Yuan Zhuang looked at Fang Chen, his heart shaken with wave after wave of astonishment. So the Military God Fang was truly as young as the rumors said, and remarkably handsome, too...
"I have some personal matters to attend to and need to consult them about something."
Fang Chen smiled, then turned to Yuan Zhuang and said, "Bring your subordinates along, let's go."
Yuan Zhuang hurriedly beckoned to Yuan Wu. "Cousin... Yuan Wu, let's go, we have business to take care of!"
Yuan Wu followed behind the two of them with a blank expression.
Seeing that Fang Chen had ignored her entirely, Fang Zhixue immediately gave chase. "Big Brother, what are you going to do?! I'm coming too!"
Chapter 34: Kuilong Street
"Nonsense, Big Brother is going on official business, why would you tag along?"
Fang Chen reprimanded her.
"Big Brother, you haven't taken me out with you in years. Remember when we were little, you used to sneak me out to buy candied hawthorns..."
Fang Zhixue's eyes immediately welled up with tears, looking pitiful and forlorn.
Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Wu rubbed their hands together awkwardly.
"Hmm..."
Fang Chen thought carefully. It seemed... he really hadn't taken Fang Zhixue out onto the streets in all these years.
"Let's go, but don't run around. I am actually here on business today."
Fang Chen nodded helplessly.
"Brilliant! Let's go, let's go, let's go!"
The tears in Fang Zhixue's eyes vanished instantly. She stepped forward to link her arm through Fang Chen's, her joyful expression as if she had just stumbled upon ten taels of gold!
This left the brother and sister Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Wu staring in utter astonishment, scarcely daring to believe their eyes.
"Please forgive this unseemly display."
Fang Chen offered a wry smile to the two Yuans.
"Not at all, not at all!"
Yuan Zhuang waved his hands repeatedly.
A sudden thought flashed through Yuan Wu's mind: The Military God Fang is so terribly polite.
The four of them walked out of the Fang Estate, where a carriage had already been waiting for a long time. The one driving it was none other than Xu Ge.
The Capital of Great Xia was divided into an inner city and an outer city. The inner city was where Fang Chen lived, while the outer city was split into more than thirty streets. The place they were heading to was called Kuilong Street, which was nearing the suburbs and happened to be close to the East City Gate—where Fang Canghai currently held his post.
"Heir, once we arrive at Kuilong Street, I must ask you to exercise some patience and forbearance. It is not particularly peaceful around there. Would it be better if Yuan Wu and I got out of the carriage to scout ahead first?"
Seeing that they were approaching Kuilong Street, the surrounding buildings grew increasingly dilapidated, forming a sharp contrast to the prosperity of the inner city. The commoners on the road were dressed in rags, their expressions numb.
"This is still the Capital. What of the common people outside the Capital..."
Fang Chen sighed inwardly. He had once sworn to change something, but later found out how immensely difficult it was—relying on himself alone, it was utterly impossible.
Yet even so, he had never given up. He hadn't in the past, and he certainly wouldn't now!
"Since we've arrived, naturally we'll all go take a look together."
Fang Chen gave Yuan Zhuang a faint smile and said, "You needn't worry. Do you really take me for someone of such delicate gold and jade that I cannot weather the elements?"
Yuan Zhuang suddenly remembered that the youth before him was no ordinary person; he was a hardened veteran who had fought countless battles back and forth across the battlefield!
"Heir, we have arrived."
Xu Ge's voice came from outside, and the carriage slowly came to a halt.
Seeing this, Fang Chen led Fang Zhixue down from the carriage first, and Yuan Zhuang and Yuan Wu hurried down after them.
Quite a few commoners nearby cast curious glances in their direction.
After all, in Kuilong Street, it was rare to see people dressed in such proper attire. But as soon as they caught sight of the bailiff's uniform on Yuan Wu, their expressions turned guarded. They immediately turned and walked away, not daring to linger, avoiding them like a plague.
Before the group stood a dilapidated small house. The front door was half-open, and the latch seemed to have long been broken, with no one bothering to repair it.
"Big Brother, what are we here to do?"
Fang Zhixue asked, somewhat curious.
