Chapter 261: Northbound

　　As July began, the weather became extremely hot.

　　When he got out of the car, the streets were empty. Even at this hour on such a hot day, the uncles and aunties had yet to come out and spend some leisurely time outdoors.

　　In a small town like Sun City, things were peaceful as usual.

　　Martial artists, the evil sect, the Catacombs…

　　None of these things mattered to the citizens unless they had children who were getting ready to face the martial sciences examinations.

　　…

　　Click.

　　He opened the door to the living room and found Fang Yuan speaking to someone on the phone. When she saw him, she said hurriedly, “My brother’s back. You guys settle it yourselves. I’m hanging up!”

　　She already had the mannerisms of a big boss.

　　Saying something like “settle it yourselves”, you could tell that she was someone who had three thousand people working for her.

　　Fang Ping felt the corners of his lips twitch upward.

　　‘This is my home! In my heart, my home always comes before my country. Even if others think of me as selfish, I just think that I see things from a different perspective.’

　　“Brother!”

　　Fang Yuan’s face had been full of joy when she hung up the phone, but her expression quickly became sullen. “Fang Ping, how dare you come back here?”

　　Fang Ping put down his bag and placed his glaive aside. He stretched out his hands and said with a big smile, “Come here and let me squeeze your face. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do this.”

　　“No way!”

　　Fang Yuan strictly refused and thought, ‘Does he want me to lose face? If he squeezes my face when we’re out in public, how am I supposed to keep up my reputation as a big boss?’

　　“You dare to refuse me?”

　　Fang Ping laughed out loud and took a step forward. He was now in front of Fang Yuan. He grabbed her cheeks and started pulling.

　　“Fang…Ping!”

　　Fang Yuan’s face twisted in annoyance. Her cheeks were being stretched out by Fang Ping’s fingers!

　　Fang Ping was pulling at her face like he was playing with plasticine — up, down, left and right. This continued on for a few moments until he felt satisfied and finally let her go. He then lounged on the couch lazily.

　　“You’re on your break?”

　　“Mm.”

　　Fang Yuan was still sulking. She pulled a small mirror out of thin air and looked at her cheeks. After seeing the redness caused by Fang Ping’s pinching, she felt a twinge of sorrow. Fang Ping had crossed the line!

　　“Have you attained a firm stance for your pole-standing yet?”

　　“No.”

　　Fang Ping furrowed his brows. “It’s been a year! I’ve been teaching you pole-standing since June last year. You’ve been training for a year and you still haven’t gotten it?”

　　Fang Yuan pouted. “I’m almost there. I’ll get there soon.”

　　Fang Ping glared at her. “Have you cultivated the basic combat methods?”

　　“I did. The other day, I broke the sandbag with one kick. That was amazing…”

　　Fang Yuan seemed a bit pleased with herself. Fang Ping was speechless. What was so good about that?

　　Without saying anything else, he threw a bottle of Vitality pills over to Fang Yuan and said, “Train well so that you can become a martial artist soon.”

　　Fang Yuan was not looking at the pills. She suddenly thought of something and asked her brother in a hurry, “Fang Ping, where were you the past few days?”

　　“On a mission.”

　　“What mission?”

　　“It’s none of your business!”

　　“But you… You killed another person again…” Fang Yuan pouted. “You even came face to face with Rank-6 martial artists. You’re just a freshman, why do you have to go on such dangerous missions?”

　　“A prodigy is different from the rest. You don’t know this but very soon I’ll become a Rank-4 martial artist. Do you think I’m the same as everyone else?”

　　After boasting, Fang Ping smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s not dangerous. Even though I had to face a Rank-6 martial artist, there are other Rank-6 martial artists on my side too. Otherwise, would I still be standing here and talking to you?”

　　“Girl, practice well. There will be more of this sort of missions in the future. This one only took ten days, but the next one might take a month, three months, or even half a year… When brother is not around, don’t worry about me. Look after mom and dad. Don’t give them more trouble.”

　　Fang Yuan nodded but said nothing.

　　After the siblings exchanged a few words, Li Yuying returned from buying groceries.

　　When she saw Fang Ping, her eyes turned red. Putting down the vegetables, she immediately went up to him and started fumbling while checking his body to see if he had been hurt. Fang Ping could not help but laugh. “Mom, what are you doing?”

　　Li Yuying did not say anything. When she pulled up his sleeves and saw a few penetrating wounds, she suddenly started sobbing.

　　A few days ago, he had injured his left arm multiple times. Even though the wounds have healed, the scars remained.

　　When Fang Yuan saw the scars, she tried to pull off his shirt.

　　Fang Ping quickly pushed her away. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “What are you guys doing? I’m a martial artist. Which martial artist doesn’t have scars on their body? There’s no need to make a huge fuss about it. Mom, don’t cry anymore. What if someone hears you and thinks something serious happened to me?”

