The crowd was boiling with indignation. Some people had already picked up objects from the ground and were fiercely hurling them at the gates of the Ministry of War.
"Boil this Xiao En's head into soup! My son has a lung condition, drinking it will surely cure him!"
Someone shouted out, and immediately people began fighting over Xiao En's head.
In their view, the flesh and blood of such a wicked person had the power to purify the body and drive out the malicious diseases within them—truly fighting evil with evil!
Inside the Ministry of War, hearing from a servant that someone had thrown rotten eggs in from outside, Ye Dongming's expression grew increasingly gloomy. He dismissed everyone else, keeping only Ye Qinghe behind.
"Qinghe, tell me, why."
Ye Qinghe bit his lip and said in a low voice, "Father, this is the Crown Prince's will. Fang Chen wants to kill the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, and the Crown Prince wants to save them."
"Why would the Crown Prince go against Fang Chen?"
Ye Dongming frowned. "There is no benefit in this."
"The Crown Prince simply wants to let the subjects of the realm know that Fang Chen is wrong, and that not everything he does is right. Only when these people realize this can Fang Chen's rise to power be thoroughly cut off!"
Ye Qinghe said in a deep voice.
"Is the Crown Prince afraid that if Fang Chen regains military command, it will threaten his..."
Ye Dongming's expression shifted slightly. "The Third Prince has been a hostage in Qingsong Kingdom all this time. Could it be... he is coming back?"
Everyone knew that Military God Fang and the Third Prince were on extremely close terms. Five years ago, after Fang Chen's defeat, the Third Prince resolutely volunteered to go to Qingsong Kingdom as a hostage, with his only condition being that the Emperor must not punish Fang Chen.
Otherwise, the one who went to Qingsong Kingdom back then would have been the current Crown Prince...
"The Crown Prince said that if Fang Chen truly recovers his cultivation, he will use every means possible to rescue the Third Prince back to Daxia. Perhaps... someone is already moving in the shadows."
Ye Qinghe said in a low voice.
"It seems you all... are truly terrified of Fang Chen."
Ye Dongming sighed softly.
Fang Chen's methods had indeed cast a very heavy shadow over the younger generation of Daxia. In truth, how could it be any different for the older generation like themselves?
Otherwise, the Crown Prince would not have begun worrying about his position simply because Fang Chen recovered his cultivation.
***
Chapter 19: Hidden Dragon
General Fang's Manor.
"What?! Eldest Brother was taken to Dahua Temple?"
Fang Zhixue had been waiting for Fang Chen to return, but upon hearing that he had been dragged off to Dahua Temple, she immediately moved to rush out, only to be firmly intercepted by Fang Canghai.
"What kind of chaos are you going to cause? Stay put!"
Fang Canghai said in a deep voice.
"Father, Mother, aren't you worried at all?"
Fang Zhixue was stunned, then looked towards Fang Cangyou and the Empress. "Second Uncle, Third Aunt?"
She had expected everyone to be extremely anxious, but instead, apart from her parents, everyone else remained completely calm and composed, as if Fang Chen had merely gone for a stroll along the Daxia River.
"Your eldest brother recovered his cultivation this time without even telling us, which means he is plotting something in secret. Now that he has cleared out the Qingsong martial artists in the Capital, nobody knows what he will do next, nor can anyone guess."
Fang Canghai said, "Even though I am his father, I do not know what is truly in his mind. So what we must do right now is not add to his troubles, especially you."
"Will Eldest Brother be subjected to harsh torture in Dahua Temple..."
Fang Zhixue wore a worried expression.
She knew what Fang Canghai said was right, but she simply couldn't help worrying about Fang Chen.
"Heh, who would dare? Not to mention that his third aunt is the current Empress, even the name Military God Fang alone is a golden sign. Dahua Temple will only serve him fine food and good wine while waiting for the Emperor's word."
Fang Cangyou chuckled. "Zhixue, sometimes I wonder if you are truly of our Fang bloodline. You don't even have to compare yourself to your eldest brother, but at least you should learn how to use your brain to think through problems."