"Magistrate Yuan has a case to investigate, and we've come along to take a look."
Fang Chen smiled.
"To investigate a case!?"
Fang Zhixue's eyes lit up, a look of excitement surfacing on her face.
"I told you before we came, don't go causing trouble."
Fang Chen tapped her on the head, then had Yuan Zhuang step forward to knock on the door. Although the gate was open, walking straight in without the owner's permission was still improper.
"Who is it?"
Before long, an elderly voice came from inside, occasionally accompanied by a few coughs.
"Aunt Wu, it's me, Yuan Zhuang."
Yuan Zhuang said.
"Master Yuan!? Please come in quickly. My old bones won't allow me to get up and welcome you, so please forgive me, Master Yuan."
The old woman's voice grew noticeably more rushed.
The group entered the house. It was extremely dim inside, with bare walls and nothing more than a broken bed, a broken table, and a broken stool. An elderly woman lay on the bed, struggling to sit up.
Yuan Zhuang hurried forward to support her.
"Master Yuan, is there any news about my son and daughter?"
The old woman grabbed Yuan Zhuang's arm, her voice trembling as she spoke.
Her eyes were milky-gray, very similar to Fang Chen's, clearly showing that she was also blind.
At this sight, Fang Zhixue could not help feeling a pang in her throat.
"This..."
A somewhat awkward smile appeared on Yuan Zhuang's face. The other party still did not know that Junior Minister Li Huafeng of Dahua Temple had long since closed the case.
"Aunt Wu, would you be willing to go to Dahua Temple to lodge a formal complaint?"
Fang Chen suddenly spoke up.
The old woman paused, a look of bewilderment crossing her face. "This old woman doesn't know a single character. How could I ever lodge a complaint with the officials?"
"If you are willing, I can have someone write out a formal petition for you and submit it to Dahua Temple."
Fang Chen said.
Yuan Zhuang wanted to speak but hesitated. To re-file a complaint for a case that Li Huafeng had already judged was utterly useless; it would only invite Li Huafeng's fury.
"Didn't the officials from Dahua Temple tell this old woman long ago that my son and daughter stole valuables from the Junior Minister's estate and fled with the money? Who is this old woman supposed to accuse?"
The old woman muttered.
"That is true as well."
Fang Chen smiled, glanced around the surroundings, and then said to Yuan Zhuang, "Let's go."
Yuan Zhuang was stunned. They had traveled such a long distance, only to ask two questions and leave?
However, since Fang Chen had already walked outside, he did not dare to linger. He hurriedly exchanged a few words with the old woman, left behind a tael of silver, and then hurried to catch up.
Outside the door, Fang Chen whispered a few words to Xu Ge. Xu Ge nodded slightly and turned to leave.
"Cousin, what did we come here for today?"
Yuan Wu quietly tugged at Yuan Zhuang's sleeve.
"Hold your tongue."
Yuan Zhuang warned her, then walked to Fang Chen's side and asked in a low voice, "Military God Fang, are we heading back now?"
"Don't you find something rather peculiar here?"
Fang Chen turned back to look at the dilapidated cottage, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Peculiar? What's peculiar about this house?"
Yuan Zhuang was taken aback.
"Big Brother, that granny can't see a thing, and she has no family living with her. How do you suppose she manages to survive?"
Fang Zhixue said softly.
Fang Chen smiled and nodded. "Exactly. How is she supposed to survive, and it's been two years."
"Military God Fang!?"
A flash of shock crossed Yuan Zhuang's eyes.
"Did you notice? Although this old woman is dressed in rags, her clothes are quite clean. Furthermore, when we went inside, the threshold was covered in moss. Only when a place has been left untrod by human feet for a very, very long time does it end up like that."
Fang Chen said calmly.
"Aunt Wu's health is poor, and she's bedridden year-round..."
Yuan Zhuang said in a low voice.
"Someone has to bring her food, don't they? For two years, with no descendants to look after her, and if no relatives came by to care for her even slightly, an old woman would hardly survive a single winter season."
Fang Chen said flatly.
Yuan Zhuang's expression shifted dramatically. That's right—the more he thought about it, the stranger it felt.
