“Someone drowned in the water?”Fang Han immediately jumped into the water and brought the man ashore.
“He’s not breathing anymore, it’s just a floating corpse.” Upon bringing the man ashore, Fang Han’s heart abruptly tightened. The scene in front his eyes, was indeed kind of frightening.
This man was already dead, his body completely swollen with one long scar running down his body. Flipping him over, one could see that the wound was completely charred.
“Was this man struck by lightning?” Fang Han observed the wound, thinking of those in the countryside who had been struck by lightning also had this burnt smell.
The dark golden clothes that the corpse was wearing, however, were very sumptuous with drops of water on top as if water had rolled onto it. As if from a lotus leaf without the slightest contamination. The clothing was also extravagantly soft, smooth. Fang Han, as a servant of the Fang Clan, had seen high society clothing, but the material making this cloth, he had never experienced before.
“What do I do? Should I report it, or not? A person’s life… it is no small matter!” Fang Han was just about to drop the corpse and report it when he hesitated and thought that the clothes that person wore were the kind worn by a person of high status, why would he have died here? If I report this and get tied up in this matter, won’t it become troublesome? I might as well bury him here, let him rest in peace, and pretend that nothing happened here. It’s best to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Upon reaching the conclusion, Fang Han dragged the corpse away, looking to find a place to bury it.
“Crash!”
At this time, from the bosom of the corpse, came the sound of something that was gold but appeared not to be made of gold, and iron, but also did not look like it was made of iron. A box fell out. The box was palm-sized, very heavy, and looked like an inkstone.
At the same time, an ancient picture scroll also fell out.
“En?”
Fang Han picked up the gold and iron box and opened the picture scroll. Upon seeing the pitch black background containing the shadow of a coiling dragon, it seemed not to be a picture, but a window, a window to an unknown space.
“This picture scroll is a treasure, even after soaking in water it wasn’t destroyed, regular paper is destroyed as soon as it gets soaked by water.” Although Fang Han didn’t actually know how to appreciate pictures, in accordance with common sense he was able to deduct that it was a treasure.
Afterwards, he once again took out the gold and iron box and held it in his hand, observing it. On top of the box he found a small golden lock.
Curiosity compelled him to pick up a rock from the riverside, and after exerting his might, “Kacha!” he broke the golden lock.
“This is real gold, one tael of gold, ten taels of silver, the golden lock was also worth around four to five tael of gold. But this was a dead person, should I take this or not? As the saying goes, men of honor love their wealth, but only by earning it in the right way¹.” Fang Han thought for a moment, “Fuck this, I’m just a servant, what nonsense about a man of honor. No matter what position you hold, no matter what your affairs are, there is a sentence in the book that says “”If it’s not my job, then I won’t worry about it²? I’m gonna take it.”
Fang Han grabbed the gold and stuffed it into his bosom.
After grabbing the gold, “Kacha!” he opened the box.
As soon as it was opened, the thing inside revealed itself.
A dark gold pill about the size of a thumb. Surprisingly it had nine holes on it, each hole emanating a slight herbal fragrance. As soon as Fang Han took a whiff, if felt as if everything had cleared up, his whole body felt light and brisk, his fatigue completely washed away.
What was especially amazing was that there were nine apertures, correspondent to the nine apertures of humans which a person’s Qi flows through, continuously swallowing, spitting, and breathing. It seemed as if the inside contained some peculiar sort of vitality.
“This pill, compared to the Fang Clan’s Ganoderma pill and snow ginseng pellet, was a hundred thousand times better.” Fang Han had seen those Fang Clan core disciples occasionally swallow such pellets during their training to help nurture them, those exquisitely refined pills, however, compared to the golden pellet with nine apertures in front of him, couldn’t even be compared, it was the difference between the heavens and the earth.
“I also heard those disciples talk about rumors surrounding such great spiritual medicinal pellets, they can clear your tendons and bones, condition your inner organs, clear blood clots, and increase vigor, swallow one pill, and you can save many years of hardship in training your body, making up for a body vitality. Could it be that this golden pills is one of those medicinal pills? Just smelling it earlier made me feel so great and refresh.”
