The crowds were filled with righteous indignation, and some people had already picked up objects from around them, hurling them fiercely toward the Ministry of War.
"Boil this head of Xiao En into soup! My son has a lung condition, and drinking it will surely cure him!"
Someone shouted out, and immediately people began to scramble for Xiao En's head.
In their view, the flesh and blood of such a villain possessed the power to purify the body, capable of driving away the severe illnesses within them—fighting poison with poison!
Inside the Ministry of War, Ye Dongming heard a servant report that someone had thrown rotten eggs in from outside, and his expression grew increasingly gloomy. He dismissed everyone, keeping only Ye Qinghe behind.
"Qinghe, tell me, why."
Ye Qinghe gritted his teeth and whispered, "Father, this is the Crown Prince's intent. Fang Chen wanted to kill the Qingsong Country warriors, so 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, that not everything he does is right. Only when these people realize this can Fang Chen's resurgence be completely cut off!"
Ye Qinghe said in a deep voice.
"The Crown Prince is afraid that if Fang Chen regains command of the military, it will threaten his—"
Ye Dongming's expression shifted slightly. "The Third Prince has been a hostage in Qingsong Country. Could it be... he is coming back?"
Everyone knew that Military God Fang and the Third Prince were exceptionally close. Five years ago, when Fang Chen was defeated, the Third Prince resolutely and voluntarily requested to go to Qingsong Country as a hostage, with his only condition being that the Emperor must not punish Fang Chen.
Otherwise, the one who went to Qingsong Country 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 bring the Third Prince back to Great Xia. Perhaps... someone is already moving in the shadows."
Ye Qinghe whispered.
"It seems you... are truly terrified of Fang Chen."
Ye Dongming let out a soft sigh.
Fang Chen's methods had indeed left a heavy shadow over the younger generation of Great Xia. In truth, how could it be any different for the older generation like themselves?
Otherwise, the Crown Prince wouldn't start worrying about his position simply because Fang Chen recovered his cultivation.
Chapter 19: The Hidden Dragon
General Fang's Mansion.
"What?! Eldest brother was taken to Dahua Temple?"
Fang Zhixue had been waiting for Fang Chen to return, but the news she received was that he had been dragged off to Dahua Temple. She immediately made to rush out, only to be intercepted by Fang Canghai.
"What kind of chaos are you trying to stir up? Stay put!"
Fang Canghai said in a deep voice.
"Father, Mother, aren't you worried at all?"
Fang Zhixue was stunned, then looked toward Fang Cangyou and the Empress. "Second Uncle, Third Aunt?"
She had expected everyone to be extremely anxious, but to her surprise, including her parents, everyone was calm and composed, as if Fang Chen had merely gone for a stroll along the Great Xia River.
"Your eldest brother didn't even tell us when he recovered his cultivation this time, which means he has plans secretly underway in the dark. Now that he has cleaned up the Qingsong warriors 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 heart, so what we must do right now is not to add to his chaos—especially you."
"Will Eldest Brother be subjected to harsh torture in Dahua Temple...?"
Fang Zhixue's expression was filled with worry.
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, the very name 'Military God Fang' is a gold-plated signboards. Dahua Temple will only serve him good food and fine drink while waiting for the Emperor to speak."
Fang Cangyou chuckled. "Zhixue, sometimes I wonder if you're really of our Fang bloodline. You don't even have to compare yourself to your eldest brother, but at least learn how to use your brain to think through problems."
Fang Canghai and his wife shot him a faint, lingering look.
Fang Zhixue instantly grew anxious. "Second Uncle, you are humiliating me!"
"Alright, alright."
The Empress smiled and waved her hand. "Chen'er has recovered his cultivation and cleared out the remnants of Qingsong Country in the Capital. From now on, we won't have to see those Qingsong warriors swaggering arrogantly through the Capital anymore. This is a joyous occasion."
"Right, this is a joyous occasion."
Fang Canghai stroked his beard and smiled.
"However..."
The Empress changed the subject, a trace of faint sorrow appearing on her face. "His Majesty doesn't seem to intend to restore Chen'er to his official post. In the future... I'm afraid he won't let Chen'er near the imperial court either."
Everyone was slightly startled.
Fang Cangyou gave a rebellious, cold laugh. "By what right?"
"Second Brother, don't speak nonsense."
Fang Canghai frowned in reprimand, then looked at the Empress. "Third Sister, you need not worry about this matter. Everything depends on Chen'er himself. If he no longer wishes to rank among the imperial court, this might not be a bad thing."
