"It looks like people from Green Ridge Stronghold launched a night raid!"
Fang Yuan lowered his head and examined the two corpses. They were dressed simply and carried the air of bandits. He searched them and found the tokens that identified them.
Down below, the mountainside blazed with light. The sounds of fighting and clashing weapons filled the air.
"Young Master!"
Fang Zheng lived not far from Fang Yuan'er. He had hurried over at the first opportunity to check on him and see how things stood.
The two cold corpses on the ground clearly showed that a battle had taken place here. One of them even carried the aura of the Xiantian Realm.
"Two petty thieves. They're no threat to me." Fang Yuan pointed toward the Mine, where the fighting was fierce. "Let's go help."
Even someone in the Xiantian Realm counted as a petty thief now? Fang Zheng couldn't help grumbling to himself.
"Looks like the Young Master is even stronger than the rumors say."
Fang Zheng was stationed at the Mine, but he still knew what was being said within the family.
He had thought the story about Fang Yuan defeating a Xiantian expert with one sword was just the family drumming up his reputation. Who would've thought it was true?
After all, one of the men lying on the ground was the Chieftain of Green Ridge Stronghold, with a cultivation base at the Second Layer of the Xiantian Realm.
But judging by the traces of battle, he had clearly been killed in an instant.
Fang Zheng was confident he could easily crush the man, but in the middle of a nighttime ambush, he certainly couldn't have done it so effortlessly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
When they reached the foot of the mountain, the battle was in chaos. By Fang Yuan's estimate, more than a hundred cultivators were fighting—a sizable clash.
Fang Yuan wasn't about to let the bandits slaughter his fellow clan members. He unleashed his full strength, and wherever he went, bandits fell.
"Who is that? He's so strong!"
Some clan members who had been stationed at the Mine for a long time had barely ever seen Fang Yuan. They stared at him in astonishment.
"You don't even recognize the future family head? At this rate, I think you'll want to stay at the Mine for the rest of your life," a companion teased.
Fang Yuan headed toward the living quarters of the family's younger generation.
As soon as he reached the area, he saw six Xiantian experts locked in battle. Some of the disciples were already wounded.
"Green Ridge Stronghold came in force!"
Fang Yuan's gaze shifted. He picked up a pebble, infused it with true qi, and flicked it away.
In an instant, it sent a bandit flying as he tried to sneak up on a disciple from behind.
"Young Master!"
The disciples' confidence soared at the sight of Fang Yuan. Their grips tightened around their weapons, and they fought back with renewed vigor.
"Man'er's pretty capable."
Fang Yuan noticed that two fights were going overwhelmingly in the clan's favor.
In one of them, Fang Man wielded an iron staff and fought with sweeping, powerful strokes. Facing two opponents at the Ninth Layer of the Houtian Realm, he was holding his own with ease.
"Fang Yuan'er has improved quickly."
As Fang Yuan helped relieve the pressure on the disciples, he caught sight of an old acquaintance fighting a bandit Chieftain out of the corner of his eye. Surprise flickered in his gaze.
"I didn't expect him to practice the Seven Wound Fist."
Both were the Fang Family's guardian martial arts, but the Seven Wound Fist was even more famous than the Myriad Star Fist.
"Everyone makes their own choices. There's nothing wrong with that."
Let go of the urge to help; respect the fate others choose.
Fang Yuan'er's opponent was a bandit Chieftain at the Second Layer of the Xiantian Realm. His blood and qi surged, and true qi roiled around him. He had Fang Yuan'er on the back foot, his fists tearing through the air.
"If the family hadn't sent a Steward here ahead of time, this Mine would've been drenched in blood tonight."
Fang Yuan had already encountered more than five bandit Chieftains. There might have been even more in total.
Clang...
After Fang Yuan joined the battle, the stalemate among the Xiantian experts began to turn.
A sword of condensed true qi formed in Fang Yuan's hand. With a swing, he swiftly severed one Chieftain's arm.
