The surrounding guards were at a loss, but finally, they knelt on the ground with lowered heads, awaiting Fang Chen's verdict.
"Perhaps you would rather be a citizen of Qingsong Country. In your next life, make sure to be reborn properly and never come to Great Xia again."
Fang Chen smiled faintly.
Li Huang suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with venomous malice: "Fang Chen, do you really intend to kill me? If you kill me, my aunt will not let you off! Don't think that just because you are the Military God you can act without restraint; His Majesty has long regarded you as a thorn in his side!"
Splat!
Tie Ma swept out with a single sword stroke. With this one strike, Li Huang was instantly cut in half at the waist. He did not die on the spot, but the bone-piercing agony and the certainty of his impending doom were to Li Huang a torture no different from descending into the netherworld!
"Aah! Aah!"
Li Huang shrieked in excruciating pain.
The guards standing nearby remained motionless, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
"You assisted a tyrant in his tyranny—you cannot be spared either."
Tie Ma sneered and severed the heads of those guards.
"Fang Chen! His Majesty read you right! You've harbored rebellious intentions all along, secretly raising a band of death-sworn retainers. Hahaha, even as a ghost, I won't let you go!
If His Majesty finds out about this, you'll be coming to keep me company soon enough—coming to keep me company! You will never know just how terrifying His Majesty is, hahaha!"
Li Huang laughed like a raving madman, his eyes filled with mockery as he looked at Fang Chen.
A few moments later, his laughter grew fainter, and a layer of ashen gray gradually veiled his eyes.
Li Huang was dead.
"Have you arranged an identity for yourself in the Capital?"
Fang Chen looked at Tie Ma.
"Not yet."
Tie Ma replied in a low voice.
"Very well, go to my Fang family's private school."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
"Thank you, Heir!"
Tie Ma was somewhat emotional; this way, he would be able to see the heir often!
Fang Chen walked out of the Qingsong Superior Lodge all by himself. By now, the place was surrounded by countless commoners and Great Xia martial artists, who were questioning one another, eager to know what had happened inside.
"You still don't know? The Military God Fang led men and charged right in! I hear the master of the Qingsong Superior Lodge has already been executed!"
"There's such a thing!?"
"It's absolute truth!"
"What are we waiting for then?!"
A scholar rolled up his sleeves and charged into the Qingsong Superior Lodge with a fierce roar.
Immediately following him, a peddler handed his child to his wife, his eyes reddening as he brandished a shoulder pole and rushed toward the Qingsong Superior Lodge.
More and more people surged inside. Among them were ordinary Great Xia commoners, soldiers clad in leather armor, and martial artists wielding swords across the lakes and rivers.
They all had different identities, but at this very moment, they shared only one.
They were subjects of Great Xia!
Before long, a fire was set inside the Qingsong Superior Lodge. The blaze grew fierce, and everyone retreated outside—not a single Qingsong Country martial artist was to be seen.
"Military God Fang, the Qingsong Country martial artists inside are all dead, but a few managed to escape."
You Longchang looked at the raging flames consuming the Qingsong Superior Lodge and said in a low voice.
"Tonight is a sleepless night."
Fang Chen said softly with a smile.
Chapter 14: Beyond Reach
The night in the Capital of Great Xia was exceptionally lively and prosperous. Although the defeat five years ago had severely crippled Great Xia's vitality, the extravagant and decadent lifestyle had instead grown even more intense.
When night fell, brilliant and dazzling lanterns would light up along the banks of the Great Xia River, the largest river in Great Xia, and the sweet singing of songstresses drifted from the multi-storied boats and grand pavilions.
This was the favorite haunt of Qingsong Country's martial artists, but tonight's patrons discovered that the usually lavish and domineering Qingsong Country martial artists had all vanished without a trace.
Just as people were wondering, someone brought word that the Qingsong Superior Lodge had been wiped out by Fang Chen and his men. This news instantly made this night in Great Xia anything but ordinary!
Where did news spread the fastest? Naturally, in taverns and teahouses, but none of those places could compare to the pleasure quarters.
