Chapter 104: Come!

The Divine General guarding the city hadn’t arrived, nor had the Academy teacher. Yet the Five Disciples of the Nanshan Alliance were here.

Meng Zhixue charged forward, repeatedly summoning her sword and slashing as she came.

Old Chao swung his blade, deflecting several flying swords, but his eyes were already bloodshot. Suddenly, he snatched and crushed a piece of white bone at his waist. Rolling black smoke instantly billowed around him, soaring into the air like a barrier to block the swords. Then he spun around, gripped his sword with both hands, and let out a furious roar like a tiger. He chopped down once more at the black carriage, utterly determined to kill Fang Cun first.

“Get away from Second Young Master Fang!”

But the moment his blade descended, Nie Quan’s short but strong figure flashed in from the side. Wielding a large saber, Nie Quan saw Old Chao’s strike was too swift to deflect. Gritting his teeth with a fierce, strained cry, he threw himself right in front of the carriage. He raised his own saber with both hands, holding it horizontally across his body, and solidly met Old Chao’s falling blade.

CLANG!

A deafening impact.

Blood sprayed from Nie Quan’s palms where the skin split. His legs buckled. He crashed heavily to his knees, pulverizing the blue flagstones beneath him.

Despite pouring every ounce of his strength, despite focusing all his cultivation power just to block this one blow, the gulf between the Breath Refining Realm and the Treasured Body Realm was too vast. The blow shattered his guard, and he felt as if every bone in his body was rattled, nearly broken.

Still, Nie Quan’s foundational cultivation was the Classic of Martial Arts. He was skilled in combat and powerfully built. His cultivation was extremely high, ranked among the top in the Academy. To top it off, Old Chao was already heavily distracted by Meng Zhixue, wounded from earlier, poisoned, and severely weakened. So Nie Quan managed to endure the heavy backlash and somehow blocked it.

“SWOOSH!”

Old Chao retracted his blade with fluid force, instantly sweeping Nie Quan away. Then, in one fluid motion, he chopped down again.

“ZING!”

But suddenly, seven or eight shining golden talismans floated in the air.

Each sprayed out countless golden threads, interweaving and connecting like a net, ensnaring Old Chao. At the roadside, He Zhenzhang wielded his elegant brush, ink-dark ceremonial papers flying. He continuously linked these talismans, sending streams of golden magic flying to bind Old Chao’s entire body.

Meanwhile, a sweet, doll-faced girl appeared next to Old Chao, a sugary smile on her face.

Another shadowy figure emerged sinisterly near the carriage. He rapidly channeled his power, pushing the vehicle desperately further away.

“You fools! ALL OF YOU DESERVE DEATH!” Old Chao roared, trapped by the talismans for barely half a breath before his madness intensified even more. He seemed utterly beyond reason, his very blood igniting. The strange flames that bloomed upon contact severed the binding threads instantly. Wild power exploded outwards. He Zhenzhang was caught by the blast, his face whipped pale as he stumbled back several steps.

Old Chao swung his head around, his killing intent solidifying as he saw the girl smiling at him. Rolling waves of demonic Qi surged towards her.

“Oh no…”

Meng Qing’er hastily flipped backwards, shouting, “He’s under a stronger Soul Captivation Art! I can’t influence him now!”

Old Chao charged again, ignoring her. He lunged with a vicious palm strike towards Yu Qingli, the gloomy young man shoving the carriage. Yu Qingli twisted ferociously, dodging most of the force with one hand still pushing the carriage further away. His other hand, however, flashed cold steel – a sleek silver needle, radiating concealed power, stabbed right towards Old Chao’s palm.

Old Chao’s mind was unreadable; he didn’t dodge. The needle pierced straight through his hand.

Simultaneously, his berserk power blasted Yu Qingli violently backwards. Yet Yu Qingli twisted like an eel in mid-air, spinning three times to land safely, unhurt.

“WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!”

The sound of slicing air echoed from behind. Meng Zhixue had seized the chance to close in, her flying swords striking rapidly.

“OUT OF MY WAY!”