Fang Canghai and his wife cast a faint, lingering look at him.
Fang Zhixue instantly grew anxious and flared up. "Second Uncle, you are humiliating me!"
"Alright, alright."
The Empress smiled and waved her hand. "Chen'er has recovered his cultivation and cleansed the Capital of the Qingsong Kingdom remnants. From now on, we won't have to see those Qingsong martial artists swaggering around the Capital anymore. This is a joyous occasion."
"Right, this is a joyous occasion."
Fang Canghai stroked his beard and smiled.
"However..."
The Empress's tone shifted, a faint sorrow appearing on her face. "It seems His Majesty has no intention of restoring Chen'er to his official post. In the future... I'm afraid he won't let Chen'er near the imperial court either."
The others froze slightly.
Fang Cangyou let out a defiant, cold laugh. "On what grounds?"
"Second Brother, don't speak recklessly."
Fang Canghai frowned and scolded, then looked back at the Empress. "Third Sister, you needn't worry about this. Everything depends on Chen'er himself. If he no longer wishes to step into the imperial court, that might not necessarily be a bad thing."
His wife also nodded slightly. "I would rather Chen'er stopped leading troops in the future. At his age, it is time he properly settled down and started a family to continue our Fang family's bloodline."
Standing behind Fang Cangyou, Xu Ge wore a peculiar expression, calculating in his heart whether he should tell Fang Chen about this—after all, his elders seemed to be plotting a marriage for him.
At that moment, a servant hurried inside.
"Master, someone has come to apply as a tutor for our private school, saying they were recommended by the heir apparent!"
What?!
Recommended by Fang Chen?
Everyone, including Xu Ge, was stunned. A look of curiosity appeared in the Empress's eyes. "Call him over so we can take a look."
Before long, Tiema arrived in front of the main hall and cupped his fists in salute to Fang Canghai. "Tiema greets General Fang."
Except for Fang Zhixue, everyone's expressions turned incomparably bizarre.
"You are... Tiema, one of the two Qi Control martial artists from the Qingsong Superior Hall?"
Fang Canghai narrowed his eyes and asked.
The Empress looked Tiema up and down.
Fang Cangyou fell into deep thought.
Xu Ge stood dumbfounded.
Fang Zhixue wore a blank expression. *Wait, Qingsong Superior Hall? Wouldn't that make him a Qingsong Kingdom martial artist?!*
Subconsciously, she let out a sharp cry, her Qi bursting forth instantly as she prepared to strike.
Fang Canghai pulled her back and said earnestly, "You should ponder your second uncle's words from earlier a little more."
"Father, he..."
Fang Zhixue pointed at Tiema, her expression anxious.
"Since he was recommended by your eldest brother, he is one of our Fang family. Do not react just upon hearing the word Qingsong."
Fang Canghai said.
Only then did Fang Zhixue snap out of it. That seemed to make sense, didn't it?
"Master Tiema, as far as I know, you should be a subject of Qingsong Kingdom, shouldn't you?"
Fang Canghai asked tentatively.
"The General may not know this, but this humble person is a native-born subject of Daxia, only acting under orders to infiltrate the Wolf Army of Qingsong Kingdom to relay intelligence for Military God Fang."
Tiema said, neither servile nor overbearing.
The expressions of Fang Canghai and Fang Cangyou changed instantly. The two exchanged a glance and looked at Tiema with exceptionally solemn expressions:
"You are... Hidden Dragon?!"
"Precisely."
Tiema nodded slightly.
Hidden Dragon was the designation used by Daxia for those specially tasked with lurking within enemy forces to transmit intelligence back to Daxia.
People of this sort suffered immense sacrifices and faced extreme danger; out of ten Hidden Dragons, perhaps nine came to a bad end. Therefore, those chosen as Hidden Dragons were invariably elite individuals utterly loyal to Daxia.
If discovered by the enemy, their fate was suicide; and for those who lacked the time to end their lives, they would endure horrifying tortures before slowly dying...
