Fang Lingde returned to the Fang familys main residence in the capital after being entrusted by Xu Haifeng. He had his own place of residence in the capital, but whenever something major happened, he would still return to the Fang familys headquarters to discuss with his brother.

  It was just noon, and Fang Lingde knew that his brother had a habit of taking a short nap at noon, so he didnt disturb him. He sat in the study, sipping tea and checking the profits of the Fang familys various businesses. After a while, Fang Liantian finally arrived at the study.

  "Did big brother sleep well?" Fang Lingde asked with a smile.

  "Its no use, Im old and my energy is not what it used to be. In the past, when we three brothers fought against the Xiongnu, we went for three days and nights without sleep, but now if I dont sleep well for just one day, my body aches all over, especially the wounds from my youth which still linger. Truly, time waits for no man, and not accepting old age is not an option."

  Fang Lingde also felt the same way and said: "Yes, we are all old now. Its time to look at the younger generation. I dont know how Old Three is doing in Beijiang."

  "What was the outcome of your trip?" Fang Ling Tian asked, recalling his brothers purpose for going to the Black Flag Army camp.

  Fang Lingde burst out laughing and said: "That little rabbit, hes really a clever guy. He said he had a serious illness and asked me to go back and forth between the two princes."

  Fang Lings spirit was lifted, and he said, "I didnt expect this kid to have some real skills, not only is his military strategy good, but his political tactics are also quite impressive."

  "Otherwise, I think its not his ability, but there must be a strategist under him who is proficient in this way."

  "How can you be so sure?" Fang Ling Tian raised an eyebrow and asked.

  Fang Lingde recounted the situation with Xu Haifeng in detail, and then concluded: "When he just heard about the two kings vying for power and might be involved, his face changed color, it can be seen that he was completely unaware of this matter and had no way to respond. But after returning to the camp for a while, when he came out, he already had a composed appearance, and the answer he gave me was the best choice. With such a big change in such a short period of time, there can only be one explanation: his strategist made plans for him and also gave him a tranquilizer."

  Fang Lingtian nodded and said: "Not bad, this kids subordinates are indeed talented and versatile, with both literary and military skills."

  "Its not just that, he recently even bought a batch of military supplies from me. Judging by the items, it seems like he wants to forge his own weapons and armor." Fang Lingde stood up and handed over a stack of books to his brother.

  Fang Ling Tian slightly flipped through it and said, "These things are not surprising, but everyone knows that the best craftsmen of military equipment are all controlled by the Su family. Can the things he made compare to the fine products produced by the Su family?"

  Fang Lingde smiled and said: "This is hard to say, but this kid has repeatedly created miracles. Im waiting with bated breath to see if he can surprise us greatly once again."

  Fang Ling Tian also smiled and said, "This kids appetite is really not small. Fortunately, these materials are from our Fang family; otherwise, even with money, it wouldnt be easy to buy them. If he can really refine something good, then this persons talent will be immeasurable."

  "Even now, he is still the most outstanding talent among his peers. Such a heroic figure should be doubly supported. However, I think our relationship with him should take another step forward to be more secure," Fang Lingde proposed.

  "Whats the meaning of this?"

  "If Big Brother can accept him as a sworn son, then there will be no more worries."

  "Fang Ling Tian fell silent for a moment before saying: If I were to take him in as a sworn son, and he gets into some kind of trouble later on, my Fang family would also be implicated."

  "Does big brother still care about these things?" Fang Lingde looked at his older brother in surprise. In his impression, his older brother was a man who dared to do and dare to be, never looking back or forth, standing tall and upright.

  Fang Ling let out a sigh and said, "A tree that stands tall in the forest will inevitably be battered by the wind. This little guys reputation has risen rapidly, and he has already become an unstoppable force. There are many people who have him in their sights. If I were to take him as my adopted son, the Fang familys power would surpass that of the other four great families. Whether this is a blessing or a curse remains to be seen."

  Fang Lingde had never thought of this before, and after a moments contemplation, he suddenly said: "Big brother, Im afraid that in the eyes of outsiders, our Fang family and that little guy are already inseparable."

  Fang Lingtians body stiffened as he sat in the taishi chair, silent for a moment before suddenly standing up and saying with a heroic tone: "Not bad, little brother, youve awakened me from my dream. Whether I accept him as my sworn son or not makes no difference to outsiders. Since thats the case, why should I bother myself again? Think of Fang Lingtian, who has spent his life on the battlefield and turned back at the gates of hell several times - what cant he let go of? Whatever his future may be, Ill deal with whoever comes my way, and those who come to cause trouble will not leave unscathed."

  "Good, big brother is right. I, little brother, will not be left behind either. Lets take the lead and let outsiders see if our familys centuries-old foundation has been in vain."

  The two brothers slapped each other on the palm, laughed heartily, as if they had returned to their youthful days of leading a large army, galloping across the battlefield, and boiling with hot blood.

  "Little brother, can you see the training situation of the Black Flag Army on your way here?" Fang Ling Tian calmed down and asked the key question.

  Fang Lingde had two purposes for coming to the Black Flag Armys base this time. One was to get news about the two princes invitation to Xu Haifeng, so he made a special trip to ask about it. The second purpose was to observe the actual strength of the Black Flag Army with his own eyes and see if it was as legendary as people said.

