When the Madman Sharpened His Blade at Night

Amid the howling wind and snow, Fang Xuan repeatedly plunged his hands into the scalding stones inside the iron pot.

You tempered your palms once with high-temperature sand and stones. Whale Sand Palm proficiency +1

You tempered your palms once with high-temperature sand and stones. Whale Sand Palm proficiency +1

The Black Talisman trembled faintly, lines of tiny prompts flowing endlessly before Fang Xuan's eyes like ink-wash landscapes.

Crash—!

Fang Xuan pulled out his crimson-red hands and raised his head toward the sky.

There were no stars above, no moon.

Only boundless black emptiness, and ice and snow drifting ceaselessly down.

Just like his future, where no light could be seen.

"I've clearly already worked so hard. So hard."

Fang Xuan murmured softly.

His dream had never been great. He only wanted to live like a proper human being in this chaotic age, no longer spending every day in fear, no longer being bullied and humiliated.

"But why was it that when I was being bullied, no one ever helped me? Yet now that it is my turn to bully others, they all come rushing out, saying my methods are vile, saying I am filthy?"

Fang Xuan drew a deep breath and slowly clenched his fists, a cold gleam surfacing in his eyes.

Why did people step out to criticize him?

Because he was not truly strong enough!

If he were strong enough to tear apart anyone's mouth whenever he wished, who would dare speak? Who could speak?

Crack!!!

As Fang Xuan thrust his hands into the iron pot once more, the entire pot exploded with a bang, splitting into two halves.

Sand and stones scattered as tongues of flame leaped.

Amid the wind and snow, Fang Xuan strode away, heading straight for South of the City!

He was going to find Instructor Xun and reason things out with him, while asking one question along the way—

Old sir, had you ever heard of the madman who sharpened his blade at night?

South of the City, within a small courtyard enclosed by vermilion walls.

An elderly man with a long, narrow face and refined features sat in a pearwood chair, his eyes half-closed, his face full of enjoyment.

Below him, a young girl carefully placed his feet into a basin of water, washing and kneading them.

"Xiao Fang, your hands are becoming more and more skillful."

Instructor Xun bent down and stretched out a hand, gently lifting the girl's chin.

The girl shuddered, her entire body going taut.

Instructor Xun bent down further, pursed his lips, and pecked her soft lips. Then he straightened up, smacking his lips as he savored the lingering taste.

"Your little mouth is getting softer and softer too."

"As long as Master likes it."

The girl forced a smile. Afraid that Instructor Xun might become interested and proceed to the next step, she hurriedly changed the subject.

"Master, I heard that today, the younger brother of Master Fang from the Black Whale Gang came to offer you tuition and seek apprenticeship?"

"Master Fang?"

Instructor Xun gave a disdainful snort. "A mere rogue peasant who relied on brute strength to scrape by in the jianghu dares call himself Master? He can only bully ordinary folk. If he stood before me, I doubt he would even have the nerve to raise his voice."

"What Master says is true. How could that Ruffian Fang possibly be mentioned in the same breath as Master?"

The girl hurriedly echoed him, then asked curiously.

"Master, but I heard that Fang Erlang is clever and gifted, with quite a reputation for learning. You have always taught without discrimination and gathered students far and wide, so why were you unwilling to take him in?"

"What clever and gifted? It is nothing but a crude method of building up his name through rumors."

Instructor Xun waved a hand dismissively. "That Fang Xuan is a rogue who throws his weight around and tyrannizes the market. What good could his younger brother possibly become after being influenced by him day and night? As they say, dragons bear dragons, phoenixes bear phoenixes, and rats' sons dig holes. The Fang Family must be a nest of rotten seeds."

The girl nodded as if she understood.

Instructor Xun reached out and scraped the girl's pert nose, then smiled. "Xiao Fang, let me teach you another principle. The reason I teach without discrimination and gather students far and wide is to form good ties in advance. Among these people, someone might one day become a great figure. Then I will have gained another connection and broadened my road.

As for Fang Erlang, whether I take him in is of little consequence. But his elder brother Fang Xuan acts arrogant and reckless. Sooner or later, he will kick an iron plate and invite great disaster. If I associate with him, would I not be narrowing my own road?"

Before his words had faded—

Boom—!!!

