Unfortunately, given Fang Chen's nature, such a thing was certainly not going to happen.
"My Lord, someone is here from the palace."
A servant hurried in to make a report.
Outside the gates of the Military God's Estate, an entourage from the palace stood quietly. At the head of the procession was a eunuch dressed in embroidered brocade, standing ramrod-straight, holding an imperial decree wrapped in bright yellow silk in both hands.
Fang Canghai hurried to the front gates with his retinue. Catching sight of the eunuch, he immediately cupped his hands and bowed. "Your humble servant, Fang Canghai, respectfully welcomes the imperial decree!"
The eunuch in embroidered brocade cast a cold, sharp gaze over the faces of the Fang family members, his brow suddenly furrowing. "Where is the Heir? This imperial decree is meant for him. How dare he fail to come out and welcome it?"
Fang Canghai's expression shifted slightly as he forced a tight smile. "Eunuch You, Chen'er is currently not at the estate. I can welcome the imperial decree on his behalf."
There was a time when this trusted confidant of the Emperor had been utterly humble and cautious in his presence. But over the past five years, because of the battle at the Three Boundary Mountains, the Emperor had not only given the Fang family the cold shoulder, but had even treated the Empress with similar indifference.
Now, even a mere eunuch dared to wear a cold face and subject them to such humiliation. It was far from the first or second time, but the Fang family had silently endured it all.
"What a joke! You want to accept an imperial decree issued to the Heir in his stead? Where is the propriety in that? I demand to see the Heir immediately, so General Fang, please dispense with any petty tricks."
Eunuch You rasped in his unnatural, duck-like voice, letting out a cold laugh.
The expressions of the Fang family members gradually turned grim. The crowd of passersby gathering around was growing larger by the moment, pointing and whispering among themselves.
"Goddess Xiao of Qingsong Kingdom has already arrived at the palace. General Fang, you would do well to put aside idle thoughts and call the Heir out," Eunuch You sneered.
"Eldest Brother, I'll send someone to look for Chen'er," the middle-aged man in the wheelchair said slowly.
Before Fang Canghai could reply, someone spotted Fang Chen walking over from a distance with Xu Ge.
"The Military God is here."
"I never expected he'd still have the leisure to stroll around outside today..."
Eunuch You raised his eyes and happened to meet Fang Chen's greyish-white pupils. For some reason, a trace of dread stirred in his heart, but a moment later, he sneered dismissively.
The Heir before him was no longer that same Military God who could slap members of the imperial family right at the palace gates. What did he have to fear?
"Father, Mother, Second Uncle."
Fang Chen approached the group, precisely and accurately bowing to all three of them. This left the surrounding onlookers secretly wondering: was Fang Chen truly blind or not?
"You're back..." Fang Canghai sighed softly.
"Heh, Heir Fang, this servant thought you didn't dare to receive this imperial decree," Eunuch You looked at Fang Chen with a half-smile, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
*Slap!*
Fang Chen's hand landed squarely across Eunuch You's face with a crisp crack, the force of the blow sending Eunuch You's official cap flying straight off his head.
Absolute silence descended upon the surroundings, so quiet that a pin dropping could be heard. Shocked gazes locked onto Fang Chen; even Fang Canghai and the others had never expected Fang Chen to suddenly strike Eunuch You.
The junior eunuchs and palace guards brought by Eunuch You instinctively made to move, but when they saw Fang Chen's greyish-white pupils sweep over each of them in turn, their movements froze.
At that moment, they suddenly remembered the once-invincible Military God. Countless people in the Daxia Capital had been slapped across the face by him: sons of generals, sons of ministers, imperial relatives, and even princes of the royal court!
"You dare strike me?!"
Eunuch You clutched his face, his complexion flushed bright red with shame, his eyes filled with disbelief and rage. This piece of trash actually dared to hit him?!
And to do it in front of so many people?!
"I've accepted the decree. You can piss off now."
Fang Chen snatched the imperial decree from his hands and gave a casual wave, as if swatting away a fly.
"Rebellion! This is open rebellion!"