Once news appeared here, it spread like the plague, reaching high-ranking nobles and lowly foot soldiers alike—there was not one who did not know of it!
Inside the Yuxian Boat, the most famous painted barge on the Great Xia River, seven or eight young scions were currently gathered. They had chartered the entire pleasure boat, throwing money about with great extravagance, all because their family backgrounds were quite extraordinary.
"Gentlemen, what do you make of Fang Chen's actions today?"
A handsome young man opened his folding fan and waved it gently, asking the others with a faint smile while admiring the dozen or so songstresses dancing gracefully before him.
This handsome young man was Ye Qinghe, the son of the Minister of War. He also held the highest paternal official rank among the young lords present, which was why he occupied the seat of honor.
"I say his move was utterly reckless. Although I heard from my family that today in the imperial palace, Fang Chen displayed extraordinary methods, slaying a Wolf Army chieftain with a single strike and even driving Xiao Shennü out of the Capital, he ought to remember that despite his former peak, he was still defeated by Wolf Commander Xiao!"
"Indeed. And now he is also slaughtering the Qingsong Country martial artists in the Capital. If word reaches Qingsong Country, I'm afraid Wolf Commander Xiao will take action immediately, and heaven knows how much Great Xia will have to pay in reparations to appease his wrath."
"You Longchang of the West Tiger Camp has truly lost his mind to join forces with him. Didn't he think that if those Qingsong Country martial artists could be killed, His Majesty would have made a move already? Come to think of it, why hasn't His Majesty had any reaction at all?"
"Not only has His Majesty remained silent, but all the various factions also seem to be watching a play. But if they keep watching till the end, I'm afraid they'll invite disaster upon themselves. Brother Ye, what did Minister Ye say?"
"My father only said one sentence: wait and see how things develop."
Ye Qinghe said indifferently.
"It seems... Fang Chen's former prestige still deeply deters quite a few people. It would be one thing if he truly became a cripple, but now his cultivation has actually recovered..."
"I believe the greatest mistake Great Xia ever made was letting Fang Chen ride roughshod over the Ministry of War, and even over His Majesty! That led to his delusions of grandeur, which ultimately sacrificed six hundred thousand of our Great Xia soldiers!"
"Brother Ye, I've heard your martial arts have greatly improved recently, and the soldiers of all the Capital camps hold you in high regard. Why don't you step forward and take Fang Chen's place!?"
Someone looked at Ye Qinghe with expectant eyes.
"My cultivation has indeed improved. As luck would have it, I met a wandering Daoist on the road who bestowed upon me a Golden Core. After swallowing it, my cultivation increased quite a bit."
Ye Qinghe chuckled lightly, "Compared to Fang Chen, however, I am still far behind."
"Far behind..."
Hearing this term, the memories of everyone present instantly drifted back five years. Back then, the most popular saying in the Capital was: when you look at Fang Chen, the rest of us are truly beyond reach!
"However... Fang Chen's actions today indeed run counter to the current situation, so I must ask you all to speak with your families and help me spare one person's life.
As long as he lives, Fang Chen's actions today will still have room for maneuver."
Ye Qinghe smiled.
Everyone was slightly startled, a look of curiosity dawning on their faces. Whose life was so momentous that it could change the outcome of today's events?
Ye Qinghe stood up and looked outside the hall: "Brother Xiao, please come in. These brothers of mine will not betray you."
A gloomy-looking young man walked in from outside the hall, and at the sight of him, the expressions of everyone present shifted.
The newcomer was none other than Xiao Tianci's son, Xiao En!
They never imagined that Xiao En was still alive, and that he would even appear on the Yuxian Boat. Connecting this to Ye Qinghe's earlier words, everyone immediately understood what Ye Qinghe was up to.
"Brother Ye, I am grateful for your assistance. If not for you, I'm afraid I would have died on the streets of this Great Xia Capital."
Xiao En cupped his fists, a self-deprecating smile on his face: "Once I return to Qingsong, I will remember this favor."
"Brother Xiao is too polite. None of us approve of Fang Chen's actions. Right now, Great Xia and Qingsong ought to unite like friends, not resort to endless bloodshed—that benefits neither side."
