Outside the House of Commanders.
The sound of fireworks, which had previously faded away, resumed as midnight approached.
Though the battle of the powerhouses had taken place here, the damage caused to the surrounding areas was actually not too extensive. The only areas that took damage were confined to the Scenic Lake Gardens.
When the government sent people to make a public announcement, the police and the Department of Investigation Services went out on patrol to announce the news. Once they knew that the martial artists from the evil sect were finally eliminated and the city was being watched over by powerful Grandmasters, the people of the Sun City finally felt at peace.
The Chinese New Year celebration had always been important for the Chinese people.
Compared to the battle that had just happened, the Chinese New Year’s Eve reunion dinner was still more of a priority.
While the atmosphere outside grew livelier, within the House of Commanders, however, the atmosphere grew heavier by the minute.
Even Bai Jinshan at Rank-3 was about to fall limp to the floor.
The number of Grandmaster powerhouses kept increasing.
Not only that, but these people also grew more and more taciturn. Many of these newcomers were outsiders; they did not bother to socialize. At most, they only gave a nod and called a greeting to the other Grandmasters before they found a place to sit down and wait.
Rank-3 though he was, Bai Jinshan was not able to keep up with the situation. Even Auspicious Sun’s Upper-stage Rank-4 commander felt a little as if sweat were forming on his back.
This was probably the first time in his life that he had seen so many Grandmasters!
Together with the people from MCMAU, there were now more than 10 Grandmasters present.
Right as Bai Jinshan and Auspicious Sun’s commander were feeling extremely tense, the crowd suddenly turned to look outside.
Right at this moment, multiple powerful auras were approaching from outside the building.
“Fang Ping, how dare you simply accuse us of such things? Do you really think that no one can get the better of you?”
Outside the house, a middle-aged man with a violent manner bellowed angrily the minute he landed. The tone of his was icy in the extreme!
A wave of tremendous pressure headed straight toward Fang Ping!
Fang Ping had the nerve to accuse the pill and weapons companies of trying to assassinate him in a residential area—this was an extremely serious offense!
The newcomer’s presence was extremely powerful. The next instant, Old Man Li’s Vitality soared, causing the roof to burst apart!
“Zheng Minghong! Are you determined to dig your own grave?”
In the blink of an eye, the Chaos-vanquishing Saber hanging at Fang Ping’s waist was in Old Man Li’s hand.
With a swoosh, Old Man Li unsheathed the Chaos-vanquishing Saber and said coldly, “Do you really think this old man can’t chop you up?
“Zheng Minghong, who gave you such nerve!”
At the same time, Chen Yaoting and Huang Jing stood up together. Blood-red light radiated from above their heads as their Celestiality interwove; the void trembled.
Fang Ping’s face turned slightly pale, after which he turned around and shouted, “CEO Zheng, you tried to eliminate me to shut my mouth, but you failed didn’t you?”
There were countless auras clashing mid-air; everyone was at daggers drawn.
The next instant, Commander Bai became furious and shouted in a rage, “Just because I’m from Nanjiang, you treat me as if I’m nobody? Stop this at once! If not, don’t blame me if I take action!”
Although at present there were golden-body powerhouses in confrontation and Commander Bai was only a Rank-7, he was still an awe-inspiring, fearless presence. In fury, he shouted again, “Who gave you the nerve to think that you could start trouble here?
“Stop it this instant!”
At the same time, the aura of another golden body powerhouse manifested in a flash—Zhou Dingguo of the Military Department had arrived.
Zhou Dingguo’s expression was icy as he descended from the sky. Looking at the handful of people confronting each other, he bellowed coldly, “Enough! Do you people have nothing better to do? If you are all this bored, go and fight in the Catacombs—this isn’t the place for you to show off!”
Outside the house, Zheng Minghong’s expression was ugly. Very gravely he said, “Commander Zhou, if I, Zheng Minghong, had not been swift in my actions, Fang Ping would have continued repeatedly slandering the pill company! Right now, it is no longer slandering, but framing us on a false charge!