Just then, a group of people approached from nearby. Their faces looked fierce, and at a glance they were clearly no angels. Spotting Fang Chen's group, malicious grins immediately spread across their faces as they strode toward them.
"Such a pretty lass, hehehe..."
The leader stared lewdly at Fang Zhixue, letting out a strange laugh.
Chapter 35: Threat
Fang Zhixue's expression darkened as she stared coldly at the man.
"Little miss, since you look so pretty, you ought to smile more. Come on, give your lordships a smile."
The leader teased lewdly.
Yuan Zhuang flew into a rage. He had been worrying about this exact sort of trouble in his heart, and never expected to actually run into it. This fellow was completely courting death!
"Vermin, nothing good ever comes out of a dog's mouth! Shut your dirty mouth this instant!"
Yuan Zhuang roared angrily.
"Oh? And what sort of thing are you? When your Grandpa Lu is talking, is there any room for the likes of you to chime in?"
The leader looked at Yuan Zhuang, his gaze gradually turning fierce.
Yuan Zhuang was stunned. Were these fellows truly fearless? Even if they didn't recognize the Military God Fang, and didn't recognize him as a Supervising Investigator of Dahua Temple, surely they could recognize the bailiff uniform on Yuan Wu?
"You certainly have a lot of nerve."
Yuan Wu stepped forward and said coldly.
"Well, a female bailiff at that! Hahaha, have a look, brothers, a female bailiff has come to our Kuilong Street. Look at that figure, that face—just a bit too tan, otherwise she'd be quite a looker."
Far from being intimidated by Yuan Wu's bailiff uniform, the men laughed even louder and more heartily. Their subordinates all burst into grins, their gazes toward Yuan Wu filled with aggression and greed.
Yuan Wu was completely dumbfounded.
She had only just started her job today, her very first day as a bailiff, yet she ran into such reckless blockheads who didn't even take bailiffs seriously?
Were the thugs of Kuilong Street all this brazen?
Fang Chen stood to the side, watching coldly as a bystander.
Right at that moment, the fearless fellow who called himself "Grandpa Lu" suddenly let his expression sink, glaring coldly at Yuan Wu:
"Listen up, this is Kuilong Street. You inner-city bailiffs have nothing to do here, so stay away. The next time Grandpa Lu catches sight of you, I don't care what kind of background you have—I'll start by breaking both your legs!"
Yuan Zhuang suddenly understood what was going on. His expression darkened by degrees as he stepped forward and said, "I am Yuan Zhuang, Supervising Investigator of Dahua Temple. Who sent you?"
Supervising Investigator of Dahua Temple?
This Grandpa Lu was clearly taken aback for a moment, but then he burst out laughing. "So it's just the head of the bailiffs."
His subordinates all laughed as well, their laughter dripping with disdain.
In their eyes, a Dahua Temple Supervising Investigator was merely the chief bailiff, someone who usually led a few runners around to put on airs—nothing special.
Furious, Yuan Wu instantly drew the sabre at her waist with a *clang*: "You lot dare to harass respectable citizens in broad daylight, and still have the gall to threaten a Dahua Temple bailiff! Today, you're all coming back with me to Dahua Temple!"
"On the strength of you lot? As if."
Grandpa Lu gave a cold, mocking laugh, then suddenly lashed out with a punch. A mighty surge of Qi erupted from his fist, transforming into a white dragon that viciously shattered Yuan Wu's sabre.
Yuan Wu was rooted to the spot.
Qi Burst?
Yuan Zhuang's expression shifted again and again. He truly hadn't expected the other party to be a Qi Burst Warrior. Such people existed in Kuilong Street?
"Do you still want to take me back to Dahua Temple now?"
Grandpa Lu chuckled softly.
Fang Zhixue immediately rolled up her sleeves, intending to show the fellow what she was made of, but Fang Chen pulled her back.
Fang Chen smiled and said to Yuan Zhuang:
"Yuan Zhuang, if I recall correctly, you are also at Early Qi Burst? Your subordinate's sabre has just been smashed to pieces, have you nothing to say about this?"
"Today, every last one of you is going to spend time at Dahua Temple!"
