Chapter 19: Hidden Dragon
General Fang’s Manor.
"What! Big brother was taken to the Grand Brilliance Bureau?" Fang Zhixue, who had been awaiting Fang Chen's return, was shocked by the news. She sprung to her feet and was about to rush out the manor but was firmly stopped by Fang Canghai.
"Why are you causing trouble? Stay where you are!" rebuked Fang Canghai sternly.
"But, Father, Mother, aren't you at all worried about him?"
Despite herself, Fang Zhixue was dazed.
She turned to Fang Cangyou and the empress, searching for support. “Second Uncle, Third Aunt?”
She expected them to be extremely anxious about her brother as well, but contrary to her expectations, everyone was calm and composed. It was as if Fang Chen was merely taking a trip over to enjoy the scenery at the Grand Xia River.
"When your big brother recovered his cultivation, he didn’t tell anyone. It's the same now. He definitely has something planned. Now that he has exterminated the martial artists from Qingsong, no one can guess his next move," Fang Canghai explained. "Even I, as his father, don't know what he's thinking. All we need to do is not cause trouble and get in his way—especially you, girl!”
She knew that Fang Canghai was right, but she couldn't shake off her worry. "But, but, will he be tortured in the Grand Brilliance Bureau?"
"Haha! Who would dare mess with your brother right now? Don't forget; your third aunt is the empress. And even then, your aunt's status aside, Fang Chen's title alone as the Divine General is more than enough for them to behave themselves. The only method the Grand Brilliance Bureau will use to torture Fang Chen is by drowning him with good food and drink as they wait for the emperor's instructions." Fang Cangyou chuckled.
"Zhixue, sometimes I wonder if you're really from our Fang family. You don't have to be as smart as your brother, but at least use that brain of yours a little, you know,” Fang Canghai mumbled, which caused his wife to glare at him meaningfully.
Fang Zhixue turned to her uncle, face flushing with embarrassment. "Second Uncle, you are embarrassing me!"
"Alright, alright." The empress laughed, waving her hand. "Chen’er has thankfully recovered his cultivation and wiped off the martial artists of Qingsong from our capital city. We won't have to see them strutting around in our city from now on. This is good news."
“Yes, this is indeed good news.” Fang Canghai smiled, stroking his beard gleefully.
“However...” The empress's tone changed and a hint of sadness appeared on her face. "It seems that His Majesty has no intention of reinstating Chen'er to his position. I'm afraid he’s not planning to let Chen'er set foot into the court ever again.”
Her words stunned everyone.
Fang Cangyou froze for a moment, then sneered. "On whose authority?"
"Second Brother, don't speak recklessly," reprimanded Fang Canghai, his brow furrowing. He then turned to the empress. "Third Sister, you don't need to worry yourself over this matter. Everything depends on Chen’er. If he’s not planning to return to the imperial court, it might not be a bad thing for all of us.”
Fang Canghai’s wife interjected, nodding in agreement. "I actually do hope that Chen’er will stop leading the army. At his age, he should be getting married and settling down already. Continuing the bloodline is important, after all."
Xu Ge stood behind the family members, and when he heard the words of his lord's mother, his cool and collected expression couldn't help but crumble. Wonder if I should tell the lord about this...
A servant suddenly scurried into the hall and reported, "Old Master, someone has come to apply for the position of private tutor here in the manor. He claims that he was recommended by Lord Fang Chen!"
What?! Recommended by Fang Chen?
Everyone was stunned—Xu Ge included.
Curiosity blossomed on the empress’s face, and she said, "Let him in. Let’s see who has the qualifications to be recommended by Fang Chen.”
The servant quickly left, and it didn’t take long for a man to arrive in the hall. He looked at Fang Canghai and greeted, “I pay my respects to you, esteemed General Fang.”
With the exception of Fang Zhixue, everyone's expressions turned incredibly strange.
"Aren’t you... aren’t you Tie Ma? One of the two Qi Manipulation Stage martial artists from the Qingsong Superior Academy?" Fang Canghai squinted.
The empress observed Tie Ma carefully while Fang Cangyou fell into deep thought.
