Secular Immortal of the Nine Realms - Chapter 127
Chapter 127: Even Faes Fear Him
“Fellow sect masters, as a symbol of our determination, why don’t each of us unleash one move on him?” The Greatsword Gate Master gestured to Fang Chen as he addressed the crowd.
“Very well! I reckon that that northerner is either a spy or a scout. We ought to kill him!” The Flag Mountain Sect Master harrumphed as he raised his word and walked toward Fang Chen.
A few other sect masters also began making their way toward Fang Chen to express their determination before the Greatsword Gate Master.
“Allow me to go first!”
With a roar, Xian Kun charged at Fang Chen with his great sword. The other sect masters stepped aside to give way to him. They had no choice but to do so since Xian Kun was the son of Greatsword Gate Master Xian Wuchang!
Should Xian Wuchang become the southern region’s martial emperor, Xian Kun would be the southern region’s crown prince. It would be unwise to offend such a person.
It took only a moment for Xian Kun to reach Fang Chen. Without any hesitation, he swung his great sword down on Fang Chen’s head.
“He’s going to kill him just like that?”
“Forget it, there’s another one.”
The crowd muttered among themselves.
Fang Chen’s eyes remained closed, but he emanated a transcendent air that far surpassed any of the martial artists present. That only stoked Xian Kun’s animosity, and he exerted even more strength into his great sword.
Zhong Ying and the others closed their eyes. They couldn’t bear to watch the scene.
Seconds later, they sensed that something was amiss. Why is it so quiet? Young master Li didn’t even let out a cry? Thus, Zhong Ying and the others hurriedly opened their eyes, only to be met with a shocking sight.
Fang Chen had caught Xian Kun’s great sword between his fingers. Xian Kun tried to pull and push, to the extent where his face had turned red, but the great sword refused to budge at all.
“Sss!”
Many people in the crowd gasped. Is young master Li actually a prodigious martial artist too?
Xian Kun was a Ki Explosion martial artist, and the disciples of the Greatsword Gate practiced powerful moves with unparalleled might. Yet, Fang Chen was able to stop the attack with two of his fingers. This put Xian Kun in an awkward position.
“Damn it!” Xian Kun glared at Fang Chen viciously. This dipshit is actually a hidden expert! I got careless and embarrassed myself in front of so many martial artists. How am I to face the others in the future?
Clang!
Fang Chen flicked his finger, and the fine steel great sword shattered into pieces.
Watching as his weapon was reduced to smithereens, Xian Kun’s eyes widened in shock.
“Is this an expert from the northern region?”
“He didn’t even open his eyes at all! He defeated Xian Kun with closed eyes!”
The other sect masters were surprised, but that was all there was to it. They were able to perform the same feat as Fang Chen had just pulled off too.
“Which sect are you from?” Xian Wuchang asked Fang Chen.
Fang Chen chuckled under his breath. “Xian Wuchang, you wish to become the southern region’s martial emperor?”
Xian Wuchang was silent for a few seconds before replying, “Is there a problem with that?”
“Great Xia’s emperor might be a bastard, but if you proclaim yourself emperor too, there will surely be a fight between the north and the south. You and the others might benefit from it, but the common populace will struggle to even feed themselves,” Fang Chen said. “Why don’t you heed my advice and be content with being your Greatsword Gate Master?”
“Who do you think you are? A mere junior like you dares to utter such arrogant words to Gate Master Xian! Our southern region is going to rebel today! What can you do about that?” the Flag Mountain Sect Master sneered.
“It looks like you’re all blind!” Huangfu Jie, who had been silent all this while, couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. He turned to Fang Chen and clasped his fist and bowed. “Young master, our Profound Saber Sect would have become history if you arrived any later.”
“Paying respect to Imperial Duke Fang!” The Profound Saber Sect Master bowed to Fang Chen, and their hundreds of disciples quickly followed suit.
Imperial Duke Fang?
