Chapter 383: The Ninth Commander

Chang Bing and Ye Dafu faced off against one another. A huge fight was poised to break out.

"Ye Dafu, don't go overboard. Enough is enough," Xiao Nanfeng warned.

"Got it. I won't use either of my arms, then!" Ye Dafu's eyes brightened.

He wanted to fight only because he was itching to get beaten. With this excuse, he could readily enjoy the upcoming massage without having to do a thing!

"Xiao Nanfeng, are you looking down on me?" Chang Bing demanded.

"If you want to fight, fight with me! Stop trying to drag the division leaders into this!"

"Come on, then!" Chang Bing scowled.

"Fight outside the city—farther away," Lan Jiguang demanded.

"Let's go!" Chang Bing shot into the air.

"Right behind you!"

Ye Dafu's lackeys and the Earth division disciples followed quickly after, all interested in the outcome of the fight.

Xiao Nanfeng, on the other hand, didn't go along with them. Chang Bing had been rather rude, but he was only trying to support Lady Yaoguang. Furthermore, since Chang Bing was a disciple of the Taiqing Immortal Sect himself, Xiao Nanfeng had no intention of letting Chang Bing be badly hurt for such a minor affair.

"Chang Bing obtained a chance opportunity here and has started to feel as though he's too good for Taiqing Island. If you can temper him a little, that might be for the best.How skilled is Ye Dafu? Will he be in danger?"

"He'll be able to defend himself, at the very least. Let them play. Senior Uncle, could you tell me about the situation in Fengdu? I'd like to prepare for investigating the death of the former Martial Aspect."

Lan Jiguang nodded, beckoning for Xiao Nanfeng to enter the Fengdu Hall with him.

Outside the city, within a patch of forest far away, a group of Earth disciples whispered and pointed. They had been gone from Taiqing Island for quite a long time now, and were unfamiliar with how the sect had changed in the meantime. Although the Earth disciples of recent years had spoken highly of Xiao Nanfeng, the rest of them weren't particularly enthused about him. To them, only the Heaven and Earth divisions of the Taiqing Immortal Sect were worthy of the name; the Mortal and Ascended divisions barely had any true strength.

"Come on! I won't use either of my arms. You can attack first!" Ye Dafu called out expectantly.

This was undoubtedly grave humiliation for Chang Bing. Fighting without your arms? Are you trying to beat me with just your legs?

"Ridiculous. Ye Dafu, that mouth of yours is going to get you killed one day on the battlefield. I'll teach you a lesson right now!"

He flickered; his green armor vanished from sight.

"Why aren't you wearing your green armor? I heard that the Green Battalion is only strong with their armor on! You're going to ruin my experience!" Ye Dafu cried out.

"I don't need it. If I wear that armor, I might accidentally beat you to death."

He shot toward Ye Dafu in a beam of rainbow light.

"You're a Human Immortal!" Ye Dafu's eyes widened in delight.

"Be careful." Chang Bing punched forward.

His fist came at Ye Dafu like a tempest. As promised, Ye Dafu clasped both hands behind his back and allowed the fist to strike his chest.

Ye Dafu stumbled back from the impact.

"Why didn't you retaliate?" Chang Bing exclaimed.

"As I said, I won't use my arms."

"You could use your feet, your elbows, your legs! Haven't you learned any feet techniques? Who would just absorb the blow with their chest?" Chang Bing was baffled.

"This works for me. No more nonsense, now! Keep going with the fight, or I'm going to look down on you!"

Chang Bing's face twitched. "If you want to die, don't blame me."

Chang Bing shot over. He rained punches down on Ye Dafu's chest, striking him ferociously, but Ye Dafu didn't retaliate. In fact, the punches didn't seem to faze him at all.

Chang Bing looked at his fists with some suspicion. What was happening today?

"Your punches are too weak. Why don't you put on your green armor?" Ye Dafu asked.

Chang Bing's face turned red. Anger sparked in his eyes. "Keep on pretending, then! I'm curious to see just how long you can keep this up!"

Chang Bing shot forward in a whirlwind of fire, his punches so numerous they were like raindrops in a storm. Many Earth disciples gaped at the fight.

"Why isn't Ye Dafu retaliating? Is he really alright?"

"Is Senior Brother Chang Bing going easy on him? I don't understand what's happening..."

As the Earth disciples murmured to each other, Chang Bing began to frown harder and harder. He had finally realized that Ye Dafu wasn't bluffing; he really was skilled, and his physical body might well be as hard as an Immortal relic.

"I'm serious! You don't even punch as hard as my brothers do. You had better put on your green armor," Ye Dafu advised.

Chang Bing: ...

Humiliated and dejected, Chang Bing finally changed into his green armor. A frightening aura enveloped him as he punched Ye Dafu's chest again. This punch was over ten times as strong as his previous ones.

Ye Dafu was sent flying. He smashed into a mountain and left a crater in it.

"Wonderful! This is the sort of sensation I'm looking for. Again!" Ye Dafu cried out.

"Let's see how long you can last." Chang Bing narrowed his eyes as he shot over to Ye Dafu.

Ye Dafu was sent flying once again, even harder this time. Blood seeped out of his mouth.

