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Chapter 471 Who told you I'm a psychic?

A cold wind swept through the deathly silent courtyard.

The crackling sound of burning firewood was the only clear noise at that moment.

Flames leaped upwards, casting long shadows of the two opposing figures.

When the wind blows, the shadows twist and sway on the ground, like menacing monsters.

It felt as if another earth-shattering battle was about to erupt here at any moment.

Everyone held their breath in tension, watching the scene unfold.

Fang Cheng clenched his fist, which was still steaming hot, his eyes like a bottomless, icy pool.

It was as if that earth-shattering punch, comparable to a missile strike, had nothing to do with him.

"monster?"

He repeated the word softly, his tone devoid of any emotion, as if examining a label that had nothing to do with him.

Then, he raised his eyes, his burning gaze fixed on Chen Hongye.

No, you're mistaken.

Fang Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

"I am not a monster."

"I've come to collect a debt from you... to repay the blood debt you owe my father that you've held for over a decade!"

The words "blood debt" resonated powerfully, like metal striking stone, echoing loudly in the silent night sky.

Even the flickering campfire seemed to tremble slightly from the shockwave.

Chen Hongye was also taken aback upon hearing this.

A moment of hesitation flashed in those scarlet eyes, replaced by a hint of astonishment.

"and many more!"

He raised a charred hand and interrupted in a hoarse voice:

"What does your father's matter have to do with me? I wasn't the one who killed him."

"is it?"

Fang Cheng's face remained expressionless; he simply stated a fact in a calm, deliberate tone, and slowly asked in return:

"Then explain yourself, you old monster who has been lying in a coffin for many years, how do you recognize my father?"

"Why do you know the cause of his death so clearly? And why are you so certain about the bloodline abilities I possess?"

With each question he asked, he took a step forward.

The soles of the shoes crunched softly on the charred pebbles on the ground.

But it struck Chen Hongye's heart like a heavy hammer, and also resonated with everyone present.

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood and muttered to themselves:
Yes, why do you, this monster, know so much about someone who has long since passed away, and even recognize Fang Cheng at a glance?

There's definitely something fishy going on here.

"what!"

Chen Hongye laughed as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, but his laughter was dry and harsh.

"This is your so-called evidence? It's utter nonsense from a child!"

He took a deep breath and shook his head dismissively, saying:
"There are many people in this world who know Fang Shijie, and even more who know about his death."

"According to your twisted logic, wouldn't they all be murderers?"

Faced with this mockery, Fang Cheng remained calm and composed.

He stopped and looked at Chen Hongye from a distance of several dozen meters.

A barely perceptible glint flashed in those deep eyes.

"If all the coincidences in a story point to the same person, then it is no longer a coincidence, but a clue."

Fang Cheng spoke slowly, his voice turning cold:
"I don't need to prove you're the murderer, I just need you to prove... you're innocent."

"If you don't explain what happened back then clearly, how can I believe you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the mocking smile on Chen Hongye's face froze instantly.

He is not a fool.

On the contrary, old monsters who can live for over a hundred years are already as cunning as foxes.

He stared intently at Fang Cheng's calm face, and in a flash, he finally realized what was going on.

"……I see."

The crimson light in Chen Hongye's eyes dimmed slightly, replaced by a chilling feeling of having been toyed with.

He said, slowly and deliberately:

"You little rascal...you're trying to trick me?"

Fang Cheng's lips curled slightly, forming a contemptuous arc, his smile cold and dangerous.

"You can choose not to speak."

He then raised his blood-stained right fist.

Wisps of white steam rose from the bloodstains on his knuckles, as if a volcano was about to erupt inside his fist.

"However, I must remind you that I only used seven-tenths of my strength in that punch just now."

Fang Cheng's gaze fell on the charred indentation on Chen Hongye's chest, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"I'm not sure if after the next punch, your body, which you're so proud of, will still be able to stand up and talk like this."

These words were spoken with unparalleled domineering power and an imposing manner.

But no one present thought he was just bragging.

After all, Chen Hongye's miserable appearance and the greenhouse that had been reduced to ruins were the most direct and shocking proof.

Fang Cheng stood still, his face filled with arrogance, but he was calmly calculating in his heart.

Using 70% of one's strength doesn't necessarily mean deceiving the opponent.

