"This situation is getting difficult to resolve. The maternal uncle of the Emperor's wife is my father's former wet nurse. With this connection in place, Fang Chen cannot touch her, yet not touching her won't work either. It's a real dilemma, haha..."
More and more people were gathering in front of the palace gates.
The Li family took the opportunity to tell everyone about Fang Chen's indiscriminate killing of the innocent.
The ordinary people found it hard to believe upon hearing this, and they pointed fingers at Fang Chen.
Just then, the old woman suddenly let out a miserable shriek, clutched her chest, and slowly sank to her knees. Seeing this, the Emperor's brother-in-law hurried forward to support her and roared furiously at Fang Chen:
"How dare you attack my mother!"
"I didn't do anything. So many eyes are watching,"
Fang Chen said calmly.
"You are a martial artist, an Elixir Qi Martial Artist! To kill my mother, you don't even need to lift a finger—your internal qi is more than enough!"
The Emperor's brother-in-law bellowed as he checked the old woman's condition.
His words caused the surrounding townspeople to look at Fang Chen in a completely different light.
"You... you must avenge Huang'er..."
The old woman suddenly experienced a flash of clarity before death, gripping the collar of the Emperor's brother-in-law with all her might while pointing a finger at Fang Chen. "Avenge Huang'er... kill him, confiscate his property..."
With that, the old woman kicked her legs and passed away.
The Emperor's brother-in-law immediately let out a harrowing roar.
"Mother!!!"
"Did the Military God Fang really attack a helpless old woman?"
"Don't talk nonsense! The Military God Fang never even fought back!"
"An Elixir Qi Martial Artist doesn't need to lift a hand to kill. I think there's more to this than meets the eye."
Amidst the surrounding murmurs, a young man who looked like a scholar suddenly stepped forward and shouted at Fang Chen, "Military God Fang, no matter what, you shouldn't have attacked the citizens of Daxia!"
Up on the city wall, the Crown Prince smiled at the sight. "Qinghe, do you know what it feels like to be condemned by a thousand people?"
"Uh, I wouldn't know..."
Ye Qinghe gave a slight shake of his head.
"Just look at Fang Chen, and you'll know. He's in deep trouble now; the chances of him ever returning to power are practically zero."
The Crown Prince said indifferently.
After pondering this carefully, a sharp glint flashed in Ye Qinghe's eyes as he turned to the Crown Prince. "Your Highness, this move of yours is simply brilliant. Even if His Majesty wants Fang Chen to lead troops again, he has lost the support of the people. No one would agree to it!"
The reason the Emperor's brother-in-law was at the palace gates today was precisely because he had received word from the Crown Prince.
"What is Fang Chen doing?"
The Crown Prince suddenly frowned. Hearing this, Ye Qinghe looked down and saw that Fang Chen had crouched before the old woman, seemingly taking her pulse.
Chapter 24: The Emperor's Verdict
"What are you doing! Let go of my mother at once!"
The Emperor's brother-in-law flew into a rage.
"She merely fainted from physical and mental exhaustion. If she isn't treated immediately, it really will be too late to save her."
Fang Chen smiled as a surge of spiritual power poured into the old woman's body.
Spiritual power naturally possessed the property of nourishing all things. Once the old woman's body had been cleansed by this spiritual power, even some of her chronic ailments were completely cured.
She slowly opened her eyes, looking somewhat dazed. "Child... has mother reached the netherworld?"
The Emperor's brother-in-law could hardly believe his eyes.
The surrounding citizens also wore looks of utter astonishment.
"Emperor's brother-in-law, you know very well what Li Huang did at the Qingsong First-Class House. If you resent me for killing him, feel free to use whatever methods you have to come after me.
"But don't use the elderly as a shield. I no longer lead troops, and I've long since cast aside fame, fortune, and glory. I couldn't care less what the people of Daxia think of me."
With a faint chuckle, Fang Chen stepped past the Emperor's brother-in-law and walked into the imperial palace.
Eunuch You hurriedly gestured for You Longchang to follow.
The Emperor's brother-in-law stood frozen in place, silent. He could clearly hear the threat hidden in Fang Chen's words.
