Chapter 576: Rumors

Chapter 572: Rumors and Gossip

Fan Sheng's head drooped even lower. "Brother, we were wrong. You already chewed us out a few days ago. You went into the palace today; did the Emperor, did the Emperor hand down a punishment?"

"We?" Fan Long sneered. "Only you caused trouble. Third Brother was led astray by you, and I was dragged into this because of you!"

Fan Sheng dared not retort.

Though outside, people said Commander Fan Er had a fierce and explosive temper, in front of his elder brother, he was as docile as a lamb.

"The Emperor refused to see you. I went into the palace today to plead your case, and I ended up receiving punishment myself," Fan Long said. "That old zombie and his son submitted a memorial, and both mentioned you. While they didn't explicitly accuse you of assisting evil, you were on duty in Qingding City, yet you secretly slipped away to Baishajue to beat someone for Cen Boqing. And the person you beat was an investigating envoy from Chiyan State, heh heh!"

Fan Sheng couldn't help but say, "Brother, I only wanted to repay Cen Boqing's favor. I just thought the person named He was an outsider and had no idea he was involved in the Elixir of Immortality case. Otherwise..."

The day Zhongsun Mou was abducted, he regretted it bitterly!

"An outsider? An outsider Cen Boqing couldn't even handle, do you think he'd be an easy target?"

Fan Sheng had nothing to say.

What was now crystal clear, he hadn't considered at the time.

Fan Bao, tired of standing on all fours, simply walked behind Fan Long and sat down.

Fan Sheng glared at him. Third Brother was really disloyal, refusing to share their elder brother's wrath with him, right?

"Unauthorized absence from duty, interfering in the internal affairs of a vassal demon state," Fan Long enumerated his crimes, ticking them off on his fingers. "Attempting to kill a special envoy from a vassal demon state, colluding with the main culprit in the Elixir of Immortality case!"

When Fan Sheng heard the last item, he waved his hands repeatedly. "Brother, I can't accept that last one! I wasn't aware of it."

Ignorance is no sin.

"I also argued strongly on that point," Fan Long sighed. "Thankfully, the Emperor, remembering old ties, even though he was angry at the trouble you caused, ultimately didn't intend to take your lives!"

"As for you, you'll have your salary docked for half a year, be demoted half a rank, and in ten days, you'll head to the eastern front with General Dachang to serve as deputy commander of the left vanguard."

"And Third Brother, he'll have his salary docked for half a year and be demoted half a rank."

"As for me, I was lax in my supervision, so I'll have my salary docked for half a year, publicly admit my fault in court, and write a letter of apology to the King of Chiyan!"

As if it wasn't a big deal, the large bear stuck out its long tongue and drank water, lapping loudly.

"Third Brother!" Fan Sheng roared at him.

The large bear stopped and raised a paw to wipe its mouth.

"Brother, I'm going to the eastern battlefield?" Fan Sheng was very surprised.

"Yes, haven't you always wanted to achieve merit? Beijia hasn't fought a war in a long time, so an opportunity to participate isn't easy to come by," Fan Long said, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "The Emperor is publicly sending you to the front lines as a demotion, but in reality, he's letting you temporarily leave Lingxu City, a place of trouble. Once things calm down here, it would be best for you to accumulate some military achievements before returning."

"Yes!" Fan Sheng also couldn't help but smile. "The Emperor is wise!"

"By the way, tell me again about your two battles with He Xiao in Baishajue. The more details, the better," Fan Long mused. "Hmm, you still remember, don't you?"

"How could I not remember?" Speaking of the two battles, Fan Sheng gnashed his teeth. "Every move, every stance, I remember them all!"

"Then break down every move and every stance for me."

Fan Sheng's battles with He Lingchuan were brief and swift. The two encounters combined didn't last more than a quarter of an hour. Yet, when he demonstrated them for his elder brother, it took half an hour.

Of course, in the second battle, which took place at the Lotus Palace, he and He Xiao never engaged in close combat from start to finish; only the opponent's endless tricks were at play.

Fan Long watched with extreme care, his expression growing more solemn as he continued.

Finally, he asked, "Is He Xiao really only seventeen or eighteen years old?"

"He looks that age, at least outwardly; his true age is unknown," Fan Sheng said. He knew there were many non-human entities in the world, some of whom looked like young children despite being hundreds of years old.

Didn't those few Imperial Preceptors also appear very young?

"Do you know where you failed?"

Fan Sheng nodded, saying earnestly, "It's my fault for being arrogant and careless, for not taking him seriously."

"That was true in the first battle, but was it still true in the battle at Lotus Palace?"

Fan Sheng said with annoyance, "The first time didn't yield a decisive victory, so I thought if I went all out the second time, I could definitely defeat him!"

Before the second round began, many of his subordinates had arrived at Baishajue, which boosted his vital energy and further increased his confidence.

"His cultivation isn't as good as yours, his strength isn't as great, and his divine abilities might not even match yours," Fan Long said slowly. "But if you were to fight a third time, you would likely still be the one to lose."

For the past month or so, Fan Sheng had been replaying the two battles in his mind. Upon hearing his brother's words, he subconsciously wanted to retort but swallowed his words instead.

He was unconvinced but no longer had absolute confidence in victory.

This mindset was very subtle, an inevitable shadow left after a significant defeat.

At this level of combat, confidence represented momentum.

At this point, the large bear began drinking water again, lapping loudly.

"Third Brother!" both brothers exclaimed in unison.

Fan Bao quickly stopped.

"Because his combat style is more direct, or rather, more pragmatic. His grasp of opportunities and his utilization of the environment far surpass yours," Fan Long said, standing up and pacing a couple of times. "This is a killing blade technique; this is a true warrior who has fought his way out of battlefields."