The Earth disciples glanced at each other, worried. Someone frowned. "Isn't Senior Brother Chang Bing being too rough? We're all Taiqing disciples, after all. We shouldn't get too extreme. Should we stop him?"

"We should! Look at those Mortal disciples to the side. They must be infuriated!" another disciple worried.

They glanced at Ye Dafu's lackeys, thinking that they would be furious—but instead, Ye Dafu's lackeys were throwing their boss envious looks.

"How could Boss get a massage without us?"

"Right? Doesn't it look like it'll feel great? I'd like a beating, too!"

"If only I could be in Boss's shoes..."

The Earth disciples blinked in silence upon hearing what Ye Dafu's lackeys were saying.

In the Fengdu Hall, Lan Jiguang roughly explained to Xiao Nanfeng what was going on in the Immortal city of Fengdu.

"Senior Uncle, you mean that, although you're the lord of the city, there are eight other strong cultivators from various Immortal sects managing it with you? Because all of you dealt with the demons from the abyss together, their sect masters were granted the title of the Eight Commanders?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"That's right. The Eight Commanders are all Earth Immortals, and they're all eyeing my position as lord of the city. I've only been able to suppress them thanks to the Green Battalion." Lan Jiguang nodded.

"I heard of the Green Battalion all the way back on Taiqing Island. Just what sort of forces are these?"

"There are only three hundred cultivators in the Green Battalion, and the green armor that they wear is a matched set of divine relics that my wife brought from the Shangqing holy land. Those wearing the green armor will have defenses on par with a late-stage Yin Body cultivator, and their offensive abilities are greatly magnified as well. They can deal severe damage to cursed effigies and are extraordinary artifacts."

"Really? If they're that impressive, wouldn't others covet them?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

"They can be recalled at will, and no one will be able to steal it away."

"So that's how it is." Xiao Nanfeng nodded.

"It won't be easy for you to investigate the death of that former Martial Aspect. There are plenty of officials within the city, many of whom might not cooperate with you. I can't remain by your side, either. How about this? I'll name you the Ninth Commander of Fengdu. With this identity, you'll be able to investigate his death more easily."

"Thank you, Senior Uncle!"

Just then, the two fighting cultivators returned. Ye Dafu's face was black and blue, his clothes tattered, but he was smiling radiantly. Chang Bing wasn't injured, but his fists were swollen and he looked as though all his stamina had been drained.

"Chang Bing, you were far too heavy-handed. Ye Dafu's your junior brother, after all. How could you have been this extreme?" Lan Jiguang demanded, his eyes cold.

Clearly, he thought that Ye Dafu had lost the fight.

Chang Bing stiffened, not knowing how to explain things.

"Division Leader Lan, please don't criticize Senior Brother Chang Bing. I'm alright, and I think fighting with Senior Brother Chang Bing was a very pleasant bonding experience. I enjoy sparring with him," Ye Dafu said, smiling.

His tone had grown far more amicable than before; after all, Chang Bing had massaged him for half the day, and he was feeling good all over. Meanwhile, Chang Bing was so exhausted that, despite being a Human Immortal, he looked like he was about to fall over. How could Ye Dafu treat him badly now?

"Are you really alright?" Lan Jiguang asked dubiously.

"I am, Division Leader Lan. I've resolved my conflict with Senior Brother Chang Bing. He has excellent skill, and I'd love to spar with him daily," Ye Dafu said, then looked toward Chang Bing expectantly. "Senior Brother Chang Bing, I'm counting on you. Let's work hard to improve together!"

Chang Bing stiffened. Was Ye Dafu crazy? He still wasn't satisfied despite being beaten up to this extent? Chang Bing would surely die of exhaustion long before Ye Dafu was beaten to death!

"Let's talk about it later," Chang Bing replied, somewhat frightened of this maniac.

Lan Jiguang seemed to sense something amiss. Why hadn't Chang Bing described the fight just now at all?

He was silent for a moment before he continued, "I've just appointed Xiao Nanfeng as the Ninth Commander of Fengdu. Inform the Eight Commanders of this, then all the officials throughout the city. Have them cooperate with Xiao Nanfeng's investigation."

"Him? The ninth commander?" Chang Bing seemed displeased.

"Is there a problem with that?" Lan Jiguang asked in a warning tone.

"Understood, Master." Chang Bing nodded somewhat unwillingly.

"Chang Bing, arrange for the Mortal elders' accommodations and allow them to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. Xiao Nanfeng and I have more to discuss.

"Understood!" Chang Bing replied.

When Ye Dafu headed out with Chang Bing, he was particularly friendly. "Senior Brother Chang Bing, let's spar daily from now on, alright? Right, call your comrades up as well! Let's all improve together."

"Senior Brother Chang Bing, your skills are amazing! We'd love to spar with you too."

"Senior Brother Chang Bing, aren't there many cultivators in the Green Battalion? Why don't they take us all on at once?"

"Right, get the whole battalion over! We won't use our arms, either."

Ye Dafu's lackeys were as passionate as Ye Dafu himself.

Chang Bing's face twitched. Were these elders all maniacs? They had all latched onto him!