Up on the city wall, Ye Qinghe looked astonished. "Fang Chen still possesses such tricks?"
The Crown Prince's face turned livid. He had hoped to use this incident to blacken Fang Chen's name, only for his opponent to save the old woman instead. His scheme had completely fallen through.
Imperial Palace, the Imperial Study.
Fang Chen saw the Emperor once more. Unlike him, You Longchang kept his head lowered, his body tense and clearly extremely nervous.
"Look at the fine mess you two have made."
The Emperor gazed coldly at them both. "Who authorized you to attack the Qingsong First-Class House? Do you have any idea what kind of consequences this will provoke?"
You Longchang immediately dropped to his knees, not daring to utter a sound.
Fang Chen, however, merely smiled faintly. "Your Majesty, the Qingsong First-Class House is a malignant tumor right here in the capital of Daxia. Over the past five years, it has murdered countless innocents."
"Do you think I was unaware of this?"
The Emperor said coldly. "The situation in Daxia is hanging by a thread. Even if you've recovered your cultivation and become an Elixir Qi Martial Artist, so what? Can you match tens of thousands of troops? The Wolf Army alone numbers one hundred thousand. Can you handle them all by yourself?"
"Our Daxia has long since lacked sufficient military strength. If Qingsong Kingdom dispatches troops to attack over this matter, Fang Chen, I ask you—can you resolve it?"
The Emperor stared fixedly at Fang Chen. Even You Longchang pricked up his ears; he wanted to know whether Fang Chen had absolute confidence behind this move.
"Your Majesty, you do not understand the temperament of the Wolf Commander Xiao. He will never make a move without absolute certainty."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile. "As long as he remains uncertain of my current condition, he will not dare to attack Daxia for even a single day."
"That is merely your conjecture. I ask you, if disaster truly strikes, can you take full responsibility?"
The Emperor demanded in a deep voice.
"I shall bear all consequences myself."
Fang Chen nodded.
"Very well."
The Emperor nodded. "Your actions this time were indeed rash. The people of Guha, Longdu, and Yizhou are all watching me to see how I will deal with you. If we do not give them an account, it will be difficult to justify. Daxia is already at mortal odds with Qingsong; we cannot afford to offend these other three nations as well."
"Your Majesty, please issue your commands. Your subject will obey the imperial decree."
Fang Chen said.
"Starting today, your father Fang Canghai is demoted by three ranks, and I will order him to surrender the tiger tally of the Eastern Tiger Camp. As for you, you are forbidden from ever setting foot in the imperial court or leading troops for the rest of your life. This is the promise I make to them; only thus will they call it quits."
The Emperor said indifferently. "Do you have any objections to my verdict?"
A look of disbelief crossed You Longchang's face, immediately followed by a wave of trembling fear. If even Fang Chen suffered such a punishment, what about him?
Could he keep his position as the deputy commander of the Western Tiger Camp?
"Your subject has no objections and will strictly abide by the imperial decree."
Fang Chen cupped his fists in a bow, his expression serene, his state of mind completely undisturbed.
Seeing this, a flicker of deep-seated disgust flashed in the depths of the Emperor's eyes before he waved his hand. "You may withdraw."
"Understood."
Fang Chen offered his farewells and departed.
You Longchang was somewhat bewildered. Was it over just like that? The Emperor wasn't going to punish him? Seeing that the Emperor had already resumed reading memorials, he dared not say more and hurriedly followed Fang Chen out of the Imperial Study.
"M-Military God Fang..."
Seeing that Fang Chen had remained silent the entire way, You Longchang finally blurted out.
"Something the matter?"
Fang Chen glanced at him and smiled.
He can still smile?
You Longchang inwardly scoffed and lowered his voice. "Military God Fang, His Majesty has barred you from court for life and forbidden you from ever leading troops. Do you feel no resentment at all?"
"Why should I feel resentment? Such a punishment is precisely what I desired at this moment. Court affairs are far too taxing on the mind and spirit; it is far better to live at ease as a carefree heir at home."
Fang Chen smiled.
You Longchang could sense the sincerity in Fang Chen's words, which made it all the more unbelievable to him. One had to know that the former Fang Chen was nothing like this!
