Blacklisting Order! Public Opinion

Wuling City, Star Radiance Group branch building. Inside a fourth-floor reception room. A middle-aged martial artist radiating an impressive aura was hosting Fang Ping'an and the hurriedly summoned Fang Long and Fang Siyue. "Director Zhong, that is the whole situation," Fang Ping'an said through gritted teeth. "I truly have nowhere else to turn. I hope the group can help us." After receiving the news from Jiang Wei, Fang Ping'an had realized after brief consideration that the only power his family could possibly rely on was Star Radiance Group. With the group's immense influence, they could certainly resolve this if they were willing to intervene. Yet why would Star Radiance Group stick their neck out for them? That was precisely why Fang Ping'an had brought Fang Long and Fang Siyue along. "I have a general grasp of the situation, and I understand your anxiety, but I must report this to my supervisor—" Director Zhong felt a mounting headache. From the moment he heard the beginning and end of the matter, he knew trouble was brewing. This involved a top Earth Martial Artist who had formerly served as the general manager of Polar Star Group's municipal branch. How could someone of his rank make such a call? Even so, Director Zhong knew that an outright refusal risked alienating Fang Long and Fang Siyue. Though the siblings were still young, they had awakened Upper-Rank Star Aspects and might well become Earth Martial Artists in the future; they could not be brushed aside lightly either. As Director Zhong weighed his options, a deep voice cut through the silence. "No need to report it." A burly, bear-like figure appeared in the doorway of the reception room, his expression mild. "Supervisor," Director Zhong said, his eyes lighting up as he rose at once. "Supervisor Xing," Fang Ping'an greeted, standing as well. "Supervisor Xing," Fang Long and Fang Siyue said, hurriedly rising. When they signed their contracts with Star Radiance Group, they had met Xing Ye once and knew he was a high-ranking executive at the municipal branch. "Xiaolong, Siyue—I already know about your older brother's situation. The group will certainly do its best to handle it," Xing Ye said warmly. "Your job right now is to focus on your cultivation. Head back to school first. I need to have a word with your father." Fang Ping'an nodded to them. Fang Long and Fang Siyue obediently took their leave. Director Zhong waited respectfully to the side while Xing Ye sank into the sofa. He looked across at Fang Ping'an. "Mr. Fang, you shouldn't have brought Xiaolong and Siyue into this." "I was worried their safety might be threatened," Fang Ping'an sighed. "Mm." "On that count, please rest assured," Xing Ye nodded. "Xiaolong and Siyue are signed elites of our group. Their personal safety is absolutely guaranteed. The moment I learned of this, I communicated with Polar Star Group in the name of Star Radiance Group. No one will dare harm them. "Not even an Earth Martial Artist would dare cross that line. "That extends to you and your father as well. Star Radiance Group will guarantee your safety," Xing Ye said in a low voice. "Understood," Fang Ping'an nodded. That, however, was not his core plea. "As for Fang Yu," Xing Ye sighed faintly. "In truth, I received intelligence on him a few days ago. His performance in the Primordial Star actual combat was extraordinary, not a bit inferior to Xiaolong or Siyue—in fact, one could say he was even more outstanding. We originally intended to put him through further assessment before extending an invitation to join Star Radiance Group." "And now?" Fang Ping'an pressed eagerly. "He is currently implicated in a criminal case, making it impossible to sign him for the time being," Xing Ye said, shaking his head. "Our municipal branch will continue to follow the case closely and maintain communication with Huguang Martial University and the Martial Arts Inspection Department. The only thing I can promise you is that Fang Yu will never be convicted of intentional homicide." "Can you not secure a full acquittal?" Fang Ping'an could not help asking. "That will depend on the final verdict," Xing Ye sighed softly. "The incident took place on the Primordial Star. In many respects, we can only exert a certain degree of influence." Fang Ping'an fell silent. Having spent years in business, he was no fool. He could already tell that Supervisor Xing Ye was speaking in polite evasions. In all probability, Star Radiance Group was unwilling to get deeply entangled in this mess. "Very well. Thank you for your trouble, Supervisor Xing," Fang Ping'an said quietly. They exchanged a few more courteous remarks. After seeing Fang Ping'an out, Xing Ye sighed softly to himself. Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID—Wang Xundao—Xing Ye answered directly. "Old Xing, you probably already know about Fang Yu," Wang Xundao's low voice came through. "Can you help out?" "It's difficult." "You might not know this," Xing Ye said, speaking candidly to Wang Xundao without reserve. "Just a short while ago, he reached out to the municipal branches of all Eight Great Martial Artist Groups here in Wuling City, asking none of us to sign Fang Yu. "Whoever signs him becomes his enemy. You know as well as I do that our eight major martial artist groups aren't truly cutthroat competitors; we largely cooperate on the Primordial Star to contribute to the civilization as a whole, and our ties are close. "Fang Yu has fine talent, and there's a chance he could become an Earth Martial Artist, but it's only a chance he becomes an ordinary Earth Martial Artist like me. Someone like Xia Kaishan not only has vast connections, but more crucially, his strength is terrifying. He could kill me with a single move," Xing Ye sighed. "A single move?" Wang Xundao said in disbelief. "Yes. Most Earth Martial Artists struggle just to reach Level 45, let alone Level 49," Xing Ye said in a heavy tone. "I doubt any general manager or supervisor of a municipal branch in Wuling City would be willing to make an outright enemy of him just to sign Fang Yu." "A blacklisting order?" Wang Xundao was stunned. He had never heard of such a thing happening before. "More than that." "He probably looked into Fang Yu's family background and already phoned me," Xing Ye sighed faintly. "He put it very implicitly—as long as our branch stays out of it, he won't make things difficult for me. But between the lines, he was warning me that if we intervene, his target won't just be Fang Yu; he might very well drag Fang Yu's family into it. "Old Wang, I know you want to help Fang Yu," Xing Ye continued. "But that madman Xia Kaishan has lost his mind. My advice to you is not to provoke him." Wang Xundao fell silent. Many of the words he had prepared died on his tongue. Just as Xing Ye had said, a top Earth Martial Artist and an ordinary Earth Martial Artist were two completely different concepts. When a figure like that went berserk, the deterrent force was overwhelming. Not just in Wuling City, but across the entire Huguang Province, hardly anyone would want to cross him. "As for Fang Yu," "I looked into it a bit as well. It seems someone is fighting hard to protect him. He won't die, but an outright acquittal is likely impossible," Xing Ye said. "Still, he should be able to live and cultivate normally afterward. "He's already very fortunate." *** Inside the Shengchuan Group headquarters building. *Xia Kaishan?* Wang Xundao sighed inwardly. He had not expected that in such a short window of time, Xia Kaishan would unleash such immense leverage, instilling dread even in Xing Ye all the way out in Wuling City. Of course, Wang Xundao understood the root of the issue. The most critical factor was that Fang Yu had not signed a contract beforehand, leaving Xing Ye with no reason to risk offending someone over him. Had Fang Yu signed with Star Radiance Group early on, the group would not have backed down so easily, whether for their own interests or to maintain the confidence of their people. *What should I do?* Wang Xundao frowned slightly. He was acquainted with quite a few Earth Martial Artist friends, but they were merely friends. Expecting them to antagonize Xia Kaishan? No one would agree to that. Besides, ordinary Earth Martial Artists were far inferior to Xia Kaishan in both status and power. On the other hand, although Wang Xundao valued Fang Yu, it was only appreciation. He could not take on immense risk to publicly oppose Xia Kaishan for Fang Yu's sake. Doing so would carry disastrous consequences for the entire Shengchuan Group and the Wang family. Every person had weaknesses and reservations, and Wang Xundao clearly had more than most. He pondered for a moment. "Manager Fang," Wang Xundao summoned his trusted confidant, Manager Fang of Shengchuan Group's public relations department. "Chairman." "There is a task you must carry out, and it must be done with the utmost secrecy." Wang Xundao quickly laid out his plan, leaving Manager Fang visibly alarmed. "Chairman, this will completely offend Xia Kaishan," Manager Fang could not help warning. "That is why I am instructing you to operate covertly. Just ensure nothing leaks out," Wang Xundao said with a frown. "Don't worry about spending money—ten million? Twenty million? What I want is to stir up public opinion. "Remember, confidentiality is paramount." That very day, across the major online platforms and news outlets of Huguang Province—and even spilling onto several national networks across Xia Country—a deluge of articles began surfacing in succession. *"Junior College Student Fang Yu! A Martial Artist's Path of Hard Work Defying Talent"* *"The Dark Side of Martial Universities: The Tyrannical Life of Martial Second-Generation Xia Tao"* *"The Death of a Martial Scion"* *"Striking Back Against a Bully Ought to Be Ruled Legitimate Defense"* *"Xia Kaishan's Path of Pampering Leading to Ruin"* *"Spoiling a Child Is Like Slaying a Child! Where Should the Xia Taos of Martial Universities Go from Here?"