Chapter 48: Scenery
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Village Chief Meng Bai had difficulties even opening this mouth. The air of savageness emitted by the Blue Fire Wolf’s body had even caused his body to tremble.
Blue Fire Wolf, the real Blue Fire Wolf skin, there is no second one in the entire Cang Ling Mountain outskirt!
Why did it suddenly appear in Fang Zhengzhi’s basket? Zhang Yangping just said that, said that Fang Zhengzhi… Fang Zhengzhi killed the Blue Fire Wolf?!
"This, this… how can it be possible?!" Village Chief Meng Bai thought of the predicament of the Southern Mountain Village these few years, and thought of all the fateful occasions when the hunting squad encountered the Blue Fire Wolf.
Yet today, the King of the Cang Ling Mountain outskirts, had quietly appeared right in front of him. Except, he had just exiled the person who killed it from the Southern Mountain Village?!
"Today, village chief! You have made the dumbest decision ever!"
"The dumbest decision ever!"
"The dumbest decision ever!"
Zhang Yangping’s words echoed about his ears. Village Chief Meng Bai sat, completely unable to move, on the floor, the cigar on his hands had already fallen somewhere far away….
…
Once they have walked out from Village Chief Meng Bai’s house, Zhang Yangping had followed tightly behind Fang Zhengzhi.
"Little brother Zhengzhi, the Southern Mountain Village exiling you, that is a good thing!"
"Oh… sorry, I didn’t mean that. What I meant was, the Southern Mountain Village might not be the best place, why not you consider our Northern Mountain Village?"
"Our Northern Mountain Village has verdant hills and limpid waters, as long as you are willing to come to the Northern Mountain Village, I promise I will give… Hey, hey, little brother Zhengzhi, don’t go away…"
Fang Zhengzhi didn’t reply Zhang Yangping, and quietly followed beside Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian.
The family of three returned to their door of their small mud house in silence. Qin Xuelian patted Fang Zhengzhi’s hair, the expression in her eyes was somewhat complicated. "Zhengzhi, did you really kill the Blue Fire Wolf?"
"Yes." Zhengzhi nodded.
"Good, very good!" I, Fang Houde, am truly satisfied to have a son like you! But, sigh…" Fang Houde looked at Fang Zhengzhi, then looked at the rising chimney smoke around him with a desolate look in his eyes.
Qin Xuelian’s gaze swept across the mud house, and discretely wiped away the moisture at her eyes with a handkerchief, then, quickly began to pack.
Fang Zhengzhi didn’t say anything further, and only quietly observed. He understood very clearly his Dad’s current feelings. Growing up in the Southern Mountain Village since young, his dad had contributed and sacrificed everything for this Southern Mountain Village.
Even after losing an arm, he still continued to participate in the hunting squad’s mountain expeditions.
But in the end…
He was chased out of the village.
Even though Qin Xuelian didn’t grow up in the Southern Mountain Village, but, in this era, women that were married out were like water that was thrown out, who would have the face to return back to their mother’s house?
In reality, Fang Zhengzhi knew, after Zhang Yangping took out the Blue Fire Wolf skin, the situation could still be salvaged. As long as his dad opened his mouth, everything would return back to normal.
But, once a person’s heart had been broken to such an extent, could it still return back to normal?
"Mum, dad… let’s leave!" Looking at the setting sun, Fang Zhengzhi shot a meaningful glance towards Zhang Yangping, and walked to Qin Xuelian and Fang Houde’s side.
"Let’s leave!" Fang Houde once again looked back, and sighed.
"Actually, we indeed haven’t returned home in some time!" Qin Xuelian tried to make herself happier as she packed her luggage.
"Dad, mum, do you wish to learn the Law of Dao?"
"Good son… The Law of Dao can’t be learnt so easily, normal people like us wouldn’t be so fortunate!" Fang Houde looked at his arm, and shook his head.
"What are you saying? Isn’t our son already reading the Law of Dao? Isn’t that right, Zhengzhi?" Qin Xuelian instantly became somewhat unhappy.
"Yes, mum is right! Not only am I reading the Law of Dao, I can even understand everything that is written on it. I can even memorise an entire portion the Law of Dao. Dad, mum, I can really teach you to learn the Law of Dao!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian with an earnest look on his young face.
The expression on Fang Houde’s face instantly froze.
Qin Xuelian also looked at Fang Zhengzhi, her face filled with shock. She absolutely couldn’t believe it, but they were words that came from her own son. But, as his mother, how could she doubt them?
Fang Zhengzhi began to recite.
