396-399

Chapter 396: You Make Trouble Outside The Garden, I Laugh Inside The Garden

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It had begun to rain in Suzhou again. It was said that the rain upstream was even heavier. The attention of the court officials was focused on the heavily damaged banks above Shazhou. Fan Xian was in Suzhou, but his gaze was also in that direction. Yang Wanli had long taken his post in the river transport governor's yamen. The silver transferred from the palace treasury had stopped, and the silver from the national had arrived. The money in river works had never been as abundant as this year, however, the river repairs had begun too late this year. No one knew whether or not it could hold up against the summer floods.

The rain was heavy and immediately dampened the Jiangnan heat. All that was left was a cold remnant of spring. For the Jiangnan people, this rainwater only increased their internal melancholy and sorrowful rage. Few people thought of the previous year's victims upstream of the Yangtze River, who were without a roof to live under and without clothing to protect them, because the old Ming matriarch's funeral was about to take place.

Fan Xian watched all of this coldly and did not react. After Deng Zi Yue, everyone including the governor, Overwatch Council, and his subordinates in the palace treasury transport company all advised him that it would be best to offer a stick of incense in the mourning hall. If the imperial advisor made the gesture, given the reverence of the Qing Kingdom people to the court, they shouldn't continue their troublemaking.

Fan Xian staunchly rejected this suggestion. In his eyes, it was just the funeral of an old bastard. What about it? It was only the death of a single person. If the matter upstream of the Yangtze was not handled well, god knows how many people would die.

The officials sighed in despair at the imperial envoy's attitude. They thought perhaps he had not felt the undercurrent flowing through the people.

…

…

At the end of the month, Ming Garden was filled with the plaintive cries of birds. White cloths were hung up high in the expansive mourning hall. It was now the seven days in which the coffin was stopped.

Once seven days came to an end, it was the time to announce the death. According to the funeral regulations of the Qing Kingdom, after seven days, the news had to be sent to their family, friends, and even enemies. Regardless of what hatred the two sides had, the rule of announcing the death could not be waived. The original purpose of this was so that the death vanished all gratitude and hatred. Often a person's enemy would use the occasion of the announcement of the death to personally visit their mourning hall and offer their condolences. It was like resolving their disagreements during their life. From then on, the yin and yang were separated and the two had nothing to do with each other.

Everyone's eyes were on Hua Garden. According to the regulation and the old matriarch's status, the white notice announcing the death should also be sent to the imperial envoy's hand. As for what he was going to do, it would depend on how he handled the white notice.

No one had expected that when the Ming Garden sent the notice to Hua Garden, Hua Garden only courteously invited in the Third master for a cup of tea and then saw him out. The white notice was not accepted.

The Third master threw a fit right outside Hua Garden. He cursed them out thoroughly and then viciously spat on the stone steps in front of Hua Garden. Immediately, a servant came out and used clean water to wash away all traces of the spit.

Nothing and no one under heaven was higher than the "way." In the heart of the common people, the deceased was the senior. This was the way of the world. For the imperial envoy to not pay the deceased respect, the people felt a trace of shock and many kinds of anger.

They were angered even further because before the old matriarch's mourning hall had opened, the Overwatch Council struck again and captured the Sixth master, who led the obstruction of the search in the Ming Garden. They captured him on the grounds of investigating Dongyi spies, and thus, not only the Suzhou government, but even the governor's manor could not say anything. Furthermore, after the Overwatch Council secretly captured the Sixth master, they immediately sent him to be watched by the Shazhou navy and did not hand him to the local authorities.

Whether or not there was someone taking the lead, in any case, from the next day, there was a continuous gathering of people in front of Hua Garden. In loud voices, they cursed and scolded, calling out slogans they didn't understand such as "severely punish the true criminal,""release the innocent," and such.

To make even more of a headache, the Jiangnan scholars had joined in the ranks, and young students were very hot-blooded. Each time Sir Fan junior's actions made these students feel a sense that their idolized image was being destroyed, they were angry beyond description; they clamored loudly and criticized harshly.

Hua Garden was as quiet as usual. However, the Jiangnan Road governor's yamen was worried that there might be an uprising by the people, so he moved a squadron of soldiers to stand guard outside it. They drove the angry scholars to the end of the long street.

Governor Xue Qing, under heavy escort, made his way with great difficulty through the excited crowds and entered Hua Garden.

In the study, he and Fan Xian argued spiritedly for a long time. The result was that neither was able to sway the other. In the end, Xue Qing asked helplessly, "With these excited commoners surround the garden and refusing to leave, where is the court's dignity?"

Fan Xian coldly said, "To surround the prince, their intentions are not honorable. If you still won't use soldiers, I will."

Xue Qing was startled. Only then he remembered that the Third Prince was still living in the garden. If the Suzhou people were allowed to continue surrounding Hua Garden and it got back to Jingdou, then there was no need for him to continue being the governor. Some of those scholars leading this would probably also pay with their lives. As the Jiangnan governor, he could not allow such terrifying things to happen in his jurisdiction. After a moment of thought, he sincerely asked, "What should be done?"

Given Xue Qing's ruthlessness and shrewdness, it was a small problem to handle some scholars that were drunk on their hot-bloodedness. What was important was that he understood this atmosphere was one that Fan Xian had purposely cultivated. Without understanding his true purpose, he had no need to interfere and sink himself into this chaotic mess.

Fan Xian glanced at him and said, "It's all a bunch of hot-blooded young people. I don't want to make things difficult for them…however, with this continuous rain, it is very cold at night. Their hot-blood will cool and naturally, they will disperse."

Xue Qing's brow furrowed slightly, "What if they don't disperse?"

Fan Xian smiled coldly. "Righteous anger can't be eaten for food. If they still haven't dispersed by night, it means some of the people surrounding the garden are not here with righteous anger, instead, they are there for another purpose."

The goal the people in the shadows wanted to reach was simple. Besides inciting the people to an uprising, as long the people's reactions were a bit stronger and the matter traveled back to Jingdou, then the Emperor would have to have some kind of response.

Xue Qing thought for a moment and then immediately understood Fan Xian's meaning. "Should the governor's manor act in this matter?"

Fan Xian shook his head. "This is a reputation-destroying matter. It will be fine for me to shoulder it myself…Sir, just guard Hua Garden well. After all, the safety of the Third Prince is of the most vital importance."

Xue Qing understood, but he couldn't stop feeling slightly strange and shocked. If they followed the conventional morals of the officialdom, in the matter of suppressing a people's uprising, everyone always did it without drawing the attention of their superiors. However, Fan Xian putting on this solitary and stubborn show had indeed reduced his own pressure.

Their discussion ended, and Xue Qing took his leave.

Fan Xian sat alone in the study, lost in thought. Soon after, he couldn't resist laughing mockingly at himself. Haitang had left for many days and had yet to return. If they were unable to capture Mr. Zhou, they would lose one-third of the benefits of this Ming Garden uprising. As for the angry Suzhou people, Fan Xian did not care about them at all…with Ming Qingda in the lead on the other side, the matter would certainly not go beyond the realm of excitement. But, it was very clear that behind the actions of the crowds, there were many shadows hiding in the darkness.

Without someone provoking and inciting them, how could small city people accustomed to being timid and fearful have the daring to yell outside the imperial envoy's manor?

Concerning this matter, Fan Xian had already made sufficient preparations. Now that he had also received Xue Qing's answer, his heart was at ease.

The matter developed just as Fan Xian expected. By dusk, the people outside had gradually dispersed. There were some righteous looking students wearing square headscarves and some commoners of unknown status mixed together. With the governor's manor's soldiers on guard, those people could only recite scripture from the end of the long street. They angrily accused the imperial envoy of acting with disregard for their lives and bringing disaster to the Jiangnan people.

It was unknown who started it, but the crowd gradually became excited and forced their way toward Hua Garden. The governor's manor's soldiers did not dare to strike ruthlessly for a moment, and they were slowly forced back.

They came closer and closer to Hua Garden before the crowd stopped. In a clamor of noise, all kinds of obscenities were shouted out. However, the students were not completely stupid. They knew cursing was one thing, but they only shouted obscenities about the Overwatch Council and did not involve Fan Xian's ancestors to the eighteenth generation.

Everyone knew that Fan Xian's ancestors were the Emperor's ancestors. It was fine to curse the Overwatch Council that was hated by scholars everywhere, but to curse the Emperor's ancestors to the eighteenth generation? Everyone only wanted to help the old matriarch who died so unjustly let out some anger, they did not want to throw their own lives into it.

Hua Garden remained quiet. Glowing lights could faintly be seen inside and music traveled out through the rain.

The governor's manor's soldiers stood guard sternly. They torches in their hands lit up the outside of Hua Garden.

The rain came down like thin like needles and had long soaked through the students still remaining outside. They meet each other's gazes and wiped clean the rain on their faces. They found it difficult to believe their own ears. Suzhou was already like this, and they themselves were already like this, yet the imperial envoy had the leisure…to be like that?

They were being drenched by the rain while the imperial envoy was listening to opera. The students mysteriously began to become angry. Their cursing, which had just stopped due to their exhaustion, was renewed with vigor.

Amidst the cursing, a person wearing simple grey clothing stood in the crowd. They rolled their eyes around a few times then removed an item from within their clothes and threw it into Hua Garden. The item fell into the garden and only made a muffled sound, there was no explosion.

On the contrary, shocked cursing came out from within Hua Garden. "Who the f*ck is throwing bags of dog blood!"

…

…

Throwing dog's blood was one of the best ploys to insult someone, although it was a bit childish, like kids having a disagreement. Once it was thrown into Hua Garden, where the imperial envoy lived, it became a major matter.

The students' were startled and their cursing took a break. They wondered which of their peers was so daring.

As they were thinking, three black shadows flashed over Hua Garden. It was three swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council. They looked coldly at the people making trouble on the street outside the garden.

The crowd became silent without reason, then suddenly someone cried out, "The Overwatch Council are going to kill people! We…!"

A shadow flashed into the crowd. The provoking cries rang out clearly and then stopped. It was like a duck that had been choked by someone.