Fang Han held the golden pill as if he were holding a diamond, contemplating whether or not to immediately swallow it.
But after contemplating a period of time he still didn’t swallow it, such a pill shouldn’t be eaten recklessly.
Those Fang Clan disciples, took pills to nurture themselves every day, always at a specified time, in specific quantities, and during appropriate moments.
Fang Han was no fool, of course he knew, even if it was a great spiritual medicinal pellet, if he didn’t use it correctly, he would receive backlash.
“Dear sir, your corpse was picked up by me, I am going to bury you, let you rest in peace, so give me these two treasures as reimbursement and we shall not owe each other anything.”
Fang Han put the ‘Nine Vision Golden Pellet’ back into the box while facing the corpse.
While talking, Fang Han began dragging the corpse.
Who would have thought that the corpse would suddenly sit up and say “Godly Expert realm are enemies that one cannot be careless against indeed! The Yuhua Sect is no doubt among the top ten of the immortal schools! Fang Qing Xue, you are undoubtedly one of their most outstanding disciples, it seems like the word has gained yet another genius. We can only wait and see if you manage to understand enough of the secrets of the Longevity realm! Even if you enter the Godly Expert realm, after hundred of years will still die. Only if you understand the secret of longevity can you shed the shackles of death…”
“Cheat death! No, according to rumors, zombies cannot speak and they cannot appear in broad daylight either.” Who would have thought that his corpse would suddenly sit upright, and speak, Fang Han was deeply shocked.
“Are you the one who rescued me?” The corpse heard Fang Han, and turned to look at Fang Han while asking with its profound eyes.
“You were still alive?” Fang Han asked calmly while pausing his movements..
“You are surprisingly calm? Looking at the clothes you are wearing, you are a servant. As a servant, upon discovering me, you should have reported it. You know, if you reported me, you would have been conferred a thousand tael of silver.” The corpse coldly eyed Fang Han, its tone uncertain, as if waiting to see Fang Han’s reaction to determine its next action, if something went wrong it would kill him immediately.
“I’d rather not complicate my life further. When you are paid in silvers, it’s best to forget rather than pry, just shut up and gain the fortune. Practice like a king. The two treasures I took from your body are a great fortune, but since you are still alive. I, Fang Han, shall return them.”
Fang Han took out the Nine Vision Golden Pellet and the Coiled Dragon Acheron Map, being a servant allowed him to learn that the most important thing to do in these situations is to observe the other party, otherwise, if the masters are offended, you won’t have a chance to regret before dying.
The man in front of his eyes, obviously was obviously an eccentric person it would only take a single flip of his palm to end Fang Han’s life.
“Shut up and gain the fortune. Practice like a king.…… what a great statement! I, Bai Hai Chen feel similarly, which house are you a servant of?” Bai Hai Chen thought back to the Nine Aperture Vision Pellet and Coiled Dragon Acheron Map that he had received,then to the hunt for him following his disclosure of the news.
“Longyuan Province, I am a servant of the Fang Clan.” Fang Han licked his lips.
“You are a servant of the Fang Clan?” Bai Hai Chen face was dignified, afterward relaxing again, looking around he asked, “Presumably, you do not want to be a servant. That is why you are here, secretly practicing the martial arts, the footprints on the ground are from the Fang Clan’s martial arts. You secretly learned it right? A servant secretly learned martial arts, committing a taboo act, guess you are also a rebellious person.”
“This guy is so powerful, just a glance, and can tell so much.” Fang Han felt as if in front of Bai Hai Chen’s eyes, he had no secrets.
“Rebellion is good, being rebellious is good, Fang Clan servant……the Godly Expert realm like Fang Qing Xue…” Bai Hai Chen coldly laughed.
As he laughed, the charred portion of his face looked particularly evil, like a vicious ghost.
“You are a servant, have no money and no influence, and yet you want to train in martial arts, that is impossible. Training your flesh requires mountains and seas worth of silver. However, you have met me and that can be considered your good fortune! I will give you the opportunity to raise yourself up, and I only need you to help me do a couple things.” Bai Hai Chen lowered his voice stated.