Back then, Fang Chen was high-spirited and vigorous. Despite his youth, during morning court he had stood as an equal opposite Prime Minister Li Guozhu, making him a truly pivotal figure in the Daxia court!
The officials he had promoted were countless, and his disciples filled the ranks. In private, some even referred to them as the Fang Faction!
Yet after Fang Chen's defeat at the Three Boundary Mountain five years ago, the seemingly prosperous Fang Faction had collapsed almost overnight. Countless people began cutting ties with him, and some even penned essays condemning Fang Chen and listing his ten major sins!
Because of this, You Longchang felt that once Fang Chen recovered his cultivation, he should have fought to reclaim his former glory. If he were in Fang Chen's shoes, he certainly would have done so!
"I'll be going."
Upon leaving the imperial palace, Fang Chen waved to You Longchang and then walked toward the Fang Mansion.
How could he not know what You Longchang was thinking? It was simply that some things didn't need explaining. Even if he explained, their states of mind were different, and the other person would never understand.
His former self had indeed been practically obsessed with power. While using every means possible to protect the citizens of Daxia from foreign invaders, he had also fought tooth and nail to climb higher.
The battle at Three Boundary Mountain had indeed ended in such a disastrous defeat because Qingsong Kingdom had hired an expert from an eighth-grade empire.
Yet wasn't it also due to his own arrogance that he concentrated all his military forces in one place, attempting to crush Qingsong Kingdom in a single stroke, ultimately resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers?
Those hundreds of thousands of loyal souls buried at Three Boundary Mountain were, in truth, buried right in Fang Chen's heart.
Five years had passed. Fang Chen had blamed himself and felt remorse, but nothing could ever be done over.
"All I can do now is take good care of those around me, protect the people of Daxia, and perhaps... try once more to taste the sensation of becoming an immortal."
A smile appeared on Fang Chen's face.
The Cloud Crane could wander thousands of miles in spirit. Once his cultivation reached that realm one day, he would be able to do the same. That was what true carefree ease looked like.
Before he knew it, Fang Chen passed by Dahua Temple.
Li Huafeng stood in front of the Dahua Temple gates, staring fixedly at Fang Chen. "How did His Majesty punish you?"
"Barred from setting foot in the imperial court for life, and forbidden from leading troops ever again."
Fang Chen smiled.
A gratified smile appeared on Li Huafeng's face. He then glanced at the prison warden, who nodded slightly and immediately ordered his men to bring Huang Sihai out.
"The Abbot has decreed that Huang Sihai must consume ten pounds of beef and five pounds of rice every day here at Dahua Temple. The temple cannot afford to feed him, so you can take him back yourself."
Li Huafeng gave a cold huff and turned on his heel.
"Heh, Heir."
Huang Sihai greeted Fang Chen with a silly grin.
Fang Chen also wore a hint of a smile. "Let's go. Xu Ge, Tiema, and the others have missed you."
Chapter 25: Ask Him Yourself
The next day, the Daxia imperial court issued the imperial decree to the public.
The punishment barring Fang Chen from the imperial court and military command for life became known to the common folk of Daxia as well.
This matter sparked heated discussions from all sides. Some said the Emperor's move was cutting off Daxia's own arm, while others claimed it would pacify the anger of Qingsong Kingdom.
The General Fang Mansion.
Fang Canghai had already surrendered his tiger tally, stepped down from his post as Grand General of the Eastern Tiger Camp, and been demoted to guard the eastern city gate.
Normally this would be considered bad news, but the Fang Mansion was adorned with festive lanterns and bustling with excitement.
Direct and collateral branches had gathered together under one roof, solely because the news of Fang Chen's recovered cultivation was now common knowledge.
It was no exaggeration to say the Fang Mansion was the only family in the capital backed by an Elixir Qi Martial Artist—even the imperial palace possessed no such powerhouse!
Xu Ge, Tiema, and Huang Sihai were catching up.
Although Huang Sihai, as a Dragon General, had not belonged to the same military branch as Xu Ge and Tiema back then, all three had met previously. Having been separated for a full five years, they naturally had endless things to talk about.