Beside himself with fury, Eunuch You shrieked in his shrill voice at his subordinates, "Seize him! Take him down for me!"
Eunuch You's roar echoed through the air.
Yet no one around him made a move.
His subordinates exchanged blank glances, not a single one daring to stir.
Xu Ge looked at Eunuch You with a mocking smile. Over the past five years, people had hurled insults at the Heir behind his back, but which of them had ever dared to make a move against him face-to-face?
Even when the martial artists of Qingsong Kingdom openly humiliated him and urged the locals to make a move, none of them had possessed the guts!
*Even a tiger fallen sick remains lord of the beasts!*
*Slap!*
Fang Chen raised his hand and delivered another blow.
The slap sent Eunuch You stumbling backward into the arms of a junior eunuch who hurriedly caught him.
"You, you..."
Eunuch You pointed a trembling finger at Fang Chen, shaking so violently he looked as though he might draw his last breath at any second.
"Those commoners curse me and humiliate me, so what? They till the fields and harvest mulberry leaves. Those martial artists curse me and humiliate me, so what? They shed blood on the battlefield. It is thanks to them that Daxia enjoys this prosperity. And you? A mere eunuch, what have you ever contributed to Daxia besides backstabbing and plotting in the palace?"
"What qualifications do you have to point fingers at me? I call you Eunuch only out of respect for the Emperor. Otherwise, you wouldn't even deserve a title in my presence."
Fang Chen said indifferently.
The expressions of the surrounding onlookers shifted instantly.
Eunuch You, meanwhile, was so enraged by these words that blood welled up at the corners of his mouth. Realizing this was no place to linger, the junior eunuchs by his side hastily dragged and pulled him away from the scene, abandoning any remaining pretense.
"Military God! Though you fell five years ago and your cultivation was utterly destroyed, you are still alive! As long as you draw breath, you are worth a hundred thousand martial artists!"
A martial artist among the onlookers shouted aloud.
Fang Chen said nothing. Clutching the imperial decree, he turned and walked into the Military God's Estate.
Watching his retreating back, the crowd harbored a flicker of anticipation in their eyes. Though the hope was desperately slim, today they felt as though they had caught a glimpse of light once more.
***
"Chen'er, what are your plans for this?"
In the front hall of the Military God's Estate, Fang Canghai finished reading the imperial decree, sighed softly, and let his gaze fall upon Fang Chen.
"Father, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Fang Chen smiled faintly.
*Cross that bridge when we come to it?*
A desolate look crossed the faces of those present. True enough, now that Fang Chen had lost his cultivation, even with a thousand schemes in his heart, they would be difficult to put into practice.
At that moment, the middle-aged man in the wheelchair suddenly looked toward Xu Ge, his brow furrowing slightly. "Are you the Wind-Riding Sword, Xu Ge?"
"Second Master, just call me Xu Ge. I wouldn't dare claim the title of Wind-Riding Sword," Xu Ge grinned broadly.
Fang Canghai and the others looked surprised. Fang Zhixue, in particular, took a step forward, approached Xu Ge, and looked him up and down in astonishment.
"You really are the Wind-Riding Sword, Xu Ge? How do you know my eldest brother?"
The Wind-Riding Sword Xu Ge had a mysterious background. Ever since arriving in the Capital five years ago, he had displayed extraordinary swordsmanship, his cultivation soaring from Early Qi Burst all the way to Peak Qi Burst over the span of five years.
A martial artist of this caliber was a rare commodity in present-day Daxia.
After all, during that battle at the Three Boundary Mountains, countless martial artists had perished; masters of Qi Control and Qi Burst had fallen one after another, shaking the very foundations of Daxia.
In today's Daxia Capital, there were fewer than a hundred Qi-Bursting Martial Artists, and those at Peak Qi Burst numbered barely a dozen or so.
Qingsong Kingdom possessed at least twenty or thirty times as many Peak Qi Burst martial artists as Daxia—the disparity was plain to see!
"This subordinate has long admired the Military God. Today, I've brazenly recommended myself, wishing to follow by the Military God's side as a humble guard," Xu Ge said, cupping his fists.
