Chapter 134: Chapter 133: Present Situation (Congratulations in Silver!)_1
The sixteenth year of Emperor Ming of Great Liang.
Emperor Ming took personal control, clashed violently with the Queen Mother party and the Prime Minister party, leading to the Queen Mother’s death.
The dying retaliation of the Prime Minister party unleashed chaos, letting loose soldiers into the capital, slaughtering the royal family and ministers... Horses trampled the imperial palace; blood flowed like rivers...
Historians named this event ’The Night of Long Knives’!
After this night, the Great Liang court collapsed, and the world entered an era of divided rule with warlords rising like flood dragons!
...
Although Emperor Ming had died, the world was without a leader, so it continued to be referred to by the Great Liang era.
It is now the thirty-third year of Emperor Ming.
Tri-element City.
After casually placing Taisui in a temporary dongfu in the mountains, Fang Xi then headed for this city.
Now, the flag of the Great Liang Dragon no longer flew over Tri-element City; instead, a dark golden flag bearing the character ’Liang’ and a jiao dragon took its place!
"King Liang?!"
Fang Xi silently recited the name of this rising ruler from Ding State and, with a faint smile, walked into the city.
The soldiers guarding the city and the passersby seemed as if they saw nothing, allowing him to pass through the city gate unnoticed.
"Have you heard? This time King Liang sent out troops and attacked King Gui, emerging victorious!"
"But I heard King Liang fell into an ambush at Double Dragon Mountain?"
"Shh... You dare speak such words, beware of bringing disaster and disrupting military morale, execute them!"
Along the way, the whispers of the passersby entered Fang Xi’s ears as if there were no barriers.
Clip-clop!
Occasionally, several fully-armed nascent soldiers, arrogant and overbearing, rode their horses through the streets, bumping into passersby, who could do nothing but silently fume.
In times of chaos, military authority is paramount!
The status of martial artists significantly increased, and as the trusted nascent soldiers of the rebel kings, they could kill with impunity and no law could touch them!
The prices soared on the market, and the cost of grain skyrocketed.
Thinking of the countless listless refugees outside the city who longed to settle within its walls, Fang Xi couldn’t help but sigh, "In times of chaos, common people are worse off than dogs..."
As he pondered, he made his way toward the location of Youjian Martial Arts School.
However, he found that it was no longer a martial arts school but had been converted into a large residence, with soldiers guarding the entrance.
"What place is this?"
Fang Xi’s eyes flickered as he casually stopped an old man passing by.
The old man, initially annoyed at being stopped, saw a young man in a green robe with an extraordinary aura and dared not neglect him, answering respectfully, "This is the residence of the ’Zhou Shenglong’, the major general of King Liang’s forces..."
"What about the original Youjian Martial Arts School?"
"Youjian Martial Arts School?" The old man was confused for a moment before slapping his forehead, "That’s something from decades ago, right? Ah... back then, that martial arts school was quite famous, many officials and nobles flocked there... Sadly, its rise was swift, but so was its fall. Later, it was said that the two principals had an internal conflict, fought a big battle, many died, and they parted ways. After that, the school went into decline..."
"Internal conflict between the two martial arts school principals?" Fang Xi thought of Qing Mu and Qing Sang’s brotherhood and felt it unlikely.
But then, he couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
Decades had passed, how could people remain unchanged?
"Afterwards, when King Liang attacked the city, the martial arts school principal who had taken over after its decline resisted and was killed after the city fell. The school was then seized by King Liang..."
The old man unwittingly spoke too much and, realizing his blunder, quickly covered his mouth.
Seeing that no one was around, he relaxed.
"I see, thank you."
Fang Xi tossed a gold coin to the old man and turned to leave.
The old man rubbed his eyes and, finding the gold coin, immediately pocketed it and looked around like a thief...
...
White Cloud Martial Arts School.
Compared to the dissipating fame of Youjian Martial Arts School, White Cloud Martial Arts School stubbornly took root in Tri-element City.
Despite having faced the turmoil of soldiers attacking the city, the then Mu Piaomiao, standing against popular opinion, maintained neutrality, and managed to avoid the post-siege purge.
"Even if I intervened, I couldn’t stop the decline of a dynasty..."
Fang Xi stood in front of the school, looking at the weathered signboard, and let out a sigh.
"Who are you? Are you here to seek apprenticeship and learn martial arts?"
A disciple stepped out, saw Fang Xi, and noticing his exquisite green bamboo robe, asked respectfully.
"I’ve come to see a few old friends..."
With a sweep of his Divine Consciousness, Fang Xi had already located Mu Piaomiao, who was lying on a rattan chair in the back courtyard, "Never mind, I’ll go by myself..."
His figure flashed, and he already entered the interior of the martial arts school.
The disciple didn’t even notice and just rubbed his eyes, then suddenly screamed, "There’s a ghost!!!!"
...
Mu Piaomiao, with silver hair, lay in a soft chair, looking at a grape trellis laden with fruit, verdant and dripping with vitality.
For ancient people, sixty years was already considered a long life.
Having suffered in her youth, she was grateful for the Spiritual Pills given by Fang Xi which allowed her to still be clear-headed at this age, but she was filled with sadness about aging and fear of death.
"Junior Sister..."
Suddenly, a figure in a green robe appeared before her, gently calling out.
The person standing there was like a vibrant green bamboo, brimming with vitality, the characteristic vigor belonging to youth.
"Being young... is wonderful..."
Mu Piaomiao, her face lost in thought, murmured to herself, "It seems I’ve returned to the past, seeing my senior brother..."
"Ahem, Junior Sister, it’s really me." Fang Xi coughed to get her attention.
