Gong Dian was the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, a close official of the Emperor, and a member of the Imperial Guard. He was Ye Zhong's junior, a disciple of the Ye family, the number one martial family in the Kingdom of Qing. He was a rare upper eighth-level ace, and in terms of fighting ability, he was much more powerful than Cheng Jushu, whom Fan Xian had killed in the chaos. Fan Xian had killed Cheng Jushu with one strike because he had underestimated him, and he had ambushed him with a precious weapon. If the two of them had really fought, Fan Xian's chances of dying would have been much higher.
Facing Gong Dian, Fan Xian could not think of any good ideas. Not to mention that he could not beat him, even if he could... would he dare oppose the palace? A drop of sweat dripped from Fan Xian's forehead. In his heart, he kept shouting, "Wu Zhu messed me up. Wu Zhu messed me up." If Wu Zhu had not knocked out the guards, Fan Xian would not have been able to enter the Temple of Qing, and so many things would not have happened. But for Fan Xian, this was the cause of the crisis. Of course, Fan Xian could not really blame his uncle. He was just using this kind of crazed shouting to relax his mind.
Gong Dian smiled and took a step forward. His deep voice rang out. "Young man, what a coincidence today."
Fan Xian pulled his sister back, who did not know what was going on. He smiled and replied, "I didn't expect to see you again, sir." At this moment, his mind was spinning rapidly. Wan'er had once said that the nobleman in the Qing Temple that day was the Emperor. Then, Gong Dian's duty should be to surround and protect the Emperor. Now that Gong Dian had appeared in the tea house, the Emperor should also be here.
As he thought about it, his gaze swept past Gong Dian's thin but high shoulders. He saw a middle-aged noble drinking tea at the table, who would occasionally raise his head and look in his direction with a frown. Fan Xian was shocked, but his face did not show it. He smiled bitterly. "Sir, why are you acting like you've searched far and wide for something, only to find it all without any effort? That day outside the temple, I offended you, sir, but I also coughed up blood for a few days. Consider this an apology. "
The words "searched far and wide" were purposely said for the noble to hear. Unexpectedly, Fan Xian did not expect the noble to react.
"Capture this person." Gong Dian didn't want to alarm his master, so he ordered in a low voice. The three bodyguards on both sides listened to his order and rushed forward. Seeing his opponent's imposing manner, and with a young lady by his side, he knew he would not be able to escape. He frowned and stepped forward, taking the initiative to attack Gong Dian!
Gong Dian was not angry; on the contrary, he was delighted. He waved his hand for the guards to stand down. His two hands spread out like a goshawk hunting a rabbit. His knuckles were dry and strong, and they went straight for Fan Xian's pulse. Although Fan Xian did not have any exquisite moves, these little tricks were an instinctive reaction to Wu Zhu's hammering. With a strange twist of his wrist, his fingertips slid across Gong Dian's pulse. His arm suddenly lengthened, and with an eerie aura, he abruptly locked onto Gong Dian's wrist.
At this moment, Gong Dian's pair of iron hands had already firmly grasped his wrist.
Both of them were greatly surprised. Both times, as soon as they came into contact, they immediately locked onto each other. It was really a very inexplicable thing. It was as if they had predicted each other's reaction. Although he was surprised, Gong Dian spoke with great confidence. "Give me your hands and let me capture you." Fan Xian had never expected to fight the head of the palace guards, but he had other ideas. So he frowned and said unyieldingly, "We don't know yet." He gave a muffled grunt, and the snow mountain at his back heated up. A torrent of heat gushed out from that spot, and along his arms, it attacked Gong Dian's body.
Gong Dian frowned, seeming to sense the incomparably tyrannical zhenqi of the youth. But at this moment, his master was behind him, so naturally he would not step aside. His eyes flashed, and with a light shout, the vigorous zhenqi that had accumulated in his body for decades gathered in his palms.
Their locked arms had already loosened, and their palms were facing each other.
After a muffled sound, the Green Bamboo Tea Shop was shaken. The nobleman who was drinking tea frowned. It seemed that he did not have any kung fu to protect himself. Behind Fan Xian, Ruoruo's legs also weakened, and she almost fell to the ground.
There was a flash of white light, and the guards drew their swords and placed them on Fan Xian's neck. At this moment, Fan Xian's arms were sore, and he had no strength to resist, nor did he think about resisting. Gong Dian coughed and put his hands behind his back. When he looked at Fan Xian again, there was something strange in his eyes. He said quietly, "Young man, I haven't seen you in a few months. You've improved again."
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of Fan Xian's mouth. This trickle of blood made Gong Dian think of the person in the gloomy room across from the Temple of Qing. He couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He wasn't sure if he had done the right thing today.
This time, it was clear that Fan Xian had lost, but Gong Dian was not as relaxed as he appeared. Aside from the nobleman, no one noticed that his hands, which were behind his back, were trembling. The strange and tyrannical zhenqi that Fan Xian had used to invade his body remained in his meridians, scraping them like little knives. After a while, it gradually calmed down.
"Able to use both the pen and the sword. It seems that there have been many such young talents in the world recently." The nobleman looked at Fan Xian, whose face did not change at all, with a smile of admiration on his face. Gong Dian knew that his master cherished talent, and was afraid that he would ask him to release Fan Xian like last time. He quickly walked to the side of the tea table and, in a low voice, explained why he wanted to capture Fan Xian.
