Chapter 65: Fang Han: I Must Repay Chen Zheng

"Respectfully see you off, Brother Chen!"

At the hall entrance, Little Crane stretched out a claw to catch the dark gold token, raised its shrill voice and shouted toward Chen Zheng's drifting silhouette as he walked away, looking just like the chief eunuch beside the emperor.

Behind the flower bed diagonally opposite the hall entrance, Fang Han, crouching and peeking here, suddenly relaxed his clenched fist as his heart pounded wildly.

It wasn't nervousness.

It was an uncontrollable excitement!

Fang Han's father had taught him since childhood: better to be a beggar than someone's slave.

He took that to heart.

So while at the Fang household, he stole to learn martial arts more than once.

Once, absorbed in martial practice, he forgot to feed the horse and was punished by Fang Qingwei with ten lashes.

And ever since that day outside the Feather Ascension Mountains, after witnessing Chen Zheng's heroic bearing, his desire to shed his slave status grew ever more urgent.

He also yearned for the immortal path, longing to become an invincible great figure like Chen Zheng.

He even charted a route for it.

The first step was to join the Feather Ascension Sect.

But first he needed a recommendation slot.

Such a slot is a piece of cake for worldly nobles and aristocrats.

For Fang Han, however, it was as hard as climbing to heaven.

He was unwilling yet helpless.

Fortunately, things turned around quickly.

Little Crane's comment about loving barbecue sparked a glimmer of hope in Fang Han's heart.

These past days he pulled out all his tricks, cooking all sorts of barbecue for Little Crane, serving the crane comfortably.

At the same time he flattered incessantly, to the point where Little Crane felt dizzy.

When the moment was ripe, Fang Han asked Little Crane to help him request a recommendation slot from Chen Zheng.

Little Crane reluctantly agreed.

But the ugly truth came first: it couldn't guarantee success.

Given Chen Zheng's temperament, this move might anger him, and killing Fang Han wasn't impossible.

This made Fang Han's heart a turmoil.

Whether he could defy fate, life or death, now hinged on a single thought of Chen Zheng.

After all, in the Great Li Dynasty, house slaves have no status; being slain by the master family means a pointless death.

However.

Chen Zheng not only didn't get angry; without a word, he handed Little Crane a token representing status.

Success!

At last, bitterness turned to sweetness.

Fang Han was so excited he almost roared to the heavens.

He silently vowed to remember Chen Zheng's kindness and, should he achieve anything, repay it a hundred or a thousandfold.

"Fang Han, what are you hiding here for, trying to slack off?"

Just as Fang Han was immersed in joy, a scolding voice suddenly rang out.

Fang Qingwei appeared leading a few luxury slaves, storming toward the flower bed.

Whoosh!

Fang Qingwei drew the whip hanging at her waist, raised it, and cracked it hard at Fang Han.

These past days she racked her brain for ways to get close to Chen Zheng, yet she hadn't even seen his face.

Seething with anger, she happened upon Fang Han and wanted to beat him to vent.

"Not good!"

Fang Han reacted swiftly, curled his body, rolled like a lazy donkey on the spot, and dodged the whip.

"Dog servant, you still dare to hide?"

Fang Qingwei's face darkened; she shouted angrily at the others, "Hold him down for me!"

The luxury slaves sneered, hurried forward, and surrounded Fang Han.

"Stop it!"

A voice of command came—it was Little Crane, which noticed the commotion and walked in from the hall entrance.

"Crane Overseer, this house slave tried to steal young master Chen's treasure; I caught him, and I'm about to punish him."

Fang Qingwei's expression shifted slightly, her eyes flicked, and she placed a big hat on Fang Han.

"You're spewing lies…"

"Enough."

Fang Han's face turned sour; he tried to argue with Fang Qingwei, but Little Crane flapped its wings to stop him. Raising its head, it said to Fang Qingwei, "It was this Overseer who kept Fang Han here. Moreover, he's no longer your family's slave; he's received Brother Chen's personal recommendation and will soon join the Feather Ascension Sect."

