Crushing

"An ordinary Ninth Heaven of the Innate Realm can't even last three moves against me."

As his acupoints continued to break through, Fang Ping's cultivation remained at the Ninth Heaven of the Innate Realm, but his strength was no longer comparable to before.

The Fifth Chief of Qinggang Stockade he had just encountered was also at the Ninth Heaven of the Innate Realm, yet he couldn't even exert the slightest pressure.

Up until now, no one had been worthy of him drawing his sword.

From a certain perspective, Fang Yuan was still quite formidable.

After dealing with the Fifth Chief of Qinggang Stockade, Fang Ping pressed two fingers together like a sword, condensed true qi at his fingertips, and with a light slash, he killed over a dozen bandits.

With the pressure greatly reduced, the Fang family disciples quickly counterattacked, slaughtering the remaining bandits.

"This is the money we found on the bandits, please have the young master count it." A disciple carried a cloth-wrapped bundle.

"Divide these spoils among yourselves."

Fang Ping truly had no interest in the assets of those at the Houtian Realm; the Fifth Chief of Qinggang Stockade, however, might still have something good on him.

"A half-broken jade cup, the material is somewhat special—even I can't tell what it is."

Fang Ping had little interest in money, but the half-palm-sized jade cup he had rummaged out piqued his curiosity. He held it in his hand and toyed with it for a while.

"I'll keep it for now."

Items whose nature he couldn't discern were probably all good things.

"Young master, why are we hauling these bandits' corpses back?" Fang Ping asked in confusion.

The Fang family had strict supervision and review mechanisms for disciples' task completion and contributions, so there was no need for excessive proof.

"They have their uses."

Fang Ping's gaze was deep, making him somewhat hard to read.

After a brief rest, the convoy set off again. There were no further incidents on the road, and they entered Clear Sea City smoothly.

There was only a small hiccup along the way: when a merchant convoy entered the city, they had to declare the types of goods to the city guard to prevent contraband from entering.

Items like raw iron were under strict government scrutiny, but with the Fang family's approval documents in hand, no one dared to cause trouble deliberately.

"Young master, are you the young lord of the Fang family?"

Fang Ping's handsome features and ethereal bearing, especially the heartfelt respect shown by the younger generation, made him easy to identify.

The one who spoke was the commander of the East Gate City Guard, a man with cultivation at the Seventh Heaven of the Innate Realm, holding considerable status.

"Is there a problem with the goods?" Fang Ping frowned slightly and cupped his hands. "I am Fang Ping."

Liu Hu quickly waved his hands, not daring to underestimate the young man before him, and then returned the gesture with a fist-and-palm salute.

"The goods are all compliant and legal. This is merely a personal request I have, hoping for the young master's consent."

Liu Hu's attitude was very polite, and he kept his position well in check.

He was merely a cultivator at the late Innate Realm; there were at least eighty or a hundred such people in the Fang family.

If not for his official uniform, he wouldn't even have the right to speak.

"My worthless son has long admired the young master, regarding him as an idol on the martial path. I wish to ask for an encouraging word."

With that, he drew a long sword from his waist and had someone bring over brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone, presenting them to Fang Ping.

This small matter was effortless for Fang Ping, and he didn't refuse. Using true qi, he directly carved a line of characters onto the sword's hilt.

"Such pure true qi, and the control is meticulous to the finest detail!" Liu Hu was inwardly startled.

"Thank you, young master Fang, for the inscription!"

Under Liu Hu's watchful gaze, Fang Ping led the convoy further and further away.

Suddenly remembering something, Liu Hu couldn't help but call out loudly, "Young master Fang, the main road to the inner city is under repair. Please take the outer city route."

To avoid drawing attention and causing a commotion, Fang Ping deliberately boarded the carriage.

"This jade cup can absorb true qi, like a bottomless pit that can never be filled."

Inside the carriage, Fang Ping was still toying with the half-broken jade cup, continuously channeling true qi into it from his fingertips.

Just as Fang Ping was engrossed in his study, the carriage suddenly jolted, and noisy commotion came from outside.

"The Prefect's Son's carriage! All idle people, clear the way immediately!"

The outer city was already densely populated, and they were currently in a bustling market area, packed with people.

But the Prefect's Son's carriage charged straight ahead, racing wildly, paying no heed to the destruction it caused along the way, or even the people it knocked down.

In the blink of an eye, the speeding carriage was about to collide with Fang Ping's convoy.

"Get out of the way, now!"

The servant driving the carriage was extremely arrogant, spewing insults without even seeing who was ahead.

"A dog of a servant, daring to shout at your grandpa here."

The younger generation of the Fang family might be docile as lambs before Fang Ping, respectful and deferential.

But outside, they were just as used to throwing their weight around.

At the front, two disciples strode forward without the slightest fear of the oncoming carriage, swinging their blades with a series of clang sounds.

Boom... Thud...

In the blink of an eye, the reins securing the horses snapped. The startled horses tried to bolt, but someone quickly finished them off with a clean cut.

At the same time.

The unbalanced carriage crashed to the ground. Its originally enclosed space was sliced open by the Fang family disciples, turning it into a convertible.

"They're Fang family disciples—not to be messed with."

"The prefect's son is no pushover either. This should be interesting."

Whenever there was excitement or conflict, there was never a shortage of bystanders stopping to watch, especially when it involved the top powers in the city.

"How dare you—"

Chang Huai stood up directly, boiling with rage, ready to unleash a torrent of curses—until he saw the disciples wearing Fang family attire.

The words caught in his throat.

"Do the Fang family have no regard for the law?"

Chang Huai's face twisted with anger as he barked, "Killing a prized steed in broad daylight—what crime is that?"

A heavy accusation came crashing down.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had laws to restrain people, though their binding force on cultivators was weak. Still, on the surface, order had to be maintained and observed.

"The prefect's second son, quite the imposing presence."

At that moment, a voice came from the Fang family carriage. The familiar tone made Chang Huai's body tremble slightly.

"Running down stalls and pedestrians in broad daylight—should the losses and lives be repaid?"

Fang Yuan had always hated reckless carriage speeding, especially the unrestrained kind.

Chang Huai's face turned ashen. He could already identify the person inside the carriage, but he had no way to refute it.

If he tried to throw his weight around, the other side wasn't afraid. If he wanted to argue reason, he had no ground to stand on.

And in terms of status, he was indeed a notch lower. Only if his elder brother were here could they speak as equals.

"The horses were spooked just now. Thanks to your timely intervention, no greater loss occurred."

Chang Huai suppressed his emotions. Sometimes, one had to bow their head. He was ready to swallow his pride, though it was a pity about the newly acquired steed.

"Who's in that carriage, to make Chang Huai lower his head?"

"Chang Huai usually throws his weight around with his status—never thought he'd eat humble pie today."

"How satisfying."

Though no conflict had erupted between the two sides, seeing Chang Huai bow his head brought a fair share of pleasure to the onlookers.

"Since you helped us out, shouldn't there be a reward?" Fang Yuan deliberately intended to provoke him.

Hearing this, Chang Huai was furious to the extreme, his lungs nearly bursting. He clenched his teeth, itching to strike right then.

But unfortunately, he couldn't win.

Chang Huai took a deep breath, forcibly reining in his emotions, silently noting this debt. He tossed down a bag of coins and left.

"Take it and head back!"