A tremendous crash suddenly came from outside.

"What was that sound?!"

Instructor Xun's expression changed, and he hastily raised his head to look ahead.

In the blurred night, his vermilion gate came crashing down.

Amid the wind and snow, a tall figure with a saber at his waist strode forward.

"Instructor Xun, you certainly have elegant tastes. At your age, you can still flirt with young girls?"

Instructor Xun's expression changed.

"F-Fang Xuan?!"

Instructor Xun stared at the tall figure, inwardly crying disaster. Why had this rogue wolf come knocking at his door at such a time?

"Fang Xuan, you rogue! Why are you not staying at home at this hour? Why have you trespassed into my residence?" He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and barked.

Fang Xuan stopped walking, a smile on his face that did not reach his eyes.

"Fang has always had hard bones. I came specially to see whether I can kick your iron plate to pieces, old sir."

"Outrageous!"

Instructor Xun's brows sank as he shouted, "Wang Da, Wang Er, throw him out!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!

In an instant, doors throughout the residence flew open, and two broad-shouldered, thick-waisted men rushed out with cudgels in hand.

"Fang Xuan, Instructor Xun holds scholarly rank. You cannot be allowed to act recklessly here! Leave at once, or do not blame us brothers for showing no mercy with our staffs!"

The two burly men shouted at Fang Xuan.

"A mere old xiucai counts as holding scholarly rank?

When I give you face, I call you old sir. When I do not, what the hell are you supposed to be?"

Fang Xuan sneered. If the Da Yang Dynasty still held power, he might have feared this "scholarly rank" somewhat. But now the Da Yang Dynasty's imperial power had collapsed, authority had fallen into other hands, and it could barely protect itself. It had no leisure to concern itself with local affairs.

As long as someone was weaker than him, he feared not even the Jade Emperor himself!

Why would he fear this so-called "scholarly rank"?

"You!!!"

Instructor Xun's face flushed crimson. He was so enraged that even his voice trembled as he cursed.

"Beat this rogue to death! A lowborn wretch dares defy his superior and insult a scholar-official like me?"

Whoosh, whoosh—!

The cudgels swung down, stirring up howling gusts of wind.

Wang Da and Wang Er clearly knew some martial arts. Their cudgels struck with tremendous force, enough to break sinews and shatter bones with ease.

Fang Xuan's gaze turned cold. If he remembered correctly, the bruises on Xiao Li's body had been left by cudgels.

Bang!

"Whale Sand!"

Fang Xuan let out a low shout. His large, clearly knuckled hands instantly turned crimson-red and scorching hot!

Whoosh—!

His hands shot out like lightning, directly seizing the two descending cudgels in a tight grip.

"Hmm?!"

Wang Da and Wang Er exchanged a glance, both shocked.

Each of their strikes carried at least four or five hundred jin of force. How had they been caught so easily?

They tugged hard, only to discover that the other ends of the cudgels seemed to have been cast in molten iron. No matter how red their faces became from exertion, they could not move them even a fraction.

Just as their hearts were shaken—

"Such limp, feeble strength!"

Fang Xuan gave a savage grin and casually pulled with both palms. With a crack, he snapped the cudgels in half.

"Get lost!!"

He lunged forward, bringing his palms together like blades. His arms crossed in an X-shape as they smashed viciously toward Wang Da and Wang Er's faces!

Bang, bang—!!!

In an instant, Fang Xuan's palms struck both men squarely in the face. It was as though they had been blasted by heavy artillery—their nose bridges shattered, and their entire faces caved inward!

The immense force sent them flying backward. They crashed heavily in the distance, screamed once, and then their fate became unknown.

"Wang Da! Wang Er!"

In that instant, Instructor Xun's heart trembled violently.

Though these two had not entered the martial path, they were already formidable fighters among ordinary people. Three or five common men would be no match for them. How had they been defeated so easily by this rogue?

Fang Xuan casually tore off a piece of coarse cloth from his clothes and wiped the blood from his hands. Then he tossed away the cloth, now stained scarlet, as if it were trash, and turned his head to look at Instructor Xun with a smiling expression.

Under Instructor Xun's shocked and furious gaze, Fang Xuan tapped his temple with one finger and smiled faintly.

"Old sir, how do you intend to deal with this now?"