Chapter 15

Volume One: Mountain Ghost Rumor, Chapter 15: Moving the Heart and Enduring the Nature

Wang Huan didn't know what his mood was now.

He stared blankly at the calm Zhao Chan; this child killed a demon as if it were a small chick, as if it were a matter of course.

He still carried the Green Snake sword, the leather used to make the scabbard was not new, it was yellowish-brown, a bit shabby.

The peach branch tucked diagonally at his waist had sprouted tender buds. In this season of autumn wind and autumn rain, one's gaze was involuntarily attracted to it, and one would immediately feel a hint of spring.

Wang Huan found it hard to believe.

He smiled: "Little Toad, are you sure you killed a demon and not a demon beast?

Demons open their wisdom, while demon beasts are just slightly more powerful beasts. You have to distinguish between them."

The implication was that demon beasts are easy to deal with, while demons are different. You went to Erniu Mountain alone, it's understandable to rely on the Green Snake sword to slaughter a demon beast.

Killing a demon?

Not to mention him, even that group of Demon Slayers from the Yang County Demon Slaying Division who had seen many scenes wouldn't believe that a young man harvesting lacquer in the mountains would kill a demon on the very day he joined the Demon Slaying Division.

What is this called?

An unparalleled genius who doesn't lose to those in big places!

He should be cultivated at all costs with massive amounts of heavenly treasures and top-notch cultivation secret manuals!

Zhao Chan was still as calm and composed as ever: "It was indeed a demon, but in my memory, there have never been demons on Erniu Mountain."

He didn't think killing a demon was such an amazing thing; in his heart, he only felt the luck and lingering fear after escaping death.

Wang Huan coughed and stared at Zhao Chan's expression, very much hoping to see the awkwardness after lying.

There was none.

Zhao Chan was speaking very seriously.

It was definitely not a lie.

He was expounding on something that had already happened.

"Tell me the details."

Zhao Chan omitted the wolf pack and only talked about the tiger demon.

He even deliberately downplayed the tiger demon's strength.

He said that even if it swallowed a merchant team alive, it was just a facade, and under the blade of the Green Snake sword, it was pitifully weak.

He said that although it was a demon, it was not worthy of its name, and it couldn't even beat a young man like him, eventually letting him find an opportunity to split it in two.

"Did you see the emotions that only humans possess in the tiger demon's eyes?" Wang Huan gradually believed that Zhao Chan had indeed killed a demon with his own hands.

Nothing else, it was all thanks to the Green Snake sword. This sword had been imbued with magic power by an expert from the Yang County Demon Slaying Division, so killing demons was a piece of cake.

Zhao Chan nodded solemnly and replied: "I saw it, it was fear and panic."

The tiger demon only revealed fear and panic before it died.

When it was fighting Zhao Chan in close quarters, it was all anger and mockery.

"That's right," Wang Huan signaled him to sit down and explained: "This big cat is a particularly weak demon. You have the Green Snake sword, and you can kill it if you deal with it properly. Of course, ordinary people would have been trembling with fear when they ran into such a big cat, let alone killing a demon? Little Toad, you didn't let me down! You are good material!"

"Brother Wang, the tiger demon's corpse is still on Erniu Mountain."

"No rush, wait for Shao Hua and the others to return, then I will go and deal with it."

The tiger demon's body is full of treasures. He was prepared to bring the corpse back to the Demon Slaying Division, boil soup with tiger bones and tiger tendons to supplement Zhao Chan's body and strengthen his physique, and then send the tiger skin to the tailor shop to sew a winter coat for Little Toad to resist the cold.

Zhao Chan stood up: "There is nothing else in the Demon Slaying Division, so I'll go back. I have an appointment with the coffin shop to pay in the evening, and because of this matter, I was delayed..."

Wang Huan waved his hand.

"Brother Wang, rest early."

"Wait."

"Does Brother Wang have any instructions?"

Wang Huan smiled: "A young man should talk more, you talked too little before."

