Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents
Chapter 231 - 230: Asking for Help
"Indeed. I am Fang Yuan, an Elder from Fang Han’s clan,"
Fang Yuan said quickly.
The older disciple’s expression changed in an instant. His previous coldness and impatience vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost exaggerated warmth and friendliness.
He hastily cupped his fists in a return salute, his tone laced with a thread of reverence.
"Oh my, so you are an elder from True Inheritor Fang’s clan! Forgive my disrespect. I have been terribly rude. I hope you can be magnanimous!"
Fang Yuan was stunned by this sudden change in attitude, unable to process it for a moment.
’True Inheritor Fang?’
When he had come more than two months ago, Fang Han was ninety-fifth on the general ranking. Though that was also shocking, the disciple on duty had merely been polite, not nearly this respectful, or even... a bit sycophantic?
Seeing Fang Yuan’s confusion, the older disciple quickly explained with a smile:
"Your Excellency, have you not heard? Senior Brother Fang Han is a peerless genius! He recently broke into the top thirty of the general rankings and has become a True Inheritor! He no longer lives in the Sub-Branch, but in courtyard thirty-five of the True Inheritance Courtyard."
"A... A True Inheritor? Thirtieth?"
Hearing this, Fang Yuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He froze on the spot, his eyes widening abruptly, his face a mask of utter shock and disbelief.
From ninety-fifth to thirtieth in just over two months? And he became a True Inheritor?
This... this was simply unbelievable! Like a fairy tale!
But seeing the absolute certainty, even awe, in the duty disciple’s eyes, he knew this was no joke.
An indescribable ecstasy surged through him, almost making him dizzy.
After the joyous shock came the relief of a heavy burden being lifted.
The Gong Family was a clan with a True Inheritor, and they had been suffocating the Fang Family. But now, his Fang Family also had a True Inheritor!
With Fang Han around, if the Gong Family wanted to continue bullying the Fang Family so brazenly, they would have to think twice!
The pressure on his heart instantly lightened.
"Th-Thank you for telling me."
Fang Yuan’s voice trembled slightly with excitement. He tried to calm himself and cupped his fists, saying,
"I wonder if you could pass on a message..."
"Of course! Please wait a moment, Your Excellency. I will go deliver the message for you right now!"
the older disciple said with great eagerness.
He asked Fang Yuan to wait there, then turned and walked briskly through the mountain gate. He was actually going to personally head to the True Inheritance Courtyard to relay the message for Fang Yuan.
"Thank you, young hero."
Fang Yuan thanked him repeatedly, his heart filled with emotion. The power and influence of a True Inheritor were evident even in such small details.
The last time he visited, the disciple on duty had a servant disciple inform Fang Han and make him come out to meet him. He even had to bribe the man.
This time, the duty disciple was running the errand himself, and his attitude was as different as heaven and earth.
Before long, the older disciple arrived outside courtyard thirty-five of the True Inheritance Courtyard and reported respectfully to Fang Han.
"True Inheritor Fang, there is an old man at the mountain gate who calls himself Fang Yuan. He says he is your clansman."
’Elder Fang Yuan is here?’
Upon hearing the news, a flicker of surprise passed through Fang Han’s eyes.
Elder Fang Yuan had just been here over two months ago. For him to come again, could it be for some urgent matter?
"Thank you, Junior Brother, for coming to inform me."
Fang Han thanked the Mountain Guard Disciple, then instructed a servant who looked quite clever.
"Take my Identity Token, go to the mountain gate, and escort my Fang Clan Member inside. Be sure to show him every courtesy."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
The servant respectfully accepted the Jade Token that represented the status of a True Inheritor and departed with quick steps.
Now that Fang Han was an esteemed True Inheritor, he was qualified to recommend a small number of outsiders to enter the areas outside the Sect’s core region. This was one of the conveniences that came with his status.
Before long, the servant returned with Elder Fang Yuan.
"Elder Yuan."
Fang Han stepped forward to greet him, his tone warm.
"Fang Han, it’s only been a little over two months, yet you’ve already become a True Inheritor of the Qingxuan Sect."
