"Damn it, I'll kill him for you!"
Huang Sihai roared, his fists cracking as he clenched them. The prison guards felt a chill run down their spines upon hearing this. In Huang Sihai's eyes, the Junior Administrator of Dahua Temple was just a little chick that could be slaughtered at any moment?
"I've killed quite a few people these past couple of days—all of them martial artists from Qingsong Kingdom. That's why they locked me in here, to figure out how to deal with the situation."
Fang Chen smiled. "I was thinking, since we haven't seen each other in five years, I might as well come in and check on you."
Killed quite a few Qingsong Kingdom martial artists?!
The prisoners in the dungeon were struck with doubt and apprehension. Wasn't it said that Fang Chen's cultivation had been crippled, and even his eyes had been blinded in that battle at Three Realms Mountain?
"Young Lord, your cultivation..."
Huang Sihai suddenly calmed down, looking Fang Chen up and down repeatedly.
"My cultivation has recovered."
Fang Chen smiled and nodded.
"Hahaha!"
Huang Sihai was stunned for a moment, then he threw his head back and laughed loudly, his face filled with wild elation. He knew he wouldn't be staying in this dungeon much longer!
"Military God Fang's cultivation has recovered?"
"No wonder, no wonder! I was wondering why those people from Dahua Temple have been looking so uneasy these past two days!"
"The times are changing..."
Whispers broke out all through the dungeon.
"I don't plan on stepping foot into the imperial court anymore. If you still want to follow me after you get out of here, I don't have a general's position to give you."
Fang Chen said with a smile.
"Young Lord, what's so great about this damn general's position? Even if you go sell sesame flatbreads in the future, I'll knead the dough for you!"
Huang Sihai laughed heartily.
The others looked at Huang Sihai, their expressions shifting constantly.
An expert comparable to a Qi Control powerhouse—someone who didn't even deign to give the prison warden a polite face—was now willingly offering to knead dough for Fang Chen.
They tried to imagine the scene, and their expressions grew even more eccentric.
"General Huang, I've been supplying you with good food and drink all these years, never giving you a hard time or humiliating you. The least you can do is spare me a bit of face."
The prison warden who had left earlier had returned. He looked at Huang Sihai with a complex expression.
"Old He, it's not that I won't give you face. But you went and locked my Young Lord in here—the least you could do is give me a heads-up, right?
If the Young Lord hadn't explained it to me, you'd be the very first person whose skull I crushed when I walked out of here."
Huang Sihai looked at the prison warden and said earnestly.
The prison warden's expression shifted repeatedly. He never could have imagined that even after five years, Huang Sihai remained utterly loyal to Fang Chen.
"Since your Young Lord has explained it to you, can you go back to your cell now?"
The prison warden said in a low voice.
"Give me what I asked for first, and then arrange a single cell for him. Then he'll go back."
Fang Chen said with a smile.
"Did you hear what my Young Lord said?"
Huang Sihai looked at the prison warden.
The warden fell silent. After a few breaths, he nodded slightly and looked at Fang Chen. "Your people are outside Dahua Temple?"
Fang Chen smiled and nodded.
"Wait a moment."
The warden turned and walked away.
Outside Dahua Temple, Xu Ge stood quietly carrying a bundle. Though he seemed lost in thought, he was actually assessing the layout of the entire Dahua Temple.
"If you gave me ten Qi Bursting Martial Artists and fifty Qi Condensation martial artists, I reckon I could tear this Dahua Temple apart from front to back. We'd fight our way to the dungeon in less half an hour."
"Wind and Cloud Sword Xu Ge!?"
An exclamation interrupted Xu Ge's musings.
The prison warden was filled with disbelief. He hadn't expected that Xu Ge—the Wind and Cloud Sword who had risen to fame in the Capital over the past few years—was also one of Fang Chen's men!
And what the man had just been muttering to himself was truly terrifying!
"This fellow is thinking about attacking Dahua Temple?! Could this... could this be Military God Fang's intention?"
