NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 373-378
Chapter 373: Three sins
Chen Feiyu was so excited to face off against Nangong Hao with 50,000 soldiers as his witness. To be defeated in a single round was quite the tragedy.
More importantly, he did not even see how he was defeated. To say it was a tragedy seemed to be an understatement.
However…
No matter how depressing it was, he was still defeated. The question that bugged all the candidates had also been answered.
Four years ago, Nangong Hao was talented, the brightest star in the empire. Four years later, he could only be described using a single word.
Terrifying!
He was sharp and domineering. He gave off the vibe that he was peerless.
Nangong Hao had only attacked once. However, this strike had struck fear and awe into the hearts of the other candidates.
All of them looked at each other in aghast. They were at a loss for words to describe what they had just seen.
When Nangong Hao had attacked, all of them thought that it looked too ordinary despite its speed.
However, when the blade pierced through the wall of blue surrounding Chen Feiyu, all of them began to question their belief.
In that instant…
It felt as though time had stopped.
The moment Nangong Hao’s blade came into contact with the shield, it seemed to disappear. To be more precise, it teleported.
That being said, all of the candidates knew that no matter how powerful Nangong Hao was, he could not teleport.
After all, in order to tear apart the very fabric of space was a huge exertion for even the strongest Rebirth State cultivators.
There was no way Nangong Hao could have teleported.
However, when Nangong Hao’s blade pierced through Chen Feiyu’s shield, Nangong Hao seemed to disappear into thin air.
The impossible happened.
There could only be one possibility.
It had fused with the shield.
In the moment the blade came into contact with the shield, it fused with it. In that moment, Nangong Hao and the shield were one.
The fusing was flawless. That was the only way to fool Chen Feiyu’s Torrential Rain. The shield would never attack itself.
“You can control everything, but so can I!”
All of the candidates thought about what Nangong Hao had said. They understood exactly what it meant, even Chen Feiyu himself knew what had happened.
However…
They did not believe it. They refused to believe it!
He fused with Dao!
How ridiculous was that?!
When one thought of stunning scenes, one would think of vast mountain ranges or raging rivers. However, what they just witnessed was far superior to all of that.
The answer to the question in all their minds, “What is Nangong Hao like four years later?” had been answered. The answer floored them all.
“Did you get a clear look?” Yan Xiu finally spoke. He did not praise Nangong Hao’s strengths or point out Nangong Hao’s weaknesses. Neither did he ask Fang Zhengzhi what his next course of action was.
He asked quite an ordinary question.
Even so, Fang Zhengzhi understood what Yan Xiu meant instantly.
“I still have many soldiers behind me and plenty of time. If I want to take a closer look, I have many ways of doing it.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head lightly.
He knew what Yan Xiu was thinking, but he was not going to accept it.
“If my guess is correct, you probably can’t use the soldiers behind you. At the very least, you won’t be able to use them to defeat Nangong Hao.” Yan Xiu shook his head and asserted.
“Why?” Fang Zhengzhi did not understand.
“Because Nangong Hao exited the Icy Monkey Settlement alone!” Yan Xiu explained.
This was not a clear explanation, but Fang Zhengzhi understood it immediately. Would such a talented individual do something if he didn’t have the confidence he was going to succeed?
Clearly not.
Nangong Hao had travelled far to come to the capital. His high profile participation was definitely not just to get a good ranking.
The fact was he had come.
The reason for his participation was to cleanse the Nangong Family of its shame.
With this in mind, he still decided to walk out alone in the face of a vast army.
This only meant one thing.
Nangong Hao was very confident. He knew that he was going to win. That being said, he couldn’t face 50,000 soldiers alone.
One vs 50,000?
That bordered on the impossible. All the legends about a single punch killing thousands were merely just that, legends.
After all, even if 50,000 of them stood still for him to kill, he would take many nights to kill them all. Furthermore, these people knew how to run, jump, and fight.
Fang Zhengzhi knew what Yan Xiu was saying, but he had no idea how Nangong Hao planned to cause his army to defy him.
A military order?
Or the Emperor’s personal order?
Fang Zhengzhi had a sudden realization. He had known all along that the combat examinations was a cover for something greater. It was a cover for the army they were bringing.
That being said, he had no idea how the soldiers would be deployed.
However, just because he didn’t know didn’t mean that Nangong Hao was in the dark.
It seemed like he was back where he started. To be more specific, everything that had happened was all part of an elaborate plan.
These were all Fang Zhengzhi’s guesses. Yan Xiu shared the same sentiment. However, he wouldn’t know unless he tried.
“General Li, take 1000 men and surround Nangong Hao!” Fang Zhengzhi would not order his entire army forward. That would do no good.
“Yes!” General Li answered immediately when he heard the order. It was almost as if he had received no other conflicting orders.
Obedience.
Such obedience from his deputies was strange. This caused Fang Zhengzhi to wonder if he and Yan Xiu were mistaken.
The 1000 strong force was quickly assembled.
300 shieldbearers, 300 spearmen, 300 swordsman and 100 archers.
This was the most appropriate lineup. The shieldbearers would be in front, the spearmen in the middle, and the archers at the back. The swordsmen would guard the flanks. They would surround Nangong Hao…
“Kaboom!”
1000 men stepped forward in unison. They marched towards Nangong Hao, an aura of death rising from their midst.
The candidates all looked on, slightly confused.
They all felt that the most honorable way was for both generals to fight it out. This was the combat examination, and it was a test for the generals.
That being said, Nangong Hao was much more powerful than Fang Zhengzhi. For Fang Zhengzhi to use his vastly superior army was not surprising.
They would have done the same.
Chen Feiyu stood rooted to his spot. He had no idea if he should return to Fang Zhengzhi’s army or be a prisoner of war in the Icy Monkey Settlement.
Nangong Hao stood still. However, he was much more stable than Chen Feiyu. Not a single muscle of his moved during the entire time.
The 1000 strong army moved quickly. Before long, they were right in front of Nangong Hao and began to surround him.
Fang Zhengzhi turned to look at Yan Xiu.
Yan Xiu’s gaze was fixated on the gate of the Icy Monkey Settlement, almost as if he was waiting for someone to appear.
“There are others in the Icy Monkey Settlement?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.
“I’m not sure.” Yan Xiu shook his head.
“Mm, then we shall wait and see.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
Maybe Fang Zhengzhi’s words were too accurate, or maybe Yan Xiu’s gaze was magical. Whatever it was, a figure did appear at the gates of the Icy Monkey Settlement.
It was a youth riding a huge green stallion. He wore armor, but it was different from those of the Great Xia Dynasty soldiers.
On his breastplate was a intricate pattern. There was a silver word in the middle.
“Order!”
This meant that this soldier was one of the messengers.
For a messenger to reveal his identity so audaciously meant that the intended recipient was here.
“This is an order from the Crown Prince!”
A resounding voice echoed out. At the same time, the messenger retrieved a black token with a silver dragon inscribed on it.
The soldiers about to surround Nangong Hao stopped in their tracks.
All of them looked to each other. General Li, who was in charge of the 1000 men, subconsciously looked to Fang Zhengzhi. Then, he dismounted and fell to on one knee.
Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu, and all 50,000 soldiers all knelt. They knew what the silver dragon represented.
This was a military order!
It had to be obeyed!
All of the candidates all looked at each other, unsure if they had to obey the order as well. Regardless, they had to obey the silver dragon token.
The silver dragon represented the Crown Prince.
And the Crown Prince…
Was the Chief Invigilator for this examination.
In other words, in the absence of the Emperor’s own orders, the orders of the Crown Prince were the highest there were. They were not to be questioned.
All of the candidates fell to one knee respectfully.