“How would you give me the chance? Fang Han asked alertly.
“This Nine Vision Golden Pill, it contains unfathomable power and can help you create yourself anew, shed away the weakness in your body, and give you a solid foundation that no one can compare to. Moreover, I will teach you great style of martial arts, you will definitely ascend like you’re flying, as for if you can reach the Godly Expert realm, it depends on your own luck” Bai Hai Chen sat erect for a while.
“Secrets of the Godly Expert Realm? You can help me train reach the Godly Expert Realm!” Fang Han was shocked.
“You also know about the secrets of the Godly Expert Realm? Seems like you privately learned quite a lot.” Bai Hai Chen once again looked at Fang Han with admiration.
“I also secretly learned that the body realm has ten levels and that the tenth level is godly transformation. By training one’s flesh and body to the peak, the brain will be able to gain massive amounts of nutrients which will allow one to generate mana, which is needed to use many types of magic.” Fang Han recited all the things he had learned from Fang “Juling Hand” Tong, word by word.
“Not bad, in the human body, the brain is the most mysterious organ, no matter what the discipline, there is no training that can cultivate the brain. This is the fundamental of the Godly Expert Realm.” Bai Hai Chen continued, “The tasks I ask you to do, are no big deal. First, become my apprentice and call me Shifu³. Then after you have trained to a certain state find a chance to enter the Yuhua Sect through the Fang Clan, learn the essence of the “Yuhua Soaring Scripture” and kill Fang Qing Xue!
“Yuhua Sect, Fang Clan first lady, Fang Qing Xue!”
Fang Han was once again shocked, he knew from rumors that the Fang Clan’s ancestor was a disciple of the Yuhua Sect and that one hundred years prior he had followed the Dali emperor’s conquest of the world. As for the first lady Fang Qing Xue, she had long since been at the Yuhua Sect cultivating and was on the road to becoming an immortal.
“Although joining the Yuhua Sect doesn’t seem to be that remarkable, but if you promise me that if I succeed, it will help me become someone who will be able to wield the power of heaven and earth, control great authority, conquer the world, become a ruler, become an Emperor.”
Fang Han mustered his courage and spat out a bunch of bullcrap, he knew that the person in front of him was rather eccentric and realized that the more astonishing his words, the more of a chance he had in receiving the appreciation of the person in front of him.
“Is that all you want? You are mortal after all.” Who would have known that Bai Hai Chen would, upon hearing his words would coldly laugh.
“Right now is the time to pull your head out of the ground, train in the longevity secret after the Godly Expert Realm, become one of the Ten Immortal Faction supreme leaders! Become the Patriarch of a sect and shock the world! All countries will bring tribute to you.” It seemed as if Bai Hai Chen had managed to see into the depths of Fang Han’s mind.
“Dali Empire, although its territory is massive, its population numerous, in reality as far as the eyes of the Ten Immortal Factions are concerned, they are nothing more than playthings. The Devil Faction’s mighty emperor, Xiāntiān the great emperor, can burn the Dali Empire to cinders a hundred times if the mood ever struck him. There are dozens of empires controlled by Xiāntiān the great emperor, such as the Boyue Empire, the Dazun Empire, the Dashi Empire, etc. Not a single one of them are smaller than the Dali Empire in size.
“There are that many other empires! Xiāntiān the great emperor, what kind of person is that? He dares to proclaim himself emperor?”
Fang Han was thoroughly shocked.
As a servant of the Fang Clan his understanding of the world wasn’t bad, but he had always thought that everything on the earth was part of the Dali Empire and had never realized that under the sky there would be so many empires! Countries! How wide was the world?
- An old Confucian saying that originally went something along the lines of “Being a man of honor, though money does matter, but only if you earn it in the right way, if not, then one will lose its benevolence and moral way”
- An old Confucian saying that originally went something along the lines of “If you aren’t the emperor, then you don’t have to pay any effort to considering about politics and governing strategies.
- Shifu in Chinese is written 师傅/师父. In English it means Master, if translated literally it means Teacher-Father.
Rozen Fantasy Translations 