The crowd started and separated from the center to see a cloth-clothed man holding the throat of the grey-clothed man walking out coldly.

The cloth-clothed man was the head of the Tiger Guards, Gao Da. Following Fan Xian's orders, he had been standing outside the entire time watching the people who were fanning the flames. Given his ability, capturing someone was naturally very easy. He threw the grey-clothed man onto the ground and stepped on the man's chest, hearing the man's ribs shatter.

The students watched this wretched sight and hot-blood rushed into the heads. They surrounded Gao Da in the center and cried out loudly, "Murder! The Overwatch Council killed someone!"

This scene shocked the surrounding officials from the governor's manor. The urged their horses closer and approached. At any moment, it could be a situation that needed to be suppressed by the soldiers.

Gao Da coldly picked up the grey-clothed man and shook him like a sack. With a clatter, countless items fell out from his body.

"First, he is not dead."

The reply to Gao Da's words was the sound of the grey-clothed man's groan. The students' mood became slightly more stabilized.

Gao Da coldly said, "Second, you are here to ask for justice, while this person is here to entice the imperial envoy to kill you all. There is a difference, so there is a difference of treatment…these are the imperial envoy's own words."

Only now did the students wake from their daze. Looking to the ground they couldn't help jumping in fright. They saw that not only did bags of dog blood fall from the grey-clothed man's body, there were also fire-starters, lamp oil, and other similar things. Only now did the crowd realize that if they had allowed this man to stay amidst the crowd as he wanted and had burned down Hua Garden, in which lived the prince and imperial envoy, they themselves would certainly be labeled as thugs by the court and killed on the spot.

"The second of the imperial envoy's own words," Gao Da said coldly.

The crowd was intimidated by his imposing manner and all listened well.

"To express the injustice you feel is the nature of young people, I don't blame you."

Gao Da continued to state Fan Xian's words, "But to be provoked and incited by others without knowing the truth, how stupid is that? If you have a sense of injustice to express, you have to seek out a correct path. To make this kind of ruckus like fishwives at the market is truly very embarrassing."

The students hearing these words felt very dissatisfied. A student that looked like a leader stood out, upright and unafraid, "The Overwatch Council handled matters unfairly and forced the loss of a life. I have already gone to the Suzhou government to report the case, however, officials protect each other and the Suzhou Government is afraid of the power of the Overwatch Council and did not dare to accept the lawsuit. Dare I ask the imperial envoy, what other path will allow me to express my sense of injustice?"

Gao Da looked at that person coldly, "The imperial envoy says since you have the daring to gather outside the garden and make trouble, do you have the daring to enter the garden to discuss the matter?"

The students immediately broke into a clamor. Some said they couldn't enter. Some said they must enter. The opinions of the crowd were diverse and muddled. In the end, they all gathered their gazes on the student who had spoken out earlier. He was a student of Jiangnan Road's Bailu Academy, Fang Tingshi. His background was poor, but he was very knowledgeable and experienced. He had always been deeply admired by his peers and was the unofficial leader of the students.

Fang Tingshi considered for a moment then gritted his teeth and removed the bloodletters he had collected from the people from inside his clothes. He raised it above his head and said, "I am willing to the enter the garden to discuss with the imperial envoy."

Gao Da glanced at him expressionlessly. Holding that grey-clothed man, he began to walk into the garden. Fang Tingshi felt slightly uneasy, but he gathered his courage and walked in. At the same time, he managed to dissuade his peers' requests to enter together.

…

…

Fan Xian sat in the grand chair with his eyes half closed, enjoying the gentle massage of Sisi standing behind him. His finger tapped on the table following the song the singing master was singing in the garden pavilion.

To the side of his hand was the daring Fang Tingshi, who dared to enter the garden alone to ask the imperial envoy for justice. He was reading something. His face was green one moment and white another, and his lips trembled slightly. It seemed he was shocked by what was recorded.

Fan Xian slowly opened his eyes and said, "These are top secrets of the court, however, a lot of it cannot be taken to the Suzhou government as evidence. In many cases the witnesses are dead and many implicate nobles in the court. I also cannot use this publicly to break the Ming Garden's pretense…however, since you have the daring to pull together a group of students to demand justice, you cannot be an idiot. After seeing these things and knowing the details of the Ming Garden matter, you should be able to come to your own conclusions."

In Fang Tingshi's hand were the fruits of the secret investigation the Overwatch Council had carried out on the Ming family during this past half-year. It included the pirates on the island in the Eastern Sea, Ming Lanshi's concubine's mysterious death, the story of Xia Qifei and the Ming family, the Ming family's smuggling to Dongyi, Sigu Jian secretly leaving aces to enter Jiangnan to assassinate Fan Xian…each account was all recorded clearly. Since these records were circumstantial evidence, they were unable to be submitted to a court as evidence. Fang Tingshi knew that what was written here was definitely true.

His hands holding the case files shook slightly and he said, "But…it shouldn't be like this. The old Ming matriarch embraced Jiangnan. She sponsored countless poor and struggling students. My family has always been poor. If it wasn't for the Ming Garden gifting rice each month and paying for me to go to school, how could I have entered the Bailu Academy?"

His eyes were red and looked angrily at Fan Xian. "Sir, since I dared to enter the garden today, I didn't expect to leave alive. I do not believe the things recorded on here. The Overwatch Council is the best at framing others…"

Fan Xian looked at him coldly and didn't bother at all to respond.

Fang Tingshi also could not go on speaking.

"Ever since I took over the Overwatch Council, when has there been a case of cooking up imaginary charges to trap someone?" Fan Xian ridiculed. "As for you, as a student, you should have the ability to think for yourself and not accept what others say and what others see. You only need to look at the situation of these recent years and use your brain."

"Of course, none of you actually have brains," Fan Xian criticized harshly. "If you had brains, none of you would have been provoked to come surround Hua Garden. What kind of place is this? This is the imperial envoy's yamen and the prince's temporary imperial residence. If I were to behead 300 of you, there wouldn't be any problem. In the end, you will have died and my reputation would also be lost. It only benefited those lawless merchants who seek to circumvent the law."

His anger was faked because Fan Xian knew that these students fell for this method the best.

As expected, Fang Tingshi mumbled indistinctly, "Your chiding is correct…" He began to have second thoughts. Not only did the imperial envoy not make a move to suppress the students, on the contrary, he had invited him into the manor; his heart was indeed sincere. He opened his mouth in a pained smile and said, "Sir is very magnanimous."

Fan Xian closed his eyes and shook his head "I can't be considered magnanimous. It is only because you are still young that I don't want to use such methods…so I have been able to endure you until today."

He suddenly opened his eyes and said, "You should know which four people are the four disciples of the Fan family."

The four disciples of the Fan family were Hou Jichang, Cheng Jialin, Shi Chanli, and Yang Wanli. All of them had leapt up after that year's spring examinations. Everyone knew they were Fan Xian's disciples.

Fang Tingshi nodded his head.

Fan Xian smiled. "These four students are all older than me, however, they still call me teacher. Speaking of Jichang, he had also made trouble in Jiangnan before and was like you today.

Fang Tingshi was slightly startled.

Fan Xian finally said, "It is not an appreciation of talent, perhaps seeing you I am being nostalgic."

After Fang Tingshi left, Sisi furrowed her brows and said, "Young master, these people don't know what is good for them. How come you are…"

"Still this polite?" Fan Xian shook his head and said. "Reputation is indeed not important, but the subject of students should still be considered. In the future, after these people pass the provincial imperial examinations, they will all enter the court and become officials. Even if I am not thinking about myself, I still need to make considerations for His Highness."

Sisi said again, "This matter is going to end like this."

The trace of a warm smile rose to the corner of his lips. "If Fang Tingshi can persuade the students to leave, it means he is capable. In the future, of course, he should be cultivated properly. As for those ghosts mingling in the crowd…I was waiting for them."

Ming Qingda had sent someone with a message earlier saying that the internal faction of Ming Garden had already mostly been suppressed. The problem was that it was not easy at the moment to suppress the rumors in Suzhou, particularly as the crowds making trouble were being provoked intentionally by some people.

"Don't use knives." Fan Xian turned around and gave orders to Gao Da. "The wooden sticks I had you prepare a few days ago are more effective. For suppressing things, it is good to make them hurt, but they can't bleed."

Whatever matter, if the word "bleeding" is put in front of it, it will always be trouble.

After Fang Tingshi left the garden, he talked for a long time with the other students. Unfortunately, in the end, he wasn't able to persuade everyone. On the contrary, some of the suspicious students wondered whether or not he had become fearful of the court's power and so on. Some people in the group provoked others with peculiar words. After Fang Tingshi exploded in rage, he felt ashamed. He didn't know what to do. He could only take his fairly close peers and leave Hua Garden.

There was only half the number of people in the angry crowd. Having had the previous incidence of the dog's blood, the governor's manor soldiers watched even more closely.

After an indeterminable amount of time, a huge group of people charged out of Hua Garden. With wooden sticks in their hands, they struck toward the students who surrounded the garden and would not leave. In a moment, wretched cries rang out. The sound of wood on flesh could be heard clearly.

Although the people of the Overwatch Council did not strike hard and the students did not receive heavy injuries, how could these students, who were immersed in literature every day, endure the teachings of the stick? They cried and yelled, and were dispersed by the wooden sticks. The front of Hua Garden immediately recovered its peace.

Only the thin rain fell slowly.

The governor's manor soldiers looked at this scene with open-mouthed shock. They thought the imperial envoy really was vicious and ruthless.

No one noticed that along with the students running in all directions away from the beating, there were also some sneaky shadows. After these sneaky shadows, there were some Overwatch Council spies disguised as scholars or commoners who ran in fright as well as keeping a careful eye on them.

Fan Xian stood on the ladder and climbed to the top of Hua Garden wall with the Third Prince's hand in his own. Looking at this sight, he couldn't stop his laughter and said, "Following the perfect model, I should have had the group disguise themselves as gentlemen loyal to the ruler who loved the people to beat these students."

The Third Prince asked curiously, "Sir, then why didn't you do that today?"

