Chapter 42: Guidance and Meeting

Feeling the weight in his hand, Fang Can estimated it to be about one jin, though the crushed silver made up only a small portion.

From the corner of the silver bag peeking out, one could see the silver notes tucked inside.

After all, one hundred taels roughly converted to several jin; carrying that amount around the whole street would be somewhat absurd.

"Mr. Fang Can, no need to count." Ye Yonglie spoke with sincere tone: "One hundred taels is your remuneration for the trouble of coming here; the remaining four hundred taels are our heartfelt gift. This amount is no less than the previous one, and every month henceforth will be the same."

Hearing the other party say this, Fang Can narrowed his eyes, his smile at the corner of his mouth growing even brighter.

He hadn't expected extra income; a total of five hundred taels was truly an unexpected joy.

Feeling the heavy weight of the money, Fang Can was about to take his leave when the hall master's inquiry rang in his ear: "Young friend Fang Can, shall we proceed as per the usual custom?"

'The usual custom? What usual custom?'

Fang Can retracted his words of farewell, thinking inwardly: Could there be some unspoken rule I don't know about?

With a hint of unease, he smiled and nodded, saying: "Naturally, just follow the rules of the Tiger Fierce Gate as before."

"Good. Next, please have the Tiger Fierce Gate's newly graduated disciple offer guidance to our disciples." The hall master looked at the guard beside him and said: "Go and summon all the disciples in the hall to rise and prepare to receive guidance."

At Ye Yonglie's instruction, gongs and drums soon began to sound. Before long, one by one, the disciples of the Blazing Sun Martial Hall, urged on, got up, put on their uniform training clothes, and lined up before Fang Can.

"Young friend Fang Can, these are the unrefined disciples of the hall; the highest among them is merely at the Second Layer of the Profound Gate."

Ye Yonglie pointed at the row of more than a dozen young disciples before him and smiled: "I know your time is tight; you only need to offer a little guidance on martial arts for two hours."

'Good heavens.' Fang Can, feeling the heavy money bag in his hand, realized that protection money wasn't so easy to take; he still had to act as a private tutor.

He roughly understood the Tiger Fierce Gate's intention in doing this: to show off their strength to the powers within the territory. After all, if even a mere disciple of our Tiger Fierce Gate can offer you guidance, let alone the managers, hall masters, and gate masters above.

However, earning five hundred taels of silver for just two hours of private tutoring was indeed a huge profit. Fang Can found it hard to refuse; the only problem was how he should teach later.

After all, his current realm was only the First Layer of the Profound Gate. Although he could kill any Transcendent Body expert without a Heart Manifestation one-on-one, the First Layer of the Profound Gate was still just the First Layer.

If he revealed his true level during the sparring, this group would definitely suspect his origins. That would create unnecessary complications, forcing him to spend time slaughtering everyone in the Blazing Sun Martial Hall, which simply wasn't worth it.

Thinking of this, Fang Can smiled slightly and said: "Since Ye Ye Guanzhu Ye says so, I will reluctantly teach your disciples a little."

"Due to the rule that our sect's martial arts cannot be taught externally, I cannot offer guidance on martial techniques. In that case, I can only slightly temper your wills."

As he spoke, a strange, intimidating aura completely erupted from Fang Can, pressing down on everyone's hearts.

"This is... a Heart Manifestation!" Feeling the mental pressure, everyone stood frozen in shock.

Looking at Fang Can's youthful face, so young yet already a master above the Sixth Layer of the Profound Gate, stronger even than the hall master, it was simply terrifying.

Facing the bright, attentive gazes of these people, Fang Can, being so young, smiled shyly and said: "My martial arts are humble; I hope everyone does not feel it is unworthy."

"Worthy, these five hundred taels were spent too worthily." Ye Yonglie said excitedly, looking at Fang Can with an admiring gaze, voicing the thoughts of all the disciples.

This was a rare release of a Heart Manifestation by a Heart Manifestation martial artist not for the purpose of combat, allowing them to directly feel the details of the Heart Manifestation. In the ancient era, where people cherished their own trifles, even a thousand gold could not buy such an opportunity.

It was also that Fang Can had misjudged his own value, or perhaps because the first faction he encountered was the Tiger Fierce Gate, his vision had become too high.

Just possessing a Heart Manifestation, casually affiliating with a martial hall and willing to use the Heart Manifestation to temper the disciples' perseverance, earning a hundred gold a month was not a dream; there were plenty of people willing to pay to experience it.

'So this is the feeling of a Heart Manifestation?' Ye Yonglie closed his eyes and, together with all the disciples, greedily comprehended Fang Can's Heart Manifestation.

Even though he was honored as the hall master and had solidified his realm at the Sixth Layer through more than twenty years of bitter training, he had yet to birth a Heart Manifestation.

Feeling that aura which made their hearts beat uneasily, all these disciples breathed heavily, attempting to swallow this Heart Manifestation into their bellies to digest it.

After all, guidance on techniques was common, but encountering something like a Heart Manifestation was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Between having it and not having it lay a huge barrier; most martial artists with insufficient talent could never cross it in their entire lives.

Now, a Heart Manifestation expert was letting them experience it at will, which would be of great help to them in birthing their own Heart Manifestations after their realms reached the standard in the future.

'Are these guys really that much?' Leaning sideways in the armchair, Fang Can propped his cheek with his hand, silently cursing in his heart.

Watching the scene before him where each one comprehended with their hearts, their faces full of enjoyment, Fang Can felt they were like masochists being strung along by green tea, and yet they were all men wearing philosophical expressions, which was somewhat too absurd.

Amidst his patient gaze, Fang Can noticed a youth within the range of his Heart Manifestation whose expression remained calm throughout.

Compared to the others who could hardly control themselves, the other party was exceptionally calm, which naturally attracted his attention.

'Hmph, the same old trick, trying to deceive the master and these country bumpkins with a Heart Manifestation.' Yuan Dang snorted coldly in his heart.

As a reborn person, having read the biographies others wrote about Fang Can, he knew clearly that the current Fang Tian Di possessed only the First Layer of the Profound Gate and was pretending to be a god using a Heart Manifestation.

But even though he knew clearly in his heart, he dared not expose it.

Because the fact that someone at the First Layer of the Profound Gate possessed a Heart Manifestation was even more outrageous, almost unprecedented. Speaking it out would not only fail to harm the other party but would only expose himself.

"What are you thinking?" Suddenly, a curious voice rang in Yuan Dang's ear.

He slightly opened his eyes and saw a youth with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes sitting astride a chair, his hands casually folded together, looking at him curiously.

Before his eyes! Who else could it be but Fang Can?

'Fang...' Yuan Dang stepped back in fright, almost uttering the three words "Fang Tian Di."

The psychological shadow Fang Can had left on him in his previous life was too great. Seeing the person himself now, even with all his disgust and anger, when he truly faced Fang Can, his knees instinctively bent as he knelt down before Fang Can.

'How could this be? This didn't happen in the previous life. Did I change history?'

Yuan Dang's heart churned like a storm, fear rising within him. He couldn't even care about kneeling anymore, fearing Fang Can would see his ill intentions, and hurriedly lowered his head, saying: "I... I..."

"Yuan Dang, do not be presumptuous; do not disturb Mr. Fang's teaching." Suddenly, Ye Yonglie's angry rebuke rang in Yuan Dang's ear.

(End of this chapter)