Chaotic Times and Disasters: I Hunt Down Martial Arts Masters and Become a God

The newcomer was a middle-aged man, extremely tall with broad shoulders and a thick back. He was dressed in a coarse cloth outfit common in the North, and a long, unsheathed sword hung at his waist, its blade engraved with the unique snow and wind patterns of the North.

His beard and hair were already gray, his face was full of wrinkles etched by time, and his hands were covered with calluses from holding knives.

The man stood there like a stone sculpture brought from the icy plains of the North, exuding a strong murderous aura!

Fu Qing was shocked; he guessed this person must have hundreds or thousands of lives on their hands!

Seeing Fu Qing leaning against the headboard, the visitor sighed.

"It's...it's so incredibly similar, the eyebrows, the chin, the eyes..."

Fu Qing didn't recognize the newcomer and frowned slightly. "Who are you?"

The man snapped out of his daze, chuckled, and said, "I am Tuoba Gui, from the northern border..."

Before Fu Qing could ask any more questions, he carefully took out a yellowed scroll from his pocket. The paper was so brittle that the edges were yellowed.

He unfolded the painting and showed it to Fu Qing. "General, do you recognize the person in the painting?"

Fu Qing stared intently, then was startled.

The paper depicts a young general clad in dark armor, whose face bears a striking resemblance to Fu Qing, though his brow bones are higher and his eyes are colder. A snow and wind pattern is etched on the chest of his armor, and he holds a spear taller than himself.

"Huh?"

Fu Mingxuan tiptoed over the edge of the bed, pointed at the general in the painting, and shouted loudly,

"It's Daddy!"

Fu Mingdao also leaned over to take a closer look, and nodded.

"It looks very similar, but the eyes aren't like that. Father's eyes aren't this cold."

Just as Song Nini was about to speak, Song Yawei grabbed her hand and shook her head slightly, sensing that something important was going on.

Fu Qing frowned even more deeply. He had no recollection of anyone drawing his portrait, and he had never worn the armor depicted in the painting.

"Who painted it? I don't remember having anyone paint my portrait."

Tuoba Gui laughed heartily, "General Fu, the person in this painting is not you. His surname is Feng, and his name is—Changyang!"

Fu Qing was greatly shocked!

Feng Changyang.

The ancestor of the Feng clan was the greatest contributor to the founding of the Jing Kingdom, and was a hereditary king of a different surname, known as the King of Zhenbei.

Tuoba Gui's smile faded, his expression softening.

"It has been over a thousand years since the old prince passed away a thousand years ago. The Feng family has only had one son per generation, and every prince has never lived past fifty. The poison in the Five Internal Organs Temple is etched into their blood, and no one can escape it..."

"I began following the seventh prince two hundred years ago. It's a pity that the prince only lived to be in his forties and still couldn't escape his fate. He died young without leaving any offspring, and we thought that the Feng family line had ended..."

"Thank heavens, there's still one survivor!"

He looked at Fu Qing, his eyes reddening, "One isn't too few!"

Fu Qing was still in a daze, feeling uneasy.

Tuoba Gui put away the scroll and continued speaking.

"Two months ago, I heard that a descendant of the Feng family had appeared in Jingjing, so I immediately set off from the northern border and entered the city a little over a month ago..."

"I've been observing General Fu from the shadows for half a month. I saw you practicing swordsmanship at the martial arts academy, buying candied hawthorns with your child on Zhuque Street, and fighting for your wife against the Duke of Liang in the Ministry of Justice prison. I only dared to come out and acknowledge you today."

Fu Qing felt a flutter in his heart as well.

He recalled two versions of Feng Changyang's story he had heard, and was about to speak when Leo poked his head in again, his ears twitching.

"My lord, that sissy is here again. He's come several times in the three days you've been unconscious, saying the emperor wants you to come to the palace to confront the Duke of Liang."

Fu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly, her face turned cold, and she threw off the covers and got out of bed.

His ribs were still throbbing, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. "Yawei, get my clothes. I'm going to see him."

Song Nini became anxious and grabbed his sleeve, refusing to let go.

"Brother-in-law! What if the emperor tricks you into going in to kill you?!"

Before Fu Qing could speak, Tuoba suddenly chuckled.

"Second Madam, don't be afraid..."

Tuoba Gui said calmly,

"The emperor wouldn't dare touch the only heir of the Feng family unless he wanted chaos to ensue! The Feng family's 100,000-strong army in the Northern Border has been in power for over a thousand years, from the first generation of the Zhenbei King to the present day. With just a word from General Fu, these 100,000 elite troops from the Northern Border could immediately march south!"

"We'll fight to the death, even if it kills them, we'll turn the world upside down! General, just go to the palace and confront the Emperor. That cowardly emperor doesn't have the guts... Even if he dares to make a move, I have a backup plan to protect you!"

Fu Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded to Tuoba Gui.

"Please sit at home for a while, General. I'll be right back... Yawei, serve the General some tea..."

A hint of helplessness flashed across Song Yawei's face, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"Husband, you've never had tea at home before... but we still have two jars of wine, both sent by An Sheng."

Fu Qing's lips twitched as she turned to Leo, who was dozing by the door.

"Go to the street and buy some tea. Don't buy anything too expensive, just mid-range or above. Come straight back after you buy it, don't wander around."

Fu Mingxuan raised her little hand.

"Father, I want to ride the Great Western Rock to buy tea!"

Fu Mingdao also stood up.

"I'll stay with my sister so she doesn't run off."

Leo resignedly lay down and let the two children climb onto his back, carrying them slowly out of the yard.

Watching the two children laughing and joking as they rode on the lion's back, Tuoba Gui chuckled twice.

"These two little ones also have Feng blood in them, and they won't be easy to deal with in the future."

Fu Qing changed into his official robes. "General, I'm afraid Leo is not capable enough. Could you please take care of the two children?"

Tuoba Gui nodded. "General, just go ahead and leave it to me."

Fu Qing clasped his hands in a salute, then turned and left.

...

Inside the Taiji Hall, ambergris incense burned, its fragrance rising gently from the gilded incense burner and swirling into white mist between the beams of the hall.

Ling Yushu sat behind the imperial desk, holding a freshly brewed cup of tea, and was talking to Chen Jingde, the Duke of Liang, who was sitting next to him.

He had a warm smile on his face, and his voice was neither too loud nor too soft, as if he were chatting casually.

Chen Jingde sat on a rosewood chair at the foot of the imperial steps, holding a cup of tea in his hand, but the tea in the cup remained untouched.

He had a smile on his face, and his fingers gently tapped the lid of the cup against the rim.

Fu Qing followed the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree into the hall, his boots making a dull thud as they stepped on the gold bricks.

He had changed his official robes before coming, but the bandages wrapped around his chest and ribs were too thick, causing the robes to bulge slightly, and his face was very pale.

He walked to the imperial desk, stopped, and bowed in greeting.

"Your subject Fu Qing greets Your Majesty."

Ling Yushu put down her teacup, looked him up and down, and her gaze lingered for a moment on his pale face.

"Fu Qing is injured, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit."

He pointed to the chair opposite Chen Jingde.

Fu Qingzhi stood up, walked to the chair, and sat down, facing Chen Jingde.

Chen Jingde's gaze had been fixed on Fu Qing ever since he entered the room, his cloudy old eyes filled with lingering hatred.

"Fu Qing..."

Ling Yushu picked up her teacup and took a sip. "Why did you kill the Duke of Liang's son?"