The one-armed bandit Chieftain's fighting strength plummeted. A family Steward soon cut him down.
"I don't need your help!"
After Fang Yuan helped two Stewards finish their fights, Fang Yuan'er's pride flared. His face twisted as he shouted angrily.
Fang Yuan couldn't be bothered to respond.
He hadn't planned on helping him anyway. His buddy was getting all worked up over nothing.
"The Young Master is truly valiant. I'm honored to see it for myself today."
The two Stewards, having caught their breath, came over and showered Fang Yuan with praise, leaving Fang Yuan'er thoroughly vexed.
Fang Yuan gave a slight nod and glanced toward the bandits, whose numbers had dwindled sharply. The battle was almost over.
"Let's check the other areas."
The Mine covered a wide area, but only a few places were important. The living quarters were certainly one of them.
Fang Yuan moved with Phantom Step, darting swiftly around the Mine. Before long, he had slain two more bandit Chieftains.
"The Young Master's cultivation base must be at least the Fourth Layer of the Xiantian Realm now!"
"The Fourth Layer of the Xiantian Realm? I remember he was only at the Third Layer half a year ago. That's an incredible pace."
"He took part in a great sect's trial. Isn't that normal?"
"Mind your words!"
Fang Yuan's strength astonished many of the Stewards. They murmured among themselves, voicing their amazement.
He was still young, yet his strength was already close to their own. It was enough to make them feel ashamed.
"Young Master, what should we do next? Please give us your instructions."
As the battle gradually subsided, Fang Zheng gathered the Mine's key personnel and yielded the seat of honor to Fang Yuan.
"I'm still young and inexperienced. It's better to leave things in the hands of Steward Fang Zheng."
Fang Yuan had no desire to draw attention to himself.
He'd only just arrived at the Mine. Seizing power and making himself the center of attention would be less useful than spending that time cultivating.
Seeing this, everyone secretly praised his mild temperament. He kept his sharpness sheathed, proud but never arrogant.
Fang Zheng had become the person in charge of the Mine for good reason. He was a capable manager and promptly arranged all the necessary matters.
Dawn was breaking.
A pale sliver of fish-belly white appeared on the distant horizon, with a faint haze of purple qi spreading through the sky.
Fang Zheng gathered the good news and came to Fang Yuan's door to report.
"Tonight, Green Ridge Stronghold sent out eight Chieftains and more than forty Houtian cultivators."
"Almost all of the bandits who attacked us were wiped out."
"We lost six Houtian cultivators, and one Steward was seriously wounded."
Fang Yuan nodded. Losses like these were to be expected.
Though they had been ambushed at night, they had won a great victory.
"How many of the younger disciples were wounded or killed?" Fang Yuan asked.
Fang Zheng thought for a moment before replying, "No one died, but two were seriously wounded and four or five suffered minor injuries."
"Thanks to the Young Master's arrival, our Mine was able to turn defeat into victory," Fang Zheng praised.
Fang Yuan took no credit for it.
Even if the family hadn't sent Stewards ahead of time, he could still have slaughtered every bandit who attacked. But their losses wouldn't have been so small.
There were too many enemies. It would've taken time to hunt them down, one by one.
Watching the morning sun spill across the land, Fang Yuan asked in a grave voice, "Do you know where Green Ridge Stronghold is?"
Fang Zheng considered the question, then answered honestly.
"Rather than sit back and wait for them to strike, we should take the initiative."
The lesson of the night raid was clear. If the bandits were allowed to keep acting with such brazen impunity, what would become of the Fang Family's honor?
The Mine's overall strength had now risen a level. They were capable of striking back.
"But Green Ridge Stronghold has a Foundation Building Realm expert guarding it."
Fang Zheng feared Fang Yuan might act on impulse and lead everyone straight into an attack on Green Ridge Stronghold. That would turn the natural order on its head.
"I can't deal with a Foundation Building Realm expert just yet."
Fang Yuan's eyes flickered. "But everyone else will die!"
Before you continue