Jiang Wei returned to the room where Fang Yu was being held.
"Martial Uncle," Fang Yu greeted him, stepping forward.
"You're probably a little disappointed with this outcome, aren't you?" Jiang Wei asked, looking at him.
"It's fine. Compared to Xia Tao, who's already dead, at least I'm alive and can keep cultivating." A smile actually broke across Fang Yu's face. "What more could I ask for?"
"Even if I didn't land the killing blow myself, I'm glad he's dead," Fang Yu continued, shaking his head. "I don't regret my choice for a second."
Fang Yu indeed felt the road ahead would be arduous.
Yet if given another chance, he knew he would still choose to kill Xia Tao. If he hadn't, his martial mindset would have remained obstructed for a very long time, consumed by regret and unresolved bitterness.
That was his resolve as a martial artist.
"Comparing yourself to Xia Tao?" Jiang Wei could not help but chuckle, studying Fang Yu with fresh interest.
In the beginning, it had been a single phone call from Dong Xin that prompted him to extend a helping hand to this nephew-disciple he had never met before. But as they interacted and grew better acquainted, he had begun to perceive what made Fang Yu different.
Optimistic and confident, willing to take responsibility, and driven by a fierce hatred of evil.
With that thought, Jiang Wei swallowed the cautionary words that had reached his lips.
"Martial Uncle, what were the verdicts for my teammates?" Fang Yu asked proactively. That had been weighing on his mind.
"None of theirs are as severe as yours," Jiang Wei said. "Each was fined a hundred thousand Star Coins. In addition, they are barred from signing higher-grade dedicated contracts while enrolled at school, but there are no other restrictions on them."
Fang Yu gave a slight nod. That was not too severe.
"All right."
"The trial is over, and both your fines and adjudication fees will be debited directly from your bank account," Jiang Wei said. "Your squad's gear has all been cleaned and returned to your quarters. Head back.
"Remember: from now until the end of the practical combat period, do not go into the Wilderness Zone again. In fact, try not to even enter the Safe Zone."
"Understood," Fang Yu said, nodding.
The room where he had been detained was different from his original living quarters. His phone and other personal items were still at his previous residence.
"One more thing."
"The ruling against you this time wasn't as brutal as it could have been. Aside from Associate Professor Tang's help, there was another reason," Jiang Wei explained. "Yesterday, across various major online platforms in the province—and even on some higher-level news media outlets—a flood of reports surfaced regarding you and Xia Tao.
"Every single one pointed the finger straight at Xia Tao.
"Even though those news stories were swiftly suppressed by Polar Star Group, the ripples they caused were substantial," Jiang Wei said. "It still hasn't been traced back to who leaked it. My guess is it was Shengchuan Group's doing, though naturally I can't be entirely certain.
"In any case, just keep that in mind."
"Wang Xundao?" Fang Yu grew pensive and nodded. "Understood, Martial Uncle."
***
Returning to his quarters, Fang Yu powered on his phone. Dozens of unread messages popped up, most of them from his father.
*How have the past few days been? Is the practical combat safe?*
*Everything is fine at home, don't worry about us, prioritize your safety above all else—*
*Siyue ran through her stances for me today, her Stake Stance Training has improved tremendously—*
*—Your grandfather went in for a checkup, and the doctor said he has at least another ten years in him—*
These were all sent before his trouble began. Back when Fang Yu was out on the Primordial Star, his father, Fang Ping'an, had sent one or two messages practically every day, mostly keeping him updated on how things were going at home.
*Teacher Jiang Wei called and explained your situation clearly. You did nothing wrong. Whatever the final outcome is, Dad supports you—*
*I've already contacted Star Radiance Group and settled things at home, don't worry about a thing—*
*No matter what happens, remember that you must stay alive—at worst, you get expelled from school and pay a fine. If you can't walk the path of a martial artist anymore, you can live a normal life just the same back home. Even if you really get sentenced to prison, it doesn't matter. As long as you're alive, there isn't a hurdle you can't overcome.*
Reading message after message, Fang Yu's eyes rimmed with red.
It was obvious that the later messages had been sent after his father learned of the incident. There was no complaint, no blame, only ceaseless comfort, as though his father was deeply terrified that he might do something foolish.
His younger brother and sister, as well as his grandfather, had sent messages as well.