As it spoke, it extended a claw and waved the dark gold token obtained from Chen Zheng before Fang Qingwei.

"What?"

The luxury slaves stared at the token, all dumbfounded.

Fang Qingwei's face grew even more rigid, her eyes flicking between the token and Fang Han, murmuring, "How could young master Chen give this dog servant an assessment slot? Impossible…"

She couldn't believe it.

Now that she thought about it, it made sense.

Fang Han was only her family's slave.

But she is a noble master.

Not even the master obtained Chen Zheng's token.

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A lowly slave, however, got it.

It is truly hard to accept.

"Is this girl really my elder sister-in-law's younger sister? How can the gap be so big?" Xiao Hezi gazed at Fang Qingwei, secretly scornful and disdainful.

This girl is unruly, does nothing all day, just knows to wander back and forth outside Chen Zheng's seclusion palace.

If she weren't Fang Qingxue's sister, Xiao Hezi would have long since kicked her down the mountain.

Forget it.

Chen Zheng left her on the mountain, perhaps out of consideration for Fang Qingxue's sake, and he cannot manage her.

Xiao Hezi shook his head, handed the token to Fang Han, and instructed: "Take this token to participate in the assessment at the Tread Immortal Institute. Even if you become an outer sect disciple, you must come back to do barbecue for me."

"Crane Steward, rest assured, I'll return right after the assessment; I won't let you go hungry."

Fang Han suppressed his inner excitement, deeply bowed to Xiao Hezi, solemnly received the token, and turned to walk down the mountain.

"This damned slave has rebelled, actually wanting to climb above the master's head!"

Gazing at Fang Han's light-footed back, Fang Qingwei's teeth clenched with a creaking sound.

After a long while, she stamped her foot and also ran down the mountain.

She wants to return to Purple Lightning Peak, have Fang Qingxue give her an assessment quota, and also join the Feather Transformation Sect.

But after going down the mountain this time, she had no idea what she had missed.

Even more unexpected, regretting not having done so earlier, wanting to ascend Righteous Qi Peak again would be extremely difficult.

Actually, Xiao Hezi guessed correctly; because of Fang Qingxue, Chen Zheng is willing to accept Fang Qingwei.

As long as this girl stays honestly on the mountain and doesn't cause trouble everywhere, that's fine.

Unfortunately, due to her nature, she missed the opportunity.

……

"I don't know how my fortune is; can I go out and pick up a treasure? Hehe, I probably don't have that kind of fortune."

Chen Zheng flew leisurely outward from the Feather Transformation Mountains, pondering this, and couldn't help shaking his head and laughing.

Fate's fortune is extremely important to cultivators.

With good fortune, even a pig can fly.

With bad fortune, even extraordinary talent will end up lost among the masses due to various reasons.

He estimated his own fortune to be neither good nor bad.

Unlike Fang Qingxue, Hua Tiandu, and others with astonishing fortune, when he goes out he either does not obtain the Immortal Lightning Talisman, or mistakenly enters the Panwu Immortal Venerable's Cave.

He also does not dare to hope for such fortune.

If a few wealthy true transmission disciples of the Supreme One Gate came for him to kill, he would be satisfied.

Even if he just keeps killing people of the Supreme One Gate, he needs no opportunity and can progress rapidly.

"Huh?"

Just as Chen Zheng was about to fly away from the Feather Transformation Mountains, he suddenly spotted two sneaky figures hidden deep within a distant barren mountain.

One of them wore green clothes and had a bright red palm print on his face—this was Jinshi Tai.

The other was a young man in black clothes, with a sinister expression, holding a dark green gourd whose surface was covered in runes, seeming to flow with life, forming a large bubble that enveloped him.

"Just going out and picking up a treasure, my fortune has arrived."

Upon seeing that gourd, Chen Zheng's eyes lit up, he sped up, and flew toward Jinshi Tai and the black-clad young man.

(End of chapter)