Chapter 18

... Saved a strange young boy...

Jiang Feng was a courteous host; he let the treehouse to Chong Fan and found a tree outside to sleep on its branches.

He lay on the tree, hands behind his head, gazing at the moon and the twinkling stars in the sky, calmly sorting through what had just happened.

When he first met Chong Fan and saved him, Jiang Feng was purely driven by a surge of righteousness in his heart.

Given his character, as long as he had the ability, he would never stand by and watch a child die in front of him.

Although he had thought about why a child without any power would appear in the territory of a Level 5 Ming Beast, the impulse to save him far outweighed any other thoughts.

Now, it seemed that this boy named Chong Fan was indeed extraordinary.

Apart from his refined clothing, every action he made indicated that he was not an ordinary person. His eyes, his posture, his speech...

Jiang Feng even felt that he saw a hint of a young lady in him. That just-right reserve and measured behavior, though not exactly the same, always gave a sense of familiarity.

It was unclear whether it was because of this special demeanor or the way he spoke, but Jiang Feng always felt that he seemed older than he looked. However, no matter what, he had not yet fused with a Ming Heart Seed, and there was no trace of Ming Power in him, which was certain.

He exhaled into the sky and closed his eyes, preparing to rest.

Chong Fan's background had nothing to do with him.

The relationship between the two was just a two-and-a-half-month transaction.

During this time, he would provide Chong Fan with a safe place to stay, and in return, Chong Fan would impart all his knowledge about the major exam to him—nothing more.

...

...

Chong Fan lay on the grass mat in the treehouse, staring at the dark ceiling.

His eyes glowed in the darkness, as if he was deeply engrossed in thought.

Suddenly, he sat up, pulled down the shoulder of his clothes, and, with the help of the faint light outside, examined his shoulder.

Smooth and unmarked, with no sign of any injury.

He squinted, and the scenes before he fainted replayed in his mind, including the excruciating pain that had pierced his bones...

What was going on?

He turned his head to look at the person on the tree outside, his eyes filled with deep thought.

The next morning, the continuous "slap, slap" sounds from outside woke Chong Fan.

He sat up, realizing that a whole night had passed and it was already light outside.

His sleep was usually poor, and he thought he would toss and turn all night on such a grass mat. Unexpectedly, he fell asleep thinking and had a good night's sleep without any dreams.

Chong Fan stepped out of the door and saw Jiang Feng practicing boxing under the tree.

He was bare-chested, and a large amount of sweat flowed from the crevices of his muscles, wetting the ground.

He repeatedly performed the same movements—twisting his waist, swinging his shoulders, swinging his arms, and punching!

His arms lashed out like whips, and with each punch, a "slap" sound echoed through the air, crisp and loud.

Chong Fan watched him intently, as if he could see the strength emanating from his shoulders and back, passing through his muscles to his fists.

Although he had never practiced martial arts, his eyesight was extraordinary, and he could see that although Jiang Feng was not using Ming Power, his strength and speed were extremely astonishing!

No wonder, with only four channels unblocked, he dared to enter the territory of a Level 5 Ming Beast alone yesterday...

The presence of someone watching had no effect on Jiang Feng. He completed his morning routine as usual, and after ten thousand punches, he stood still, his breathing gradually returning to normal.

He glanced at the sky and said to Chong Fan, "I'm going hunting soon. You stay here alone."

Chong Fan nodded, and Jiang Feng instructed, "This area around Xiaogu is relatively safe. If you want to go out, you can only move around nearby. Absolutely do not go far."

Chong Fan, who had not expected him to be so considerate despite his seemingly cold demeanor, nodded seriously and promised.

Jiang Feng left Xiaogu, leaving the night snack for Chong Fan.

Chong Fan sat facing the rabbit, staring at it for a long time before finally reaching out to touch its fur.

He murmured, "Do you know what's going on? I was clearly so badly injured, but now there's no trace of it. And I can eat meat now..."

The rabbit's red eyes stared straight at him, but it remained silent.

Chong Fan sighed, "I thought this time I could finally..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly cut himself off, his back straightening. Then he said coldly, "Come out."

An old man rushed over like the wind, kneeling in front of Chong Fan and exclaiming, "Young Master, are you alright?"

Chong Fan did not look at him, but gave a direct order, "I will stay here for a while. Do not come out."

The old man was taken aback and instinctively objected, "No! Young Master, you..."

Before he could finish, Chong Fan's gaze fell on him. His expression was very calm, but his eyes held a dangerous glint.

The old man shivered under his gaze, bowed his head deeply, and closed his mouth.

Chong Fan did not say anything more. They remained silent for a while before the old man finally said hesitantly, "Young Master, Madam has increased the reward again. Whoever can cure your strange illness will be given one-tenth of the Chong family's assets."

