The crowd was worked up into a frenzy. Someone already picked up something from the ground and hurled it fiercely at the Ministry of War Minister's residence.
"Boil this Xiao En's head into soup! My son has a lung condition, and drinking it will surely cure him!"
Someone shouted blindly, and immediately people began fighting over Xiao En's head.
In their view, the flesh and blood of such a villain had the effect of purifying the body and could drive away chronic illnesses from within—just using evil to combat evil!
Inside the Ministry of War Minister's residence, Ye Dongming heard from a servant that someone had thrown rotten eggs in from outside, and his expression grew increasingly gloomy. He dismissed everyone, leaving only Ye Qinghe behind.
"Qinghe, tell me, why."
Ye Qinghe gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Father, this is the Crown Prince's intent. Fang Chen wants to kill the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, and the Crown Prince wants to save them."
"Why would the Crown Prince go against Fang Chen?"
Ye Dongming frowned. "There is no benefit in this."
"The Crown Prince simply wants to let the subjects of the realm know that Fang Chen is in the wrong, that not everything he does is right. Only when these people realize this can Fang Chen's political comeback be completely thwarted!"
Ye Qinghe said in a deep voice.
"The Crown Prince is afraid that if Fang Chen regains military power, it will threaten his..."
Ye Dongming's expression shifted slightly. "The Third Prince has been a hostage in Qingsong Kingdom all this time. Could it be... that he is coming back?"
Everyone knew that Military God Fang and the Third Prince were on extremely close terms. Five years ago, after Fang Chen's defeat, the Third Prince resolutely volunteered to go to Qingsong Kingdom as a hostage, with his only condition being that the Emperor must not punish Fang Chen.
Otherwise, the one who would have gone to Qingsong Kingdom back then would have been the current Crown Prince...
"The Crown Prince said that if Fang Chen truly recovers his cultivation, he will use every means possible to rescue the Third Prince back to Daxia. Perhaps... someone is already acting in the shadows."
Ye Qinghe said in a low voice.
"It seems you all... are truly terrified of Fang Chen."
Ye Dongming softly sighed.
Fang Chen's methods had indeed cast a very heavy shadow over the younger generation of Daxia. In truth, wasn't it the same for those of their older generation?
Otherwise, the Crown Prince wouldn't have started worrying about his position just because Fang Chen recovered his cultivation.
Chapter 19: Hidden Dragon
General Fang's residence.
"What?! Eldest brother was dragged to Dahua Temple?"
Fang Zhisue had been waiting for Fang Chen to return, but upon hearing the news that he was taken to Dahua Temple, she immediately moved to rush out, only to be stopped dead in her tracks by Fang Canghai.
"What kind of chaos are you trying to stir up? Stay put!"
Fang Canghai said in a deep voice.
"Father, Mother, aren't you worried at all?"
Fang Zhisue was stunned, then looked toward Fang Cangyou and the Empress. "Second Uncle, Third Aunt?"
She had expected everyone to be extremely anxious, but instead, including her parents, everyone remained calm and collected, as if Fang Chen had merely gone for a stroll along the Daxia River.
"When your eldest brother recovered his cultivation this time, he didn't even tell us. That means he has certain matters secretly being plotted. Now that he has cleared out the Qingsong martial artists in the Capital, nobody knows or can guess what he will do next."
Fang Canghai said, "Even though I am his father, I do not know what is truly on his mind. So what we must do right now is not add to his troubles, especially you."
"Will eldest brother be subjected to severe torture in Dahua Temple..."
Fang Zhisue's expression was filled with worry.
She knew what Fang Canghai said was right, but she simply couldn't help worrying about Fang Chen.
"Heh, who would dare? Not to mention that his third aunt is the current Empress, the name Military God Fang alone is a gold-plated signboard. Dahua Temple will only host him with good food and drink while waiting for the Emperor to speak."
Fang Cangyou chuckled. "Zhisue, sometimes I wonder if you are even truly of our Fang family stock. Never mind comparing you to your eldest brother, at the very least you should learn how to use your brain to think through problems."