Old Chao’s fury knew no bounds. He utterly ignored the swords hacking at his back. Relying solely on the dark flames flaring around him to absorb their blows, he charged forward again, enduring several strikes. He reached the carriage and chopped down with furious force once more.

None of the Five Disciples anticipated Old Chao’s terrifying wildness, bordering on self-destruction just to kill Fang Cun! Seeing that dreadful blow fall, their faces registered sheer horror.

“Audacious fiend! How dare you?!

RRRIPP!

At that exact moment, a gale howled down the street, kicking up dust and stones. Everyone looked. Standing at the chaotic, deserted head of the street now were two figures. One was an old man in a blue robe, his expression cold and severe. Beside him stood a girl gently holding a massive copper mallet. She seemed timid, shy even, but her aura radiated pure fury.

The old man sharply raised his hand. Vast power erupted, rushing forward to collide. Old Chao, caught unaware, was slammed back a few steps.

Seizing this instant, Meng Zhixue summoned swords from her sheath continuously. They transformed into ribbons of pure white sword will, weaving together and slashing towards the many openings suddenly revealed in Old Chao’s guard. He roared in agony as his hulking form crashed heavily to its knees. Beside him, He Zhenzhang clenched his teeth, summoning a fresh volley of over a dozen golden talismans. Golden threads again wove a prison, tightly binding Old Chao.

“WHO?! WHO IS HURTING THE YOUNG MASTER OF THE FANG FAMILY?!”

Another furious shout erupted. Startled, the crowd turned. A mob of ordinary townsfolk surged forward: the hawker selling candied hawthorn berries, the peddler selling steamed dumplings, the owner of the carriage service, the silk merchant, even the madam from the local brothel! A wave of murderous intent rolled off them. Some brought hired muscle; others had gathered local toughs. They brandished pikes, raised clubs, and charged with the fierce, chaotic energy of a massive street brawl…

“Bullying Second Young Master Fang is like bullying all of us neighbors!”

“Son of a turtle! Doesn’t he know my eight-year-old granddaughter has her eye on the Fang family’s second son?!”

“We count on the Fang family for our festival bonuses… No! Good folks like them don’t deserve this!”

” … ”

When they reached the scene, they saw Old Chao already kneeling, bloodied and frighteningly savage. Though fear kept them at a distance, they started hurling rotten tomatoes, rotten eggs, and even discarded fish bladders from their baskets towards him.

“The City Guard isn’t here. The Academy leaders are absent. But the simpletons and fools? Our neighbors from the Night Market thirty li outside the city? Are they here?”

Fang Cun observed this scene calmly, a soft sigh echoing within him.

At this point, seeing Old Chao gravely wounded, poisoned, shackled by combined mystical bindings, and further subdued by the imposing aura of Elder Qu – now utterly immobilized, incapable of struggle – everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief. They frantically scanned their surroundings.

CLIP CLOP CLOP CLOP…

Hoofbeats sounded in the distance. Fang Cun’s father appeared, leading a contingent of Divine Generals from the City Guard Office.

Another direction shifted: cloud vapors churned violently, signaling the Academy teachers speeding urgently towards them.

The outcome was settled…

…

“Such a pain. So many pests…”

But at this very moment, amongst the chaotic crowd nearby, a man dressed like a servant pretended to panic, hiding like the rest. Yet hatred flickered deep within his eyes. Seizing his chance unnoticed, he slowly extended a hand. His palm pressed firmly onto the street surface beside him.

An invisible flow of power silently shot forth.

“RRRRRUGH!”

Simultaneously, Old Chao, who had seemed utterly defeated, his head slumped entirely, suddenly snapped his head up. His eyes bulged wide open. A strangled, inhuman scream tore from his throat. Power, frantic and unstoppable, surged within him. Something seemed to detonate inside his core, instantly tripling his might!

He blasted apart the golden talismans and Meng Zhixue’s three flying swords like rotting wood. He leapt violently into the air…

Horrifying changes overcame him: raging black Qi erupted from his body, swirling and solidifying into the shape of a colossal, ghostly tiger, roaring soundlessly. He ripped through the very air. Both long blades flew simultaneously into his hands as he whirled them in a frenzy. Devastating waves of sword energy, thick with demonic corruption, roared outwards like a tsunami, engulfing the entire street.

