Fan Sheng hung his head even lower. "Brother, we were wrong. You already scolded us the other day. You went to the palace today... did the Demon Emperor hand down our punishment?"
"We?" Fan Long sneered. "You are the only one who stirred up trouble! Third Brother was dragged in by you, and I was implicated by you!"
Fan Sheng did not dare talk back.
Outsiders all spoke of how fierce and fiery Second Commander Fan's temper was, but in front of his elder brother, he was as docile as a sheep.
"The Demon Emperor refused to see you. I went to the palace today to plead for leniency, and in the end, I came back having received our punishment," Fan Long said. "That old ba and his son both submitted memorials mentioning you. Although they did not explicitly accuse you of acting as an accomplice to evil, you were supposed to be on official duty in Qingding City, yet slipped off to Baishaqu on your own to beat someone up on Cen Boqing's behalf. And the person you assaulted was the special envoy handling a case for the Chiyan Kingdom! Heh!"
Fan Sheng could not help but say, "Brother, I only wanted to return a favor to Cen Boqing. I just thought that fellow surnamed He was an outlander and had no idea he was investigating the elixir of immortality case! Otherwise..."
The day Zhongsun Mou was snatched away, Fan Sheng's guts had turned green with regret!
"An outlander? Could an outlander whom even Cen Boqing couldn't handle be an easy mark?"
Fan Sheng had no reply.
Everything was clear as day in hindsight, but how could he have considered so much back then?
Fan Bao grew tired of standing on all fours, so he simply ambled behind Fan Long and sat down on his rump.
Fan Sheng glared at him. Third Brother was truly disloyal—refusing to share their elder brother's fury with him, eh?
"Dereliction of duty, interfering in the internal affairs of a vassal demon kingdom." Fan Long counted off the offenses on his fingers. "Ambushing a vassal demon kingdom's envoy, and colluding with the prime suspect in the elixir of immortality case!"
Hearing the last charge, Fan Sheng waved his hands repeatedly. "Brother, I definitely won't admit to that last one! I had no idea."
Ignorance was no crime.
"That was precisely the point on which I argued tooth and nail," Fan Long sighed. "Fortunately, the Demon Emperor took past ties into consideration. Though angry that you caused a mess, he ultimately didn't intend to take your lives!"
"As for you: six months' salary docked, demoted by half a rank, and in ten days you are to accompany General Dachang to the eastern front to serve as deputy general of the left forward wing."
"Third Brother: six months' salary docked and demoted by half a rank."
"As for me: lax discipline over subordinates, six months' salary docked, a public admission of fault during the court council, and writing a formal letter of apology to the Chiyan King!"
It did not seem like a big deal. The great bear extended his long tongue to lap up water—lap, lap—the sound remarkably loud.
"Third Brother!" Fan Sheng barked at him.
The great bear stopped and raised a paw to wipe his mouth.
"Brother, I'm going to the eastern front?" Fan Sheng was utterly surprised.
"Mm. Haven't you always wanted to earn military distinction? Beijia hasn't fought a war in ages; an opportunity to participate in combat doesn't come easily." A faint smile touched the corners of Fan Long's mouth. "On the surface, the Demon Emperor is banishing you to the front lines, but in truth, he is letting you leave Lingxu City, this hotbed of trouble, for a while. Once things calm down here, you'd better return with some military merits under your belt."
"Yes!" Fan Sheng could not help smiling as well. "The Demon Emperor is wise!"
"Right. Tell me about your two fights with He Xiao in Baishaqu again, in as much detail as possible," Fan Long said thoughtfully. "Mm, you still remember them, don't you?"
"How could I forget?" Speaking of the two battles made Fan Sheng want to grit his teeth. "Every move and every stance, I remember them all!"
"Then break down every move and every stance for me to see."
Fan Sheng's battles with He Lingchuan had been brief and swift; combined, the two bouts had lasted no more than a quarter of an hour. Yet as he demonstrated and dissected every detail for his elder brother, it took nearly an hour from start to finish.