“The pill company has been established for 80 years; in all these 80 years it has been an industrious company that has never dared to slack!
“Regardless of whether it is the Military Department or the martial arts universities, has everyone forgotten the pill company’s contributions all these years?
“Everyone thinks that the pill company is a logistics department, peacefully doing research and development, focusing solely on earning big bucks.
“How many remember all through these years just how many martial artists from the pill company experimented on themselves in order to continuously improve various pills? They took many risks to improve the effects of these pills and reduce any poisonous elements...and what happened?
“How many of these people died from these experiments; how many of them suffered from the testing process?
“Yet today, my pill company is a failure according to the words of this ignorant brat!
“Don’t you know that if it were not for the pill company trying, again and again, to improve recipes and experiment with the newest technology, would this brat even have the chance to enter a martial arts university? 80 years ago, a Vitality Pill could cost up to 5 times more than what it costs now, and yet its effectiveness would only be half of what it is today!
“Just because people like us aren’t on the battlefield bleeding for the cause, does that make us part of an evil sect?
“Does that mean we have made no contributions to the world of martial arts?”
Zheng Minghong angrily continued, “What qualifications does Fang Ping have to determine whether or not the pill company is right or wrong? What right does he have to spout such nonsense in front of me and everyone else?”
The whole crowd went silent.
Fang Ping calmly replied, “CEO Zheng, no one is denying the contributions and efforts of the pill company, neither did anyone say that research behind the scenes is not a contribution.
“You also didn’t have to put all the blame on me the minute you arrived. You’re a Rank-8 golden-body martial artist—there was even less need to take disciplinary action when you first showed up.
“Whether or not something is right or wrong, actions will speak for themselves.
“As to whether or not I’ve set you up to frame you, there are more than 10 Grandmasters here right now and I’m just a single Rank-5 martial artist. Do you honestly think I would dare to fabricate such a thing?
“Do you really think everyone here is blind and deaf?
“Or do you think that I, Fang Ping, or rather MCMAU, can control all the Houses of Governors in each district as well as the central government?
“You acted on emotional impulse the moment you arrived here. As a Rank-8 golden-body powerhouse, have you no self-control?
“Or could it be that you know something...and you’re just trying to make false claims, planning for the next move?”
“Presumptuous!”
“You’re the one being presumptuous!”
Old Man Li’s gaze turned cold. His Vitality soared and he growled, “If you dare pick on the lower ranks again, even if we’re in public right now, I’ll kill you!”
“Li Changsheng, do you think I’m afraid of you?”
Zheng Minghong snarled in fury, “You’re acting as if you’re a Rank-8!”
“Come right ahead and try me!”
Old Man Li gave a cold snort. “I don’t need to be a Rank-8 to kill you!”
“Insolence! Very well, let me test your Changsheng Sword*!” (TN: This is a play of words on Li Changsheng’s name, in other words, Zheng Minghong wants to test Li Changsheng’s sword skills.)
The minute they finished speaking, both men were at daggers drawn. On the sidelines, Zhou Dingguo’s expression was so dark it might rain any moment. Icily he rapped out, “Silence! Try making a move; do you think no one can stop you so you can do as you please?”
Commander Bai also stood up, his expression thunderous.
The other Grandmasters also stood up en masse; a few of them hurriedly pleaded, “Please calm down and stop fighting. The situation hasn’t been investigated thoroughly yet, it might not be what it seems.”
A moment later, several other powerhouses landed.
Upon seeing the situation, someone shouted, “What’s going on? Is this a revolt? Zheng Minghong, Li Changsheng, what are you both doing?
“Do the pill company and MCMAU still see the big picture?
“Go inside and sit down; since this has happened, let’s investigate the matter thoroughly! Fighting at the slightest provocation—has everyone’s brains been addled from practicing too much martial arts?”
“...”
The few who arrived later, including the deputy of the Education Ministry and even the deputy of the Detective Department, consisted of Rank-8 as well as Rank-7 martial artists.
