Chapter 6: Madam Eats Meat, Commander Drinks Soup
Seeing the Servants begin to busy themselves, Luo Fang chuckled, thinking, “Heaven truly helps me. A bunch of lowly beasts, it’s not that I, Luo Fang, don’t give you a chance to rise.”
“It’s that you were born with a lowly fate and don’t have that good fortune.”
Luo Fang lay on a chair, leisurely watching the busy crowd.
Sometimes, when he got tired of lying down, he would get up and walk around. If anyone dared to slack off, he would whip them.
Of course, he controlled his strength very well, only injuring the skin and flesh, not the sinews and bones. And he only hit the back, never the hands or feet.
“Faster, faster, all be diligent. If you can’t hold on, think about the reward money, think about the chicken legs.”
“Hehe, after suffering comes sweetness. Who knows, you might even gain Madam Zhuang’s appreciation.”
His sense of superiority was evident; he spoke as if standing didn’t hurt his back. Seeing the envious and awed gazes of the Servants, he felt a surge of secret delight.
Passing by Li Xian, he noticed that although Li Xian’s steps weren’t fast, they were extremely steady. He let out a soft “Oh,” “You, kid, your legs are quite nimble.”
“I used to love running around everywhere,” Li Xian wiped off his sweat, his back completely soaked.
“Keep up the good work,” Luo Fang didn’t pay much attention, just gave a word of instruction and went elsewhere.
After walking away, Luo Fang spat lightly, secretly cursing, “A lowly life, but born with a good physique.”
“But what’s the use?”
…
Evening arrived in a flash, and they finally got a moment to rest. The cook from the mess hall pushed fresh meals over.
He delivered hot meals and dishes to the Servants in turn.
However, the Servants on the Water Carrying line, even during rest, were not allowed to wander off.
“Here’s yours.”
The cook handed over a meal tray. Li Xian, extremely hungry, said, “It’s not enough, add more.”
“Normally, adding rice would cost you at least one coin. But fine, it’s not easy for you either.”
The cook scooped a large spoonful. Seeing Li Xian was young and thin, he felt a pang of sympathy and silently scooped another spoonful of vegetables.
He added two more pieces of meat, intentionally picking a fatty piece.
Li Xian was startled, “Tha… thanks.” He wiped the sweat from his hands, grabbed the food, and put it into his mouth.
As soon as the dish entered his mouth, the taste was distinctly different.
It was much saltier than usual, but this saltiness… was a life-saving elixir, capable of quickly restoring physical strength.
After finishing the coarse rice and plain vegetables, Li Xian picked up the last piece of fatty meat. Just looking at it made his mouth water.
“If it were in my previous life, I wouldn’t even look at such fatty meat.”
But now… he only regretted not having enough. The fatty meat entered his mouth, and with a gentle bite, the oil filled his oral cavity. At this moment, the taste was indescribable.
【Skill: Water Carrying】
【Proficiency: 0 / 1000 Mastery】
【Description: Carry water a thousand times, walk quickly without spilling water. Young man, do your waist, arms, and legs feel sore?】
Even an ordinary skill, when practiced to a certain extent, can yield extraordinary effects.
Weeding had given Li Xian extreme resilience and patience.
Water Carrying, on the other hand, was training his hand-foot coordination.
“Today, Wild Bull Fist made no progress. Since I can’t change the current situation, I’ll try my best to master 【Water Carrying】!”
A flash of determination flickered in Li Xian’s eyes.
The Dao is under his feet, his legs are on his body; if he wants to move forward, no thousand difficulties and ten thousand dangers can stop him!
“Time to work, you lowly beasts.”
Luo Fang brandished his whip, cracking it in the air.
It was already night, and the Water Carrying line was lit with torches. Li Xian and the others were still carrying water.
Just like that, they toiled through the night.
In their extreme fatigue, the Servants’ expressions were numb.
Suddenly, with a “thud,” a Servant fell straight to the ground.
Luo Fang checked his breath; though he still had life, he was clearly beyond saving.
“Carry him away, carry him away, useless waste, a waste of the Zhuang’s cultivation.”
With one person less on the Water Carrying line, everyone’s distance naturally increased. The burden was divided among each Servant.
From then on, every half an hour, someone would collapse.
Some were exhausted to the point of heart damage, some had their hand and foot Meridians ruptured… Li Xian pretended to be on the verge of death, but he just wouldn’t die.
In silence and numbness…
Three days passed in a blink of an eye.
