Chapter 41: Permanent Little Genius State

'The money is a bit short...'

In Xianyun County, dozens of li away from Yanggu County, after Fang Can opened a guest room at an inn late at night, he gazed at his remaining three taels of silver and fell into deep thought.

According to the purchasing power of this world, these three taels of silver would be enough for an ordinary person to live frugally for a little over half a month.

But for someone in his situation, wandering everywhere, it wasn't even enough to cover the inn fees and food for these past few days.

'If I had known, I would have brought some gold when I transmigrated; I don't know when I'll be able to go back.' Fang Can sighed, flopped onto the wooden bed in the guest room, and pulled out a stack of receipts from his tunic.

These were the pledges of submission from major powers within a hundred li to the Tiger Demon Gate, allowing him to collect protection money from martial arts schools every month using these things.

Fang Can kept flipping through these receipts, marking the powers he would go to collect money from next based on the map in his mind.

Based on the collection dates, Fang Can picked out three receipts: the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School, the Green Mist Pavilion, and the Black Stone Gambling House.

As long as he took the receipts to their doors, he could earn at least 300 taels tomorrow, ensuring he wouldn't have to worry about money for a year; next, he would just take the money and slip away, wandering the world.

'I heard Senior Jiang's Tribulation Sword Mountain is in Liangzhou, which is a bit far; should I go seek her out?'

Fang Can lay leisurely on the bed with his legs crossed, letting his mind wander wildly.

But immediately recalling that the other party had recommended he undergo the Egg-Swapping Surgery, he instinctively rejected the idea.

Gazing at the twinkling stars through the window, Fang Can's consciousness gradually grew heavy, slowly falling into sleep.

Lying on the guest room bed, Fang Can had only napped for four hours before suddenly feeling a chill rise from the back of his head.

Almost instantly, this incredibly familiar sensation made him jump up, his right hand gripping the Longquan Treasure Sword leaning nearby, scanning the surroundings like a startled cat.

This chilling sensation was something Fang Can knew very well; it was his talent 'Misfortune Turns to Fortune' activating, meaning someone secretly threatening him definitely wanted to harm him.

'Where is the enemy?' Fang Can scanned the surroundings, sword drawn, looking around with a blank mind.

Calming down, he sat cross-legged on the floor, closing his eyes to feel the changes in 'Misfortune Turns to Fortune'.

He perceived that the superpower had indeed been triggered, but unlike the intense release in the past, it was maintaining his aptitude at a very stable level for continuous output.

'Does 'Misfortune Turns to Fortune' think that thing in the shadows might pose a threat to me, but since the threat isn't great, it's just symbolically boosting my aptitude a little?' Fang Can guessed.

Comparing the panels, Fang Can found that compared to the dozens-of-times aptitude boost from ingesting arsenic, his current aptitude was maintained at about three times the normal level, equivalent to the small danger of tripping and falling while walking.

But although the increase was small, it was stable; a three-times normal aptitude kept him in a 'Little Genius' state at every moment.

Since the superpower judged the danger to be not too great, Fang Can stopped worrying about it; after all, having someone with no real danger to him watching meant a free aptitude boost, which wasn't bad at all.

If they really jumped out, he would just crush them directly.

Looking up at the sky outside the window, dawn had just broken; the faint sunlight shone on him, constantly charging his cells.

He was now completely wide awake, so he simply packed his luggage to collect the debt; as for the first target, it was naturally the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School, the closest one here.

Carrying a long sword on his back, Fang Can, with short hair, passed through the early morning crowd; after leaving the Tiger Demon Gate, the proportion of martial artists around had decreased significantly.

Among the eighty or ninety people he met, only a few had steady steps and blood qi like a rainbow, and he hadn't seen a single one who had crossed the first threshold of the Profound Gate.

After all, practicing martial arts requires a strong will; martial artists with good aptitude must practice bitterly for two years just to barely reach the first stage of the Profound Gate.

But this realm is not stable; it will rise and fall based on one's state of mind.

The purpose of most people practicing martial arts is to stand out from the crowd.

But working hard in the fields during the day, enduring the boss's scolding, and accumulating a belly full of anger means that even if one is self-disciplined at night, a severely depressed state of mind will only hinder martial arts practice, achieving half the result with twice the effort.

So unless one is from a wealthy family, one doesn't even get the chance to practice martial arts; if life is unsatisfying, it is hard to cross the gate of martial arts.

Facing the morning glow, Fang Can arrived at the main gate of the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School, looked up at the vigorous and powerful characters carved on the plaque, and nodded slightly.

'May I ask, brother, what brings you to the Blazing Sun Martial Arts School?' the guard at the entrance asked.

While speaking, he sized up Fang Can; both his clothing and the treasure sword on his back did not seem like those of an ordinary mortal, causing him to speak with three parts more courtesy.

Fang Can did not waste time, immediately pulling out a receipt to show, saying, 'I come from the Tiger Demon Gate.'

Hearing 'Tiger Demon Gate', the guard's previously courteous tone dropped another three degrees; he bowed deeply with clasped hands in utmost respect:

'Please wait, honored guest; I will go inform the Master immediately.'

Watching the guard rush off to report, Fang Can also felt the other party's attitude was a bit exaggerated.

But then he saw the guard nearby grab a chair and place it behind Fang Can, flattering him: 'Honored guest, please sit; he will be back in less than an incense stick's time.'

Fang Can: '... Oh, you are too polite.'

The guard, overwhelmed with honor, waved his hands and said, 'Honored guest, what are you saying? This is all we should do.'

Inside the martial arts school, the guard who delivered the message ran all the way into the council hall and reported to the current Master, Ye Yonglie: 'Reporting to the Master, the Tiger Demon Gate has come to collect the rent.'

'Oh?' Ye Yonglie, who had just gotten up not long ago, tilted his head slightly in confusion: 'Why have they come so early today? Usually, they don't come until the Hour of Rooster?'

'I'm not sure. Moreover, unlike the disciples who came before, this time it is a new disciple I have never seen.'

'A new disciple?' Ye Yonglie frowned slightly: 'Did this disciple say how much they want to collect this time? 500 taels or 1000 taels?'

'He didn't say.' The guard scratched his head: 'However, I saw he is young, likely just graduated from the Martial Arts Hall with little experience; perhaps he will ask for less.'

'Hard to say.' Ye Yonglie felt the matter was somewhat difficult; after thinking for a while, he said, 'Invite him in first.'

'Yes, Master.'

Watching the guard's back as he ran out, Ye Yonglie sat on the Taishi chair and waited patiently.

He did not wait long; as a young man with an imposing presence walked in led by the guards, Ye Yonglie immediately rushed forward to greet him:

'Truly, heroes emerge from the youth. I am Ye Yonglie, the current Master of the Blazing Sun Hall. It is an honor to meet another young talent from the Tiger Demon Gate. May I ask your honorable name?'

'You can call me Fang Can; you should understand the purpose of my visit this time.' Fang Can smiled and pulled a receipt out of his pocket.

'Ah, of course, no problem at all.' Ye Yonglie smiled, took out a money bag, and stuffed it into Fang Can's hand: 'This is a small token of my appreciation.'

(End of Chapter)