Melee

Commander Liang's recount was laced with both fury and regret. Fang Wen had no interest in his emotions, pressing on with his questioning: "After that happened, did City Lord Wu ever mention the person's identity?" Commander Liang shook his head. "The Lord City Lord refused to say a word about it. He merely ordered us to suppress the news, saying he needed to circulate his inner energy to heal his wounds. "Yet the healing yielded no results, and as for everything that transpired afterward, none of us knew a thing—" "Which means you know nothing about how Wu Lingxiao contacted Jinghua Pavilion, nor how he sent out the Lingxiao Token?" "...That is correct." Commander Liang let out a heavy sigh. Fang Wen nodded, pursuing that line of inquiry no further. Instead, he casually asked a couple of questions about what had happened here after he left Feixue City with Lu Guiyan and the others. Where were Murong Qingchen and his companions now? Had the battle during the day actually broken out, or not? Commander Liang answered truthfully. In the end, the fight between them and Murong Qingchen had never materialized. Moreover, Murong Qingchen's reaction had been peculiar. Once Fang Wen and his group departed, Murong Qingchen never mentioned the Seven-String Ancient Chapter again, insisting only on taking those two physicians to treat Wu Lingxiao's injuries. Commander Liang and the others naturally did not believe he would be so kindhearted. Furthermore, those two physicians were of paramount importance, leaving no room for carelessness. Yet with things having reached that point, on the surface at least, both sides shared the same objective. And so, they still escorted the two physicians to Wu Lingxiao's side. Those two claimed Wu Lingxiao's injuries were out of the ordinary and permitted no interruptions, telling everyone else to wait outside. Commander Liang and his men originally intended to stand guard there, but the Old City Lord suddenly arrived uninvited. He told them not to linger on watch, claiming Feixue City was in a state of turmoil and likely restless within, and that since an assassin had stirred up trouble during the day, they must first go and capture the culprit. Believing his words made sense, and seeing that it was a direct order from the Old City Lord himself, they left to tend to their duties while waiting for news of Wu Lingxiao's recovery. In the end, all that waiting brought was the news of Wu Lingxiao's death—and the killers were those very two physicians. Arriving hand in hand with this news was a massive horde of men of unknown origin, who began besieging Feixue City. All four city gates were breached almost simultaneously. Though the four commanders knew this entire affair reeked of extreme bizarre intrigue, they had no choice but to handle the crisis first. The City Lord had fallen, but the common folk could not be left to perish. Hence, they first arranged the city's defenses, and once the various orders had been issued, they rushed to the City Lord's Estate. As for what followed, Fang Wen already knew. Regarding the current situation of Murong Qingchen and the others, they were equally in the dark. While speaking, the group had already reached the backyard. Yet this backyard was utterly still, without even the faintest whisper of wind. Unease surfaced on the commanders' faces. Without waiting for Fang Wen to ask, they took the lead and stepped into Wu Lingxiao's residence. Signs of struggle were everywhere, evidence of a fierce clash having erupted here earlier. Yet not a single soul could be seen. Fortunately, there were plenty of tracks. What was more, these traces clearly did not lead outside the doors, proving that the combatants had not fled, but had vanished right within this room. Following the marks, they finally arrived before a wall. Commander Liang came to a sudden realization. There had to be a hidden mechanism in the room. Just as he was about to search for it, Fang Wen lost his patience and struck the wall with a palm. With a muffled, thunderous boom, the wall shattered into fragments. A flight of stone steps winding downward appeared before everyone's eyes. Oil lamps hung along the walls of the stairway, casting a dim, yellowish glow. Fang Wen stepped inside, and the others hurried to keep up. The staircase was spiral-shaped. Winding their way down, they soon reached the bottom, where a massive stone door came into view. The stone door stood open, however, and from within came the sound of hurried, frantic footsteps. Fang Wen looked up, his eyes locking directly with the person rushing out of the stone portal. The next instant, the other man's face twisted in shock. "It's you?!" Fang Wen waved a hand, motioning for him not to make such a fuss. The man standing opposite was none other than Gu Yuxian, who had intended to teach Fang Wen a lesson on Zheng Sihai's behalf. Only this old man had been beaten by who-knew-whom. A large part of his face was swollen, and he was covered in bloodstains, looking very much like an escapee on the run. Fang Wen looked at him with mild amusement. "What happened to you? Beaten again? Why is your face so swollen?" Gu Yuxian nearly choked with fury at the words. *Why is my face swollen? Don't you have any damn idea?!