Chapter 124: The Tragic Plight of the 'Fool' (19th Update, Seeking First Subscription)

"You two get up first. I must at least hear your story, right? Did you offend someone? You must not hide anything, otherwise, you will bear the consequences yourself!"

As a rational person, Li Zhangsheng did not let his blood boil. Before clarifying the ins and outs of the matter, he could not agree to the 'Fool's' request. Who knew if the 'Fool' had provoked a formidable enemy.

You say you, a perfectly normal person, chose not to be one, but insisted on feigning madness and acting the fool. Even when reviled, beaten, scolded, and humiliated by others, you still endured it silently. This pretense lasted for several years, and you never had the thought of leaving for distant lands.

Even with your toes, you know there must be something fishy going on!

Li Zhangsheng is no saint, and he and the 'Fool' are merely passing acquaintances. He will help if he can, provided it is within his capacity. Otherwise, if he accidentally provokes a big shot and the other party doesn't even give him a chance to explain, he would lose his life!

Most importantly, the rough area is not far from the Academy District, and the mastermind might be someone from the Academy District.

The Academy District gathers so many elites; there are at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people who could easily finish off Li Zhangsheng. Before he grows strong enough, Li Zhangsheng naturally prioritizes 'keeping a low profile'.

Do only what your strength allows!

There are far, far too many fallen geniuses!

Every year, how many self-righteous geniuses, thinking they have some meager attainments, start drifting further and further down the road to self-destruction? Their greatest characteristic is—they don't live long!

Take Yuanling Academy, for example. As one of the Four Great Academies of Langya Kingdom, the students it recruits are not necessarily one in ten thousand, but one in a hundred is certain. Among them are many top-tier geniuses labeled as 'once-in-a-century', but how many geniuses have had their lives cut short halfway for various reasons before fully realizing their potential?

Among these fallen geniuses, there are many self-righteous ones. When they achieve certain successes, they think they are omnipotent and that the world revolves around them. Thus, they begin their journey of self-destruction. Each one thinks their 'driving skills' are superb; their original goal was 'kindergarten', but in the end, their confidence explodes, they start 'speeding' halfway, and as a result, they cannot control the 'speed' that exceeds their own abilities, ultimately leading to a 'crash and death'.

Reckless!

Many geniuses are killed by their own 'recklessness'. As the poem says: My old friend was as cocky as you, now the grass on their grave is lush and new!

To avoid this phenomenon as much as possible, Instructors always earnestly warn talented students: "Only a living genius is a genius!"

The 'Fool' did not get up, but she did not kowtow again either. Her eyes held a trace of confusion, as if she had fallen into memories, but judging by the ferocious expression of her bared teeth, she seemed to have fallen into painful memories.

The 'Fool' recalled and recounted the events of the past few years.

The story is quite melodramatic. Simply put, it was a blood case triggered by a love triangle. According to the 'Fool', she was the village belle back then, her family was well-off, and she rejected many who admired her, including a wealthy man in the village, eventually marrying an honest commoner.

The wealthy man was arrogant and also had a Mind Eye. After being rejected to his face by the 'Fool', he turned love into hatred for the 'Fool', and even his temperament became twisted. Not long after, he had a stroke of luck and became a Monster Tamer, launching his revenge against the 'Fool'.

Through the wealthy man's financial offensive, he arranged for the 'Fool's' husband to clean river silt while performing corvée labor. This was labor with a high mortality rate, especially in winter. The consequences can be imagined; in the end, the 'Fool's' husband did not survive that winter.

Soon, the 'Fool's' husband's family and her own family were also retaliated against. Some died, some were crippled, and some fled. In the end, only the 'Fool' and the little girl, who was still an infant at the time, remained.

Under the wealthy man's secret arrangements, the 'Fool' was ostracized and isolated by the villagers, and she even earned the labels of 'husband-killer' and 'jinx'.

