Seeing this scene, the people of Daxia felt their eyes gradually turn red. Their breathing grew heavy, and their gazes subconsciously searched the surrounding area for the figures of the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists.
"General, what should we do?"
One of You Longchang's subordinates suddenly spoke.
"What should we do?"
You Longchang looked somewhat dazed.
"The Military God Fang has recovered his cultivation; we have nothing to fear from the Qingsong Kingdom! How can we let them run amok in the Capital? We should naturally assist the Military God Fang and wipe them out one by one!"
The subordinate lowered his voice.
"But..."
You Longchang clenched his teeth tightly. This matter was of vital importance, and he dared not make a decision on his own. To kill Qingsong Kingdom martial artists required a personal imperial decree from the Emperor.
"General, my younger brother was beaten to death by Qingsong Kingdom martial artists right here on the streets of the Capital."
The subordinate said softly.
"Damn it, forget it!"
You Longchang shouted angrily, "Xihu Camp soldiers, hear my order!"
"Here!"
A thunderous roar shook the air.
"We follow Military God Fang, and today we will slaughter every last Qingsong Kingdom martial artist in the Capital!"
A layer of blood-red gradually veiled You Longchang's eyes, as if he had returned to his days of fighting on the battlefield, and a terrifying murderous intent coiled around him unrestrained!
"Understood!!!"
With that single acknowledgment, You Longchang led his men to catch up with Fang Chen, rushing all the way in a certain direction. Over there stood a martial arts hall established by the Qingsong Kingdom, where practically all the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists frequented!
Countless commoners followed closely behind upon seeing this. Though they were now empty-handed, the pent-up bitter hatred of a full five years made them feel a hundred times more energetic, brimming with an inexhaustible surge of strength!
"Empress, the young lord..."
A palace maid stared blankly at the Empress.
The Empress pondered for a few moments, then addressed the commander of the imperial guards escorting the procession: "Take your men and follow Chen'er. Since he wants to kill Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, you will help him kill them."
"Yes!"
The guard commander nodded excitedly, leaving behind a few guards to protect the Empress, while he led the rest in pursuit of Fang Chen.
"After today, the skies are going to change."
The Empress murmured to herself.
"Empress, people in the palace might use this matter to attack you..."
The palace maid looked worried.
After all, Fang Chen was the Empress's nephew. Now, on his way home, he had suddenly begun slaughtering Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, and if this incident blew up, it would inevitably implicate the Empress.
Especially that Imperial Noble Consort Hua; she would certainly never let go of such an opportunity.
"Some people may have forgotten that before I entered the palace, I was also a member of the Fang family."
The Empress chuckled lightly, a flash of lightning sparking in her eyes as a jade thumb ring she was toying with suddenly turned into a pile of fine powder, slowly drifting down from her fingertips.
...
...
The Qingsong Superior Hall.
Occupying a massive area, it was originally a Daxia government office. But after Daxia's defeat five years ago, the building was demanded by the Qingsong Kingdom, which established a martial arts hall here.
Choosing the word "Superior" was meant to flaunt their status as superiors, while the citizens of Daxia were treated as inferior pariahs.
This place was bustling with activity, and eight or nine out of every ten of the over a thousand Qingsong Kingdom martial artists making a living in the Daxia Capital frequented this location.
"Hehe, do you think Goddess Xiao will come stay here?"
"Naturally she will. Our master is a veteran of the Wolf Army and once followed the First Wolf Marshal to personally defeat Fang Chen at the Three Boundary Mountains."
"I heard Goddess Xiao is incomparably beautiful; this time, it's a cheap deal for Fang Chen."
"Don't say that. If Fang Chen becomes a man of our Qingsong Kingdom, won't there be not a shred of hope left for Daxia? Our Qingsong Kingdom flattening this place is just around the corner, hahaha!"
In the front hall, a group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists were chatting idly, occasionally bursting into loud laughter. Meanwhile, the servants walking among these martial artists were trembling with fear, their expressions filled with dread.
Because they were Daxia commoners who had no choice but to come here and serve these Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, and a single careless mistake could cost them their heads in the blink of an eye.
Just then, a Qingsong Kingdom martial artist noticed something amiss.
"Why is it so noisy outside?"
He stood up and looked out, his expression suddenly changing.
"What is it?"
Someone asked.
"People, a lot of people..."
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artist muttered, "It looks like they are coming toward our place."
A lot of people?
A group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists immediately gathered at the entrance, instantly startled by the mighty and formidable procession before them.
Among this crowd, many were merely ordinary Daxia commoners, but they also spotted soldiers wearing military uniforms, and some even recognized Fang Chen walking at the very front.
"Isn't that Fang Chen?"
"Something's wrong. I'm going to notify the master!"
Someone hurried away.