Zhao Chan was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Probably after joining the Demon Slaying Division, I became more cheerful."

As his lacquer harvesting skills became better and better, Lao Liu asked him to hide his skills from other lacquer harvesters in Youju Town.

Zhao Chan asked why in confusion.

Lao Liu explained that the human heart is the most terrifying thing. If a child like you harvests lacquer better than them, you can put yourself in their shoes and think about it: will they be jealous of you? Will they snatch the lacquer you worked so hard to harvest when you are not prepared? Only by being weak and pitiful in front of them can you perhaps stimulate their compassion and make them feel sympathy for you. Hiding one's skills is a good thing. There is a saying in Confucianism: a gentleman hides his tools in his body and waits for the right time to move. When you have nothing to do, think about it carefully.

So, Zhao Chan hid his skills from Wang Huan.

However, he understood that he had missed mentioning the wolf pack. After Wang Huan saw the wolf corpses on Erniu Mountain, he would inevitably be exposed. He could only deal with the wolf corpses after finishing the current matter.

Time is really not enough.

Running fast, in front of Nongsui Lane, Zhao Chan noticed an outsider hiding in the shadows of Caiyan Street observing him.

That outsider probably thought he wouldn't be exposed, but his gaze fixed on Zhao Chan, making Zhao Chan feel like he had thorns on his back.

The outsider had murderous intent!

He opened the door lock and left the door wide open.

He ran into the house, pushed open the clothing box, lifted the bricks covered by the clothing box, pried the bricks open, and took out a cloth bag full of copper coins from underneath.

After restoring the bricks and the clothing box to their original state, Zhao Chan locked the door tightly, avoided the outsider, and ran to the coffin shop from the other end of Nongsui Lane.

The coffin shop was lit with a candle the size of a mung bean.

The apprentice was resting his chin on his hands, yawning straight away.

Hearing footsteps, the apprentice opened his eyes and looked outside the door with great hope.

Zhao Chan ran in.

"Brother Zhao, you finally came!!" The apprentice didn't give him a good look, "We agreed to deliver the money in the evening, but it's already the hour of the pig!"

Zhao Chan bowed and apologized like Yang Yun: "It was my delay, making you wait until now."

He gripped two copper coins in his hand and stuffed them to the apprentice: "I apologize to you."

The apprentice accepted the money and immediately beamed with joy, putting his arms around his shoulders: "You are too polite, we see each other every day, no need to be so polite."

"I'm really sorry."

"Did Brother Zhao bring the money?"

"Brought it, brought it."

"My shopkeeper went back to rest. I'll record it in the account book for you. Oh right, when will the coffin be delivered to your house?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Alright, open the door early."

Buying the coffin, Zhao Chan breathed a sigh of relief again.

Lao Liu's sleeping place was finally settled.

He could have wrapped the remains in a straw mat and buried them hastily, but he couldn't pass that hurdle in his heart.

Lao Liu taught him how to harvest lacquer, taught him how to strengthen his body, and taught him the principles of being a person. He was his benefactor, so he couldn't deal with Lao Liu's funeral perfunctorily.

Zhao Chan is particularly vengeful, even to the point of returning every grievance, but he also repays every kindness.

Like the merchant team teasing Sister Wan'er at the Xizhao Inn, since he had eaten Sister Wan'er's meal, he didn't hesitate to offend them to repay the kindness of the meal.

Little people have the cunning of little people, but also the persistence of little people.

Paid for the coffin.

Completely penniless.

Zhao Chan didn't care. Money is an external object, you can't bring it when you are born and you can't take it when you die. He valued more what he had gained.

Yang Yun lived in Zhecao Alley next to Nongsui Lane.

He knew Brother Yang's house.

He glanced at the corner where the outsider was hiding from Caiyan Street and took a long detour to Zhecao Alley.

The small alley was pitch black.

Stopping in front of Yang Yun's house, Zhao Chan vaguely heard Brother Yang's reading voice.

