"This matter simply fizzled out. But not long after, Yuan Zhuang discovered that the person who had filed the report had also disappeared, leaving his critically ill elderly mother at home, nearly starving to death. Yuan Zhuang reported this to me. I sensed that something was amiss—the complainant had likely been silenced—so I had my men continue to investigate."
At this point, he glanced at Fang Chen. "The Ministry of Rites official's estate has seen quite a few disappearances over the years; his younger sister is just one of them. That is why I reported it to the Deputy Minister. After all, only he has the authority to summon the official from the Ministry of Rites for questioning."
"And then?" Fang Chen asked.
"The Deputy Minister suppressed the matter," Zhao Si-xing said, stroking his beard. "He claimed that all the servants who had gone missing from that estate had done so because the official was too kind-hearted, causing them to harbor ulterior motives, steal valuables, and run away."
"That explanation is barely plausible. Even in my own Fang Estate, we have had servants like that before," Fang Chen said with a faint smile. "What exactly do you find suspicious, Zhao Si-xing?"
"First, the first person who reported the case was a well-known filial son. He would never have abandoned his sick mother to disappear silently for any other reason," Zhao Si-xing said. "Second, while Yuan Zhuang was investigating, one of his subordinates had an arm slashed off. It seems someone is threatening us, hoping we won't continue digging." He paused. "For the safety of my men, I suppressed the investigation. However, for these past few years, I have occasionally kept an eye on the situation at the Ministry of Rites official's home."
"Have there been any more disappearances?" Fang Chen asked.
"None since then." Zhao Si-xing shook his head, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Young lord, do you also feel something is wrong?"
"After you return, have your men look through the records of disappearances in the Daxia Capital over the last six years—no, the last twenty years. Some cases that didn't involve government officials weren't reported to Dahua Temple and will be with the Prefecture Governor. You know what to do."
Fang Chen's words made Zhao Si-xing’s expression grow increasingly solemn. He nodded and turned to leave. In his eyes, the fact that the young lord had taken notice of this matter meant it was far from trivial. Behind these disappearances, there might be some dark secret hidden—or perhaps a connection to Qingsong!
"Young lord, you’re done talking with Zhao Si-xing, right? Does that mean it’s my turn?" Fairy Yu appeared quietly once Zhao Si-xing had left. She had been following Fang Chen and his group the entire way. Because she possessed excellent light-body skills and had mastered the art of disguise, she was not easily recognized.
"I have nothing for you to do," Fang Chen said helplessly.
"Young lord, what is the background of that maid you had with you today?" Fairy Yu asked, curious.
"Goddess Xiao," Fang Chen replied.
Fairy Yu was slightly taken aback, a look of astonishment flashing in her eyes. "Goddess Xiao? How could she—"
"She volunteered to stay as a hostage. This way, Wolf Marshal Xiao will ensure the Third Prince’s safety, so he won't be provoked into taking his anger out on others just because I killed a few Qingsong martial artists in the Capital," Fang Chen said with a laugh.
"She surely doesn't know that with the Third Prince's schemes, it would be as hard as ascending to heaven for the people at Qingsong to actually kill him," Fairy Yu mocked.
"Indeed. That guy has a brilliant mind. He couldn't have been idle in Qingsong over these past five years. If he wanted to, he probably could have returned to the Daxia Capital long ago," Fang Chen laughed. "Once he hears the news from the Capital, I expect you and I will be seeing him soon."
The Crown Prince feared that he would go to retrieve the Third Prince, but he was unaware that his understanding of his younger brother was far too superficial. The Third Prince had once voluntarily gone to Qingsong as a hostage; now, he was fully capable of returning to Daxia on his own. In this, Fang Chen had absolute confidence in him. Both of them were like-minded; for the sake of the hundreds of millions of people in Daxia, neither would easily throw away their own life.
"Young lord, even if you know this, you still keep Goddess Xiao by your side. Is it because you are attracted to her beauty? As far as I know, Goddess Xiao's conduct in her daily life is not exactly beyond reproach," Fairy Yu said softly.
"There are those who wish for her death, but five years ago, I did indeed owe Wolf Marshal Xiao a life debt at Sanchie Mountain," Fang Chen sighed softly. "Regardless of everything else, I will keep Goddess Xiao alive. Once she returns to Qingsong, we will be even."
"Then... can I also stay by your side as a maid? You see, someone even called me a ‘woman of easy virtue’ today. I feel truly wronged," Fairy Yu said, hanging her head.