Fan Xian laughingly scolded, "To use the people of the Jiangnan water bandits? Now, everyone knows that Xia Qifei is one of our people. Why bother to hide behind that extra layer of powder?"

Chapter 397: A Strange Guest To Suzhou

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Very high-spirited…"

Fan Xian had one foot on the railing on the topmost floor of the Suzhou branch of the Baoyue Brothel. In one hand he held a fan that he was using. The continuous cold rains at the end of spring had stopped and the heat had returned. In a flash, it made the temperature of the air rise again.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the procession on the road wearing funeral gear. Hearing the mournful sounds of the music, he couldn't hold back a smile. Ming Qingda indeed had some tricks up his sleeve. The mournful and angry look on his face, and his attitude of absolute irreconcilability with Fan Xian, were done very well. He actually had the old Ming matriarch's funeral procession cut across the entire city. The route was very ostentatious. Along the way were commoners who put out little tables with fruits to worship her. Beggars who had received benefits in the past kowtowed to the giant slow moving coffin as it moved along the street.

The mournful music was actually sometimes quite moving, at least it was to Fan Xian's ears.

He fanned himself and couldn't resist sighing again, "Very high-spirited…"

The wind came from the fan[JW1]. He couldn't be bothered to compete with the Ming Garden in attitude. He did not find using a dead person to obstruct his sight exciting. If they wanted to parade, they could. It did not cause any true loss to him.

After sweeping clean the Sixth master and the old matriarch's trusted aides and related persons, Ming Qingda had gradually stabilized his control of the Ming Garden situation. It was also under his powerful suppression that the tens of thousands of the Ming family did not make a call to indiscriminately destroy the good and the bad because of the old matriarch's unusual death.

After Fan Xian divided the students making a ruckus and then used wooden sticks to teach them a lesson, the scholars immediately quieted down when they did not receive further support from the Ming family. Just as Fan Xian had expected, the so-called righteousness could not be sustained.

Fan Xian knew that to be able to suppress the cries for revenge from within the Ming family's internal faction must have been hard work for Ming Qingda. However, this matter was originally Ming Qingda's fault. If he didn't want Fan Xian to act out violently, he had to swallow this hard work, and his anger.

What made Fan Xian truly happy was that the spies scattered into the crowds a few days ago had already sent back messages. Perhaps it was because of the Ming family's sudden silence that caught the elders of the Junshang Conference off guard but, at least in the Jiangnan region, the Junshang Conference made some relatively stupid decisions in some matters, like inciting the people to gather and cause a commotion.

By means of the investigation the Overwatch Council did in this matter, and the few people that Ming Qingda had secretly sold to Hua Garden, the Overwatch Council was already keeping watch on one manor downstream of the Yangtze River. It was a gathering place the Junshang Conference had set in Jiangnan. It was an unremarkable manor and not a very important location to the Junshang Conference, however, Fan Xian needed to get rid of it to express his stance.

With him in Jiangnan, the Junshang Conference had best behave themselves for now. If they didn't behave, he would make them shut their mouths.

…

…

The Black Knights could not enter Ming Garden because the Emperor did not like to see the Overwatch Council's martial strength overly interfere in local politics. However, as for this mysterious Junshang Conference, an organization that seemed to be possibly opposing the Emperor's might, the Qing Emperor didn't care about what methods Fan Xian used.

Governor Xue Qing also did not oppose Fan Xian's plan. After all, there wouldn't be enough time to ask for instructions from Jingdou.

Today was the old Ming matriarch's funeral procession and burial, and it was also the day that 500 Black Knights crossed the Yangtze to wash someplace with blood.

The funeral procession had already gone through the long street below the Baoyue Brothel. Fan Xian noticed that some of the noble figures had carefully retreated from the procession. The Jiangnan gentry did not want to offend the Ming family, but they also did not dare to overly neglect the imperial envoy's face. So, they saw the procession to the city gates and then turned back on their own.

"Very high-spirited…"

With great power in hand, why fear the people's heart? Although Fan Xian did not feel complacent, he had begun to feel in the depths of his heart that power was like a drug. No wonder the western philosophers' had a saying, something that Shaolong passed on, and was often seen in forums—absolute something, would bring absolute something.

Fan Xian was aware that he did not need corruption. Without any shame, he thought his realm of consciousness was relatively high, and so he couldn't resist a third sigh.

There should be someone asking accommodatingly, "Sir, why…" Unfortunately, it would be half a year before Wang Qinian could return to the Qing Kingdom. Beside him, Deng Zi Yue considered for a long time with a strange expression before he choked out a sentence, "Sir…you seem to be in a good mood."

…

…

Fan Xian smiled and said, "Of course I am in a good mood. This old woman died cleanly and efficiently. Standing on a tall building and watching someone else be buried, how could I not be happy?"

Deng Zi Yue wondered how was this something to be happy about? Unable to resist, he opened his mouth to remonstrate, "The Jiangnan people…"

He had only said three words when Fan Xian stopped him. He smiled coldly and said, "Do not repeat those arguments. What are the people's sentiments and opinions? In a few months, these people will have completely forgotten. Whatever kindness, whatever benefits, it would only be remembered for a few days. In the end, it won't be more important than daily domestic worries. The common people…the common people are the type of people most prone to forgetting."

The words were pointed, and they pointed to Fan Xian's past. They pointed to the Ye family that had long been blown past, rained on, and dissolved into the royal palace treasury.

Back then, the Ye family was comparable to today's Ming family. They were 10 times more impressive, 10 times more powerful, and 10 times more benevolent to the people. One day, the court changed its face and the family was destroyed. The tens of thousands of people under heaven all kept quiet out of fear. Who dared to seek justice for the Ye family?

Deng Zi Yue was startled into silence. He knew they had touched on a sore point for the commissioner, so he did not dare to speak again. He also understood why every time the commissioner brought up public opinion and popular sentiment he would smile coldly at them and not care.

"Those of us who are officials, we are only the Emperor's officials, we are not these people's officials." Fan Xian words were completely the opposite of serving the people.

With the situation as it was, what could Fan Xian be displeased about? The Ming family was a monkey in the palm of his hand. Jiangnan was certain to settle. Xia Qifei had already sent a message from Jiangbei a few days ago that he had connected with Fan Xian's younger brother. The waves in the capital around the Ministry of Revenue had settled. Hangzhou was urgently picking medicine. The three large workshops were in full swing under the serious, conscientious, and brisk eyes of the Qingyu Hall shopkeepers.

As for within the officialdom, Fan Xian and Xue Qing's relationship was growing closer by the day, In the Palace, the Emperor's trust in him had not decreased. Particularly after the Ming family matter, Fan Xian had sacrificed his own reputation. This, without question, increased the Emperor's feelings of tenderness toward his solitary illegitimate child.

Looking around, it was all situations of great personal victory. As for the Junshang Conference…a cold smile flashed past the corner of Fan Xian's mouth. He didn't know what the old cripple in the Chen Garden outside of the capital was thinking. In any case, Fan Xian did not plan to investigate too deep into this matter. The so-called raising of a tiger was thus.

If he wanted to eradicate the Junshang Conference, first of all, it would be very difficult thing to do. Even if Fan Xian temporarily looked around wildly and braved the risk of losing more than half the power in his hand, he might still not succeed in this task. Just looking at how the tyrannical Second priest of the Qing Temple, Great Master Sanshi, was thrown out by the Junshang Conference as a sacrificial pawn, it was possible to imagine how much power this supposedly loosely structured organization hid away.

Even if he successfully toppled the Junshang Conference with the utmost help from his father and the old cripple, settled Jiangnan, and stabilized the monarch's control, the Emperor would not allow Fan Xian to lead soldiers and fight. Then, what could Fan Xian do? Would he retire to that dim room in the Overwatch Council at such a young age and grow old?

Fan Xian did not want to become a second Chen Pingping. For some problems, he would not rush to resolve them. On the contrary, he wished these problems could be in situations under his control and to bloom slowly like a flower with poison.

Of course, he didn't know that his thoughts in the Baoyue Brothel today were the same as that of the old cripples. The elder and the youth were both working hard toward a goal that could not be publicized. It was regretful that neither of these two people seemed willing to inform the other, perhaps…they didn't want to implicate each other?

Not deeply investigating the Junshang Conference did not mean not defeating the Junshang Conference. The Junshang Conference had played Fan Xian a few times in Jiangnan, and he had to eventually pay that back. Currently, the Black Knights were progressing silently on that mountain trail.

Months of planning and the only tiny loophole was the Junshang Conference account's master, Mr. Zhou. He had yet to be silenced and was still able to silently escape despite being under both Ming Qingda and his own surveillance. This demonstrated that he was certainly an important figure in the Junshang Conference, perhaps he even held the truth to the Junshang Conference.

And Haitang…had still not come back. Faint worry rose between Fan Xian's brows. Mr. Zhou had to be under the protection of someone very powerful.

He left the side of the railing, sat back down at the table, and gave orders to Deng Zi Yue, "Contact the governor's manor, send out wanted posters…"

His spoke quietly, "The Ming family has already sent over housekeeper Zhou's picture. Give it to the governor's manor. Both sides will search together."

Deng Zi Yue felt apprehensive. He knew that the imperial envoy did not have any better ideas and could only start to use the government's power to try and apply some pressure publicly. As for that picture, he knew that it was drawn by the old Ming matriarch's personal servant.

Fan Xian sighed and said, "If we could capture Mr. Zhou alive…wouldn't it be too marvellous?"

…

…

"You hopes are indeed marvellous."

The top floor of the Baoyue Brothel was empty. Only Fan Xian's table was occupied. Two people suddenly appeared at the table beside the railing and had replied to Fan Xian's words very coldly.

The metallic sound of countless blades being unsheathed rang out in the top floor, full of cruel intentions.

With Gao Da in the lead, the seven Tiger Guards gripped their strangely shaped long knives with both hands and formed the head of a trident, protecting Fan Xian behind them.

At the same time, a dozen swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council surged out from the side of the building. They hadn't drawn their swords beside them. In their hands were raised black painted bows that did not reflect much light and appeared threatening. The swordsmen aimed at the two people at the table.