As for Fang Zhengzhi, he did not quite recognize the orders. However, from the reaction of those around him, he could guess what the token was for.
However, he was rather disappointed.
He had expected that Nangong Hao would have secret orders from the Emperor. However, he never expected that it would be the Crown Prince who would give the orders.
Even though the Crown Prince was the Chief Invigilator, he could not meddle with the details and happenings within the examination. He had to go by the rules and could not strip Fang Zhengzhi of his command.
Unless…
They were about to declare war on the Southern Mountain Range.
Only under such extenuating circumstances was the combat examination to be stopped. It would resume in its current state after the battle was over.
That was how they maintained fairness inside the combat examination.
Were they about to fight a war?
Just as Fang Zhengzhi was thinking about it, the messenger tugged on the reins and the stallion trotted forward. His gaze scanned across the entire army before finally resting on Fang Zhengzhi.
“The Crown Prince’s orders are as follows! Fang Zhengzhi had the audacity to be absent from the results announcement. That is his first sin! His second sin was not reporting to the Crown Prince upon entering the Southern Mountain Range. His third sin was not reporting the results in a timely manner. He has compromised the integrity of the examination. The Crown Prince has ordered for Fang Zhengzhi’s to be temporarily disqualified. He will be reinstated after an investigation has cleared him of guilt!”
The messenger’s voice was loud. All of the candidates, deputies, and the 500 silver horned wolves all heard it clearly.
However, they were all stunned by what they heard.
“Temporarily disqualified?!”
“Did I hear that wrongly? Fang Zhengzhi is disqualified?!”
“Are our losses wiped clean then?”
All of the candidates looked on wide eyed. They were all stunned by what they heard. The first thought was, “If Fang Zhengzhi is disqualified…”
Then, they were all back to square one.
For Wu Feng and Chen Feiyu, they would be un-eliminated. Furthermore, they could get a large share of Fang Zhengzhi’s army.
This was great news for them.
Of course, amidst all the joy, they all looked at Fang Zhengzhi ‘regretfully’. They were waiting for him to react to the news.
Chapter 374: Hidden Person
Fang Zhengzhi heard the orders loud and clear. However, he did not seemed shocked or depressed by the news.
Was the right to participate important?
It was very important to many people. However, to Fang Zhengzhi, it was something that he could do without.
His motive for entering the Southern Mountain Range was to get Yan Xiu out.
Right now, Yan Xiu was already by his side. His disqualification would only mean that he wouldn’t be able to use an army to wear Nangong Hao down.
That being said, he was still slightly affected by the loss of his army. However, he was not so affected by the loss of his army. The question on his mind was why the Crown Prince would take such a huge risk?
The Crown Prince was trying to compound the charges.
Fang Zhengzhi was in disdain at the Crown Prince’s actions. His absence from the results announcement was a chargeable offence. However, it would be insufficient to disqualify him. If it was, he wouldn’t have been able to take over the Thunderous Lion Settlement. The 40,000 soldiers would also not have obeyed his orders.
As for the other charges, they were just miscellaneous, insignificant charges.
To put it crudely.
When Fang Zhengzhi first entered the Southern Mountain Range, he did not even know where the f*ck the Crown Prince’s base was. Furthermore, he was captured by Princess Shan Yu. How could he have possibly reported to the Crown Prince?
Initially, Fang Zhengzhi had thought that the order would be to declare war on the Southern Mountain Range. He never expected it to be an order for his disqualification.
Without even thinking about whether the Crown Prince had the right to do that…
Even if he did, why would he specially send a messenger to the Icy Monkey Settlement just for this?
If that was the only thing the Crown Prince wanted to do, he would have been better off sending the order straight to the Thunderous Lion Settlement.
Fang Zhengzhi had always known that the combat examinations were not as simple as they looked. The victories and losses were not important.
At the very least, they were not important in the grand scheme of things.
As such…
What was the Crown Prince trying to do?
Fang Zhengzhi and the Crown Prince had not met many times. The first time he had seen the Crown Prince was at Ping Yang’s residence. The second time was in the throne room. As such, he did not understand the Crown Prince well.
No matter what, the Crown Prince had already given the order. As such, the 40,000 soldiers would no longer listen to Fang Zhengzhi. It would be pointless to protest.
Fang Zhengzhi looked at Yan Xiu.
Yan Xiu also looked back at Fang Zhengzhi. Deep inside Yan Xiu’s eyes was a deep seated fury. Its presence was very obvious.
Fang Zhengzhi rarely saw this expression from Yan Xiu. However, it was clear that Yan Xiu was enraged.
Just as he prepared to say something.
Yan Xiu spoke up first.
“The Crown Prince does not have the right to disqualify or suspend a candidate, and would never give such an order. Who are you?” Yan Xiu’s tone was cold as he stared at the messenger.
A red glow began to shine through his eyes.
Dao of Asura.
One of the six great Daos. Even those some distance away could feel the icy chill of hell.
The messenger stiffened and subconsciously took a step back. He knew how powerful Yan Xiu was, and he kill feel the killing intent building.
As a messenger…
He was definitely more powerful than the average soldier. However, this did not mean that he could go against Yan Xiu. After all, Yan Xiu was in the Heavenly Reflection State and wielded the Dao of Asura.
The messenger began to sweat profusely when he felt the wave of iciness. His hand began to tremble.
Yan Xiu’s actions were noticed by the candidates.
All of the candidates knew that Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi were close. However, would Yan Xiu go against the Crown Prince just for Fang Zhengzhi?
Probably not… or so they thought.
It looked like Yan Xiu was about to prove them wrong…
Yan Xiu did not look like he was joking. All of the candidates knew for a fact that Yan Xiu rarely jokes.
“I… I am a messenger by the Crown Prince’s side. Yan Xiu, this order came personally from the Crown Prince. This token is proof of that. Are you really going against the Crown prince?” Even though the messenger was not as powerful, he was still arrogant.
After all, when he held the silver dragon token in his hand, he represented the Crown Prince. He had expected Fang Zhengzhi to resist. However, he did not expect that the first person to resist was Yan Xiu.
Even so, he did not believe that Yan Xiu would be audacious enough to go against the Crown Prince.
Even though the messenger was loud, his tone was filled with fear. When yan Xiu heard what the messenger had to say, his expression was icy, his body glowing red.
“Is Yan Xiu really going up against the Crown Prince?”
“No way! Yan Xiu has such great potential! It would be a waste to destroy it because of this!”
“Yan Xiu, don’t do anything rash! The Crown Prince is only suspending Fang Zhengzhi temporarily! If he goes to the Crown prince and explains himself, he may still have a chance!”
All of the candidates began to try persuading Yan Xiu.
To them, they did not care if Fang Zhengzhi was going to be suspended or disqualified. However, if they did Yan Xiu a favor now…
They could cash it in at a later date.
Fang Zhengzhi knew exactly what Yan Xiu was thinking. However, Yan Xiu and Fang Zhengzhi had slightly different views on the suspension.
Of course…
If this was Yan Xiu being suspended, Fang Zhengzhi would have done the same thing.
Just as Yan Xiu was about to speak, a figure walked out from amongst the soldiers. This was a soldier in ordinary armor.
Fang Zhengzhi was confused.
He was not alone. All of the other candidates were also equally confused.
It was weird that an ordinary soldier would walk out from the ranks. Furthermore, the timing at which he walked out was questionable.
Yet, out walked the soldier.
He walked towards the messenger.
“Stand still!” The messenger began to grow suspicious when he saw this. He felt increasingly unsettled.
The soldier did not stop. He continued striding towards the messenger.
This caused all of the candidates and soldiers to be even more puzzled.
They all thought of something. The messenger still had the silver dragon token. What if this soldier…
“Arrest him!” The messenger waved the silver dragon token and ordered the 1000 soldiers around Nangong Hao.