"Wait until you reach the Qi Control stage before we discuss that." Fang Chen waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Qi Control?" Fairy Yu’s eyes lit up. She shook her fist at Fang Chen’s back. "Young lord, you must keep your word!"
***
**Chapter 32: Fang Cangyou’s Legs**
"Hmm, my spiritual power seems to have increased quite a bit. It looks like condensing the third immortal meridian is close at hand. Cultivating immortality... is indeed not difficult."
Fang Chen had spent another night crafting talismans. He now had fifty Purple Lightning Talismans, along with several Godspeed, Diamond, and Strength talismans. He hadn't slept at all during this time. Back when he was an Elixir Qi martial artist, he might have been able to endure this, but never with the boundless vigor he felt now. His abundant spiritual power felt like an inexhaustible source of energy.
"Once the number of talismans reaches a certain point, I can distribute them to the hidden guards below. When they encounter danger, they will be able to catch the enemy off guard."
Fang Chen left his courtyard and arrived at the practice arena where Fang Cangyou spent most of his time. When he had nothing to do, his uncle would sit in his wheelchair, watching the Fang family disciples and guards train with shouts and vigor.
Fang Chen stopped to watch for a moment, a faint smile on his face. Some of these Fang family disciples were direct descendants, some were from collateral branches, but many more were orphans of the military. Fang Canghai had never required them to change their surnames, yet he treated them exactly the same as the others; whatever the Fang family disciples had, they had as well.
"Chen-er, what brings you here?" Fang Cangyou turned his head suddenly, looking at Fang Chen with curiosity.
"Second Uncle, I want to take a look at your leg injury," Fang Chen said with a smile.
A look of melancholy flashed in Fang Cangyou’s eyes as he glanced at his own legs, then smiled faintly. "What’s there to look at? The meridians are already severed. I won’t be able to stand for the rest of my life."
Three years ago, someone had written a scathing manifesto hoping the Emperor would make Fang Chen pay for the sixty thousand soldiers who had died at Sanchie Mountain. Because of this, citizens had even come to the Fang Estate to cause trouble, and even the East Tiger Battalion, controlled by Fang Canghai, had seen its morale waver. The palace had remained silent, allowing the situation to escalate. Fang Cangyou, unable to bear it any longer, had charged into the palace hall and rebuked the Emperor. The Commander of the Imperial Guards, Yan Beihan, had seen this and shot an arrow clean through Fang Cangyou’s legs. In the end, the Emperor settled the matter, and the affair concluded with Fang Cangyou’s legs being crippled.
Fang Chen had lost his sight and his Qi Sea had been destroyed; Fang Cangyou’s legs had been ruined. Of the great Fang family, only the Old Master and Fang Canghai remained, and the Old Master was already advanced in age—if he couldn't make a breakthrough, his time was limited. Perhaps it was this state of affairs that made others feel the Fang family was no longer a threat; since then, things had been quiet, and no one had jumped out to target the family further.
"My cultivation has now recovered. Perhaps I have a way to reconnect your meridians," Fang Chen said.
Fang Cangyou looked at him for a moment and sighed. "Push me to the backyard."
In the backyard, just as Fang Chen was about to use his spiritual power to examine the injury, Fang Cangyou suddenly stood up from his wheelchair, hopped a few times in front of Fang Chen, and patted his legs.
"I told you, there was no need to look!"
Fang Chen was stunned.
Seeing his expression, Fang Cangyou laughed heartily. "Heh, didn't expect that, did you? In these twenty-something years, your uncle hasn’t seen you look this surprised more than a few times!"
"Second Uncle, your legs... have they been fine all along?" Fang Chen’s expression was strange.
"Of course. Do you think it’s that easy to cripple the legs of Fang Cangyou?" Fang Cangyou sneered, then sat back down in the wheelchair and carefully covered his legs with a fur blanket.
"Then why did you..." Fang Chen mused.
"If they knew my legs were fine, they might be hatching some other devious plan. It’s better to grant their wishes and let them see how miserable our Fang family is. You lost your sight and your Qi Sea, I ‘lost’ the use of my legs. If any more scoundrels jump out to talk nonsense, the Emperor can’t just ignore it, can he?" Fang Cangyou sneered.
"Then these past few years have been truly hard on you, Second Uncle. Now, you no longer need to pretend," Fang Chen said with a wry smile.
"Not at all. If I’m doing a good job acting, why stop? It’s great like this—nobody puts me in their eyes. If something really happens, I’ll catch them off guard!" Fang Cangyou chuckled.
No matter what, he was still a Qi Bursting Martial Artist, specifically at the Peak of the Qi Burst realm. It was only because he was thought to be crippled that people had stopped paying attention to him these past few years.