There was originally no one in the building, yet these two people had silently appeared. The other party's arrival had not only been hidden from the swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council, it had also been hidden from the Tiger Guards, as well as Fan Xian, whose internal injuries had long healed. What kind of realm was this?

Fan Xian's guards reacted quickly. In an instant, they had partitioned off the two people.

With a dozen bows, in addition to the seven Tiger Guards who could stand against Haitang Duoduo and Fan Xian, who had long reached the ninth-level, even if the newcomers were Dongyi's Yun Zhilan and Northern Qi's Lang Tao, everyone was confident they could easily take the other party down.

However, the two people did not have any change in expression when faced with this array. One of them had a slightly forced smile, while the other figure, wearing a straw hat, only gave off a coldness that regarded everyone he saw as nothingness.

The figure wearing the straw hat slowly lifted his head and revealed a strange appearance. There was not a trace of expression on his face, only his eyes looked at the people in the building as coldly as if he was looking at a group of dead people

"You want Mr. Zhou? This person is Mr. Zhou."

Surrounded by crossbows, the person was still very at ease. A natural aura of aggressiveness rose from across the crowd as he looked coldly at Fan Xian.

"But, I will not give him to you."

Fan Xian looked at the person through the Tiger Guard's clothing. His mind turned, and he calmly said, "So it is you who is protecting Mr. Zhou. No wonder Haitang has yet to succeed…since you are not willing to give the person to me, then why did you come to see me? I don't have the habit of chatting with uninvited guests."

The person said coldly, "An exchange. Pull back the Black Knights, and I will spare your life."

Spare your life? Under such circumstances, he could still say he would spare Fan Xian's life?

Unless he was an idiot, only then would he have such confidence. Fan Xian knew the other party was certainly not stupid, so, they definitely had the ability to kill him in such a situation.

Fan Xian smiled and asked, "How is Haitang?"

The man suddenly strangely rolled his eyes. "I very rarely kill women."

Fan Xian smiled slightly and said, "That is good…release."

…

…

It was a very sudden, very expected call of "release."

The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council released the triggers in their hands, and 30 poisoned crossbow bolts flew out in three batches. Like a deadly and dense rain, they flew toward the table!.

What Mr. Zhou? What Junshang Conference? He did not have time to care about them. As long as he could kill the person in front of him, Fan Xian would think anything was worth it…high-spirited? A bitter smile rose at the corner of his lips.

[JW1]"意气风发啊""风自扇中发" There is a pun between this phrase and the previous line, but it doesn't come across in English.

Chapter 398: You Dare To Kill Me?

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

At a distance of fewer than three meters, the speed of the 30-plus poisoned bolts was terrifying, and the power they held was shocking. No would have thought that someone could dodge such a dense and sudden attack.

Even if the person sitting beside the table was a god, he wouldn't be able to dodge it.

So he didn't even try to dodge. He also didn't seem to move, but a pair of chopsticks vanished from the container on the table. This pair of chopsticks was held steadily in his hand and began to dance easily through the air as if he was picking out delicious food from nothingness.

The soft tips of the bamboo chopsticks whistled through the air. It was as if it was not a pair of chopsticks but rather an ancient weapon infused with boundless zhenqi.

Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Like rain hitting a banana leaf.

…

…

A collection of dull thuds rang out as all of the bolts in their rapid progress were lightly nipped and pulled by that pair of chopsticks. In an impossible state of affairs, they were all pushed slightly to the side, so they moved slightly off from their expected trajectories. They passed by the bodies of the two people sitting at the table and shot into the wood boards and walls of the Baoyue Brothel.

The crossbow bolts shot into the wood, and the tail of the bolts quivered slightly. In an instant, the 30-plus bolts made it look as if the room spouted a riot of grass, yet it did not harm their target at all.

The swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau of the Overwatch Council saw this scene before them and felt a chill surge through their hearts, taking over their entire body. To be able to push aside this many speeding bolts in such a short distance with just a pair of chopsticks, this kind of speed, this kind of eyesight, this kind of power, this kind of…

The other person was not human. The other person was definitely not human.

…

…

The Overwatch Council was the toughest organization in the court of Qing Kingdom. The Overwatch Council officials had the firmest and most persistent state of mind of Qing Kingdom. However, they were, after all, still people. When they found the enemy they were facing today seemed to have already secretly left the category of human, they felt some fear and a sense of helplessness.

The Third Bureau's consecutive firing could only fire three rounds. It was already too late to raise their bows. Furthermore, the hands of the Sixth Bureau swordsmen were shaking as they stared with disbelief at the person beside the table. They seemed to have forgotten their next move.

At the same time, the arrows poured forward. The Seven Tiger Guards charged toward the table like seven aggressive tigers leaving the mountain. Under the protection of the arrows, they held their long knives in their hands and became seven streaks of snow-bright light chopping toward the table.

The light of the knives were still in space when Fan Xian called strictly from behind the Tiger Guards, "Retreat!"

Following this cry, he rose and his entire body lifted up.

…

…

At the call to retreat, the six Tiger Guards, other than Gao Da, forcefully pulled back their zhenqi and placed their knives across their chest very awkwardly. In the air about one and a half meters away from that table, they forcefully stopped their bodies.Their toes tapped, and they followed orders to retreat.

However, Gao Da's martial ability was the most powerful, so his reaction was the fastest. He was the middle point of the trident and had already reached the table and faced the mysterious figure in the bamboo hat. He felt a slight chill in his heart, but he was unable to retreat. He could only let out a roar and circulate the zhenqi in his body to the extreme. His hands shifted on the hilt, and he chopped down into the air.

Gao Da suddenly felt the foot behind him tighten and his body was pulled backward by an abundant, irresistible, and enormous force of zhenqi.

The strike had already come down.

The knife flashed across the front of the table because he had been pulled by someone behind him.He didn't strike the figure in the bamboo hat, instead he chopped down on the floor in front of the table.

With a sharp crack, the thick and solid wooden floors parted like thin paper beneath the long knife in Gao Da's hands and a giant tear appeared. For a moment, the dust rose and wood shavings flew in all directions. Through that hole, it was possible to see the tables on the floor below.

In the instant that Gao Da had struck, the man in the bamboo hat gently put the pair of chopsticks in his hand on the table.

It was not until then, that anyone noticed that beside the table leg was a sword. A very simple sword that gave off no light. A rough cloth was wrapped thickly around the outside.

Then, the pair of chopsticks landed on the table and the normal looking sword suddenly emitted a bright light. With a zing, the sword hilt began to shake on its own accord. It jumped up excitedly and ripped apart the rough cloth wrapped around the sheath of the sword. It forced out half a snow-bright sword.

A cold and murderous sword not-of-this world emanated out from this half of a sword.

The sword will entered the space between the floorboards. When Gao Da's long knife touched the floor, it traveled out. At the same time that the long knife split open the giant hole in the floor, countless fine cracks appeared along the knife gash and rapidly spread over.

The cracks did not have any patterns to speak of, yet they appeared to be a beauty without any vitality.

…

…

The cracks rapidly invaded Gao Da's long knife. His long Tiger Guard knife began to shake uncontrollably. On the sharp and solid surface of the knife, it looked like an invisible pair of hands were using a diamond to carve into it and countless deep marks appeared.

Gao Da's hands also began to shake. He fearfully and helplessly let go of the knife.

The long knife cracked into pieces like a weathered stone face.

The terrifying sword will only traveled to the outside of the knife hilt and then suddenly jumped up. Gao Da gave a muffled grunt. He covered his chest and then sprayed out a mouthful of fresh blood. At the same time, his right wrist cracked. The joint had actually been shattered!

It was only a matter of three breaths. The crossbows and the seven knives of the Tiger Guards were as simple as the raising of a pair of chopsticks and laying them down to the man in the bamboo hat.

In their meeting just now, the Overwatch Council had been wretchedly defeated.

At this point, the people protecting Fan Xian knew that the other party's words earlier were not empty threats. With his extraordinary and godlike realm, if the man in the bamboo hat wanted to kill the imperial envoy, even if they all died, they wouldn't be able to stop him.

Extraordinary and godlike.

Other than the four Great Grandmaster's, who else had reached such a realm in this world?

Fresh blood trickled out from the corner of Gao Da's mouth, and his eyes were full of terror. Half kneeling on the ground, he stared at the man in the bamboo hat sitting not far away. Biting off each word, he said, "Sigu Jian!"

As a Tiger Guard to the Qing Kingdom's royal family, who had he ever been afraid of? However, Gao Da said these words weakly and with hopelessness.

In the people's hearts, the four Great Grandmasters had long left the category of normal humankind. All of the rumors had already almost become legends, and the people only felt reverence toward these four Great Grandmasters.

Respect and fear, nothing else beyond these.

No one dared to make a move against four Great Grandmasters, even if someone wanted to commit suicide, they would still not choose this road.

Gao Da stared at the figure in the bamboo hat intensely. He did not understand why Sigu Jian, who should be far away in Dongyi, would be here in Jiangnan. It was not until now that he felt his ankle being gently released by someone.

Earlier, if that person had not grabbed his ankles powerfully and pulled him back, Gao Da's strike down and the man in the bamboo hat's sword will sweeping out, right now it wouldn't just be his long knife that was shattered in pieces, his body would be too.

Only now did Gao Da feel a boundless fear. He unconsciously looked back and saw Fan Xian's right hand was shaking as he gently wiped it on his long gown.

…

…

Fan Xian's hand was completely soaked in a cold sweat. He knew that if he hadn't seen and called quickly, the seven Tiger Guards would have all died by the hand of the man in the bamboo hat.

However, his expression remained calm. Although his pupils constricted slightly and his right hand hidden behind his back was slowly shaking, he still remained calm. Faced with this extraordinary and godlike figure, he had to be calm.

He was facing a Great Grandmaster.

Fan Xian was not a normal person. Since his youth, he had lived with a Great Grandmaster who had not entered the ranks of the Great Grandmasters. He was personally taught by Uncle Wu Zhu. When faced with this man in the bamboo hat, he was not like the other people in the building who were so terrified they couldn't even speak.