Fang Canghai's gaze flickered. Seeming to understand, he nodded slightly, the look he gave Xu Ge softening somewhat. "When Chen'er goes to Qingsong Kingdom, I'll have to trouble you to look after him."
Hearing this, the others felt a slight stirring of hope.
If a Peak Qi Burst martial artist guarded Fang Chen by his side, perhaps he could avoid much of the humiliation upon arriving in Qingsong Kingdom.
Fang Zhixue quickly added, "Brother Xu, thank you for your hard work in the future."
"It's no trouble at all, no trouble," Xu Ge replied promptly.
"Chen'er, shall Second Uncle accompany you to the palace?"
The middle-aged man in the wheelchair asked slowly.
"The daughter of Wolf Marshal Xiao is making this trip purely to humiliate our Fang family. If Second Uncle goes along, wouldn't that play right into her hands?"
Fang Chen smiled faintly. "My going alone will suffice."
With that, Fang Chen gave Xu Ge a meaningful look, picked up the imperial decree, and walked out the door.
Xu Ge remembered the instructions Fang Chen had given him.
If Fang Chen failed to walk out of the palace today, Xu Ge was to cover the Fang family's retreat out of the Daxia Capital. However, Fang Chen had said the probability of that happening was very low—it was merely a precaution.
***
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the imperial palace, a hundred Wolf Guards stood in stern array, their gazes occasionally locking onto the surrounding guards with a faint, mocking chill.
No matter how angry those guards felt, they dared not utter a word at that moment.
There was a time when these Wolf Guards were not even permitted to set foot in the Capital. Entering the palace as openly as they did today signified that Daxia had grown incomparably weak before Qingsong Kingdom.
"Hurry up and take me to see His Majesty!"
Eunuch You's voice rang out as he rushed toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony, his face covered in blood, supported by several junior eunuchs.
The surrounding guards were stunned at the sight. Had Eunuch You not gone to the Fang family to read the imperial decree? How did he end up beaten to this state?
"Adoptive Father, what happened to you?"
You Longchang, deputy commander of the West Tiger Camp, suddenly appeared, staring at Eunuch You in astonishment.
"That brat Fang Chen went too far!"
Eunuch You barked furiously, and without lingering to speak with You Longchang, he hurried into the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
*Fang Chen?!*
You Longchang was slightly startled. Fang Chen had kept an extremely low profile over the past five years; to think he had actually beaten the eunuch delivering the imperial decree? This reminded him of that bygone era when even the Emperor's authority could not rival Fang Chen's.
"He's nothing more than a cripple now, yet he still dares to act so arrogantly. He must be unable to let go of his past glory..."
You Longchang sneered inwardly.
Hearing Fang Chen's name, the hundred Wolf Guards instinctively raised their heads and exchanged glances, the disdain in their eyes having long since vanished.
Regardless, Daxia's Military God held a certain weight in their hearts. The Wolf Guards had clashed with army formations led by Fang Chen countless times.
Not once had they come out ahead; countless Wolf Guards had died at Fang Chen's hands. Those present were mostly newcomers.
Inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Virtually all the civil and military officials were present. The Emperor of Daxia, clad in a bright yellow dragon robe, sat atop the dragon throne, conversing with Goddess Xiao below the steps.
The topic of conversation was precisely the upcoming matrilocal marriage of Fang Chen, and Qingsong Kingdom's promise not to attack Daxia for the next five years.
Eunuch You happened to enter the hall at that moment, promptly dropping to his knees and letting out a wretched wail:
"Your Majesty! This old servant failed to deliver the decree properly and was beaten by the Heir! I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
"What?!"
"He was beaten by Fang Chen?"
The civil and military officials turned as one toward Eunuch You, strange expressions crossing their faces. Hadn't Fang Chen refrained from striking anyone for five full years?
Several officials subconsciously touched their own cheeks.
Goddess Xiao furrowed her brow slightly and glanced at the Emperor.
