military God Fang went mad yesterday and indiscriminately slaughtered the martial artists of the Qingsong Kingdom; saving Xiao En allows Daxia to offer some semblance of an explanation to Qingsong."
The Crown Prince said indifferently.
Xiao En had thought himself dead for sure, but seeing the Crown Prince's attitude reignited the hope for survival in his heart. He cupped his fists toward the Crown Prince and said:
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, for these past few years, we in Qingsong have lived in mutual non-aggression with your Daxia. Even when conflicts occurred, they were merely petty squabbles. Yet yesterday, Fang Chen slaughtered the martial artists of our Qingsong and killed my father! If word of this gets out, it will surely ignite a war between our two nations!"
"Rest assured, Xiao En, I will not stand by and watch that happen. Dahua Temple has already sent men to arrest Fang Chen. Once he is thrown into the prison wards, I will find a way to give your Qingsong Kingdom an acceptable explanation."
The Crown Prince said.
"If that is the case, then all is well."
Xiao En slowly nodded, stowing away the look of hatred in his eyes. Since he could survive, he didn't wish to display too much emotion; after all, as long as he remained in the Daxia Capital for a single day, he was in danger, and he had to guard against the other party going back on their word.
With that, the Crown Prince turned to Fang Chen. "Fang Chen, do not persist in your error. Go back to Dahua Temple with Yuan Zhuang. You can neither touch nor kill this Xiao En."
Fang Chen smiled. He looked at the Crown Prince with a beaming expression. "Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, things have reached this point, and you're still expecting the Qingsong Kingdom to accept your plea for peace? I said yesterday that I would purge the remnants in the Capital. A word spoken is as hard to call back as a team of four horses; no one can stop me."
"Even if I am the one who tries to stop you?"
The Crown Prince's eyes narrowed slightly.
Boom—
A flash of lightning crackled.
In disbelief, Xiao En lowered his head. He saw that his entire body was charred black and reduced to a bloody pulp. A single soundless roar of defiance escaped him before his life was utterly extinguished.
Everyone froze, stunned into silence. They had never imagined that even with the Crown Prince standing in his way, Fang Chen would still act on his own terms and execute Xiao En on the spot.
The few elite bodyguards beside the Crown Prince looked at one another in dismay, their vigilance toward Fang Chen spiking. Subconsciously, they took half a step forward, using their own bodies to shield the Crown Prince's blind spots and vital points.
"Yuan Zhuang, lend me your saber."
Fang Chen held out his hand.
Only then did Yuan Zhuang snap out of his daze. Reflexively unhooking his scabbard, he presented it to Fang Chen with both hands.
Taking the man's saber, Fang Chen stepped forward and sliced off Xiao En's head in a single stroke. He then hoisted it by the hair and turned to walk out of the Minister's residence.
Outside the gates, quite a few commoners were lingering and waiting. When they saw Fang Chen emerge carrying a bloody head, shock painted their faces.
Wild guesses surged through their minds: Whose head was this? Could it be Xiao En's? Or perhaps... someone from the Minister's estate?
"Military God Fang, the man has been killed. Now won't you please return to Dahua Temple with me..."
Yuan Zhuang said with a bitter smile.
Fang Chen smiled and tossed Xiao En's head onto the ground, watching it roll a long distance away. After all, it was this very person who had originally proposed using human targets.
"Your debts have been paid. But this is far from enough, far from enough..."
Fang Chen murmured to himself.
A few breaths later, he looked at Yuan Zhuang and smiled. "Let's go. I won't make things difficult for you."
"Many thanks, Military God Fang!"
A long breath of relief rushed out of Yuan Zhuang's chest; right then and there, he felt like calling Fang Chen his own father.
After Yuan Zhuang and Fang Chen departed, the Crown Prince and his entourage also left the estate, whereupon the heavy gates of the Minister's residence were slammed shut with a thunderous crash.
A martial artist mustered the courage to step forward and inspect the severed head. The moment he caught sight of Xiao En's eyes wide open in unresigned death, he let out an involuntary gasp:
"It's Xiao En! Xiao Tianci's son, Xiao En!"
"It's that most arrogant Qingsong martial artist in the Capital!?"
"It really is him... To think the Minister of War was actually harboring a Qingsong martial artist! Wasn't this going against the Military God Fang, and going against all of us citizens of Daxia?!"