“Yes!” The thousand strong army replied in unison as they surrounded that soldier.
At this moment, the soldier took off his helmet then began taking off his armor.
Very quickly, a black color top could be seen.
However, this was no ordinary outfit. There was a pillar embroidered in gold on the chest and there was a word inscribed clearly on the pillar.
“Stabilization!”
…
“It’s the Stabilization Constabulary!”
“Xing Qingsui!”
“What is he doing here?!”
All of the candidates recognized that ‘soldier’ immediately. However, this raised more questions than answers.
Why would Xing Qingsui hide amongst the ranks?
What is going on?
All of the candidates turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi also looked at Xing Qingsui in confusion. He seemed to recall that…
Xing Qingsui did not participate in the combat examinations?
So, why would he be in the Southern Mountain Range? More importantly, why was he inside Fang Zhengzhi’s army?
Most importantly…
Why disguise himself? Wasn’t disguise something only Fang Zhengzhi did?
The army stopped in its tracks because they too saw the golden pillar on Xing Qingsui’s chest.
That was the symbol of the pillar of the Great Xia Dynasty!
It was the symbol of the Stabilization Constabulary, the leader of the 13 constabularies.
To the soldiers, the Stabilization Constabulary represented the might of the Great Xia Dynasty. More importantly, Xing Qingsui had a token in his hand.
It was a token made from pure gold. Instead of the Crown Prince’s silver dragon, there was a gold dragon on the token. There was also a word on it.
“Emperor!”
Fang Zhengzhi had seen the token before. He had a token that looked just like it. That was the token the Emperor had given him to bring to the Ministry of Rites.
However, Fang Zhengzhi had never used the token he had.
Xing Qingsui raised the token high up in the air. In the moment he raised up the token, the soldiers stopped in their tracks.
“The token can be used this way?” Fang Zhengzhi was quite surprised. However, his surprise did not last very long.
Thanks to Xing Qingsui, he now knew that the token could be used this way.
But…
So what?
Was he going to commit the crime of falsifying the Emperor’s orders?
That didn’t sound right.
“I only have one question for you. When the Crown Prince gave the order, did he pen it down?!” Xing Qingsui was very stable. He walked over to the messenger, the golden token in his hand glowing in the sun. He stopped merely three steps away from the messenger.
When the messenger saw the golden token in Xing Qingsui’s hand as well as the golden pillar on Xing Qingsui’s chest, sweat began to pour from his forehead.
Did he really just order for Xing Qingsui’s capture?
“Young… Young Master Xing, the Crown Prince gave a verbal order. He did not pen it down!” The messenger’s voice quivered.
“I understand. Arrest this person for falsifying an order from the Crown Prince!” Xing Qingsui nodded.
“Falsifying an order from the Crown Prince?”
“How is that possible?”
“Is Xing Qingsui out of his mind? What is he trying to do?”
All of the candidates were stunned when they heard what Xing Qingsui said. After all, no messenger would dare to falsify an order.
That was impossible!
Of course, the biggest reason why they were unwilling to accept the fact was that if the order was indeed falsified…
Then they were back where they started.
They had celebrated too early. They were not going to get a second chance.
“Young Master Xing, what are you talking about? This is an order from the Crown Prince! I… I would not dare lie about this! I repeated everything just as he said it, not a word out of…”
“Enough rubbish, arrest him!” Xing Qingsui interrupted the messenger and ordered for his arrest.
“Yes!” 1000 soldiers replied in unison. Four of them walked out of the ranks and dragged the messenger off his horse.
This was quite the dramatic scene.
Xing Qingsui’s appearance, then the order for Xing Qingsui’s arrest, all the way to the messengers arrest… it had all happened too quickly.
Of course…
This entire incident also proved one thing. The person with the more powerful token could nullify the orders from the lesser token.
Xing Qingsui had done so in the most direct manner. He had made his decision without hesitation.
However, the decision was questioned by all the candidates.
Even though Xing Qingsui was the heir to the Stabilization Constabulary, he would not go against the Crown Prince on purpose.
As such, why would Xing Qingsui risk antagonizing the Crown Prince and do something so audacious? What was his motive?
More importantly, why was Xing Qingsui hidden inside Fang Zhengzhi’s army? Why would he smuggle himself into the ranks?
They could not understand.
All of the candidates looked at each other in confusion.
Of course, Nangong Hao was not confused. In fact, from the moment Xing Qingsui appeared, Nangong Hao did not say anything. He did not even make any sound when the messenger was taken away.
Chapter 375: The cat is out of the bag!
There was a saying – if one isn’t involved, don’t get involved.
Nangong Hao was doing just that. He looked like an observer, unwilling to participate or speak.
In fact, all of the candidates knew that Nangong Hao was somehow connected to it all. However, other than Nangong Hao, there was one more person who was silent.
That was Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi was calm and composed throughout the entire sequence of events.
This stumped all of the candidates.
Why was this so?
If Fang Zhengzhi was suspended, it would be horrible for him. If he wasn’t suspended, Nangong Hao would be the one at a disadvantage.
So why were both of them acting like mere observers?
“Why are they this calm?” These candidates could not understand what was happening.
In actual fact, Fang Zhengzhi did not say anything because his participation in the examination did not matter much to him. However, the other candidates did not know this.
As for Nangong Hao…
It was because he understood what was happening.
He knew that the key to the Great Xia Dynasty’s plan was the Icy Monkey Settlement. He also knew that the Crown Prince would never allow Fang Zhengzhi to take it. At the very least, Fang Zhengzhi would not be allowed to take it before they had put their plan into action.
As such, what did he have to worry about?
The Crown Prince did give those orders verbally. There was no doubt about it. No messenger would have the audacity to falsify something like that.
However, just as Xing Qingsui asked, did the Crown Prince put it in writing?
No!
That was the key problem.
The Crown Prince was the invigilating on behalf of the Emperor. His role was to ensure that the rules were followed and no innocent lives were lost.
Did he have the right to disqualify a candidate?
Of course not! The Chief Invigilator was still the Emperor himself!
The Crown Prince was supposed to report back to the Emperor. The Emperor would have the final say as to whether Fang Zhengzhi was disqualified or not.
The Crown Prince, Nangong Hao, Xing Qingsui, and all the candidates all knew this. However, the candidates were happy to see Fang Zhengzhi suspended.
As such, why would they question the messenger?
They wanted to believe that it was true.
Nangong Hao knew exactly what the other candidates were thinking. He also predicted how they would react. The Crown Prince’s move was quite predictable.
He would sacrifice the pawn for the king!
Fang Zhengzhi was the sacrificial lamb here. However, the Crown Prince would never do something without giving himself a way out.
He only issued a verbal order. That was his escape ticket.
If it came down to it, the Crown Prince would just deny giving such an order. The person at fault would be the messenger.
He would simply accuse the messenger of being bought over by the Southern Mountain Range!
Xing Qingsui’s actions was just pinning the charges on the messenger a few days in advance.
Would the Crown Prince take this to heart?
Even if he did, would Xing Qingsui care? He was the heir to the Stabilization Constabulary. As for the Crown Prince, would he go up against the leader of the 13 Constabularies because of this?
If he did, he could forget about being the Crown Prince.
Nangong Hao had predicted all of this. He could also predict what Xing Qingsui would do after capturing the messenger.
…
Fang Zhengzhi never expected Xing Qingsui to appear in the Southern Mountain Range. He did think that Xing Yuanguo may make an appearance, but Xing Qingsui’s attendance was unexpected. That being said, he could still understand the reasoning behind it.
The entrance to the Icy Monkey Settlement.
