Chapter 82: What a Beautiful Nun


    The southern region consisted of Nine Commanderies.


    Both the Profound Saber Sect and the Heavensword Mountain Vi were located in the samemanderythe South Immortal Commandery. It was thergest Commander in the southern region, which made it the de facto capital of the southern region.


    The other two sects were located in anothermandery.


    That was also the reason the biggest suspect behind the massacre of the Heavensword Mountain Vi was the Profound Saber Sect. They benefited the most from the massacre of the Heavensword Mountain Vi.


    Lets take a sip of tea and rest. Were about fifty kilometers away from Profound Saber Sect, so theres no rush. Fang Chen nodded with a smile.


    The group made their way toward a roadside teahouse, which had a massive tree next to it that provided shade for those resting here. There were many travelers resting their feet here, be it martial artists or merchants.


    All of them revealed fearful looks upon seeing Fang Chen and hurriedly stepped aside.


    Fang Chens group consisted of over thirty people.


    Yuan Zhuang and the other rectifiers from the Court of Great Brilliance emanated an imposing disposition that was nurtured from having dealt with many powerful officials over time.


    The constables under them were dressed in casual wear, but they were all Ki Condensation martial artists. With the exception of Yuan Yu, they had brawny and towering physiques that ryed they were not to be trifled with.


    Ironically, Fang Chen, Jade Fairy, Abbess Clearlotus, and Huangfu Jie were the ones who looked harmless in the group.


    Sorry about it, esteemed customers. Were a small teahouse, so we only have five empty tables left. Do you mind squeezing with the others? The teahouses manager weed them with a fawning smile.


    Were fine with sharing tables. Fang Chen nodded with a smile.


    Huangfu Jie, Yuan Zhuang, and the other rectifiers shared a table. Fang Chen, Jade Fairy, and Abbess Clearlotus shared a table. The other constables upied the remaining three tables.


    The other customers discreetly observing the situation understood that Fang Chen was the one in control of the group. They deduced that Fang Chen might be a young master of a major n, whereas the others were here to guard him.


    Heres your tea. It didnt take long for the waiters to deliver some tea to each of the five tables.


    Jade Fairy was surprised. The tea was puffing with white smoke, but it wasnt hot. Instead, it was refreshingly cold to drink.


    Young master, how did you chill the tea? Jade Fairy asked.


    Only the affluent and powerful could afford to eat chilled stuff in the capital. Jade Fairy couldnt imagine how a small teahouse in the South Immortal Commandery could afford to squander precious ice cubes here.


    You must not know much about the southern region. Fang Chen chuckled. Theres a spring filled with naturally chilled water around fifteen kilometers away from here. This spring water can draw out the vors of any tea leaf without boiling. Even inferior tea leaves can be elevated to a new level through it.


    Jade Fairy was surprised. She didnt think that there would be such mystical spring water here. Abbess Clearlotus was taken aback too, and she fell into deep thought.


    Young master, you know a lot.


    Yuan Zhuang and the others exchanged looks. They, despite being rectifiers of the Court of Great Brilliance, didnt know that there was such mystical spring water in the South Immortal Commandery.


    Why dont we see such water in the capital then? Jade Fairy asked out of curiosity.


    This spring water cant be preserved for long. It has to be drunk within six hours after being harvested from the spring, or else itll lose its special properties and be no different from normal spring water, Fang Chen exined.


    I see. Jade Fairy nodded as she looked at Fang Chen in admiration.


    Just then, a shout could be heard from the teahouses entrance, Whose horse is this? Take it away! Where do we put our horses if youre upying all of the space here?


    A waiter rushed to Fang Chens table and softly asked with a strained smile, Young master, may I ask you to move your mount elsewhere? The young master out there is not someone to be messed with.


    The rectifiers and constables exchanged looks. <em>No matter the standing of the young master, can he possibly be more formidable than our Great Xias War God?</em>


    Yuan Zhuang, go and move our mounts, Fang Chen instructed.


    Yes, young master. Yuan Zhuang nodded.


    Momentster, he returned and reported, Young master, I have moved our mounts.


    Fang Chen nodded in acknowledgment. He took a sip of the iced tea, and it was so refreshing that it dispelled the heat from the scorching weather. <em>No wonder this teahouse has such good business. Its like a long-awaited treat to those traveling in this sweltering weather. </em>


    Just then, a group of people entered the teahouse. The young man standing at the forefront of the group frowned upon seeing how crowded the ce was.


    Before he could say a word, the brawny martial artist standing next to him bellowed, Manager!


    Coming,ing! The manager rushed over.


    Theres too many people here. Our young master doesnt like crowded ces. Squeeze out five tables out for us, the brawny martial artist ordered.


    Nearby customers turned livid when they heard those words, but there were some who recognized the young mans background and silently informed theirpanions, prompting all of them to fearfully lower their heads.


    The troubled manager sheepishly replied, My apologies, esteemed guests, but I can only squeeze out one table for you. There are five of you, so may I trouble you to squeeze a little


    What a joke. Youre asking us, servants, to squeeze with our young master? Who do you take our young master to be? the brawny martial artist roared in anger.


    Without any warning, he pped the manager, sending thetter flying into a nearby table.


    The other customers were enraged by the brawny martial artists unreasonable attitude.


    One of them, ate Ki Condensation martial artist, who was dressed like a pugilist in the southern region, stood up and said, Youre being too unreasonable.


    Hah, it looks like theres an ignorant buffoon here, the brawny martial artist sneered. Whats your background?


    Im Chen Da from the ckriver Sect! the other party replied.


    ckriver Sects Chen Da?! Thats the number one expert of the ckriver Sect!


    The crowd was astonished.


    The ckriver Sect was famous in this region. They did business rting to water shipping, and they had over a hundred disciples in their sect. Chen Da, their number one expert, was rumored to have survived ten moves from a Ki Explosion martial artist!


    The ckriver Sect? Hah! The brawny martial artist snorted. He took out a token and asked, Since youre from the ckriver Sect, you should recognize this token, right?


    Chen Da took a look at the token and gasped. Valiant Defender?


    <em>Valiant Defender?!</em>


    The crowd panicked. They would have never thought these people were from the Valiant Defenders. That was an army under the directmand of Great Xias emperor. Even officials in the imperial court would have to show them some respect, let alone pugilists like them.


    Chen Das face darkened. In the end, he sped his fist and said, I was foolish to have crossed you. Please


    The person you crossed isnt me but my young master, the brawny martial artist sneered.


    Chen Da turned to the young man behind the brawny martial artist and asked, Young master, my apologies about


    What a beautiful monk, the young man suddenly remarked, as he stared at Abbess Clearlotus with lustful eyes.


    <strong>Starves additional trivia aboutmanderies</strong>


    Ancient China is huge in size andmunication is tough, so it is hard for the emperor to manage all of his territories alone. Thus, they split the country up intomanderies (which you can think of as administrative units or individual states).


    Thesemanderies have their own armies and governor, though they have to report to a Commandery Chief assigned by the emperor.


    The benefit is that you get a local government that immediately acts on issues, instead of reporting matters to the capital and asking for permission for everything.


    However, this also means that thesemanderies operate autonomously (though yes, there is amandery chief keeping an eye on them), and there are cases ofmanderies getting so powerful that the emperor is no longer able to control them.