* Though he was indeed battered with both internal and external injuries, the mark on his face was not from this melee—it was from the resounding slap Fang Wen had delivered to him earlier. Right after Fang Wen struck him, it had only left a palm print, not yet swelling up. It was only after Fang Wen left that the swelling grew worse and worse. Now, his flesh was raised high and throbbing with burning pain. To be ridiculed like this by Fang Wen made Gu Yuxian wish he could bash his head into Fang Wen and kill him on the spot. Yet he could not defeat him in a fight. This kid had no respect for seniority, only fists. Gu Yuxian did not even dare to utter a harsh word. He ducked his head and grunted in a muffled voice, "Out of my way—" "The people chasing you are here. No need to rush off; let me see who it is." Even as he spoke, Fang Wen pressed down on Gu Yuxian's shoulder. Gu Yuxian's pupils contracted violently. During the day, one could argue that Fang Wen had taken him by surprise, but this time, he truly wanted to dodge—and truly could not. A casual press of the hand, and he was left with nowhere to run. "Boy... wh-what do you want with this old man?" Gu Yuxian felt utterly hollow inside. Having offended this boy during the day, only to be seized like this now, his heart pounded erratically. Just then, three figures appeared before the doorway. Their origins were unclear. Glancing first at Fang Wen and his companions, then at Gu Yuxian, the man in the center chuckled. "A few more have arrived." With only those few words, the three leaped into the air. Midair, their palm strikes gathered force, cold air surging forth! One palm was aimed at Gu Yuxian, while the other two bore down upon Fang Wen and Commander Liang. Fang Wen casually tossed Gu Yuxian aside and unleashed Twin Golden Lotuses in a flash. Midair, the two red-robed men brought down their palm strikes, meeting Fang Wen's twin palms dead on. Yet before their power could even be released, they felt as though a colossal vortex dwelled within Fang Wen's palms, swallowing their true qi clean away. The next instant, a surging backlash swept over them. A barrage of muffled bangs erupted! Flesh and acupoints burst one after another as the two figures were flung backward through the air. Though intricate to describe, the entire exchange unfolded in the blink of an eye. By then, the palm strike aimed at Commander Liang was just about to land. Seeing the opponent's technique, Commander Liang's expression turned exceedingly grim. He thrust out a palm in direct response, and the two strikes collided. Frigid air radiated from between their palms, spreading outward in an instant. Yet right at that moment, the opponent let out a cry of alarm. Commander Liang felt the space before him empty as the man was pulled backward against his will. Looking up, he saw that the man had already fallen into Fang Wen's grip. Five fingers clamped around the man's head. With a rotation of the Beiming Divine Art, within a single breath, the man's internal force was completely dissipated. Fang Wen gave a casual toss, sending the man hurtling toward the stone door like a swallow returning to the woods. Only this collision crushed his skull to a bloody pulp. With just a wave of his hands, three men had been turned into three corpses. At this moment, Gu Yuxian felt his cheek stiffen, the corner of his mouth twitching uncontrollably. This brute Fang Wen clearly killed without batting an eye. Why had he, living perfectly well, gone out of his way to provoke him? For the first time in his life, he despised his foul habit of pulling rank and clinging to seniority. Judging by this kid's murderous intent, he was likely doomed this time around. To his surprise, after slaying the three men, Fang Wen did not spare him another glance, leading Commander Liang and the others past the stone doorway instead. After a dazed moment, Gu Yuxian suddenly realized that his back was soaked in cold sweat. Under normal circumstances, he probably would have resented Fang Wen for being so haughty and dismissive. Yet at this moment, he felt immense relief. *If I ever run into this kid again... I will take a detour, even if I have to walk three miles out of the way!!