  Fang Lingde said with a spirited expression: "No, the Black Flag Army didnt have drills today. Theyre just running around the camp nonstop."

  Looking at his younger brothers expression, Fang Lian Tian was very surprised. He had grown up with this younger brother since childhood, joined the army together, and killed enemies together. How could he not know his temperament? If it wasnt for something that made him extremely excited, he would never have been so exhilarated: "Whats special about them?"

  Fang Lingde clenched his fists, slightly agitated: "I have never seen such soldiers before. They seem not to be human, no, they should be said to have no human emotions. They only know how to obey orders and never care about the content of the orders being right or wrong. Everyone is incredibly strong, the strongest soldier Ive ever seen. Xiang Ming was right, these soldiers may only be comparable to the dare-to-die corps of the founding emperors era. If I were young and commanded this army, the name of the Xiongnu would not exist in vain."

  When Fang Lian heard his younger brothers high praise for the Black Flag Army, he was also delighted: "Good, as long as the Black Flag Army has this strength, I will definitely recommend him to be an envoy to Xiongnu and promote the great Han Dynasty."

  "Big brother, after a few days, it will be the emperors grand celebration banquet. At that time, all officials will gather, and coincidentally, there will be a major martial arts competition in the military. We can propose then, at most, a trial in front of the palace, which will surely change the emperors mind."

  "Yes, the Xiongnu kings birthday is approaching, our candidate must be determined as soon as possible, this matter cannot be delayed any longer. Let us make a decision with the Cheng family on that day. You go and inform Xu Haifeng to select 500 soldiers to join the parade troops, and also choose a few brave generals to follow me to pay respects to the king. Remember, General Qin Yong is indispensable. This matter is of great importance, not a single mistake can be made." Fang Lingtian instructed solemnly.

  "Alright, Ill take care of it."

  Xu Haifeng did not know about the Fang brothers discussion. He only received a notification from Fang Lingde, asking him to prepare his troops for the military parade and audience with the emperor.

  Furthermore, what surprised him was that Fang Lingde hinted to him that the master of the Fang family, Fang Lingtian, intended to take him in as a sworn son. He was overjoyed and hastily agreed without hesitation.

  As for the preparation of the military, it was naturally left to Chiang Kongming to take care of. He, on the other hand, studied the palace etiquette under the guidance of Fangs specially appointed teacher, along with Lin Changkong, Xu Haiming, and Qin Yong. The complex and intricate palace etiquette made his head spin, but after seven days and nights of hard practice, he was barely able to pass muster.

  Seven days later, in the early morning, Xu Haifeng led five hundred soldiers to set out on the road to the capital. When they arrived at the city gate, Zhebie led five hundred soldiers to join the ceremonial troops, and he took the three great masters who were scheduled to meet with the emperor one step ahead to rush to Fangs mansion to meet with Fang Lingtian and others.

  As for Jiang Kung-ming, he stayed in the main camp, and this was also a helpless move. The blood wine warriors who could command and had the ability to think and adapt were only him, Chebie, Qin Yong, and Jiang Kung-ming. Since he and Qin Yong couldnt split up, they had no choice but to let the other two lead one army each.

  Rushing to the Fang residence, he found that Fang Lingtian had been waiting for a long time. Xu Haifeng jumped off his horse from several meters away and rushed quickly to Fang Lingtians face, kneeling on both knees and bowing down: "Your son greets his adoptive father."

  Fang Ling Tian smiled and accepted Xu Haifengs three bows and nine kowtows, then helped him up and said: "Good, my son is a hero, its also a glory for me as your father. This is the gift I prepared for you when we meet, take it."

  Xu Haifeng took a sword from Fang Lingtians hand, and as soon as he held it in his hand, he felt extremely heavy. He slightly drew out the scabbard, revealing a black iron sword that was unremarkable in appearance, but its color seemed somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

  He naturally knew that the things sent out in the name of Fang Ling Tian were absolutely not ordinary products, but he himself had no knowledge and didnt recognize them. He hastily knocked to thank him: "Thank you, Uncle Yi."

  Fang Ling Tian looked at him and knew he didnt know the origin of this sword, so he smiled and said: "My son, dont underestimate this sword. This sword was used by me when I was young and fought on the battlefield. Its name is Unbroken, although it cant cut through iron like mud, but its extremely durable, and after decades, it still hasnt been damaged. Its the best weapon for charging into battle. Its said to have been forged by Lu Gong, a master craftsman of the previous dynasty."

  "Ah……" Upon hearing this, Xu Haifeng suddenly remembered why he felt that the sword looked familiar. It turned out that the color of the swords body was exactly the same as the Heaven-Opening Bow in Zhebies hand. They were both crafted by Master Lü Fengxian, no wonder they shared the same characteristics - being impervious to swords and guns, showing no signs of wear after decades, and likely made from the same material.

  Unexpectedly, Fang Ling Tians cheap father turned out to be such a precious thing. Xu Haifeng bowed again with reverence and said sincerely: "Thank you, Father, for giving me the sword. I will not disappoint this name of the sword."