He was still terrified. He could feel his mouth become bitter and astringent.

Wu Zhu had once talked about the words "true power." Wu Zhu, without a trace of zhenqi, had extraordinary power, but he was, after all, Fan Xian's closest family. Now that Fan Xian met a Great Grandmaster for the first time in person, he finally realized that under the pressure of the other party's true power, he didn't have any chance to retaliate.

Fan Xian was a meticulous person who knew himself well. He knew that with his ninth-level power, 10 of him could not defeat Uncle Wu Zhu.

The same logic would prove that 10 of him could not defeat the old man in the bamboo hat in front of him.

Particularly after what he saw and felt earlier, it made Fan Xian further believe the words Uncle Wu Zhu had once said.

"A first-level could kill a ninth-level as long as they are lucky enough. But if you are facing those guys…don't talk about such things like luck."

The warriors under heaven move from bottom to top with the ninth-level as the strongest. However, between each level, the difference was not insurmountable, otherwise, Fan Xian would not have been able to kill indiscriminately on Niulan Street or played with Lang Tao and them in Shangjing, Northern Qi, like he did.

However, once passed the ninth-level, it advanced into the realm of celestial beings. Just like Ku He that baldy and the man in front of him…it was a completely different realm. The difference in power was like a deep gorge of which the bottom could not be seen. No kind of scheme and shrewdness could make up for it.

The top floor of the Baoyue Brothel was completely silent, while the downstairs had long begun to clamor. Although Gao Da's strike had chopped into the empty air, it had shocked countless people. The noise was unbelievable, however, it quieted down after a small break because the guard downstairs and Shi Sang were handling it.

The man in the bamboo hat beside the table remained silent, as if he was waiting for Fan Xian to make a decision.

His body did not glow, but in the people's eyes, his thin cloth clothing seemed to be plated with the brilliance of the sky. No one dared to look directly at it.

As for the exchange, the Mr. Zhou that Fan Xian had long wanted to capture sat silently and timidly beside the man in the bamboo hat. No one would have noticed him.

A simple person, yet he blotted out all the brilliance between the heaven and earth.

…

…

Fan Xian's left hand was still holding the fan. He squeezed it tightly and looked at the man in the bamboo hat. He did say anything for a moment. The top floor of the Baoyue Brothel was absolutely silent, a deathly silent. The atmosphere was oppressive.

The man in the bamboo hat looked at Fan Xian, whose expression was calm, and smiled. "Your reaction, your strength…they seem to be a bit stronger than the rumors say."

The man referenced how Fan Xian had assessed the situation extremely quickly, called back six of the people, and then exploded from his seat. In the short moment Fan Xian was in the air, he used the Coffin-Breaker to dramatically strengthen his right arm and then used a little trick to tightly grip Gao Da's ankle, forcefully pulling him back and saving his life.

For Fan Xian to be able to do all of that in so short a time, it could already be so considered very perfect, possibly to the extent that the man in the bamboo hat revealed a trace of appreciation.

However, Fan Xian did not answer him. Contrary to everyone's expectations, he slowly walked to the railing and did not look again at the man in the bamboo hat.

Including Gao Da, all of the guards were shocked. The commissioner was very daring! Faced with a Great Grandmaster that tens of thousands revered, he was able to act so naturally and dared to not look at the other party.

Fan Xian walked to the side of the railing and faced the wealthy Suzhou and the sparse air above it, as well as the remnant smell of firecrackers in the air. He took a deep breath. His face changed slightly before immediately returning to normal. Who knew what he was thinking of?

Footsteps rang out from the steps.

Shi Chanli, with his face full of shock, and Sang Wen, who had her mouth opened wide and worry mixed in with her gentleness, glanced at the table surrounded by the Overwatch Council and immediately turned their questioning gazes on to Fan Xian beside the railing.

"Everyone is dismissed."

Fan Xian remained by the railing and gave the order coldly without turning his head. He gripped the fan in his hand tighter and tighter. The paper on the fan was already beginning to go out of shape. He had made up his mind.

Earlier, when the Tiger Guards had suddenly attacked, Fan Xian's call was enough to make everyone retreat without regard to their life. From that, it was clear that all the guards offered absolutely no objections to his orders and would carry them out thoroughly. However, when he gave the order to have everyone go downstairs, everyone, including the Tiger Guards, all used silence to show their protest.

There was a Great Grandmaster who wanted to kill people. At this kind of time, no one dared to leave Fan Xian alone in the building.

Fan Xian turned around. He looked at Gao Da and smiled slightly, "Perhaps my commands are no longer effective?"

…

…

Gao Da's heart thumped. Looking at the familiar and warm smile on the commissioner's face and the encouragement in his smile, he felt momentarily confused. He understood Fan Xian. Every time he revealed this charming smile, often it was when he was truly angry; it was also when he had a card up his sleeve.

Fan Xian continued, "Without my orders, no one is allowed to take one step into this building. Also, immediately evacuate the surrounding streets to prevent accidental injuries."

Gao Da let out a trembling breath and wiped away the blood at the corner of his mouth. He gave a muffled grunt and led everyone down the stairs. Along the way, he pushed down Shi Chanli, who was standing by the door and refusing to leave.

As Fan Xian's personal guards went down the stairs, they saw a scene that remained forever etched in their minds, a scene that terrified them.

Fan Xian walked slowly step by step toward the table. He wore a strange smile on his face. The out-of-shape fan was open again in his hand. As he fanned, he walked toward the table steadily and with great confidence and ease.

…

…

In reality, from that side to the table was only a distance of a dozen steps or so, but in these dozen or so steps, Fan Xian felt he had walked through the gates of hell.

What was remarkable was that the closer he got to the table with the man in the bamboo hat, the calmer Fan Xian felt, like an oasis of peace.

Reaching the side of the table, Fan Xian stared at the man's eyes and rudely met his gaze, as if he was not scared at all. The man only had to casually raise his hand and he would be able to kill him. But, he also seemed to think that this imperial envoy of Jiangnan Road was amusingly daring and smiled slightly as he looked at him.

…

…

Gao Da went downstairs and immediately rearranged all defenses. He also followed the commissioner's order and evacuated the nearby people. He ordered his subordinate to quickly go to the governor's manor to mobilize troops. Although he knew these methods would do nothing against the extraordinary martial artists in the building, it still kept people occupied.

He then climbed to the top floor of the building closest to the Baoyue Brothel and flipped onto the roof. He carefully hid his body and watched every movement in the Baoyue Brothel across the street. He was prepared to throw his own life into this gamble at any moment.

Gao Da hid behind the gargoyle on the roof and stared at the top floor of the Baoyue Brothel. He could not hear what was being said inside, but just watching what was happening was enough to shock him.

…

…

The building was empty except for Fan Xian and the man in the bamboo hat facing him. One was sitting beside the table, and one was standing beside it.

As for Mr. Zhou, Fan Xian did not consider him a person but rather an eyesore, so he waved his hand indicating for him to move to the side.

The already deeply terrified account master of the Junshang Conference, Mr. Zhou, started and then immediately left his seat obediently and sat down in a corner beside a railing.

A chair was emptied.

Fan Xian lifted the front of his robe and sat down expansively without a care.

He was now less than half a body's length away from the man in the bamboo hat. It was intimate, dangerous, and terrifying in the extreme.

Gao Da, watching from a distance, almost died of fright while Fan Xian in the building continued to smile lightly.

He folded up the out-of-shape fan in his left hand, slowly lifted the chopsticks the man in the bamboo hat had left on the table, and put them back into the container. He did these three actions very attentively, slowly, and carefully. After the chopsticks were put back into the container, he then sighed happily and clapped his hands as if he had completed a mighty work.

The man in the bamboo hat had not moved to kill him. This meant everything could still be discussed.

"Daring." The man in the bamboo hat looked at Fan Xian with a slight smile. "Of the younger generation, you are the most outstanding talent."

If the Grandmaster's words got out, it would certainly establish Fan Xian in a stable position, yet Fan Xian did not feel and gratification from these words. He smiled warmly and said, "So what? If you want to kill me, it is still the work of a moment."

The man in the bamboo hat calmly said, "My words earlier are still in effect. If you pull back the Black Knights, I will not kill you."

…

…

Fan Xian suddenly raised his head. His eyes revealed a glimmer of mocking and disdain.

In this, it has been a long time since someone dared to use this kind of gaze to look at the man in the bamboo hat. So, although the man in the bamboo hat was a top figure in the world, he still couldn't help a glimmer of anger.

"This is your demand?"

"A full Grandmaster has fallen to such lows?"

"Even if you don't want your old face, our Qing court still want our face."

Fan Xian suddenly opened his mouth and countless scathing words flew out as if the person in front of him was not an unfathomable Great Grandmaster but one of his subordinates in the Overwatch Council that he grabbed by the ears to scold.

The man in the bamboo hat was startled. It was clear no one had ever lectured him like this before. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

Fan Xian aggressive slammed the table and stared at the man's strange appearance and said each word clearly, "Are you going senile? This is a matter of the Junshang Conference. Whether or not I mobilize the Black Knights to slaughter people has f*ck all to do with you…unless you have disciples in that manor? Do you think I will listen to you if you charge in like this and put a knife to my throat? Even if I did listen to you, what about the future? Do you think your disciples won't die? They'll probably die even faster!"

Fan Xian's voice became sharp. It held a mixture of boundless disdain and ridicule. He pointed at the man's nose and taunted, "I beg you to be more clear-headed. What year are we living in now? Long gone are the days a sword could remove all obstacles. Who do you think you are? Do you think you are a sword immortal? That is still a dead end!"

…

…

The man in the bamboo hat looked at Fan Xian like he was watching an idiot and suddenly felt that he was an idiot. He walked the earth and received the reverence of tens of thousands, even the ruler of a country treated him with respect. It was impossible to find someone who was not respectful to him much less someone like this beautiful youth in front of him…pointing at his nose and taunting him.