Looking at Fang Han, Fang Yuan’s eyes were filled with relief and excitement.
"I only just became one recently. I haven’t had time to write a letter to inform the family yet."
Fang Han smiled slightly and turned to lead Fang Yuan into the courtyard.
They entered the living room, and each took their seat as host and guest.
A Maid had already served fragrant tea.
Fang Yuan had been traveling nonstop and was indeed terribly thirsty. He didn’t stand on ceremony, downing three cups of tea before letting out a long sigh of relief.
Fang Han watched quietly. Once Elder Yuan’s breathing had calmed a little, he finally asked, "Elder Yuan, has the family run into some kind of trouble?"
He knew perfectly well that unless there was an urgent matter, Elder Fang Yuan would never have come rushing back so soon after his visit just over two months ago.
Fang Yuan put down his teacup, his expression instantly turning grave. He sighed and recounted the whole story from the beginning: the family’s discovery of the Silver Mine and the Gong Family’s aggressive coercion.
Finally, he said worriedly,
"The Gong Family is powerful. With Gong Xing, a True Inheritor of the Netherworld Pavilion, as their backer, we... we simply can’t contend with them."
"The Patriarch and the other Elders discussed it. The original plan was to ask you to persuade a True Inheritor from the Qingxuan Sect to cooperate with us, to prevent the Gong Family from seizing the mine. We never imagined you’d already become a True Inheritor yourself..."
Fang Han listened quietly, his gaze gradually turning icy.
"The Gong Family... Gong Xing..."
He repeated the names under his breath, his voice laced with a cold chill.
"Elder, there is no need to worry. I will handle this matter."
Fang Han looked up, his gaze having returned to a state of calm, but beneath that placid surface, a palpable fury was simmering.
"You’ve had a long and tiring journey. Rest well for now. Someone, come."
A Maid entered in response to his call.
"Take Elder Yuan to a guest room to rest."
"Yes."
Seeing Fang Han so composed, Fang Yuan felt a little more at ease. He also knew he wasn’t in good shape, so he said no more and followed the Maid out.
After Fang Yuan left, a flicker of movement in Fang Han’s eyes, he summoned a capable-looking servant and handed him his True Inheritor’s Identity Jade Token.
"Take my Token and go to Tingyu Hall. Pull all the intelligence files on Netherworld Pavilion’s True Inheritor Gong Xing and his family."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
The servant took the Jade Token with both hands, bowed to accept the order, and quickly departed.
Tingyu Hall was an intelligence agency established by the Qingxuan Sect, modeled after Tingyu Building. It specialized in gathering intelligence for the Sect’s upper echelons to use in their decision-making.
Ordinary disciples, of course, had no access to the intelligence here, but True Inheritors were qualified to review some non-core, confidential information.
About half an hour later, the servant returned and handed over a transcribed intelligence report.
Fang Han took it and began to read.
"Gong Xing, True Inheritor of the Netherworld Pavilion, ranked twenty-sixth. Late-Stage Sixth Grade Cultivation. Proficient in the Ghost Shadow Claw, treacherous and ruthless..."
Reading Gong Xing’s file, the corner of Fang Han’s mouth curved into an icy smirk.
’Late Stage of the Sixth Grade?’
Before his breakthrough, he might have needed to treat such an opponent with caution. But now that he had also reached the Late Stage of the Sixth Grade, why would he fear him?
He stood up and went to the guest room.
Fang Yuan clearly had no mind to rest. Seeing Fang Han enter, he quickly rose to his feet.
"Fang Han, are you confident you can deal with him?"
"I’ve seen Gong Xing’s file. With my current strength, it won’t be a problem,"
Fang Han stated bluntly.
"I am preparing to leave immediately and return to Liangshui City."
"I’ll go back with you!"
Elder Fang Yuan said quickly.
"You cannot."
Fang Han shook his head. "Elder, you have been traveling for days and are exhausted in both body and mind. You need to rest. Besides, the situation is unclear, and I need to travel at full speed. You... I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to keep up."