The noble man furrowed his brows and then gradually relaxed. His eyes, which were like deep pools, gradually brightened. He looked at Fan Xian and narrowed his eyes slightly. In a quiet voice, he said, "So, it is the young man from that day." He continued quietly, "Gong Dian, the ace you spoke of could easily capture and kill you. Did you tell anyone about this?" Gong Dian was ashamed. "It was only a secret investigation. There were no results, so I did not report it. Please … forgive me, Master."
The nobleman said coldly, "I am excused. But this matter is not to be brought up again, or your entire family will be executed." Gong Dian's heart trembled, and he cupped his hands in acknowledgment. The two of them spoke very quietly. Even Fan Xian, with his extraordinary hearing, could only faintly hear a few words. He didn't know what they were talking about.
"Leave us. I want to speak with this young man," the nobleman ordered coldly.
Gong Dian was startled. Although the Master held the world in his hands, he was powerless. How could he allow him to be alone with this young man? The nobleman seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. He muttered to himself, "Gong Dian, stay. The rest of you may leave."
"Yes, Master!" Although the guards didn't understand, they didn't dare to say anything else. They quickly left the teahouse. Fan Xian's neck was free, and he twisted it comfortably. Ruoruo ran up to him and took his hand. Thinking of the danger he had just been in, she was so anxious that she almost cried.
…
…
"Functionary Fan Xian, you have been disrespectful in front of the Emperor. Do you know your crime?"
"I do not know what crime I have committed."
The conversation Fan Xian had imagined didn't happen. The nobleman just sat at the table and looked at him with interest. The nobleman's eyes seemed to be much softer than before. They lightly but carefully brushed over his face, which made Fan Xian feel a little uncomfortable.
The nobleman opened his mouth and said quietly, "Young man, which family are you from?"
"Sir, we are from the Fan family. Yesterday, we went to the country estate to rest. Today, we wanted to see the scenery, so we wandered here. I don't know why you are making things difficult for us." Fan Xian thought it would be more appropriate to call him "sir." Hearing his answer, Gong Dian was shocked. He now knew that the person he had been looking for was Fan Xian, the man who had killed an eighth-level master. Thinking of how Fan Xian's father, Count Sinan, was the Master's trusted aide, and that he held some power that even he didn't know about, Gong Dian thought he understood why the Master had ordered him not to reveal the existence of the grandmaster. He looked at Fan Xian apologetically.
The nobleman smiled. "You are Fan Jian's son?"
Hearing him call his father by name, Fan Xian was even more certain of his identity. He responded with even more respect. "That is correct."
The nobleman nodded. "This is a misunderstanding. Don't bear it in your heart."
Fan Xian hadn't expected the nobleman to be so easy to talk to. He was stunned for a moment before he came to his senses. "I wouldn't dare."
The nobleman continued. "You've been in the capital for a few months now. How have you been?"
Although he didn't understand why someone of his status would care about him, Fan Xian couldn't pass up this opportunity. Thinking of all the troubles he'd had in the past few months, he said with a hint of disappointment, "Living in the capital is not easy. It's not as good as home."
"You mean Danzhou?"
"Exactly."
"What's so good about Danzhou?"
"Although Danzhou is remote, the people are simple. As long as you don't harm others, no one will harm you. It's not like after you've entered the capital. Whether you want to or not, there will always be things that will come to you."
The nobleman didn't seem to expect the youth to be so direct. After a slight pause, he smiled. "The capital is unparalleled in its prosperity, and naturally its difficulties are also unparalleled. But with Master Fan's protection, and with Master Fan's reputation as a master of both the pen and the sword, I presume you will have a comfortable life in the capital."
It was as if Fan Xian was listening to a jade edict. If he hadn't been faking it, he would have knelt down and thanked the edict, and then announced it to the entire capital. The words of the Emperor were like gold and jade … but his face remained calm. "I hope so," he replied softly.
It was getting late, and the nobleman had many matters to attend to. He got up and left. Before he left, he looked at Fan Xian carefully and smiled with satisfaction. "If fate wills it, we will meet again." He then turned to Fan Ruoruo and said quietly, "Little girl, when you were a baby, I held you. I didn't think you'd become a big girl in the blink of an eye. In the future, a good marriage awaits you."
Fan Ruoruo was slightly taken aback. She didn't know how to respond. After saying this, the nobleman laughed brightly. He seemed to be very happy. He left the teahouse where Qing Zhu was and got into his carriage. A long time after the carriage had left, the nobleman was lost in thought. He sighed. "His facial features are vaguely similar. His ability to climb walls at night is somewhat similar to mine when I was young."
In the teahouse, Fan Ruoruo asked curiously, "Who was that? He seemed to be familiar with Father."
Fan Xian had finally shaken off his nervousness. Covered in sweat, he sat down on a stool and said, "It was His Majesty … Damn it. Why do they all like to go out incognito? Do they really think they don't have to pay for scaring people to death?" As soon as he said this, Fan Ruoruo covered her mouth in shock.
Crack! At that moment, a clap of thunder sounded out of nowhere in the blue sky. It was as if it wanted to pierce into the teahouse's bamboo and strike a certain someone to death.
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