But, he was a Great Grandmaster after all. He was stunned for a moment before recovering his calm. On the contrary, he gazed at Fan Xian and laughed out loud with such cheer.

"It has been many years since anyone dared to talk to me like this."

As he spoke, the man's tone dropped and he said coldly, "I will count to three. If you don't give the order to pull back the Black Knights, I can only kill you."

Those steady hands slowly came to a rest on the table.

Fan Xian's gaze dropped slightly, looking at the hands that should be aged yet had not a single extra wrinkle.

…

…

Below the table, the sword was pulled with a powerful force. It gave the roar of a dragon and began to buzz. The hilt of the sword rose slowly. The half of the sword shining with a snow-white brilliance lit up the inside of the building brilliantly.

"Three."

The man in the bamboo hat began to count backward coldly.

Fan Xian's eyes narrowed. He glanced at him and directly said, "One."

Finishing this word, his fist smashed down beside him.

This punch contained the bitter cultivation of almost 20 years of day and night mediation, the tyrannical zhenqi of the unnamed skill, the Coffin-Breaking technique of the Ye family, and the Heart of Tianyi Dao learned from Haitang. Qi followed the will, and in a breath he shattered tens of thousands of barriers, broke through meridians, circulated the punch through his body and ferociously slammed it down.

His fist landed on the hilt of the sword.

The air in the building moved without cause, and the air outside of the rail seemed to have been shaken, distorting the scenery around it.

With a zing, that normal sword was smashed back by Fan Xian, and the dragon's roar immediately disappeared.

Beside the railing, Mr. Zhou had long fainted from this world-shaking shock and was wretched lying beside the railing.

…

…

Fan Xian swallowed back the mouthful of fresh blood that had risen up in his chest. He stared fiercely and toughly at the man's eyes and suddenly opened his mouth to yell out, "Deng Zi Yue, listen to my orders!"

This shout imbued with zhenqi traveled out and in a moment reached the entire long street. Gao Da, hidden across the street started and unconsciously stood up, while Deng Zi Yue who had been standing guard in the middle of the street the entire time didn't know what had happened. In a trembling voice, he replied, "I am here."

Fan Xian continued to stare into the man's eyes and viciously said, "Send the order for smoke and fire. Have the Black Knights enter the garden, if they meet resistance…kill without mercy."

Kill without mercy!

…

…

After an indeterminable amount of time, a complicated sigh came from the man in the bamboo hat and interrupted the silence at the top of the Baoyue Brothel. "You are right. I shouldn't have re-entered the human world. Only, the people you want to kill, that you want to capture, are people that I care about. What is there to be done?"

The man in the bamboo hat gently grasped the sword hilt beside the table. He picked up and said in a quiet voice, "So I picked up the long sword and left the Eastern Mountain…"

The power of the sword gradually overflowed.

If was a lie to say Fan Xian was not scared or nervous, but he valiantly used his state of mind to control every tremble in his muscle. He stared intensely at the man's face and said one sentence.

"You don't dare to kill me."

…

…

Silence.

"Why don't I dare to kill you?"

"Because you are not Sigu Jian that idiot."

Fan Xian again tightly gripped that broken fan on the table and said, "Of the four Great Grandmasters, as long as it is not that mercilessly idiot, no one dares to kill me."

The man's hand continued to grip the hilt steadily.

Fan Xian believed that if the other party pulled out his sword, his body and head would separate. So, he forcefully pushed down the glimmer of fear deep in his heart and said each word clearly, "So that is why I don't understand why you would appear here. In my heart, you should be on a half broken boat singing under the skies, relaxed and at ease…A virtuous person whose sleeves do not dip into the flowing clouds, not a brutish martial master who would let matters bring confusion to your heart and act in such a stupid way."

The man's gaze changed. Fan Xian wasn't sure whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him because he saw a glimmer of appreciation in the other person's eyes.

"The waves only bloom for a moment but compared to rocks a millennia-old, none are the same…Sir is also like this." Fan Xian stared intensely at the other person. "If you are Ye Liuyun, how could you dare to kill me?"

Chapter 399: One Strike To Topple The Building

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Fan Xian's first and only time meeting Ye Liuyun was the year he was 12.

That year he was lying on a precipice with strange colors swirling before his eyes. He was watching the solitary half boat below the precipice, the millions of holes on the beach, and the one hit battle of the strong between the two exceptional people.

One of the people was the Great Grandmaster of the Qing Kingdom and the other was his uncle.

The 12-year-old Fan Xian had only mastered the basics for the Tyrannical Way. His perception was not very insightful, so he could only sigh in admiration for the reputation of that battle but extracted the essence within it. On the contrary, it was in recent years he would occasionally think of a time or scene and then gradually find, within his memories, the marvelous parts, the shocking parts, and the parts from which he could learn.

The more he remembered, the more admiration he felt toward Uncle Wu Zhu and Ye Liuyun's exceptional methods. Sometimes the image of Ye Liuyun on the solitary half boat sailing on the ocean would still rise in his mind and that very strange song would still sound beside his ear.

But he had never, ever thought that this Great Grandmaster of the Qing Kingdom, this major figure that was revered by tens of thousands of people, would be in the top floor of a brothel and become someone he had to face.

…

…

Fan Xian was the person who feared death the most in this world, so for enemies that he might have to face alone, he had once done ample research and analysis.

After much calculation, and weighing up of his strength and background, among these people, the one he should fear most ought to be Dongyi's Sigu Jian, the most unfathomable would be Northern Qi's Ku He, and the most troublesome were, of course, the ones in the Royal Palace.

However, although Sigu Jian was an idiot and could kill him easily, everyone knew that idiots hated going out to strange places.

While the most unfathomable and the one who most enjoyed exploiting others, the Imperial Advisor Ku He, had been personally struck down into the mundane world by his closest Uncle Wu Zhu—a person who could be injured did not feel so scary.

As for the ones in the Qing Royal Palace, they were all related and did not need to be considered for now.

The people Fan Xian truly feared were all at the level of a Great Grandmaster, thus it could be seen that this was not excessive self-confidence, it was just a bit arrogant. However, the topic had come back round again. Given his power, in addition to his blind uncle, they only really needed to consider these people.

Among the Four Great Grandmasters, it was only Ye Liuyun that Fan Xian had not worried about.

For one, his childhood memories were overly deep. He always felt that this elder of the Ye family had a refined and graceful attitude. Spending much of his time traveling, he was a true person with a path. His personality was bright and cheerful, not one that would be involved in the pointless battles of the mortal world.

Second, the state of the Ye family in Jingdou made Fan Xian see clearly that Ye Liuyun was truly a sympathetic person, otherwise, it would be impossible for the Emperor to maintain the balance between the two sides. The Hanging Temple was a dark flame that destroyed the Ye family; such a base method, yet Ye Liuyun could resist returning to the capital. He considered the Ye family's contentment and safety and the continuation of the Ye clan to be more important than anything else.

As long as Ye Liuyun did not stop in Jingdou and impact the balance of the current situation, the Emperor would not truly do anything to the Ye family. This could not be publicly announced. In the place between the imperial power and Ye Liuyun that surpassed martial ability, there was a natural implicit understanding.

Fan Xian could not understand why Ye Liuyun would make a move because of the Junshang Conference matter and charge so determinedly to him and use his life to threaten him.

If this wasn't stupid, then what was it? Even if the Black Knights were called back this time, would the Emperor not know of the connection between the Ye family and the Junshang Conference? Wouldn't this balance still be destroyed?

Since he had come, so be it. Fan Xian had calculated this Great Grandmaster's fate. Only then did he dare to be so mocking and disgracefully acerbic. He knew very clearly, If you are Ye Liuyun, how could you dare to kill me?

…

…

Fan Xian stared at the pair of eyes that were as calm as limpid autumn waters below the bamboo hat as if he wanted to divine the Great Grandmaster's true purpose in suddenly coming to Suzhou.

In the depths of his heart, he was prepared if Ye Liuyun immediately answered his question with one of his own, "Why wouldn't I dare to kill you?" He would immediately coldly toss out his mass murder weapon that walked the jianghu as an explanation.

If you kill me, Uncle Wu Zhu would naturally kill everyone in the Ye family. This was a very simple truth. Ye Liuyun would certainly believe it and furthermore, would not accept it.

"Ah…so that year, you hid on the precipice and secretly watched."

Unexpectedly, Ye Liuyun did not continue Fan Xian's previous sentence. He only slowly returned the sword in his hand back into its sheath. He looked at that handsome face and sighed.

Fan Xian's heart jumped, but no expression appeared on his face. It was still cold and calm.

"Don't understand?" Ye Liuyun asked.

Fan Xian truly did not understand and nodded his head. The ferociousness and confidence he purposely showed earlier immediately weakened greatly.

Ye Liuyun smiled slightly and said, "If you weren't on the precipice, how could you recite those lines? How could you know I am me? How could you be sure I knew you were you? How could you know I wouldn't dare to kill you?"

It sounded very complicated, so Fan Xian was actually a bit dazed. Fortunately, his enlightenment had come a dozen years earlier than normal people. Having lived twice, his foundational knowledge of logic and such was stronger than most. He turned it over in his head a few time and finally unraveled Ye Liuyun's words.

What Ye Liuyun wanted to express was very simple: In this world, at least today, at least in Jiangnan, there were not many people who could recognize him.

This shocked Fan Xian. Was it true that very few people would be able to recognize the Qing Kingdom's Great Grandmaster?

…

…

He unconsciously loosened his tight grip on the paper fan and a glimmer of mocking rose to the corner of his mouth. "Don't think that if you pretend to be ruthless you can imitate my uncle. Don't think that if you wear a bamboo hat you can imitate bald Ku He. Don't think that if you carry a sword that others will believe you are Sigi Jian."

"You are Ye Liuyun, whether or not I recognize you, you are still Ye Liuyun."

Sigu Jian's movements were of utmost importance to the Overwatch Council. It was impossible for Ye Liuyun to imitate him, so this was something that Fan Xian could not understand. Did Ye Liuyun do this because he truly wanted to shed of pretenses of cordiality with the Emperor?