Fang Yuan wanted to insist, but when he sensed the deep, mountain-like aura emanating from Fang Han, he did not press the matter further.
He knew that Fang Han was telling the truth.
If the current Fang Han traveled at full speed, he, a mere Eighth Grade Martial Artist, would indeed only be a burden.
And with the family’s situation uncertain, the sooner Fang Han returned, the better. It was truly not suitable for him to travel along and become a burden.
"Alright... Be careful with everything!"
Fang Yuan clapped Fang Han heavily on the shoulder, his eyes filled with trust and hope.
The once green and inexperienced disciple who had just entered the Inner Hall Clan had now become someone the family could rely on.
"Rest assured, Elder Fang Yuan," Fang Han said with a solemn nod. "The Fang Family is not a family that just anyone can bully."
With that said, he delayed no longer and turned to leave.
Returning to his bedroom, Fang Han changed into his True Inheritor Disciple Robe, hung the Flowing Wind Sword at his waist, and put on the Golden Silk Armor next to his skin.
Once everything was ready, he pushed open the bedroom door, and with a flicker of movement, his figure vanished from the courtyard.
Leaving the Qingxuan Sect, he fixed his bearings on Liangshui City, and the vast Inner Qi of a Late Stage Sixth Grade practitioner flooded into his legs.
Flowing Wind Shadowless Step, executed at full power!
WHOOSH—
A green shadow, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky, shot along the main road at incredible speed.
It left behind only a trail of rapidly fading afterimages and a faint, almost imperceptible breeze.
On the main road, a merchant caravan of more than ten carriages was slowly making its way forward.
The wheels rumbled as the guards, mounted on horseback, vigilantly scanned their surroundings.
Suddenly, a green, ghost-like shadow flashed past the caravan, the force of its passage kicking up a cloud of dust from the roadside.
The horses pulling the carts were startled and began to whinny in alarm.
"What was that?!"
"An attack?"
The caravan instantly fell into chaos. The guards drew their weapons and looked around nervously, but they couldn’t even see a shadow of a person.
"Everyone, shut up and steady the carriages!"
bellowed an experienced guard captain with a scar on his face.
He reined in his startled horse, his sharp gaze sweeping over the spot where the green shadow had just passed.
A look of horror crossed his face. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice to the still-shaken men,
"Don’t panic. That wasn’t an attack. It was just a senior expert passing by."
"Passing by?" a young guard asked, his face pale. "Captain, how... how fast would someone have to be? We didn’t even see a shadow!"
The scarred captain said with reverence, "At that speed, if he had wished us harm, we probably wouldn’t even have had time to react before we were all decapitated."
"Pull yourselves together and keep moving! Remember, no one is to speak of what happened here today!"
Hearing this, the men were all filled with awe, as well as curiosity about the mysterious "senior."
Just what kind of powerhouse could possess such incredible speed?
And this figure was, of course, Fang Han, traveling at full speed.
Fang Han was completely focused, pushing his speed to the absolute limit. The scenery on either side blurred into indistinct patches of color.
The tall silhouette of Liangshui City’s walls was already in sight.
「Meanwhile, in Liangshui City, at the Fang Mansion.」
The atmosphere was tense enough to snap.
Inside the main meeting hall, Patriarch Fang Lingyuan sat on the main seat, his face as dark as still water.
Below him, the three Elders—Fang Mingde, Fang Tu, and Fang Zhenshan—were all present, each with an ugly expression.
And in the guest seats, three men sat with domineering arrogance.
The leader was a man of about fifty, dressed in a brocade robe, who exuded an extremely dangerous aura. It was none other than the Gong Family Patriarch, Gong Biao.
Beside him was a man who bore some resemblance to Gong Biao, his eyes filled with haughtiness. This was Gong Biao’s son, Gong Bao.
The last man was an old man in a black robe. His eyes were half-closed, and his aura was concealed, yet he faintly gave Fang Lingyuan, a Seventh Grade Martial Artist, a sense of danger. He was likely one of the Gong Family’s elders.
Behind the three of them stood more than a dozen fierce-looking Martial Artists.