"Since that is the case, I will take my leave," Fang Chen nodded. If his uncle wanted to continue the charade, so be it.
"Wait, push me back to the practice arena." Seeing Fang Chen about to leave, Fang Cangyou urged.
Fang Chen waved his hand, ignoring him, and vanished from Fang Cangyou’s sight in a flash.
"This kid! Where on earth has Xu Ge been these past two days? Running around aimlessly!" Fang Cangyou grumbled to himself, pushing his own wheelchair away at a leisurely pace.
***
Fang Chen returned to the Hidden Courtyard. In just one night, Zhao Si-xing had organized a massive stack of case files, reaching as high as a man, and laid them out before Fang Chen.
"Young lord, here are the files on disappearances from the last twenty years. I have already looked through them once; there are many suspicious points, the earliest dating back to eight years ago." Zhao Si-xing said in a low voice.
"Are there no problems with the files from before eight years ago?" Fang Chen asked.
"In this old man’s view, there isn’t much. They were all ordinary cases, and some people have already returned home," Zhao Si-xing replied.
Fang Chen nodded. In that case, he would only look at the files from the last eight years. He counted them—there were over a thousand such cases! This meant that over a hundred people went missing every year, one every three days. And this wasn't even the full extent; some were too afraid to report, and others had no family left to report for them. Adding those up, the number of missing people was staggering.
Fang Chen looked grave as he and Zhao Si-xing began to comb through the cases, and he truly found many things that defied reason. Time passed slowly until evening approached. Fang Chen selected three cases from the stack, all of them recent. He also intended to personally investigate the case from two years ago involving the Ministry of Rites official. After that incident, no one had gone missing from that estate, which could not be a coincidence.
If the Blood Spirit Cult was involved in these disappearances, he only needed to find a trail in these files to know who was involved and how many there were. Every one of them would not be let off lightly.
"Young lord, are you investigating these cases because of their connection to Qingsong?" Zhao Si-xing asked suddenly.
Fang Chen glanced at him and smiled faintly. "Qingsong? Qingsong is no longer worth worrying about. The matters involved in these cases are even more severe than Qingsong. The official under your command—Yuan Zhuang, was it? Is he reliable?"
"Yuan Zhuang? I watched that boy grow up. He has a warm heart, but as to whether he is ‘reliable’ or not, I cannot say for sure," Zhao Si-xing said with a slight shake of his head.
"You haven't forgotten the vigilance of a hidden guard," Fang Chen said with a smile and a nod. The first rule of the hidden guards: never trust anyone easily, except for the young lord.
"Have him come see me tomorrow." Fang Chen picked up a few files, gave the order, and rose to leave.
***
**Chapter 33: Investigate!**
"Cousin, is it really the Military God Fang who wants to see us? You’re just a minor official at Dahua Temple, and while you’re much better off than a new recruit like me, the Military God Fang is such a legendary figure—why would he want to see you? Don’t brag just to save face in front of me; if we get kicked out of the Fang Estate, we’ll be a laughingstock!"
A woman with bronze-toned skin, a slender build, and wearing the black uniform of a constable whispered to Yuan Zhuang while looking around the Fang Estate.
"Who’s bragging? Don’t you know it was me who personally escorted Military God Fang into Dahua Temple a while ago?" Yuan Zhuang shrunk his neck a bit, feeling insecure, but he didn't want to lose face in front of his cousin.
He paused and added, "You got one thing wrong—Military God Fang wants to see only me. If it weren't for the fact that you happened to be on duty with me today, you wouldn't even have the chance to see the world here. Don't speak out of turn later. If you get familiar with the people here, it will make your work in this area much easier in the future."
Yuan Yuan still seemed skeptical. Just then, a servant from the Fang Estate walked out and bowed to Yuan Zhuang. "Officer Yuan, the young lord invites you inside to speak."
Yuan Yuan stared blankly at Yuan Zhuang, a look of disbelief in her eyes. It really was the Military God Fang calling for her cousin? When did her brother become so important?
"Little brother, what about my subordinate..." Yuan Zhuang looked at Yuan Yuan.
"This officer is invited to wait in the guest hall. The young lord only wishes to see you alone," the servant replied politely.
Yuan Zhuang nodded quickly. Seeing someone lead Yuan Yuan away, he gave her a few more reminders before following the servant toward Fang Chen’s residence. Along the way, Yuan Zhuang felt nervous, secretly guessing Fang Chen’s purpose.