At this thought, the prison warden felt his scalp go numb and his legs turn to jelly.
"Are you from Dahua Temple? The Young Lord sent you?"
Xu Ge looked at the man and frowned.
What was wrong with this fellow? Why did he look at him as if he'd seen a ghost? Were all the people in Dahua Temple this cowardly?
"...Yes."
The warden nodded slightly.
"Take it and give it to the Young Lord."
Xu Ge handed the bundle to the warden.
"In doing this, I've already broken the rules, so I need to inspect this bundle."
The warden said.
"Look all you want."
Xu Ge nodded.
The warden opened it up and took a look, only to find it really was just wolf-hair brushes, cinnabar, and yellow talisman paper. For a moment, he was somewhat baffled—what did Fang Chen want with these things inside the dungeon?
"Go hand the items over to my Young Lord, and don't try any tricks. If I find out you didn't give them to him, you'd better watch your step every single day from now on."
Xu Ge said indifferently.
"You know I'm a Dahua Temple warden, and yet you dare threaten me like this?"
The warden was somewhat annoyed.
"So what if you're a Dahua Temple warden? A barefoot man isn't afraid of someone wearing shoes."
Xu Ge glared at him.
The warden didn't say another word; he turned and walked away.
Not long after, he returned to the dungeon and handed the items to Fang Chen.
"Old Huang, go back and stay on your side."
Fang Chen smiled.
"Young Lord, let me escort you to your single cell first."
Huang Sihai grinned broadly.
Without another word, the warden immediately arranged a single cell for Fang Chen. Afterward, Huang Sihai obediently returned to his own cell as requested.
"Military God Fang, attacking Dahua Temple is not a good strategy. I hope you will consider this carefully."
Leaving behind those words with a complex expression, the warden hurried away.
Attacking Dahua Temple?
Fang Chen paused, momentarily baffled by the warden's nonsensical remark, before putting out his tools and preparing to make some more Purple Lightning Talismans.
By the way, he wanted to see if he could condense his second celestial vein today.
Advancing in cultivation would also increase the power of the talismans he made.
Chapter 22: Advancement, 2nd Level Qi Condensation!
In the highest trial hall of Dahua Temple, a group of high-ranking officials—including Junior Administrator Li Huafeng—had gathered to read through various official documents.
The documents recorded every single Qingsong Kingdom martial artist who had died.
"They deserved to die."
An old man suddenly sneer, a look of gratification in his eyes.
Everyone wore strange expressions. Li Huafeng looked at the old man and said coldly, "Deserved to die? Do you realize how much harm Fang Chen's little stunt will bring to Daxia?
If Qingsong Kingdom uses this incident to launch a direct military invasion, how long can Daxia possibly hold out?"
"Lord Junior Administrator."
The old man smiled. "Over the past five years, the case files on Qingsong martial artists piling up in our Dahua Temple number in the hundreds or thousands, and the crimes they've committed are countless. Now that Military God Fang has cleaned them up for us, you could say he's reduced Dahua Temple's burden. Isn't that a good thing?"
"As for Qingsong Kingdom... that's not for us to worry about. Military God Fang must have his reasons for this move. This old man has heard that his cultivation has recovered, which means Daxia is no longer a pushover after all."
Many people nodded inwardly, feeling that this made sense.
Li Huafeng's expression was solemn. "It's understandable for you to think this way, but in reality, even at the peak of his power, Fang Chen was defeated at Three Realms Mountain. Daxia simply cannot compare to Qingsong. I called you all here today to discuss how to deal with Fang Chen.
My suggestion is to sentence him to the Heavenly Prison and dispatch him to Qingsong in the near future, letting them handle the matter themselves. That way, we can also appease the resentment in their hearts."
Everyone was slightly startled. Send Fang Chen to Qingsong? How could they do that?
Just then, someone hurried in and lowered their voice, "Lords, a crowd has gathered outside the gates of Dahua Temple."
"Are they here to demand Fang Chen's release?"