A flash of anger sparked in Yuan Zhuang's eyes. The aura around him changed abruptly, completely different from his deferential demeanor in front of Fang Chen. At this moment, he was a true Qi Burst Warrior!
"Take all of them down. I'll go test this Dahua Temple Supervising Investigator."
Grandpa Lu instructed his subordinates before engaging Yuan Zhuang in combat.
The two traded blows back and forth, every surge of Qi carrying the potential to deal heavy damage to the other.
Passersby witnessing the scene quickly scattered into the shadows, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
Grandpa Lu's subordinates grinned maliciously, their eyes flickering between Yuan Wu and Fang Zhixue. Just as they were about to make their move, Xu Ge returned.
Xu Ge's sword remained in its scabbard, but with lightning speed, he struck each of the thugs in the center of the back, instantly robbing them of their combat capability.
"Big Brother, why wouldn't you let me fight? Such a rare opportunity..."
Fang Zhixue complained, somewhat dissatisfied.
"If Mom and Dad found out you were trading blows with thugs in a place like this, the one who'd get chewed out back home would definitely be me."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Yuan Wu did not know Xu Ge's background, but seeing his methods so neat and clean, she realized he was no ordinary carriage driver, and a look of astonishment crept into her eyes.
"Heir, I've asked around clearly. Some of the local neighbors received bribes."
Xu Ge walked over to Fang Chen and said in a low voice.
*Bang!*
Yuan Zhuang was sent flying hard by Grandpa Lu, landing in a disheveled heap right in front of Fang Chen. Lifting his head, he met Fang Chen's downward gaze, and a wave of shame washed over his face.
"You're both at Early Qi Burst, yet you couldn't beat him. You have some serious reflecting to do when we get back."
Fang Chen gave a slight shake of his head. "Xu Ge, take him down."
"Understood."
Xu Ge nodded and strode toward Grandpa Lu.
Grandpa Lu had still been looking quite smug, but seeing that all his subordinates were already sprawled on the ground, he stared at Xu Ge with a mixture of shock and wariness.
As he looked closer, he seemed to notice something amiss, his pupils gradually expanding. "Wind and Cloud Sword..."
*Bang!*
Xu Ge's sword still hadn't left its scabbard. With a continuous flurry of strikes to Grandpa Lu's chest, back, and shoulder blades—all critical vital points—he completely stripped the man of his mobility.
"As expected of the Wind and Cloud Sword..."
Envy was the only thing left in Yuan Zhuang's heart.
As a Supervising Investigator, he naturally knew the background of the man trailing behind Fang Chen.
"Let's go have a chat with Aunt Wu. Bring them along, too."
Fang Chen smiled and turned back toward the dilapidated cottage.
In the courtyard, Grandpa Lu and the others lay sprawled on the ground limply, but their arrogance had not vanished. Even after recognizing who Xu Ge was, Grandpa Lu still issued a threat:
"Wind and Cloud Sword! You dare muddy these waters? Don't think that just because you're at Peak Qi Burst, you can run roughshod across the Capital of Great Xia."
Xu Ge cast a contemptuous glance at him. True, he couldn't run roughshod over everything, but the person who *could* run roughshod was standing right here, and this fellow was too blind to even recognize him before daring to issue threats!
"The Wind and Cloud Sword!? One of the Capital's top ten Peak Qi Burst masters, the Wind and Cloud Sword!?"
Yuan Wu finally realized the truth, a secret thrill of terror gripping her heart. Yet she also felt it made complete sense—with someone like the Military God Fang, it would be stranger if he didn't have a few experts by his side.
"Is that Magistrate Yuan outside? Why is it so noisy?"
From the inner room came Aunt Wu's elderly and hoarse voice.
"Xu Ge, tell us what you found out just now."
Fang Chen smiled.
Xu Ge cast a cold glance at the inner room. "The Wu brother and sister who lived here lost both their mother and father in childhood."
"What!?"
Yuan Zhuang was startled.
The inner room fell into an abrupt, dead silence.
"Go bring her out."
Fang Chen commanded.
Xu Ge nodded and stepped into the inner room. Before long, he dragged out Aunt Wu, who was supposedly unable to get out of bed. Her hair was disheveled, and she was crying and wailing:
"What are you people trying to do? What are you trying to do to me?!"