By then, Fang Chen had already arrived before the gates of the Qingsong Superior Hall. He glanced at the signboard and said indifferently, "General You, take it down."
"Yes!"
You Longchang leaped up fiercely, smashing the signboard to pieces with a single punch, the fragments scattering across the ground.
"You have some nerve!"
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gathered at the entrance widened their eyes in fury, their eyes instantly turning blood-red.
"Kill them."
Fang Chen said.
"Military God Fang, are you certain?"
As You Longchang walked this far, his mind had grown a bit calmer, and he began to weigh the gains and losses.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Fang Chen frowned slightly.
You Longchang felt he was already riding a tiger and difficult to dismount; at this moment, he could only make a choice. The next second, he roared:
"KILL!!!"
He led the charge himself, charging straight into the Qingsong Superior Hall with his men!
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists who took the initial impact were somewhat caught off guard and were swallowed up by the sea of people within moments. Each person received at least a dozen stab wounds, showing just how intense the Daxia people's hatred for the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists truly was.
You Longchang cleared the path ahead while Fang Chen strolled leisurely behind, and the commoners closely followed Fang Chen's footsteps, their expressions a mix of terror and excitement.
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gradually reacted and quickly organized a powerful counterattack. At that moment, a figure rushed over hastily. Seeing the scene before him, he immediately shouted in anger:
"Stop fighting, all of you!"
This person was none other than Xiao Tianci, the master of the Qingsong Superior Hall.
He was not a member of the Xiao family, but having followed Wolf Marshal Xiao into battle since childhood, he was granted the surname Xiao!
Chapter 12: How to Calm the Anger in One's Heart?
The battle between the two sides paused temporarily, and everyone's gaze fell uniformly upon Xiao Tianci.
"Fang Chen, what are you doing!"
Xiao Tianci stared coldly at Fang Chen, a flicker of uncertainty deep within his eyes.
The opponent had been dormant for five years, yet today he suddenly arrived at the Qingsong Superior Hall leading a group of... rabble?
Yes, in his eyes, the people around Fang Chen were all a disorganized mob with practically no combat power! He alone could easily handle all of them.
A Qi Control expert was no empty title; on the battlefield, a single Qi Control expert could easily match a thousand troops!
"Wolf Marshal Xiao arranged for you to contact and plot with certain restless fellows in the Capital. I could have originally pretended not to see it, seeing as those fellows... could not sway the national fortunes anyway."
Fang Chen sighed softly: "But you should not have condoned the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists running amok in our Daxia Capital."
"A defeated general has what qualifications to bring up various demands."
Xiao Tianci gazed fixedly at Fang Chen: "Before long, you will be my Xiao family's son-in-law. Out of respect for the young miss, I'll let you take your men and leave now, and I won't report this matter to your Emperor."
Right at that moment, a boisterous voice rang out: "Hall Master Xiao, who has eaten the courage of a bear and a leopard to come here and cause trouble? Rest assured, you don't even need to make a move—I, Li Huang, will be the first to slaughter him!"
Everyone looked up to see a slightly plump young man strolling leisurely over, accompanied by several guards whose cultivation was not weak.
"Why is he here?"
You Longchang frowned slightly.
Like Fang Chen, this Li Huang had an aunt who was a concubine of the Daxia Emperor, making him imperial royalty of sorts.
"Fang Chen?! You Longchang of the Xihu Camp?"
Li Huang's steps suddenly halted. He caught sight of Fang Chen, and a look of terror flashed through his eyes, alongside a deep-seated resentment hidden away.
"Young Master Li, I'll handle this matter."
Xiao Tianci said with a faint smile.
"Good, good, good. Hall Master Xiao, handle it then."
Li Huang immediately backed down, then stood off to the side, secretly sizing up Fang Chen. He couldn't understand why Fang Chen, who had already become a cripple, would suddenly appear at the Qingsong Superior Hall.
"Fang Chen, it's time for you to withdraw."
Xiao Tianci said indifferently.
A trace of hesitation surfaced on You Longchang's face, and the Daxia commoners, who had previously looked so excited, also felt a wave of trepidation.
They knew that the man before them was a Qi Control expert!
"The Qingsong Superior Hall has three Qi Control experts—two in Early Qi Control and one in Mid Qi Control—fifteen Peak Qi Burst martial artists, and one thousand and thirty-two remaining martial artists of other levels."
Fang Chen slowly spoke.
Hearing this, everyone inwardly gasped in cold breath. They had no idea the Qingsong Superior Hall possessed such terrifying strength; after all, the entire Daxia Capital only had a little over a dozen Peak Qi Burst experts to begin with!
As for Qi Control masters, after the battle five years ago, very few remained—you could count them on one hand!
"And this is just one martial arts hall established by the Qingsong Kingdom. Just how many high-level experts must the Qingsong Kingdom itself possess?"
Everyone thought to themselves in secret.
