Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Chapter 300: Chapter 297: Panicked Gong Xing

"I, disciple Fang Han, pay my respects to Master Chen. Thank you for coming to my rescue. I fear I would not have survived without your help."

Fang Han, carrying Chu Feng’s corpse, walked forward with a steady gait, stopping before Chen Wanjun and bowing respectfully.

"No need for formalities. You are a Celestial Pride True Inheritance of our Qingxuan Sect. The Qingxuan Sect will naturally protect you."

Chen Wanjun turned, his gaze falling upon Fang Han.

His eyes first swept over Chu Feng’s corpse in Fang Han’s hand, a complex and unreadable emotion flashing through them, but they quickly returned to their placid and majestic state.

He nodded slightly, his tone softening a little.

"Even though Chu Feng cultivated a Demon Skill and fell to a wicked path, his increase in strength was genuine. It is quite impressive that you were able to defeat and kill him."

He didn’t think Fang Han had been too ruthless in killing Chu Feng directly.

The Sect’s rules were strict. Cultivating a Demon Skill was an unforgivable crime. Even though Chu Feng was a Celestial Pride True Inheritance, once discovered, he would have had no chance of being spared.

Fang Han, on the other hand, had managed to stand firm and refuse outright when faced with the black-robed man’s death threats and the temptation of the Demon Skill during this ordeal.

This display of willpower earned his considerable admiration.

’This young man’s Talent and temperament are both of the highest caliber. No wonder he was able to rise through the Sect in such a short time.’

"You praise me too highly, Master Chen. I was only doing my duty."

Fang Han said humbly.

"You must be tired from your journey, Master Chen. I’ll have someone arrange a place for you to rest."

"There is no need. I must take these two bodies back to the Sect immediately for examination, to see if we can find more clues about the Demon Skill."

Chen Wanjun shook his head slightly and then said,

"I have a mission for you. Although Chu Feng has been executed, his family cannot escape responsibility. After you rendezvous with the rest of the investigation team, head directly to Qinghe City and raid the Chu Family!"

"You must secure all Chu Clan Members. If any resist, kill them without mercy!"

"After I return to the Sect, I will dispatch a Steward to lead a team to assist you. Your mission is to control the situation as quickly as possible and prevent any remaining Chu Family remnants from catching wind of this and escaping!"

"I accept the mission!"

Fang Han replied with a solemn expression.

His eyes turned cold upon hearing that he was to raid the Chu Family.

The Chu Family had been the root cause of his feud with Chu Feng; he had no good impression of them.

Now, under orders to raid the Chu Family, he would show no mercy, for both official and personal reasons.

"Good. I’ll leave this matter to you."

Chen Wanjun added this one instruction and said no more. With a wave of his hand, an invisible Qi Force coiled around the bodies of the black-robed man and Chu Feng.

His figure flickered and he swiftly departed.

Fang Han watched Chen Wanjun leave, his gaze lingering until he vanished from sight.

He turned to look at Fang Lingyuan and the other terrified Fang Clan Members, who had been watching from a distance and were only now daring to cautiously approach.

"Fang Han, are you alright?"

Fang Lingyuan hurried forward, his face full of concern and lingering fear.

Although he had seen from afar that Fang Han seemed unharmed, the level of the battle just now had been simply too terrifying.

"Patriarch, I’m fine."

Fang Han offered a reassuring smile.

"I’m sorry for frightening everyone. The attacking enemy has been dealt with, and the crisis is over."

"The family was dragged into this because of me. Chu Feng held a grudge against me, but I never imagined he would be so utterly insane—not only cultivating a Demon Skill, but also taking his anger out on our Fang Family..."

"This isn’t your fault. The minds of Demon Skill Cultivators are twisted; it’s not hard to understand them doing something like this."

Fang Lingyuan shook his head slightly, not blaming Fang Han for bringing such a disaster upon the Fang Family.

Since the Fang Family had enjoyed the glory and benefits of Fang Han’s status as a Celestial Pride True Inheritance, they naturally had to bear the threats that came with it. He had long been mentally prepared for this.

"You’re being too hard on yourself, Young Master Han! How could this be your fault? It was Chu Feng who fell to the Demon Dao and became twisted!"

"Exactly! The Fang Family’s current prosperity is all thanks to Young Master Han establishing himself in the Qingxuan Sect. Since we’ve enjoyed the glory, we must naturally share the risks. We all understand this!"

"That’s right, Young Master Han. You don’t need to blame yourself!"

Several clan elders and core disciples beside the Patriarch also spoke up, their words holding not a hint of blame for Fang Han, but rather comfort and support.

Everyone chimed in one after another. Though the atmosphere was heavy, it was filled with a sense of unity and resilience.

They were no longer the small family that had been content to just get by in Liangshui City. Following Fang Han’s rise, their perspective and mentality had long since changed.

They knew very well what Fang Han’s current status meant. Today’s calamity was, to some extent, an inevitable challenge they had to face.

Seeing that while the fear had not yet faded from his clansmen’s eyes, there was even more understanding and support, Fang Han felt a warmth in his heart.

He nodded and said in a low voice:

"Thank you, Patriarch, and everyone, for your understanding."

After briefly discussing the family’s cleanup matters with Fang Lingyuan and a few clan elders, Fang Han turned and walked toward the courtyard in the inner residence where his parents lived.

He passed through the still somewhat chaotic courtyards and arrived before one that was undamaged.

His father, Fang Zheng, and his mother, Lin Wan, had already received news and were waiting anxiously at the courtyard gate.

His seven-year-old little sister, Fang Ying, was hiding behind their mother, peeking out with a trace of fear still lingering in her big eyes.

"Han’er!"