* Having narrowly cheated death, how could Gu Yuxian harbor any other thoughts? He felt he never wanted to see Fang Wen again for the rest of his days—wherever Fang Wen was, he would steer well clear. As for revenge? Revenge, my foot! Didn't the kid just save his life? With that thought, he turned and rushed up the stairs without looking back, wishing only that his parents had given him an extra pair of legs. Fang Wen had not killed Gu Yuxian simply because there was no need. He was no bloodthirsty demon. Though the old man had a foul mouth, giving him a ringing slap across the face was enough of a lesson. There was no need to wipe him out completely. As for the situation beyond the stone door, there was no need to ask, either. Having reached the entrance, couldn't he just go in and see for himself? Yet what surprised Fang Wen was that the space inside was far larger than anticipated. A long, broad tunnel stretched out before them, its destination unknown. The space trapped sound well, allowing the clatter of battle ahead to reach their ears. Circulating their lightness skill, the group took a brief moment before finally reaching the opening. Fang Wen glanced back, estimating that this tunnel had already been dug beyond the perimeter of Feixue City. And the scene before him could only be described as complete chaos. A large swarm of experts of unknown origin was locked in a fierce, tangled battle with Xiao Yanyu, Liu Qi, the guards of Feixue City, and a crowd of people Fang Wen had never seen during the day. That expert from the Golden Bell Tower was truly remarkable. Her martial arts were exquisite and agile, her forms breathtakingly graceful. Naturally, with Fang Wen's limited experience, he could not tell which sect or school she belonged to. As for Liu Qi—he appeared somewhat inept, struggling left and right against his opponent's onslaught, yet managing to evade every lethal strike by a hair's breadth. Watching him gave Fang Wen a sense of familiarity, suddenly reminding him of Fang Mingxuan. *Was this fellow holding back?* He swept his gaze nearby and spotted Chen Qi among the crowd. From the looks of it, Chen Qi was already severely wounded. However, strictly speaking, the most eye-catching presence in this chaotic melee was that donkey. Chen Yan had actually ridden that donkey all the way in. At the moment, he was leaning against the edge of the stone chamber, holding a book in hand, jotting down notes while watching the fray. Not far from him lay a corpse. Fang Wen took a couple of extra looks because the person seemed familiar, finally confirming that it was the physician they had protected along the road. Only his maidservant was nowhere to be found. At the same time, fierce sounds of combat echoed from another stone chamber deeper within. Looking from afar, Fang Wen could catch glimpses of Murong Qingchen's figure through the doorway's crack, with waves of sinister, frigid energy wafting out from time to time. He wondered what manner of expert was actually capable of fighting Murong Qingchen on equal footing. Yet this single glance revealed no sign of Ye Feihua, whom that red-robed man had mentioned earlier. Of course, even if he saw him, he would not recognize him, not to mention that Ye Feihua possessed the Feihua Guidance, which allowed for endless transformations. Even if Fang Wen had known Ye Feihua, he would not be able to single him out right now. Seeing such chaos, Commander Liang and the other two rushed into the fray without a second thought to clash with the attackers. Fang Wen understood their urgency. Back at the stone door, he had already noticed that the experts pursuing Gu Yuxian practiced martial arts from the exact same lineage as Commander Liang and his companions. Yet Commander Liang clearly did not know these people, and they harbored malicious intent. Commander Liang naturally wanted to uncover the truth behind it. Paying no heed to these skirmishes, Fang Wen shifted his body. Using Ascending the Blue Clouds from the Blue Cloud Steps, he stepped through empty air, heading straight for the deepest stone chamber. Unexpectedly, several figures leaped into the air right at that moment. "No passage this way!!" Even as they spoke, two freezing palm strikes were already upon him. Fang Wen frowned slightly and thrust out both palms, meeting theirs directly. The moment their palms connected, the faces of the two attackers twisted in horror. A succession of violent pops rang out, starting from their palms and spreading up the length of their arms in an instant. Blood and mangled flesh burst in all directions. With mere shrieks, the two men were hurled backward, smashing violently against the wall and going limp. At the same time, Fang Wen felt a tightening around his ankles. Looking down, he saw two other men each clutching one of his legs, trying to drag him down from midair. And the moment the first two were blasted away, yet another attacker thrust a finger straight toward Fang Wen's Shanzhong acupoint. Fang Wen shifted his internal breath and executed a Thousand-Pound Drop. This technique was not particularly profound—it was a commonplace method used in midair to descend rapidly, or on the ground to stabilize one's stance. It was taught even at the Four