Fang Canghai slowly raised his right arm, clenched his fist, and struck his chest.
Fang Cangyou did the same.
Both brothers performed the exact same gesture at that moment—this was the military salute of Daxia.
Tiema returned the salute.
At that moment, the women present remained silent, wrapped in an uncanny quiet.
"Master Tiema, from now on you are the tutor of our Fang family's school. The younger generation of the Fang family will need your care in the days to come."
Fang Canghai smiled.
In the general's manor, there were over a hundred children. Some were collateral descendants of the Fang family, while a portion were orphans of soldiers who had fallen in battle.
"You are too kind, General; this is what I ought to do."
Tiema said.
"Did Chen'er tell you to change your name?"
Fang Canghai asked.
Tiema shook his head slightly. "The heir apparent said to keep this name. If anyone guesses it, let them."
"Hahaha, good."
Fang Canghai let out a loud laugh.
Afterward, he summoned a servant to settle Tiema in. Once Tiema had departed, Fang Cangyou murmured thoughtfully:
"First the Wind and Cloud Sword, then Tiema—one at Peak Qi Burst, one at Early Qi Control. Though the Wind and Cloud Sword cannot compare to Tiema, Chen'er truly keeps his cards hidden deep. This foundation of his is even more formidable than our Fang family...
Early Qi Control, well! Our Fang family has gained yet another Early Qi Control expert!"
"Second Master, I am right behind you."
Xu Ge said.
"Am I not allowed to speak of you?"
Fang Cangyou retorted irritably.
He was clearly still holding a grudge against Xu Ge for ignoring his orders that morning.
"Of course you are. Second Master, say whatever you like, I don't mind."
Xu Ge smiled.
***
Meanwhile, Fang Chen had already arrived inside Dahua Temple.
"Heh, isn't this our Military God Fang? I never expected that one day, you too would come to our Dahua Temple."
Directly ahead, a youth in his early thirties was walking toward them. He was dressed in dark robes and followed by a group of senior investigators of the same rank as Yuan Zhuang.
Among them were also a Chief Clerk and a Prison Warden.
The newcomer was none other than Li Huafeng, Junior Minister of Dahua Temple and the highest-ranking official second only to the Temple Master.
He was also an old acquaintance of Fang Chen, and one of his mortal enemies from the Capital back in the day—his father was none other than the current Prime Minister, Li Guozhu!
***
Chapter 20: Old Huang, It's Me
The enmity between Li Huafeng and Fang Chen was actually quite simple to explain.
Six or seven years ago, before Fang Chen had experienced the Battle of Three Realms Mountain, he was only sixteen or seventeen years old. Even then, his martial arts cultivation was already beginning to shine, and he had advanced to the Qi Control Realm at a very early age!
At that time, Li Huafeng held the highest standing in the hearts of the Daxia common people. Twenty-three or twenty-four years old that year, Li Huafeng was already at Mid Qi Control, hailed as the absolute foremost figure among the younger generation; few even among the older generation could match him.
Li Huafeng was already serving in Dahua Temple at the time, holding the post of Junior Minister, and had personally interrogated countless high-ranking officials.
One day, he received word that a certain general in the military was colluding with Qingsong Kingdom. Li Huafeng personally went to the military camp and dragged the man back into Dahua Temple.
Unexpectedly, this man possessed an iron spine. Despite all the various forms of torture Li Huafeng inflicted upon him, he steadfastly refused to admit to being a traitor, and finally, unable to bear the humiliation, bit his tongue and committed suicide.
This general had served as Fang Chen's mentor for a period of time and was also a fierce and valiant fighter under Fang Canghai's command.
After he bit his tongue and died, Fang Canghai flew into a rage, immediately petitioning the Emperor to thoroughly investigate the matter.
It was later discovered that someone who bore a grudge against the general had forged evidence to frame him.
On the day of the general's funeral procession, a sixteen-or-seventeen-year-old Fang Chen carried the coffin himself, only to cross paths halfway with Li Huafeng, who had come to pay his respects.
