Do You Have the Strength to Say Such Things? (Please Vote and Keep Reading!)

"Are there really men like this in the world?"

Shan Wanjing's gaze fell on Fang Qing, surprise appearing on her face.

She had not noticed Fang Qing before. It was as if a hazy aura surrounded him, obscuring him from her sight. Only when Kou Zhong spoke did she finally notice Fang Qing.

He was an incomparably handsome man, carrying a temperament she had never seen before. It made people unable to resist drawing close and losing themselves in it, yet getting too close also seemed incredibly dangerous, as though one might vanish into smoke and ashes.

Simply standing there, he was more eye-catching than every other man in the world.

Even his hands alone seemed to possess the power to change everything.

"May I ask this Young Master's... name?"

Shan Wanjing spoke softly and waved her hand, having everyone temporarily cease their actions.

"My name is Fang Qing. Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling are my younger brothers. The grievances between you and them can be considered a misunderstanding. There may yet be opportunities for us to cooperate in the future, and I certainly will not let you suffer the slightest loss."

Fang Qing spoke as he glanced at Shan Wanjing.

Though his tone was calm, that calmness carried absolute confidence. The many questions rising in Shan Wanjing's heart were suppressed once more.

She had only one feeling: the conflict between Kou Zhong, Xu Ziling, and her people truly seemed to have been a misunderstanding. If they cooperated with Kou Zhong and the others in the years ahead, they would indeed gain many benefits.

Who exactly is this man? Why does he make me feel such overwhelming dominance? His words actually leave no room for defiance?

Not far away, Shang Ming, the young commander of the East Sea Sect, had originally wanted to say something like, "Who are you? What gives you the right?" Yet upon hearing Fang Qing's words, he found himself unable to voice any challenge and could only remain where he was.

All the thoughts in Shan Wanjing's mind vanished, leaving behind only Fang Qing's name.

Fang Qing. Young Master Fang.

She had never heard it in the past, but in the years to come, she feared she would never be able to forget it.

"Greetings... Young Master Fang."

Shan Wanjing spoke softly and bowed to Fang Qing.

"Meeting today is fate. Let us enter the residence together."

Fang Qing smiled and invited the people of the East Sea Sect to enter Wang Tong's Mansion with him.

Their party grew considerably larger as they all entered Wang Tong's Mansion.

Shan Wanjing felt that she had many questions, but before Young Master Fang Qing, she somehow could not ask any of them. She felt that Young Master Fang possessed an immensely powerful presence, enough to make her believe anything he said.

The very fact that such thoughts had arisen was already terrifying.

What is this Young Master Fang's background? I have met many martial arts masters, but among all the masters in the world, none seem to possess a presence more formidable than his.

Shan Wanjing could not make sense of it no matter how hard she thought. She could only decide to investigate him more carefully later.

By then, Fang Qing and the others had already entered Wang Tong's Mansion.

In the main hall of the residence stood three Rosewood Chairs, occupied by three people. Everyone else could only stand, making the status and position of those three all the more apparent.

The man in the middle wore ragged clothes, his beard and hair snow-white, yet he carried an imposing bearing that gave one the feeling of a towering mountain.

Another wore a long robe. His temples were touched with gray, and though he appeared middle-aged, his bearing was refined and elegant, giving him an air that seemed beyond the mundane world.

The last was filled with the aura of a man in power, as though he held great authority and commanded elite troops and fierce generals.

The three had been conversing when they saw people approaching from afar. Upon seeing Fang Qing in particular, all of them turned their gazes toward him, surprise appearing on their faces.

"May I ask which Young Master has arrived, and where you cultivate?"

The seemingly middle-aged Old Scholar spoke.

This Old Scholar was Wang Tong, the Master of this residence. He was a great Confucian scholar of the age; in terms of learning, few in the present day could surpass him. In terms of martial arts, his strength also ranked among the great masters of the era, not beneath Zhai Rang, Dou Jiande, Du Fuwei, or the heads of the Four Clans.

When he saw Fang Qing, he actually sensed a long-lost feeling of danger. This made Wang Tong unable to resist questioning Fang Qing's origins, so he directly asked where he came from.

When Wang Tong questioned Fang Qing's origins, the other two beside him were also very curious about his background.

One was Ouyang Xiyi, known as the "Hermit of Yellow Mountain," whose seniority was enough to rival Ning Daoqi, the foremost master of the Mystic School.

As for the other, he was Wang Shichong, a renowned high official of the court. Because Li Mi and Zhai Rang's Wagang Army had risen in rebellion, he had been sent to deal with Wagang. He was a high-ranking court official who commanded a great army.

Both men were extremely curious about Fang Qing's origins.

"I am an Immortal from Beyond the Heavens, descended here to choose a True Lord."

Fang Qing looked at the crowd. "The one I have chosen is Kou Zhong. I hope you will all lend him your support and help him restore peace to this shattered realm."

The moment these words fell, the entire hall went silent.

Whether it was Wang Tong, the great Confucian scholar; Ouyang Xiyi, whose seniority was extraordinarily high; Wang Shichong, the high court official commanding a great army; Shan Wanjing, the Princess of the East Sea Sect; or even Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling themselves, none had expected Fang Qing to say such things.

Were those words not far too treasonous?

Were they not far too blunt?

He was simply treating everyone as beneath his notice. Did he not see that Wang Shichong, a high official of the court, was right here? Wang Shichong had brought a great army and was preparing to suppress Li Mi and Zhai Rang of Wagang. Now that he had heard such words, could he not simply wipe out Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling in the name of rebellion?

Everyone was stunned, feeling as though they had misheard.

But Fang Qing alone knew that he had said nothing wrong.

An Immortal from Beyond the Heavens had descended to choose a True Lord.

It was that simple and direct.

Anyone who refused to accept it could try him.

The mere fact that he could fly at will was enough to keep many warlords awake at night.

Flight—even taking others into the air—meant that the impregnable passes controlled by countless warlords would become meaningless, leaving them at his mercy.

But the people here did not yet know Fang Qing's true capabilities. Naturally, someone would step forward to test him.

Ouyang Xiyi's hand slowly settled upon the hilt of his sword. In an instant, everyone felt as though the temperature in the hall had plummeted, icy killing intent permeating the room.

"Young Master Fang's words are truly shocking. But I would also like to know whether Young Master Fang has the strength to say such things."

Ouyang Xiyi, the great master known as the "Hermit of Yellow Mountain," who had been famous for decades, spoke. It seemed that in the next moment, he would draw his sword against Fang Qing.

"Come."

Ahhh, I lost the third round of recommendation competition. This is truly awful. Please vote and keep reading—new books are far too difficult now.