Chapter 23: Standing Firm Against the Elite

Clang—

Though startled, Fang Xian did not panic. As he turned, his hand was already on his sword, and in the blink of an eye, he reversed his grip and counter-thrust, engaging Huang Shuhua. At the same time, the mysterious energy within him surged swiftly, dispelling the effects of the wine.

“Second Brother, stop!” Ye Hongxiu, having been pushed aside by Fang Xian, steadied herself and was just drawing her sword when she saw that her assailant was Huang Shuhua. She shouted urgently.

“Scoundrel, die!” But Huang Shuhua was already consumed by the flames of rage. The only image in his mind was Fang Xian holding Ye Hongxiu’s hand, and in his fury, all he could think of was killing Fang Xian.

Clang, clang, clang—

Fang Xian had originally intended to fight ruthlessly, but upon hearing Ye Hongxiu’s shout, he realized the man attacking him was Huang Shuhua, the son of the third chieftain, Huang Yuantao. Though he didn’t understand the reason for the attack, he restrained his offensive and only sparred with his opponent.

“Aaah—” Huang Shuhua, in anguish, screamed and attacked Fang Xian with reckless abandon. His shouts alarmed Huang Yuantao, who was ascending the mountain, and many others in the courtyard. However, as most were busy drinking, only a few heard the commotion. Da Niu, turning his head to glimpse the situation outside, immediately ran out.

Smack—

Fang Xian saw at once that Huang Shuhua was somewhat deranged. Frowning, he dodged the broadsword and moved behind him, sending Huang Shuhua flying with a kick.

“How dare you, knave!”

At that moment, Huang Yuantao arrived in a flash and, witnessing his son being kicked away, assumed he’d been grievously harmed. He roared in fury and lunged at Fang Xian, launching a fierce punch.

“Third Uncle, don’t—!” Events unfolded too quickly for Ye Hongxiu to intervene. Huang Yuantao had already appeared and was attacking Fang Xian, prompting her to shout in desperation.

Boom—

Seeing he could not evade in time, Fang Xian discarded his sword and met the punch with his own. The mysterious energy within him surged along his meridians, colliding heavily with Huang Yuantao’s fist. Instantly, a powerful force erupted, pushing both men back a step.

Inside, Fang Xian felt as if a tidal wave had crashed through him—he was injured. The mysterious energy was too scant to withstand a full-force blow from a master; though it allowed him to barely resist, he was still badly hurt and spat a mouthful of blood.

“Courting death.” Huang Yuantao, enraged, pressed on, but Ye Hongxiu leapt between them, her sword aimed at his chest. The sharp edge forced him to defend himself.

“Wei, help me kill this wretch!” Huang Yuantao bellowed. The middle-aged man in blue beside him hesitated but then darted toward Fang Xian.

Just as Fang Xian was about to draw the Meteor Sword and fight to the death, Da Niu suddenly charged from behind, intercepting the man in blue with a thunderous roar. In that critical moment, he broke through to the first-class expert level, his aura surging.

Da Niu’s roar echoed like thunder, immediately drawing the attention of most in the courtyard. Ye Qingyun, Zhou Boxiong, and Zhou Tianming appeared in a flash, witnessing the chaos outside.

“Enough!” Ye Qingyun arrived like lightning, driving back Huang Yuantao with a flick of his sleeve. With two fingers, he sent a surge of inner force that forced the man in blue back several steps, his face flushing red before he spat blood.

The man in blue was stunned by the power of the grandmaster. One surge of energy from Ye Qingyun’s fingers had injured him. Unbeknownst to him, Ye Qingyun’s anger was sparked by seeing Fang Xian wounded and Da Niu forced back.

“Third Brother, what are you doing? Bringing outsiders to attack our stronghold?” Ye Qingyun turned to Huang Yuantao, stepping forward to stand protectively before Fang Xian.

“Elder Brother, who is this man? He injured Shuhua—I must kill him,” Huang Yuantao replied darkly, sensing the odd looks from those around.

“Third Brother, how could Nephew Fang Xian injure Shuhua for no reason? There must be a misunderstanding,” Zhou Boxiong interjected, clearly siding with Fang Xian.