In these three days, nearly a hundred Servants died, and the route had to be redrawn.
“I see your physique is quite good, you can endure and create. From now on, you’ll be responsible for this section of the road.”
Luo Fang made Li Xian fetch water at the Zhuang’s entrance and deliver it directly to the fiercely burning cauldron.
This section of the road had the most Servant deaths!
Two buckets of spring water were placed in his hands.
Li Xian was very uneasy. He carried the spring water into the Zhuang, following the instructions, all the way to the cauldron.
Only at this moment did he see the end of the Water Carrying.
In a spacious courtyard, there was a four-legged square cauldron taller than a man.
The fire burned fiercely; even five or six zhang away, he felt the scorching heat, burning his skin painfully.
“No wonder… the outside climate is severe, while here the fire is raging. The Servants carrying water back and forth, with such alternating cold and heat, naturally find it hard to survive.”
Li Xian understood this point and calculated the time. Three days had already passed. There were less than four days left until the bodyguard competition!
He felt a little anxious, but the Wild Bull Fist proficiency was still at 【712】.
The further they went, the more Servants died, and the longer the path they had to walk.
“Overthinking cannot change the current situation; on the contrary, it will disturb my mind!”
Li Xian strengthened his resolve and continued to carry water back and forth.
Finally, he endured until the fourth day and night.
“Splash…”
The last bucket of water was poured into the bronze cauldron, turning into bursts of steam. The flames extinguished, and it was finally done!
Luo Fang, the Servant supervisor, Pang Long, the bodyguard commander, and others all bowed their heads, first performing the proper etiquette to welcome Madam Zhuang.
Li Xian was also there. He stood in a secluded corner, his head bowed, looking at his toes.
From the corner of his eye, he could glimpse Madam Zhuang’s skirt and white silk Phoenix embroidered shoes.
He didn’t see her face, only heard her voice.
“I will take and consume this meat. The remaining broth will be divided into ten portions.
Pang Long, you take seven portions and distribute them as you see fit, but do not drink it all yourself. Luo Fang, you take three portions, mix it into the broth, and distribute it among the Servants to drink.”
“You all worked hard for me, so consider these your rewards.”
Her voice was light, carrying an inherent, unchallengeable authority.
Before everyone could recover, a gust of wind blew, and Madam Zhuang was already gone.
Luo Fang stepped forward, fawning:
“Commander Pang, we don’t need three portions of the broth. These two portions are all our filial piety to you.”
Pang Long was tall with coarse features. He glanced indifferently and said coldly, “Madam Zhuang has made arrangements. If she said three portions for you, then it’s three portions. Do you dare to defy her?”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare,” Luo Fang smiled ingratiatingly, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, his legs trembling beneath his robes.
“Hmph,” Pang Long snorted, ordered his men to take seven portions of the broth, and turned to leave.
The remaining three portions… naturally fell into Luo Fang’s hands.
Luo Fang really wanted to keep it all, but Madam Zhuang had personally decreed it, and Pang Long strictly adhered to it. How could he dare to defy it in the slightest?
He muttered to himself:
“Madam Zhuang said ‘distribute as you see fit.’ I’ll drink one and a half portions. Bi Hao, my nephew, is at a crucial stage of martial arts practice, so I’ll let him drink one portion.
The remaining half portion… I’ll mix it into clear water, boil it into a soup, and let the Servants drink it. Oh well, I guess that’s cheap for them.”
He was speaking, completely engrossed.
He had entirely forgotten that Li Xian was also nearby, having overheard these words, and couldn’t help but clench his fists.
The four words “distribute as you see fit” clearly referred to Pang Long. As for the latter part, Madam Zhuang’s original intention was clearly for all three portions of the broth to be distributed among the thousand-plus Servants.
But in Luo Fang’s mouth,
Bi Hao, who had done nothing, could get one portion of the broth. Luo Fang himself would enjoy one and a half portions.
Li Xian and the others, who had toiled themselves to death, could only share half a portion!
Who wouldn’t be indignant, who wouldn’t be angry at such a disparity? Especially Li Xian, who was at a critical juncture and would have a contest with Bi Hao.
“Hmm?”
Luo Fang noticed Li Xian, dismissed him with a sneer, and didn’t put him in his eyes at all.
…
Li Xian clenched his fists, his tired eyes containing a fierce determination.
In the remaining three days, he would achieve Minor Achievement in Wild Bull Fist no matter what!
Please follow, please collect, please everything!