Chapter 121: Murong Bai (Fifth Installment)

"I am Murong Bai, of the Murong family's collateral branch. May I ask who you are exactly?!" Murong Bai clutched the blood seeping from his forehead, his mouth twitching as he looked at Fang Xu and asked with a strained smile.

"Murong Bai, is it? That name really suits your physique, doesn't it?" Fang Xu couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.

It was easy to see that Murong Bai’s skin was indeed remarkably fair—a consequence of his long-term lack of physical activity.

"You...! May I ask for your name, sir?" Murong Bai suppressed his dissatisfaction and simmering anger, forcing another smile as he questioned Fang Xu.

Murong Bai was now certain of one thing: either Fang Xu was a reckless fool playing the hero, or he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. In Murong Bai’s estimation, the latter was far more likely. No matter how he looked at it, Fang Xu did not seem like the type of naive hothead to act without purpose.

That was why he had chosen to probe so cautiously. The surrounding commoners watched the exchange in disbelief. To them, this did not seem like the Murong Bai they knew. Even the guards behind Murong Bai looked on in astonishment; in the past, Murong Bai would have already resorted to violence by now. Why choose to waste so much breath? However, since their master had decided to talk, they as subordinates naturally refrained from interfering.

"Is Murong Fu not here?" Fang Xu asked with a hint of confusion, walking toward Murong Bai as he spoke.

"Murong Fu... you know my cousin, Murong Fu?!" Murong Bai looked at the approaching Fang Xu in disbelief, though a second thought crossed his mind. Who in the south didn't know the great name of Murong Fu? It wasn't particularly strange that this man knew of him.

"I do indeed know him, and I intend to pay your cousin a proper visit," Fang Xu said with a smile, now only a few paces away from Murong Bai.

The guards behind Murong Bai instinctively stepped forward, their hands hovering over the long blades at their waists. They were clearly on high alert, wary of an unexpected strike. That "hidden weapon" from earlier was proof enough of his danger. Fang Xu, for his part, felt the same way, as he did not consider himself a match for these guards.

"Would you mind returning that token to me, Murong Bai?" Fang Xu gestured toward the object clutched in Murong Bai's hand. Murong Bai finally took a close look at the "hidden weapon" that had struck him.

When he saw it clearly, his face paled with shock. He realized he was gripping a gleaming gold token. On the front were the bold characters for "Nine Ministers," and on the back, the characters for "Grand Justice."

How could Murong Bai not know what the title of Grand Justice meant? Or the weight of the Nine Ministers token?

"So it is the Grand Justice! This lowly one truly has eyes that fail to recognize greatness!" Once Murong Bai verified the authenticity of the token, he ignored the blood still dripping from his forehead. He hurriedly held the token up with both hands, knelt on one knee, and spoke with profound reverence.

Fang Xu was stunned by the reaction. He had expected to provoke Murong Bai, but this turn of events was entirely unexpected. As he took back the token, he remained baffled. Was the power of the Nine Ministers token truly this immense? If it were, why had it been so ineffective when he dealt with Murong Fu earlier?

In truth, it was not that Fang Xu was incapable; rather, the Nine Ministers token carried vastly different weight for the direct descendants of the four great landed families compared to the collateral branches. If they truly offended Qin Suwen, the heads of these families might be able to beg for mercy for their kin. If Qin Suwen were determined to act against someone, she could easily fabricate a charge. If the target chose to resist, they would only be confirming their guilt. However, Qin Suwen understood the value of balance, and the four families understood the limits; direct descendants rarely invited her direct ire. For collateral members, however, there was only one result if they offended her: death.

That was why Murong Bai’s attitude had shifted one hundred and eighty degrees upon realizing Fang Xu’s true identity.

"I truly did not know the Grand Justice had arrived. Please forgive this lowly one for my disrespect!" Murong Bai said with his head bowed, which improved Fang Xu’s mood considerably.

Fang Xu glanced at the elderly man named Zhang, who was sitting slumped on the ground. Murong Bai caught the glance immediately. He hurried over to help the old man up, leaving Zhang in a state of bewildered shock. Before the old man could react, Murong Bai demanded a bag of silver from his guards and thrust it into the old man’s hands, leaving him stunned.

"Everyone, look closely! If I ever hear that anyone dares to scheme against old man Zhang, they will be considered an enemy of Murong Bai!" he declared, his frame wobbling as he spoke.

The surrounding commoners, some of whom had indeed been eyeing the silver, immediately abandoned their dark thoughts. Fang Xu, however, began to find Murong Bai quite interesting. This little fatty was far from simple. What he had just done was flawless, accounting for the psychology of the crowd and preventing future trouble. In Fang Xu’s eyes, the man was a talent—especially when it came to reading the wind and shifting his sails; in that regard, Murong Bai was truly peerless.

A thought suddenly crossed Fang Xu’s mind. He beckoned to Murong Bai, who was busy managing the situation. Seeing the gesture, Murong Bai scurried over, panting heavily from the exertion, his body shaking with every step.