Wang Shisanlang heard this sentence, pondered for a moment, did not answer, but stood up and stood in front of Fan Xian. Today's Shisanlang was not a Qing Fan surveyor who walked the world and experienced people's hearts, but simply a swordsman who followed Fan Xian and refused to live alone.

Fan Xian's expression became serious, and his right hand reached behind his back, drawing out the sword of the Great Wei Emperor. The sword light was like autumn water, reflecting the seawater not far away, making it even more rippling.

Without any warning, the silent sword stabbed towards Fan Xian's face, only a foot away.

This was the first time Fan Xian had truly seen Wang Shisanlang wield a sword, and he finally understood why Si Gu Jian had entrusted all his teachings to this young man. Undoubtedly, Shisanlang's understanding of sword intent had reached an extremely high level. With a mere thought, the sword tip arrived, seeming to have transcended the constraints of the environment.

This was the terrifying state brought about by unwavering determination. Once Shisanlang moved his sword, there were no distractions in his mind, only the sword.

The Emperor's sword in Fan Xian's hand was still pointing diagonally at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, leaving him no time to react. His face turned pale, and the tyrannical *zhenqi* from the snowy mountain behind his waist exploded. At the crucial moment, he forcibly pulled himself up, like a sand gull spreading its wings, drifting towards the back of the beach.

He slid fifteen *zhang* away, a bizarre movement that seemed impossible for a human being.

Wang Shisanlang's sword struck, and the cold light of the sword tip slowly converged. A sword mark inexplicably appeared on the beach in front of him, as if someone had walked past, as if a sword had passed.

A deep mark.

…

…

The two were fifteen *zhang* apart. Fan Xian still held the Emperor's sword tightly in his hand. He suddenly had the illusion that Shisanlang's seemingly light and direct sword contained some of the flavor of that earth-shattering sword that Shadow, with decades of accumulated skill, intention, and hatred, had thrust out in the city lord's mansion of Dongyi City that day.

He stared blankly at the silent Shisanlang and said after a long while, "What a domineering sword."

As the words left his mouth, he realized that his voice was a little hoarse. It must have been because he had avoided the simple sword that his *zhenqi* had risen too much in a very short time, thereby injuring his lung meridians.

Fan Xian took a deep breath, and the paleness on his face gradually returned to normal. He took a deep look at Shisanlang and said, "Unwavering, this is indeed your method. It's just that you weren't usually so fast, so powerful."

"I practiced the tyrannical *zhenqi*, but I couldn't even get past the first hurdle, but I experienced the taste of this *gongjue*." Wang Shisanlang, having failed with his sword, slowly closed his eyes and said, "I've figured it out. It's better not to bite off more than you can chew. I have the sword in my hand. Why do I need to learn Qing Emperor's unique skill?"

The nameless *gongjue* was too tyrannical, especially when passing the first hurdle. The feeling of complete separation and conflict between the mind and body, being unable to control it, was too much like being possessed. The reason why Fan Xian had passed this hurdle so easily back then was because he had spent the last years of his previous life in bed. He was already used to the years as a vegetative state where he couldn't move his whole body and only his brain could function.

So, Fan Xian was not surprised that Wang Shisanlang had not been able to embark on the path of tyrannical *gongjue*. He was only surprised at Shisanlang's high level of comprehension, and that he had noticed the dangers of the tyrannical *gongjue* in such a short time, and had such high wisdom and judgment to immediately stop his search in this area.

"If I hadn't been able to dodge that sword just now, would you have killed me?" Fan Xian curled his lips and asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Wang Shisanlang shook his head after a moment of silence. He was a little tired and sat down directly on the slightly damp beach. That sword seemed simple, just a basic elbow flexion, but to explode with such speed and such a decisive attitude had already consumed too much of his energy.

In a short period of time, Shisanlang could not possibly stab the same second sword, just like Shadow could only stab that one sword at Si Gu Jian in the city lord's mansion.

