Chapter 139

Feng Yan ultimately still didn't bring anything over; he just went alone to the children's residence.

There, the children were being forced to do their homework, each one listless and drooping, like eggplants struck by frost.

"What? There's still this?" Feng Yan asked mockingly.

The children heard that familiar voice, lifted their heads and looked up, seeing Feng Yan smiling and waving at them.

"Brother!" the children exclaimed happily, then ran toward Feng Yan.

"Sir." A stern old man bowed to Feng Yan, showing great respect.

"Hmm, good. Then, how are the children's studies?" Feng Yan nodded, returned the old man's salute, and asked about the children's learning progress.

"In reply to your words, following your orders, I have taught them everything I was supposed to, without reservation; but their comprehension ability truly surprises me." Looking at his reply to Feng Yan, his expression was extremely solemn, which once made Feng Yan think the children were learning well.

But the next moment, it left Feng Yan silent; the old man's tone shifted, and he said: "They have absolutely no familiarity or mastery of the knowledge I imparted to them, which makes me doubt whether commoners' children can even have the right to possess knowledge like noble children."

The old man's words carried a rash and arbitrary judgment, and Feng Yan also realized that what the old man said was not without reason.

Letting children who have never experienced education suddenly receive it, they might initially feel grateful, but over time that gratitude fades, revealing their true nature—this is their inherent flaw.

Indeed, it is the flaw of all humanity.

What one possesses is not cherished; only after losing what one has obtained does one realize how precious it is.

"Is that so?" Feng Yan let out a long breath, trying to stay calm as he asked the old man.

"That's right." He answered affirmatively, his eyes occasionally fixing on the children, showing deep contempt, then continued: "Commoners' children can never accept higher education."

Feng Yan fell silent, looking at the few children, feeling deeply unwilling.

"This..." Feng Yan uttered a single syllable, but the rest of his words could not come out.

"Besides, you are a noble Adventurer; helping a commoner's child like this would be beneath your station." The old man made this suggestion to Feng Yan, then slowly left.

"Please excuse my departure." The old man said those final words and slowly left.

Only Feng Yan remained in place; the old man's words made him feel humiliated, his mood grew heavy, and his gaze at the children lost its earlier joy.

"Big brother..." The children, having never seen Feng Yan like this, cautiously asked him.

"What did you do when I brought you here?" Feng Yan asked with a stern expression.

"Nothing much; those high officials knew that Big Brother Feng Yan brought us here, so they invited the Prince's tutor to teach us the palace's etiquette and rules, but we could never grasp the essentials; the teacher grew angry, calling us fools who couldn't even learn such simple things." The children said this to Feng Yan, voice full of grievance, tears nearly spilling.

"Studying etiquette?" Feng Yan understood a bit, and also realized why the old man was angry.

These children are used to being wild; thus, demanding they learn all sorts of useless etiquette all at once makes them feel uncomfortable and hard to adapt.

"Sir, the King summons you!" A soldier hurried over and reported to Feng Yan.

"Hmm, okay, I'll be right there." Feng Yan replied to the soldier and then followed him.

Only the children remained on the spot; they first felt shame over their inadequacy, which also became the seed of their gradual change, planted in their hearts, slowly taking root and sprouting.

In their hearts, a thought gradually arose: that one day the person they admire might praise them.

The children bowed their heads, feeling an unknown strength surge within them, accompanied by a dash of vigor; the leading child said to everyone: "We shouldn't keep following Big Brother; if we continue like this, he'll surely think we're a nuisance—we should go back."

"Nonsense, Big Brother would never think that!" A child immediately retorted the older child's words.

But this sound was really too faint, or perhaps the other children had intended it; they reached a unanimous decision and decided to go back.

Meanwhile, the king had left only the royal guards in the palace; upon seeing Feng Yan, the king immediately went up to greet him and then respectfully said, 'Sir, I have seen your discovery; it is truly delightful, but......'

Feng Yan knew what the king was about to say, but there was nothing he could do; having discovered only this much in a day and two nights was already his utmost effort, and he could not even explain the origin of his own long sword.