Of course, during the second battle at Lotus Palace, he and He Xiao had never crossed weapons directly from beginning to end; there had only been an endless succession of underhanded schemes from his opponent.
Fan Long watched with exceptional care, his expression growing graver the further it went.
Finally, he asked, "Is He Xiao truly only seventeen or eighteen?"
"At least on the surface. Who knows his true age?" Fan Sheng knew the world was full of non-human entities, some of whom still bore the faces of tender youths even at a hundred years old.
Didn't those National Preceptors look remarkably young as well?
"Do you know why you lost?"
Fan Sheng nodded and said earnestly, "It was my own fault for being arrogant and careless, not taking him seriously."
"That was the case in the first fight, but was it still true in the battle at Lotus Palace?"
Fan Sheng said with vexation, "The first fight ended without a victor, so I thought that if I went all out the second time, I would surely strike him down!"
Before the second bout began, many of his subordinates had arrived at Baishaqu, which bolstered his origin power and gave him even greater confidence.
"His cultivation is inferior to yours, his physical strength is inferior to yours, and in divine abilities he likely cannot match you either," Fan Long said slowly. "Yet if you two were to fight a third time, the one defeated would still be you."
Over the past month or so, Fan Sheng had constantly replayed and analyzed those two battles in his mind. Hearing his brother's words, he instinctively wanted to object, but swallowed the words back down.
He was unwilling to concede, yet he no longer possessed the confidence of certain victory.
Such a state of mind was exceedingly subtle—a shadow inevitably cast by a crushing defeat.
At this level of combat, confidence equated to momentum.
Just then, the great bear started lapping water again—lap, lap.
"Third Brother!" the two elder brothers chorused in unison.
Fan Bao hastily clamped his mouth shut.
"Because his fighting style is simpler than yours—or rather, more pragmatic. His grasp of combat opportunities and his utilization of the terrain far surpass yours." Fan Long rose and paced two circles. "That is blade technique meant for killing. That is a true warrior forged in blood on the battlefield."
Seeing his second brother's lips move as though to argue, he cut in preemptively, "There is no need to feel aggrieved. You have plenty of lives on your hands, but the duties of the Tongxin Guard are either hunting down criminals or eliminating demon adversaries. You've only been to the real front lines twice, and not even in the main legion. How many enemies could you have killed?"
He gave a mirthless chuckle. "Between you and He Xiao, the gap is likely measured in countless lives!"
Fan Sheng finally found a chance to speak. "Brother, are you saying he has slaughtered beyond count on the battlefield?"
Fan Long nodded. "When you spar with me or your brethren in daily training, no one strikes to kill, so you can never comprehend the experience and insights gained from treading between life and death. Going to the eastern front this time, you must perform well."
"Understood."
"Strange. If even you couldn't find battles to fight, where could this fellow surnamed He have become so battle-hardened?" Fan Long frowned deeply. "Beijia hasn't fought a major war in decades. Opportunities to march into battle, train troops, and earn merits are fought over by everyone."
"Perhaps in those small neighboring kingdoms—their regional skirmishes have never ceased." Fan Sheng took a deep breath. "Actually, as I mulled it over repeatedly these past days, I've always felt that when this fellow He fights, he closely resembles someone."
"Who?"
"Hong Chenglüe."
Fan Long narrowed his eyes slightly. "Hong Chenglüe is a rare military talent."
He pondered for a moment. "I will find an opportunity to test He Xiao."
"Brother, don't kill him. Leave him for me," Fan Sheng said hastily. "I must defeat him with my own hands!"
Only then could his Dao heart remain clear and unclouded, allowing him to stride forward on the path of cultivation.
Fan Long gave a faint sneer. "Scram!"
A few days later, even Fu Shanyue could sense the undercurrents surging around them.
How could he fail to notice the scouts stationed around the courier station?
Yet he did not want to cause trouble by acting in Lingxu City.