Upon seeing Fang Han, his mother Lin Wan immediately rushed forward, grabbing his hands and looking him up and down, her eyes slightly red.

"Are your injuries serious?"

His father Fang Zheng didn’t speak, but the concern in his eyes was plain to see.

A soft spot in Fang Han’s heart was touched. He squeezed his mother’s hand in return and gave his father a reassuring smile.

"Dad, Mom, I’m fine. The villain who attacked has already been taken care of by a Sect Elder. It’s just that the estate suffered serious damage."

"As long as you’re safe, nothing else matters."

Lin Wan wiped the corners of her eyes.

Fang Han crouched down, patting his little sister Fang Ying’s head, and said softly, "Don’t be scared, Ying’er. The bad guy has been driven away."

"Mm, I know. Big Brother is the strongest."

Little Fang Ying blinked her big eyes, her voice innocent.

"Haha."

Fang Han couldn’t help but chuckle.

Reunited with his family, he savored this rare, warm moment.

Half a day later, five travel-worn figures arrived at the Fang Family estate. It was Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Steward Wang Qian.

They had rushed all the way here. Upon seeing the dilapidated state of the Fang Family’s front courtyard, their hearts leaped into their throats. They only breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Fang Han was safe and sound.

"Senior Brother Fang, are you alright?"

Yun Qianyue’s bright eyes, visible above her purple veil, held a hint of imperceptible concern. Her voice was as cold as ever, but her speech was slightly faster than usual.

Huang Ling’er and Shi Meng also crowded around, chattering as they asked what had happened.

Fang Han motioned for everyone to calm down, led them to a side hall, and briefly explained what had occurred.

After hearing Fang Han’s account, everyone was left sighing in shock and disbelief.

"So Chu Feng really was cultivating a Demon Skill..."

Li Feng’s brow was tightly furrowed. He found it hard to believe.

Although they had their suspicions, the confirmation was still shocking.

After all, he was once a fellow Celestial Pride of the Sect. To meet such an end was truly lamentable.

Yun Qianyue sighed softly. "Greed clouds one’s judgment. The temptation of a Demon Skill’s rapid progression is too great. In the end, it harms both oneself and others."

Huang Ling’er said with puffed cheeks, "That Chu Feng really got what he deserved!"

Shi Meng chimed in with his booming voice, "Senior Brother Fang, let’s go raid the Chu Family’s den right now! We can’t let any of them get away!"

"True Inheritor Fang, since Vice Hall Master Chen has already given the order, we must not delay. The Chu Family’s influence in this region is deeply entrenched. If word gets out, there could be complications."

Steward Wang Qian, being relatively level-headed, said thoughtfully.

"Everyone must be tired from the journey. We’ll rest here for two hours to recover our Inner Qi and stamina. In two hours, we will depart immediately for Qinghe City!"

Fang Han nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group.

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

「Two hours later.」

The figures of Fang Han, Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Wang Qian—six in total—appeared outside Liangshui City.

Fang Han took one last look back at Liangshui City, which was shrouded in twilight and curling smoke from cooking fires, his gaze sweeping past the direction of the Fang Family estate.

He turned to face the direction of Qinghe City and said in a low voice:

"Let’s go!"

The six figures shot off like arrows loosed from a bow, setting out on the road to Qinghe City.

***

The setting sun was the color of blood, dyeing the towering, gray-blue walls of Qinghe City a tragic, warm gold.

Six travel-worn figures, carrying the fatigue of their long journey and a chilling, murderous aura, passed through the city gates and stepped into Qinghe City.

Fang Han led the way, the hem of his Silver-Striped Cyan Robe stained with dust, his expression stern.

This wasn’t his first time in Qinghe City; he knew the location of the Chu Mansion by heart.

His steps did not falter in the slightest as he headed straight for the sprawling, imposing complex of buildings in the eastern part of the city.

Yun Qianyue, Li Feng, Huang Ling’er, Shi Meng, and Steward Wang Qian followed close behind, their five auras heavy and their gazes sharp.

The invisible pressure they exuded made the surrounding pedestrians subconsciously give way.

The group proceeded to the city’s most prosperous thoroughfare, Vermilion Street. In a private room by the window on the third floor of the lavishly decorated and bustling Drunken Immortal Tower, a gaze happened to sweep downward, landing right on Fang Han.

The owner of that gaze, a man with a long, narrow face, had a leisurely look in his eyes, but his pupils contracted abruptly the moment he recognized Fang Han’s profile.

"Fang... Han?"

It was as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. The wine cup in his hand made a soft CLINK as it nearly slipped from his grasp.

The owner of the gaze was none other than Gong Xing, the Netherworld Pavilion disciple who had a conflict with Fang Han.

After making an enemy of Fang Han, he had naturally paid close attention to his situation.

When he learned that Fang Han had ascended to the Celestial Pride List, he lived in constant anxiety, terrified that Fang Han would eventually come to settle the score.

For a long time, he didn’t even dare to readily accept Sect missions, afraid he would meet a disastrous end if he left the Sect.

This time, he had finally mustered the courage to accept an ordinary mission that passed through Qinghe City. He never, ever expected to run into the one person he least wanted to see, in this place and in this manner.

’How did he end up here?’

A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Gong Xing’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and his heart hammered like a drum.

He subconsciously shrank back from the window, pressing his back tightly against the cold wall. He didn’t dare to breathe, praying that Fang Han’s group would quickly pass by.

Fang Han, who was about to walk past the Drunken Immortal Tower, paused almost imperceptibly.

The keen Spiritual Sense of a Late-Fifth Grade Martial Artist allowed him to clearly capture the prying gaze from above.

His brow furrowed almost invisibly as he tilted his head to look up at the half-open, carved wooden window on the third floor of the Drunken Immortal Tower.