Even the usually carefree Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t help but grimace upon hearing this answer.
As for young newcomers like Huang Rong and Guo Jing, their reactions were even more pronounced.
Even Mei Chaofeng, who considered herself a ruthless villain, froze for a moment, doubting her own ears.
“How dare he!” Lu Xiaofeng burst out angrily.
These few words alone were enough to paint Fang Yingkan as nothing short of a demon.
He lusted after beauty, forcibly claiming the women around him.
To maintain his pristine reputation in the capital, he silenced anyone who might expose him—permanently.
And worst of all, he had created a grotesque “specimen” to display in his menagerie, all to instill fear and awe in others.
If all the martial heroes of the world acted like Fang Yingkan, treating ordinary people as mere playthings, what justice or morality would remain?
Lu Xiaofeng nearly suggested reporting him to the authorities, but then he remembered—she had already mentioned it.
She had tried to seek justice, only to be sent back to the Divine Marquis’s mansion.
It was… even more tragic.
“The capital has the Ministry of Justice handling cases, with the Six Fan Division assisting. Both Zhu Yueming, the chief constable of the Ministry, and Wuqing, the head of the Six Fan Division, are renowned martial experts. Why…?”
“Because there’s no evidence,” the woman replied.
She didn’t cry or rage—just calmly uttered those six words, heavy enough to suffocate.
For someone like Fang Yingkan, “no evidence” was his greatest shield.
Sikong Zhaixing and Lu Xiaofeng knew this woman had been rescued from the menagerie by their own hands. But if this went to court, they had no doubt Sikong Zhaixing, the notorious thief, would be the first to face consequences.
As for Fang Yingkan’s other crimes, his underlings took the blame and cleaned up the mess.
And worse—he bore the title of “Divine Marquis.”
This meant any faction in the capital would have to weigh countless considerations before moving against him.
“Sister,” Huang Rong suddenly realized, “when I told you earlier that he plans to strike against the Mystic Sky Alliance again… is it even more complicated than I thought?”
Shi Qingruo draped a cloak over the woman’s shoulders, shielding her from the spring chill after her ordeal, and avoided a direct answer. Instead, she asked, “Rong’er, you and this young man broke into the Marquis’s estate today and fought his newly recruited retainers. What did you think of them?”
Huang Rong pondered. “In terms of martial skill, among those we encountered, only the Young Master of White Camel Mountain and Fang Yingkan himself stood out. The others were strong but disorganized. Still, I suspect Fang Yingkan has greater backing—something that emboldens him to commit such atrocities.”
“So his ambitions far exceed what you’ve seen,” Shi Qingruo sighed.
Lu Xiaofeng’s eyes gleamed with understanding. “Madam Shi means, by placing these lackeys in plain sight—skilled but hardly elite—he makes himself seem like an incompetent judge of talent…”
“If he dares come, I’ll kill him,” Guan Qi said coldly.
Shi Qingruo turned to see the same ruthless expression he’d worn when declaring he’d “slaughter all who stand in his way.” She shook her head. “Sometimes brute force solves everything, but other times, rules must be followed. Fang Yingkan has Fang Geyin behind him—meaning all factions loyal to the Great Hero Fang are his backing. If he dies without cause, the capital will plunge into chaos.”
And chaos would only harm more innocents.
“Then bring Fang Geyin to the capital. I’ll fight him,” Guan Qi replied bluntly, untangled by the complexities.
For a moment, silence fell over the group.
Yet they couldn’t deny—Guan Qi’s straightforward solution was the most correct one.
Fang Yingkan’s title came from Fang Geyin’s deeds.
His status in the martial world wasn’t earned by skill but inherited through his adoptive father.
Now, instead of serving the nation, he committed unspeakable evils. Fang Geyin should be the one to end this scourge.
A father’s failure to teach his son—
The blame was clear.
“But even if Fang Geyin comes to execute his own son, will the capital truly be cleansed?” Shi Qingruo murmured, eyes closed in contemplation. “In Bianliang, the Divine Marquis’s estate is but a minor player in a cesspool of corruption. Eliminating Fang Yingkan alone won’t purify this world.”
Abruptly, she shifted topics. “Have I ever told you what happened before I came to the capital?”
Zhu Xiaoyao knew fragments but not the full story.
The Saintess Consort had won over Bai Choufei and Wang Xiaoshi—clearly, she’d crossed paths with them before.
According to the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower’s intelligence, she’d arrived from Hubei.
But beyond that, details were scarce.
Shi Qingruo continued, “I’ll skip the distant past. Half a year ago, when I reached Dongting Lake, a major incident occurred.”
“The Skyreach Gang, dominant over Dongting’s land and water routes, was annihilated. Its leaders were poisoned, then slaughtered in the chaos. Their treasured martial manual, the Eternal Divine Finger, vanished. While the gang ruled, Hubei’s black market operated under restraint. But after their fall, vermin crawled into the light.”