After Xing Qingsui gave the order for the messenger’s capture, he subconsciously glanced at Nangong Hao. Then, he began walking towards Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi did not speak immediately.
He did not know the details of the Great Xia Dynasty’s plan. Of course, he did not want to know, and did not want to participate in it.
His only aim had been to find Yan Xiu.
He had brought along 500 silver horned wolves to conquer the Thunder Light Settlement. Then, he had snuck up on Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng and the Thunderous Lion Settlement.
He did this to build up his power.
He knew Yan Xiu very well.
If he had simply participated in the combat examinations, Yan Xiu would not join up with him. Yan Xiu would have treated him as an ‘opponent’.
However, if Fang Zhengzhi attacked Nangong Hao, things would be different.
Yan Xiu would definitely meet up with him.
Fang Zhengzhi’s plan had been going smoothly all the way till this point. As for defeating Nangong Hao at the Icy Monkey Settlement…
That was a different plan altogether.
In fact, it was his promise to Nangong Mu.
His 40,000 strong army was already at the gates. He had to make a show of attacking.
More importantly, if Fang Zhengzhi had called for a retreat after seeing Yan Xiu, what would Yan Xiu think?
Defeating Nangong Hao was something Fang Zhengzhi had to do.
However, he never expected that there would be this many twists and turns along the way. After all that happened, he seemed to be back where he started.
But…
Was it really the case?
Xing Qingsui had smuggled his way into the ranks a long time ago. For him to choose to reveal himself now meant that he wanted to do something other than blocking this ‘fake’ order.
“Fang Zhengzhi, if I ask you to pull back, will you?” Xing Qingsui stopped at a point five steps away from Fang Zhengzhi.
“Pull back?”
“Xing Qingsui wants Fang Zhengzhi to pull back?!”
“What is going on? Is the Stabilization Constabulary interfering with the court examinations?”
All of the other candidates did not understand why Xing Qingsui would ask such a question. They were all guessing why the Stabilization Constabulary was in the Southern Mountain Range, but they could not figure out why Xing Qingsui would ask Fang Zhengzhi to retreat.
“I won’t.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head and answered honestly.
He knew that Xing Qingsui had a reason for asking him for something like that. However, he did not want to turn back.
“Mm… I guessed as much. What if I asked you to pull back with the Emperor’s token?” Xing Qingsui nodded, unsurprised by Fang Zhengzhi’s answer.
“Emperor’s token?”
“The Stabilization Constabulary is interfering with the court examinations?!”
“What is going on?”
All of the candidates were stunned when they heard Xing Qingsui. This meant that Xing Qingsui was using the Emperor’s token to interfere with the combat examination.
Was he not afraid that the Emperor would charge him?
Or…
Was this the Emperor’s idea?
But why would the Emperor have such an idea?
When Yan Xiu heard this, he frowned and looked like he was deep in thought. He stared at the golden token in Xing Qingsui’s hand.
Fang Zhengzhi did not answer Xing Qingsui immediately. He knew all along that the combat examinations was an excuse for the Great Xia Dynasty to send an army into the Southern Mountain Range. However, he did not know how they planned to execute their plan.
However, the moment Xing Qingsui asked him to retreat, he understood almost immediately.
The Great Xia Dynasty had gathered 100,000 soldiers to enter the Southern Mountain Range. 60,000 were in the hands of the candidates whilst the remaining 40,000 were commanded by the Crown Prince.
However, should they be activated, the 100,000 could not possibly fight from their respective locations…
The best tactic would be to strike as one, straight at the heart of the Southern Mountain Range!
Where was the heart?
The Sagely Mountain City!
The Icy Monkey Settlement is the nearest to the Sagely Mountain Settlement. Nangong Hao had based himself there from the start of the examination, understanding its layout and scouting the surroundings.
This would only mean one thing. The Icy Monkey Settlement was the ‘frontline’ for the Great Xia Dynasty’s plan.
If Fang Zhengzhi’s guess was correct, they wanted the combat examinations to proceed as per normal. When the time was right, either Wu Feng or Chen Feiyu would command the 60,000 strong army to the Icy Monkey Settlement.
Mm…
They would be delivering the army to Nangong Hao.
By that time, all Nangong Hao had to do was defeat Wu Feng or Chen Feiyu. The 60,000 strong army would then be his.
However, Fang Zhengzhi’s appearance had complicated matters…
He had come out of nowhere and defeated Chen Feiyu and Wu Feng. Then, he had come straight for Nangong Hao with his army.
Everything would have still been according to plan, but right now, Fang Zhengzhi only had 40,000 soldiers. This was still some ways away from the 60,000.
There were still candidates out there.
The time had not come for them to execute their plan.
Fang Zhengzhi finally understood why the Crown Prince wanted to suspend him temporarily. He also understood why Xing Qingsui would stop him from attacking the Icy Monkey Settlement.
“I understand.” Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the golden token in Xing Qingsui’s hand. He finally understood why Xing Qingsui made such a request.
“You agree to pull back?” Xing Qingsui was visibly relieved after hearing Fang Zhengzhi’s response.
“Mm, I agree to pull back, but…” Fang Zhengzhi nodded as he looked at Nangong Hao.
“But what?”
“My army can pull back, but I will not.”
“You will not? Fang Zhengzhi, you… you’re thinking of?” Xing Qingsui’s expression changed as he thought of the implications.
This stunned Xing Qingsui, his calm demeanor disappearing in an instant.
“Since I’m here already, why not fight it out?” Fang Zhengzhi smiled, almost as if this was something obvious.
Xing Qingsui wanted to prevent him from attacking the Icy Monkey Settlement and ensure that the plan could proceed.
However, the truth was, Fang Zhengzhi’s goal was never the Icy Monkey Settlement. It was Nangong Hao. As such, why not just challenge Nangong Hao directly?
Fang Zhengzhi’s thought process was straightforward.
However, all the candidates could not believe their ears.
Because…
They had just witnessed a show of Nangong Hao’s power. The clean thrust of his blade was still etched in their minds.
He had defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.
What about Fang Zhengzhi?
They still remembered that Chen Feiyu blocked Fang Zhengzhi’s Million Sword Illustration. Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had the element of surprise then.
Even though they now knew that Fang Zhengzhi’s arrow was aimed at the demons and not Chen Feiyu…
Fang Zhengzhi did not hold back on that strike. In other words, Fang Zhengzhi could not even defeat Chen Feiyu in a single round, despite having the element of surprise.
However, Nangong Hao had defeated Chen Feiyu handedly in a fair battle.
The difference between the two of them was clear.
If Fang Zhengzhi tried to suppress Nangong Hao using his 40,000 soldiers, he may still stand a chance. However, Fang Zhengzhi refused to pull back!
He was challenging Nangong Hao!
All of the candidates looked at each other in disbelief. Their disbelief was also mixed with expressions of mockery and disdain.
“Is this guy dumb?”
“Why is he trying to duel Nangong Hao alone. He has 40,000 soldiers!”
“It’s not that he doesn’t want to use them. He can’t use them!”
“Well, it’s not that he can’t use them later! Xing Qingsui may have stopped him now, but that doesn’t mean that Xing Qingsui will stop him indefinitely. Fang Zhengzhi can pull back to his stronghold. With his settlements and army, he will still finish in first place. Nangong Hao would be forced to attack him there. Isn’t that better than a duel?”
“That’s true!”
All of the candidates began murmuring amongst themselves. All of them thought that Fang Zhengzhi was crazy to do this.
However, Fang Zhengzhi was keenly aware of something else.
The Southern Mountain Range had set up ambushes in all the other three settlements.
Pull back to the Thunderous Lion Settlement?
That would be dumb!
Fang Zhengzhi’s thought process was simple. Since he was here, he would just try. If he won, he won. If he lost, he would escape. Why waste time in this god forsaken place?