Before long, he met Fang Chen. At that moment, Fang Chen was quietly practicing a set of health-cultivating boxing moves. At first glance, no one would think this vibrant, blooming youth was the former Military God of Daxia.
"Officer Yuan, please, have a seat." Fang Chen ended his practice and pointed to the stone stool in front of him.
*Can he actually see?* Yuan Zhuang was shocked. Could Fang Chen recognize him just by the sound of his footsteps? Such a feat was terrifying. He sat down cautiously, then stood up immediately, cupping his hands and smiling bitterly. "Military God Fang, for what purpose have you summoned me today?"
"I am but a commoner now; addressing me as an official may not be appropriate." Fang Chen smiled, not dwelling on the topic. He went straight to the point. "Someone gave me a few files. I feel these cases are unusual. As an official of Dahua Temple, you have studied this field. Take a look, will you?" He threw the files to Yuan Zhuang.
Yuan Zhuang quickly caught them. The first thing he saw was the case of the missing maid from the Ministry of Rites official's estate two years ago, and a look of shock flashed across his face.
"Military God Fang, what is this?"
"Look closely. Once you’ve finished reading, give me your answer," Fang Chen said calmly.
"Yes, yes." Yuan Zhuang nodded repeatedly and began to read intently. After about half an hour, he said with a grave expression, "Military God Fang, these cases all have significant suspicions, but..." He paused and smiled bitterly. "These cases have already been closed..."
"Let’s talk about the Ministry of Rites official’s case first—younger sister goes missing, brother reports to the authorities, and then the brother goes missing too, leaving behind a critically ill elderly mother," Fang Chen said with a smile. "Do you think that is logical?"
"It is not," Yuan Zhuang answered honestly. "But the Deputy Minister personally presided over this case and concluded that the maid had eloped with someone and stolen a considerable amount of wealth."
"Do you agree with that conclusion in your heart?" Fang Chen asked.
"If I don’t... what else can I do?" Yuan Zhuang said with a bitter smile.
"Investigate," Fang Chen said flatly. "Since you don't agree, investigate thoroughly. Sooner or later, the truth will come to light. What do you think?"
"Military God Fang, do you perhaps know something?" Yuan Zhuang’s expression shifted.
"I know no more than you do, otherwise why would I have called you here? Since we have nothing better to do, let’s go and take a look at the home where the siblings lived," Fang Chen said with a smile.
Yuan Zhuang nodded subconsciously, then was struck with astonishment. The Military God Fang was going to investigate a case with him personally? He felt like he was dreaming.
"Military God Fang, this... I have a subordinate waiting for me at your estate. Let me go dismiss her, and then we shall go together?" Yuan Zhuang said quickly.
"Bring her along. What we do is righteous; there is no need for secrecy," Fang Chen said with a light smile.
*This girl really has good luck. On her first day of duty, she gets to work with the Military God Fang...* Yuan Zhuang thought to himself.
Yuan Yuan had been bored waiting in the guest hall when she heard a shout outside. She rose to look and happened to see Fang Zhixue practicing her swordplay in the courtyard. There were a dozen young men sparring with her, all with decent cultivation, but none could last even one exchange against her!
"You’re too weak! I tell you to put in some effort, but you treat it like wind passing by your ears. At your age, you’re still stuck at the Qi Condensation stage!" Fang Zhixue scolded in dissatisfaction.
"Sister Zhixue, how can we compare to you? You’ve been practicing the Xuan Tian Technique since you were young, while we’ve only been practicing for a few years..." the boys grumbled.
*Fang Zhixue!? The younger sister of Military God Fang, a martial arts prodigy who has already stepped into the Qi Burst realm at such a young age!* Yuan Yuan was shocked. She could tell that Fang Zhixue was several years younger than her, yet she herself was only a Mid-Qi Condensation martial artist.
"Eh, who are you?" Fang Zhixue sensed someone watching, turned, and looked at the woman in the constable’s uniform standing at the guest hall door, her eyes brimming with curiosity.
"F-Fang Miss, I am Yuan Yuan, a constable of Dahua Temple. My superior is Officer Yuan Zhuang," Yuan Yuan said, quickly cupping her hands.
"Dahua Temple!? What are you doing in my Fang Estate? Don't tell me you're here to arrest my brother again? You go too far!" Fang Zhixue was instantly furious.
Yuan Yuan realized she had misunderstood, but before she could explain, a clear voice sounded: "Zhixue, I invited them here."
Fang Chen and Yuan Zhuang walked over slowly.
Seeing this, Fang Zhixue was even more curious. "Brother, why did you invite them over?"
*Brother!?*
*Could this be...*