Chapter 106: Because You Are My Brother (Fourth Update)

Looking at the Xiuchun saber before him, the auctioneer stared at Fang Xu in confusion, clearly unable to fathom what the man was intending to do.

"Lord Fang, what are you doing?" the auctioneer asked, though a sense of dread began to stir within him.

"Are you the one in charge of these young girls?" Fang Xu asked, cutting straight to the point, uninterested in the man’s confusion.

"Naturally, I am. But if you are interested, Lord Fang, would it not be better to place a bid from below?" the auctioneer replied, confirming his role.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Fang Xu’s mouth. Zhang He, who was seated below, had been watching Fang Xu the moment he stepped out. Seeing that smile, Zhang He could not help but tremble. To him, that expression was like an invitation from hell, sending a chill down his spine. Murong Fu, noticing the same smile, instinctively tensed up. To him, that madman had worn the exact same expression when he had pierced through his shoulder blade; the memory alone made the old wound ache.

"I wonder if your life is worth enough to raise the bid?" Fang Xu asked, his smile deepening as he looked at the stunned auctioneer.

"Slash!" Fang Xu had no patience for further pleasantries. Seeing the scars covering the exposed skin of the young girls and the terror in their eyes, he realized the extent of the cruelty they had endured. He did not intend to kill the man outright—there were too many people present, and he could not abuse his authority so blatantly. Instead, he simply sliced through the auctioneer’s robes. The man collapsed onto the floor, trembling uncontrollably in sheer terror. Fang Xu remained smiling, crouching down beside him.

The young officials and scions of noble families watching from below were stunned. Auctions had been held many times before, but nothing like this had ever occurred. Many wondered if Fang Xu had finally lost his mind. Shangguan Lian and Zhuge Jun shared this sentiment; Zhuge Jun finally understood why Fang Xu had questioned him earlier. Yet, in Zhuge Jun’s view, even if Fang Xu were to execute the man on the spot, it would be of no consequence. If Fang Xu was his brother, then Fang Xu’s business was his own, and the auctioneer’s family happened to fall under the jurisdiction of the Zhuge clan. He gave it no further thought. As for Shangguan Lian, the look in her eyes as she watched Fang Xu began to shift.

"Have you forgotten my position? Do you recall the duties of the Commandant of Justice?" Fang Xu asked softly, driving his Xiuchun saber into the floor in front of the auctioneer.

"I... I have not forgotten!" As a scion of an official family himself, how could the auctioneer not know what that title implied?

"Right, I forgot to tell you something. You must have heard of the 'Living Yama' rumored to haunt the southern prefectures, haven't you?" Fang Xu stood up, sheathed his saber, and peered down at the shivering man with narrowed eyes.

"I... of course I have heard of him... Could you be..." Seeing Fang Xu nod, the auctioneer gulped. He wondered if he had failed to check his fortune-telling almanac before leaving the house that day. He had intended to make a fortune with these girls, but he had never expected to cross paths with Fang Xu.

Under the weight of Fang Xu’s intimidation, the auctioneer finally revealed the truth about the girls. They were villagers from a small hamlet near Yingchuan County. The auctioneer had developed a depraved obsession with them and, in an act that defied humanity, had slaughtered the entire village to possess them. Upon hearing this, Fang Xu nearly lost his composure and struck the man down. The auctioneer had initially intended to keep them for his own pleasure, but after hearing about the banquet, he decided to gamble, lying that they were barbarians from beyond the frontier to inflate their value.

At this, Fang Xu exploded. He stomped on the man’s arm, drew his saber, and severed it cleanly.

"You like to 'discipline' others, don't you? Since you enjoy it so much, why don't I try disciplining you?" Fang Xu snarled at the screaming, agonizing man.

"Brother Fang, what has happened?" Zhuge Jun walked over, looking at Fang Xu with confusion, clearly shocked by the sheer intensity of his friend's rage.

Fang Xu recounted the events. Upon hearing the truth, Zhuge Jun did not hesitate; he took the Xiuchun saber from Fang Xu’s hand and promptly decapitated the auctioneer. Ignoring the blood splattered on him, he handed the weapon back to Fang Xu, leaving the latter dumbfounded.

"I despise such people more than anything. I never expected to encounter one myself. Rest assured, I will thoroughly investigate his family," Zhuge Jun said earnestly, sensing Fang Xu’s bewilderment.

"Do you trust my words so readily?" Fang Xu asked, half-laughing, half-stunned. Was Zhuge Jun not worried that he might have been lying?

"Because you are my brother, I choose to trust you. Is there something wrong with that?" Zhuge Jun took a handkerchief from a servant, wiped the blood from his face, and calmly explained what had transpired to the crowd.

The audience, already intimidated by the two men, grew indignant upon hearing the truth. Whether they believed Zhuge Jun or not mattered little; the answer had been provided by him, and they chose to accept it. After all, who truly cared how the auctioneer had died, or if it had any connection to them?