"This, is the Six Combinations Travel Tactics from Law of Dao and The Art of Becoming Invisible Chapter!" When Fang Houde finished reciting, he patiently explained it to Fang Houde and Qin Xuelian.
"My son… had successfully self-studied?!" The bag Qin Xuelian held in her hands instantly fell to the ground.
...
"I never expected sister Xuelian’s hometown was actually the Northern Mountain Village?! Ha ha ha… this is excellent!" Zhang Yangping exclaimed happily as he helped to pack the luggage.
"Going to the Northern Mountain Village, I have one request!" As Fang Zhengzhi looked at Zhang Yangping laugh delightedly, he couldn’t resist dampening his enthusiasm.
"Little brother Zhengzhi, if you have any request, please say it. As long as the Northern Mountain Village can do it, we will definitely accept!" When Zhang Yangping heard this, he instantly thumped his chest, expressing that he would guarantee it.
"I want to have the entire Law of Dao!"
"The entire Law of Dao?!" Zhang Yangping was taken aback. Collecting and amassing the entire Law of Dao wasn’t a small sum of money. It required the effort of the entire village to achieve that.
"As a form of repayment, I am willing to make an edit to the Rock Formation Illustration that Li Zhuangshi gave to you!" Fang Zhengzhi knew that collecting the entire Law of Dao was indeed rather difficult, hence decided to make an exchange.
"That illustration can still be further edited?!" Zhang Yangping asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I just have to add something on top of it, make some changes, then… all the rock formations the Southern Mountain Village created on the Cang Ling Mountain will belong entirely to the Northern Mountain Village!" Fang Zhengzhi explained.
"Really?!" Zhang Yangping instantly became excited.
"Yes!" Fang Zhengzhi nodded.
"Good, good good… this is great! If this was really possible, I will definitely convince the entire village to work together and put together the entire Law of Dao for little brother Zhengzhi!" When he thought of the expressions of the Southern Mountain Village people when all the rock formations they had put in so much effort to set up turned into the Northern Mountain Village’s overnight, Zhang Yangping felt a wave of delight.
This period of time, because of the rock formations, the Northern Mountain Village had suffered quite a lot, even their weapons were almost entirely gone.
"Thank you!" Fang Zhengzhi was willing to believe Zhang Yangping’s promise.
"Right, little brother Zhengzhi, what do you want the Law of Dao for?" After the terms were settled, Zhang Yangping became slightly curious.
"Of course, it is to participate in the Law of Dao examinations."
"Law of Dao examinations?! Then I suggest you give up, the Law of Dao examinations is too hard. Furthermore, there is still a theory exam, and there is no Hall of Dao in our Northern Mountain Village. You can’t possibly self-study, can you?"
"Yes."
"Yes… wait a minute, what is yes supposed to mean? You really intend to… self-study?!"
"That’s right!"
"..." Zhang Yangping stared at Fang Zhengzhi’s expression of calm, and suddenly was at a loss for words. Self-study? Participate in the Law of Dao examinations?
Can he not make such a humorous joke?
Fang Zhengzhi didn’t explain further, and looked back at the already faraway village behind him. "Southern Mountain Village, the next time I see you, I wonder what kind of scenery I will see?"
…
Not too long after Fang Zhengzhi and the rest left the Southern Mountain Village, a squad of soldiers clad in bright, shining armour guarding a huge sedan quickly marched in.
Village chief Meng Bai was sitting within the courtyard, holding the cigar in his hands, sighing in despair as he stared at the setting sun.
"Fang Zhengzhi, Fang Zhengzhi… what a good child, if this didn’t happen, what would happen if he could enter the Hall of Dao?! In the future… sigh...."
Village Chief Meng Bai understood that it was already too late to regret. He could only hope that the choice he made was a right one. After all, the Hall of Dao and the Law of Dao examinations, were what really changed a person’s destiny.
"Village chief, village chief… quick, quick! The Divine Constabulary people are here, and … the Missus from the Divine Constabulary, has also… also come personally!" Right at this moment, a village hurriedly ran over and shouted, panting heavily.
Village Chief Meng Bai was stunned, Divine Constabulary? The Missus from the Divine Constabulary came personally?! Bless the Heavens, hopefully great fortune would come this time!
He prayed silently in his heart, then recalled the previous incident when the Divine Constabulary’s Missus tested Li Huer.
"Go, call along the Old Li family, ask them to bring along Huer and welcome the Divine Constabulary’s Missus together!" Village Chief Meng Bai kept his cigar, as if having found the last glimmer of light in the abyss of darkness.
"Okay!"
...