They were not pleased at all. The matter had not even begun to be investigated; a mere discussion and people were already engaging in fights. Did these people think that rules truly did not exist?
Zheng Minghong said not a word; Old Man Li was silent as well.
The rest were still trying to persuade them. Fang Ping took stock of the situation and stepped into the large hall, looking at the crowd. “Esteemed Grandmasters, when CEO Zheng arrived, he did not seek to clarify the situation but immediately used his position as a Rank-8 to intimidate me as he pleased. Currently, I am heavily wounded. CEO Zheng is a Rank-8 and I am a Rank-5. Does he intend to kill me to silence me, or does he feel that I am of no account so he can do as he pleases?
“If Sino Nation still has laws that have the final say, don’t tell me that in this matter no one is considering the law?
“If no one fights for justice for me, does that mean CEO Zheng can kill me whenever he wants?
“Have I, Fang Ping, wronged Sino Nation, or have I betrayed the human race?
“The Military Department, the Education Ministry, and the Detective Department—are they just going to let this happen?
“Are the ones with weak abilities destined to be used as scapegoats?
“If that’s the case, what’s the difference between this sort of Sino Nation ruled by this sort of government and an evil sect? Just kill off all the lower-ranked people and rely on the Catacombs!”
“Fang Ping, stop talking nonsense!”
Zhou Dingguo ordered firmly, his face showing his displeasure.
Fang Ping raised his head and looked at Zhou Dingguo. Very solemnly he said, “Commander Zhou, was I wrong in what I said? The first thing CEO Zheng did on arrival was to make a move and attack me, extolling the contributions that the pill company has made! Don’t tell me MCMAU has not contributed?
“Let’s talk about something recent, rather than what’s happened in the past. We lost our old Vice-chancellor in battle; Vice-chancellor Liu was badly hurt. As for Dean Li’s condition currently, you, Commander Zhou, know better than anyone else!
“This is just what is going on with only a few of the Grandmasters. As for the other mid-ranked and lower-ranked instructors and students, which of them has not been putting themselves on the front line?
“MCMAU’s school archives have no more room for another soul!
“Our cemetery in the south has no room to bury yet another set of bones!
“Contributions?
“Which of us hasn’t contributed?
“Not a single question was asked to clarify the situation, moves were made as and when CEO Zheng pleased. Am I being taken advantage of because I’m too weak, or because I haven’t contributed enough?”
Zheng Minghong’s expression was unpleasant; he glared at Fang Ping and said, “Fang Ping, I think everyone here can bear witness to whether or not I picked a fight with you. If I really wanted to start a fight, even with Li Changsheng and the rest here, do you honestly think they could protect you?”
The reason he even showed his power in the beginning was to just let Fang Ping know that he was in charge here.
As to the claims about picking a fight and the bit about eliminating him, that was just Fang Ping spouting nonsense.
He had not expected that the crowd from MCMAU would have such an intense response. For a Rank-8 martial artist, usually a few words to the lower ranks would have been smoothed the situation over quite easily.
Fang Ping was silent, but all of a sudden, the flesh on his body started gushing blood.
Even on the surface, he was starting to fall apart.
However, Fang Ping remained silent; he merely stared intently at the other man, which made Zheng Minghong nervous.
Zhou Dingguo furrowed his brows and called out, “Fang Ping!”
Fang Ping said colorlessly, “I was already fatally wounded from the previous battle. Guardian Wu has already used some of his imperishable substance to keep my wounds from worsening. Does CEO Zheng not know that after a battle with a Peak Rank-6 martial artist, it’s only natural that I would be this heavily wounded?
“I think the moment you landed here, CEO Zheng, you would have realized this with your Rank-8 vision.
“If so, then I have every reason to suspect that you intended to kill me!
“Or does CEO Zheng think that if a Rank-8 were to face a heavily wounded Rank-5, would this be considered an attempt at murder only if he utilized his full strength?”
Zheng Minghong’s expression turned somber; he said nothing.