He smiled mockingly and said, "Although Sigu Jian is indeed rather stupid and has been the scapegoat countless times for the Qing Kingdom, your acting is a bit too lacking in effort."

"Who I am is not important." Ye Liuyun looked at Fan Xian coldly. "I am just here to remind you. Your visit to Jiangnan has resulted in too many deaths already."

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at one of the four extraordinary martial art masters left in the world without cowering back at all. He slowly said, "In this world, how could goals be achieved without people dying?"

"What goal do you want to reach?"

"I am an official…my responsibility is to protect the Emperor's interests so that they are not damaged at all." A strange light flashed through Fan Xian's eyes. He smiled slightly and said, "Other than this, I have no other intentions."

"Even if it is death?"

"No, I won't die."

Ye Liuyun became silent. A few moments later he said, "Your…mother was not like this back then."

Fan Xian did not find it surprising that the other party would bring up his mother, but his face wore a frosty expression as he coldly replied, "Don't use my mother to pressure me. Besides, speaking of killing people, I'm sure you remember very clearly that my mother was no better than me."

"I am talking about roots and natural disposition." Ye Liuyun's voice suddenly deepened. "Those who like to kill, how could they hold great power?"

The slightly warm atmosphere earlier from reminiscing about former times immediately froze over and became tense again.

"In Jingdou, you have those people taxing their body and soul to worry for you, for the time being, I will not talk about that." Ye Liuyun sat upright beside the table, his whole person seemed as tough and unyielding as the pine trees on the Easter Mountain. "When you came to Jiangnan, Jiangnan became troublesome. How many people have died because of your clever hands?"

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and felt an incredible anger in his heart. He lowered his voice and said, "Perhaps if I didn't come to Jiangnan, these people would not have died? The palace treasury bastards would not be bastards and the rotten Ming family would become virtuous?"

He smiled disdainfully. "Elder, earlier I said not to pressure me in my mother's name, now I will add to that, using righteousness also has no effect on me."

Ye Liuyun's expression did not change. It was impossible to see either joy or anger. He only quietly said, "In the matter of killing Yuan Meng, you drugged the servants in the manor, so it appears you have some kindness. However, these drugged people were all captured by the Suzhou government later and killed to keep them from talking."

He looked warmly into Fan Xian's eyes and continued to speak, "When you left, you should have guessed that under the pressure of the Overwatch Council those innocent people could only die. You didn't kill the innocent, but the innocent died because of you."

"I only need to shoulder the responsibilities I need to shoulder."

Fan Xian's mouth had some teaching from his previous life for a light reply, but great astonishment surged up in his heart.

It was not because of those innocent people dying because of him. Although this did darken his heart slightly, the astonishment came from Ye Liuyun's tone. That tone seemed to faintly hint that…the details of his entry and killings in the manor were completely known to the other person.

Fan Xian stared into Ye Liuyun's eyes. He didn't know just how much this Great Grandmaster knew. If he knew he had already mastered the Sigu Sword, that would be bad…this was one of Fan Xian's secrets. Once it was known by the Emperor in the capital, the entire Overwatch Council would be trampled into the ground because of the incident with the Shadow at the Hanging Temple.

Ye Liuyun could certainly use this to threaten him, but looking at his expression, it seemed like he did not know the details.

Of all the things Ye Liuyun could have brought up, why did he bring up the completely unimportant Yuan Meng?

A severe light flashed through Fan Xian's eyes, and he immediately recovered his calm. He gave up the thought of killing him to stop him talking. Today's situation was not the same as in the past. He had always been the knife, and the people the meat. Today, it was him struggling desperately on the chopping board. If he wanted to kill this man in front of him, it would be essentially impossible to do during Uncle Wu Zhu's recovery period.

Thus, Fan Xian slammed the table and roared in anger, "To succeed in an important matter, one cannot bother about the trivialities! If I didn't strike like lightning and allowed Jiangnan to go on like in the past, how many deaths would the Ming family cause? How many more people would those pirates kill? Will you fill in the deficit in the national treasury?"

Without waiting for Ye Liuyun to reply, that resentful finger of his extended out again. He very daringly and rudely pointed it at Ye Liuyun's nose and cursed, "What about that Junshang Conference? Is it cleaner than me? What is your identity…how could you lower yourself to work for them? You are the Grandmaster of the Qing Kingdom, why do you not stand on my side? Why do you stand on that side?

The last sentence twisted cleverly and pointed straight at his heart.

Ye Liuyun furrowed his brows slightly and slowly said, "The Junshang Conference is not like what you imagine."

Fan Xian laughed mockingly and said, "Of course I understand. You are a lofty Great Grandmaster but you are still a person, you still need luxuries. Walking the earth and wandering the horizons seems joyful, but if you always scorched and drenched by sun and rain, how could it feel fun at all? If everywhere you went, in each province and land there was someone to receive you, to serve you, to worship you…naturally you will be happy. Other than the Junshang Conference, who else could offer you the entire world?"

Ye Liuyun smiled slightly as he looked at him. It seemed like he didn't expect for this young man to be able to so easily discern his relationship to the Junshang Conference.

The matter was just this simple. Ku He was worshipped by Northern Qi. Sigu Jian was worshipped by Dongyi. The one in the Royal Palace was naturally worshipped by the Qing Kingdom. But what about Ye Liuyun? He walked the earth and did not return home. He blew the wind on the sea and supported the pines on the Eastern Mountain, and he traveled the rivers and lakes. All of this needed someone to manage, someone to look after.

The Great Grandmaster also needed to eat and to live in inns, particularly someone of his status. Surely he didn't like the clichéd fawning and preferred to live in a quiet garden and talk with hermits hidden within the mountain.

A garden needed money, going into the mountain to visit friends required travel expenses. Traveling around the world was actually a very extravagant life. It wouldn't do for a proper Great Grandmaster to be a highway robber.

Fan Xian was done speaking. He smiled coldly and said, "But your disciples' relationship with the Junshang Conference is not so simple…if you want to scoop up people from my hands, it will not be so simple. For your sake, the Junshang Conference has protected these maiden-like hands. Are you going to use these hands to hold up the sky for the Junshang Conference?"

As he spoke, his gaze, with or without intention, landed on Ye Liuyun's hands that were lying on the table.

That pair of hands were as white as jade without a single wrinkle. They did not look like an old person's hands. They looked like a pair of woman's hands that had never seen sunlight and only knew embroidery in a boudoir.

This was from many years ago when Ye Qingmei pushed Wu Zhu to enter the Qing Kingdom's Jindou and his first battle with Ye Liuyun. It was a mark of Ye Liuyun successfully sacrificing his sword and letting go of his hand. After all these years, nothing had changed at all.

Hearing Fan Xian describe his hands as womanly, his eyes, which had been as calm as limpid autumn waters, gradually began to flare up.

…

…

The most important thing in a negotiation was to understand the other person's emotions, even if that person was a loft Great Grandmaster. When Fan Xian first realized that Ye Liuyun was about to show his anger, he immediately changed the topic of conversation and slowly said, "There should still be a while before the Black Knights make their move…if you truly care about your disciples in the garden… shouldn't you give Mr. Zhou to me?"

Ye Liuyun looked at him with a not-quite-there smile and seemed to be mocking him as well as looking at an ignorant child. "Now you are willing to accept my condition?"

Fan Xian slightly lowered his eyelids, but his heart gave a thump. He originally thought that since Ye Liuyun had dragged the account master of the Junshang Conference all the way to Baoyue Brothel, he intended to use Mr. Zhou to exchange for the descendants of the Ye family in the Junshang Conference.

Perhaps the other party never intended to do this?

"I never accept any condition when threatened by others."

He raised his head. His calm eyes gazed with sincerity at Ye Liuyun's strange appearance. "But, that does not mean I am not willing to come to an agreement with an elder worthy of respect."

Hearing this, Ye Liuyun finally made an expression. He sighed and said, "Indeed so shameless…"

Fan Xian smiled slightly. "You use martial abilities to threaten people; I use lives to threaten people. If we are talking about being shameless, the difference is not that big."

Ye Liuyun slowly stood up.

Fan Xian's heart jumped, although his face remained calm. He once again opened that poor fan that had already been warped and drenched in sweat and fanned it randomly.

Ye Liuyun looked at the fan in his hand and a glimmer of amusement flashed through his eyes. He could see that this young man was actually very nervous deep in his heart.

…

…

"Do not think that you understand everything and that you can control everything," Ye Liuyun said. "Otherwise, there will be a day that you will die very unfortunately."

Ye Liuyun sighed.

"You are a clever man, but don't be overly clever," Ye Liuyun lectured.

…

…

"You should know how the later matters should be handled." Ye Liuyun slowly lowered his head allowing the bamboo hat to hide his strange appearance. He held the long sword wrapped in rough cloth backwards and walked to the rail to pick up Mr. Zhou by his collar.

Fan Xian finally felt a glimmer of helplessly and confusion. If Ye Liuyun was not here to deliver account master Zhou to him, then why did he condescend to talk with him for so long?

Ye Liuyun turned his head. Smoke and god gradually rose in his eyes and an instinct yet chilling murderous intent shocked Fan Xian's body. He finally slowly said, "I carry a sword not to imitate that idiot Sigu Jian. Perhaps you, child, have forgotten that back then I used to wield a sword."

As he spoke, he slowly drew out the sword. The snow bright and sharp blade did not give a trace of light. It seemed that all of the light had been absorbed by the palm of that steady and pure white hand.

Fan Xian's eyelid jumped, and he gathered his mind. He bit down hard on the tip of his tongue and used the pain to alert himself. At a time of life or death, every stratagem and battle of wits was fake. He suddenly forced out the Tyrannical zhenqi surging in his lower back and moved it into his fists before striking forward. He struck the table.

Following a strange and sharp cry, Fan Xian's entire person was shocked up by the Tyrannical double punch. His body twisted in the air like a pathetic dog, anxiously and dismally, he dissolved into a black line at an admirable speed and sped out of the building.

Fan Xian swept over the long street. His entire person hovered in the air. His eyes were full of terror. Even now he could feel the murderous sword will behind him chasing after him as if it could chop him in two at any moment.