Instead of showing the slightest bit of remorse, Li Huafeng sneered and mocked the general for acting rashly, claiming that his suicide had only made the situation more complicated.
That day, Fang Chen struck.
And that day, Daxia finally discovered that a young man much younger than Li Huafeng already possessed the cultivation of Peak Qi Control!
How could Li Huafeng, at Mid Qi Control, be a match for Fang Chen? That very day, his four limbs were broken by Fang Chen, and a portion of his Qi ocean was shattered. From that day onward, Li Huafeng's cultivation regressed to Peak Qi Burst, never to advance another inch!
Had Prime Minister Li Guozhu not arrived with reinforcements, Li Huafeng likely would have lost his life right there in Fang Chen's hands.
From then on, the two became mortal enemies.
Li Huafeng would occasionally stir up trouble for Fang Chen, and Fang Chen would take them all in stride. In the end, it was always Li Huafeng who came out on the losing end.
"I didn't expect that after all these years, you're still the Junior Minister of Dahua Temple."
Fang Chen grinned.
Li Huafeng's expression shifted repeatedly. Perhaps to ordinary people, this position of his was already beyond reach.
But to him, it was far from enough!
His heart belonged in the military; he also wanted to go to the front lines to test himself against the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists. It was Fang Chen who had cut off that ambition, and severed his brilliant future as well!
Therefore, Fang Chen's remark was an open humiliation.
"A dead duck with a stubborn beak! If your fists back then had been as hard as your mouth, you wouldn't have suffered such a miserable defeat at Three Realms Mountain."
Li Huafeng sneered, having no intention of wasting any more breath on Fang Chen. He immediately ordered the prison warden by his side to take Fang Chen down to the dungeons, leaving the case to be tried later!
Inside the Dahua Temple prison, the inmates saw a newcomer arrive and grew as excited as a group of monkeys. Some began shouting threats, while others offered sarcastic, cynical jeers.
"This Dahua Temple prison is certainly not small; it holds all sorts of people."
Fang Chen swept a casual glance over the place. This prison held at least a hundred inmates, and according to Dahua Temple's rules, everyone locked up here possessed some degree of official standing.
"This cell is yours."
The prison warden leading the way pushed open a cell door. Inside were already six or seven prisoners of varying ages, the only commonality being their haggard expressions.
They cast cold glances at Fang Chen without uttering a word. Clearly, they failed to recognize his identity.
"Warden, I've already instructed my servant to send some things over. Could you help me bring them here?"
Fang Chen said calmly.
The prison warden froze slightly. "What kind of things?"
"Nothing much. Just a wolf-hair brush, a bit of cinnabar, and a stack of talisman paper."
Fang Chen said mildly.
The warden wore a strange expression. Was this Military God Fang planning to draw talismans? He thought for a moment, then shook his head, his voice turning somewhat cold:
"The prison has its rules, unless the Junior Minister speaks."
"You are Li Huafeng's man."
Fang Chen said calmly.
"Junior Minister has treated me with boundless grace."
The warden nodded indifferently, then turned and walked away.
After he left, the prisoners became even more lively.
An inmate in the opposite cell mocked Fang Chen: "Kid, you want to draw talismans inside the Dahua Temple prison? I've been locked up here for so many years, and this is the first time I've ever heard such a request. Interesting, truly interesting, hahaha!"
"Kid, you look so young, what offense did you commit to end up here? No one who enters Dahua Temple is simple. Who is left in your family?
Do they have the connections to bail you out?"
Some inmates wanted to probe Fang Chen's background.
The prisoners in the same cell as Fang Chen also spoke up: "The prison has prison rules. Since you're the new guy, cleaning the nightsoil bucket will be your job from now on."
"Make me clean the nightsoil bucket?"
Fang Chen glanced at the corner of the cell and chuckled lightly.
"What are you all arguing about? Can't a man get some sleep?"