"Chen'er, once your aunt finishes this meal, I will be returning to the palace today."
The Empress looked at Fang Chen with a gentle smile. "You are already twenty-three; it is time you settled down. Is there any young lady you are fond of? Your aunt will propose on your behalf."
Fang Canghai, his wife, and Fang Cangyou all looked toward Fang Chen, a flicker of anticipation in their eyes.
"Chen'er indeed has someone in his heart."
Fang Chen smiled and nodded.
A look of surprise crossed everyone's faces, and Fang Zhixue hurriedly asked with curiosity, "Big Brother, whose family's daughter is she?"
"I don't know either."
Fang Chen shook his head with a smile.
For five years, that figure had frequently surfaced in his mind, as if deeply branded into his soul, impossible to forget.
With strange expressions, the others let out an "oh," assuming Fang Chen was simply making up an excuse. Still, they knew Fang Chen was different from ordinary people; matters of this sort truly couldn't be rushed.
"Father, is Grandfather still in seclusion?"
Fang Chen asked casually.
"Yes, your grandfather is still in seclusion. If he successfully breaks through, the Fang family will gain yet another Elixir Qi expert."
Fang Canghai smiled and nodded.
Everyone's expressions grew somewhat excited. An Elixir Qi Martial Artist was the hallmark of a ninth-grade empire. The reason Daxia had fallen into such decline was precisely because of a generational fault line in Elixir Qi martial artists.
Before Fang Chen advanced to Elixir Qi, Daxia had not produced a single Elixir Qi Martial Artist for over a decade. It was precisely these ten-odd years that allowed Qingsong—whose national strength had once been far inferior to Daxia's—to surpass them.
By evening, the Empress had returned to the palace.
Fang Chen also returned to his small courtyard to continue making Purple Lightning Talismans. Doing so not only yielded talismans, but also served as a way to consume his spiritual power and refine his cultivation.
Before he knew it, midnight had arrived.
Fang Chen's gaze suddenly shifted. His greyish-white eyes slowly looked toward a certain direction, and he said indifferently, "Goddess Xiao, instead of returning to Qingsong, you've turned back here. To what do I owe the honor?"
In the darkness, Goddess Xiao stared fixedly at Fang Chen, her eyes filled with bone-deep hatred.
She was in a sorry state; her clothes were tattered, and her body was covered in dense wounds of all sizes. Some had crusted into scabs, while other patches of flesh were torn open, occasionally seeping blood.
"I never imagined that the so-called Military God Fang would turn out to be a faithless, despicable villain. My father held you in the utmost esteem—he truly misjudged his man!"
Goddess Xiao gritted her teeth.
"What do you mean by this?"
Fang Chen frowned slightly, his nose twitching. "You're heavily injured."
"On the surface you let me leave, but behind my back you sent experts to hunt me down. Are you still going to play the fool now? As soon as I returned to the capital, I heard that you slaughtered the Qingsong First-Class House. You truly are despicable!"
Goddess Xiao said coldly.
"I did indeed eliminate the Qingsong First-Class House. Such a malignant tumor—why leave it be? As for you... I didn't make a move."
Fang Chen said calmly.
"If not you, then who? Even now, you still dare not admit it?"
Goddess Xiao's eyes were venomous.
"If I killed them, I'll own it. If I didn't, why would I take the blame?"
Fang Chen smiled. "You fled all the way here to my doorstep—surely you harbor some doubts in your heart, don't you?"
Goddess Xiao's expression shifted slightly.
Fang Chen had hit the nail on the head.
Although she suspected Fang Chen had ordered the hit, a sliver of doubt remained in her heart, making her want to ask Fang Chen in person, even if it meant dying for it.
Without returning to the Daxia capital, she had nowhere left to run; the methods of the person hunting her down were utterly bizarre!
"Tell me, what did you encounter?"
Fang Chen stood up.
He, too, felt a twinge of curiosity about this matter. Was it some high-ranking figure in the capital who didn't want Goddess Xiao to return alive and thus sent assassins?