He twisted his body and kicked out with his leg. He opened his mouth and spat out blood before increasing his speed again. He made three flips in the air and the tips of his feet stepped on the green banner outside the building opposite. Using the strength of the rebound, he once again dissolved in a light smoke and landed on the street.

The six Tiger Guards and the Overwatch Council swordsmen had long charged over and securely protected him in the middle. Layer upon layer, the acted as his meat shield without fearing death.

In an instant, Fan Xian felt surrounded by people and could not see the situation outside. A glimmer of gratitude flashed through him before his body returned to its most sensitive state, prepared to escape at any moment.

…

…

It was absolutely silent on the long street, a strange silence.

Fan Xian did not dare move rashly. He hid for an indeterminable amount of time behind his guards before he felt something was strange. He ordered his subordinates to make a small gap.

Ye Liuyun was no longer in the Baoyue Brothel.

Looking down the gap his subordinates, who were half dead with nervousness, had opened up, Fan Xian saw, at the end of Suzhou long street, a cloth-clothed man in a bamboo hat manhandling a person and slowly walking toward the city gate.

Although he was walking slowly, each of the other person's step seemed to be 30 meters long. He gradually grew distant.

Fan Xian swallowed some saliva to soothe his burning throat. He burrowed out of the crowd with a confused expression. Standing on the long street, he gazed at Ye Liuyun's retreating figure in a daze.

…

…

Gao Da had already come down from the building opposite. Seeing the safe and unharmed commissioner, he was overjoyed and asked in a trembling voice, "Sir, are you alright?"

Fan Xian placed his slightly shaky hands behind him and said with a forced calm, "What could have happened?"

As he spoke, he watched Ye Liuyun's figure disappear into the city gate.

No one had noticed that on the top floor of the Baoyue Brothel, other than the deep gash Gao Da had left, there were gradually some new changes. Beside the table that Fan Xian had broken with his fists, a crack suddenly appeared in the thick red paint at about half the height of a person on the thick corridor column.

The fan that Fan Xian had thrown down during his escape had disappeared without a trace.

The gash on the paint suddenly split open with a crack like a miserable injury. The skin was peeling outwards and revealed the wood inside. The solid wood inside was also slowly cracking open.

The crack was impossibly deep, and it had already bisected this huge column.

It was not just the column. All of the wooden columns, railings, walls, decorations, and tables had begun to crack at waist height. The cracks gradually grew and extended, slowly becoming one unit. It was like a supernatural workman had instantly drawn a black line across the room.

Only, the line wasn't drawn in ink, it was drawn with a sword.

With a crisp crack, the first thing to fall over was a vase shelf in the corner of the top floor of the Baoyue Brothel. The vase fell onto the floor and shattered into power.

Then there was a gigantic sound.

…

…

The long street had emptied long ago. There were only Fan Xian and the dozens of his subordinates surrounding him. Hearing the sound, they consciously raised their heads and gazed up and to the right.

Everyone was dumbstruck and speechless, including Fan Xian. Their eyes were filled with shock and fear, and their mouths were opened wide revealing perfectly white, tea stained, or missing teeth, to the point that they didn't even react when the wood and dust gradually filling the sky fell into their mouths.

The Baoyue Brothel collapsed. More accurately, the top floor of the Baoyue Brothel collapsed. Even more accurately, half of the top floor of the Baoyue Brothel was, with a determined poise, neatly collapsing according to a perfect design, sending dust up into the air.

As the dust settled, everyone clearly saw that it was like Baoyue Brothel had been cleaved in half by a heavenly sword. The top had completely collapsed, leaving, very tidily, on the bottom half of the boards and decorations.

The break was very neat and smooth. It was truly like a giant sword had sliced it through the middle.

Everyone knew that this had indeed been sliced open by a "person." In everyone's hearts, their first impressions once again rose up—this person was not a person.

…

…

Fan Xian was the first person on the long street to close their mouth. He looked at the long empty city gates and then turned back to his own broken building. He couldn't resist slapping his face heavily to convince himself this was truly happening.

Once the Overwatch Council and the Tiger Guards woke from their daze, the gazes they turned toward Fan Xian were somewhat strange, full of shock and lingering fear, and some confusion. How did the commissioner get out alive?

This question…Fan Xian was not too sure either.

"Deng Zi Yue." Fan Xian's voice were slightly hoarse and his eyes were flushed with an unhealthy red. As he coughed he said, "Make a trip to over there."

It was clear that Deng Zi Yue was still in a daze. Only after Fan Xian had repeated himself angrily twice that he woke up and quickly acknowledged it.

Fan Xian called him over to stand in front of him and lowered his voice, "If…I'm saying if, someone surrenders, then you have to ensure their survival."

Deng Zi Yue was slightly shocked and raised his head to look at the commissioner.

A glimmer of fear flashed through Fan Xian's eyes and he said, "Bring the person back…no, have the Black Knights directly escort them back to Jingdou."

He sighed in his heart and didn't want it to have any connection to it. In an elder's matters, let the elders play by themselves. He couldn't suffer such mental torment again.

Deng Zi Yue accepted his orders and turned his head to glance at the half destroyed building. He couldn't resist swallowing and asking in a shaky voice, "Sir, who exactly was that person?"

Fan Xian glared at him and said, "Didn't Gao Da say it was Sigu Jian?"

Deng Zi Yue proved himself to be a trusted aide of the Second Bureau and very directly countered, "It is clearly written in the Council report, Sigu Jian is still in Dongyi…"

Fan Xian directly cut across his words and said angrily, "Look at this broken building! The other person was a Great Grandmaster! Can our spies keep an eye on their movements?"

Deng Zi Yue did not understand why Fan Xian was angry. He took his orders and went in search of a horse to ride out of the city. He had to quickly meet with the Black Knights.

After Deng Zi Yue left, Fan Xian remained standing on the street and refused to return to Hua Garden. His subordinates and the Tiger Guards could not persuade him, so they could only stand with him.

Fan Xian couldn't resist glancing again at his broken building. He wanted to say something but resisted.

In a short time, there was an express report from the Overwatch Council.

"Report, already left the city gate."

…

…

More time passed.

"Report, already passed the Night Pavilion."

…

…

In the end, a frightened rider stopped.

"Report, already passed the Seventh-Li Hill."

The Seventh-Li Hill was more than seven li away from Suzhou. It was already the road back to Jingdou, more than a full 20 li. Although no one dared to believe that the man in the bamboo hat could have traveled 20 li in such a short time, they remembered the other person's identity and understood a little.

Having confirmed that the exceptional martial artist who split a building with one strike had left Suzhou, everyone let out a breath. Tiger Guard Gao Da wiped the cold sweat from his brows and moved closer to Fan Xian's side. In a quiet voice, he said, "Sir, should we arrange for someone to stop him?"

"Who could stop him?"

Gao Da thought for a bit. He had indeed said something very stupid, so he quickly said, "Quickly write a secret report and send it to Jingdou."

Fan Xian furrowed his brows and said, "I'm afraid it won't be in time, but I'll still have to write it."

"Deng Diwen." He called another member of the Qinian Unit, one of the original swordsmen of the Sixth Bureau responsible for protecting Xia Qifei a few days ago. When Deng Zi Yue wasn't around, Fan Xian trusted him the most.

Fan Xian didn't hide it from Gao Da and directly said in a cold voice, "Go tell the governor's yamen that tomorrow we are going to Ming Garden again. We are going to seize all of the Ming family's private soldiers."

Gao Da listened at the side and felt slightly apprehensive. He had indeed not expected that after such a dangerous moment, the commissioner would first think of how to use this incident to his advantage.

An assassination attempt on the imperial envoy was a big matter. Right now the anger of the Jiangnan people was at its height. Everyone was sure to think of the Ming family. This incident could be used to further weaken the Ming family and at the same time, it could also decrease the people's rage at the old Ming matriarch's death. Gao Da truly prostrated himself in admiration for the commissioner.

…

…

Having confirmed that Ye Liuyun had left Suzhou, Fan Xian's heart relaxed. Only, he still had great misgivings and was confused. However, it was impossible for him to speak of it to anyone. He looked again at the half-broken building beside him and couldn't help pulling a gloomy face and cursing, "How much will this cost to fix? That old bastard!"

Hearing these words, everyone jumped in fright and was immediately shocked. No one dared to open their mouths. The street was completely silent. No one would have thought that the commissioner actually dared to curse out a Great Grandmaster.

Fan Xian looked at everyone's strange mood and felt anger surging up. He opened his mouth and ranted, "This is my building! Someone destroyed it, and I'm not even allowed to curse? That is a bastard!"

Gao Da wished he could cover the commissioner's mouth, but he didn't have the boldness. He couldn't help feeling even more admiration for the commissioner. He was indeed an exceptional figure full of daring.

Earlier, Fan Xian faced Ye Liuyun alone in the building, which already had made his subordinates admire him. Later, he survived and even successfully had the Great Grandmaster leaving swiftly, so everyone felt an admiration of Fan Xian to their very bones.

Of course, what everyone most admired was that Fan Xian dared to curse him on the streets after the incident.

…

…

Under everyone's admiring and praising gazes, Fan Xian muttered something but no one heard clearly. They only saw his body go soft, and he sat down.

A floral image floated past, and a girl held onto Fan Xian's body.

Everyone knew she was the commissioner's close female friend, so they were not nervous. They were just a bit worried. It looked like having gone against a godlike Great Grandmaster, the commissioner still received some internal injuries.

Everyone quickly followed the young man and woman in front toward Hua Garden. The soldiers from the governor's manor finally arrived.

Fan Xian tilted his body into the girl's embrace and smelled that faint floral scent. He couldn't resist saying resentfully, "He's already left and then you come out."

An apologetic look flashed across Haitang's face and she said, "I can't beat him."

Fan Xian couldn't resist rolling his eyes. "Who can beat this kind of strange creature?"

Haitang asked worriedly, "Internal damage?"

"No." Fan Xian replied seriously. "I pretended for too long upstairs. Actually my legs…turned to water long ago from fear."