Chapter 4

"Someone is drowning?"

Fang Han hurriedly jumped into the water and rescued the person.

"No breath, this is a floating corpse." After rescing the person, Fang Han's heart tightened. The scene before him was indeed somewhat shocking.

This person was already completely dead, his body swollen from the water, with a long wound on it. When turned over, the wound was actually charred.

"Was this person struck by lightning?" Fang Han, seeing the wound, recalled some people in the countryside who had been struck by lightning, which also caused charring and a foul smell.

The corpse was dressed in very luxurious attire, wearing a dark golden robe. Water droplets rolled off it like they were on a lotus leaf, not sticking at all, and it felt very soft and smooth to the touch. Fang Han, as a servant in the Fang family, had seen many things, but he had never seen such fabric before.

"What should I do? Should I report it to the authorities? A human life is no small matter!" Fang Han was about to leave the corpse and report it to the authorities, but then he hesitated: "This person is dressed like a high-ranking official, how could he end up dead here? If I get involved, and the authorities investigate, I might be in trouble. It would be better to bury him and let him rest in peace, as if nothing happened. Better to avoid trouble."

After making up his mind, Fang Han dragged the corpse, preparing to find a place to bury it.

Clang!

At that moment, a box that seemed to be made of neither gold nor iron fell from the corpse's chest. The box was palm-sized, resembling an inkstone, and was very heavy.

At the same time, an ancient scroll also fell.

Huh?

Fang Han picked up the golden-iron box and unfolded the ancient scroll. The background was pitch black, with a faint shadow of a dragon lurking in the darkness. It seemed as if this was not a painting but a window, a window leading to an unknown space.

"This scroll is a treasure, it doesn't even get damaged by water. Ordinary paper would have been ruined long ago." Although Fang Han didn't recognize calligraphy, he could tell it was a treasure by common sense.

He then examined the golden-iron box, which was locked with a small golden lock.

Curiosity made him pick up a stone from the riverbank and strike it hard. Crack! The golden lock broke.

"This is real gold. One tael of gold is worth ten taels of silver, and this lock is about four or five taels. But it belongs to a dead person, should I take it or not? As the saying goes, a gentleman loves wealth but acquires it in a righteous way..." Fang Han pondered for a moment: "Pah, I'm just a servant, what kind of gentleman am I? One should act according to one's status. As the book says, 'If you are not in a position, do not meddle in its affairs.' I'll take it."

Fang Han grabbed the gold and put it in his pocket.

After taking the gold, he opened the box with a crack.

When he opened it, the contents were revealed.

A thumb-sized dark golden pill, strangely, had nine holes. From these holes, a faint medicinal fragrance wafted out. Fang Han, upon smelling it, felt refreshed and invigorated, all his fatigue vanishing.

Most astonishingly, those nine holes seemed like the nine orifices of a human body, containing a flow of energy that continuously breathed in and out, as if they contained a unique life force.

"This pill is far more wondrous than the best Lingzhi Pills and Snow Ginseng Pills in the Fang family." Fang Han had seen the young masters of the Fang family occasionally take health-preserving pills during their martial arts training. Those pills were refined and exquisite, but compared to this nine-holed pill, they were incomparable, like heaven and earth.

"I've also heard the Fang family disciples say that there are some miraculous medicines that can unblock the tendons and bones, regulate the internal organs, clear blood clots, and invigorate the spirit. Taking one can save years of physical training and make up for a lack of innate energy. Could this golden pill be such a medicine? I felt refreshed just by smelling it a little."

Fang Han held the nine-holed golden pill as if it were a diamond, considering whether to swallow it.

However, after much thought, he did not take it. Medicine should not be taken lightly.

The Fang family disciples took health-preserving pills daily, always on schedule, in measured amounts, and with careful consideration.

Fang Han was not a fool; he knew that even miraculous medicines could cause harm if taken improperly.

"Sir, your body was found by me. I will bury you and let you rest in peace. These two items will be my reward, and we will be even." Fang Han put the nine-holed golden pill back in the box and said to the corpse.

As he spoke, he awkwardly dragged the corpse.

But as he moved the corpse, it suddenly sat up, saying, "The Secret Realm of Divine Power is indeed extraordinary! The Feathered Ascension Sect is truly one of the top ten immortal sects in the world! Fang Qingsnow, you are indeed an outstanding disciple. It seems the world will have another powerful figure. But whether you can achieve the Immortal Realm through the Divine Power Realm is another matter. The Divine Power Realm will ultimately lead to death after a hundred years. Only by entering the Immortal Realm can one truly transcend..."

"Zombie! No, wait, zombies don't speak, and they don't come out in broad daylight." Fang Han was shocked to see the corpse sit up and speak.

"Did you save me?" The corpse turned and saw Fang Han, his eyes darkening as he asked.

"You're still alive." Fang Han steadied himself and replied calmly.

"I didn't expect you to be so calm. From your attire, you seem to be a servant. Most servants would report me to the authorities for a thousand taels of silver." The corpse's eyes were cold, his tone uncertain, as if testing Fang Han's reaction, ready to strike if anything went wrong.

"Better to avoid trouble. Getting the reward would only bring more trouble. I found two treasures on you, and making a fortune quietly is the best way. But since you're still alive, I'll return these treasures to you."

Fang Han took out the nine-holed golden pill and the Dragon Lurking in the Yellow Springs scroll. As a servant in the Fang family, his most important skill was reading people's expressions. If he offended his master, he wouldn't know how he died.

This person was clearly extraordinary and could take his life with a single hand.