If you unleash the "Ghost Back" while using the "Qilin Arm", the power of your punch can be increased by 100% on top of the base value.

However, that requires a prerequisite.

The opponent would have to stand there, frozen, just like before, waiting for him to finish charging up before taking a solid punch.

Through that punch, Fang Cheng had roughly figured out the defensive limits of Chen Hongye's body, which possessed the ability to solidify.

If this old monster in front of me wants to challenge me again, I will have to take a full-force "Ghost Back Qilin Fist" attack.

The outcome will be far more serious than just a serious injury.

Even if I can't smash him to dust with one punch, I can still punch a deep, bloody hole in him!

Chen Hongye's pupils contracted slightly, clearly taken aback by Fang Cheng's words, but he still stubbornly questioned:
"Was that move you just made your trump card?"

"Do you think I'm some greenhorn, easily fooled?"

"Even most S-class ability users would find it difficult to unleash an attack of this magnitude a second time in a short period of time."

"Trick?"

Fang Cheng's tone carried a hint of amusement:
"No, that was just a normal punch from me."

Meeting Chen Hongye's surprised and uncertain gaze, he calmly said:

"Next, you will have the chance to truly witness my deadly, serious punch."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hongye subconsciously gasped.

He scrutinized Fang Cheng again, as if trying to see right through the young man in front of him.

"Are you truly a physical enhancer? Or a mental ability user?"

"Who told you I have psychic abilities?"

Fang Cheng asked indifferently.

Chen Hongye was speechless.

He couldn't very well say that he used evil magic to eavesdrop on news last night and was misled as a result, could he?

Wouldn't that be like contradicting yourself?

Fang Cheng stared sharply at Chen Hongye. He knew very well that he wanted this cunning old fox to obey him.

The most effective means is to demonstrate absolute strength that can completely crush him.

Right now, using the residual force of this punch to intimidate the opponent and force them to reveal the secrets about their father from back then is undoubtedly the best option.

However, Chen Hongye was, after all, an old monster who had lived for over a hundred years. After a brief moment of shock, a sense of calm returned to his eyes.

"Ha ha……"

He suddenly let out a cold laugh, like a crow cawing in the cold night.

"Young people like to talk big without any substance."

"If I hadn't been awakened prematurely and hadn't fully integrated the Chen family's bloodline abilities, you wouldn't have been able to break through my defenses with just a fist."

"Besides, even if you use your ultimate move and destroy my body, so what?"

Chen Hongye forced himself to straighten his broken body, seemingly trying to maintain the last vestiges of his dignity.

"The physical body is merely a raft for crossing the world. If one is destroyed, I can simply wait a few years or decades and find another one in the sea of ​​people."

"For me, the loss is... just a little bit of time."

"But what about you, Fang Shijie's son? You'd better think this through."

He paused, then changed the subject, his scarlet eyes flashing with a cunning light that seemed to see right through people.

"If you were to shatter the soul that is condensed within this physical body with a single punch today, I could simply vanish without a trace and find another place."

"From now on, the world will be vast and you will never be able to find a trace of me again."

He grinned, revealing a sinister smile, and said in a low voice:
"And the secret about your father's death... will forever remain buried in the sea, never to see the light of day again!"

The implication was that they didn't care about the survival of this body at all, and instead used the so-called "truth" as a shield, putting Fang Cheng in a difficult position.

Fang Cheng listened and remained silent for a few seconds.

He then nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer.

"Since you don't care about this physical body, I'll give you a better option."

Fang Cheng suppressed his murderous intent and calmly stated his terms:
"If you tell me the whole truth about my father's accident back then, I can give up this mission and let you go."

"You are perfectly free to continue using this body and do whatever you want. Whatever happens next, we will not interfere."

Upon hearing this, a clear hint of hesitation flashed in Chen Hongye's bloodshot eyes, as if he were weighing the pros and cons.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xu'an, who was standing not far away, changed his expression instantly. Forgetting his fear, he hurriedly shouted:
“Mr. Bai, don’t believe this monster’s nonsense. He’s just stalling for time. We…”

"Noisy!"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Hongye suddenly glared at him.

"When elders are speaking, juniors have no right to interrupt!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xu'an felt an invisible force suddenly strike his chest, and a sweet taste rose in his throat.