Fang Canghai and his wife cast a faint, sidelong glance at him.
Fang Zhisue instantly grew anxious. "Second Uncle, you are humiliating me!"
"Alright, alright."
The Empress smiled and waved her hand. "Chen'er has recovered his cultivation and also purged the capital of the remnant scum of Qingsong Kingdom. From now on, we won't have to see those Qingsong martial artists strutting around the Capital flaunting their might anymore. This is a joyous occasion."
"Right, this is a joyous occasion."
Fang Canghai stroked his beard and smiled.
"However..."
The Empress shifted the topic, a trace of faint sorrow appearing on her face. "It seems His Majesty has no intention of restoring Chen'er to his post. In the future... I'm afraid he won't let Chen'er near the court either."
Everyone was slightly taken aback.
Fang Cangyou gave a rebellious, cold laugh. "By what right?"
"Second Brother, don't speak nonsense."
Fang Canghai frowned and scolded, then looked toward the Empress. "Third Sister, you need not worry about this matter. Everything depends on Chen'er himself. If he is no longer willing to step into the imperial court, this might not necessarily be a bad thing."
His wife also nodded slightly. "I would rather Chen'er stop leading troops in the future. Given his age, it is time for him to properly settle down and start a family to continue the lineage for our Fang family."
Standing behind Fang Cangyou, Xu Ge wore a peculiar expression as he calculated in his heart whether he should tell Fang Chen about this. After all, his elders seemed to be plotting a match for him.
Just at that moment, a servant hurried in:
"Master, someone has come to apply as a tutor for our private school, saying he was introduced by the Heir!"
Oh?!
Introduced by Fang Chen?
Everyone, including Xu Ge, was stunned. A look of curiosity surfaced in the Empress's eyes. "Call him over so we can take a look."
Before long, Tiedama arrived before the main hall and cupped his fists in salute to Fang Canghai. "Tiedama greets General Fang."
Except for Fang Zhisue, the expressions of everyone present turned utterly bizarre.
"You are... Tiedama, one of the two Imperial Qi martial artists of the Qingsong Upper Hall?"
Fang Canghai narrowed his eyes and asked.
The Empress looked Tiedama up and down.
Fang Cangyou fell into deep thought.
Xu Ge stood dumbfounded.
Fang Zhisue wore a blank look. *Wait, Qingsong Upper Hall? Doesn't that make him a Qingsong Kingdom martial artist?!*
Instinctively, she let out a sharp cry, her Qi bursting forth as she prepared to strike.
Fang Canghai pulled her back and said earnestly, "Give some more thought to what your second uncle just said."
"Father, he..."
Fang Zhisue pointed at Tiedama, her expression anxious.
"Since he was introduced by your eldest brother, he is a member of our Fang family. Don't react every time you hear the word Qingsong."
Fang Canghai said.
Only then did Fang Zhisue snap back to her senses. That seemed to make sense, didn't it?
"Mr. Tiedama, as far as I know, you should be a subject of Qingsong Kingdom, right?"
Fang Canghai asked probing terms.
"General Fang is unaware, but this humble person is a born-and-bred subject of Daxia. I was merely ordered in the past to go to Qingsong Kingdom and infiltrate the Wolf Army to pass intelligence to Military God Fang."
Tiedama said, neither servile nor overbearing.
The expressions of Fang Canghai and Fang Cangyou shifted instantly. The two exchanged glances and looked at Tiedama with gravely solemn expressions:
"You are... a Hidden Dragon?!"
"Precisely."
Tiedama nodded slightly.
Hidden Dragon was the term Daxia used for those specially dispatched to infiltrate enemy forces and transmit intelligence back to Daxia.
People of this sort suffered extreme sacrifices and faced immense danger. Out of ten Hidden Dragons, perhaps nine met a tragic end. Therefore, anyone chosen as a Hidden Dragon had to be exceptionally outstanding and unswervingly loyal to Daxia.
If discovered by the enemy, their ultimate end was suicide. Some Hidden Dragons, failing to take their own lives in time, suffered horrific torture before slowly dying...