The deputy of the Education Ministry was familiar with Fang Ping since the recent 2nd National Martial Arts University Championship had been hosted by MCMAU.
As he looked at Fang Ping’s wounded, bloody body and both his arms that seemed to have lost all their flesh, Minister Wang sighed gently. “Alright, Fang Ping, CEO Zheng did act rashly in a moment of anger...”
As he spoke, Minister Wang turned towards Zheng Minghong and continued, “CEO Zheng, his wounds are getting worse. Please help with the current situation for now; as for the earlier issue, let’s all calm down first.”
Zheng Minghong’s expression changed. Was the Minister intimating that he would have to use his own imperishable substance to heal Fang Ping?
Since Minister Wang was from the Education Ministry, all the martial arts universities would fall under the Education Ministry as well.
Indeed, Fang Ping was an important figure in MCMAU; it was understandable that Minister Wang was taking sides with him.
Once Minister Wang had finished, Zhou Dingguo also spoke up, “Let’s stabilize his wounds first.”
From the sidelines, Minister Hu of the Detective Department also nodded in agreement. “CEO Zheng, if you would, please.”
The rest did not matter. Zheng Minghong apparently had nothing better to do than to threaten Fang Ping the moment he arrived. If this matter had not been taken seriously by the people from MCMAU, it would not have been that much of an issue.
It was not like he had really hurt Fang Ping. A Rank-8 martial artist throwing a little pressure at a Rank-5... If relations had been amicable, it would have been just a bit of friendly fire between them, similar to a senior testing out the powers of a newcomer, or perhaps even just a little joke.
Huang Jing and the rest would usually have Fang Ping on the ground with the pressure they exerted—a much more serious scenario than what had happened here.
However, the main point was that both parties did not have good relations with each other, so the situation had taken a turn for the worse.
On Fang Ping’s side, it was not as if he had nobody backing him up, and he was also not afraid of Zheng Minghong.
If Zheng Minghong was not willing to pay a small price to settle the current situation, any further discussion would be difficult.
The other Grandmasters were silent. Perhaps it was because Zheng Minghong had been a CEO for far too long—whenever the pill company made a decision, they had long since forgotten that not everyone worked under them.
The pill company’s Rank-5 people would tremble whenever they saw Zheng Minghong.
If it had been another Rank-5, even if he had tried to intimidate Wang Jinyang, it would not have been much of a problem at all.
After that, even Wang Jinyang would have had to acknowledge Zheng Minghong.
Yet, Zheng Minghong insisted on going after Fang Ping. Of the present company, which of them did not know that Fang Ping had saved Li Changsheng’s life? If Zheng Minghong were to really hurt Fang Ping, Li Changsheng would never forgive him.
Although Li Changsheng was last on the ranking list, everyone knew that he was not truly a Rank-8.
If Zheng Minghong actually thought that he could beat Li Changsheng, he was definitely thinking too much.
Li Changsheng was not too far from becoming a Rank-8; he had even beaten a Rank-8 in a life-and-death sword fight. It had been so long since Zheng Minghong had entered the catacombs as a Rank-8—did he really think he could survive a life-or-death battle?
Of course, there were other martial artists here; both Li Changsheng and Zheng Minghong would not have dared to start a proper fight.
The atmosphere was so tense, however, that this might also not have held true.
Zheng Minghong’s expression was unpleasant; he had to admit that he wanted to pick a fight at first.
In his view, a Rank-8 intimidating a Rank-5 was not much of a big deal.
It was not as if he did anything to Fang Ping; what was wrong with releasing some pressure at him?
However, the reactions on MCMAU’s part seemed rather excessive.
It was not just MCMAU; even Chen Yaoting had been watching out of the corner of his eye. This made Zheng Minghong feel extremely depressed.
How did this old man even get involved?
Chen Yaoting was the principal of SCMAU and a Rank-7 who was only one final step away from Rank-8—but the main point was that this old man had a Divine Weapon in his possession!