“I have no martial skills. I was tricked and sold into a human trafficking den. There, I overheard something…”
As the refined Saintess Consort of the Mystic Sky Alliance spoke these words, the contrast between her current elegance and her past ordeal made it seem like ancient history.
Yet it had only been six months.
What shocked them more was her revelation.
“Martial escort bureaus and shipping guilds, even those in the underworld, trust the Six and a Half Halls more than the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, which has roots in the capital. Take the Inkstone Studio near Dongting Lake—a cultured name masking a troupe of performers. But not just any performers.”
“Boss Gu’s favorite act was called ‘Human Ball’—boiling people alive, coating them in shellac powder, or binding limbs backward and breaking their spines. Audiences, pitying these ‘soft-boned’ victims, paid generously.”
Huang Rong gasped in shock.
The mere thought that Shi Qingruo had once been trapped in such a place, suffering such horrors—had she not escaped, she would have met a dreadful fate—sent chills down her spine.
"I was one of the lucky ones," Shi Qingruo continued. "That Boss Gu, under the protection of the Six and a Half Halls, was already lawless. At the end of the year, he planned a major deal, coinciding with the Six and a Half Halls' expansion into Hubei. They intended to target several key figures, turning their children into human 'balls' as a warning before releasing them. To cover their tracks, they drove a newly abducted group of us from Hunan to Hubei, using us as decoys to divert attention while they smuggled their real cargo. Among that cargo was even the only son of Governor Wen of Hubei."
Lu Xiaofeng muttered, "How is that lucky...?"
Shi Qingruo scoffed. "Because decoys don’t need to be recognizable. We were kept alive, unharmed—for the time being. And there was another silver lining: this so-called 'northern invitation' was a trap from the start!"
Her voice grew colder. "The Six and a Half Halls had a decent reputation in Hubei. Their negotiations with Governor Wen over profit-sharing hadn’t collapsed, nor had they openly turned against each other. But this stunt would push him straight into the arms of the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Tower."
"And why did this happen? Because the one orchestrating it—the Twelfth Hall Master of the Six and a Half Halls—wasn’t actually one of them. He was Xue Xishen, a mole from the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Tower! Before meeting those circus bosses, he’d already tipped off the authorities."
"By sacrificing a dozen children’s lives, they ensured the capture of several Hubei underworld figures and Boss Gu, while the Six and a Half Halls lost their Ninth Hall Master, who’d come to investigate. The Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Tower made quite the profit. And as luck would have it, Wang Xiaoshi and Bai Choufei happened to pass by and rescued me, so I got out unscathed."
"Later, in Bianjing, I met Seventh Brother. The rest, you already know..."
"Xue Xishen—" Zhu Xiaoyao’s expression twisted for a split second before she caught herself, remembering outsiders were present. She shouldn’t speak of the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Tower’s protector in such a tone.
Yet she couldn’t help the exclamation.
In Shi Qingruo’s account, if the Six and a Half Halls were guilty for their vile trade, then Xue Xishen—who’d exploited it to further his own ends—was no less culpable.
Given Xue Xishen’s rank, once he took on a mission, his methods were beyond questioning.
His actions served the greater good, yes—but at what cost? Ordinary lives treated as mere playthings.
Shi Qingruo turned, meeting Zhu Xiaoyao’s abruptly silenced voice. "No need to dwell on Xue Xishen."
"Had I not traveled north with Wang Xiaoshi and Bai Choufei, hearing rumors of how the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Tower managed their finances, knowing Master Su kept his hands clean of such dealings, Xue Xishen’s deeds would’ve soured my view of them entirely."
"But some gangs—some are not wholly evil, while others are rotten to the core. Those who cling to power through cruelty are countless, hidden from the emperor’s sight. Fang Yingkan is far from the only one!"
These people couldn’t be eradicated by Guan Qi’s peerless martial prowess alone.
If the world were so simple, Zhuge Divine Marquis would’ve acted long ago. Why wait till now?
"...So, Madam Shi, what do you plan to do?" Lu Xiaofeng couldn’t resist asking.
The moment the question left his lips, he paused, struck by its implication.
Merely voicing it signaled something: his instinctive belief that Shi Qingruo could change things.
Shi Qingruo echoed his thoughts. "You trust me so easily? Zhuge Divine Marquis knows the state of the realm, yet even he can’t turn the tide. Seventh Brother is unmatched in martial arts, yet look at the Waning Sky Alliance—reduced to a shell, a haven for scum. When I struck a deal with Master Su, I couldn’t even confront Xue Xishen to his face. So why assume I can accomplish more now?"
By Lu Xiaofeng and Sikong Zhaixing’s reckoning, she didn’t know martial arts—making her among the easiest targets in the jianghu.
Lu Xiaofeng stroked his mustache, clicking his tongue. "Call it intuition. I may not know you well, Madam Shi, but I doubt you’d show us this without reason."
Judging by how she’d handled Sikong Zhaixing’s temper, Lu Xiaofeng suspected her lack of martial skill wasn’t a weakness. If anything, she seemed the type to master situations by other means.