*Junior Brother, how are things looking? Drop me a line when you get the chance.* That was from Senior Brother Dong.
*Damn, brother, are you all right? How come the internet was full of news about you, only for it all to vanish a moment later? If there's anywhere I can help, you have to tell me.* That was from Xu Chenyang.
All the different messages brought a surge of warmth to Fang Yu's chest. He replied to Senior Brother Dong, Xu Chenyang, and the others one by one, then prepared to start a video call with his father. But the instant his fingertip touched the screen, he hesitated.
*I'd better take a shower first.*
After so many days of slaughter in the Wilderness Zone, followed by several days in detention, he remained filthy from head to toe, even if he had rinsed off in mountain streams along the way.
Before long, Fang Yu took a refreshing shower, summoned a service robot to buzz his hair into a neat crew cut, shaved his beard, and changed into a clean set of clothes.
Only then did he place the call to his father.
*Beep—beep—*
The connection went through.
***
Wuling City, Ping'an Supermarket flagship store, inside the general manager's office.
Fang Ping'an sat in his executive chair, his brow furrowed tightly as he listened to a report from one of his managers.
"Boss, all of our suppliers have abruptly cut off our goods," the manager said in a hushed tone. "On top of that, they're demanding we settle all outstanding accounts immediately. Also, the landlords for both branch stores suddenly drove up their prices out of nowhere, doubling the rent. If we don't agree, they threaten to tear up the leases... Did something happen?"
Fang Ping'an had a rough idea of why this was happening.
Yet that only left him feeling all the more helpless.
Was he supposed to ask Star Radiance Group to step in over a matter like this? They couldn't resolve it anyway. The other side was simply using commercial tactics to strike at him, without posing any threat to their physical safety.
Suddenly, an upbeat tune rang out from the desk. Fang Ping'an glanced down, and upon recognizing the caller ID, his eyes lit up. He immediately snatched up the phone.
"Go handle what you can first. I'll call you back in a moment," Fang Ping'an instructed.
"Yes, sir." The manager hurriedly stepped out.
*Fang Yu is fine?* Fang Ping'an thought to himself. *A video call from the Primordial Star has exorbitant roaming fees... Could someone else have taken his phone to call me?*
Fang Ping'an's thoughts were in a muddle.
Star Radiance Group had been unable to intervene, and Xia Kaishan wielded such immense power that Fang Ping'an had been living in constant terror, dreading that dreadful news would arrive at any moment.
He tapped the screen to answer.
The video feed immediately displayed a handsome young man bearing a bright smile—it was none other than Fang Yu. He spoke right away: "Dad! Still at the supermarket?"
"Yeah, a few things came up here, but nothing major." Fang Ping'an's eyes shone brightly, and he nodded vigorously, visibly emotional. "You're out? You're completely fine?"
Over the past two days, he had been plagued by nightmares, terrified that Fang Yu would be convicted of a severe charge like intentional homicide.
Only now, seeing Fang Yu in the flesh, did he feel somewhat relieved. The boy certainly didn't look like he was in a prison cell.
"Haha, Dad, I'm fine now. I'm a free man," Fang Yu laughed. "There was never anything terribly serious to begin with, and the teachers at school were backing me the whole time. The verdict came down today—I just have to pay some compensation. Three hundred thousand. That's easy for me to cover; I made over a million Star Coins in the Wilderness Zone alone, not to mention my endorsement fees."
Fang Yu had already told Fang Ping'an about signing an endorsement deal with Shengchuan Group.
"Three hundred thousand in restitution? That's it?" Fang Ping'an could hardly believe his ears.
"That's it," Fang Yu said with a grin. "Dad, did you actually want something terrible to happen to me?"
Fang Yu did not want to burden his father with the full truth; explaining it would accomplish nothing.
It was better to work through it quietly on his own.
"Of course I don't want anything bad to happen to you. It's just that their faction is so powerful," Fang Ping'an said, his tension gradually easing into a low sigh. "Even Star Radiance Group's Earth Martial Artist was unwilling to get involved... Good. As long as you're all right, that's all that matters. That's all that matters."
"Yeah."
"Don't worry, Dad. Your son is very strong now—I can even kill Level 30 ferocious beasts, and the school teachers think very highly of my talent," Fang Yu said with a chuckle. "Once the practical combat period wraps up, there'll be a few days of vacation. I'll come home for a visit then."
