"Auntie, is there really no way out of this?" Fang Zhixue asked in a low voice.
"Although your aunt is the Empress, she must prioritize Daxia above all else. She understands the rationale behind this, so what other options does she have?" Fang Canghai gave a slight shake of his head. "Tomorrow, the daughter of Marshal Xiao will lead a contingent to the Capital in person. Your eldest brother will need to make an appearance by then. Go and persuade him to return and rest."
At that very moment, a crystalline fairy meridian was condensing within Fang Chen's body. In an instant, all the spiritual energy seemed to find its rightful home, surging endlessly into this single meridian.
The 12th Layer of Qi Refining was the process of forging a fairy meridian.
With the first fairy meridian now successfully formed, Fang Chen stepped once more into the realm of transcendence. This time, he was no martial artist, but a cultivator!
"Forging a fairy meridian in a single day? Hahaha, your talent is truly extraordinary! Remember, come to the Three Thousand Dao Gates for registration once you reach Foundation Establishment!" Yunhe laughed heartily, took a single step into the void, and vanished without a trace.
Fang Chen gradually regained his senses, bowed with cupped hands in the direction where Yunhe had disappeared, his heart filled with deep gratitude. What Yunhe had done today did not merely change his own fate—it changed the ultimate destiny of countless living beings across the entire Daxia!
"What on earth is wrong with Big Brother?!" Fang Zhixue stood there in a daze, utterly bewildered. Why had Fang Chen bowed to a completely empty space?
The servants of the General's Manor were equally baffled, their faces gradually twisting into expressions of bizarre confusion.
"Chen'er." Fang Canghai sighed softly.
"Father, why are you all here?" Fang Chen turned to face Fang Canghai.
At that moment, the crowd fancied they saw a faint flash of brilliance ripple across Fang Chen's dead, lifeless eyes. They assumed they were simply hallucinating, given that Fang Chen had been blind for five years.
"You've been standing here for a full day and a night. Your father was worried. If you have anything on your mind, tell me." Fang Canghai gritted his teeth. "No matter what, Father will help you!"
"Does Father think I am worried about this forced marriage?" Fang Chen smiled.
"Are you not troubled by this matter, having stood here for a whole day and night?" Fang Canghai looked at him in surprise.
Fang Chen gave a gentle shake of his head. "It's not that. Your son has figured out certain things, so Father need not worry. I will handle it properly."
With those words, Fang Chen cupped his fists. "Your son will take his leave."
"Father, what do you think Big Brother figured out?" Fang Zhixue watched Fang Chen's receding figure, a thoughtful look crossing her face.
"Your eldest brother has been precocious since youth; the thoughts in his head are different from ordinary folk. Perhaps he already knows how to cope with the present predicament." A sharp glint flickered in Fang Canghai's eyes. This son of his had never spoken idly; if he said he would handle it properly, there would be no mistake.
The only time he had ever been wrong was five years ago at the Battle of the Three Realms Mountain.
Ordinary citizens might not know, but he was well aware that high-level experts from an 8th-rank empire had intervened in that battle, causing the situation to spin completely out of control!
"What other methods could Chen'er possibly possess? Could he be planning to rely on those old subordinates? Yet his cultivation is crippled; even if those people were personally trained by him, they surely lack the power to turn the tides in a matter like this..." Fang Canghai fell into deep contemplation, completely unresponsive even when Fang Zhixue called his name several times. Seeing this, she could only stamp her foot in frustration and turn to leave.
...
...
Fang Chen walked out of the General's Manor. Though his eyes remained tightly shut, he walked as steadily as any ordinary person. His perception of his surroundings was extraordinarily acute—an ability he had acquired after losing his sight.
Or rather, it was an ability he had gained the moment he laid eyes on that female immortal standing amidst the blazing sun. Even without his soul leaving his body, his mind could map out every single detail of the world around him.
"Look, the Military God Fang is out for a stroll again."
"Heh, for the past five years, our Daxia Kingdom has suffered endless humiliation from the Qingsong Kingdom, yet only Military God Fang strolls out for tea from time to time as if none of this touches him in the least. Doesn't he feel even a shred of shame?"
"Sixty thousand soldiers buried their bones at the Three Realms Mountain, and yet he still has the mood to stroll and drink tea. I truly don't know what to say."
As passing pedestrians caught sight of Fang Chen, they pointed and whispered, their words laced with censure and fury.
"Yo, isn't this our esteemed Military God Fang? No, wait! In just a few days, all of us Qingsong warriors will have to address you as our good brother-in-law!"
Suddenly, several burly men dressed in heavy animal-skin coats stepped out and blocked Fang Chen's path.
The leader wore a look of utter contempt, sizing Fang Chen up with a mocking sneer.
Only martial artists from the Qingsong Kingdom were fond of wearing such animal-skin coats. Seeing this, the surrounding citizens of Daxia instinctively backed away, their gazes lingering on the men with a faint, hidden hatred that they dared not display.
"What are those Qingsong martial artists blabbering about?"
"Address the Military God Fang as a good brother-in-law? What is the meaning of this?"
Whispers rippled through the surrounding crowd.
Seeing the reaction, the Qingsong martial artist triumphantly raised his voice. "You lot still don't know the news? Marshal Xiao has already proposed marriage to your Emperor! Before long, this precious Military God Fang of yours will be married off into the Xiao family as a dependent husband, wedded to the apple of the First Wolf Marshal's eye—Goddess Xiao!"
Married to... Goddess Xiao?
Boom!
The hearts of the surrounding citizens shook violently, and they stared at Fang Chen in utter disbelief.
"You're talking nonsense! How could the Military God Fang ever marry into the Xiao family as a dependent husband?!"
A young scholar suddenly turned red with fury and let out an angry roar.
"You pedantic bookworm, how dare you say I'm talking nonsense? You've truly got a bear's heart and a leopard's gall!"
The Qingsong martial artist strode straight toward the scholar, grabbed him by the collar, and slapped him across the face a dozen times on the spot, leaving the scholar's head ringing with dizziness.