"Making a fortune quietly is the best way... I, Bai Haizhan, agree with you. I was a servant in a mansion, and I obtained these two treasures, the nine-holed golden pill and the Dragon Lurking in the Yellow Springs scroll, but I was pursued because I leaked the information."

"I am a servant of the Fang family in Longyuan Province." Fang Han licked his lips.

"A servant of the Fang family?" Bai Haizhan's face darkened, then softened as he looked around: "I can tell you are not content with being a servant. You are secretly practicing martial arts here. The footprints on the ground are from the Fang family's strength training methods. You must be a restless person."

"This person is very perceptive. He knows so much just by a casual glance." Fang Han felt that he had no secrets from Bai Haizhan's eyes.

"Restlessness is good, very good. A servant of the Fang family... Fang Qingsnow, who has reached the Secret Realm of Divine Power..." Bai Haizhan's face showed a cold smile.

His face was charred, and this smile made him look even more terrifying, like a ghost.

"You are a servant, with no money or power. It's impossible for you to become a martial artist and rise to prominence. Training your body requires a mountain of silver to regulate it. But you have met me, and it's your luck! I will give you the opportunity to rise to prominence, as long as you agree to do a few things for me." Bai Haizhan spoke in a solemn tone.

"How will you give me the opportunity?" Fang Han asked cautiously.

"This nine-holed golden pill has incredible power. It can help you transform your body, rid you of your weakness, and give you a solid foundation that no one can match. I will also teach you advanced martial arts, and you will advance rapidly. Whether you can reach the Secret Realm of Divine Power depends on your own luck." Bai Haizhan sat up straight for a moment.

"Secret Realm of Divine Power? You can help me reach the Secret Realm of Divine Power!" Fang Han was shocked.

"You know about the Secret Realm of Divine Power? It seems you have learned a lot." Bai Haizhan looked at Fang Han with renewed respect.

"I've only learned a little. I also know that the body has ten levels, with the tenth level being the Divine Transformation. When the body is trained to its limit, the brain, supported by a strong physique, will generate magical power, and with this power, one can achieve various divine abilities." Fang Han repeated what he had heard from Fang Tong, the practitioner of the Giant Spirit Hand.

"Correct. The brain is the most mysterious organ in the human body, and no martial arts can train it. This is the source of divine power." Bai Haizhan said, "The things I want you to do are simple. First, you must become my disciple. Then, when you have achieved success, you must find an opportunity to join the Feathered Ascension Sect and learn the 'Feathered Ascension Scripture.' Second, you must kill Fang Qingsnow!"

"Feathered Ascension Sect, Fang Qingsnow, the young lady of the Fang family!"

Fang Han was shocked again. He knew that the Fang family's ancestor was a disciple of a Feathered Ascension Sect immortal who helped the founding emperor of the Da Li Dynasty unify the world. Fang Qingsnow had been training in the Feathered Ascension Sect, practicing the way of immortals.

"But joining the Feathered Ascension Sect doesn't seem to lead to prominence. If I rise to prominence, I can control the world and unify the land, becoming an emperor." Fang Han, emboldened, spoke words that were considered treasonous. He knew that facing someone like Bai Haizhan, the more shocking the words, the more likely he would gain the other's favor.

"You have such limited vision. You are still just a mortal." To his surprise, Bai Haizhan laughed coldly: "True prominence comes from reaching the Immortal Realm after the Secret Realm of Divine Power, becoming the leader of one of the top ten immortal sects! Controlling a sect, shaking the world, and receiving tribute from all nations." Bai Haizhan seemed to see through Fang Han's thoughts: "The Da Li Dynasty, though vast and populous, is merely a toy to the top ten immortal sects. If the Supreme Demon Emperor or the Innate Emperor were dissatisfied with the Da Li Dynasty, they could destroy it a hundred times over. The disciples of the Innate Emperor control the Bao Yue Dynasty, the Da Zun Dynasty, the Da Shi Dynasty, and dozens of other dynasties, none of which are smaller than the Da Li Dynasty."

"There are so many dynasties in the world! Who is the Innate Emperor? How dare he call himself an emperor?"

Fang Han was thoroughly shocked.

As a servant in the Fang family, he had a broad perspective, but he still believed that the entire world belonged to the Da Li Dynasty. He never knew there were so many dynasties and countries in the world. How vast must the world be?

"The world is vast, the sky is vast, and the void is vast. The size of your heart determines the size of your world! I must broaden your horizons. The Innate Emperor is the Supreme Demon Emperor, standing alongside the top ten immortal sects, living for ten thousand years. The emperor of the Da Li Dynasty claims to live for ten thousand years, but can he really? The Innate Emperor can! Any disciple of the top ten immortal sects who reaches the Secret Realm of Divine Power and comes to the Da Li Dynasty will be treated as a guest of honor by the nobles, for fear of any slight. When Fang Qingsnow reaches the Secret Realm of Divine Power, she will likely be made a princess and courted by the Da Li Dynasty. The Dragon Lurking in the Yellow Springs scroll I obtained is a magical treasure left behind by the Yellow Springs Emperor after he became an immortal on Yellow Springs Mountain, with boundless power." Bai Haizhan looked at Fang Han as if he were a fool: "If you reach the Secret Realm of Divine Power, you will truly touch these things and enter the world of immortals. If you don't, you will spend your life in the dynasty, bowing and scraping. It's a pity, I had a chance to reach the Secret Realm of Divine Power, but I failed. Well, these are things to broaden your horizons. To truly touch these things, you must rely on the Fang family and join the Feathered Ascension Sect. Now, bow and become my disciple! I don't have much time left."