Chapter 72

On the way back to the Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Feng learned why Hua Su had been late earlier.

During the major exam, he had indeed been keeping an eye on their situation nearby—Jiang Feng teased him a couple of times, and he got a slap in return. After the exam results were out, he returned to Yuan Mountain to prepare for their return.

Fang Liuxian hurriedly finished his work, handed the remaining tasks to Qu Chun, and came to the Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall to find him.

Fang Liuxian had also been in the Demon Suppression Army before, and the two had known each other back then. They hadn't seen each other for many years, nor had they received any news from each other. Now, upon hearing that he was here, he hurried over to visit.

The two chatted about past events and the current situation of the Demon Suppression Army in the northern desert. Unconsciously, Hua Su withdrew his attention from the surroundings and immersed himself in the conversation.

"Perhaps it's fate..."

Hua Su sighed, and Jiang Feng remained silent.

Speaking of Fang Liuxian, Hua Su gave Jiang Feng a strange look and said, "That old man will want to talk to you again. You might as well accept his offer. He's not a bad person."

Jiang Feng recalled Fang Liuxian's actions during the exam and felt a stirring in his heart.

At the gate of the Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall, Jiang Feng unexpectedly saw Teng Zhi hurrying from the other end of the county.

So early in the morning, where had he been?

Teng Zhi also saw Jiang Feng, a flush of embarrassment crossing his face, and he stammered, "I, I went for a walk!"

"Don't listen to him!" Ping Luan suddenly leaped down from the wall, landing lightly in front of Teng Zhi. He snorted, "He went to the Xiang family's house, sneaked in from the back wall, and left a money bag."

Teng Zhi reflexively said, "How did you know!"

Ping Luan pursed his lips, "You sneaked out early in the morning, so of course I had to be on guard!"

Ping Luan's rank was lower than Teng Zhi's, but he was most skilled in movement. After being trained by Hua Su, his control over Ming Force had greatly improved. If he deliberately hid and followed, Teng Zhi wouldn't be able to escape or detect him.

Ping Luan snorted again, took large steps into the martial arts hall, and shouted, "I'm so hungry, I'm going to get breakfast for you all!"

Hua Su chuckled, patted Jiang Feng's shoulder, and also entered the hall, leaving Jiang Feng and Teng Zhi outside.

Teng Zhi was a bit at a loss. Jiang Feng asked, "Want to take a walk with me?"

Teng Zhi glanced at him and grunted, "Yeah."

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the air was noticeably cool.

The Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall was in a remote area, with no one around. In the distance, the faint sounds of the county's residents getting up could be heard.

Jiang Feng asked, "How are the Xiang family? Are they holding up?"

Teng Zhi sighed, "Not well, but they're relatively stable. They have five children, and even if one is gone, the rest still have to live on."

Jiang Feng asked, "Xiang Sheng is over twenty, so his brothers should be quite old, right?"

Teng Zhi shook his head, "He has four younger brothers. The second one is about seventeen or eighteen, and he's sickly. The others are all under fourteen, barely able to help the family, but far from supporting it."

Jiang Feng looked at him, "So you took money to their family?"

A flush of red crossed Teng Zhi's dark skin, but after a while, he had calmed down. He said, "Xiang Sheng's death was caused by my master. As a disciple, I must take responsibility. From now on, I will send money every year, to help raise his parents and younger brothers."

"Does that mean you still consider the martial instructor as your master?"

Teng Zhi was a bit embarrassed but spoke firmly, "A day as a master, a lifetime as a father. He's not a good person, but all my martial skills and half of my Ming Force were taught by him. I must be grateful!"

"Then what? What do you plan to do next?"

"I... I don't know."

Teng Zhi looked around, a bit lost.

Compared to other places, Linxi County was relatively prosperous. The roadside walls, though somewhat dilapidated, were neatly repaired, and a late-blooming locust tree extended its new green branches from a yard, full of spring vitality.

Teng Zhi said, "My master is dead, and Gu Teng doesn't consider me one of his own anymore. At home... I have no parents, and I grew up eating from the village. Now... I don't know where I should go or where I can go."

Jiang Feng asked, "Have you thought about staying at the Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall?"

Teng Zhi was silent.

Jiang Feng joked, "You don't still think I come from a noble family, do you?"

Teng Zhi murmured, "No, of course not, none of you do..."

Jiang Feng looked at him, almost able to outline his past without asking.

Teng Zhi came from a poor background and had likely suffered at the hands of the nobility. Gu Teng Martial Arts Hall, to establish a power base for Fuli Jun, scoured the area for children with potential, taking them in and training them carefully. As long as they passed the major exam, they would be granted official positions. They would be grateful to Fuli Jun and naturally become his pawns.

The so-called nobility referred to the children of noble families.