* A torrential barrage of press releases swept through numerous online platforms within a remarkably short period. "A clash on the Primordial Star? A fight between martial artists!" "This Xia Tao really was a piece of trash. Having a powerful backer truly let him do whatever he pleased." "Fang Yu worked so hard to climb from a junior college into a martial undergraduate program! What rotten luck!" An influx of reports emerged, quickly catching the attention of readers and steadily brewing across several online forums. However! Before the public outcry could fully erupt—less than an hour after the articles went live—an invisible power clamped down across the entire internet. All news and discussions regarding Xia Tao and Fang Yu were abruptly halted and rapidly scrubbed clean. Inside Shengchuan Group. "Chairman, regulators stepped in. None of the articles can be published now," Manager Fang said helplessly. "That brief window wasn't nearly enough to build real momentum." "It doesn't matter." "To trigger such aggressive suppression proves it has already caught the attention of those above. The objective has been achieved," Wang Xundao shook his head. "That is enough. I have done all that I can; what happens next is up to Fang Yu's own fortune." In doing even this much, he had already courted tremendous risk. *** On the New Moon. Guanghan City, Polar Star Manor No. 9. "Old He, you are a deputy director of the Provincial Inspection Department, yet you tell me you can't handle it? You agreed readily enough this afternoon." Inside his villa, Xia Kaishan stared at his friend's projection, his expression grim. "Brother Xia," "It isn't that I don't want to help," the voice in the projection replied heavily. "The issue is Tang Jianxin. She is the Senior Year Director at Huguang Martial University, and you know her background—she was an inner disciple of the late Sky-Patrolling Martial Artist Gu Feng." "Senior Gu Feng has already fallen," Xia Kaishan said in a low growl. "Her senior brothers are still around," the voice in the projection sighed. "Both parties in this case were students of Huguang Martial University, meaning the university's stance carries substantial weight in the final ruling. As Huguang Martial University's representative, she has insisted on a full acquittal from the start. On top of that, an uproar in public opinion just flared up. Even though it was suppressed immediately, certain people took notice. "A harsh sentence would spark massive controversy. "Judging by the existing case materials, if we try to convict Fang Yu of intentional homicide, there is a ninety-nine percent chance the High Court will overturn it. "Charging him with intentional homicide is no longer realistic!" the voice in the projection continued. "I recommend handling it as excessive defense instead. "I will push for a heavier penalty under that charge. "The reality is, as long as he remains a martial artist, he will have to venture onto the Primordial Star sooner or later. If you want vengeance for Little Tao, why rush it now?" The voice lowered. "I have duties to attend to." The video call cut off. "Damn it!" Xia Kaishan's eyes turned chillingly cold. He slammed a heavy fist into the wall, immediately setting off a chorus of alarms throughout the room. "Public opinion? If I find out who orchestrated this, they will pay!" Ever since learning of Tang Jianxin's stance, he had abandoned any hope of Huguang Martial University taking his side. Nor did he wish to collide head-on with the university, which was why he had sought to pull strings directly through the Inspection Department and Adjudication Department. He had never anticipated this sudden explosion of public discourse. *** September 10, 9:00 AM. Inside the detention room. *Whoosh!* Fang Yu practiced his fist technique, moving like flowing clouds and running water with refined grace. Having been detained for over a day, his inner state had only grown more tranquil. *Clang~* The door swung open. A group of people stepped into the room. "Associate Professor Tang, Teacher Jiang, Section Chief Zhang." Fang Yu drew his fist back and stood, his gaze sweeping over the visitors. Several of them were familiar faces. Judging by their positioning, however, none of the familiar faces were the central figure. "Fang Yu," "This is Section Chief Dong from the Adjudication Department," Jiang Wei said, introducing the chubby man in uniform standing in the center. "He is here to deliver your preliminary verdict."