Chapter 23: Encountering Obstacles

The next day.

Fang Chen gently laid down the brush.

He had realized a problem: at the end of the day, the wolf-hair brush, cinnabar, and yellow talisman paper that he had been using were ordinary items. Those items were only capable of holding a certain amount of spiritual qi; there was a limit. Even though his cultivation had progressed, the power of the talismans he crafted remained the same.

The power of the Purple Lightning Talisman is supposed to be strong enough to threaten cultivators in the twelfth stage of Qi Refining Realm. However, the ones I create are not even remotely close to such a level, not even by a long shot. It seems that the issue lies in the quality of the materials I use.

Even though there didn’t appear to be immortal cultivators in Grand Xia, that didn’t mean there weren’t spiritual objects.

He needed higher quality brushes, cinnabar, and talisman paper.

"Perhaps, I should arrange for someone to look for them," Fang Chen pondered out loud and began thinking about suitable candidates for the task. Even though there were many qualified individuals who owned several businesses among the Grand Xia Hidden Guards, they lacked spiritual qi to identify spiritual objects.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. He recalled a strange report he had received from the Grand Xia Hidden Guards many years ago. The events reported were strange, but he didn’t really give it much thought as it wasn’t related to the issue at hand at the time. However, upon closer inspection, those might have been related to the world of immortal cultivators.

I should take some time and look through them once more,

he thought.

Outside the cell, the warden looked at Fang Chen with a complex expression. “Divine General Fang...”

"How did that meeting go?" Fang Chen asked, smiling.

He had given them a full day to sort out their ideas. Whatever their decision was, there ought to have been an outcome.

"The bureau head has received news from the palace. His Majesty wants to see you," the warden announced. He then instructed the prison guards to open the cell door.

Suddenly, Huang Sihai's voice echoed throughout the prison. "My lord, will you be coming to pick me up later?"

"You've already been here for five years. Wait for a few more days," answered Fang Chen with a chuckle. Then, with the warden leading the way, Fang Chen walked out of the prison.

Eunuch You and You Longchang were waiting outside, apparently for a while, too.

You Longchang appeared extremely disheartened, and he hesitated to speak when he saw Fang Chen.

“Divine General Fang, I’ve been ordered to escort you back to the Imperial Palace. Please follow me,” Eunuch You said respectfully.

"Thank you," Fang Chen replied.

The warden then escorted them out of the Grand Brilliance Bureau. Watching them depart, he finally let out a breath. The longer Fang Chen stayed in prison, the heavier the burden he felt.

"Divine General Fang, do you think His Majesty will punish us?" whispered You Longchang as he walked alongside Fang Chen.

Eunuch You seemed to have overheard him but decided not to comment on it. The decision to bring You Longchang along was an imperial edict as well. After all, when Fang Chen gave the order to slaughter the martial artists from the Qingsong Empire, You Longchang’s role that day was that of an executioner.

"The people we killed were martial artists from the Qingsong Empire. Why would the emperor punish us? Don’t worry," Fang Chen reassured.

Where does he get the confidence to say such things?

thought You Longchang, puzzled.

Now that it had come to this, he had no choice but to push through. The other day, he was influenced by his intense emotions and followed Divine General Fang to slaughter the martial artists of the Qingsong Empire. There was no way he could avoid the responsibility.

Before long, they arrived outside the palace gate. You Longchang suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't that Duke Li and the others?"

A group of people were kneeling outside the gates of the Imperial Palace. The group consisted of men, women, and the elderly, and among them was an old woman with white hair. She was trembling.

Suddenly, someone noticed Fang Chen and screamed, "The murderer, Fang Chen, has arrived!”

Murderer?

You Longchang abruptly thought back to Li Huang. He was also at the Qingsong Superior Academy the day it went down. He hasn't seen him at all since that day. Could he have been...?

His expression sank immediately, and he turned to stare at Fang Chen in disbelief.

He couldn’t have killed Li Huang as well, right? Li Huang's aunt is one of the emperor’s most beloved consorts!

"Fang Chen! What grudge do you have with my Li family?! Why did you act so viciously against my son?! Why did you have to end my bloodline?!" Duke Li jerked to his feet abruptly and stared at Fang Chen with boundless resentment.

"My son, is that Fang Chen?" The white-haired old woman stood up and pointed at Fang Chen, her fingers shaky. Duke Li nodded slightly, his eyes filled with endless hatred.

"Why did you kill my grandson?! I will kill you!" The old woman raised her cane and rushed toward Fang Chen. Not only did the people around not stop her, a hint of satisfaction even flashed in their eyes.

Standing atop a tower somewhere in the palace, two figures watched the scene. "Your Highness, how do you think we should deal with this matter? It’s fine if he just killed martial artists from the Qingsong Empire. However, Consort Fang and Duke Li probably won’t let him off now that he had killed Li Huang...” Ye Qinghe said.

The crown prince looked at Fang Chen and then at the old woman, a smile appearing on his face. He sneered. "It’s not going to be easy to resolve this matter. Duke Li's mother was once my father's wet nurse. Fang Chen is in quite the quagmire now. Should he touch her, then....” He didn’t continue, chuckling.

In front of the palace gate, more and more people gathered, and the members of the Li family immediately used this to their advantage. After all, it was a fine opportunity to spread the news of Fang Chen's supposed indiscriminate killing.

When the commoners heard their words, they couldn’t help but find it hard to believe.

Eunuch You felt somewhat at a loss when he saw what was happening. On one side was Duke Li's mother, and on the other was Fang Chen. No matter what he did, he would end up offending one or the other.

Just as the cane was about to strike Fang Chen’s head, Fang Chen sighed softly. With a backhand, he snapped the cane in half, sending the old woman flying several meters away.

She crashed heavily onto the ground face first, and a few of her teeth scattered across the ground.

Fang Chen understood the true nature of that old lady. She was the one who enabled Li Huang to act so recklessly. In the past, he needed to consider various factors and cooperate with the political forces in the court. But now, he no longer cared about those scum.

Dusting off his hands, Fang Chen furrowed his brow slightly and walked toward the palace.

Despite himself, Eunuch You stood there in a daze for a long time.

Atop the tower, the crown prince and Ye Qinghe exchanged glances.

Duke Li finally snapped out of his initial shock and rushed to check on his mother. After a brief examination, he slumped to the ground and cried, "She's dead!"

Extreme shock befell the crowd, and they suddenly didn’t know what the hell was happening.

“Fang Chen...” The crown prince subconsciously looked at Ye Qinghe, disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Ye Qinghe suppressed his astonishment and yelled, "Duke Li, your mother was killed in broad daylight! Why are you still standing there?”

When the people heard him yell, they focused their attention toward the palace. However, with the palace’s many buildings, it was hard to identify where the voice came from.

“Yes, I must avenge my mother! Fang Chen, I want you dead!” roared Li Chong and charged at Fang Chen.

Ye Qinghe couldn’t help but smile sardonically. " Let’s see how Fang Chen deals this now that Duke Li is personally taking action.”