The Emperor was equally stunned, his expression turning gloomy as he looked at Eunuch You. "You were beaten by Fang Chen? And the imperial decree? Did he accept it?"
"Replying to Your Majesty, he accepted it, but..."
Eunuch You tried to offer a defense.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor waved a hand. "Accepting it is enough. As for him hitting you, you must have said something to provoke him. In this Hall of Supreme Harmony, you aren't the only one he has struck before—no need to make a fuss over it."
Eunuch You wore a look of utter bewilderment.
Several officials wore cold sneers. Daxia now required Fang Chen to marry into the Xiao family to quell the flames of war and buy five years of national fortune for Daxia. Did this mere eunuch think he could seize the opportunity to settle scores with Fang Chen at a time like this?
"Your Majesty, it seems the Military God is quite dissatisfied with marrying into the Xiao family. What if he chooses to ignore your imperial decree? Shall I order my Wolf Guards to bring him here?"
Goddess Xiao said with a half-smile.
The expressions of the civil and military officials shifted slightly, tension flashing in their eyes.
If the Wolf Guards were truly sent to drag Fang Chen here and the news spread across the Capital, it would be an absolute, ringing slap to the face of Daxia!
"Lady Xiao, rest assured. Fang Chen is, after all, my nephew. Since he has accepted the decree, he will come."
With that, the Emperor glanced at the expressionless Empress beside him, a smile then touching his lips as he said to Goddess Xiao:
"Just wait a moment longer."
At that instant, You Longchang's voice rang out from outside the doors:
"The Heir of General Fang's Estate—has arrived!"
The Emperor smiled. "See? Didn't I say he would come."
Goddess Xiao's eyes narrowed slightly as she called out toward the doors: "If the Military God wishes to marry into the Xiao family, he must first pass a test!"
From the Emperor down to the civil and military officials, everyone's expressions changed at her words.
"If he fails the test, forget about the marriage altogether. Qingsong Kingdom will flatten Daxia before long and reduce this land to a vassal state!"
Goddess Xiao said indifferently.
Outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Hearing Goddess Xiao's words, the Wolf Guards formed up and watched with stern expressions as Fang Chen walked step by step toward them.
***
Fang Chen walked toward the Hall of Supreme Harmony with his eyes closed.
He seemed entirely unaware that a hundred Wolf Guards were staring daggers at him.
"He really is blind."
A Wolf Guard muttered under his breath.
Seeing the once high-spirited young Military God reduced to a blind cripple, these Wolf Guards felt a pang of mixed emotion, but above all, it deepened their worship and awe for their First Wolf Marshal.
So what if he was the young Military God?
Had he not still fallen to their First Wolf Marshal? Their First Wolf Marshal was the truly invincible and ever-victorious one!
Meanwhile, the Emperor, Goddess Xiao, and the civil and military officials had all arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The previously expressionless Empress felt a pang of heartache flash in her eyes when she caught sight of that slightly thin figure, her lips parting as if to speak, though she held back.
"He looks no different from his portrait, except that sharp edge is gone."
Goddess Xiao stared at Fang Chen, a faint smile then touching her lips. "Nothing special about him after all. Though he is better-looking than some of my former men."
A flash of anger crossed the Empress's eyes.
The entire court of civil and military officials glared angrily at Goddess Xiao. Regardless of whether they had been at odds with Fang Chen in the past, comparing Daxia's former young Military God to her male concubines was a direct insult to Daxia!
"Your Majesty, tell him this: if he wants to marry into our Xiao family, he must undergo a trial first. I don't want to drag a useless blind man back home."
Goddess Xiao said indifferently.
The Daxia Emperor looked toward Fang Chen and spoke slowly, "Fang Chen."
"Fang Chen pays his respects to Your Majesty."
Fang Chen halted his steps and cupped his hands in a bow toward the Daxia Emperor.
"Audacious Fang Chen! Why do you not kneel upon seeing His Majesty?!"
You Longchang suddenly stepped forward and shouted.
The others guessed he was trying to vent some residual anger on behalf of his adoptive father, Eunuch You.