Utterly unprepared, everyone near him was smashed backwards by this eruption of sheer destructive energy.

Meng Zhixue shouted fiercely and slashed with her sword. But the demonic aura flaring like dark fire enveloping Old Chao instantly repelled her blade with brutal force. Elder Qu swiftly channeled his potent power, pouring it forward. But the violent tide he unleashed dissolved instantly upon contact with the ferocious demonic aura protecting Old Chao. Nearby, a little fox burst into sight, teeth bared. It lunged with vicious intent, aiming to sink its teeth into Old Chao’s shoulder! In a split second, it was violently flung backwards like a ragdoll. “CRACK!” – the sharp sound of half a tooth splintering rang out.

Wreathed in that overpowering black glow, Old Chao at that moment seemed an invincible, unstoppable force.

Shrouded in endless demonic light, he landed atop the shattered remains of the carriage and brought both blades down in a violent, desperate slash.

“What?!”

Sudden silence descended. Like dead air.

Stunned horror gripped everyone standing on the street.

Frozen. Utterly frozen.

NO one expected this sudden, impossible reversal.

NO one imagined Old Chao could break free from those restraints…

NO one dreamed that Second Young Master Fang, seemingly free moments ago, was now facing…

At that moment, almost involuntarily, every eye wrenched towards the carriage remains… and then…

Their expressions instantly shattered. Utterly slack-jawed.

Stunned disbelief.

The carriage was completely. Empty.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing inside.

Faces crumpled, muscles locked in confused stupor.

Everyone halted. Stopped fighting. Could only watch… as Old Chao hacked and slashed wildly at the pile of splinters.

Old Chao roared. A tiger’s roar ripped from his throat. He chopped and hacked, a desperate beast destroying the remnants. Yet… gradually… realization crept through the chaotic haze. His blood-spattered face twisted grotesquely. Fury and denial warred with a raw, desperate anguish cracking his voice: “Impossible… How could… How could he not BE there?!”

“FANG CUN! FANG LAO’ER! WHERE ARE YOU? SHOW YOURSELF!”

” … ”

“So, Old Chao was just a puppet used to test me?” Fang Cun quietly mused to himself, unseen in another spot.

“They created such an elaborate setup… just to see what hidden cards I held?”

“Heh. Even living cautiously, leaving no opening… wasn’t enough to ease their paranoia.”

“Perhaps in their eyes, my mere existence is itself a sin… I lack the basic right even to remain hidden…”

“Since this… is the situation…”

” … ”

A quiet sigh finally escaped Fang Cun within the hidden vantage point. Resolve settled in him.

He drained the final sip of tea from the cup, slowly rising. He slipped the well-worn Old Umbrella, a constant companion, under his arm. Stepping calmly away from the small table, he walked out of the street-side teahouse.

He paused for a moment. His gaze flickered towards the little fox – the one just flung hard onto the nearby shop steps moments earlier by the erupting demonic Qi from Old Chao. It crouched now, panting shallowly, half a tooth snapped off near the gum line. Its small frame radiated ferocity, its neck straining as if yearning to leap back into the fray. Fang Cun gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. His voice, though low, held a gentle firmness: “I told you. You’re forbidden to bite anyone.”

The abrupt movement, footsteps behind it! The little fox whipped its head around. Instant shock froze it again, a tiny furry statue, its wide eyes mirroring the disbelief rippling through the suddenly searching crowd.

More faces were turning… drawn by the new focal point. Shock solidified. Eyes widened. Glances flickered between the raging demon possessed man and the calm figure who just stepped into the chaotic street.

Fang Cun walked unhurriedly towards the enormous gateway. His gaze calmly settled completely upon the monstrous form of Old Chao, rolling in demonic fury and frenzy amidst the debris. Irritatingly casual, Fang Cun lifted a hand vaguely towards Old Chao.

His voice, clear and steady despite the chaos, cut through the stunned atmosphere of broken stones and shattered weapons.

“I am here.

“Come.”