Chapter 5

In the hall, everyone was taken aback once again.

Almost everyone looked at Yuan Fang with astonishment, unable to believe that this second son, who had been confined to the manor for over twenty years, would dare to accept such a challenge and lead troops to the battlefield.

"Jizhou is Gongsun Zan's territory; how easy do you think it is to take? This second son is truly ignorant of his own limitations."

"Does he think that just because his leg has healed, he can act so arrogantly? If he dares to compete with the third son and really leads troops to Jizhou, he might not even be able to save his own life."

In the hall, although most people had a newfound respect for Yuan Fang, they did not have high hopes for his ability to take Jizhou.

Guo Tu also stroked his beard slightly, giving a sly smile as he glanced at Yuan Fang, seemingly pleased that Yuan Fang had fallen for his scheme.

Even Tian Feng frowned deeply, thinking to himself, "The second son's demeanor is indeed extraordinary, but his courage is too great. He shouldn't have accepted this challenge."

Behind Zhen Yi, the female servant dressed as a male servant nodded secretly, her clear eyes filled with admiration.

Yuan Fang stood tall and composed, determined not to be swayed by external influences.

Yuan Xi, however, was a bit panicked. He hadn't expected that Yuan Fang would be so bold, accepting the challenge without hesitation.

This put him in a difficult position. If he didn't dare to accept, it would be like giving up the Zhen family's daughter.

Moreover, it would expose his lack of courage in front of everyone, inviting ridicule.

To keep both the beauty and his dignity, Yuan Xi had no choice but to agree, but he lacked the confidence to defeat the Black Mountain bandits and take Bingzhou.

For a moment, Yuan Xi stood awkwardly, looking to Yuan Tan for help.

Yuan Tan nodded slightly, signaling him to agree.

With no other choice, Yuan Xi gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, and bowed, saying, "I am willing to follow Father's arrangement and take Bingzhou."

Yuan Shao nodded and waved his hand, saying, "This matter is settled. You may all leave."

Yuan Fang bowed and left calmly, under the admiring gazes of the crowd.

As soon as he stepped out of the hall, Yuan Xi angrily chased after him.

"Yuan Fang, you are truly devious. You've been hiding your true self all this time. You deliberately made me look foolish in front of Father, didn't you?" Yuan Xi blocked Yuan Fang's path, angrily questioning him.

Xiao Cha was so frightened that she trembled and instinctively hid behind Yuan Fang.

Yuan Fang, however, sneered, "You were the one who challenged me, and you were the one who tried to ambush me. You brought this upon yourself; who else can you blame?"

The sharp sarcasm directly hit Yuan Xi's wounded pride.

Feeling guilty, Yuan Xi was struck at his core, his face turning red with anger, ready to lash out.

"Stop wasting time."

Yuan Fang interrupted him, coldly saying, "Think about how to take Bingzhou and compete with me in military strategy like a man."

"You—"

Yuan Xi's face turned red with embarrassment, but he was surprised that this useless second brother, not only had suddenly healed his leg, but had also become much more articulate.

"Xian Yi, he's right. Stop the pointless arguments and think about how to take Bingzhou," Yuan Tan said, walking up with a deep voice.

Yuan Fang smiled slightly and greeted him politely.

Yuan Tan's face showed a forced smile as he looked directly at Yuan Fang, saying, "Xian Zheng, you gave me a great surprise today in the hall. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you can do on the battlefield."

Yuan Tan's words were laced with sarcasm, clearly mocking Yuan Fang and preparing to watch his downfall.

"Thank you for your attention, Brother. I need to pack and prepare for the expedition, so I won't keep you company," Yuan Fang said, his resolve unwavering, and turned to leave calmly.

The two Yuans stood there, watching Yuan Fang leave.

No longer limping and looking humble, he walked with confidence and composure, his steps as steady as a mountain.

"Bastard!"

Yuan Xi cursed fiercely, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Brother, the Black Mountain bandits are said to have a hundred thousand men. I have never led troops into battle. If you send me to pacify Bingzhou, I fear I won't have a sure chance of victory."

"The Black Mountain bandits are just remnants of the Yellow Turbans, a disorganized mob. Although you lack military experience, our army has many capable generals. When the time comes, I'll assign a few of them to you. You just need to be a figurehead, and let those generals handle the bandits for you. What do you have to fear?"

Hearing this, Yuan Xi suddenly understood, his worried expression turning to a sly smile.

"But, Father's agreement is that whoever has the most significant achievements within a year wins. If that bastard takes Jizhou first, won't I still lose?" Yuan Xi worried again.

"That bastard has no support in the army. I just need to make a few calls and use some underhanded tactics. Hehe~" Yuan Tan said with a sinister smile, his tone filled with malice.

Yuan Xi immediately understood, feeling relieved and laughing wildly.

...

Back in the room, with no one else present.

"Master's leg is really healed. The divine doctor's treatment was effective. It's truly a blessing from heaven. Master even gained recognition from Lord today. Master has finally raised his head and breathed a sigh of relief..."

Xiao Cha was so excited that she spoke incoherently, her thin face beaming with genuine joy.

Yuan Fang, however, smiled faintly and said, "It's too early to celebrate. Quickly pack your belongings and leave this place of trouble in Ye City as soon as possible."

Xiao Cha calmed down and happily started packing.

The door closed, leaving Yuan Fang alone.

He finally let out a long breath, his tense nerves finally relaxing.

"Today's events were truly unexpected. I finally raised my head and breathed a sigh of relief, but I was hurt by Yuan Xi. I will avenge this grudge sooner or later. Fortunately, I've been given a golden opportunity, so it's worth it..."

As Yuan Fang reflected, he remembered his injury.

In the hall, to block Yuan Xi's sneak attack, he had to use his hand to block the sword, and his left hand had been cut deeply.

"Strange, it hurt a lot at first, but now I don't feel anything."

Curious, Yuan Fang untied the bandage on his hand to check the wound and re-clean and bandage it.

But when he looked at his palm, he was greatly surprised.

The originally bloody and torn wound was gone!

Yuan Fang was greatly puzzled and quickly washed his blood-stained hand thoroughly.

Without the blood, he could see clearly. The wound wasn't gone; it had healed, leaving a faint scar.

"How is this possible? Such a deep wound, how could it heal in less than an hour? This is too fast!"

Yuan Fang was both shocked and delighted, repeatedly touching his palm, unable to believe this astonishing fact.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he thought of the biochemical virus that had healed his leg.

The biochemical virus could give the human body super regenerative abilities, and it was this ability that allowed the body to repair damaged organs.

"Could it be that the virus not only healed my leg but also gave my body the ability to self-repair?"

The more Yuan Fang thought about it, the more he believed this was the case. Otherwise, he couldn't find any other explanation.

His thoughts racing, Yuan Fang came up with a way to verify it.

He found a dagger, spread his palm, and prepared to cut himself again to see if he really had super regenerative abilities.

"This is truly self-mutilation..."

Yuan Fang smiled bitterly, gritted his teeth, and lightly cut a line on his palm.

Blood immediately flowed, quickly staining his palm red.

Yuan Fang didn't bandage it to stop the bleeding but let it flow, his eyes fixed on the wound.

A few seconds later, a miracle happened.

The self-inflicted wound began to heal rapidly, as if in fast-forward.

Seeing this astonishing scene, Yuan Fang was stunned.

Then he was overwhelmed with joy.