Fang Zhixue was bewildered, but she quickly pieced everything together and yelled, “Wait a minute! Qingsong Superior Academy? Doesn’t that mean that he’s someone from Qingsong?” She got ready to attack.
Fang Canghai pulled her back, a serious look on his face. “Think carefully about your actions! What did your second uncle just say?”
“Father, he—” Fang Zhixue pointed at Tie Ma, her face anxious.
"Since your big brother recommended him, he is now a member of our Fang Family. Don’t jump to conclusions just because you heard the word ‘Qingsong,’” Fang Canghai said sternly.
He then eyed Tie Ma cautiously, saying, "Lord Tie Ma, from what I know, you should be a citizen of the Qingsong Empire.”
"General Fang, you might not know this, but I am a native citizen of our Grand Xia Empire. Back then, I was ordered to infiltrate the Wolf Army of the Qingsong and relay news back to Divine General Fang,” Tie Ma explained.
The expressions of Fang Canghai and Fang Cangyou immediately changed. They looked at each other with a serious expression before turning their gazes towards Tie Ma. “Are you... are you a Hidden Dragon?!" they asked, seeking confirmation.
"I am." Tie Ma nodded slightly.
“Hidden Dragon” was a term used by Grand Xia to refer to spies who infiltrate enemy forces in order to deliver intelligence back to Grand Xia.
Those individuals made huge sacrifices and faced extreme danger. Usually, nine out of ten Hidden Dragons would meet an ugly end. For one to be selected, one had to be of exceptional character, and had to possess unwavering loyalty to Grand Xia.
Should these individuals be discovered by the enemy, they were expected to commit suicide on the spot. In fact, that was in their best interest as well, as the Hidden Dragons who failed to commit suicide would suffer under extreme methods of torture and ended up dying a slow, painful death.
Both Fang Canghai and Fang Cangyou clenched their fists and raised their right hands in front of their chest. Both brothers performed the same gesture in unison; this was the standard military salute used by the Grand Xia army!
Tie Ma returned the salute in silence, and not a word was shared between them. This was enough.
The women in the manor remained surprisingly silent, including Fang Zhixue.
“Lord Tie Ma, from now on, you shall take on the role of the private tutor of our family’s private school. The younger generation of the Fang Family will be in your care," Fang Canghai said with a smile.
There were over a hundred children in the manor. Some of them were from branch families, while others were orphans of soldiers who died in battle.
"You're too kind. It’s my honor,” Tie Ma replied.
"Did Chen'er mention that you had to change your identity?" asked Fang Canghai.
Tie Ma shook his head slightly. "My lord said to use my name. If someone guesses it, then so be it.”
"Hahaha! Great! It’s settled then!" Fang Canghai laughed heartily, then called a servant to settle Tie Ma down in the manor.
After he left, Fang Cangyou pondered out loud, "First, he brought the Windy Cloud Swordsman over. Now, Tie Ma has been added to the mix. One is at the peak of the Qi Detonation Stage, and the other is at the early Qi Manipulation Stage. The Windy Cloud Swordsman might fall short when compared with Tie Ma, but that’s fine. Ai. What a surprise, Chen’er really hid his strength well. Turns out his foundation is even more unfathomable than we ever thought! In the future, our Fang Family will have an early Qi Manipulation expert among us! ”
"Second Master, you know I am right behind you, right?" grumbled Xu Ge.
“Yeah? And what about it? Can’t I talk about you?” Fang Cangyou shot back. He clearly held a grudge over Xu Ge not listening to him that one time in the morning.
Xu Ge grinned from ear to ear, then said, "Well, Second Master, feel free to say anything you want. I don’t mind.”
*
Grand Brilliance Bureau.
"Haha. If it isn't the great Divine General Fang? I didn't expect that you would grace us with your presence one day.” One of the young men clad in black, who appeared to be somewhere in his thirties, walked toward Fang Chen. He was accompanied by a group of officers who were similar in rank to Yuan Zhuang. The group included a chief clerk and a prison warden.
The young man was Li Huafeng, the deputy head of the Grand Brilliance Bureau, second only to the bureau head. At the same time, he was an old acquaintance of Fang Chen, and an old enemy of his, as well.
His father was the prime minister, Li Guozhu!
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