Chapter 84: You are not my son!
Fang Chen didn't respond to Chen Da's words but simply motioned for him to stand up.
"Get up."
Chen Da was certain that the person before him was Divine General Fang. Just like the rumors suggested, he possessed unparalleled courage despite his youthful age.
The martial artists who had been stepped on by Yuan Zhuang and the others now showed fear in their eyes as they stared blankly at Fang Chen.
"What's your father's name?" Fang Chen asked the young man with a faint smile.
The young man's mind churned as he thought inwardly, Wait a minute! How can Divine General Fang be here? With the Qingsong empire paying close attention to our empire, it’s impossible for him to come to the southern region in such sensitive times...
With that, the young man sneered. “Fang Chen? How dare you impersonate Divine General Fang to deceive everyone? How can Divine General Fang possibly be in the southern region? If that were true, and news leaks to the various other empires, wouldn’t they just send their assassins over?!”
Is he not Fang Chen?
The crowd was slightly stunned. Chen Da's eyes also began to reveal the faintest traces of doubt.
“Looks like he can’t be convinced, my lord.” Yuan Zhuang couldn't help but laugh. "Let's detain him for now. We can discuss what to do with him after we finish our tea."
Fang Chen smiled, then took a sip of tea, completely ignoring the young man.
This area was just way too hot. Only this chilled tea could help cool them down.
As Fang Chen leisurely sipped his tea, the young man and his companions were still pressed down by the constables, unable to move.
"Why are you still pretending to be tough? Once my father learns of this, he’ll definitely send his troops down, and then it’ll be too late for you to regret what you’ve done!”
The young man continued to curse and grumble at the side, but no one paid him any attention. Everyone enjoyed their tea leisurely, ordering more pots whenever they pleased. The innkeeper attended to them, but occasionally his eyes would glance over at the tied up and humiliated young man in front of the entrance, seemingly worried.
Some of the merchants and travelers, who would have normally left long ago, were seemingly glued to their seats. Chen Da also didn’t budge from his seat. It was clear he wanted to confirm whether Fang Chen was really the Divine General or not.
And sure enough, half an hour later, rapid hoofbeats emanated from afar, outside the teahouse, accompanied by a light tremor in the floor of the teahouse.
Chen Da's ears twitched, and he murmured to himself, "There's at least a hundred cavalrymen."
A cold shout suddenly came from outside the door, “Is the lord inside?”
Upon hearing this, the young man immediately called out, "Captain Wu, I'm here! Hurry up and capture these criminals!"
Outside, the teahouse was surrounded by about a hundred cavalrymen, and ten of them wore the uniforms of the Valiant Saber Guards. Their leader exuded an explosive aura, looking extremely fierce.
Upon hearing their young lord’s voice, they immediately led the Valiant Saber Guards and burst into the teahouse.
Seeing that the people who had stormed the teahouse were real and authentic members of the Valiant Saber Guards, the crowd's faces were suddenly fraught with fear.
When Commander Wu noticed that his young lord was being stepped on, a flash of anger appeared in his eyes, and he stared at Fang Chen and the others sternly, shouting, "How dare you harm my lord. Are you tired of living?!"
"Captain Wu of the Valiant Saber Guards..." Chen Da’s expression changed slightly when he recognized Captain Wu.
"You’re sooo authoritative," Yuan Zhuang remarked sarcastically.
"Damn, these guys are always threatening to kill people. If we had known that before joining the Grand Brilliance Bureau, we would have definitely pulled a few strings and joined the Guards instead.”
"Exactly."
"How easy it is to be a Valiant Saber Guard.”
Several constables from the Grand Brilliance Bureau jeered.
Captain Wu was taken aback. Grand Brilliance Bureau?
"Captain Wu, don't be fooled by them. Not only are these people impersonating as officials from the Grand Brilliance Bureau,” the young man stirred on the floor, trying to lift himself up, and with much difficulty, he finally did, “but one of them is even claiming to be Divine General Fang— Fang Chen!”
