Immortal of the Nine Realms

The scene fell into chaos for a brief moment, but within just a few breaths, both the old woman and the horde of wandering souls she had brought were suppressed by Li Badao. The iron chains, resembling a soul-capturing lock, bound the group together like a string of gourds, leaving them unable to move an inch.

The surrounding wandering souls, minor officials, and Yin Walkers were all struck with trepidation.

This man treats the Grand Xia royalty with such disregard. Is he not afraid of provoking the Upper Capital’s fury?

”You, you actually dare to do this!” shrieked the old woman, her eyes blazing with venomous hatred. ”And you! By what right do you treat this old woman this way? By what right!? Do you have any idea who I am!?”

The old woman was shaking with rage. Though she was bound, her tongue remained sharp as she hurled abuse at Li Badao. Eventually, she turned her venomous focus towards Fang Chen, her shrill voice piercing the air.

”Go ahead and tell me your identity,” said Fang Chen with a smile. ”Just your status in Grand Xia will do. Here in Baiyue City, you are merely a wandering soul without an official post. You have no identity.”

”Impudent! This is the Princess Consort, the wife of Prince Zhenlian of Grand Xia!”

”Release her this instant! Do not dare harm our Princess Consort!”

The wandering souls who had followed her roared in indignation.

”Prince Zhenlian? Never heard of him. How many generations was he apart from Xia Xuanji?” asked Fang Chen.

The old woman and her entourage were momentarily stunned. Then, a wave of explosive anger followed immediately.

”You dare call the Ancestral Emperor by his given name!?”

”Ancestral Emperor? It seems Grand Xia has developed quite well,” mused Fang Chen.

Just then, Fang Cangyue arrived with a group of eunuchs and palace maids. Upon seeing her, the old woman broke into tears and cried out, ”Ancestress! Ancestress! The Grand Xia royalty is being bullied in broad daylight! Please, Ancestress, you must take action!”

”Is that the Empress of the Grand Xia Ancestral Emperor?”

”It seems to be her...”

”Her status must be truly extraordinary. If they really have connections to that person in the Upper Capital, hers must be the deepest of all!”

The crowd whispered amongst themselves. When the local division officials caught sight of Fang Cangyue, they immediately showed expressions of deep respect.

A very long time ago, they had received a formal notice that this woman’s status was extraordinary. No matter what she did, they were not to interfere or show even the slightest hint of disrespect. Since this notice had come directly from the Upper Capital, certain rumors had naturally begun to spread.

”Great-Ancestress!” exclaimed the plump youth who cried out the moment he saw Fang Cangyue.

His voice was thick with grievance and sorrow.

Fang Cangyue stepped into the crowd and swept her gaze across the group of Grand Xia royals before finally settling on Fang Chen.

Just as the old woman and the others expected Fang Cangyue to step forward and scold Fang Chen on their behalf, she did something no one anticipated. She walked up to Fang Chen, gently cupped his cheeks, gave them a little squeeze, and then patted his shoulder.

She said endearingly, ”It’s good that you’re back. After you left last time, it’s been quite a few years since you’ve visited Grand Xia. Your aunt couldn’t help but worry.”

The tear stains on the old woman’s face seemed to evaporate instantly. ”Au... Aunt!?”

Her eyes bulged as she stared at the scene in disbelief.

The plump youth was equally stunned, his mind racing to analyse exactly what that title implied.

”He... he’s also part of the Grand Xia royalty!?” shouted the nearby wandering souls.

Among them, a few souls who looked to be in their fifties or sixties but possessed eyes filled with the weight of centuries stared fixedly at Fang Chen, seemingly trying to dredge up a distant memory.

Suddenly, someone let out a low cry. ”It’s Divine General Fang!?”

This exclamation instantly refreshed the memories of many elderly souls. Back then, the famed Divine General Fang had indeed been the nephew of the Ancestress!

”This humble old man pays his respects to Divine General Fang!” exclaimed an old soul, falling to his knees and kowtowing repeatedly.

When he looked up again, he was weeping with excitement. ”I never dreamed that after several hundred years, I would get to see Divine General Fang again. Your return is a blessing for Grand Xia!”

Among the souls gathered today, there were many from the older generations of Grand Xia. Even those who had never seen Fang Chen in person had certainly heard of his legendary name.

There were also those who had grown up listening to the older generation speak of the great Divine General Fang. They had heard of the defeat at Three World Mountain, the decline of Grand Xia, and how they were bullied by empires like Qingsong. They knew how the Divine General Fang had, in a single night, washed the Qingsong Superior Academy in blood and slaughtered every Qingsong martial artist in the capital. That had been the spark that began Grand Xia’s meteoric rise, eventually leading it to become the prosperous land of today.

Prince Zhenlian’s wife was now paralyzed with fear, trembling uncontrollably. The Grand Xia royals who had come with her were equally terrified. Even if they hadn’t personally experienced that era, they had seen the carriage go by. They understood far better than the commoners exactly what kind of terrifying foundation Divine General Fang possessed. Their knowledge was much more detailed than the vague rumors circulating outside!

Hiss!

The Yin Walker at the Foundation Building Realm sucked in a breath of cold air and stared at Fang Chen in disbelief. In the cultivation world of Grand Xia, legends of the Divine General Fang had long been established.

From the historical traces left behind, they had long since concluded that he was a titan of cultivation. Not only that, but both Fang Manors in the Northern Capital and the Southern region were protected by unfathomable formations. There was once a cultivator who tried to plot against the Fang Family, only to be blasted into soul-scattered non-existence by a mere servant before he could even get close. Since then, it became clear to the people of Grand Xia that the Fang Family was mysterious and unpredictable, and likely protected by Middle Three Realms experts.

”Aunt, have you been well these years? Have you grown accustomed to Baiyue City? Why not go and live in the Upper Capital?” invited Fang Chen warmly.

The Upper Capital?

The crowd was horrified. The rumors were true. A place they could never hope to reach in their lifetimes sounded like a casual backyard to this man.

”The Upper Capital is a bit inconvenient. Staying here allows me to go back and visit the Mortal Realm occasionally,” rejected Fang Cangyue politely. ”Yunxin is currently working in the Upper Capital. If I lived there, she would be constantly worrying about me and wouldn’t be able to focus on her career.”

Fang Chen nodded. ”That is true.”

The two chatted as if no one else were there. The more they spoke, the more the princess consort’s heart hammered against her ribs. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she called out weakly, ”An... Ancestress...”

”I have let your affairs slide for many years, thinking that when Chen’er returned, he might just happen to run into you. Sure enough, he did.” Fang Cangyue looked at her with a half-smile. ”Have I not dropped hints to you over the years, whether intentionally or not? I remember when you were a teenager, you were so innocent and bright. How is it that as you grew old, you became more muddled and lived your life in reverse?”

The princess consort’s throat turned dry, her eyes filled with pure terror. She had heard that Divine General Fang had served as an official alongside Jiang Yushu from the Ministry of Justice, and that the two were close friends. If Jiang Yushu was the Division Monarch of the Upper Capital Judgment Division, then this time, no one could save her.

”Chen’er, many of the Xia Family descendants cannot cultivate, so they don’t live long. As generation after generation dies and comes to Baiyue City, the numbers grow,” shared Fang Cangyue. “Naturally, things get messy. Since you’re back, take the opportunity to clean things up. While you’re at it, have a word with the officials of these divisions. Tell them there’s no need to treat the Grand Xia royalty with such deference. I’ve told them, but they don’t listen. They need to hear it from you.”

Fang Chen nodded, swept a glance over the officials from the various divisions, and then instructed Li Badao, ”I leave the matters here for you to adjudicate. Past or present, wherever there are errors or injustices, set things right. For those with severe offenses, hand them over to the Judgment Division for trial.”

”Understood!” responded Li Badao in a deep, booming voice.

Upon hearing this, the princess consort’s vision went dark, and she fainted from sheer terror.