Fang Canghai slowly raised his right arm, clenched his fist, and struck his chest.
Fang Cangyou did the same.
Both brothers performed the exact same gesture at that moment. This was the military salute of Daxia.
Tiedama returned the salute.
At this moment, the few women present remained quiet, locked in a striking silence.
"Mr. Tiedama, from now on you are the tutor of our Fang family's private school. You will need to look after the Fang family youth in the days to come."
Fang Canghai smiled with a laugh.
Inside the General's Residence, there were over a hundred children. Some of these children were collateral branches of the Fang family, while a portion were orphans of soldiers who had fallen in battle.
"You are too kind, General. This is what I ought to do."
Tiedama said.
"Did Chen'er tell you to change your name?"
Fang Canghai asked.
Tiedama shook his head slightly. "The Heir said to use this name. If anyone guesses it, let them guess it."
"Hahaha, good."
Fang Canghai let out a hearty laugh.
He then called a servant to settle Tiedama in. After Tiedama departed, Fang Cangyou murmured in a low voice:
"First the Wind and Cloud Sword, and now Tiedama—one is Qi Burst Peak, the other is Imperial Qi Early Stage. Even though the Wind and Cloud Sword cannot compare to Tiedama, Chen'er truly keeps his cards hidden deep. This foundation is even thicker than our Fang family's...
An Imperial Qi Early Stage martial artist! From now on, our Fang family has gained yet another Imperial Qi Early Stage expert!"
"Second Master, I am right behind you."
Xu Ge said.
"Am I not allowed to talk about you?"
Fang Cangyou retorted irritably.
He was clearly still holding a grudge against Xu Ge for ignoring his instructions that morning.
"Of course you can. Second Master, say whatever you like, I don't mind."
Xu Ge smiled.
Meanwhile.
Fang Chen had already arrived inside Dahua Temple.
"Heh, if it isn't our Military God Fang. I never imagined that you, too, would one day end up in our Dahua Temple."
Straight ahead, walking towards them was a man in his early thirties. He wore dark formal attire and was flanked by a group of Investigators of the same rank as Yuan Zhuang.
Among them were also the Chief Clerk and the Prison Warden.
The newcomer was none other than Li Huafeng, Junior Administrator of Dahua Temple, the principal official second only to the Temple Master.
He was also an old acquaintance of Fang Chen, and one of his mortal enemies back in the Capital! His father was none and other than the current Prime Minister, Li Guozhu!
Chapter 20: Old Huang, It's Me
The enmity between Li Huafeng and Fang Chen was actually very simple to explain.
Six or seven years ago, before Fang Chen had experienced the Battle of the Three Realms Mountain, he was only sixteen or seventeen years old at the time. Yet his martial arts cultivation was already showing extraordinary brilliance, and he had broken through to the Imperial Qi Realm early on!
Back then, Li Huafeng held the highest standing in the hearts of the Daxia common people. At twenty-three or twenty-four years of age, Li Huafeng was already at the Imperial Qi Mid-Stage, hailed as the absolute number one among the younger generation—even few of the older generation could compare to him.
Li Huafeng was already serving in Dahua Temple at that time, holding the post of Junior Administrator, and had personally interrogated countless high-ranking officials.
One day, he received intelligence claiming that a certain military general was colluding with Qingsong Kingdom. Li Huafeng personally went to the military camp and dragged this person into Dahua Temple.
Unexpectedly, this officer had an unyielding spine. No matter what forms of torture Li Huafeng inflicted, he stubbornly refused to admit he was a colluding traitor, and eventually, unable to bear the humiliation, he bit his tongue and committed suicide.
This officer had served as Fang Chen's mentor for a period of time, and was also a fierce and valiant fighter under Fang Canghai's command.
After he bit his tongue and died, Fang Canghai was thrown into a rage and immediately memorialized the Emperor, demanding a thorough investigation.
It was later verified that someone bearing a grudge against this officer had forged evidence to frame him.
On the day of the officer's funeral procession, Fang Chen, then only sixteen or seventeen years old, carried the coffin himself, and midway through met Li Huafeng, who had come to offer condolences.