　　“You bastard!”

　　Li Yuying hit Fang Ping angrily. As she hit him, she cried, “Why are you on the ranking list? Why are you fighting with a Rank-6? You’re not the only martial artist out there. Why are you getting ahead of yourself? Why couldn’t Director Tan go instead? You’re still so young, why did you go? You thought I wouldn’t have found out just because your dad hid it from me? The moment you left, there were talks on the streets about how a powerful person appeared in Sun City. A Rank-3 was fighting a Rank-6! You think you’re so capable, but have you thought about what if… What if something actually does happen to you? What would your dad and I do?”

　　Fang Ping smiled cheekily. “Mom, I’m fine, aren’t I? Moreover, despite his age, Director Tan is only at Rank-1. Meanwhile, your son is almost at Rank-4, so how could you compare the both of us? Just wait a few more years. Once your son graduates, never mind the Sun City commander, I might even have a shot at becoming the Nanjiang governor. When that time comes, you will be the Grand Supreme Governor. In Nanjiang, you will be able to do whatever you want…”

　　“Governor? So what? Can you eat a governor? Governors still eat the same as any other normal person.” Li Yuying did not fall for his words and said in annoyance, “No more fighting!”

　　Fang Ping didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Did she think it was some regular street brawl?

　　However, it could be that Li Yuying might not realize how big the gap between a Rank-3 and a Rank-6 martial artist really is.

　　In Sun City, the only known Rank-3 martial artist around was Bai Jinshan.

　　As for folks like Li Yuying, they had never seen a fight between Rank-3 martial artists. She only had a vague idea of how it might be. When she tried to imagine how a Rank-3 martial artist might stack up against a Rank-3 martial artist, her mind would go blank.

　　As for the killings, Li Yuying did not bring it up. She felt anxious, but was worried that her son would feel even more so. She was afraid that it would stir up unpleasant memories for him if she brought up the topic.

　　In her eyes, her son was a good kid, a gentleman, and a good student. If it was not because he was forced to, he would not have killed anyone.

　　Even the government said so. Those people were evil sect martial artists, and thus were naturally bad people.

　　…

　　Fang Ping did not mind it much when he was being reprimanded by his mother.

　　However, things were different when even Fang Yuan wanted to lecture him too. Fang Ping did not say a word and pinched her cheeks again though they were still red from earlier. This girl was about to cause an uproar. He wondered, ‘Who gave her the confidence to lecture her brother?’

　　He pulled at her cheeks so hard that she teared up and cried to herself, ‘Fang Ping, you bastard!’

　　…

　　At night.

　　Gym.

　　Fang Ping did a round of basic fist techniques. After giving Fang Yuan a few pointers, he contemplated for a bit. “Next time, don’t cultivate your combat techniques outside and don’t tell anyone which stage you are at. Your brother is high-profile, but you have to keep it on the down-low. It’s not a bad thing to appear as a little lady in front of others. If you ever meet a bad guy, don’t have mercy. Kill them if you can! There’s been quite a lot of evil sect martial artists in Nanjiang lately, so be smarter.”

　　Nanjiang’s Catacombs would open soon. Even though they were besieged the last time and a large number of evil sect martial artists were killed, it did not mean that they were all gone.

　　Those people may have disappeared, but they were still active in Nanjiang.

　　The Grandmaster who was residing in Magic City’s Southern district was currently staying in Nanjiang with the sole purpose of eliminating the remaining evil sect cultists.

　　Although people like Fang Ping are famous now and have gained a certain social standing, it also meant that they are in greater danger.

　　Fang Ping was fine for now. His only worry was the safety of his family.

　　The students of the MCMAU were the main force behind the elimination of the evil sect cultists. Previously, Fang Ping had killed a peak Rank-3 Grand Missionary. While the combat result would not reveal the information of the opponents, news of that might have gotten out.

　　If those evil sect cultists ever find his family, they would be in grave danger.

　　“Evil sect martial artists?”

　　Fang Yuan was unafraid, but said somewhat indignantly, “If I ever meet them, I’ll kill them all!”

　　To the outside world, every one of the martial artists who Fang Ping and the rest have killed belonged to the evil sect.

　　In this girl’s eyes, those were the people who had dared bully her elder brother. If she ever met them, she would have to kill them!

　　Fang Ping smacked her head lightly and reprimanded her. “You’re still a small fry, don’t get ahead of yourself. If you ever meet them, they’d kill you with just a slap!”

　　As he was saying that, he suddenly kicked the dumbbell on the floor into the air. He grabbed it mid-air and squeezed it with all his might.

　　With a loud crunch, the metal bar broke!