Xiao Tianci's expression shifted slightly. How could the opponent accurately state the number of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists in the Daxia Capital?
If these martial artists were rallied together, they could completely wage a small-scale war. Even storming the Daxia imperial palace might not be entirely impossible!
For some reason, an ominous premonition suddenly rose in Xiao Tianci's heart. He had thought Fang Chen's five years of silence meant he had given up everything, but those words just now precisely proved that Fang Chen had still been watching everything all along!
"Military God Fang, what is your purpose in coming here today? Don't forget, you are about to become a matrilocal son-in-law of my Xiao family."
Xiao Tianci's words carried a veiled threat.
"Didn't you know? Goddess Xiao has already left the Capital."
Fang Chen smiled.
Left the Capital?
Xiao Tianci was stunned. He truly had no knowledge of this news.
"You didn't know... No matter. Whether you know the inside story or not, it won't change everything I am about to do."
With a flick of Fang Chen's sleeve, a bolt of thunder suddenly struck Xiao Tianci.
Dignified Qi Control expert though he was, he didn't even have time to make the slightest reaction before he was struck and charred black on the spot.
"Hiss—"
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
You Longchang had already witnessed this scene, but he still found it inexplicably shocking.
As for the surrounding commoners, they plunged into a deep state of shock. Many of them looked at Fang Chen with a mixture of awe and worship.
"The young lord is truly the young lord! He has never once surrendered!"
These people felt their spirits surge, wishing they could let out a long howl.
"Now, of the Qi Control martial artists in the Qingsong Superior Hall, only two remain."
Fang Chen said softly.
"General You, kill them. Not a single Qingsong Kingdom martial artist here today is to be let go."
"Understood!"
You Longchang let out a loud shout, his blood-red eyes glaring as he led his troops to charge at the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists who were still immersed in shock.
Things had reached this point; he had no retreat left. He could only act as the sharp blade in Fang Chen's hand—slashing wherever Fang Chen pointed!
"No, impossible... How could he... Xiao Tianci is a Qi Control martial artist! How could he be struck down by Fang Chen in a single move? Has his cultivation recovered?!
Where did that lightning just now come from? What kind of method is this!?"
Li Huang's face turned pale as paper, his thoughts spinning in utter chaos. When he saw the surrounding Qingsong Kingdom martial artists being systematically slaughtered by You Longchang's troops, his body could not help but begin to tremble.
"Li Huang, let's catch up."
Passing by Li Huang, Fang Chen dropped these words before walking deeper into the Qingsong Superior Hall.
With a pale expression, Li Huang glanced at the surrounding situation and had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Fang Chen.
"Over the past few years, you've gotten quite close to Xiao Tianci."
Fang Chen said as they walked.
A forced smile was squeezed onto Li Huang's face: "Not all that close. I just often came here to practice martial arts and exchange pointers."
Pausing for a moment, Li Huang probed cautiously: "Military God Fang, you killed Xiao Tianci. This will likely provoke dissatisfaction in the court, and if His Majesty finds out, he might punish you..."
"I killed Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, so why would His Majesty punish me?"
Fang Chen asked with a half-smile.
"Because... this will provoke the wrath of the Qingsong Kingdom. When that time comes, how many people in Daxia will have to die to appease their anger?"
Li Huang said.
"How many people do you think need to die in the Qingsong Kingdom to appease the anger in my heart?"
Fang Chen countered.
At that moment, they had arrived at the backyard of the Qingsong Superior Hall. It seemed oblivious to the events outside; many Qingsong Kingdom martial artists were shirtless, eating meat and drinking alcohol in large gulps, still pointing and laughing at targets in the distance.
In the distance stood dozens of targets drenched in blood, because the ones bound to these targets were living human beings—they came from Daxia!
"Li Huang, did something happen outside? With the Hall Master here, what are you needlessly worrying about? The sparring match just reached your turn; I hit that pariah right between the brows with a single arrow. If you can't do it, you lose the bet, and remember to pay me a thousand taels of silver!"
A Qingsong Kingdom martial artist laughed and called out to Li Huang.
The crowd instantly burst into uproarious laughter, as Li Huang had lost quite a bit of silver here over the years and was viewed by them as a huge sucker!
Connecting Fang Chen's previous words with what this group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists were saying, Li Huang's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and the trembling of his body grew more and more violent.
"You haven't answered me yet. Tell me, how should I appease the anger in my heart?"
Fang Chen gazed at the corpses on those targets with their eyes wide open in death, speaking softly.
Chapter 13: After Today, Return to the Ranks
"I, this, this matter has nothing to do with me! I just came here to watch the commotion, and these targets—no, I haven't killed a single one of these people..."
Li Huang's voice was already laced with a trace of trembling.
The few guards by his side exchanged glances and instinctively shielded Li Huang's vital points, terrified that Fang Chen might deliver a fatal blow right then and there.