Chapter 376: Fair fight between Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao
All of the candidates thought that Fang Zhengzhi was courting death. However, Fang Zhengzhi just wanted to give it a go.
Xing Qingsui was silent.
He also thought that Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao were not on the same level. At the very least, they did not seem to be on the same level.
However, he was not too stunned by Fang Zhengzhi’s actions.
This was the Fang Zhengzhi he knew. Someone who could understand the Xing Family’s “Offence is the best defence” would never retreat!
Furthermore, Fang Zhengzhi had created miracle after miracle.
In the World of the Sage, who would have expected Fang Zhengzhi to emerge victorious? When the demon Ying Shan revealed that he was in the Supernatural State, who would have expected that Fang Zhengzhi would defeat him?
Xing Qingsui nodded after a moment of silence.
He did not stop Fang Zhengzhi. After all, he could not prevent this battle from happening.
Yan Xiu looked to Fang Zhengzhi.
“If you really want to fight, let me fight him first!” Yan Xiu opened up his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan.
“No, this time, I want to go first.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head.
“I lost to you in the preliminaries, so… I think I should go first.” Yan Xiu shook his head, his eyes filled with determination.
“What if you lose?” Fang Zhengzhi knew what Yan Xiu was trying to do. From the moment Chen Feiyu lost to Nangong Hao, Yan Xiu wanted to battle Nangong Hao first.
However…
Fang Zhengzhi did not want this to happen.
Lose?
Yan Xiu frowned. If someone else had said this, it would be taken as an insult. However, Yan Xiu was not angry that Fang Zhengzhi said it.
In fact, Yan Xiu never thought about the possibility of losing in previous battles.
But this time, he did.
After all, his opponent was Nangong Hao, the greatest talent of the Great Xia Dynasty, ranked number two on the Rising Dragon Roll. Furthermore, he just defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.
“If I lose… I should still be able to come in third with my theory examination results!” Yan Xiu spoke after a moment of silence.
“Is that enough?” Fang Zhengzhi asked again.
Yan Xiu’s eyes glimmered. He had no idea what Fang Zhengzhi actually meant, but he realized something else.
Third place?
Enough?!
Before Yan Xiu had left for the capital, his grandfather had only said one thing to him, “Take home the third place!”
Third place…
It was not the highest rank possible. However, it was incredibly respectable.
When he saw Nangong Hao’s participation in the court examinations, when he lost to Fang Zhengzhi in the preliminaries, when he saw Fang Zhengzhi and Nangong Hao tie for first place in the theory examinations.
Who would have asked Yan Xiu this question?
Is third place enough?
Yan Xiu was not someone who expressed himself well. However, if someone really asked him that question, he would definitely answer…
No!
“This is why I must defeat Nangong Hao first. Then, we can have a fair fight. Then, regardless of what happens, you will definitely rank above Nangong Hao!” Fang Zhengzhi did not wait for Yan Xiu to reply. There was no reply required.
“Rank above Nangong Hao?!”
All of the candidates looked speechlessly at Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu. They all had the same expression of disbelief.
Fang Zhengzhi is mad!
This guy has a screw loose!
What Fang Zhengzhi said was correct. If Fang Zhengzhi defeated Nangong Hao and eliminated him, then Yan Xiu would rank above Nangong Hao despite the theory examination results.
However…
Was that even possible?
Could Fang Zhengzhi defeat Nangong Hao?!
Even if Fang Zhengzhi and Yan Xiu teamed up, their chances of victory were virtually zero.
Hang on!
Why didn’t Fang Zhengzhi team up with Yan Xiu?
All of the candidates were stunned by this revelation. If this was any other candidate, they would have disregarded that possibility.
However, this was Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi was notorious for being shameless.
2v1?
In the first round of the imperial examinations, he had eliminated the favorite, Su Donglin, in a 4v1.
Fang Zhengzhi could guess what the other candidates were thinking.
Yan Xiu’s lips began to twitch. If both of them eliminated Nangong Hao, that would guarantee that they would rank higher than him.
Team up against Nangong Hao?
Yan Xiu did not like the idea, but he wasn’t against it.
“I would like to have a fair battle with Nangong Hao!” Fang Zhengzhi saw Yan Xiu’s lips twitched and stopped him in his tracks.
“Fair battle?!”
All of the other candidates were stunned by what they just heard. There was nothing wrong with what was said, but, it had come from Fang Zhengzhi’s mouth…
They could not believe what they just heard.
Fang Zhengzhi did not explain further. He dismounted and began walking towards Nangong Hao.
Nangong Hao did not have a stallion, so Fang Zhengzhi dismounted.
This was fairness.
The reason was simple. Fang Zhengzhi promised Nangong Mu that he would defeat Nangong Hao. He had to do so fairly.
Nangong Hao’s expression had been calm all this while.
From the time he exited from the Icy Monkey Settlement and faced an army by himself, to the time he accepted Chen Feiyu’s challenge…
All the way to the arrest of the messenger…
Nangong Hao’s expression did not change. He still looked on politely, his eyes glimmering. However, when Fang Zhengzhi proposed a fair fight, his expression changed.
He was shocked, and slightly scornful.
Chi Guyan and Nangong Hao were quite similar. They were very smart, but they kept a low profile and were not arrogant.
However, this did not mean that they weren’t confident.
On the contrary, they were very confident of themselves. They possessed far more confidence than the average person.
As such…
When something unexpected happened, their calm nature would be slightly disturbed.
Clearly, Fang Zhengzhi’s actions were not predicted by Nangong Hao.
Nangong Hao had expected that Fang Zhengzhi would team up with Yan Xiu. At the very least, he would let Yan Xiu go first. However, not only did Fang Zhengzhi want to go first, he proposed a fair fight.
“Fair fight?” Nangong Hao murmured to himself, his eyes shining even brighter. It was almost as if there was a sun embedded in his eyes.
In that instant, Nangong Hao stepped forward.
He began walking towards Fang Zhengzhi. He was not fast, but he he was stable.
On the other hand, Fang Zhengzhi strolled leisurely, humming a tune as he walked.
Then, both of them stopped.
The distance between them…
10 steps!
“Fang Zhengzhi, I came to the court examinations to defeat you, but I wasn’t looking forward to this battle. But now, I have changed my mind.” Nangong Hao gripped the hilt of his sword lightly. His demeanor was different from when he battled Chen Feiyu.
“Ok. So what if you’ve changed your mind? Do you need to say it out loud?” Fang Zhengzhi twitched his lips in disdain.
There was no way he would be tricked into asking why.
“Indeed, I don’t.” Nangong Hao was not affected or angered by Fang Zhengzhi’s reply. He simply nodded solemnly.
Then, Nangong Hao drew his blade.
He held the blade in his right hand as his left hand supported the crystal clear blade. He laid it flat for all to see.
“Since this is a fair competition, let me introduce myself. I am the eldest son of the Nangong Family. I broke through to the Supernatural State last month. I am probably at the pinnacle of the Supernatural State. My blade is named ‘Standstill’. It gets name from its ability to do anything. My understanding of Dao is that it should be natural and one should always follow one’s heart. My cultivation technique is similar. My character and heart for Dao will not be extinguished!”
Nangong Hao bowed lightly towards Fang Zhengzhi.
After Fang Zhengzhi heard the self introduction, his expression stiffened. He felt that something was amiss.
Standstill?
Because there is nothing it can’t do?
Fang Zhnegzhi knew what this meant.
Of course, Nangong Hao’s emphasis was not on his blade. He had emphasized the fact that he had broken through to the Supernatural State a month ago!
Hang on!
Supernatural state?
And…
His abilities are in the pinnacle of the Supernatural State?!
What the hell?