His wife also nodded slightly. "I'd rather Chen'er stopped leading troops in the future. At his age, it's time he settled down properly and continued the bloodline for our Fang family."
Standing behind Fang Cangyou, Xu Ge wore a peculiar expression as he calculated in his heart whether he should tell Fang Chen about this—after all, his elders seemed to be plotting a marriage for him.
Just then, a servant hurried in:
"Master, someone has come to apply to be a tutor for our private school, and they say they were introduced by the heir!"
What?!
Introduced 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, Tie Ma arrived before the hall and cupped his fists in a salute to Fang Canghai. "Tie Ma pays respects to General Fang."
Except for Fang Zhixue, the expressions of everyone present turned incomparably bizarre.
"You are... Tie Ma, one of the two Qi Control warriors from the Qingsong Elite Pavilion?"
Fang Canghai narrowed his eyes and asked.
The Empress looked Tie Ma up and down.
Fang Cangyou fell into deep thought.
Xu Ge was dumbfounded.
Fang Zhixue wore a blank expression. *Wait, the Qingsong Elite Pavilion? Isn't that a Qingsong Country warrior?!*
She instinctively let out a sharp cry, her Qi bursting instantly as she prepared to strike.
Fang Canghai pulled her back, saying earnestly, "Mull over what your second uncle just said."
"Father, he..."
Fang Zhixue pointed at Tie Ma, her expression anxious.
"Since he was introduced by your eldest brother, he is a member of our Fang family. Don't react just at the mention of the word 'Qingsong'."
Fang Canghai said.
Only then did Fang Zhixue snap back to her senses. That seemed to make sense, didn't it?
"Master Tie Ma, as far as I know, you should be a subject of Qingsong Country, shouldn't you?"
Fang Canghai asked probing.
"General Fang may not know, but I am a native-born subject of Great Xia. I was merely ordered in the past to go to Qingsong Country to lurk within the Wolf Army and pass information to Military God Fang."
Tie Ma said, neither servile nor overbearing.
The expressions of Fang Canghai and Fang Cangyou changed instantly. The two brothers exchanged a glance and looked at Tie Ma with incomparably solemn expressions:
"You are... the Hidden Dragon?!"
"Precisely."
Tie Ma nodded slightly.
The Hidden Dragon was the designation used by Great Xia for those specially sent to lurk within enemy forces and transmit intelligence for Great Xia.
This type of person suffered extreme sacrifices and immense danger; out of ten Hidden Dragons, perhaps nine met a bad end. Therefore, those chosen as Hidden Dragons had to be exceptionally elite and infinitely loyal to Great Xia.
If discovered by the enemy, their end was suicide. Some Hidden Dragons didn't have time to commit suicide and would endure terrifying, horrific tortures before slowly dying...
Fang Canghai gently raised his right arm, clenched his fist, and then struck his chest.
Fang Cangyou did the same.
Both brothers made the exact same gesture at that moment—this was the military salute of Great Xia.
Tie Ma returned the salute.
At this moment, the few women present did not make a sound, maintaining an eerie silence.
"Master Tie Ma, from now on you are the tutor of our Fang family's private school. The younger generation of the Fang family will need you to look after them in the future."
Fang Canghai smiled with a laugh.
In the General's Mansion, there were over a hundred children. Some of these children were collateral branches of the Fang family, and a portion were orphans of soldiers who had fallen in battle.
"You are too polite; this is what I ought to do."
Tie Ma said.
"Did Chen'er tell you to change your name?"
Fang Canghai asked.
Tie Ma shook his head slightly. "The heir said to keep this name. If anyone guesses it, let them guess it."
"Hahaha, good."
Fang Canghai laughed heartily.
He then summoned a servant to settle Tie Ma in. After Tie Ma left, Fang Cangyou murmured thoughtfully:
"First the Wind and Cloud Sword, then Tie Ma—one at Peak Qi Burst, the other at Early Qi Control. Although the Wind and Cloud Sword cannot compare to Tie Ma, Chen'er truly hides his depth. This foundation is even more profound than our Fang family's...
Early Qi Control, well! From now on, our Fang family has gained yet another Early Qi Control expert!"
"Second Master, I'm right behind you."
Xu Ge said.
"Am I not allowed to talk about you?"
Fang Cangyou retorted irritably.
He was clearly still holding a grudge against Xu Ge for ignoring his orders this morning.
"Of course not. Second Master, say whatever you like; I don't mind."
Xu Ge smiled.