“Third Uncle, his name is Fang Xian—he is my husband. But I don’t know what happened to Second Brother; the moment he saw us, he struck to kill. If not for my husband’s quick reaction, he would have been struck down. And you—bullying the young as an elder—is that just?” Ye Hongxiu stepped forward, her voice cold.

Huang Yuantao was taken aback. He had not witnessed what happened earlier; seeing Fang Xian kick his son, he assumed Shuhua was gravely hurt and acted in anger.

“Third Uncle, it seems this is all a misunderstanding. As this is my first time meeting you and Second Brother, if I have somehow offended you, I ask your forgiveness. When Second Brother attacked, I merely kicked him away in my panic—he is unharmed,” Fang Xian said, wiping the blood from his mouth and bowing to Huang Yuantao.

“Da Niu, are you alright?” Without waiting for a reply, he went to check on Da Niu.

“Master-in-law, it’s just some unsettled energy. I’ll be fine after some quiet cultivation. No problem at all,” Da Niu replied with a grin.

“Hongxiu, I need to go rest and tend to my injuries. Let’s go,” Fang Xian said, reaching for her hand. She sheathed her sword and walked with him, neither sparing a glance for Huang Yuantao and his son.

Zhou Tianming went to help Huang Shuhua up, checked him over, and said, “Third Uncle, Shuhua isn’t hurt. Brother Fang clearly showed restraint.”

“Since Shuhua is unharmed, Third Brother, take him back to rest. You’ve all had a long journey—take some time to recover. This afternoon, come to the main hall for a meeting,” Ye Qingyun said, nodding to Huang Yuantao before turning away.

“Third Brother, since it was a misunderstanding, let it go. Fang Xian is kind-hearted and bears no grudges. Today is my grandson’s full moon banquet; you’ve returned just in time—come, have a drink,” Zhou Boxiong said, pulling Huang Yuantao toward the courtyard.

Zhou Tianming helped Huang Shuhua follow, while the man in blue wiped the blood from his mouth with a wry smile, now worried about the task at hand. He had already learned the relationships— the young man who had been attacked was none other than Ye Qingyun’s son-in-law.

At the same time, he was astonished at the strength present in Qingyun Stronghold. Aside from the grandmaster Ye Qingyun, there were Zhou Boxiong and Huang Yuantao, both veteran first-class experts. Ye Qingyun’s daughter and Zhou Boxiong’s son were also first-class, and the big man had broken through under pressure. And Fang Xian, though injured by Huang Yuantao’s punch, had demonstrated power to rival an ordinary first-class martial artist, yet he was not even at that level himself. Such talent was truly terrifying.

“Xian’er, are you alright?” As Fang Xian and Ye Hongxiu returned to the courtyard, Ye Qingyun came over, worried.

“I’m fine—just some internal agitation. I have medicine for healing; after two days of rest, I’ll be well,” Fang Xian assured him.

“This is actually partly my fault. When Hongxiu was young, I once joked with Third Brother that when our children grew up, they’d be wed. Shuhua must have always liked Hongxiu, and hearing of her marriage, he lost control,” Ye Qingyun said with a rueful smile.

“Still, Third Uncle shouldn’t have struck my husband. He’s an elder—how could he attack without distinguishing right from wrong?” Ye Hongxiu huffed. She had never cared for Huang Shuhua, regarding him only as an older brother. Now, her concern was all for Fang Xian.

“It truly was a misunderstanding. I’ll speak with your Third Uncle and ask him to let it go. Once you know him better, you’ll see he’s a good man. Back in the day, we fought out of the imperial army’s encirclement together—he’s an old comrade of mine, and I believe he’ll come to understand you,” Ye Qingyun said, trying to reassure Fang Xian.

“Father, I really haven’t taken it to heart, but I fear Second Brother won’t let it rest. And who was that man Third Uncle brought? He even dared attack Da Niu. I won’t forgive him,” Fang Xian replied with a smile, but he showed no goodwill toward the man in blue. Anyone who struck for Huang Yuantao was either very close to him or up to no good.