In his sleep, he also heard a giant's voice, which was very imposing and also showed contempt for Feng Yan, as if the two were quite familiar, except that the voice only existed within a mass of black mist and never revealed its face.

Feng Yan was lost in thought for a moment, while the king gazed at him with hopeful eyes; time slowly passed, and Feng Yan gradually came to his senses, recalling the king's words before he spoke: 'The current progress is extremely slow; I am already very dissatisfied with myself on this point, but that detestable fellow, I still refuse his help; he only keeps causing me trouble. Now, I have already taken out the core of your supreme treasure, but I suspect you may still be hiding something from me. Yes, about the history of this treasure!'

The king's expression was extremely awkward, and he replied to Feng Yan, saying, 'This is a secret of our royal family; please understand.'

Feng Yan nodded, indicating understanding, and also responded to the king's words: 'I know your royal family always has many secrets; however, regarding the secret of this treasure, I believe, as the key to its repair, I must know it, for this concerns the treasure's restoration work, which is also a great help and my breakthrough point.'

"I hope you can tell me about your country's taboos!"

Clang!

That sentence struck like a heavy blow on a bell beside the king's ear; the king almost collapsed to the ground, and the royal guards rushed over to help him up.

"You are being outrageous! The king has appointed you as an Honored Guest, yet you treat our king like this!"

"As you say, that is your king!" Feng Yan replied calmly, and the soldiers also closed their mouths, saying nothing more.

"Then please consider, this is your country's affair and has nothing to do with me." After saying that, Feng Yan lifted his head to glance at the treasure of the state placed on the front platform, turned around and left.

"Also, that girl—have the soldiers bring me to see her; I want to examine her." Feng Yan stopped again, his back to the king, and said.

As Feng Yan left, the king finally grasped the seriousness of the matter; he hastily summoned the imperial physician and asked about the girl's condition.

However, the imperial physician paid no heed; he first comforted the king with many reassuring words, then told him, 'We are not clear about the medicinal properties of that drug; the records in the classics merely say it can prolong the life of a dying person, but we do not know for how long. Moreover, after using this drug, what changes will occur in the user's body still needs observation.'

"If Feng Yan discovers this change, will he become suspicious?" the king asked the imperial physician, his face showing growing worry.

"It's fine; as long as he is a person of this continent, he will not notice it." After the physician explained, the king's worried heart finally settled.

"Best not to discover it at all," the king silently thought.

When Feng Yan walked out of the palace gates, the sun was already high; the warm sunlight made people feel at ease, and Feng Yan narrowed his eyes, enjoying this rare gentleness.

"You've come, where is my brother?" a childish voice sounded nearby; Feng Yan knew that although the girl did not understand the meaning of death, she realized her brother was gone.

"I told you before, your brother has gone to another place." Feng Yan still said this, and the girl merely nodded mechanically.

Feng Yan took the girl's hand and went straight to the steps outside the hall, closed his eyes, basked in the sun; though his body was warm, his heart was cold.

"Sir." The girl spoke in a childish voice, timidly looking at Feng Yan, her eyes full of gratitude; she knew he was the hero who had saved her.

"Anything wrong?" Feng Yan turned his head, looked at the girl, doing his best to appear gentle as he asked her.

"Is this world fair?" the girl asked Feng Yan.

Feng Yan was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to answer—fair or unfair? He himself wasn't clear, but facing this girl, he seemed to know what he should say.

"This world is unfair; fairness is merely the lie of conspirators." Feng Yan ultimately chose to follow his inner voice and spoke this answer.

"But can we only be bullied by those above us?" the girl asked again; this time Feng Yan could feel the anger in her.

"Unity, strength, struggle, death, establishment, prosperity, new world..." Feng Yan's mouth suddenly uttered these words, the girl widened her eyes, yet still did not know what they meant.

"Big brother..." the girl tried to "wake up" Feng Yan, but was frightened by Feng Yan's sudden raising of his head.

Then only heard Feng Yan shout: "Exactly, isn't that the case? We love life, we yearn for life!"

Feng Yan sighed, feeling that he had lost many things, but the next moment, only heard a sudden gasp beside him.

Feng Yan looked at the girl beside him, his eyes widened!