Meanwhile.
Fang Chen had already arrived inside Dahua Temple.
"Heh, if it isn't our Military God Fang. I never expected that one day, you too would come to our Dahua Temple."
Directly ahead, a youth in his thirties walked forward, dressed in dark robes and followed by a group of investigators of the same rank as Yuan Zhuang.
Among them were also the chief clerk and the jail warden.
The newcomer was none other than Li Huafeng, the Vice Minister of Dahua Temple, second only to the Temple Master.
At the same time, he was an old acquaintance of Fang Chen and one of his former mortal enemies in the Capital. 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 the Three Realms Mountains, he was only sixteen or seventeen at the time. Yet his martial arts cultivation was already showing brilliance, and he had advanced to the Qi Control Realm early on!
Back then, Li Huafeng's status in the hearts of the Great Xia people was the highest. At twenty-three or twenty-four years of age, Li Huafeng was already at Mid Qi Control, arguably the number one figure among the younger generation; even among the older generation, few could compare to him.
Li Huafeng was already serving in Dahua Temple at that time, holding the post of Vice Minister, and had personally tried countless high-ranking officials.
One day, he received word that a certain military general had colluded with Qingsong Country. Li Huafeng personally went to the military camp and dragged the man back to Dahua Temple.
To his surprise, this man had an iron spine. No matter what tortures Li Huafeng employed, he steadfastly refused to admit he was a traitor, and in the end, unable to bear the humiliation, he 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 towering rage and immediately petitioned the Emperor to thoroughly investigate the matter.
It was later verified that someone held a grudge against the general and fabricated evidence to frame him.
On the day of the general's funeral procession, Fang Chen, then only sixteen or seventeen, personally carried the coffin, only to cross paths halfway with Li Huafeng, who had come to offer condolences.
Instead of feeling even a shred of remorse, Li Huafeng sneered and mocked the man, saying that as a general he had acted rashly, and his suicide had only made matters more complicated.
That day, Fang Chen struck.
And that was the day Great Xia finally discovered that a youth much younger than Li Huafeng already possessed the cultivation of Peak Qi Control!
How could Li Huafeng, at Mid Qi Control, be Fang Chen's match? That very day, his four limbs were broken by Fang Chen, and a portion of his Qi ocean was shattered. From that day on, Li Huafeng's cultivation regressed to Peak Qi Burst, and he never made another inch of progress!
If Prime Minister Li Guozhu hadn't rushed over with people, Li Huafeng would likely have lost his life in Fang Chen's hands.
Ever since then, the two became mortal enemies.
Li Huafeng would find trouble for Fang Chen from time to time, and Fang Chen would take them all in stride. In the end, the one who always suffered losses was Li Huafeng.
"I didn't expect that after all these years, you're still the Vice Minister of Dahua Temple."
Fang Chen grinned.
Li Huafeng's expression shifted repeatedly. Perhaps to ordinary people, this position of his was already unreachable.
But to him, it was far from enough!
His heart was in the military; he also wanted to go to the front lines to pit himself against the Qingsong warriors. Unfortunately, Fang Chen had cut off that thought, and also cut off his bright future!
So Fang Chen's words were a public humiliation to him.
"A dead duck has a hard beak. If your fists were as hard as your mouth back then, you wouldn't have suffered such a miserable defeat at the Three Realms Mountains."
Li Huafeng sneered, having no intention of wasting any more breath on Fang Chen. He immediately ordered the prison warden beside him to take Fang Chen down into the dungeons, leaving the case to be tried later!
Inside the Dahua Temple prison, the prisoners saw a new arrival and grew as excited as a group of monkeys. Some began shouting threats, while others made sarcastic and mocking remarks.
"This Dahua Temple prison really isn't small. There are all sorts of people here."
Fang Chen swept a casual glance over it. This prison held at least a hundred people, and according to Dahua Temple's rules, those imprisoned all held official status to varying degrees.
"This cell is yours."
The prison warden leading the way pushed open a door. Inside, there were already six or seven prisoners of varying ages, the only commonality being their haggard expressions.
They cast an indifferent glance at Fang Chen without uttering a word. Clearly, they did not recognize his identity.
"Warden, I've already instructed my servants to send some things over. Could you help me bring them here?"
Fang Chen said calmly.
The prison warden was slightly startled. "What kind of things?"
"Nothing much, just a wolf-hair brush, a bit of cinnabar, and a stack of talisman paper."
Fang Chen said calmly.