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
The noisy bickering of the crowd instantly quieted down as everyone turned to look toward the depths of the cell block.
"Another newcomer has arrived, eh?"
That voice sounded once more: "Newcomer, state your name!"
"Why aren't you hurrying to state your name? Do you know who spoke just now? That is one of the four great Dragon Generals under Military God Fang himself!"
Seeing that Fang Chen remained silent, someone couldn't help urging him.
"Those four Dragon Generals back then were truly magnificent. It's a pity that in the Battle of Three Realms Mountain five years ago, three of them died directly, and the only one who survived was locked up in Dahua Temple. Five whole years have passed, and he still hasn't been brought to trial."
Someone muttered softly.
"Old Huang, it's me."
Fang Chen said softly.
*Old Huang?!*
The crowd stared at Fang Chen in disbelief. Had this brat grown tired of living? How dare he address that person like that! Even the prison warden in charge of the cells had to respectfully address him as General Huang!
The voice fell silent for a long moment, and then roared like a thunderclap: "Marshal?! How did they drag you in here too?! Ahhh, damn them, they deserve to die!"
*Boom—*
It sounded as if a cell had been shattered by brute force, the massive roar causing people's faces to twist in pain as they instinctively covered their ears.
The next moment, a figure as massive as a small mountain appeared before Fang Chen.
Everyone was shocked.
This figure was a full half-head taller than ordinary people, with arms as thick as the waist of an adult man. Though clad in a prisoner's uniform, he radiated an imposing aura that struck awe into the heart, making one dare not harbor the slightest disrespect.
His round, unblinking eyes stared fixedly at Fang Chen. "Marshal, how dare they drag you into this place! They lied to me, I'm going to slaughter them all and take you out of here!"
*Marshal?!*
The inmates who had just been mocking Fang Chen all fell silent. They knew what the title "Marshal" meant when spoken from this man's mouth.
"This youth is actually... Military God Fang?!"
"What happened outside?! Why was Military God Fang locked up?"
Panic surfaced on everyone's faces.
At the same time, the jailers of the prison rushed over, staring at the giant with utmost fear, not daring to step forward, and could only shout with a fierce facade:
"General Huang, return to your cell at once!"
***
Chapter 21: Innate Strength!
"If any of you dare spout another half word of nonsense, I'll slaughter the lot of you!"
The giant turned to glare at the jailers, his eyes bloodshot, the killing intent within them turning almost tangible like sharp blades that made the jailers' scalps tingle and their legs go weak!
"Old Huang, I came in of my own accord, it has nothing to do with them."
Fang Chen smiled.
This former subordinate of his was still the exact same as before, without a single change. Even in a place like this, not only had he not lost weight, but he seemed even sturdier than before.
Huang Sihai—an ordinary man who had never practiced martial arts, yet possessed innate divine strength comparable to a Qi Control expert, and had once been one of the four great Dragon Generals under his command.
In that fiercely brutal slaughter, three of the four great Dragon Generals had perished, and he too had sustained heavy injuries. Yet his constitution was extraordinarily tough; not only did he survive, but within half a year he had fully recovered, seemingly without any lingering ailments.
"Marshal, I..."
"I am no longer the Marshal. Call me the heir apparent."
"Heir apparent, I only stayed here because they told me that as long as I behaved and stayed put, they wouldn't touch you, His Majesty wouldn't touch you... They lied to me!"
Huang Sihai stared fixedly at Fang Chen, the rage in his eyes impossible to suppress.
"What?!"
"General Huang stayed in the prison and never tried to escape... purely because of this reason?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They knew deep down that keeping Huang Sihai locked up in this prison was virtually impossible.
"They didn't lie to you. For these past five years, indeed no one came to harass me."
Fang Chen smiled.
Because of him, countless people had been silently enduring various constraints over the past five years. Tiema was one of them, and Huang Sihai was another.
Now, he was going to shatter this deadlock with his own hands.
"Heir apparent, since that is the case, why did you enter this place? Was it that fellow Li Huafeng?"