Instead of feeling the slightest bit of guilt, Li Huafeng mockingly jeered that being a military general yet acting rashly and committing suicide had only made the situation more complicated.
That day, Fang Chen made his move.
And that was the day Daxia finally discovered that a young man much younger than Li Huafeng had already attained the cultivation of the Imperial Qi Peak!
How could Li Huafeng, at the Imperial Qi Mid-Stage, possibly be a match for Fang Chen? That very day, his four limbs were snapped by Fang Chen, and a portion of his Qi sea was shattered. From that day onward, Li Huafeng's cultivation regressed to the Qi Burst Peak, never to advance another inch from then on!
Had Prime Minister Li Guozhu not rushed over with reinforcements, Li Huafeng likely would have lost his life right there in Fang Chen's hands.
Ever since then, the two became mortal enemies.
Li Huafeng would occasionally stir up trouble for Fang Chen, and Fang Chen would take them all in stride. In the end, it was always Li Huafeng who suffered the losses.
"I never imagined that after all these years, you are still the Junior Administrator of Dahua Temple."
Fang Chen grinned and said.
Li Huafeng's expression shifted repeatedly. Perhaps to ordinary people, his position was already unreachable.
Yet to him, it was far from enough!
His heart belonged in the military. He also wanted to take to the field and test himself against the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, but unfortunately, Fang Chen had severed that aspiration and ruined his bright future!
Thus, Fang Chen's words were a public humiliation to him.
"A dead duck has a hard beak. If your fists were as hard as your mouth back then, you wouldn't have suffered such a miserable defeat at the Three Realms Mountain."
Li Huafeng sneered coldly. Unwilling to waste any more breath on Fang Chen, he immediately ordered the prison warden by his side to drag Fang Chen off to the dungeons, with his case to be tried later!
In the Dahua Temple Penitentiary, the inmates caught sight of a new arrival and grew as excited as monkeys. Some shouted and hurled threats, while others offered sarcastic, cynical jeers.
"This Dahua Temple Penitentiary is truly not small, holding all sorts of people."
Fang Chen swept a casual glance across the room. This prison held at least a hundred inmates, and according to the rules of Dahua Temple, those locked up here all possessed some degree of official rank, more or less.
"This cell is yours."
The guiding warden pushed open a cell door. Inside, six or seven prisoners of varying ages were already present, the only common thread among them being their haggard expressions.
They cast an indifferent glance at Fang Chen without uttering a word. Clearly, they did not recognize his identity.
"Warden, I've already ordered my servants to send some things over. Might you fetch them here for me?"
Fang Chen said calmly.
The warden was slightly taken aback. "What kind of things?"
"Nothing much. Just a wolf-hair brush, a bit of cinnabar, and a stack of talisman paper."
Fang Chen said calmly.
The warden wore a peculiar expression. Was this Military God Fang trying to draw talismans? He thought for a moment, then shook his head, his voice turning somewhat cold:
"The penitentiary has its rules. Unless Young Administrator personally gives the word."
"You are Li Huafeng's man."
Fang Chen said calmly.
"Young Administrator has shown me immense kindness."
The warden nodded indifferently, then turned and walked away.
After he left, the prisoners grew even more active.
An inmate in the opposite cell mocked Fang Chen: "Kid, you want to draw talismans inside the Dahua Temple Penitentiary? I've been locked up here for so many years, and this is the first time I've heard such a request. Interesting, truly interesting! Hahaha!"
"Kid, seeing as you're so young, what kind of offense landed you in here? Nobody who enters Dahua Temple is simple. Who else do you have in your family?
Do they have the connections to fish you out?"
An inmate wanted to sound out Fang Chen's background.
The inmate sharing the same cell as Fang Chen also spoke up: "The penitentiary has its rules. You're the newcomer, so from now on cleaning the nightsoil bucket falls to you."
"Make me clean the nightsoil bucket?"
Fang Chen glanced toward the corner of the cell and laughed dismissively.
"What are you lot making a ruckus about? Aren't you going to let people sleep?"