Impersonating Divine General Fang?! That was a serious crime punishable by death! Captain Wu was taken aback momentarily, then shouted sternly, “Release my lord! Then, I’ll give you a chance to explain yourselves!”
"Huangfu Jie, are the guards in Southern Immortal Prefecture always this overbearing?” Fang Chen asked with a faint smile.
"They’ve always been like this, but they rarely provoke the Seven Profound Sects. It’s just that ordinary people are insignificant in their eyes.” Huangfu Jie smiled.
"Seven Profound Sects!? Huang Fujie!? Are you... are you the Seven Profound Blade?!" Captain Wu finally recognized Huangfu Jie, and a chill ran down his spine. That was a peak-tier expert in the southern region, not just in the Southern Immortal Prefecture! He was a peak Qi Manipulation Stage expert, and was a monstrous talent with the potential to advance to the Qi Core Stage, making him the most outstanding figure in the southern region in nearly a century!
Both the young man and his subordinates were stunned.
Chen Da and the others were equally astonished.
"Do you recognize me?" Huangfu Jie said as he smiled calmly at Captain Wu.
“I once accompanied the commander to the Seven Profound Sect to investigate what had happened with the Heavenly Sword Villa. That was the only time I happened to see you, Young Master Huangfu...” Captain Wu’s expression was strange. He clasped his fists. “I don't know how my lord has offended you, but I hope you can let this go on my account, and we’ll end this matter here.”
The young man remained silent. Since Captain Wu recognized Huangfu Jie, it confirmed the other party's identity. However, he suddenly thought of Fang Chen's identity and couldn’t help but tense up.
Huangfu Jie shook his head with a smile. “It's not easy to end this matter here. After all, It’s not me he offended.”
Suddenly, A hearty, forthright laughter came from outside the teahouse. “Hahaha!” Then, a middle-aged man with a slender figure stepped into the establishment, accompanied by a group of Valiant Saber Guards. “I wonder who it was that he offended, then. Is the person he has offended much more distinguished than the nephew of the Huangfu Family? I would like to see who in the Southern Immortal Prefecture holds such a grand status.”
“Commander!” Captain Wu and his men quickly saluted.
When everyone saw that the commander of the Southern Immortal Prefecture had personally made a trip over, they all stood up.
This was a truly influential figure in the prefecture. Everything went through him here, and even the Black River Sect, which Chen Da belonged to, regularly paid tributes to him.
“Father!” the young man exclaimed in surprise.
"Perhaps with his father here, the tables will be turned in his favor. His father is a commander!"
"You've really gone too far to humiliate my son like this." The middle-aged man sneered, his gaze slowly scanning the room. When his eyes finally landed on Fang Chen, his body froze as if struck by lightning. The next moment, he knelt down with a thud and exclaimed, "Jue Panshi pays his respects to you, Divine General Fang!"
It truly was Divine General Fang!
Everyone was overjoyed—Chen Da included—and immediately knelt to pay their respects. The young man and his followers looked bewildered. Even if he really was Fang Chen, why did his father kneel so decisively? Wasn't the Valiant Saber Guards supposed to be independent? Didn’t they only answer to the emperor?
Fang Chen showed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. "Commander Jue, I've heard that your guards have a strong influence in the Southern Immortal Prefecture. They apparently can do whatever they wish without fear of consequences?"
Jue Panshi broke into a cold sweat. He waved his hand and denied those words to no end. "There is no such thing, no such thing! Divine General Fang, you’ve misunderstood."
Yuan Zhuang sneered. "Not only did your son want to drive us away, but he even had designs on Abbess Qing He. Isn’t that a bit too much? We came all the way to the southern region just to be targeted by your son. Don’t you think this is too ridiculous?”
The young man struggled to speak. "Father..."
"You are not my son. Don't call me ‘Father’ anymore. Scram!" Jue Panshi scolded, then turned to Fang Chen and apologized, "Divine General Fang, I’ve long since suspected that he’s not even my biological son. Now that I have confirmed it, I defer to your judgment on how to handle this matter. I'll follow your instructions."
The young man broke down in despair.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel