Qingyang Manor

The following morning. In the courtyard, Fang Shuwen was practicing his martial arts. His movements were not fast; every gesture seemed laden with a weight of thousands of jin. With a single stride forward, the rush of displaced air rumbled like thunder. As he slowly thrust out a palm, the surging force caused a nearby tree to sway back and forth without pause. Zhou Qingmei, who was drinking tea in the courtyard, did not even notice a fallen leaf drifting into her cup. Her expression was slightly dazed, her thoughts wandering elsewhere, though what occupied her mind was impossible to tell. In the end, the sound of knocking at the gate startled her back to reality. She glanced at Fang Shuwen, then turned to open the gate. Outside stood the Fang family steward. Before greetings could be exchanged, a slender, graceful young woman came into view beside him. The girl had a round, tender, and lovely face, but most striking were her eyes. They were large, round, and brightly sparkling. She blinked, looking at Zhou Qingmei. "You must be Sister Zhou? Father told me that you saved me twice. The last time I woke up, you had already left. "Fortunately, you're still here this time, so I can thank you face-to-face for saving my life." Having said that, she seemed to feel it was somewhat abrupt and quickly added, "My name is Fang Lingxin." Zhou Qingmei gave a slight smile. "Little Sister Lingxin, there is no need for such courtesy; it was merely a twist of fate. "Besides, I wasn't the only one who saved you last night..." "There's also a Big Brother Fang, right?" Fang Lingxin said with a smile, "Then I can thank you both together. May I come in?" "Please." Zhou Qingmei stepped aside. Fang Lingxin crossed into the courtyard, but before she could speak, she saw Fang Shuwen in the distance suddenly thrust out a palm. The immense force surged like a roaring mountain avalanche or a tidal wave. Though it was not aimed at her, the power contained within it was displayed to the fullest. Fang Lingxin's eyes widened in an instant. "So formidable!!" Hearing this, Zhou Qingmei chuckled. "Brother Fang's martial arts are indeed admirable." Not only was his martial prowess high, but his aptitude and comprehension were also far beyond the ordinary. In just this short span of time, his Mahakala Palm had advanced yet again, steadily approaching true mastery. It truly evoked envy. At that moment, Fang Shuwen slowly raised his palms and withdrew his stance, gently exhaling a breath of turbid air. Turning around, his gaze fell upon Fang Lingxin. "Miss Fang?" "Mm-hmm! Big Brother Fang, my name is Fang Lingxin," she said hurriedly. "Thank you, Big Brother Fang and Sister Zhou, for saving me last night." "Have a seat." Fang Shuwen gestured with his arm and sat down as well. Once Fang Lingxin and Zhou Qingmei were seated, the three chatted casually. Fang Lingxin was young and carried the lively exuberance characteristic of youth. Sometimes, giving her just a slight opening in the conversation would prompt her to talk at length. Thanks to this, Fang Shuwen learned a great deal about her circumstances, as well as much more about the Fang family. For instance, although Fang Mingxuan was a merchant, he knew martial arts. And his skills seemed quite formidable. Fang Lingxin had trained under Fang Mingxuan since childhood, and her martial arts were reasonably accomplished now. Fang Mingxuan seemed very close to a certain sect and had considered sending Fang Lingxin there to study martial arts, but felt she was too young and could not bear to let her leave his side. When mentioning this, Fang Lingxin was a little indignant: "My father isn't young anymore, yet he still treats me like a child every single day. I've clearly grown up! "I had my hairpin ceremony two years ago; I'm old enough to marry! "And yet he still worries about me... My mother is just the same, never saying a word to talk sense into him." Zhou Qingmei did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Parents love their children, so naturally they cannot bear the pain of parting." "But... I also want to master my training and share their burdens," Fang Lingxin said, growing a bit somber. "As things stand, not only can I not share their worries, but I keep making them live in fear. "Both times I was ambushed without even realizing it... If my martial arts were accomplished and I didn't fear these wicked tricks, the moment they showed up at our door, I'd beat them all black and blue..." "Speaking of which, we have not yet paid our respects to the Fang family matriarch," Fang Shuwen suddenly spoke up. "Mother usually stays in the family shrine, chanting sutras and praying for my elder brother, who was separated from us in infancy." Zhou Qingmei had heard the steward mention this the previous night, so she was not surprised. Fang Lingxin sighed. "This matter has always been an ache in my parents' hearts. Father is constantly doing good deeds, saying it's to accumulate blessings for my brother whom I've never met. He doesn't expect to see him again in this lifetime; he only hopes that if he is still alive, he might live a little better. "Mother also chants sutras day and night, piously worshipping the Buddha to accumulate merit for him." "I see..." Zhou Qingmei sighed. "No wonder your parents cannot bear to part with you. Having personally experienced the pain of such separation, they would be all the more reluctant to let you go far away." Fang Shuwen lowered his head, poured tea for them, and casually changed the subject. The conversation lasted through the entire morning. Over the next few days, Fang Shuwen, Zhou Qingmei, and Fang Lingxin spent every day together. When they were not sitting and chatting, they were exchanging insights on martial arts practice. Meanwhile, Zhang Fang, who was keeping watch, sent back no news at all. It was not until the afternoon of the third day that Zhang Fang, who had vanished for three full days, finally showed up at the Fang residence. He slapped a sheet of paper onto the table, and before he could speak, he gulped down an entire teapot of water. Fang Shuwen picked up the paper to inspect it. It was a rather crude map. "What is this?" Zhou Qingmei looked at Zhang Fang. Only now did Zhang Fang catch his breath. Looking somewhat proud, he said, "You guessed right. Daxuan Money House is indeed connected to the Black Fiend Cult. "Over these past few days of watching from the shadows, I found that everyone in that money house, from the clerks to the shopkeeper, hides their true depth. "By day they welcome guests with smiles, but under cover of night, each of them acts shifty and suspicious. "It took me three days, but I finally discovered their lair. "It lies thirteen li outside the city—a summer resort called Qingyang Manor. "Everyone in the manor belongs to the Black Fiend Cult, and there are many experts among them! "However, to thoroughly scout out the entire Qingyang Manor, watching from the outside won't do. "I was worried that sneaking in alone might alert the enemy, so I came back to discuss what to do next with you two. "Should I continue infiltrating, or..." "No need to infiltrate," Fang Shuwen said. "We'll go find Master Fang in a moment and ask him to rally men. "We move on Qingyang Manor tonight." "Go tonight?" Zhang Fang was taken aback. "Isn't that a bit too fast?" "There is no time to lose; delays breed complications." As Fang Shuwen spoke, he looked at Zhou Qingmei. Zhou Qingmei slowly nodded. "Agreed." Seeing that Zhou Qingmei shared the same view, Zhang Fang said no more. Immediately, the three went straight to see Fang Mingxuan. Three days ago, Fang Mingxuan had already begun gathering men in secret. Seeing that the investigation had yielded results, he had no objections. When night fell, the group divided into several routes and headed straight for Qingyang Manor.