He knocked on the door gently.

Yang Yun was reading with great concentration and didn't hear it.

Zhao Chan withdrew his hand and waited silently. After Brother Yang's reading voice came to an end, he knocked on the door again.

This time, hurried footsteps came from the courtyard, and with a few creaks, Yang Yun stood inside the door, bowed and said: "Oh, Brother, you must have waited for a long time, right? Please come in, I have neglected you, I am really ashamed."

Zhao Chan returned the salute strictly: "Brother Yang is serious, it was clearly my delay."

"No matter, the night is long, we brothers can discuss knowledge all night."

After returning the salute, Zhao Chan entered the courtyard.

Yang Yun trimmed the candle wick to make the candlelight brighter.

Zhao Chan stared at the candlelight for a while, as if it had burned through the night.

Carefully putting away the books, Yang Yun sat beside him, exchanged pleasantries, and then discussed calligraphy.

Zhao Chan listened extremely seriously, not letting go of any word Yang Yun said. When he encountered something he didn't understand, he would wait for Yang Yun to finish the paragraph before asking.

The two were polite and had a very strong interest in talking.

And when Yang Yun explained to the wonderful point, he danced with excitement, spread out inferior paper with the candlelight, soaked the brush with ink, and demonstrated to Zhao Chan stroke by stroke.

Until the rooster crowed at the hour of the ox.

Yang Yun smiled with unfinished interest: "The way of pen and ink is vast and profound, and it can never be practiced well in one night or one morning. It requires hard work and persistence for several years, perhaps then one can achieve something small. Brother, you should be fourteen years old this year, right?"

"Yes."

"Starting to practice calligraphy at the age of fourteen is a bit late, but Brother, you are a handsome person like unpolished jade. As long as you persist in practicing calligraphy, it is not impossible that you will achieve success one day! Brother, you must know the four words 'great vessels mature late'!"

Yang Yun seemed afraid that Zhao Chan would be discouraged by the way of pen and ink, held his hand, and said sincerely: "When ancient sages sought knowledge, they did not fear difficulties and obstacles. As long as they sought true knowledge, all hardships were sweet. Although the way of the sages is far, the diligence in learning and the excellence in diligence when the sages sought knowledge are treasures that our scholars should keep in mind."

"Brother, your family is poor, I know this. These papers and pen and ink are gifts from me to you."

Yang Yun's own family was also poor, how could Zhao Chan accept it?

He declined repeatedly.

Yang Yun, a weak scholar who couldn't even truss a chicken, how could he stop Zhao Chan, a young man in the Middle-grade Body Refining Realm?

He pulled his body away, ran to the front door, bowed deeply to Yang Yun, closed the door tightly for him, and then turned and disappeared into the darkness.

Yang Yun stomped his feet and sighed, on the one hand proud of Zhao Chan's behavior of "a gentleman does not eat food given in contempt", and on the other hand, sighing that a young man with extremely high talent in the way of pen and ink was unfair to heaven because he could not concentrate on practicing calligraphy and reading due to poverty.

He knew clearly that when he explained the way of pen and ink just now, from shallow to deep, Zhao Chan listened with great interest, and the questions he raised were also to the point. Without extremely high talent, one could not notice it!

In fact, the teacher at the private school had already taught calligraphy, but Zhao Chan was busy harvesting lacquer to earn money to support himself, so he missed the opportunity.

Yang Yun returned to the room and looked down at a paragraph he had written.

This paragraph was used to disassemble the font for Zhao Chan. The brushwork was strict and well-paced. If the inspector in charge of the imperial examination saw it, he would be amazed.

He murmured and recited: "Therefore, when heaven is about to descend a great responsibility on a person, it must first suffer his heart and will, labor his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, empty his body, and disrupt his actions, so as to move his heart and endure his nature, and increase what he cannot do."

"Brother, I rely on this paragraph to not lose my spirit and focus on the books of sages!"

"This paragraph is also given to you."