The old man quickly asked.
"No..."
The newcomer wore a strange expression and whispered, "They are from Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou. They claim that Fang Chen slaughtered Qingsong Kingdom martial artists and must be severely punished; otherwise, outsiders like them will have no sense of safety in the Daxia Capital."
Guhe, Longdu, and Yizhou were also Ninth-Rank empires, but they had no military conflicts with Daxia, focusing primarily on commerce. Many citizens from these three great empires spent year-round residing in the Daxia Capital.
"Nonsense! What does this matter have to do with them?"
The old man sneered.
"How does it not have to do with them?"
Li Huafeng glanced at the old man. "Director Zhao, do not forget the relations between those three empires—Guhe, Longdu, Yizhou—and Qingsong. They carry out massive trade transactions with Qingsong year after year, supplying each other's needs.
Fang Chen's actions have likely infuriated them. If they start pressuring Daxia, how are we supposed to conduct ourselves? Having Qingsong as an enemy is already enough for Daxia; if we make enemies of these three states as well, I fear our national fortune will perish!"
The expressions of everyone present gradually grew heavy.
Indeed.
Li Huafeng was right. Given Daxia's current predicament, nobody wanted to see these three states meddling in the affair. If they stepped in, they surely wouldn't rest until they were given an account.
"Oh, the Temple Master has arrived."
"Temple Master."
Everyone stood up one after another as a middle-aged man in a python robe slowly walked in. He nodded slightly to the crowd, took the seat of honor, and said indifferently:
"You've been discussing this for half a day. Have you come up with a plan?"
"Temple Master, in my view, Fang Chen must be handed over to Qingsong."
Li Huafeng cupped his fists and said.
"Sigh, this matter gives me a headache."
The Temple Master rubbed his temples slightly and sighed. "Fang Chen holds an extraordinary status in Daxia. If his cultivation hadn't recovered, he could be used to trade for a few more years of unblemished national fortune for Daxia.
But now that his cultivation has recovered, none of you have considered the most crucial point: whatever disposition we decide on, he has to be willing to accept it himself."
The Temple Master looked around at the crowd.
Everyone was slightly stunned, their expressions gradually turning peculiar. They hadn't thought of that angle.
Li Huafeng hesitated. "Surely... he wouldn't dare openly defy an order?"
"See if he dares or not."
The Temple Master sneered. "Don't look at me as the Temple Master of Dahua Temple and an imperial prince; if I were to curse him out to his face, do you think he'd slap my teeth out?"
Everyone fell silent, not daring to speak.
"There you have it. Don't waste your time discussing it. Dahua Temple should stay out of this business and let Fang Chen handle it himself."
The Temple Master stood up and said, "We've arrested the man, so we've done our part. Whatever happens next has nothing to do with us."
With that, he swaggered out of the hall.
Seeing this, the rest of the officials successively stood up and left.
"Lord Junior Administrator, I suggest you stay out of this mess too, lest you get yourself soiled."
Director Zhao smiled at Li Huafeng and slowly sauntered out.
Li Huafeng's expression grew steadily gloomier.
Outside, Yuan Zhuang hurried over upon seeing Director Zhao. "Sir, what did the higher-ups say?"
"You, oh you! Taking Military God Fang into Dahua Temple this time gives you enough bragging rights for a lifetime."
Director Zhao laughed heartily. "As for the rest, it's none of our business. Go call the other investigators; I'm in a good mood today, my treat—I'm taking you all down to the Daxia River to listen to some music."
Yuan Zhuang was somewhat shocked.
Ever since Daxia's defeat five years ago, Director Zhao had never set foot in those pleasure quarters again. What had struck his fancy today?
...
...
Inside the dungeon, the sound of thunder echoed from time to time. The prisoners looked shocked, pressing themselves against their cell doors to see what on earth was happening.
Before long, however, they learned from the idle chatter of the prison guards that Fang Chen's cultivation had recovered, and he had even mastered some extremely fierce martial art technique that produced thunderous phenomena when unleashed, scorching enemies directly into charcoal!