Fan Xian clearly grasped this point and slowly stepped forward, walking towards Shisanlang with a strange emotion. "Many people say it's better not to bite off more than you can chew, and even you have such clear judgment. But I always thought that having more skills is never a burden. Am I wrong?"

A faint hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. "The four Grandmasters in the world, plus my blind uncle, I have mastered four of the five unique skills. Even the Ye family's Flowing Cloud Scattered Hand has been touched by me to the approximate secrets."

He sat down in front of Wang Shisanlang and frowned. "In the world, no, it should be said that since ancient times, I am the only one who has learned so many unique skills. Yet today, I was forced back by your sword. What's the use of me learning so much?"

"Being able to learn so much already shows that you are the most terrifying person in the world." Wang Shisanlang's mind was simple, but he wasn't like Da Bao. He was extremely sensitive and noticed the feeling of frustration gradually rising in Fan Xian's heart. He looked at his eyes and said, "Any martial skill requires us to use the most focused intention, a lifetime of time to cultivate, practice, and perfect. Not to mention the unique skills left by the Grandmasters... For you to be able to cultivate four of them to the extreme in the short span of twenty-odd years is already astonishing."

Fan Xian cultivated the unique skills of the four Grandmasters, but in the face of Wang Shisanlang's sword, he had to retreat temporarily. He couldn't help but think of Si Gu Jian's realm, and the realm of the Emperor, and an irrepressible sense of sadness arose in his heart.

Wang Shisanlang looked into his eyes and said softly, "Your comprehension is extremely good, especially the foundation is laid incomparably solid, plus such good luck... You should be the most powerful person in the world."

"My comprehension is only average, especially in front of you and Haitang Duoduo." Fan Xian took a deep breath and said, "All I can rely on is diligence. But human power is sometimes limited. Even if I am twice as diligent as I am now, I still can't break through that piece of paper."

Today's Fan Xian, facing Wang Shisanlang's sword from beyond the heavens, could also avoid it with ease. In addition, he always hid those unique skills in his sleeves, hidden in his body, especially with his insidious combat character, plus the skills granted to him by the Overwatch Council...

He was confident that no matter which ninth-rank expert in the world he faced, he could defeat them. Even Wang Shisanlang, or Haitang, or Lang Tao, Yun Zhilan, once they faced him, the one who would die in the end would definitely be the other party.

When Ye Liuyun left this world, whether in terms of power or personal cultivation, Fan Xian was undoubtedly the second most powerful person in the world.

Wang Shisanlang also felt this from Fan Xian's seemingly relaxed and casual slide back earlier, and a faint sense of awe arose in his heart. He looked at Fan Xian and couldn't figure out how the other party, who was just a young man in his twenties, had raised his cultivation to this level.

The realms of the three young men in the world were now similar, but Fan Xian was more ruthless than the two of them, and had more methods.

"How did you retreat like that?" Wang Shisanlang squinted his eyes and asked him.

Fan Xian was silent for a long time, not answering, but turning his head back to stare at the white waves on the sea that were rising and falling. He had stayed in Dongyi City for a long time, and the booklet left by Grandmaster Ku He was deeply imprinted in his mind. Whenever he meditated by the sea, those words would pour into his mind. Although he still didn't understand most of the meaning, the mysterious thing was that as long as he thought about it, it seemed that some subtle factors inside and outside his body would start to echo each other.

His body became lighter, his movements became faster, and the recovery speed of the *zhenqi* in his body also became faster. It seemed that there really was a kind of primordial energy that could not be seen or touched in the world, willing to replenish his losses according to his thoughts.

It was just that this replenishment made him feel a little uneasy. Was this the magic of the West? Humans always had fear for things whose roots were unknown. What made Fan Xian even more indifferent was that the changes brought to him by that booklet were not enough to solve too many problems. The speed of that replenishment was too slow, and the improvement of that realm was too small...

The second in the world, it seemed, could only ever be the second in the world.