　　Fang Yuan’s jaw dropped. Her face was full of shock.

　　“Did you see that?”‘

　　Fang Ping threw the two parts of the broken dumbbell to the side and smiled. “Don’t think you can do anything just because you know these surface-level combat techniques. A real martial artist can easily crack gold and break stones. A small fry like you won’t even be able to land a slap on the enemy, or are you going to block them with your big face instead? If you ever meet a real martial artist, the first thing you have to do is run. Hurry up and get to the firm stance stage of pole-standing. You must cultivate your basic leg techniques so that you can run and fight.”

　　Fang Yuan nodded fervently.

　　How terrifying! The dumbbell was made of steel, and her brother had just broken it like it was nothing.

　　She was not nearly as sturdy as steel.

　　Seeing that this girl had taken his words to heart, Fang Ping continued smiling. “Soon, you will be an upper high school student. I heard that Sun City No. 1 High School will establish a professional martial arts training course this year. Once you enter the course, follow the teacher closely. I don’t have so much time to explain all the martial arts basics to you one by one.”

　　“But my letter hasn’t arrived…”

　　Before Fang Yuan even finished her sentence, Fang Ping said matter-of-factly, “I’m telling you, it will come sooner or later.”

　　If even she as Fang Ping’s sister could not get into the martial arts course in Sun City, it would be severely belittling him.

　　Fang Ping would not even need to head over to the school himself or take any back-door paths. Fang Yuan’s cultural studies were not bad, and her Vitality was not weak either. There was no reason that she would not get in.

　　…

　　Fang Ping was not in a hurry this time and spent a few days at home.

　　He taught his sister combat techniques, practiced the Vajra Punch, and chatted with his mother.

　　He also met up with Wu Zhihao who had returned home along with a few others. He earned plenty of envious looks and was even forced to take a round of drinks.

　　Wu Zhihao, Yang Jian, and a few others were getting ready to achieve a breakthrough before the end of summer break. Even though they have yet to be twice-honed, they felt that they have reached their peak and were unable to suppress it any longer.

　　They briefly talked about the matter of expanding further, but they would have to wait until the next semester. They did not talk much after that.

　　On the 10th of July, Fang Ping picked up his bag and glaive before heading to River City.

　　Old Wang had asked him to call him once he returned. Fang Ping was too lazy to call him now. Coincidentally, he was heading there. He would take the route along River City, all the way to the North.

　　It was not that he did not want to follow Old Wang’s route. The point was there were more powerhouses in the North than in the South.

　　In the North, there were CCMAU, Sino Nation Martial Arts University, and South Capital Martial Arts University…

　　In the South, however, he would have to return to MCMAU. Fang Ping did not want to follow Wang Jinyang’s footsteps and block MCMAU’s door.

　　Moreover, there were a few more large-scale sects in the North, where there were a few powerhouses among them as well.

　　This time, he wanted to challenge a peak Rank-3 powerhouse and powerhouses from other sects. He was looking forward to it.

　　…

　　River City.

　　Once he reached River City, Fang Ping called Wang Jinyang.

　　They met up at Nanjiang Martial Arts University.

　　Seeing Fang Ping, Wang Jinyang looked at him a few times and suddenly asked, “Would you like to have a duel?”

　　Fang Ping shook his head. “No, not now.”

　　He had yet to reach his peak, and he had not fully cultivated his combat techniques. Even if Wang Jinyang battled him with the power of a Rank-3 and did not use any Vitality enhancements, Fang Ping would still not be able to win.

　　Once Fang Ping returns from his challenge, he might win. However, he would only be able to defeat Wang Jinyang while he was still at Rank-3.

　　While Fang Ping had always seen Wang Jinyang as a target, his goal was not to defeat Wang Jinyang who had to suppress his abilities. Once he enters Rank-4 or Rank-5 and stands on the same level as Wang Jinyang, only then will Wang Jinyang be his true target.

　　Fang Ping smiled as he walked. “A duel is bound to occur. In MCMAU, your mission is still ongoing, and the credits aren’t low. Since a long time ago, I’ve already decided that I wanted those credits. In a blink of an eye, almost a year has passed. Since I’ve already waited a year, I don’t mind waiting longer.”

　　Wang Jinyang put his hands behind his back and smiled. “You seem very confident. Will you surpass me soon?”

　　“A martial artist should have confidence. Weren’t you the one to who told me that martial artists must fight?”

　　“I’ll wait for you then.”

　　“Sure. Don’t slack off, Brother Wang. Ever since I began my journey in martial arts, you have been my biggest influence. You’re the first person I encountered in regards to martial arts. Until now, you’re still the only person my age who I think I’ll have a hard time surpassing. Others, I’ve gradually flung aside. On the path of martial arts, I still need a benchmark like you to push me forward.”