The master of the Qingsong First-Class Hall, Xiao Tianci, had died to that very move!
Upon learning this, they shifted from initial panic and terror to gradual acceptance, even finding a trace of reassurance in those bursts of thunder.
"The stronger Military God Fang is, the stronger Daxia becomes. Heavens above, you really haven't abandoned us!"
"There will inevitably be a war between Daxia and Qingsong, and this battle will directly decide the national fortune of both countries. It will be even more tragic than the battle at Three Realms Mountain. The stronger Military God Fang's cultivation is, the more stable Daxia's national fortune will be!"
"Guards, guards! When are you going to release Military God Fang? Why aren't you letting him out to suppress Qingsong for Daxia!"
Hearing this, the dungeon guards wore wry smiles. They wanted to, of course, but where on earth did they have that kind of authority?
Inside the single cell, Fang Chen quietly crafted Purple Lightning Talismans. Every stroke of his brush was vigorous and powerful, and he felt that his speed in making the talismans was steadily increasing.
The spiritual power within his body was also growing stronger and more abundant—more than double the strength he possessed when he had condensed his celestial vein the other day!
Every time his spiritual power was exhausted, the upper limit of his recovery would increase.
"So cultivating immortality isn't that hard after all..."
Fang Chen put down his wolf-hair brush, quietly feeling the surging spiritual power within his body, a faint smile appearing in his eyes. His spiritual power was sufficient; it was time to condense his second celestial vein.
With a thought, boundless spiritual energy from heaven and earth churned and surged, pouring continuously into Fang Chen's body. Before long, a second crystal-clear celestial vein emerged.
Advancement, 2nd Level Qi Condensation!
Chapter 23: Picking a Fight
The next day, Fang Chen gently laid down his brush.
He had discovered a problem.
The wolf-hair brush, cinnabar, and yellow talisman paper in his hands were all merely mortal-grade items; they were incapable of containing more spiritual power. As a result, even though his cultivation had improved, the power of the talismans he crafted remained unchanged.
"The power of a Purple Lightning Talisman should be enough to make 12th Level Qi Condensation cultivators extremely wary, yet the ones I make fall far short of that might. It seems the problem lies with the tools."
Fang Chen pondered inwardly.
Daxia had no trace of cultivators, but that didn't mean Daxia lacked spiritual materials. He needed better brushes, cinnabar, and talisman paper.
"Perhaps I should arrange for someone to scour the empire for these things."
At this thought, Fang Chen began considering candidates. Among Daxia's covert guards, there were indeed quite a few who fit the bill.
They controlled several commercial houses; the only problem was that lacking spiritual power, they couldn't distinguish spiritual materials.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
Fang Chen remembered some strange occurrences reported by his covert guards years ago. Back then, though the events were bizarre, they had nothing to do with the war effort, so Fang Chen hadn't paid them much heed.
Thinking about it carefully now, those matters might have involved the cultivation world.
"I'll have to make a trip there when I have some spare time."
Fang Chen thought to himself.
"Military God Fang."
Outside the door, the prison warden looked at Fang Chen with a complex expression.
"What did you all discuss?"
Fang Chen smiled.
He had given them a full day and night; no matter how much they dragged their feet, they should have reached a decision by now.
"The Temple Master has received news from the imperial palace. He invites Military God Fang to enter the palace and have an audience with the Emperor."
With that, the warden instructed a guard to open the cell door.
"Young Lord, you'll come pick me up later, right?"
Huang Sihai's voice rang out immediately.
"You've been in here for five years; there's no rush for a day or two. Just stay put for now."
Fang Chen smiled.
With that, led by the warden, Fang Chen walked out of the dungeon. Outside, Eunuch You had been waiting for quite some time, accompanied by You Longchang.
You Longchang looked dejected at the moment, opening his mouth to speak upon seeing Fang Chen, but stopping himself.
"Military God Fang, this humble servant has received orders to fetch you. Please accompany this servant for a trip."