Though his eyes were closed, Fang Chen slowly turned his head, 'looking' in You Longchang's direction: "You Longchang, Deputy Commander of the West Tiger Camp?"
You Longchang was slightly startled.
Was the man truly blind?
He looked completely normal, and since he hadn't crossed paths with You Longchang once in the last five years, how did he recognize him instantly?
"None other than this general," You Longchang said in a deep voice.
"His Majesty once bestowed upon me the privilege of walking before the throne without kneeling. Have you forgotten?"
Fang Chen said calmly.
You Longchang froze for a moment, instinctively replying, "That was before you were defeated. After you were defeated..."
He trailed off.
It seemed... the Emperor had never rescinded the privilege granted to Fang Chen, even after his defeat. It was merely their own wishful thinking that Fang Chen was no longer the young Military God of old, stripped of all glory and authority.
"It seems you remember."
Fang Chen smiled, then looked toward the Daxia Emperor. "Your Majesty, your subject received the imperial decree and hurried straight to the palace. I wonder if the daughter of Wolf Marshal Xiao is present?"
The Daxia Emperor glanced at Goddess Xiao, then said to Fang Chen, "Lady Xiao is right here by My side. Lady Xiao has stated that you must pass certain trials of hers before you may... marry into the Xiao family."
The expressions of the civil and military officials turned rather ugly.
Forcing Fang Chen into a matrilocal marriage with the Xiao family was already a humiliation for Daxia. For Goddess Xiao to pull such a stunt compounded the insult, making it look as though Daxia were fawningly pushing Fang Chen toward the match.
"A trial? I wonder what kind of trial it is."
Fang Chen said faintly.
"Lady Xiao, what do you think?"
The Daxia Emperor looked at Goddess Xiao.
"It's very simple, Military God. As long as you can correctly predict the movements of my Wolf Guards a moment from now, you will have passed the trial."
Goddess Xiao spoke slowly, casting a meaningful look at the leader of the Wolf Guards.
Seeing this, the Wolf Guard leader immediately drove his silver wolf forward like a whirlwind, charging toward the surrounding guards, palace maids, and eunuchs.
*Bang, bang, bang!*
Over a dozen guards, maids, and eunuchs were seized and thrown before Fang Chen.
They wore expressions of astonishment and bewilderment, having no idea why a trial had suddenly dragged them into it.
Watching the Wolf Guards resort to violence right inside the palace, the Daxia Emperor's face twitched uncontrollably.
"Audacious! How dare you resort to violence in the imperial palace? How dare you do this before His Majesty's very eyes?!"
An elderly official with white hair and beard stepped out abruptly, glaring fixedly at Goddess Xiao.
This old man was none other than Li Guozhu, the Prime Minister of Daxia!
"It's merely required for the trial. His Majesty won't mind, will he?"
Goddess Xiao said with a light smile.
"Heh..."
The Daxia Emperor forced a laugh. "I wonder what kind of trial requires using them? Lady Xiao only had to say the word; there was no need to have your subordinates resort to force and cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
With that, he waved his hand at Li Guozhu, signaling him to step back. Li Guozhu frowned deeply and said no more.
"It's quite simple..."
Goddess Xiao looked at Fang Chen. "Military God, before you stand four guards, four maids, and four eunuchs. Will my men shoot and kill a guard, a maid, or a eunuch next?
As long as you guess correctly, you pass the test."
An uproar broke out among the crowd.
Someone finally lost control and roared angrily, "Do you treat the lives of our Daxia people as a mere game?!"
At that moment, the Wolf Guard leader had already drawn a powerful bow, slowly taking aim at Fang Chen before shifting his sights to the guards, maids, and eunuchs.
"As long as our Qingsong Kingdom wills it, the lives of your Daxia people are as cheap as grass. Do not let one or two lives ruin today's proceedings. Your Majesty, do you agree with my words?"
Goddess Xiao said unconcernedly.
"Your Majesty, if people from Qingsong Kingdom are allowed to slaughter lives within the palace, once word gets out, how will the people of the world view us?"
The Empress finally spoke.