With that, Ye Qinghe burst into hearty laughter: "Why hasn't Jade Fairy taken the stage to dance yet? I am hosting honored guests today, do not neglect them!"
While welcoming Xiao En to a seat and introducing him to the youths at the same time, a woman in white with bare feet slowly entered the hall and began to dance gracefully upon the stage.
The woman in white possessed an exquisite beauty, skin surpassing snow, and eyes like stars. Every smile and frown of hers was utterly intoxicating, and every movement carried an otherworldly, immortal grace.
A look of infatuation appeared in Ye Qinghe's eyes as his gaze closely followed the white-clad woman's movements.
"As expected of Jade Fairy, the most famous songstresses on the Great Xia River; this dance truly is as ethereal as an immortal's."
Xiao En's gaze was ice-cold. The beauty before him did not alleviate his exhaustion today; instead, it only reminded him of the blazing flames consuming the Qingsong Superior Lodge.
His fists clenched slightly. Qingsong would definitely avenge this blood debt!
While the Great Xia River was filled with song and dance, battles were unfolding all across the Capital of Great Xia. One by one, Qingsong Country martial artists found themselves with nowhere to run and perished under a flurry of blades.
As the morning mist began to rise, Fang Chen sat quietly upon an unburnt stone stool amidst the ruins of the Qingsong Superior Lodge, a stack of paper talismans placed before him.
Over the course of the night, he had crafted many more Purple Lightning Talismans, bringing his current total to sixteen.
Besides the Purple Lightning Talismans, he had tested the Swiftness Talisman, Vajra Talisman, and Mighty Strength Talisman, making three of each. Their crafting difficulty was far lower than that of the Purple Lightning Talisman.
"My spiritual Qi is twice as dense as before. It seems I can attempt to condense the second immortal meridian tomorrow and advance to the 2nd Level Qi Refining."
Putting away the talismans on the table, a figure hurried over from afar—it was You Longchang, covered in blood.
He felt as though he were dreaming, that one day he would actually be able to receive orders directly under Fang Chen's command and slaughter Qingsong Country martial artists one by one.
"Military God Fang, we can no longer find any trace of the Qingsong Country martial artists. I tallied the numbers, and we are short of two men from the list you gave us."
You Longchang said in a low voice: "One is Tie Ma, the Qingsong Country Qi Control expert, and the other is Xiao En, the son of Xiao Tianci. These two seem to have vanished into thin air; no matter how we search, we cannot find them."
"I already know where they are, so leave them to me. General You must be tired, go back and rest."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Chapter 15: Mere Mortals, How Can They Compare to the Heir?
You Longchang was indeed exhausted, and without saying anything further, he offered a respectful bow and turned to leave.
Silently, a figure appeared by Fang Chen's side.
Looking at Fang Chen with a hint of heartache, she slowly stepped forward, stood behind him, and began to gently massage his shoulders.
"Heir, Ye Qinghe has taken in Xiao En, seemingly hoping to use him to curry favor with Qingsong Country and deal with you in passing."
"You didn't need to come in person. I've already received the news. If someone sees you here, wouldn't the commoners of Great Xia tear me apart alive?"
Fang Chen smiled.
A blush rose to the woman's face: "What are you saying, Heir..."
"You are the Jade Fairy, after all. The men who fancy you could form a queue stretching from the Capital of Great Xia all the way to the doors of the Xiao family in Qingsong Country."
Fang Chen said.
"Those mere mortals, how can they compare to the heir?"
Jade Fairy let out a soft huff. "Heir, Tie Ma has returned to the ranks. When can I complete my mission and return to your side?
Even if it's just being a maid by your side—scratching your back, massaging your shoulders, washing your feet—it's still a thousand times better than putting on a forced smile in front of those sickening wretches."
"That day won't be long now."
Fang Chen smiled, then took out one Swiftness Talisman, one Vajra Talisman, and one Mighty Strength Talisman, handing them to Jade Fairy: "Your cultivation has not yet reached the Qi Burst Realm, and these are troubled times. If you encounter any danger, use your inner Qi to activate them; they will be able to help you."
