Qingyang Manor had originally been a summer retreat for the Xu family of Guangning City.
During the Xu family's peak, their business enterprises had expanded far and wide, largely thanks to their family patriarch, Xu Zeyuan.
In the jianghu, he was known as the Hundred-Jin Saber.
In his youth, he had swept across three mountains and six strongholds with his Bugong Saber Technique, forging an illustrious reputation.
Later, he settled down in Guangning City. Relying on his prestige, the younger generations of his family prospered, whether conducting business or pursuing other trades.
However, several years ago, the Hundred-Jin Saber, Xu Zeyuan, had departed on a distant journey, seemingly to keep an appointment with an old friend.
Unexpectedly, less than seven days after walking out the door, his corpse was found lying beside a road in the jianghu.
Without this pillar of stability, the Xu family went into an immediate, irreversible decline.
Though his descendants inherited his martial arts, none mastered its essence, nor did they hold any renown in the jianghu.
Furthermore, having presumed upon Xu Zeyuan's formidable standing for years, the Xu family had made many enemies.
When a wall begins to totter, everyone gives it a shove. Their family estate began to shrink drastically.
It was during that period that Qingyang Manor was pawned off, and no one knew who its current owner was.
This was the information Fang Mingxuan had gathered about Qingyang Manor in less than a single shichen.
As they spurred their horses on toward the manor, Fang Mingxuan shared it with Fang Shuwen as mere casual chatter.
For the most part, the information offered little practical value for their present situation.
By the time he finished, Qingyang Manor was already in sight.
Seen from a distance, it was an exceedingly tranquil mountain villa. Not particularly large, it sat nestled at the foot of the mountain, surrounded by farmland.
The crops were currently thick and green, thriving in their prime growth.
As they advanced, Fang Mingxuan had ordered his men to take care not to trample the shoots. No matter whose fields they were, the crops would become food in the future and could not be wasted.
Moving through the gaps between the fields, the torch-bearing men surrounded Qingyang Manor on all sides.
Yet under the cover of night, the manor appeared remarkably quiet.
Fang Shuwen pricked up his ears, but he could not catch even the slightest sound.
He looked toward Zhang Fang. "Brother Zhang, when you were keeping watch, did they notice you?"
"Not at all."
Zhang Fang was full of confidence. "I'm extremely cautious in everything I do. How could they have noticed me? Why do you ask?"
"The manor seems deserted," Fang Shuwen said.
Zhou Qingmei spoke up. "How about we just go inside and take a look?"
Fang Shuwen nodded. "Then make sure you stay close to me in a moment."
Only then could he protect her at the first sign of danger.
Zhang Fang's eyes went wide. "Wait, the way you two talk doesn't sound right at all. What exactly is your relationship?"
Neither Fang Shuwen nor Zhou Qingmei paid him any mind. After speaking briefly with Fang Mingxuan, the Master of the Fang family stepped up with them to the front gates of Qingyang Manor.
Fang Shuwen gave the gate a gentle push; it was barred from the inside.
Realizing this, he dispensed with further courtesy. Unleashing his palm force, he smashed the gate wide open.
Fang Shuwen and his companions took the lead, and the others filed in after them.
A portion of their men remained stationed outside, keeping the perimeter secure so no one could slip away in the confusion.
Yet at first glance, the manor was indeed devoid of people, without even a single lantern lit.
"Still, the main gate was bolted from within, which means someone must be inside the manor... Wait, there's movement!"
Before his voice had even faded, Fang Shuwen shot forward like an arrow, darting straight toward one of the rooms.
Without bothering to open the door, he crashed through with his body, shattering the woodwork to splinters.
In the blink of an eye, by the time he reemerged, he had a man clutched in his grip.
The captive looked stunned, seemingly still unaware of what had just transpired. Looking up, he saw a ring of torches and pairs of eyes staring straight at him.
His heart tightened. Raising both hands, he began gathering swirling black qi in his palms, preparing to strike.
"The Black Fiend Demon Skill!" Zhang Fang cried out in alarm.
Yet before the man could unleash his palms, two sharp cracks rang out. Fang Shuwen shattered both of the man's shoulders with his bare hands.
The captive's arms went limp, dangling uselessly at his sides.
Seeing this, Zhang Fang's eye twitched slightly.
Meanwhile, another man who had rushed into the room right after Fang Shuwen dragged the captive out now emerged, calling out loudly, "There's a discovery! There's a secret passage in the room!"
That meant there was more to Qingyang Manor than met the eye.
Fang Shuwen looked down at the man under his control. "Are the Black Fiend Cult members hiding underground?"
The man clenched his teeth and remained silent.
Fang Shuwen asked no further questions. Bringing his palm down onto the man's crown, he struck him dead on the spot.
"What should we do now? The situation below is entirely unknown; rushing down blindly might not be wise."
Fang Mingxuan spoke up. "What about using fire? Light a blaze at the entrance to channel thick smoke underground and smoke them out."
Fang Shuwen shook his head. "That won't work. First, we don't know the exact layout down there, and there's no reason for the Black Fiend Cult to hide underground for no cause. If they went down to practice their martial arts at this hour... there might still be innocent captives alive down there. Second, no one can guarantee that this is the only entrance. If smoke goes in and they realize something is wrong, they could escape through another exit, rendering all our efforts useless."
The others nodded in agreement, finding Fang Shuwen's reasoning sound.
Even so, figuring out what to do next proved a dilemma.
Going down was a gamble. Not only might they end up surrounded, but they could also walk straight into a trap.
Not going down meant standing above, staring blankly with nothing to show for it.
In the end, Fang Shuwen glanced at Zhou Qingmei. "Are you willing to descend with me to investigate?"
Zhou Qingmei smiled. "I was thinking the exact same thing!"
Zhang Fang paused in surprise. "You two really intend to go down?"
"Such an action is perilous; it would be best to deliberate carefully," Fang Mingxuan advised.
Fang Shuwen felt somewhat helpless. As long as the Black Fiend Cult was not eradicated, Zhou Qingmei's danger would never cease. The commotion tonight had already startled the snakes in the grass. If they failed to wipe out the cultists in Qingyang Manor entirely, they would inevitably be forced onto the defensive afterward.
Maintaining a defense indefinitely always led to a lapse, risking failure in his task.
Even if it was dangerous, he had to go down and see for himself.
With that thought, he raised a hand to cut them off. "There is no need for further discussion, gentlemen. Brother Zhang risked his life to scout out the situation. Having piled the mountain nine ren high, how could we fall short by a single basket of earth? If we let these Black Fiend Cult villains escape, the future trouble will be endless!"
Hearing this, Zhang Fang immediately said, "Then I'll go with you."
"Count this old man in as well," Fang Mingxuan said with a hearty laugh. "To think that at my age, I would still get to experience the fiery spirit of young heroes!"
"This..."
Hearing his words, Fang Shuwen felt somewhat torn.
Though Fang Lingxin had said her father knew martial arts, just how skilled he was remained uncertain. If he truly were so formidable, how could he have lost me back then?
Now, well into his years, who knew if his body could even hold up? If he followed them down and met with an accident, what would they do then?
Chapter 25