"Is that so..."
Fang Chen smiled.
This group of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists gradually sensed that something was wrong. After taking a few more looks at Fang Chen, they were horrified to recognize his identity!
"It's Fang Chen!"
"Why is he here?!"
They instinctively dropped the wine and meat in their hands. Some drew sabers, some drew swords, and others raised the longbows in their hands, staring fixedly at Fang Chen.
"Fang Chen, what are you doing here?"
At that moment, a figure swept over frantically. The aura on this person was powerful, his footwork agile; when he arrived, it looked as if his feet barely touched the ground—it was precisely the phenomenon of Qi Control at the feet!
"Lord Tiema!"
A look of pleasant surprise flashed in Li Huang's eyes.
The newcomer was one of the two Early Qi Control experts of the Qingsong Superior Hall. He was once a renowned swordsman of the Qingsong Kingdom, later defecting to Wolf Marshal Xiao to campaign with the army, and eventually coming to the Daxia Capital alongside Xiao Tianci to manage the Qingsong Superior Hall!
Yet after the pleasant surprise, Li Huang suddenly let out a cry of alarm: "Lord Tiema, be careful! Hall Master Xiao has already died at Fang Chen's hand!"
What?!
"Hall Master Xiao died at Fang Chen's hand?!"
"How is that possible!"
"Wasn't Fang Chen's cultivation completely crippled?!"
The Qingsong Kingdom martial artists present were shocked right on the spot.
Seeing this, Tiema instantly unbuckled the sword at his waist. A sword beam a zhang long swept out like a force clearing an army!
In a flash, the heads of a dozen Qingsong Kingdom martial artists all rolled to the ground.
Tiema's movements did not stop. As a Qi Control expert, his figure shifted and maneuvered through the area like a ghost, every sword strike harvesting the lives of several Qingsong Kingdom martial artists.
In the span of a few brief moments, dozens of Qingsong Kingdom martial artists—including Qi Condensation martial artists and Qi Burst martial artists—all died beneath Tiema's sword.
Blood slowly dripped down onto the ground from the tip of Tiema's sword.
Li Huang stared blankly at this scene, his brain struggling to turn over, completely unable to comprehend what was happening.
Why would Tiema turn on his own people?
The guards beside Li Huang were also left gaping, inwardly terrified by the methods of a Qi Control expert. If it were any one of them, resisting even a single sword strike from Tiema would have been difficult.
"Young lord, Xiao Tianci was watching me, which is why I couldn't come to the Hidden Courtyard that day."
Tiema shook his arm, instantly flinging the blood completely off his sword, before walking up to Fang Chen and bowing with cupped fists.
"You've had it hard these past few years, having to witness such sights every single day. Tell me, has this Qingsong Superior Hall already filled the heavens with resentment?"
Fang Chen murmured to himself.
"It is the young lord who has had it hard."
Tiema said in a low voice.
"I knew of this matter, yet lacked the ability to prevent it..."
Fang Chen mocked himself.
"The young lord must not think this way. They... were destined to meet this tribulation. What the young lord must do is not merely save the lives of one or two people.
If Daxia had no young lord, far more people would die!"
Tiema said in a deep voice.
The dialogue between the two left Li Huang dumbfounded, his mind plunged into chaos.
"You, you guys..."
Li Huang pointed trembling fingers at Tiema and Fang Chen.
"The Daxia Hidden Guards have been reactivated. Your mission... has also come to an end. After today, return to the ranks."
Fang Chen patted Tiema on the shoulder.
"Yes, young lord."
Tiema replied in a deep voice.
Though he forced himself to appear calm, the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him.
For many years, back when Fang Chen arranged for him to infiltrate the Qingsong Kingdom, he had climbed the ranks step by step until he successfully embedded himself within the Wolf Army, even winning the favor of the First Wolf Marshal.
Through this, he had passed on numerous critical intelligence reports to Fang Chen and swayed the outcome of several military campaigns.
He understood that his utility to Fang Chen was immense, but living day after day in enemy territory—sometimes even forced to personally execute Daxia soldiers—had subjected him to endless torment night and day.
Today, he had finally returned to his ranks!
"Young lord, the other one has already died by my hand. There shouldn't be any Qingsong Kingdom Qi Control martial artists left in the Capital. What should we do next?"
Tiema calmed his emotions and asked in a low voice.
"Not a single one left."
Fang Chen smiled faintly: "Daxia no longer needs to politely prevaricate with Qingsong. The first step will begin with purging the remaining poison from the Capital."
"What about these few?"
Tiema looked toward Li Huang and the others.
"Military God Fang, I was wrong, I was wrong! I'm also a Daxia citizen! Please spare my life, considering that both my aunt and the Empress are the Emperor's concubines!"
Li Huang suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly without stopping.