"If you're busy, there's no need to make the trip; your cultivation comes first," Fang Ping'an said. "Everything's fine at home anyway. Your brother and sister board at school and rarely come back either."
"All right, I'll see how things look when the time comes."
Father and son chatted for a while longer before hanging up the video call.
The smile vanished from Fang Ping'an's face.
"Supervisor Dong, come in," Fang Ping'an called out in a low voice, his eyes turning cold. "Go tell the landlords of both branch stores that we will not accept any rent hikes. If they want to tear up the contracts, fine. Let them pay the penalty for breach of contract, and we'll pack up and move."
"We're refusing?" The supervisor's expression shifted slightly.
A complete fallout would take a harsh toll on their own business as well.
"I would rather shutter the stores than compromise," Fang Ping'an said with chilling resolve. "The property for the flagship store belongs to us. As for the suppliers... I will handle them."
Commercial pressure?
As long as his son was safe, Fang Ping'an had never feared mere business tactics. At worst, they would shut their doors and call it quits. Who was he supposed to be afraid of?
***
After reassuring his father, Fang Yu reached out to Wang Mo. Wang Mo was thrilled and rushed over to Fang Yu's room in no time. Fang Yu opened the door, greeting him with a smile.
"Damn it!"
"Old Fang, you nearly scared the life out of me this time," Wang Mo exclaimed. "I was still counting on you to cover for me at school, you know! How could you keep such a huge mess from me? If my dad hadn't told me, I wouldn't even have known how bad it had gotten.
"Is your trial over? What was the verdict?" Wang Mo asked. "You weren't expelled, were you?"
Clearly, Wang Mo was already apprised of the situation.
"Don't you see I've been released?" Fang Yu said with an easy smile. "It's nothing major, just some minor penalties, but I can still cultivate normally at school."
"That's a relief, then." Wang Mo nodded in delight. "Let me tell my dad first."
With that, Wang Mo pulled out his phone and directly placed a video call to Wang Xundao. It connected promptly, showing the upper half of Wang Xundao's body on the screen.
"Dad, Fang Yu is out," Wang Mo said eagerly.
"Uncle Wang, thank you for your help this time," Fang Yu said directly.
"As long as you don't blame me, that's enough. I truly didn't have the courage to collide head-on with the wrath of a top-tier Earth Martial Artist," Wang Xundao remarked with genuine feeling. "All I could do was pull a few minor strings on the internet. I wasn't even sure if it would accomplish anything."
"It helped tremendously," Fang Yu replied with a smile, recognizing that the wave of public opinion online had indeed been quietly guided by Wang Xundao.
Shortly after, Fang Yu laid out the adjudication results. He had to keep them from his father, but there was no keeping them from Wang Xundao; it would be effortless for the man to investigate anyway.
"Barred from signing higher-grade contracts? Isn't that outright scoundrel behavior?" Wang Mo fumed beside them, his face burning with indignation.
"Uncle Wang."
"If you wish to terminate the endorsement contract with me, I can do so at any time," Fang Yu offered proactively. With Xia Kaishan bearing a grudge against him, along with all the restrictions placed upon him, his future prospects appeared bleak.
If the Wang family no longer wished to be tied to him, Fang Yu would completely understand.
"Dad—" Wang Mo panicked.
"Terminate the contract? What contract are we terminating?" Wang Xundao paid his son no mind whatsoever, chuckling warmly instead. "According to our original agreement, once you awaken an Upper-Rank Star Aspect, your annual endorsement fee is to increase to twenty million, correct?
"Furthermore, the supplementary agreement stipulates that once you awaken your Star Aspect, the remaining ten million is to be wired to your account. Added together, that comes to thirty million Star Coins.
"In a little while, I'll have the company finance department wire thirty million to your account. We won't be paying the personal income tax on your behalf, so remember to settle that yourself later," Wang Xundao said with a smile.
Wang Mo stood stunned. Thirty million Star Coins?
Fang Yu was equally dumbfounded.
"Uncle Wang, I no longer qualify to sit for the graduate school entrance exam," Fang Yu could not help but point out.
"I know," Wang Xundao replied with a warm smile.
"Then why are you...?" Fang Yu hesitated. Under the terms of their original agreement, Shengchuan Group had every right to terminate the contract immediately under circumstances like his.
"I believe in you."
Chapter 77