Mu Piaomiao finally snapped out of her reverie, touched her wrinkled face, then looked steadily at Fang Xi, "Am I not dreaming?"
"No..."
Fang Xi’s mouth twitched, still unaware of this side of his junior sister.
Mu Piaomiao looked at Fang Xi again and suddenly smiled, "Are you his son? Or his grandson? Don’t make such jokes with granny..."
"Back then in Black Stone City..."
Fang Xi thought for a moment and mentioned an embarrassing incident Mu Piaomiao had during the Demonic Tree disaster, "You sneaked into the kitchen in the middle of the night, only to be almost beaten by Master Mu..."
"How could your grandfather even mention such a thing?"
Mu Piaomiao felt slightly embarrassed, but as she looked at Fang Xi, her expression gradually changed from certainty to doubt.
It’s understandable to have an identical appearance, but this temperament, this manner, and even this indescribable feeling?
"Big brother?"
She tentatively called out.
"Junior sister, what’s the matter?"
Fang Xi asked with a smile.
"Stop talking, I want to die!"
Mu Piaomiao picked up the fan beside her and covered her face with it.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing his junior sister still so lively and adorable, Fang Xi couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
"Are you really big brother? How can you be so young?"
Mu Piaomiao asked in astonishment.
"At the pinnacle of martial arts, one can reverse life and death, return to youth... all these are as easy as turning over one’s hand!"
Fang Xi stood with his hands behind his back, exuding the image of a grandmaster.
"Sadly, my achievements are limited, junior sister. I’m still at the realm of True Power..."
Mu Piaomiao sighed, recalling how Fang Xi had given her pills in the past, but she saved them for training the successors of the White Cloud Martial Arts School.
As a result, the line of principals of White Cloud Martial Arts School was never broken, but her personal cultivation inevitably suffered.
"How about the others?"
Fang Xi thought of Zhang Mingding and Lily...
"The old have aged, the dead have died... Of that group of people, not many are left." Mu Piaomiao put down the fan, "But Zhang Mingding, true to his talent, and with your guidance and help of pills... He later broke through to True Strength, became a Martial Teacher, traveled the world, and aimed for the realm of Grandmaster. He has established quite a reputation as a hero. I just don’t know if he’s achieved Grandmaster status?"
She gave news about a few others.
For mortals, thirty years is enough for two generations, and with it comes the inevitable cycle of life, old age, sickness, and death...
Finally, she said, "Lily moved out of the martial arts school. I bought her a small courtyard nearby to live in. Her life... it’s been hard, and she never married..."
Mu Piaomiao also remained unmarried, saying she wanted to guard her father’s martial arts school.
Hearing this, Fang Xi couldn’t help but feel moved.
At that moment, a robust man walked in from outside, "Old Principal, a student said they saw a ghost outside, and I was a bit worried, so I came to have a look... Hm? Who are you?"
The big man looked at Fang Xi with a face full of surprise and doubt.
How could he not know there was a stranger in the martial arts school?
Mu Piaomiao looked towards Fang Xi, and seeing that he did not object, she said directly, "This is your great-uncle master... come forward and salute him promptly!"
Then, introducing Fang Xi, she said, "This is the current head of White Cloud Martial Arts School—Mu Baizheng! Baizheng, aren’t you going to salute?"
"Great-uncle master? Uncle master, I’ve met all your fellows, so it couldn’t possibly be..."
Mu Baizheng scratched his head in his straightforward manner, feeling that something was off about this pretty-faced man.
But Fang Xi was too lazy to talk to him further, flicking his finger with a snap.
Boom!
Invisible True Gang materialized, pressing the man to the ground, even causing cracks to appear on the floor.
"Ah... External burst of True Gang?!"
Mu Baizheng, who was sharp-eyed, was utterly shocked, and quickly took the opportunity to kowtow, "Great-uncle master, it’s an honor! Could it be that you’re a Grandmaster?"
The rumors said that only a Martial Saint could externally burst True Gang.
But such an effortless display was truly beyond comprehension!
"Good boy!"
Fang Xi, all smiles, casually rewarded him with a bottle of first-grade Qi Blood Pills.
Mu Baizheng took the bottle, opened the cap, and upon smelling a familiar scent of medicine, his expression drastically changed. He quickly hid the bottle in his chest like a thief, his heart pounding.
He remembered this scent!
He was just an orphan adopted by the White Cloud Martial Arts School, whose talent was only mediocre, but made up for it with a steadfast and honest nature.
Later, when his uncle master rewarded him with a pill, he broke through to the realm of a real strength warrior in one fell swoop, standing out from his fellows and eventually taking up the position of the principal of the martial arts school!
The pill from back then had this exact scent!
Though he was a straightforward man, at this moment, he wished he could kowtow to Fang Xi even more...
"Big brother, what brings you back this time?"
Mu Piaomiao waved her hand for Mu Baizheng to stand aside and her expression became serious.
"I’ve come to settle some mundane affairs. Oh, how’s Yuanhe Mountain outside the city?"
Fang Xi asked casually.
"Over a decade ago, King Liang rose to power, stamped his way through the Martial World, climbed Yuanhe Mountain himself to seek the secrets of Yuanhe Wulei Hand. Elder Master Linghu of Yuanhe Mountain had long since passed away by ’sitting and transforming’, and thus no one could stop him, leading to the breaching of its gates..."
Mu Piaomiao recounted the event.
"What... Could it be that even the prestige of my supreme Grandmaster can’t hold down people anymore?"
Fang Xi seemed somewhat surprised.
"Supreme Grandmaster?"
Mu Piaomiao rolled her eyes, "We’re merely mortals. You’ve disappeared for thirty years—how much of your influence could remain?"