Seas Martial Hall. Yet this was the first time Fang Wen had truly applied it in real combat. His body plunged downward in an instant, far faster than the two men could pull, causing the finger strike aimed at his chest to whiz harmlessly over his head. Before the man could lament the miss, his wrist was seized. Fang Wen had trapped him using Plum Blossom Scattered Hands, dragging him down from midair as well. A thunderous crash shook the chamber. The moment Fang Wen's feet hit the ground, the stone floor cracked and shattered under his weight. The two men who had dragged him down originally intended to throw off his center of gravity, making it impossible for him to stabilize his footing so he would fall flat on the ground and be swarmed. What they did not know was that with Fang Wen's internal skill, how could a Thousand-Pound Drop executed by him be shaken by the likes of them? Not only could they not budge him, they could not even let go. Fang Wen's legs seemed to possess a tremendous adhesive pull; no matter how hard they struggled, they could not break free. Their own internal force flowed ceaselessly into Fang Wen's body. In the end, the moment Fang Wen landed, the shockwave of the Thousand-Pound Drop shattered their vitals, killing them on the spot. Before the surrounding attackers could even strike, Fang Wen swung his arm. Having snatched a man down from midair earlier, he now used him as a weapon, sweeping him in a full circle in an instant. Muffled thuds and the sounds of men vomiting blood while stumbling back rang out incessantly. After a single sweep, the man in his grip hung limp and powerlessly knelt before Fang Wen, only to be struck on the skull by Fang Wen's palm. The force of the blow tore through the man's entire body, driving his knees into the solid stone ground with a heavy thud as blood poured from his seven facial orifices, killing him instantly. In the span of a few breaths, bodies lay dead, leaving the surrounding foes too terrified to advance. Those standing before him were trembling at the knees. For every step Fang Wen took forward, they retreated a step. Growing impatient, Fang Wen tapped his foot and shot forward. With two muffled thuds, the two men blocking his path were sent flying. Countless bones shattered throughout their bodies; before they even hit the ground, their breath was gone. With that, the path before Fang Wen was completely clear. In a few strides, he arrived before the inner stone chamber. This chamber was much smaller than the outer one. In the center stood a stone pedestal, upon which rested a brocade box containing a piece of stone. The stone was triangular, bearing seven bizarre patterns. This had to be the Seven-String Ancient Chapter. The ones fighting over it were Murong Qingchen and an old man. Yet it was plain to see that Murong Qingchen was holding back, whereas the old man was fighting with his life on the line. The elder also wielded a sinister, frigid martial art, cold air billowing throughout their exchange as every strike aimed for Murong Qingchen's fatal acupoints. Murong Qingchen held a book in one hand, most of his attention fixed upon it, with only half a thought spared for the old man. Using merely a single hand, he suppressed all of the elder's moves, speaking out: "Old City Lord, why must you do this? "Wu Lingxiao's death was not my wish, but things having reached this stage, you cannot protect the Seven-String Ancient Chapter. "It would be better to entrust it to my safekeeping." "The esteemed immortal turns out to be nothing more than a bandit! Taking advantage of the Feixue City Lord's death to seize our city's greatest treasure, and speaking so grandly of it?! "Utterly laughable!" Wu Changzai, the Old City Lord of Feixue City, was full of sorrow and bitterness. He appeared exceedingly aged, his hair and beard completely white, the deep wrinkles across his face seeming to recount the cruelty of time. Yet his sorrow seemed to stem from more than just Murong Qingchen's attempt to seize the Seven-String Ancient Chapter. As he spoke, he struck out with both palms simultaneously. Murong Qingchen caught them with a single palm. As their internal breaths circulated, they entered a direct contest of internal skill. Seeing this, Murong Qingchen lowered the book in his hand and tucked it into his robes. "Why bother? You know full well you are no match for me—" Right at that moment, a cold sneer curled at the corner of Wu Changzai's mouth. "This old man is indeed no match for you, but... Pavilion Master Ye, strike now!" A scene that caught Fang Wen completely by surprise suddenly unfolded. Out of the empty air, a figure stepped forth. It was none other than that little maidservant he had not seen among the crowd outside. She materialized beside Murong Qingchen, and the very instant she appeared, her finger jabbed directly into Murong Qingchen's Jingmen acupoint beneath his ribs.