Isn’t he a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator? Was it all a lie? Why would people lie about that?
Fang Zhengzhi was stunned to hear it.
All of the other candidates were also equally stunned. In fact, they looked even more floored than Fang Zhengzhi.
“Nangong Hao broke through!”
“He managed to progress to the pinnacle of the Supernatural State in one month?!”
“Wha… what is going on? Why didn’t anyone from the Nangong Family say anything about this? How did he manage to progress so much in one month?”
All of the candidates could not believe their ears.
They were arguably even more stunned than when Nangong Hao defeated Chen Feiyu in a single round.
Chen Feiyu’s eyes widened. He knew he had lost, but he did not understand why he lost.
He had refused to accept the loss.
Why would he, as a Supernatural State cultivator, lose to Nangong Hao in a single round. Nangong Hao was supposed to be a pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State cultivator!
But now…
He finally understood.
Supernatural State!
He was only in the nascent stages of the Supernatural State. For him to challenge the pinnacle Supernatural State Nangong Hao was comical.
All Chen Feiyu wanted to do was dig a hole and hide.
Wu Feng’s expression was a little calmer. All this while, he had known that Nangong Hao was not someone he should antagonize.
But now, he knew that Nangong Hao was absolutely unantagonizable.
He broke through one month ago.
One month to get to the pinnacle of the Supernatural State.
Is he even human?
Hang on, if Nangong Hao broke through and is now in the pinnacle Supernatural State…
Ranked first on the Rising Dragon Roll?!
This question flew into Wu Feng’s mind. At the same time, all of the candidates pondered the implications. Everyone knew how important this was.
Yan Xiu always believed in Fang Zhengzhi.
He had believed in Fang Zhengzhi even when Fang Zhengzhi proposed a fair battle. He believed in Fang Zhengzhi even when the two combatants were 10 steps apart.
But now…
He gripped his reins tightly.
Nangong Hao broke through?!
This was a piece of news that would shock the entire Great Xia Dynasty. Yet, Nangong Hao had kept this a secret all this while.
He finally chose to reveal it here.
This could only mean one thing. Nangong Hao felt that Fang Zhengzhi was an opponent deserving of his respect. Even though this news will spread like wildfire in the capital…
All he wanted was…
Fairness!
Of course, that meant that Nangong Hao would not hold back.
He was in the pinnacle Supernatural State. If he did not show mercy, one could only imagine how scary he would be.
“I must stop this battle from happening!” Yan Xiu thought to himself. He had no idea how Fang Zhengzhi planned to fight this battle, but he knew he had to prevent the fight from happening.
It was possible to fight someone one state higher than you.
However, never in history did someone in the pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State defeat someone in the pinnacle Supernatural State.
Even Chi Guyan may not be able to do it.
Yan Xiu gripped the reins before dismounting. He straightened his back, his battle intent ignited.
However, just at that moment…
He saw a hand waving him off.
“I said that this would be a fair battle. It will be a fair battle!” Fang Zhengzhi’s voice reverberated through the air.
His determination was clear for all to see.
It was a determination that had never been seen before from Fang Zhengzhi.
Chapter 377: Friendship is fragile
Yan Xiu’s hands moved slightly. After dismounting, he stood rooted to the ground.
He looked at Fang Zhengzhi silently. He knew what Fang Zhengzhi wanted. Since he knew that Fang Zhengzhi’s mind was set, why bother saying anything else?
All of the candidates froze. Then, they looked at Fang Zhengzhi with mockery and disdain.
All this while, they thought that Fang Zhengzhi only managed to achieve what he did through his thick skin and shamelessness.
But now…
With those out of the picture, what did Fang Zhengzhi have?
Ability?
Pinnacle Heavenly Reflection State ability?!
What a joke!
Nangong Hao was already in the pinnacle Supernatural State. In a fair fight, Fang Zhengzhi would be hard pressed to defeat Wu Feng, much less Nangong Hao.
“Fair fight? He must be courting death!”
“Why don’t we bet on how many rounds Fang Zhengzhi will last?”
“How many rounds?! What kind of joke is this? If Fang Zhengzhi is able to last one round, he can brag about it for half a year!”
“Young Master Wang is right. After all, even Chen Feiyu could not last a single round! Hahaha…”
“Come come come, I shall be the banker. Those who think that he will last only one round place your bets on the left. Those who bet between two to five rounds, place your bets on the right!” One of the candidates in white retrieved a huge white cloth with the word ‘bets’. This man was clearly a gambler.
“I bet on one round!”
“I also bet on one round!”
“…”
“You all look down on Young Master Fang too much. Didn’t he save us before? How about this, I will be the first to bet on two rounds.” Just as all the candidates were getting excited, Wu Feng stepped forward and bet 1000 silvers.
“Young Master Wu is generous!”
“This is nothing. This is also my way of thanking him for his ‘arrows’ just now!” Wu Feng waved them off.
Even though Fang Zhengzhi ignored what was happening, he still heard the chatter. It was as irritating as flies by his ear.
“You bunch of idiots! What a joke! Why would I only last one round?!” Fang Zhengzhi turned around and arrogantly pointed his middle finger at the candidates.
Just at this moment, Yan Xiu dismounted icily. Then, he walked through the crowd, holding his Mountain and River, Heaven and Earth Fan as he did so.
This caused all the other candidates to quieten down.
They were not scared of Fang Zhengzhi. However, when it came to Yan Xiu, they felt an icy chill down their spine. This was because of the Yan Family and Yan Xiu’s Dao of Asura.
Yan Xiu looked at the cloth on the floor as well as the money placed on both sides. He paused for a moment before speaking.
“Where do I place my bets for five rounds and above?”
“What?” The candidate who was the banker was momentarily stunned.
“I asked where to place my bets for five rounds and above?” Yan Xiu asked irritably.
“What? Five rounds and above? Erm… you can just put it in the middle, on top of the word ‘bets'”. The banker finally recovered from his shock.
“Okay then, I will bet 50,000 taels on that!” Yan Xiu did not waffle about. He took out a stack of cash and placed it on the cloth.
“50,000 taels?!”
All of the candidates were stunned by Yan Xiu’s actions. They thought that Yan Xiu was here to break it up. Little did they expect that Yan Xiu was here to place a bet with virtually no chance of winning.
Money…
Did he have too much?
This was the first thought in the minds of the other candidates. However, they immediately threw the thought out of their minds. The Yan Family was indeed filthy rich.
…
Many people thought that this was Yan Xiu’s way of encouraging Fang Zhengzhi. This ensured that the bets would not be too demeaning.
However, there was another problem.
Yan Xiu bet on the fact that Fang Zhengzhi would last five rounds or more, not…
Win!
The candidates did not think about this. In their minds, Fang Zhengzhi would not be able to defeat Nangong Hao. Since that was the case, Yan Xiu’s bet was already bold enough.
However, Fang Zhengzhi’s expressions changed.
Where was the trust? Where was the friendship?
Five rounds and above…
What was the meaning of that?
Fang Zhengzhi could not describe his feeling in words. If he had to describe it, all he could say was, “Friendship is a fragile thing!”
Fang Zhengzhi placed his hand on his chest amidst the sadness.
There was a Heart Protection Mirror there. Inside it was a sword, a sword that he did not take out unless he was in danger. That sword was named Traceless!
Right now, Fang Zhengzhi would need everything he had if he was going to stand a chance in this battle!
He shouted the name and a crisp hum rang out. Soon after, Fang Zhengzhi held a sword in his hand. It looked like an ordinary sword, but it was anything but.
There were no patterns on the hilt, no intricate carvings or art.
The hilt was pure black, its blade shiny. This blade was pristine, all the way till the tip.
At the tip of the sword was a purple colored mark. That was a strange shade of purple.