A martial artist's inner Qi could not activate talismans, but Fang Chen had already pre-implanted his own spiritual power within them; one only needed inner Qi to stir that spiritual power for activation.
"This is!?"
A look of profound curiosity appeared in Jade Fairy's eyes.
"Talismans. Your heir has achieved success in the Dao now—you could say I've carved out a new path."
Fang Chen smiled faintly.
Pausing for a moment, he added: "Someone is coming, you should go."
"Then I shall take my leave."
Jade Fairy put away the talismans and departed quietly. Although her cultivation was not high, her lightness skill was exceedingly wondrous.
In the distance, Xu Ge pushed a wheelchair as he slowly approached.
As the sun gradually climbed, the surrounding onlookers and curious commoners slowly grew in number. Seeing Fang Chen still lingering amidst the ruins, a sense of doubt arose in their hearts.
"Chen'er, who are you waiting for here?"
Sitting in the wheelchair, Fang Chen's second uncle, Fang Cangyou, wore a half-smile.
Yesterday, the Empress had arrived at the Fang residence, and everyone in the Fang family already knew that Fang Chen's cultivation had recovered and that he had driven Xiao Shennü out of the Capital.
Afterward, they learned that Fang Chen was leading men to wipe out the Qingsong Country martial artists in the Capital, so the entire Fang household had also been busy throughout the previous night.
Fang Cangyou hadn't returned home yet. Once the busywork was done, he had asked Xu Ge to bring him to find Fang Chen.
"Xu Ge, why did you bring Second Uncle to this place?"
Fang Chen frowned slightly. "Send Second Uncle back to the estate."
"Yes."
Without a second word, Xu Ge pushed Fang Cangyou and turned to leave.
"Hey, wait!"
Fang Cangyou hurriedly called out.
Yet Xu Ge only obeyed Fang Chen's commands, turning a blind eye to Fang Cangyou's words.
"Chen'er, let me finish speaking before we go."
Fang Cangyou said angrily.
"Second Uncle, speak."
Fang Chen nodded slightly at Xu Ge, and Xu Ge immediately halted his steps.
"I have some connections at Dahua Temple. No matter what, I used to hold a position there. I will stay here with you and wait for the people from Dahua Temple."
Fang Cangyou said in a deep voice: "With me here, they won't dare to act presumptuously."
He had already guessed who Fang Chen was waiting for here.
Despite the palace and various factions remaining silent about yesterday's events, once daylight broke, a silent slaughter would inevitably ensue, and Fang Chen was the very core of this slaughter!
"Xu Ge, send Second Uncle back to the estate."
Fang Chen said with a faint smile.
Fang Cangyou flew into a rage, but no matter how he cursed, Xu Ge remained deaf to it all and quickly wheeled him away from the scene.
No sooner had they vanished around the corner than a contingent of troops from Dahua Temple surrounded the burned ruins of the Qingsong Superior Lodge.
Black-clad constables brandished steel sabers with vigilant expressions. Among them, an official from Dahua Temple of noticeably higher rank walked up to Fang Chen with several constables in tow.
"Military God Fang."
The Dahua Temple official cupped his fists in greeting.
"Here is a list. Keep it. The ones with checked names on it are already dead, so you can cross-reference them one by one."
Fang Chen handed the man a piece of paper covered in handwriting.
He had taken the opportunity to write this while crafting talismans.
Tie Ma's name was prominently featured on it, already marked with a check.
The Dahua Temple official took the list and glanced at it, his complexion turning somewhat pale. The constables beside him exchanged glances, the looks they cast toward Fang Chen tinged with a trace of awe.
"Over a thousand Qingsong Country martial artists... and only one remains unkilled..."
The Dahua Temple official gave a bitter smile: "Military God Fang, you are making things very difficult for us. I received orders to come and arrest you, escorting you to Dahua Temple to be detained for questioning."
Dahua Temple was the judicial organ of Great Xia; unlike the Ministry of Punishments, Dahua Temple only dealt with those in high positions, and its temple master was always held by a direct member of the imperial family.