　　“That’s insane. But a freshman like you who is already a Rank-3 has the right to be a little insane.” Wang Jinyang smiled softly. “Since I am your target, then keep working hard. Because there are people like you and me, this journey in martial arts will become even more exciting.”

　　Even though he said Fang Ping was insane, Wang Jinyang is not lacking either.

　　Both of them smiled. A moment later, Wang Jinyang went back to the main topic. “The reason I wanted to meet you this time was to see how much you have improved. Even though we did not have a duel, I can see that you have progressed a fair amount. Secondly, I wanted to remind you to make haste. If everything goes accordingly, by the end of this year or the beginning of next year, the Nanjiang Catacombs will open! When a Catacomb first opens, it will be dangerous, but it will also an opportunity. As for the other Catacombs that have been opened for many years, most of the useful things around them have already been seized by human martial artists. You didn’t find anything valuable in Magic City’s Catacombs, right? And you didn’t see any valuable herbs or any plants or animals worth killing, correct? The Magic City Catacombs have been opened for decades. Even the useful grass around it have been plucked clean by humans. That won’t be the case for newly-opened Catacombs. However, newly-opened Catacombs are a dangerous place. You can never know if you’ll encounter a high-ranking martial artist. If you want to get valuable items, you need great power.”

　　“I’ll wait for you then.”

　　Wang Jinyang laughed and said, “I’m just worried you can’t catch up. In the outside world, it’s more difficult to level up ourselves. The higher our rank, the more difficult it is to level up. As for other Catacombs, you would have to go deep inside, deeper than anyone has ever been before you’ll find anything good. If there was a new entrance… Then it would be a whole other story.”

　　Fang Ping’s expression slowly became serious. He asked, “It’s confirmed that Nanjiang wants to open its Catacombs? Do you have a rough estimate of where it’s located?”

　　“It’s still hard to tell, but you will know soon. When a Catacombs’ entrance opens, you can feel it. When the tunnel opens and the energy channel is successfully set up, it will slowly release a large number of energy particles. Right now, we’re investigating the places that have increasing energy particle growth as that will most likely be where the Catacombs’ entrance is. You haven’t noticed it but in reality, in this part of Nanjiang, the energy particles have become a bit more active. This will be a determining factor of where Nanjiang’s Catacombs entrance will be. The setting up of an energy channel takes a long time.”

　　“I hope it’s not at Sun City…”

　　Fang Ping sighed, but Wang Jinyang seemed unbothered. “It doesn’t matter where it is. There are more and more Catacombs by the day. If it does not open in Sun City today, it might open there tomorrow.”

　　“That’s true.”

　　“You’re heading North this time in preparation for your breakthrough to Rank-4?”

　　“Yup.”

　　“Have you chosen an opponent yet?”

　　“Yes, my first stop will be Yunmeng (TN: Directly translates to Cloud Dream) Military School!”

　　Wang Jinyang glanced at him. After a moment, he spoke, “The military schools’ powerhouses are like the clouds. The top three military schools are no weaker than the more prestigious schools. Moreover, martial artists from military schools have more opportunities to participate in Catacomb battles. Don’t be defeated at the first one.”

　　“It doesn’t matter if I fail. I’m not afraid of failure. As long as I can find my weaknesses, that will be enough.”

　　“I wish you a smooth journey then!”

　　Wang Jinyang continued, “You can go to military schools and martial arts schools on your own. However, if you’re heading to the sect, it’s better if you have an instructor from MCMAU with you.”

　　Fang Ping frowned slightly. Wang Jinyang explained, “I’m not saying that they will harm you, but the sect and martial arts schools or military schools are two different systems. You might not even be able to get in. Within the sect, there is also a group of conservative martial artists. If you just show up, they might take it as a form of humiliation and send out radical martial artists.”

　　“Understood.”

　　“It’s fine. Even without my reminder, I’m sure MCMAU will send out a few people if you insisted on going.”

　　Fang Ping just smiled bitterly. That might not be the case. Most of the MCMAU instructors were not at school. It seemed like his only choice was to find Old Man Li to suppress things.

　　The two chatted for a bit. They managed to catch the attention of a few people while they were at NMAU.

　　However, those who recognized Fang Ping did not look too pleased.

　　It was only expected that they were not happy upon spotting Fang Ping at their campus. Fang Ping ranked third according to the martial arts universities’ Rank-3 combat strength ranking. In NMAU, no one could be his opponent except for Wang Jinyang!

　　Fang Ping did not mind them too much. Along the way, he met Gu Xiong, and they chatted for a bit.

　　He did not want to stay at NMAU for too long and displease even more people. In the afternoon, Fang Ping drove off to South Nanjiang’s first province, the Beihu Province