The warden wore a peculiar expression. Was this Military God Fang before him planning to draw talismans? He thought for a moment, but ultimately shook his head, his voice turning somewhat cold:
"The prison has its rules. Unless Lord Vice Minister speaks."
"You are Li Huafeng's man."
Fang Chen said calmly.
"Lord Vice Minister has treated me with immense grace."
The warden nodded indifferently, then turned and walked away.
After he left, the prisoners became even more active.
A prisoner in the opposite cell sneered at 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 heard such a request. Interesting, truly interesting, hahaha!"
"Kid, looking at your young age, what crime did you commit to be brought in here? No one who enters Dahua Temple is simple. Who else do you have at home? Do they have connections to bail you out?"
Some prisoners wanted to probe Fang Chen's background.
The prisoners in the same cell as Fang Chen also spoke up. "The prison has its rules. You're the newcomer, so from now on you'll be the one cleaning the nightsoil bucket."
"Let me clean the nightsoil bucket?"
Fang Chen glanced at the corner of the cell and smiled indifferently.
"What are you all making a fuss about? Can't a guy get some sleep?"
Suddenly, a deep, resonant voice rang out.
The noisy chatter of the crowd instantly quieted down as they turned to look toward the depths of the cell.
"Another newcomer has arrived, is that it?"
That voice rang out again. "Newcomer, state your name!"
"Why aren't you hurrying to state your name? Do you know who that person speaking is? That's one of the four great dragon generals under Military God Fang back then!"
Seeing that Fang Chen remained silent, someone couldn't help urging him.
"Those four great dragon generals were truly majestic back then. It's a pity that in the battle of the Three Realms Mountains five years ago, three of them died directly, and the only survivor was locked up inside Dahua Temple. It's been a full five years, and his case still hasn't been brought to trial."
Someone muttered softly.
"Old Huang, it's me."
Fang Chen said softly.
Old Huang?!
The crowd looked at Fang Chen in disbelief. Was this kid tired of living? How dare he address that person like that? You must be out of your mind—even the warden in charge of the prison had to respectfully call him General Huang!
That voice remained silent for a long moment, and then exploded like a thunderclap: "Marshal?! Why did they drag you into this place too?! Ahhh, damn them, they deserve to die!"
*Boom—*
It sounded as if a cell had been shattered apart by someone brute-forcing it. The massive roar caused pain on people's faces, and they couldn't help covering their ears.
The next moment, a figure as tall as a small mountain appeared before Fang Chen.
The crowd 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 wearing prisoner's garb, he radiated an imposing aura that struck awe into the heart, making one dare not harbor the slightest bit of contempt.
His round 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 away from here!"
Marshal?!
The prisoners who had just been teasing 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?"
Shock bloomed across everyone's faces.
At the same time, the prison guards rushed over, looking at the giant with extreme fear, not daring to step forward at all. They could only bark with forced bravado:
"General Huang, return to your cell at once!"
Chapter 21: Innate Superhuman Strength!
"If you dare utter another word of nonsense, I'll slaughter the lot of you!"
The giant turned to glare at the prison guards, his eyes bloodshot. The killing intent within them nearly materialized, sharp as blades, prickling the scalps of these guards and turning their legs to jelly!
"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 bulkier than before.
Huang Sihai, an ordinary man who had never practiced martial arts, possessed innate superhuman strength rivaling a Qi Control expert. He had once been one of the four great dragon generals under his command.
In that tragic and brutal slaughter, three of the four great dragon generals had died, and while Fang Chen himself had suffered severe injuries, he possessed a stubbornly tenacious life force—not only did he survive, but within a few short months he had fully recovered, leaving no lingering ailments.
"Marshal, I..."
"I am no longer the Marshal. Call me Heir."
"Heir, I only stayed here because they told me that as long as I behaved and stayed put, they wouldn't touch you, and His Majesty wouldn't touch you. They lied to me!"
Huang Sihai stared fixedly at Fang Chen, the fury in his eyes impossible to suppress.
"What?!"
"General Huang stayed in the prison and refused to escape... because of this reason?"
Everyone was dumbfounded.
They knew deep down that trying to keep Huang Sihai locked up in this prison was practically impossible.
"They didn't lie to you. For these past five years, no one has come to harass me."
Fang Chen smiled.
Because of him, countless people had silently endured various constraints over these past five years. Tie Ma was one of them, and Huang Sihai was another.
Now, he was going to shatter this deadlock with his own hands.
"Heir, since that's the case, why did you enter this place? Was it that fellow Li Huafeng...?"