Chapter Six: Fang Yiai Strikes Down Zhen Guanxi (Part Two)

A young man in a brocade robe rose to his full height beside Li You, pointed a finger at Fang Jun, and barked angrily: "As a subject, you have no sense of decorum! Fang Yiai, do you know your crime?"

Fang Jun looked at the man. He didn't recognize him and asked, "Who are you?"

The young man in the brocade robe was taken aback for a moment, then, as if he had suffered a grave insult, glared at Fang Jun with fury.

Fang Jun was somewhat surprised. He didn't know the guy, yet the man was so enraged—could it be that he was some world-famous figure?

Someone nearby chimed in: "Fang Er, you truly have eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai. This hero is the renowned 'Suppressor of Guanxi,' Yan Hongliang. With a pair of iron fists, he is undefeated throughout the Guanxi region. He is also a descendant of the Great Sui General Yan Rong and the younger brother of the current Emperor's favorite concubine, Consort Yan..."

Upon hearing the nickname "Suppressor of Guanxi," Fang Jun nearly spat out his drink.

If he didn't know his own identity, he might have thought he had traveled back to the Song Dynasty. "Suppressor of Guanxi"? What next—a "Flowery Monk" Lu Zhishen?

But since this fellow was the brother of Consort Yan, why was he hanging out with Prince Qi, Li You?

Fang Jun couldn't be bothered with such matters. His goal today was simple: he had come to pick a fight!

So what if he was the "Suppressor of Guanxi"? So what if he was Consort Yan's brother?

He would be the perfect first target!

Fang Jun lowered his head and looked around, grabbed a bronze wine vessel from the low table beside him, and hurled it with a flick of his wrist.

The bronze vessel spun through the air, tracing an arc as a few drops of residual wine spilled out, before landing precisely on Yan Hongliang’s forehead.

Yan Hongliang did indeed have a loud reputation in the Guanxi region, and his martial skills were quite extraordinary. Coupled with his prestigious status, he was accustomed to looking down on others. Impulsive by nature, he was already annoyed that Fang Jun didn't know his name and was about to offer a sarcastic retort, never imagining that this "Fang Er" would strike without a word. Caught off guard, the vessel hit him square in the forehead.

The vessel wasn't large, but it was made of solid bronze; it made him see stars. As he clutched his forehead, hot blood began to trickle down.

The whole hall was in an uproar.

Prince Qi, Li You, was both shocked and furious. He pointed at Fang Jun and shouted: "You... you... Fang Er, aren't you being a bit too lawless?"

The group that had come with him rose in indignation, shouting accusations and foul language.

Fang Jun laughed: "I, Fang Er, have fought all over Chang'an without a single defeat, yet I wouldn't dare call myself 'Suppressor of Guanzhong.' How dare this guy be so brazen as to call himself 'Suppressor of Guanxi'? Today, I, Fang Er, will test this 'Suppressor of Guanxi'!"

With that, he lunged forward, moving with the agility of a startled rabbit, and closed the distance to Yan Hongliang in two swift strides.

Yan Hongliang was still clutching his forehead when he heard the wind whistle by his ear. He looked up in surprise just as Fang Jun’s fist, as large as a bowl, arrived before his eyes. He let out a cry of alarm, but it was too late to dodge. Fang Jun’s fist struck him square in the face. With a wretched howl, blood streaming from his nose, Yan Hongliang toppled backward.

It wasn't that Yan Hongliang was truly incompetent; he had genuine skill and strength. However, due to his high status, people usually held back during sparring matches, which made him feel invincible. This led him to become arrogant and give himself the domineering nickname "Suppressor of Guanxi."

But Fang Jun didn't care about noble families or royal relatives. He believed in the motto, "Strike first to gain the advantage, strike later and suffer," and he never held back. He would strike with the force of thunder and knock his opponent down first!

With Yan Hongliang knocked to the ground, gasps filled the hall. They didn't know how badly he was hurt, but the sight of blood streaming down his face was terrifying. Those who had been sitting stood up in alarm, causing a chaotic clatter of tables and stools.