Indeed, Chen Yaoting was considered number one among the Rank-7s of Sino Nation, but this was not just because he was a mere step away from Rank-8. The main reason was that he owned a Divine Weapon.
This weapon was much more powerful than Zhou Zhengyang’s Divine Weapon!
Zhou Zhengyang was also a Peak Rank-7 with a Divine Weapon at hand. With regards to his previous ranking however, in reality, he was no match for Chen Yaoting.
Zheng Minghong might have been a golden-body powerhouse, but if he were to go up against Chen Yaoting, it would be difficult to determine a winner or a loser.
At present, even Li Changsheng was also glaring ferociously at him; this made Zheng Minghong feel extremely aggrieved.
Since when did a Rank-8 need to bow their head to a Rank-5?
Just as Zheng Minghong was still thinking of such matters, the light from Fang Ping’s golden bones began to dim; he then fell limp to the floor. Even with the naked eye, one could see his internal organs were starting to slowly fall apart...
Zheng Minghong’s expression changed drastically!
This really was a fatal wound!
He felt he had been falsely accused in the extreme!
From the side, Li Changsheng angrily raised his voice, “Hurry! I don’t possess the imperishable substance; all of you must save him quickly. If Fang Ping dies, I will slaughter you!”
Huang Jing’s expression was unpleasant as well. Very gravely he said, “CEO Zheng, what you did to one of MCMAU’s own was such a vicious move. As a Grandmaster...ask yourself, are you willing to take responsibility for what happens?”
“All of you!”
On the sidelines Zhou Dingguo was frowning heavily; he said nothing more, however. A golden glow started to radiate from his hands, and he began stabilizing Fang Ping’s burst internal organs.
Minister Wang of the Education Ministry also quickly jumped into action; they could not let Fang Ping die.
Something felt off about the entire situation.
In reality, many people felt like something was not right either. Zheng Minghong had not even fully released his power before he pulled back; how could things have gotten so serious?
Nonetheless, Fang Ping’s injuries were indeed critical!
Among the crowd, there were probably only a few people who knew very well what was going on.
Fang Ping’s wounds were genuinely serious; he had been tenaciously hanging on. However, Li Changsheng also knew that Fang Ping had actually been constantly healing his own wounds with his Vitality so that they would not get any worse.
In reality, Zheng Minghong had not hurt Fang Ping at all. However, this brat had abandoned using Vitality to heal himself and had instead decided to let his wounds continue to deteriorate.
Because of that, the wounds were now truly critical.
Fang Ping was certainly not faking anything; Zheng Minghong had to admit that whether he liked it or not.
Even if everyone knew that Fang Ping’s condition was probably a result of the previous battle with the Peak Rank-6—well, no one had asked Zheng Minghong to put pressure on the lad as if there was nothing better to do.
Fang Ping had been alive and kicking earlier but now he was on the verge of death. If Zheng Minghong did not take responsibility for it, then who would?
Zheng Minghong’s expression... It felt as if he had been hit with 8 runs worth of bad luck!
If he did not take any action in the situation right now, the two Ministers could not keep using their imperishable substances to help. If Fang Ping really did die... they would not be the ones responsible for his death.
With so many Grandmasters around, if anything were to happen to Fang Ping, even ten mouths would not be enough for Zheng Minghong to explain his position!
The next moment, expression thunderous, Zheng Minghong placed his hands on Fang Ping without a word, releasing a faint wisp of golden light.
At this point, Zhou Dingguo and Minister Wang had withdrawn their hands.
Meanwhile, the moment Fang Ping felt Zheng Minghong’s hands on him, he quickly absorbed as much of the imperishable substance as he could. When he noticed that the CEO was about to pull his hands away, Fang Ping’s internal organs burst open again...
Zheng Minghong was so enraged he felt like spitting blood himself.
‘Great, just great!’
Zheng Minghong felt as if he had gained an entire world of knowledge and experience. He had been alive for so many years and yet he was being outsmarted by a Rank-5 kid.