Noble children could obtain the Tianzhao Order through recommendations, even directly participating in the state and provincial exams, monopolizing a large number of major exam slots. Without Fuli Jun, it would indeed be very difficult for ordinary children like Teng Zhi to rise on their own.

So, from the beginning, Gu Teng Martial Arts Hall had made the so-called "nobility" and "noble families" their enemies, instilling this hatred in their disciples to cultivate their resentment.

In a sense, Fuli Jun did provide a path for advancement for children like Teng Zhi, who had poor backgrounds but potential. However, this path was built on his selfishness and the suppression of those who refused to join him.

Jiang Feng looked at Teng Zhi and suddenly said, "Let me tell you a story."

Then, without waiting for Teng Zhi's response, he recounted the events in Hezhong County from beginning to end.

He simply narrated the facts, without adding any of his own speculations, purely recounting what he had seen and heard.

Teng Zhi listened more and more intently, his eyes gradually showing immense shock.

Finally, when Jiang Feng mentioned the appearance of the Qianchong Army, which rescued the scattered cultivator candidates, Teng Zhi was both shocked and relieved.

He murmured, "No wonder... this year's county exam is much stricter than before, and they even used the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony to introduce Heavenly Power..."

Jiang Feng said, "In this world, there are noble families, Zhu Yang Wang, and Fuli Jun, and many more third parties. Which side will you stand on? Or do you have to choose a side at all?"

He smiled slightly, "Now you are free. With your abilities, even without Gu Teng Martial Arts Hall, you can join Jin Teng Ancient Hall or Yuan Teng Martial Arts Hall. Let's call off our bet, and the rest is up to you to decide."

He looked deeply at Teng Zhi, turned, and walked back to the Yuan Mountain Martial Arts Hall.

Just as he reached the gate, he saw Fang Liuxian standing there with his hands behind his back.

Jiang Feng, recalling the three conversations he had had since the morning, suddenly felt a bit dry in the mouth.

...

...

Surprisingly, Fang Liuxian didn't say much to him.

He looked Jiang Feng up and down and said, "The provincial exam is in a month. You can't slack off in your training."

Jiang Feng nodded solemnly.

Fang Liuxian waved his hand, "Today, your teacher Hua has entrusted you to me. Let's go to the Twilight Forest for some practical training."

Jiang Feng immediately relaxed. He wasn't bad at talking, but compared to conversation, he was more accustomed to expressing himself through action.

Over the past period, Jiang Feng had become quite familiar with the Twilight Forest.

He crossed the pear blossom stream and chose a direction to walk in.

In the outer areas of the Twilight Forest, the Ming beasts and Ming plants were of low rank. When encountered, Jiang Feng could easily deal with them.

Fang Liuxian followed him step by step, never intervening, only watching his every move carefully.

His movements were not particularly fast, far slower than Ping Luan's swift movements. However, every move he made had a special rhythm and melody, both in terms of actual effect and the impression it gave, making it seem even faster!

Moreover, his eyes were very sharp, and his strikes were very precise. He could instantly identify the vital points of Ming beasts and hit them with certainty.

Although the Ming beasts he encountered on the way were all below the first rank, far below his level, the fact that he could instantly kill one after another was quite rare.

A small red snake coiled around a nearby branch. As Jiang Feng passed, it suddenly darted out, its two sharp fangs viciously aiming for him.

Jiang Feng, as if he had anticipated it, reached out and lightly touched the snake. A spark burst from his fingertips, and the snake convulsed and collapsed.

Jiang Feng casually picked it up to throw it into his bag, but Fang Liuxian suddenly called out, "Wait!"

Jiang Feng was taken aback and looked at him, holding the small red snake.

Fang Liuxian took the snake and asked, "Do you know what this is?"

Jiang Feng shook his head. He was most familiar with the Ming beasts of Taiwu Mountain, and only knew some of the most common and famous ones from other places. The rest, he could only roughly determine their rank and attributes, but not much more.

Fang Liuxian said, "It's called the Red Ray Immortal, a highly venomous snake."

He took out a small needle and gently cut a small venom sac from the snake's mouth. The venom sac was the size of a peanut, bright red like a drop of blood.

Fang Liuxian said, "The venom of the Red Ray Immortal can knock down a hundred bulls with just one drop. These three drops are enough to wipe out half of Linxi County. Most importantly, it is equally effective against martial cultivators below the Dawn Realm."

Jiang Feng was startled.

Martial cultivators possess Ming Force, which has a brilliant appearance, and most poisons are ineffective under its influence. Yet this small snake could poison even a martial cultivator?

Fang Liuxian took out a box, carefully placed the venom sac inside, closed the lid, and handed it to Jiang Feng, saying meaningfully, "This world is quite wondrous... let's go!"

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Thank you to fatfox911, Zhe Sha, and new friend AK?y!

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