Even after ruining the 'Fool's' family, the wealthy man still did not stop. He threatened the 'Fool' to her face, demanding she feign madness and act the fool under his nose, otherwise, he would do something to the 'Fool's' daughter. At the same time, to prevent the mother and daughter from escaping, they were both subjected to a certain Secret Technique that could track their location.

Thus, for the sake of her daughter, the 'Fool' had to start feigning madness and acting the fool. This pretense lasted for several years. It wasn't that she hadn't thought about taking her daughter and running away, but every time she was caught red-handed by the wealthy man, followed by a brutal beating.

After listening to the 'Fool's' story, Li Zhangsheng pondered for a long while, frowned, and asked: "Is he an Instructor or a student of some Academy? Or is he associated with some Academy?"

"No!" On this point, the 'Fool' was very clear.

"Then what about his strength?"

The 'Fool' shook her head: "I don't know!"

"How about this: whether I accept you two will have to wait until I find out the other party's strength!" Under the circumstance that the other party's strength was unknown, Li Zhangsheng did not immediately agree to the 'Fool's' request.

The wealthy man became a Monster Tamer a few years earlier than him; who knew to what extent he had grown.

In this situation, the 'Fool' could only nod silently and help her daughter stand up.

"You haven't had dinner yet, right? I have some snacks here; don't be shy!"

After ending the conversation, Li Zhangsheng took out some snacks. These snacks were made by the courtyard chef, whose culinary skills were quite exquisite. These snacks were not only delicious but also easy to digest.

The little girl hid behind her mother, her eyes fixed on the snacks without blinking, unable to look away. However, she still suppressed her inner desire and looked at her mother with longing eyes.

Due to the environment, from birth until now, the little girl had eaten leftovers and scraps, never having eaten anything good, and was always either full or hungry.

"Thank you!" the 'Fool' said, expressing her gratitude. She looked at her daughter with love and nodded at her.

After receiving her mother's permission, the little girl couldn't wait to pick up a snack and took a big bite. The wisps of sweetness went straight to her heart. Her eyes narrowed, her face beamed with an innocent smile, and she couldn't have been happier. Then she said indistinctly: "So delicious! This is the first time Bier has eaten something so good! Mother, you should taste it too!"

Since there were not many snacks, the 'Fool' did not eat. She swallowed her saliva, suppressed her inner desire, her eyes filled with deep maternal love, and she watched her daughter eat quietly, preparing to eat the rest after her daughter finished.

Perhaps she felt the snacks tasted too good, or perhaps she had never tasted such delicious food, the little girl ate very quickly, and as a result, she accidentally choked, and her little face turned bright red.

The 'Fool' hurriedly patted her back, but it was of no use.

"Don't rush, eat slowly. When you come next time, I'll bring you more!" Li Zhangsheng, who was about to check the data of the two cats, couldn't help but shake his head and laugh, summoning Kailan.

"Kailan, Healing Spring!"

Kailan flapped her nearly transparent wings, and wisps of green energy gathered, condensing into a mass of emerald liquid that floated in mid-air.

Ever since Kailan advanced to Middle Rank, her auxiliary abilities had risen with the tide, and the efficacy of the Healing Spring had been significantly improved.

Under Kailan's control, the Healing Spring formed a small stream of green water that shot into the little girl's mouth.

After drinking the Healing Spring, the little girl finally let out a sigh of relief, and her whole body felt completely comfortable, as if all her fatigue and pain were rapidly fading away. She couldn't help but close her eyes, revealing an expression of enjoyment.

Seeing her daughter's complexion return to normal, the 'Fool' finally set her heart at ease and couldn't help but thank Li Zhangsheng again.

The little girl's appetite was not large, which meant there was still quite a bit of Healing Spring left. Based on the principle of not wasting, Kailan turned to look at the scarred 'Fool', so the remaining Healing Spring found its recipient.

Under the recovery of the Healing Spring, the 'Fool' felt her whole body warm, and the wounds on her body began to close at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the hidden injuries accumulated over the years were also partially recovered.

To fully recover, it would take a period of recuperation.

Only at this moment did Li Zhangsheng finally have time to check the two cats.

(End of chapter)