Seeing his second brother's lips move as if to argue, he preempted him: "Don't be unconvinced. While you've taken many lives, the Heart-Unity Guards' duties involve either apprehending criminals or killing demon enemies. You've only been to the real front lines twice, and not with the main army. How many enemies could you have killed there?"

He chuckled, "Between you and He Xiao, there's probably a difference of many lives taken!"

Fan Sheng finally found an opportunity to speak. "Brother, are you saying he can kill countless people on the battlefield?"

Fan Long nodded. "When you usually spar with me or your brothers, no one fights to the death, so you don't gain the experience of navigating between life and death. This time, at the eastern front, you must perform well."

"Yes."

"It's strange. If even you can't get into a real battle, where could this person named He have gained so much battlefield experience?" Fan Long frowned deeply. "Beijia hasn't fought a major war in decades. Everyone vies for opportunities to train and earn merit on the battlefield."

"Perhaps it's those small neighboring states; their local conflicts are constant," Fan Sheng took a deep breath. "Actually, these past few days, I've been pondering it repeatedly, and I always feel that when the person named He fights, he greatly resembles someone."

"Who?"

"Hong Chenglue."

Fan Long's eyes narrowed slightly. "Hong Chenglue is a rare military genius."

He thought for a moment. "I'll find an opportunity to test He Xiao."

"Brother, don't kill him. Leave him to me," Fan Sheng quickly said. "I must defeat him myself!"

Only then could his Dao heart be clear and he could advance significantly on his path of cultivation.

Fan Long chuckled faintly. "Get out!"

A few days later, even Fu Shanyue sensed the turbulent undercurrents around them.

How could he not notice the informants surrounding the inn?

But he didn't want to cause trouble by acting in Lingxu City.

Moreover, when he visited on behalf of his father, the Emperor, he repeatedly heard people ask him, "You sent a special envoy to investigate the Baishajue case? Who is this person, and where are they now?"

The more people asked, the more peculiar Fu Shanyue's gaze became when he looked at He Lingchuan upon his return. "The two of us have become quite famous, especially your deeds, which are being spread widely on the Floating Island."

"Me?" He Lingchuan pointed to his nose. "The Floating Island? Isn't that where the powerful and noble reside?"

Songyang Prefecture's efficiency truly was high.

"This isn't good. We've only been in Lingxu City for a few days. We don't know who's behind this mischief."

"What are they saying about us?"

"They're saying that Cen Boqing and Zhongsun Mou combined were no match for us and were utterly outmaneuvered. Especially Zhongsun Mou, who was thwarted by you at every turn, saw you as a thorn in his side, and even invited Fan Sheng from another region to kill you for him. But both of them were thoroughly thrashed by you. Zhongsun Mou even paid you tens of thousands in gold and silver after his death..."

"In any case, they're exaggerating, describing Zhongsun Mou as stupid as a pig," Fu Shanyue chuckled. "If I didn't know how stupid he truly was, I might actually believe it."

He Lingchuan frowned. "Should I be worried?"

"The Zhongsun family will be furious, but you don't need to fear them while you're with me," Fu Shanyue rubbed his hands. "It's the Fan brothers, though..."

He Lingchuan's expression turned grim. "What about them?"

"Your battles with Fan Sheng are also being widely spread. Now, at least half the people on the Floating Island have heard that the Fan brothers failed twice in their ambush attempts against you, that Third Brother Fan almost had his front limb chopped off, and that Second Brother Fan was instead trapped in the water by you for two or three quarters of an hour, his face gnawed off by piranhas, and still hasn't been able to show himself."

He Lingchuan gave a bitter smile. "It can't be that bad, can it? He was still on duty for Envoy Bai in Baishajue."

At that time, Fan Sheng did have a few bloody holes on his face, which formed dark scabs in a couple of days, making him look heavily pockmarked... but before returning to Lingxu City, those minor injuries should have fully healed.

"In short, the brothers' miserable defeat is being recounted vividly, as if witnessed firsthand," Fu Shanyue said with some regret, as he hadn't been present for those battles. "And they were helping Zhongsun Mou with personal matters, which makes it even more disgraceful."

"After the news spread, Fan Sheng hasn't made any public appearances," Fu Shanyue rubbed his nose. "As for Fan Long, Elder Brother Fan, he hasn't said a word either. He's not someone to be trifled with."

Back in Baishajue, Xiang Yan, the retired official from Chiyan State, had said that Fan Long, the Commander of the Heart-Unity Guards, was shrewd and sophisticated, with formidable cultivation and a ruthless demeanor. Now, it seemed Fu Shanyue felt the same.

He Lingchuan felt a pang of "shooting himself in the foot" — had Li Qingge's rumor-mongers been too zealous? But then he realized something was off: the information he'd given Li Qingge hadn't mentioned the Fan brothers at all.

Whether he truly forgot or not, he subconsciously didn't want to deeply offend these three brothers.

Yet, on the Floating Island, people were relishing the tales of his defeat of Fan Sheng and Fan Bao. This didn't seem like Li Qingge's doing.

Could it be someone else?

Then again, for the rumors to have fermented to this extent in just a few days, Li Qingge alone probably couldn't have managed it. After all, she was also an outsider; how could she command such influence in Lingxu City?

It seemed someone else was fanning the flames from behind the scenes. He Lingchuan pressed his temples. Could it be that even for a trivial matter like spreading rumors, someone was competing with him?

Got sick in the middle of the night, tossed and turned until dawn before finally falling asleep, which delayed the midday update.

Apologies.

The update has been published; I'm going back to lie down.

(End of chapter)