After years of being in a high position, there was really not much competition within the pill company. His subordinates had always shown him the utmost respect; all the governors and martial artists, including the Military Department, were always courteous to him in the hopes of getting more free pills.
Zheng Minghong was not a very subtle person. It was not that he was completely lacking in subtlety, but since he had ascended to the higher ranks, he had never really paid much attention to these lower-ranked martial artists.
This time, however, through his carelessness, he had fallen into the trap of a 20-year old youngster.
Meanwhile, Fang Ping’s condition was genuinely taking a turn for the better, and the flesh was forming back on his bones.
The little brat was not healing though; the wounds from his internal organs were still getting worse. All the imperishable substances that he had been absorbing were going to his bones!
That was why from everyone’s point of view, Fang Ping’s wounds were getting more serious. However, it was not pretense; his wounds genuinely were deteriorating.
Zheng Minghong could not pull away now even if he wanted to!
From the sidelines, Wang Jinyang watched the entire scene unfold and felt a mixture of admiration and envy.
People who had the support of others behind them were truly not the same.
If he had been the one in that same situation... Old Wang felt a slight sense of disappointment as he thought about it.
If he were in Fang Ping’s current situation, the two Peak Rank-6s from TMAU were certainly here—but faced with a Rank-8, he would not really have felt confident about the encounter.
The previous matter of having pressure used on him as a threat might be swept under the carpet, what more any attempts to trap this Rank-8.
Even if the matter was not ignored, if Wang Jinyang were to be in the same state as Fang Ping right now, Zheng Minghong would pull back sooner or later. The imperishable substance was the fundamental essence of all Rank-8 martial artists and no one would waste it in such a manner.
Zheng Minghong felt this way as well, but he thought that he should at least have Fang Ping’s wounds healed to a point where they no longer looked as serious anymore.
Li Changsheng and the rest on the sidelines had still not stopped glaring at him.
Zheng Minghong’s face flushed with annoyance. Another Rank-8 beside him remained silent; inwardly he was relieved for not having been the one to pick a fight.
This person was the CEO of the weapons company.
The moment Zheng Minghong showed up and decided to intimidate Fang Ping, the CEO of the weapons company had genuinely found the whole situation entirely too entertaining.
When Fang Ping said that the martial artists who had assaulted him came from the two major companies, this had genuinely enraged both himself and CEO Zheng.
These were not matters that one could simply become a scapegoat for!
Before coming here, both of them had actually pondered over the matter carefully—they could not be meek and compromising. At times like these, meekness could be mistaken for cowardice; that would really be a big problem.
As for whatever decisions MCMAU had made, they had prepared for that.
MCMAU could not be allowed to succeed in its schemes. This matter did not solely involve MCMAU; it was a major change that involved the whole of Sino Nation.
At present, the two major companies had taken a step back for MCMAU. If this continued, it might trigger a huge chain reaction.
MCMAU was a minor player for now. If it could cause an entire structure to change, however, then that would be something major.
That was why the two major companies had determined that they would maintain a show of force until the end without being intimidated.
In the end, the culprit who had trapped them was none other than this little brat Fang Ping, spouting all his nonsense!
Both companies were of the same opinion—they wanted to intimidate Fang Ping.
Zheng Minghong had taken the first step, as he felt that this would be beneficial to both companies and fulfill their expectations.
In the end, however, Zheng Minghong had been thoroughly played for a fool.
At this moment, the CEO of the weapons company felt that he had made the right choice by taking a step back. The imperishable substance should not be wasted like this. Even if Zheng Minghong were to cultivate for half a year, it would be extremely difficult to replenish the amount he had used.
If one thought about it, this brat Fang Ping really had guts.
The way he had fooled Zheng Minghong was criminal... On further consideration, however, it seemed as if Zheng Minghong had already been offended to his limits anyway.
Thinking about it in this manner, the CEO of the weapon company realized that Fang Ping had everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Even if he had not gotten the better of Zheng Minghong, Old Zheng would still probably not have had a good impression of him anyway.