Not daring to be negligent, Eunuch You said politely and deferentially.
"Sorry to trouble you."
Fang Chen smiled.
The warden escorted them all the way outside Dahua Temple. Watching them recede into the distance, he finally felt a weight lift from his chest. Every single day Fang Chen spent inside the dungeon had added another layer of pressure to his shoulders.
"Military God Fang, do you think His Majesty will punish us?"
You Longchang took hurried little steps beside Fang Chen, asking in a lowered voice.
Eunuch You seemed to hear him, but pretended not to notice. Bringing You Longchang along this time was also at the Emperor's command.
After all, when Fang Chen was slaughtering the Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, You Longchang had played an accomplice's role in the matter.
"We killed Qingsong Kingdom martial artists; why would His Majesty punish us? You have nothing to worry about."
Fang Chen said indifferently.
You Longchang opened his mouth to speak, thinking to himself, *You were locked up in Dahua Temple for a full day and night, where on earth do you get the confidence to say that?* But he had no other choice now. Who told him to let his hot-headed blood get the better of him that day, following Fang Chen in slaying so many Qingsong martial artists?
Not long after, the group arrived outside the palace gates. You Longchang let out a sudden gasp of surprise. "Aren't those Marquis Li and the others?"
A crowd was kneeling before the palace gates—men and women, old and young alike. Among them was even a trembling, white-haired old matron, kneeling just the same.
Suddenly, someone in the crowd spotted Fang Chen and roared at the top of their lungs, "The murderer Fang Chen is here!"
A murderer?
You Longchang immediately thought of Li Huang. Ever since that day, Li Huang hadn't been seen at all. Could it be...
You Longchang's expression shifted wildly as he looked at Fang Chen with disbelief. Surely this fellow hadn't killed Li Huang as well?!
Li Huang's paternal aunt was, after all, one of the current Emperor's most favored concubines!
"Fang Chen! What deep hatred and grievance did my Li family have with you, that you would deal such a vicious blow to my son and cut off the Li family's bloodline!"
Marquis Li abruptly stood up, staring daggers at Fang Chen, his eyes filled with monstrous venom.
"Son? Is he Fang Chen?"
The white-haired old matron stood up with a tremble, pointing a shaking finger at Fang Chen.
Marquis Li nodded slightly, his gaze still burning with endless hatred.
"You—why did you kill my grandson, why?! This old woman is going to beat you to death today, beat you to death!"
Clutching her walking stick, the old matron rushed toward Fang Chen, raising the stick to strike him down.
Not only did Marquis Li and the others not try to stop her, but a look of vindictive gratification flashed in their eyes.
Seeing this, Eunuch You didn't know what to do. On one side was Marquis Li's mother; on the other was Fang Chen. He had no idea how to act so as not to offend either party.
While he was thinking this, the walking stick was already about to land on Fang Chen's head.
Fang Chen sighed softly, reached out to catch the walking stick in one hand, and then said in a low voice:
"Old lady, Li Huang, alongside Qingsong Kingdom martial artists, treated Daxia commoners like pigs and dogs, using them as living archery targets. Even if I hadn't struck, His Majesty would have lopped off his head, and likely implicated your entire Li family as well."
"You killed my grandson and you're still trying to slander him! My grandson would never do such a thing! This old woman is going to beat you to death!"
Disregarding Fang Chen's explanation entirely, the old matron pressed on stubbornly, attempting to wrench her walking stick back from Fang Chen's grip to continue hitting him.
At that moment, up on the palace watchtower, several figures were quietly watching the scene unfold.
"Crown Prince, how do you think Fang Chen will resolve this matter? Killing Qingsong Kingdom martial artists was one thing, but he even killed Li Huang along with them. I don't think Marquis Li and Noble Consort Fang are going to let this rest."
Ye Qinghe said.
The Crown Prince looked indifferently at Fang Chen, then glanced at the old matron, and suddenly smiled.
"Resolve it?"