The crowd was first stupefied before taking in a sharp inhalation of air. They stared at Fang Chen in disbelief. This extremely young man over here is Great Xia’s number one martial artist, Fang Chen?!
“B-Big Senior Sister… he is War God Fang?” a Bear Mountain Sword Sect’s disciple stuttered.
Zhong Ying was in disbelief too.
The Bear Mountain Sect Master looked at Zhong Ying with a frown and asked, “You said earlier that a fae was intimidated by the name of our Bear Mountain Sword Sect. By any chance… was Imperial Duke Fang present too?”
“…Yes…” Zhong Ying nodded in a daze.
The others immediately understood what was going on. So, the fae wasn’t intimidated by our name. Rather, it retreated because it recognized Imperial Duke Fang!
“Even faes fear him…” The Bear Mountain Sword Sect’s disciples who had traveled together with Fang Chen exchanged shocked looks.
“Y-y-you are…” Xian Kun pointed at Fang Chen with a ghastly pale face. He was so shocked that he couldn’t utter a coherent sentence.
The Flag Mountain Sect Master and the others were stunned too. Huge beads of sweat trickled from their foreheads.
Xian Wuchang snapped out of his daze, and his expression was unprecedentedly severe. Staring intently at Fang Chen, he asked, “You are planning…”
But before he could finish his words, Jue Panshi suddenly rushed out, kneeled to Fang Chen, and exclaimed, “Imperial Duke Fang, you have finally arrived! Xian Wuchang and the others are plotting a rebellion! I humbly believe that we have to do a thorough cleansing of the sects in the Nine Commanderies. They don’t know their place anymore. To think they dream of installing their own emperor! This is utterly atrocious!”
Xian Wuchang and the others were shaken by that ratting out.
However, Xian Wuchang quickly calmed down and said, “Imperial Duke Fang, since you’re here, allow me to ask you a question on behalf of my comrades from the Nine Commanderies.”
“Go ahead.” Fang Chen smiled.
“Can the southern region maintain its current order? If so, I’ll leave with the others right now,” Xian Wuchang said.
“The southern region has been in chaos since my grandfather’s era. My grandfather wasn’t confident of dealing with it, so he left it be. However, the southern region only continued to grow more chaotic with time. You people colluded with officials to squeeze dry the common populace. Countless have suffered because of you.
“The southern region is already scarce in resources. Your wilful actions only further worsen the situation. The population in the southern region has been decreasing over time; most people either choose to leave on their own accord, or that they are unable to feed their children.
“Without sufficient people, the southern region will only grow poorer. This is a vicious cycle. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the only ones left in the southern region are you martial artists,” Fang Chen said. “Is this what you wish to happen?”
“Fearmongering!” Xian Wuchang harrumphed. “I’ll take this to mean that Imperial Duke Fang is determined to reorganize our southern region and its martial artists?”
Fang Chen nodded.
“Very well. Consider this a rebellion then. The experts of different sects are gathered here today, and they number eight thousand. I wonder how many of us can Imperial Duke Fang kill today,” Xian Wuchang sneered.
Xian Kun quietly backed away, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, but Fang Chen suddenly raised his hand and dragged him back through an invisible force. His neck flew right into Fang Chen’s grasp.
Fang Chen casually tossed Xian Kun aside, and the latter fell into Huangfu Jie’s hands.
“Hold him. We’ll execute him after this is all over,” Fang Chen instructed.
“Yes, young master.” Huangfu Jie nodded.
He crippled Xian Kun’s ki sea with a palm strike before passing the fainted Xian Kun to the other Profound Saber Sect’s disciples to deal with.
Xian Wuchang remained unmoved, though the veins popping from his temples hinted at how infuriated he was.
“Not all of you have preyed on the common populace. If so, I don’t plan on dealing with you. Carefully think things through. Do you intend to rebel alongside Xian Wuchang?” Fang Chen opened his grayish-white eyes and looked at the crowd.