“I am the only child of the Fang Family of the Northern Mountain Village. I do not know when I broke through to the Heavenly Reflection State. I do not know how powerful I am now. My blade is named ‘Traceless’. It gets its name from its perfection and spotlessness. My understanding of Dao is… ah heck it. Every Dao is my Dao!” Fang Zhengzhi bowed as he waved his sword.
“Shallow!”
“Crazy!”
“Shameless!”
All of the candidates began to chide Fang Zhengzhi. They started calling him names.
However, Nangong Hao did not despise Fang Zhengzhi for what he said. Instead, he repeated Fang Zhengzhi’s words.
Of course, he edited them.
“Every Dao is my Dao, mm… it does fit your character. However, it is extremely difficult to accommodate all the Daos into your pocket dimension. As far as I know, there are no more than 10 cultivators who have managed to accommodate more than 100 Daos. They are the best at their level, but none of them managed to become Sages! Young Master Fang, are you sure you want to continue on this dead end road?” Nangong Hao asked sincerely.
Fang Zhengzhi was stunned.
All this while, he had been very proud of the fact that he had hundreds of Dao in his pocket dimension. The number of Daos he knew was also one of the reasons why he managed to ace all the previous exams.
But now, Nangong Hao had just called it a dead end!
Fang Zhengzhi’s heart fluttered. He had gone through a lot since his Star Conglomerate and Heavenly Reflection days.
The Imperial examinations, the battle on Cang Ling Mountain, and now the court examinations.
Logically…
He should be very powerful after learning so many Daos. He should also be on the verge of breaking through. However, he still did not feel like he was close.
Nangong Hao was the heir to the Nangong Family. His view of cultivation was unmatched by the average individual. The route he chose was also one that was well paved and researched.
As such…
Hang on!
Just as Fang Zhengzhi thought about this, he remembered the time he spent with Chi Guyan back at the Northern Mountain Village.
Other than Yan Xiu, Chi Guyan was the only one who knew that he had hundreds of Dao in his pocket dimension.
At that time, Chi Guyan had asked…
“Do you want to defeat me?”
Fang Zhengzhi could not say for sure why Chi Guyan would ask that question, but he knew what she was getting at.
Dao could be grown.
He had to develop them.
This was the most pressing issue right now.
Fang Zhengzhi had been doing this over the past few months. He kept trying to understand each Dao over and over again…
Yet, Nangong Hao was criticizing his methods?
Fang Zhengzhi had no idea if Nangong Hao said it on purpose. However, he did know one thing.
If he began to doubt himself because of something his opponent said, he would have lost the battle before it even began!
A bead of sweat rolled across Fang Zhengzhi’s forehead. Fang Zhengzhi had competed with Nangong Hao once during the theory examination. That had resulted in a draw.
However, this time, after a single statement by Nangong Hao…
He was already at a disadvantage. Nangong Hao was confident about himself and had an intricate understanding of Dao.
Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had a lethal weakness.
He had never been to an academy and had never been taught properly. As such, his cultivation had mostly been self taught.
This was a weakness that everyone knew.
However, only Nangong Hao knew how to attack this weakness.
Fang Zhengzhi knew that he had to find a way to regain the upper hand.
He could not discuss Dao as this would involve him using his weakness to challenge Nangong Hao’s strength.
As such…
Fang Zhengzhi had to abandon that plan. He chose a different route.
“I heard that the Nangong Family was well informed. Why is it that I fail to see that trait on you?” Fang Zhengzhi smiled condescendingly.
The fact that the Nangong Family was well informed and connected was a fact. He had seen this in the World of the Sage.
That was the first time Nangong Mu had seen Ying Shan.
However, he was able to pinpoint Ying Shan’s identity based on the method Ying Shan used in his sneak attack.
This proved one that… the Nangong Family was extremely well informed!
“What do you mean?” Nangong Hao smiled as well. This was a calm smile and he revealed no trace of anger.
“You just said that there are no more than 10 cultivators who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos. Do you have proof?” Fang Zhengzhi asked.
“Yes.”
Nangong Hao did not even hesitate before speaking, “Year 13 of the Great Xia Dynasty, at Yuan Ye River. A man, aged 43, grasped 103 Daos. He was known as the most powerful Supernatural State cultivator. He died at 87 but did not break through to the Rebirth State. Year 57 of the Great Xia Dynasty…”
Nangong Hao rattled off the names and achievements of all the people in history. The most powerful of whom were in the Rebirth State. The least powerful of which was in the Heavenly Reflection State. However, none of them managed to attain the level of sage.
“Year 25 of the Great Xia Dynasty… this is the tenth person. He died at 93 in the Rebirth State, unable to breakthrough!”
Nangong Hao paused after announcing the tenth person. Then, he looked at Fang Zhengzhi, “Does Young Master Fang agree with what I just said?”
He had just rattled off 10 historical figures together with their birth year, death year, and their cultivation level. He did not even hesitate between names.
This was proof of his knowledge.
Even though Nangong Hao seemed to be looking to Fang Zhengzhi for approval, all of the other candidates were awed by his knowledge.
They had all learnt such facts and historical nuggets.
But, who ever remembered them?
The candidates had all studied in academies, but none of them bothered to remember such insignificant nuggets of information. Would someone like Fang Zhengzhi remember?
In fact, did he even read about this before?
As such, even though Nangong Hao was looking to Fang Zhengzhi, none of the candidates thought that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to find fault with what Nangong Hao said.
“You are right, but… you missed out one person!” Fang Zhengzhi did not bother looking at the expressions of the candidates around him. He waited patiently for Nangong Hao to finish before replying.
Chapter 378: Tree full of Dao
“Missed our one person?!”
All of the candidates were stunned when they heard Fang Zhengzhi. From what they knew, Fang Zhengzhi had never attended an academy.
If he had never been to an academy, how can he have any understanding of history?
This was equivalent to an illiterate claiming that he could read the Law of Dao. This was virtually impossible.
“How can information from the Nangong Family ever be wrong?”
“Fang Zhengzhi said Nangong Hao missed out someone? How is that possible?”
“Exactly! Even though I do not care about these people, I remember that someone told me that there are only 10 people in history who grasped more than 100 Daos! Nangong Hao mentioned 10 people just now, where is the missing individual?”
“I think this fella is trying one of his shameless tactics again!”
All of the candidates shook their head as they looked at Fang Zhengzhi in disdain. After all, it was not too difficult to make up a story when it came to history.
All Fang Zhengzhi needed to do was make up a piece of history and say that it wasn’t recorded in the official annals.
Then…
None of them could say that he was wrong.
After all, those legends were unverifiable. Since they could not be verified, who could say for sure if they were fact or fiction?
However, this was not something an academic would do.
Since all of the candidates could think about this tactic, so could Nangong Hao. However, he was not angered by Fang Zhengzhi’s question.
“Young Master Fang says that I missed out one person, do you have proof?” Nangong Hao’s voice was not loud, but his tone was solemn.
“I can.” Fang Zhengzhi nodded without hesitation.
“Okay then, as long as Young Master Fang is able to prove that I missed out one person, I will admit that I am ignorant and apologize to you. However, if you cannot, then please apologize to me for the comment!” Nangong Hao replied equally quickly.
His eyes were shining, his expression calm. However, there was a deep seated confidence embedded within the calm.
All of the candidates smiled and chuckled when they heard this,
They did not believe that Fang Zhengzhi would be able to find evidence to prove his point. After all, it was a fact that the official records only recorded 10 people who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos.
Fang Zhengzhi was smiling as well.
It was a fact that the official records only recorded 10 people who grasped more than 100 Daos.
But, that was the history books.
To put it simply, it did not take into account the present, or the future.