He even wondered if her escape from the Hubei incident was as straightforward as she claimed.
But when her goals aligned with his own tastes, why dig deeper?
"Besides," Lu Xiaofeng’s gaze flicked to Guan Qi, "you’re half-mistress of the Waning Sky Alliance—practically a local power. Some things you couldn’t do before might be possible now."
So he wanted to hear her plan.
True, he hated being coerced. A blade at his throat wouldn’t make him yield. But sitting idle wasn’t in his nature either!
Shi Qingruo didn’t press further. After a thoughtful pause, she said, "The officials want only one faction left in Kaifeng—that’s common knowledge. My original agreement with Master Su was to join forces, first against the Six and a Half Halls, then the entrenched powers like Fang Yingkan’s estate. But since we’ve stumbled upon this matter with Fang Yingkan, perhaps we should adjust our approach."
"In a few days, I’ll meet Master Su again to discuss. If you’re free, Young Master Lu, you’re welcome to join. As for..."
She turned to Mei Chaofeng.
The woman’s already pallid face had gone ghostly white.
Nothing in the conversation had concerned her. The rescued girl had drawn attention to Fang Yingkan first.
But the instant Shi Qingruo’s focus shifted, Mei Chaofeng realized her grave mistake: she’d overheard something she shouldn’t have.
Years ago, she’d stolen her master’s manuals and fled Peach Blossom Island. Practicing the Nine Yin Skeleton Claw, she’d killed many before failing in the northern deserts, losing her sight. She’d then been taken in by Fu Kang, son of Fu Zongshu, in Bianjing.
Although today’s chance encounter with her junior sister had unexpectedly made her temporary allies with these people, she hadn’t forgotten her true identity.
She, too, carried the weight of many lives on her hands and should never have overheard the alliance between the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Tower and the Lost Heaven Alliance!
Unfortunately, her mobility was impaired, making a swift escape impossible. No—even if her legs were fully functional, she could never evade the watchful eyes of the Lost Heaven Alliance’s Seventh Saint Master.
For the first time, she felt the crushing helplessness of an ant trying to shake a mighty tree.
Shi Qingruo continued, “I must ask all of you to stay within the Lost Heaven Alliance for now. Once our urgent matters are settled, you’ll be free to leave.”
“No!”
The voice of protest didn’t come from Mei Chaofeng, as everyone expected, but from Guo Jing.
Huang Rong was about to dissuade him when Guo Jing spoke earnestly, “The herbs we stole from the Divine Marquis’ residence today must be delivered to Taoist Wang as soon as possible. Any delay could worsen his injuries.”
The tense atmosphere lightened slightly at his words, and Shi Qingruo couldn’t help but smile. “Silly boy, if we’d waited for you to remind us about Taoist Wang, he’d have already been captured by the Divine Marquis’ men. I sent Zhu Xiaoyao to assist you, and at the same time, I had someone fetch him from your inn. By now, he should already be here.”
Guo Jing scratched his head. “But there’s one more thing.”
“When I first entered Bianjing, I came across a father and daughter surnamed Mu holding a martial arts contest to choose a husband. Fu Kang won the match but refused to marry the girl. After a scuffle, the prime minister’s wife intervened and stopped the fight. It should’ve ended there, but before I went to steal the herbs today, I noticed the Mu family had disappeared.”
“I’m certain they didn’t leave on their own.” Though Guo Jing was often slow-witted, he quickly added, “All their belongings from the contest were still there—especially their spears. It’s more like they were taken away than left voluntarily.”
If not for his priority to ensure Taoist Wang’s safety, he would’ve gone looking for the father and daughter himself.
He had once believed Bianjing to be a place of prosperity and splendor.
But now, seeing the poisoned woman and knowing Fu Kang’s ties to Fang Yingkan, he couldn’t shake a growing sense of dread.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Shi Qingruo curved her lips into a smile. “Then it’s even simpler—just report it to the authorities.”
Guo Jing blinked. “Huh… report it?”
Wasn’t the government supposed to collude with such villains?
Shi Qingruo explained, “It depends on the situation. Based on what you’ve said, the Mu family only had a dispute with the prime minister’s household—they might’ve been ‘invited’ as guests. Instead of breaking into the Divine Marquis’ residence and then the prime minister’s mansion, it’s better to let the Six Gates handle it.”
“The prime minister’s subordinates were already implicated in the Lianyun Bandits case by Chief Constable Wuqing, and they nearly had another rogue advisor exposed by him. They won’t want another scandal falling into his hands. If the Mu family is truly with them, the moment Wuqing pays a visit, they’ll release them immediately. It’s far safer than you taking the risk.”
Compared to other problems, this was the easiest to resolve.
Except…
It meant troubling Chief Constable Wuqing again.
Shi Qingruo thought shamelessly—at least this time, Wuqing wouldn’t have to ride in a bridal sedan.
Wasn’t that a small mercy?