Fang Jun looked at his own fist and muttered with some annoyance: "To think this guy dared to call himself the 'Suppressor of Guanxi'—what a joke. If I'd known he was this weak, I would have used only thirty percent of my strength; he wouldn't be in such a sorry state..."

The crowd was speechless, and some felt a lingering fear. Was this Fang Er really that formidable? Fortunately, they hadn't provoked him earlier, or they’d have no one to appeal to after taking a few of those punches.

Prince Qi, Li You, was trembling with rage, his face flushed red.

Li You had claimed illness to avoid going to his fief. His uncle, Yin Hongzhi, had advised him to recruit strong men for self-defense and recommended his own brother-in-law, Yan Hongliang. Li You had received him warmly, gifting him money and silk to recruit desperate men for his own hidden agenda. Seeing his right-hand man beaten to a pulp in front of him was no different than being slapped in the face.

Li You glared at Fang Jun, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. He roared: "All of you, attack! If he dies, I’ll take the blame!"

At his command, the group of youths at the table swarmed forward, surrounding Fang Jun and pelting him with low tables, stools, bowls, and teapots.

Du He turned pale, his legs shaking. He thought to himself, *My God, what has gotten into this idiot Fang Er?* Seeing the overwhelming numbers, Du He subtly took a step back, then another... slowly retreating toward the door, ready to slip away at the first sign of trouble.

Cheng Chubi, however, reacted in the opposite way. Seeing Fang Jun surrounded, he didn't hesitate for a second and roared as he charged into the fray.

Li You, face red with excitement, stood on the sidelines screaming: "Hit him! Beat them hard! Break their legs! F***, how dare you hit my people! I'll teach you a lesson..."

Although Fang Jun and Cheng Chubi were both surprisingly strong and could usually handle three or five men with ease, they were young and were being swarmed by many opponents, some of whom were actually quite skilled. As the fight dragged on, they began to lose ground.

Fang Jun realized this couldn't continue. He had already achieved his goal of "picking a fight," but he couldn't just stand there and take a beating! While fighting back, he scanned the area and caught sight of Prince Qi, Li You, jumping up and down like a monkey outside the circle of battle.

He calculated the consequences of beating up the Prince. As long as he didn't cause permanent disability, it shouldn't be a major issue! After all, his own father was the current Chancellor and a pillar of the Emperor's court; he wouldn't be executed for this!

Having made up his mind, Fang Jun intentionally took two blows from a wooden stool, nearly having the wind knocked out of him. He used the momentum to fall to the ground, performed a "lazy donkey roll" out of the scuffle, and charged straight at Li You.

Li You was delighted to see his side completely suppressing Fang Jun and Cheng Chubi. He was a bit rattled, though—Fang Jun was simply too tough; he would shake off anyone who tried to grab him like a wild donkey! Even that Cheng Chubi was a beast; despite being pummeled, he didn't make a sound and grabbed one of the opponents, beating him until he went limp. If not for several men pulling him off, he might have beaten the guy to death!

Although Li You was arrogant, he was only a fifteen-year-old boy. He could talk big, but he didn't dare commit murder. He felt a chill down his spine, thinking, *Why on earth did I provoke these two lunatics?* But then he thought, *I didn't provoke them; they came to me!*

As Li You cheered on his comrades, he gnashed his teeth in anger. *Do they really think I'm easy to bully? Today I'll teach them a lesson.*

Just as he was fuming, the light in front of him dimmed. Someone shouted, "Your Highness, look out!" Before Li You could react, a mocking, dark face appeared before him—it was Fang Jun.

Li You froze. *Wasn't this guy just being pummeled by my men? How did he get here?*

The next moment, he saw a fist appear before his eyes, growing larger and larger, until—

It slammed into his eye socket.

Li You let out a wail, snot and tears streaming down his face.

Du He, watching from the sidelines, felt his legs go weak. He stared in shock as Fang Jun knocked Prince Qi to the ground with a single punch and then proceeded to kick him twice...

*Dammit! That’s the Prince! The Emperor's own son! Royal blood! You idiot Fang Er, you’ve truly gone mad!*