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
The noisy din of the crowd instantly quieted down as they turned their gazes toward the depths of the prison.
"Another newcomer has arrived, eh?"
That voice rang out once more. "Newcomer, state your name and background!"
"Why aren't you hurrying to state your background? Do you even know who's speaking? That's one of the Four Great Dragon Generals under Military God Fang himself!"
Seeing that Fang Chen remained silent, someone couldn't help urging him on.
"Those Four Great Dragon Generals back then were truly magnificent. What a pity that three of them died straight away in the battle of Three Realms Mountain five years ago, and the only survivor was locked up in Dahua Temple. Five whole years, and he still hasn't been brought to trial."
Someone muttered in a low voice.
"Old Huang, it's me."
Fang Chen said softly.
Old Huang?!
The crowd looked at Fang Chen in sheer disbelief. Has this brat grown tired of living? How dare he address that person like that?! Even the warden in charge of the penitentiary had to respectfully address him as General Huang!
The voice fell silent for a long moment, and then exploded like a thunderclap: "Marshal?! How did they drag you in here, too?! Ahhh, damn them, they deserve to die!"
Boom—
It was as if a prison cell had been smashed apart by brute force, the massive roaring sound causing pain to flash across everyone's faces as they instinctively covered their ears.
The next moment, a figure as towering as a small mountain appeared before Fang Chen.
The crowd was startled.
This figure stood a full half-head taller than ordinary men, with arms as thick as an adult strongman's waist. Though clad in prison garb, he exuded an aura that inspired awe, preventing anyone from daring to harbor the slightest trace of contempt.
His round, bulging eyes locked onto Fang Chen. "Marshal, how dare they drag you into this place! They lied to me, I'm going to slaughter the lot of them and carry you out of here!"
Marshal?!
The inmates who had just been mocking Fang Chen all fell silent. They knew what the title "Marshal" meant when spoken from this man's mouth.
"This youth is actually... Military God Fang?!"
"What happened outside?! Why was Military God Fang locked up?"
Terror surfaced across everyone's faces.
At the same time, the guards of the penitentiary rushed over in a roar, staring in absolute terror at the giant. Lacking the courage to step forward, they could only put on a brave front and shout fiercely:
"General Huang, return to your cell at once!"
Chapter 21: Innate Superhuman Strength!
"If you dare babble another half word, I'll slaughter the lot of you!"
The giant turned to face the guards, his eyes blazing red. The killing intent within his gaze nearly materialized into sharp blades, prickling the guards' scalps and turning their legs to jelly!
"Old Huang, I came in of my own accord, it has nothing to do with them."
Fang Chen smiled.
This former subordinate of his was still just like before—truly unchanged in the slightest. Even in a place like this, not only had he not lost weight, but he seemed even bulkier than before.
Huang Sihai, an ordinary man who had never practiced martial arts, possessed an innate superhuman strength comparable to Imperial Qi experts, and had once been one of the Four Great Dragon Generals under his command.
In that brutal slaughter, three of the Four Great Dragon Generals died, and though he himself sustained severe injuries, he had a stubborn constitution and refused to die. Not only did he survive, but within a mere half year he fully recovered, seemingly without any lingering ailments.
"Marshal, I..."
"I am no longer the Marshal. Call me Heir."
"Heir, I only stayed here because they told me that as long as I behaved and stayed put, they wouldn't touch you, His Majesty wouldn't touch you. They lied to me!"
Huang Sihai stared fixedly at Fang Chen, the fury in his eyes impossible to suppress.
"What?!"
"General Huang stayed in the penitentiary and never tried to escape... purely because of this reason?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They knew deeply that keeping Huang Sihai locked inside this penitentiary was nearly impossible.
"They didn't lie to you. No one has come to bother me these past five years."
Fang Chen smiled.
Because of him, countless people had silently endured various restraints for the past five years. Tiedama was one of them, and Huang Sihai was another.
Now, he was going to shatter this deadlock with his own hands.
"Heir, since that is the case, why did you enter this place? Was it that fellow Li Huafeng?"