So shocked by the stern shout that his blood surged and he could no longer utter a single word.

For a moment, the scene fell into dead silence again.

Pan Wendi and Bai Ling watched Fang Cheng's retreating figure with slight nervousness.

Lin Chuqiao frowned slightly, seemingly calmly analyzing the situation before her.

Fang Cheng's gaze never left Chen Hongye.

Beneath her calm gaze lies a rapidly racing mind.

He knew perfectly well how powerful his punch had been.

Given the horrific and shocking wound on Chen Hongye's chest, any normal living person, even an S-class ability user, would already be a cold corpse by now.

However, the other party only looked miserable, but was not only able to stand here and talk to me, but also had the strength to launch an attack and hurt people from a distance.

Behind this lies the unique nature of Chen Hongye's bloodline abilities.

His physical defenses are extremely strong, making it difficult for ordinary attacks to break through them.

In addition, the strange red runes attached to his body were also playing a peculiar role.

Fang Cheng could sense that they were continuously repairing Chen Hongye's injuries.

Although slow, it is exceptionally effective.

Most importantly, Fang Cheng knew that the other party was not a living person at all, but a lonely ghost possessing a body.

Even if I were to exert all my strength to completely destroy this body, it probably wouldn't have any real effect.

As Chen Hongye himself said, he could have easily abandoned this body, found a new vessel, and disappeared without a trace.

By then, he would have completely lost this once-in-a-lifetime clue.

Moreover, Fang Cheng never intended to completely destroy the other party from the very beginning.

His primary goal in getting involved in the Chen family incident was always to pry the information he wanted out of this old monster.

Whether it's the whereabouts of my uncle or the truth about my father's death that I just learned by chance.

It was based on these considerations that Fang Cheng suppressed his murderous intent and took the initiative to propose conditions for peace talks.

After a moment of silence, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat.

Seemingly sensing the fading of Fang Cheng's murderous intent, Chen Hongye's tense body relaxed slightly.

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, he seemed to have come to a decision, and then cleared his throat and said:

"Speaking of which, I do have some trump cards up my sleeve."

Chen Hongye snorted coldly, trying to salvage some of his previous embarrassment.

"I only let you have a chance because you're young and impetuous. If you were to use your full strength, the outcome would be uncertain!"

Then, he abruptly changed the subject, adopting an attitude of "a magnanimous person doesn't hold grudges":

"However, considering your evident filial piety, I have no reason to stoop to your level."

As he spoke, he shook his head and sighed helplessly:

"Very well, since you are so persistent about your father's affairs, we can be considered acquainted through a fight. What do you want to know? As long as I know the answer, I can tell you."

Chen Hongye spoke with feigned magnanimity, as if he were not making a compromise, but rather bestowing a "favor" upon a junior.

Chen Xu'an listened anxiously from the side, but dared not interrupt, and could only stomp his feet in frustration.

Lin Chuqiao and the others turned their attention to Fang Cheng, awaiting his decision.

Fang Cheng ignored the other party's boasting and went straight to the point:

"What is your relationship with my father? Why do you know so much about him?"

"Speaking of which, your father and I were close friends despite our age difference."

Chen Hongye's tone instantly softened, and he even managed a kind smile on his face.

It was as if the monstrous demon that had been devouring people was merely an illusion.

"Back then, I really admired Fang Shijie. He was intelligent, courageous, and a rare talent."

"Alas, what a pity, the heavens are jealous of talent..."

His face showed a compassionate expression, and he sighed regretfully:
"If Shijie were still alive, he would be very gratified to see his son so successful now."

Chen Hongye feigned some sentimentality before changing the subject:

"By the way, may I ask your esteemed name, young friend?"

"We're not that close yet."

Fang Cheng replied indifferently, "Besides, shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking someone's name?"

Chen Hongye chuckled dryly, showing no anger, and instead extended an olive branch:

"Hehe, with your abilities, young friend, you are fully qualified to join our organization and become a core member. Then, we'll be family..."

Fang Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly, keenly grasping the key words.

"What organization?"

Chen Hongye's smile became meaningful:
"Don't you know? It's the organization your father used to join."

He paused deliberately, then uttered three words, one by one:
"The Ideal Land".

(End of this chapter)