For a moment, Fan Xian even thought that he had made a huge mistake. Whether it was Grandmaster Ku He, or Si Gu Jian, whether it was Ye Liuyun or His Majesty the Emperor, these top figures in the world, whether in terms of the firmness of their will or the diligence of their cultivation, were definitely far above him. But these Grandmasters only cultivated their own unique skills in one life, and never had any distractions.

He learned too much, knew too much, and it was too messy.

Fan Xian had a feeling that Shisanlang and Duoduo might break through that piece of paper more easily than him in the future. This was probably the intention that Si Gu Jian had spoken of. His intention was still not as firm as these two, because he was too afraid, so he spared no expense in finding ways to make himself stronger.

This kind of deliberate pursuit might have fallen into a lower grade, but he was really afraid, he was afraid of death, he was afraid that the people he cared about would die.

"I will return to the capital the day after tomorrow." A smile suddenly appeared on the corner of Fan Xian's lips, and he said softly, "As long as Dongyi City is not in chaos, at least the world is still peaceful at the moment. Why should I worry about so many things?"

Yes, Dongyi City belonged to Qing Kingdom territory. Although there were some ups and downs of unrest, under the suppression of Qing Kingdom's powerful military force and the cooperation of the upper echelons of Dongyi City, it could not cause any major waves.

His Majesty the Emperor still trusted Fan Xian. Chen Pingping was about to leave the capital to retire. Fan Xian thought of this and stood against the sea breeze, feeling extremely comfortable. Regardless of whether Uncle Wu Zhu would return, it seemed that if he just followed the trend, he and the Emperor would always be able to find a second path.

Bloodshed was not necessarily necessary.

…

…

Bloodshed was necessary.

When the autumn wind began to pass through the small hills behind Dongyi City, Fan Xian finally settled most of the affairs in Dongyi City. When the First Prince and Yun Zhilan returned, the first major turmoil that occurred after Dongyi City surrendered was finally extinguished within the borders of Xiao Liang Kingdom under the cooperation of both parties. The flames ignited by the self-immolation of the great scholar Gu Xiansheng were quickly extinguished by blood, and were unable to spread for long.

More than four hundred people died in Xiao Liang Kingdom. These brave people of Dongyi unfortunately lay in pools of blood.

Fan Xian finished reading the general memorial, explained some affairs to the Eldest Prince, and boarded the convoy leaving Dongyi City. He was going back to Kyoto to report for duty again.

Conquering a piece of land brought with it the day-to-day tension, busyness, and slaughter of these expeditionary ministers.

After the Eldest Prince parted ways with Fan Xian, he led the garrison and coldly watched every move in Dongyi City. At this time, both he and Fan Xian felt that the overall situation had been settled. If things continued to be dealt with slowly, both the South Qing Dynasty's politics and the overall situation of the world would be within a controllable range.

Therefore, the two brothers were in a very good mood. The autumn was high and the air was crisp, and their hearts were also extremely refreshed, casting aside all their worries.

Fan Xian could even temporarily not consider the issue of Ten Families Village, the issues of the past. As for that popular figure in the court, He Zongwei, in his eyes, he was just a clown who could not affect anything at all.

Today was a good day. These days were rare good days in Fan Xian's life.

The black Overwatch Council convoy left Dongyi City and slowly traveled on the official road back to the capital. Fan Xian was not in a hurry to return to the capital. Looking at the surrounding golden yellow, slightly yellow, deep yellow, and other mixed colors of beautiful leaves, and the autumn mountains that were painted like oil paintings, was also a rare enjoyment.

Of course, blood was still flowing non-stop along the way. As a powerful minister of Qing Kingdom, the master of Sword Hut, the representative of the invaders, and Qing Emperor's most beloved illegitimate son, Fan Xian, on his way back to the capital, naturally became the primary target of attacks by the righteous armies and rioters of the surrounding vassal states of Dongyi City.