Qiu Gao climbed into Zhao Chan's home in the dark.

He drew his sword.

He walked into the house with light footsteps.

He vaguely saw the bedside.

He immediately swung his sword to slash.

Unfortunately, he slashed at empty air, there was no one on the bed.

Qiu Gao was surprised, touched the bed, and there was no temperature at all, proving that the owner of this house didn't come back to sleep tonight.

"Strange, I clearly saw him come home."

"Could it be that I'm going to return empty-handed?"

"No, no, I accepted someone's four-tael deposit, I must complete the task with quality and quantity."

"Besides, there are still six taels of silver that haven't been given to me. I must get that ten-year dragon whisker grass from the medical shop!"

"With it, I might be able to take another step toward Middle-grade Body Refining."

"I really want to progress too much!"

He was like a madman, touching around Zhao Chan's home, slashing everything that could hide people.

Especially the clothing box for storing clothes, which was slashed to pieces, and the clothes were scattered all over the floor. That copy of "Qionglin" copied by the private school teacher luckily didn't get slashed.

Zhao Chan really didn't come back.

Qiu Gao panted heavily and made up his mind to stay here.

He didn't believe it.

A young man without a father or mother, can he not come home?

Finding some food, he looked at it by the starlight and moonlight, and it turned out to have meat, vegetables, and rice. Qiu Gao immediately gorged himself.

Bai Yuqing and Bai Youjun stood on the roof, looking far away at Qiu Gao doing evil in Zhao Chan's home.

Bai Youjun puffed up her cheeks angrily: "Sister! That bastard ate the food I bought for the Young Master!"

"Just buy another portion?"

"No, Sister, every portion of food represents my heart! That bastard ruined the heart I gave to the Young Master!"

Bai Yuqing was laughed at by her unreasonable trouble.

"Sister, Sister! Make the decision for me!"

"Rest assured, your Young Master will make the decision for you."

Bai Yuqing glanced to the other side, A Ping was also standing on the roof, also paying attention to Qiu Gao's every move.

The moonlight shone on the sword mark on his forehead, looking slightly ferocious.

A Ping's appearance looked ordinary, but his facial features were actually pleasing to the eye. If he fell in love with a woman, he would definitely become a master in the flower bushes.

"You are injured," Bai Yuqing raised her eyebrows, looking heroic.

She is an extremely beautiful fairy, but has the heroism of a woman not inferior to a man.

Bai Youjun is playful and graceful, her cherry mouth pouting slightly, which would immediately make people feel distressed and want to coax her to be happy.

The two sisters stood together, each with their own merits. However, Bai Yuqing in a white dress was more eye-catching than Bai Youjun.

"Slaughtered an old flood dragon and got a little injured," A Ping said threateningly.

Bai Yuqing sneered: "So it was you who killed that old flood dragon deep in the mountain. Wangqing River is the closest to here, it should be the Jiao Clan there."

"Hmm."

"Heh, the Wangqing River Jiao Clan are all a bunch of trash that can't be brought to the table. You got injured to kill an old piece of trash, and you are only slightly stronger than trash. But in my opinion, you are no different from trash."

"Monster! You are presumptuous!" A Ping was angry.

Bai Yuqing mocked: "You can't even endure a little bit of idle gossip. The ability of the Xuanwei Sect to teach disciples is really not good. No wonder there are so many filthy things in the sect."

A Ping calmed his mood.

It wasn't that he couldn't endure idle gossip, it was because Bai Yuqing and Bai Youjun entered Youju Town openly, which was simply challenging his bottom line.

"You sisters are loved by heaven and earth, no different from humans, why not..."

"Do you think you are the Heavenly Lord? Can you control it?" This time it wasn't Bai Yuqing, but Bai Youjun who spoke sarcastically.

A Ping was about to fight back when Zhao Chan walked into Nongsui Lane.

It was already the hour of the ox, and the sky was about to dawn.

The young man walked very slowly.