Goddess Xiao was gradually coming to believe that Fang Chen had nothing to do with it. After a moment of hesitation, she lowered her voice and said:
"Not long after I left the capital—about a day's journey—I encountered a Daoist priest on the road. His methods were bizarre in the extreme. Not only was he impervious to blades and spears, but he possessed supernatural strength; a hundred Wolf Army soldiers were no match for him at all."
"A dozen Wolf Army guards helped me escape while the rest bought time against the Daoist, but no matter where I fled, the Daoist easily tracked me down. The Wolf Army soldiers by my side died one by one."
"In the end, with no other choice, I seized the chance to flee into your Daxia capital."
At this point, Goddess Xiao said coldly, "The strength of that Daoist has likely reached the Elixir Qi realm. Your Daxia truly is a place where dragons and tigers crouch; these past five years, you've never had a moment of peace."
"A Daoist priest?"
Fang Chen's expression grew somewhat solemn.
Judging from Goddess Xiao's description—possessing supernatural strength and being impervious to blades and spears—how much did that sound like a Vajra Talisman or a Strength Talisman?
These were introductory talismans in the cultivation world, not exclusive to the Three Thousand Dao Gates; ordinary cultivators could generally craft them.
If this conjecture were true, it meant there was a cultivator hiding in the Daxia capital!
"However... it could also be a martial arts technique."
Fang Chen thought to himself.
There were quite a few martial arts techniques capable of achieving imperviousness to weapons and supernatural strength.
"Fang Chen, do you know who this person is? And on whose orders has he come to kill me?"
Goddess Xiao asked slowly.
"You mentioned earlier that no matter what you did, you couldn't shake him off, and he could always find your hiding place?"
Fang Chen suddenly asked.
Goddess Xiao was slightly startled and unconsciously nodded.
Fang Chen immediately swept out with a large hand, a wave of spiritual power instantly washing over Goddess Xiao. Before long, his spiritual power detected something unusual.
"What are you doing!?"
Goddess Xiao saw Fang Chen walking toward her, a flash of panic in her eyes.
"Don't move."
Fang Chen let out a cold hum, directly grabbing Goddess Xiao's shoulder as spiritual power continuously poured into her. The next second, a white, writhing worm struggled out from beneath her skin.
Seeing this, Goddess Xiao was struck dumb with fright.
How could there be such a worm inside her shoulder?
"The Daoist you spoke of used this creature to track your movements."
With that, Fang Chen's spiritual power vibrated, instantly crushing the white worm into fine powder.
He could now be certain that the Daoist was indeed a cultivator, though he could not yet determine what level his cultivation had reached.
"What kind of bizarre trick is this!?"
Goddess Xiao collected herself, suppressing the urge to retch as she stared fixedly at Fang Chen.
"Ask him yourself."
Fang Chen glanced in another direction.
Goddess Xiao instinctively looked over to see a figure standing quietly in the distance. He was dressed in a pale red Daoist robe, middle-aged in appearance, with a gloomy expression.
Chapter 26: Blood Spirit Cult
Goddess Xiao's body trembled, a bone-deep hatred flashing in her eyes. The person before her was none other than the bizarre Daoist who had hunted her the entire way!
"Security in the mansion has gotten quite lax lately. Goddess Xiao snuck in, and now this Daoist has snuck in as well. Old Huang is probably still fast asleep, completely unaware."
As these thoughts flashed through Fang Chen's mind, his soul instantly left his body, standing suspended in the void as he quietly observed the Daoist.
At this moment, he was in a state of spiritual detachment, everything around him under his complete control. Whatever disturbance occurred, he could react to it at the first possible moment.
"It's him?"
Recognizing the Daoist's face, a look of surprise flashed in Fang Chen's eyes. He remembered seeing this man some five or six years ago at a banquet in the capital.
But too much time had passed, and Fang Chen could no longer recall whose banquet it was. Back then, he attended at least a dozen large and small banquets every single month!
"Only those who possess spiritual power can force out my mother-child silkworm."
The Daoist looked toward Fang Chen and spoke slowly.
Spiritual power?
What was that?
Goddess Xiao didn't quite understand, but she knew that the bug from earlier was called a mother-child silkworm.
"You are a cultivator. Why target her? What is your purpose in Daxia?"
Fang Chen's soul returned to his physical body as he spoke calmly.