It might not be appropriate to call them rioters. They should be called righteous people. It was often those who were butchers who were the most righteous. The people within Dongyi City who refused to accept the surrender, bravely entered the mountains and fought against the Qing Kingdom invaders were mostly so-called *jianghu* figures. These people with martial power obviously expressed themselves more directly in maintaining their moral principles.

It was unknown how these people learned about Fan Xian's departure time from Dongyi City and grasped the route of the Overwatch Council convoy back to the capital. All the way, they began to launch assassinations and even suicide attacks on the powerful Qing Kingdom minister in the black carriage.

In the approximately twenty days of reaching Yanjing, the black convoy was attacked a total of seven times. The army from Yanjing that was supposed to meet them and the Black Riders stationed at the border did not come to meet them. The Eldest Prince only pulled out a thousand-man team for Fan Xian, so it was quite difficult to deal with these seven major attacks.

Fan Xian no longer had the interest to enjoy the scenery, but fell into deep thought. His personal safety was not a problem. The attacking righteous armies often had to retreat after leaving countless corpses behind, but his subordinates, especially the Western Expeditionary Army under the Eldest Prince, also paid a heavy price for it.

Because he was caught up in the continuous offensive, the top-secret court reports from Kyoto had not arrived for three days.

Fan Xian lifted the curtain of the carriage, squinted his eyes and looked west, silently praying in his heart that everything was safe in Kyoto, and that the people he cared about were safe.

…

…

While Fan Xian was on the other side of the mountains and ridges, within the borders of Qing Kingdom, there was also a long convoy traveling alone on the night road. This convoy was also pure black. In the extremely wide carriage in the middle, there was an old man with a woolen blanket covering his knees. His eyes were a little cloudy as he looked at the road at night, feeling that this road would never end.

The former director of the Overwatch Council, who had secretly controlled the dark forces of Qing Kingdom for decades, Qing Emperor's most loyal minister, the Qing Kingdom civil officials' most hated enemy, the old thief most feared by the Northern Qi and Dongyi people, the great figure who had once influenced the entire world's situation, the old man Chen Pingping, finally embarked on the journey back to his old age.

This time leaving Kyoto was not to return to his hometown to visit relatives, but to return to his hometown to settle down. First-class merit, countless rewards, and returning home to retire was the rare honor that His Majesty had given this old black dog, which was what all the civil officials of Qing Kingdom thought.

Chen Pingping's hometown was in the east of Qing Kingdom. If you looked at it on a map, it was below Dongyi City, but it was quite far from Tanzhou and Jiaozhou. On the contrary, it was closer to Jiangnan. It was an undeveloped and impoverished area.

The lonely convoy returning to old age was still far from home. On this day, the convoy only passed through Dazhou, which was a prefecture that Chen Pingping had to pass through on his way back home.

The convoy did not notify the local government along the way, so as not to startle all the officials and make them kowtow to the old director in fear and trepidation.

However, today's Dazhou was brightly lit. The *yamen* runners in the government office were busily searching for something everywhere under the strict reprimand of the superior officials from the Ministry of Justice.

Chen Pingping's eyes narrowed. He did not remember any important figures in Dazhou. He lifted the curtain of the carriage, beckoned a stranger-looking official to his side, and asked a few questions in a low voice.

The official's face was unfamiliar, but his eyes carried a cunningness after seeing through the ways of the world. He replied with a gentle smile, "We arrived long before Director Ti returned to the capital."

Chen Pingping gave a tired "hmm" and a complicated emotion flashed in his eyes. He thought of the conversation he had had with His Majesty in the palace before leaving Kyoto. He had already seen through the deepest meanings in His Majesty's heart.

In this world, there was no one who understood Qing Emperor better than Chen Pingping, so his eyes were very complicated. And the stranger-looking official beside the carriage stared at the brightly lit Dazhou, stared at the bloody figure who had broken through the siege, and his eyes became complicated in addition to shock.