The Chong family's assets spanned the Nine Heavens Continent, even reaching the Xuanji Continent in the north. One-tenth of the Chong family's assets was not something that could be described as merely rich enough to rival a country.

Wealth brings power. With such assets, that person would undoubtedly rise to the top of society, standing on equal footing with the top figures on the entire continent!

Hearing this, Chong Fan was also moved. He lowered his eyes and said lightly, "Mother..."

The old man said, "Young Master, with your extraordinary talent, as long as this strange illness can be cured, you can regain control of the Chong family's assets. You..."

Chong Fan had heard this countless times. He raised his hand to interrupt him. After a long silence, he said lightly, "I'm tired."

The old man's body trembled violently. He looked up at the young boy, his eyes moist.

He had watched this child grow up from a young age and now had countless words he wanted to say to him. But no matter how encouraging the words, they seemed pale in the face of the daily torment.

Chong Fan said, "For the last period of time, let me be alone."

The old man's tears finally fell, and he bowed deeply, choking, "Yes."

The old man left, his back bent and aged.

Chong Fan lowered his head and gently stroked the rabbit's fur. He murmured, "Can't move much, can't eat greasy things, can't overthink, and any injury will cause uncontrollable bleeding, possibly fatal... such a life..."

A soft sigh echoed in Xiaogu, fading away.

...

...

Thinking about the outsider in Xiaogu, Jiang Feng returned particularly early today, appearing at the valley entrance before noon.

He held a long string of pheasants, their long tails trailing, with black spots like eyes on the green feathers.

Chong Fan sat upright under the tree, and a strange expression flashed across Jiang Feng's face.

Looking at him, he suddenly had a feeling that even when alone, this boy sat as straight and proper as if in a formal setting.

Chong Fan raised his eyes and saw the string of pheasants, surprised, "Phoenix-eyed green pheasants? Level 2 Ming Beast?"

Jiang Feng nodded, "This is lunch for me and Night Snack. I'll roast them. Since you don't have Ming Power, I've prepared something else for you."

Chong Fan was even more surprised, "You can cook Ming Beasts?"

Jiang Feng said, "It's just roasting meat. What's there to know or not know? It just takes a bit more time, but with Night Snack's help, it's no big deal."

Chong Fan looked at him, then at the rabbit, puzzled. But he did not ask further, only watching Jiang Feng's actions closely, wanting to see how it was done.

Jiang Feng called out, "Don't just stand there. Come help me."

"Help, help?"

Chong Fan, who had never been asked to help with anything from a young age, was almost a bit flustered. He scrambled to his feet and walked to Jiang Feng's side, "What should I do?"

Jiang Feng pointed nearby, "There are some wild ginger and garlic seasonings over there. Go pick them and wash them in the stream nearby."

Chong Fan was a bit troubled. He pursed his lips, walked to where Jiang Feng pointed, thought for a moment, and carefully pulled a few leaves, then came back to ask, "Are these the right ones?"

Jiang Feng glanced at them, then squinted at him, "Are you playing with me?"

Chong Fan's ears turned red, "No, are they not right?"

Jiang Feng said, "Why are you pulling these wild grasses... Hmm? You seemed to know a lot about various seasonings yesterday. Could it be that you don't actually recognize them?"

Chong Fan's face turned red, and he moved his lips, unable to speak for a long time.

If the old man had seen this scene, he would not know what kind of expression he would have. Chong Fan had always been frail but calm and occasionally cold and stern. When had he ever shown such a reaction!

Chong Fan finally mustered the courage to admit, "I've eaten them at home before and seen cooking methods in books, but I've never actually cooked them myself."

Having seen them in books... These simple words touched Jiang Feng. His gaze wavered, and he stood up, saying, "When it's time to do things yourself, you have to do them yourself. Otherwise, when you encounter setbacks in life, you won't be at a loss."

He took Chong Fan over and taught him to recognize each plant. What could be picked, which parts were edible, and how to handle them... He explained everything clearly, letting Chong Fan do it himself.

Chong Fan was obedient. Whatever Jiang Feng said, he followed meticulously. Although he was still a bit clumsy, it was clear that he was very serious.

Suddenly, he "ah"ed and lifted his hand.

His index finger had been cut by a leaf, and a fresh red drop of blood immediately seeped out.

Seeing this drop of blood, Chong Fan's expression suddenly became very frightened!

—Thank you all for your support!

By the way, I've changed my pen name to Sha Baobao!

I've always used the name Sha Bao, but due to a mix-up, it was called for a long time and criticized for a long time... (In the group, any mention of the pen name would be brought up!)

I originally planned to continue using Sha Bao, but there were name conflicts in the book library. Anyway, I'm as cute as my name suggests!

Please continue to support Sha Baobao as you have supported Tuantuan Slime!

Thank you all!

To celebrate the new pen name, I'm asking for clicks, recommendations, and reviews. Thank you!

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