Chapter 36: Brave Saber Guard
"Master Yuan, why are you bullying a blind old woman? What on earth have I done wrong!?"
Aunt Wu was still struggling.
Fang Chen, however, said calmly, "A blind person doesn't go darting their eyes around. Xu Ge, take the things out of her eyes."
"Understood."
Xu Ge chuckled and reached out roughly, rummaging around in Aunt Wu's eyes a few times before pulling out two milky-white film covers. Aunt Wu's eyes were now bright and clear—where was she blind at all?
Yuan Wu and Fang Zhixue both stared in a daze.
Yuan Zhuang's expression grew slightly stiff. After a long moment, a look of self-mockery appeared on his face—he, a dignified Supervising Investigator of Dahua Temple, had been played around with like a fool!
"Heir, peeling off fish eyes and sticking them in is a trick we got bored of ages ago."
Xu Ge mocked.
Aunt Wu's expression stiffened, her eyes darting back and forth as if plotting something. Catching Xu Ge off guard, she made a move to break free and flee—hardly the picture of frail illness she had put on moments before.
Unfortunately, escaping from the grasp of a Peak Qi Burst martial artist was no easy feat.
Xu Ge grabbed Aunt Wu by the neck and said coldly, "The Heir didn't say you could leave, so you aren't going anywhere. Try running again, and I'll break your legs!"
"Tell us then, where did the brother and sister who went missing from here end up?"
Fang Chen said casually.
Aunt Wu's expression shifted before she offered a ingratiating smile. "This old woman doesn't know anything either. I just saw that this place was uninhabited, so I wanted to settle down here and take over the property so I'd have a place to spend my old age."
"Tell the truth."
Fang Chen smiled. "This place has been vacant for a very long time. If you were merely looking for a place to live, you should have stayed here all along."
Never expecting that the other party could see through even this, Aunt Wu's expression flickered rapidly.
"If you won't speak the truth, we'll take you back to Dahua Temple for questioning. Once you're there, whether you want to talk or not, you'll spill everything."
Yuan Zhuang said coldly.
"Master Yuan, this old woman will tell the truth, I'll tell the truth!"
Frightened, Aunt Wu dared not conceal anything further and spilled the whole story from beginning to end.
The woman was a professional swindler who specialized in finding empty houses, posing as a relative of the occupants, and then finding a chance to sell off the property.
A few years ago, upon learning that this house was empty, she bribed several nearby neighbors and then disguised herself as the blind mother of that brother and sister to seize the house.
"Things aren't that simple."
Fang Chen gave a faint smile. "If you don't wish to talk, then you needn't say another word. Take her away."
"No, no, no! I'll talk, I'll talk!"
Aunt Wu's expression changed in a panic, and she quickly blurted out, "This matter really is a bit unusual. Back then, someone came looking for this old woman and told me there was an empty house here, instructing me to occupy it. But there was one condition: I had to disguise myself as the mother of that brother and sister to fool the officials."
Yuan Zhuang's face turned ashen. If that was the case, the disappearance of that brother and sister back then was indeed fishy; otherwise, why would someone orchestrate it from behind the scenes?
"Who was that person?"
Fang Chen asked indifferently.
"This old woman truly doesn't know! I had no choice in the matter either; he said if I didn't obey, he would kill me. This old woman wouldn't dare cross such desperate men."
Aunt Wu pleaded for mercy. "I beg the lord to show mercy and spare this old woman this once. I'll never dare do it again."
Fang Chen glanced at her, then turned his gaze to Grandpa Lu. "And you? Who sent you here?"
"What kind of person are you?"
Grandpa Lu glared fiercely at Fang Chen. "I advise you not to poke your nose into things that don't concern you. The person behind me is someone you can't afford to provoke!"
"Your Dahua Temple has quite a bit of nerve, daring to overstep your jurisdiction? You can't even catch enough corrupt officials in the inner city, so you come running over to my outer city to stick your noses in!?"
Suddenly, a middle-aged man walked in with a group of followers, shouting in reprimand the moment he crossed the threshold.