The current temple master was none other than the reigning Emperor of Great Xia's own younger brother, the Fifth Prince.
"There's still one I haven't killed yet."
Fang Chen smiled faintly: "Once he is dead, how about I accompany you to Dahua Temple?"
The Dahua Temple official smiled bitterly: "Military God Fang, please don't make things hard for this subordinate. If I fail to take you in today, I'll be held accountable."
"Did the temple master specify what time I should be brought back?"
Fang Chen smiled.
"Uh..."
The Dahua Temple official was slightly taken aback; it seemed the temple master had not given any instructions regarding the time.
"He didn't say? Good then, I will go back with you today. If you're worried, you can just follow along with me."
Fang Chen rose and walked away.
"Sir, what are we doing now?"
A constable asked in a low voice.
"I wouldn't dare force an arrest, but since Military God Fang said he'll come with us after he settles his affairs, let's just show a little patience."
The Dahua Temple official said in a low voice.
Just then, a constable hurried over and reported in a hushed tone:
"Sir, Lord Li's son, Li Huang, was also at the Qingsong Superior Lodge—he has been cut in half at the waist..."
"Things are getting troublesome."
The Dahua Temple official muttered to himself, then promptly led his men to follow Fang Chen.
As they walked, they suddenly found the surroundings looking somewhat familiar. Fang Chen stopped right in front of the gates of a grand residence.
"Isn't this... the Minister of War's estate?!"
The Dahua Temple official was utterly dumbfounded.
At that moment, Fang Chen had already knocked on the main gates of the Ministry of War's estate.
Inside the Minister of War's residence, the family was in the midst of breakfast. The Minister of War, Ye Dongming, sat at the head of the table. Adhering to the rule of silence while eating, all the family members remained utterly quiet.
"Master... Military, Military God Fang is at the door knocking..."
An old servant hurried over, looking flustered.
Clatter.
The dining bowls dropped from several people's hands onto the table, but they quickly recovered, steadying themselves before turning their gazes in unison toward Ye Dongming.
Why was Fang Chen here? Wasn't this god of slaughter busy killing Qingsong Country martial artists last night? Why come to the Ministry of War's estate? Could it be because of that incident from years ago?
Ye Qinghe feigned composure and looked at Ye Dongming: "Father, should we see him or not?"
"What would Fang Chen want with this old man?"
Ye Dongming frowned slightly. After pondering for a few moments, he slowly stood up: "Let's go see him. I want to know what medicine he's selling in his gourd."
Chapter 16: Every Possible Obstruction
"Fang Chen rushed off to the Minister of War's estate?"
"Could he still be holding a grudge over that old business? You can't really blame Ye Dongming for that—it was a subordinate's mistake that caused the rations meant for Fang Chen to be shipped elsewhere..."
"Is there any word from His Majesty's side yet? Why hasn't Dahua Temple taken Fang Chen into custody? Why are they still letting him run around everywhere?"
At this moment, the upper echelons of Great Xia's Capital were keeping a close eye on Fang Chen's movements, each having dispatched men to investigate so they could receive news at the very first moment.
The main gates of the Minister of War's estate slowly opened, and Ye Dongming, accompanied by his family, exchanged a silent gaze with Fang Chen.
"Could Military God Fang possibly think that Xiao En is hiding in the Minister of War's estate?"
A look of astonishment appeared in the eyes of the Dahua Temple official.
Logically speaking, the Minister of War had no reason to harbor remnants of Qingsong Country martial artists, especially since Fang Chen was the one hunting them down. To hide someone would be equivalent to making an enemy of Fang Chen, would it not?
"Military God Fang, it has been a long time. Ever since you stopped attending morning court, meeting you has been as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
However, before long, we'll be able to meet in the court hall once more. I wonder what brings Military God Fang here today?"
Ye Dongming remained silent for a few moments before slowly speaking.
The members of the Ye family were also sizing up Fang Chen. Compared to five years ago, Fang Chen seemed to have lost much of his sharp edge, nor did he appear as youthful as he once had.