Even when paying visits on behalf of his royal father, he was asked several times by his hosts: "When investigating the case in Baishaqu, did you send a special envoy there? What kind of person is he, and where is he now?"
With so many people asking, Fu Shanyue's gaze turned somewhat peculiar when he returned and looked at He Lingchuan. "The two of us have become quite famous. In particular, your exploits are being discussed all over the Floating Isle."
"Me?" He Lingchuan pointed at his own nose. "The Floating Isle? Isn't that where the dignitaries and nobles live?"
Songyang Mansion's efficiency was truly high.
"This isn't a good thing. We've only been in Lingxu City for a few days! Who knows who is making mischief behind the scenes."
"What are they saying about us?"
"They say Cen Boqing and Zhongsun Mou combined were no match for us and were spun in circles like fools. In particular, Zhongsun Mou suffered setback after setback at your hands, saw you as a thorn in his side and a prick in his flesh, and even invited Fan Sheng from out of town to murder you on his behalf, only for both of them to be thoroughly thrashed by you. And even in death, Zhongsun Mou had to compensate you tens of thousands in gold and silver..."
"In any case, they embellished the story to high heaven, painting Zhongsun Mou as stupid as a pig or dog." Fu Shanyue chuckled. "If I didn't already know just how stupid he was, I might have actually believed it."
He Lingchuan knitted his brows. "Should I be worried?"
"The Zhongsun clan will be furious, but as long as you're with me, there's no need to fear them." Fu Shanyue rubbed his hands together. "It's the Fan brothers, though..."
He Lingchuan felt an ill foreboding. "What about them?"
"Your fights with Fan Sheng are also being wildly discussed. Now, at least half the people on the Floating Isle have heard that the Fan brothers ambushed you twice without success, Fan the Third nearly had his foreleg chopped off, and Fan the Second was netted underwater by you for nearly three-quarters of an hour, his face mauled and chewed to pieces by piranhas to the point where he still hasn't dared show his face in public."
He Lingchuan smiled wryly. "Surely not to that extent? Back in Baishaqu, he was still running errands for Emissary Bai."
At the time, Fan Sheng did have several bloody punctures on his face, but within a couple of days they had formed dark scabs, making him look like someone with heavy pockmarks... Still, before returning to Lingxu City, such minor wounds should have healed completely.
"In short, the brothers' humiliating defeat is being recounted with vivid detail, as if people had seen it with their own eyes." Fu Shanyue sounded somewhat wistful that he had not been present for those great fights. "Worse, they went there merely to do a private favor for Zhongsun Mou, which makes it even more shameful."
"Ever since the news spread, Fan Sheng hasn't made a single public appearance." Fu Shanyue rubbed his nose. "As for Fan Long, the eldest, he hasn't uttered a peep either—and he is not someone to be trifled with."
Back in Baishaqu, Xiang Yan, the retired old official of the Chiyan Kingdom, had said that Fan Long, Grand Commander of the Tongxin Guard, was shrewd and worldly, with formidable cultivation—a ruthless character. Now it seemed Fu Shanyue felt the same.
He Lingchuan felt the sting of dropping a stone on his own foot. Had the people Li Qingge hired to spread rumors worked too hard? But on second thought, he realized that wasn't right. The information he had provided to Li Qingge hadn't mentioned the Fan brothers at all.
Whether he had truly forgotten or not, subconsciously he had never wanted to offend the three brothers too deeply.
Yet the Floating Isle was eagerly relishing the story of his defeat of Fan Sheng and Fan Bao; this did not seem like Li Qingge's doing.
Could it be someone else?
Then again, for the rumors to ferment to such a degree within a few days was likely beyond Li Qingge's reach alone. After all, she was also an outsider; how could she summon wind and rain at will in Lingxu City?
It seemed someone else was adding fuel to the fire behind the scenes. He Lingchuan rubbed his temples. Even in a petty matter like spreading rumors, was there actually someone competing with him?
Chapter 566