“There are only 10 people who grasped more than 100 Daos?” This was the first time Fang Zhengzhi had heard about this. If not for the fact that it was Nangong Hao who said it, he would not believe it.
After all, he had hundreds of Daos in his pocket dimension.
As such, Fang Zhengzhi had always thought that having a hundred or even hundreds of Dao in one’s pocket dimension was normal.
Of course, Fang Zhengzhi did not know that his experience was unprecedented. No one before him had done it before, and it was highly unlikely that future generations would be able to replicate this feat.
He figured out the Illustration of All Creation at age six and accessed Dao.
This was extremely rare in the Great Xia Dynasty. In the entire empire, there were no more than three people who were able to access Dao before age seven.
These talented individuals all had impeccable teaching and had countless resources at their disposal.
For someone to do this without any knowledge?
That would be even more difficult than finding a needle in a haystack.
However, Fang Zhengzhi was such a miracle. He accessed Dao at age six, but understood nothing. Absolutely nothing.
However, Fang Zhengzhi was not dumb.
He had his own unique methods. He developed this method from the mathematics he learnt in primary school. One plus one equals two. Two plus one equals three.
He used his general knowledge to solve his problems in cultivation. He began to gain some traction in cultivation.
Ever since he accessed Dao at age six, he did only one thing. He kept trying to grasp more and more Daos, ensuring each one was unique. After all, his primary school teacher had taught him one thing.
Two is definitely better than one!
Furthermore, when Fang Zhengzhi grasped his second Dao, the difference was stark. His abilities more than doubled.
Time flew by as he continued to learn and grasp more and more Daos.
Fang Zhengzhi never stopped trying. He spent every day of the year trying to grasp new Daos. After a few years, he managed to fill his pocket dimension’s tree with many fruits.
The fruits were multicolored, and they adorned the huge tree in his pocket dimension. He once thought that he was on top of the world.
However, after exiting the Northern Mountain Village, he finally understood that he had been a frog in the well.
That being said…
Was there a second person in the history of the Great Xia Dynasty capable of something like that?
Fang Zhengzhi did not know that. All he knew was that he had many Daos in his pocket dimension. He knew that he had way more than 100 Daos.
As such, when he heard what Nangong Hao said, he chuckled.
Nangong Hao could see the smile on Fang Zhengzhi’s face. He could sense that there was confidence behind that radiant smile.
However, he could not understand where Fang Zhengzhi was getting his blind confidence from?
That was until…
Nangong Hao saw Fang Zhengzhi raise his hand and point to himself. Then, Fang Zhengzhi said something that no one would have expected.
“You left me out!” Fang Zhengzhi replied flatly. He did not seem like he was acting. In fact, he looked like he was simply stating a fact.
“You left me out!”
“Left out…”
“Me?!”
Fang Zhengzhi’s statement was not loud but simple. However, everyone around them burst into exclamations of disbelief when they heard this.
All of the other candidates were in shock.
“What did Fang Zhengzhi just say?”
“I think he said Nangong Hao left him out!”
“Left him out? What does he mean?”
“I think he means Nangong Hao didn’t mention his name?”
“Duh! What I’m asking is… what does it mean!”
“No way, how is that possible? Fang Zhengzhi never attended an academy, but he said… could it be that he really grasped more than 100 Daos?”
All of the other candidates could not hide their shock.
Nangong Hao was right in saying that no one who grasped more than 100 Daos managed to attain the level of sage. That being said, how many people could become a sage anyways?
Becoming a sage.
That was the dream. However, that was an unattainable dream for many.
On the contrary, all those who managed to grasp more than 100 Daos were known as heroes. That was an attainable reality, and people had done it before.
The candidates were all floored.
It would be impossible for Nangong Hao not to be taken aback by this news. After all, this was not a route that the average person could take.
In order to grasp and understand over 100 Daos required peerless talent. It was arguably even more difficult than mastering a single Dao.
More importantly, it required immense determination.
This person could probably have broken through to the Heavenly Reflection State in a year with his talent. However, he needed to suppress his cultivation at the Star Conglomerate level in order to grasp and understand more Daos.
Four years ago, Nangong Hao rejected the invitation to the Heaven Dao Pavillion claiming that his foundation was not stable enough. He returned to the Nangong Family for four years.
At that time, he had considered doing this as well.
However, he gave up. After all, this was much too difficult and required too much effort. More importantly, no one could guarantee results.
All roads lead to Rome. Every cultivation technique was capable of producing great powers.
That being said, there were clearly easier and more difficult routes to choose. It wasn’t difficult to see which was the obvious choice.
Nangong Hao chose to cultivate his heart, and achieved great things with this technique.
As such, with the four years of training he had, he managed to reach the pinnacle Supernatural State within a month of breakthrough.
His progress was terrifying.
Nangong Hao had always thought that he had chosen the best path.
However, when he found out that Fang Zhengzhi had chosen a path that he himself did not dare to choose, he felt a strange feeling in his heart.
It was inexplicable.
Jealousy? No! Nangong Hao firmly believed that the path he chose was the best!
Curiosity? No! After all, history had proven that this was a road was a dead end!
Nangong Hao could not describe this feeling. He felt slightly uncomfortable. This was the first time he had felt this uncomfortable after maturing in his heart cultivation.
“You have grasped more than 100 Daos?” Nangong Hao did not doubt Fang Zhengzhi because he could see that Fang Zhengzhi was telling the truth.
However, he asked it anyways. He wanted to know how far along this road Fang Zhengzhi was.
“100 Daos? That is too little!” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head in scorn. He thought that Nangong Hao was looking down on him.
100?
Go f*ck yourself!
Nangong Hao was stunned. He was very rarely affected by the words of others. However, when he heard Fang Zhengzhi’s response, his expression changed.
All of the other candidates were shocked.
100 is too little?
Did this guy grasp 110 Daos? Or even 120 Daos?
That didn’t seem very possible.
Throughout history, the maximum number of Daos anyone had ever grasped in their lives was 183. Furthermore, he only managed that number in his 90s.
How old was Fang Zhengzhi?
Only 15!
Yan Xiu turned to look at Fang Zhengzhi. He head heard Fang Zhengzhi say that he had many Daos in his pocket dimension.
However, he did not know exactly how many Daos Fang Zhengzhi had understood.
“Could it be that Young Master Fang has grasped over 120 Daos?” Nangong Hao’s recovered quickly.
120 Daos was a very bold guess.
However, when Nangong Hao said it, he did so calmly.
This was a function of his confidence, his confidence that he was the best amongst his peers.
“Too little.” Fang Zhengzhi shook his head again. Didn’t he already say that 100 was too little.
Even the dumbest person would know to add a little more. At the very least, he could double his guess?
What was the point of adding 20?
“Still too little?!”
“The number exceeds 120?!”
“How… how is this possible? Is he bragging?! I don’t believe this!”
All of the candidates could hear Fang Zhengzhi’s answer clearly. However, they could not bring themselves to believe that the teenage Fang Zhengzhi could grasp more than 120 Daos!
Fang Zhengzhi also noticed the look of shock on the faces of the other candidates. He did not understand why they were this shocked.
Of course…
Even if Fang Zhengzhi knew that the record for the most Daos grasped in history was 183, he would not be surprised.
This did not mean that Fang Zhengzhi was necessarily more talented.
The only thing that could be said was that he had a head start. This was akin to the difference in learning ability between a mature student and a child.
If a child had been placed in different environments growing up, then he would be able to grasp many languages.
Furthermore, he would be fluent in all of them.
However, if you placed a man in his thirties in different environments, he may not even be able to master a single language.
Since he was six, Fang Zhengzhi had been trying to understand the various Daos. As such, he had a huge head start compared to the historical figures.