Chapter 23: The Exceptional Waste Among Wastes

  Fang Jie didn't hear Li Xiangzong's muttering, nor did he bother to guess what Li Xiangzong was thinking about from thirty miles away at Fangying Pavilion. It's strange to say that in his heart, he didn't have much hatred for Li Xiangzong. Although if it wasn't for good luck, he would have died under Li Xiangzong's plan a few nights ago.

  It was not those who had been chasing and killing him all along, but Li Xiaozong's killer for self-protection.

  If Fang Jie had nine-grade strength now, he would unhesitatingly beat Li Xiaozong into a mess. Just like in the Cloud Counting Pavilion, Du Hongxian unhesitatingly beat Li Xiaozong into a pig head.

  He slipped out of the back door of the general's mansion, and Fang Jie could still hear the crowd gathered outside the front gate shouting slogans. This moved him somewhat, although everything he had done in Fan Guo for the past three years was out of self-interest, after all, it had also brought real benefits to more than 2,000 civilians in Fan Guo City. People's hearts are not always cold, and sometimes they feel a warmth in their hearts.

  He didn't want to go and say something to the people, quietly leaving, just like he quietly entered the city that year.

  But from the moment he walked out of the general's mansion, he suddenly thought that if he left like this, wouldn't it be a bit heartless? Even if those villagers were only regretful that they had lost a big money tree in the future, the intention to retain him was still sincere.

  Outside the back door, a horse-drawn carriage was parked, and a large dog was squatting on the ground, drawing in the remaining snow. The old cripple who spent his days inside the red sleeve was sitting in the carriage, sipping wine mouthful by mouthful, with an expression of intoxication, as if the cheapest northwest brew in the gourd was the finest nectar from heaven.

  As Fang Jie walked away, the big dog had just finished painting.

  He casually threw the wooden stick aside, looking at the pattern on the snowy ground with a slightly smug expression. It's not easy to paint a picture on the snow that conveys a sense of atmosphere, after all, no matter how you draw the lines, they will be very rough. But the painting done by Daquan has a great atmosphere, and Fang Jie couldn't help but exclaim "good" after just one glance...

  This lecherous guy who doesn't like women drew a nude female picture on the ground.

  "A lustful person naturally sees everything as lustful."

  The big dog said with some dissatisfaction: "A virgin's body is the purest. The snow sent by heaven is the purest. I draw a pure picture on the pure snowy ground, and my heart is also pure. Why do you see it as lustful? You have been blinded by the impurities of the world, so you can't see the cleanliness of this world."

  Fang Jie was taken aback, looking at the big dog incredulously: "Since you entered the Hongxiu Inn, you can't even speak human language. It seems that people like you are better off locked up."

  The old cripple snorted and said, "I don't have the time to accompany you two in idle chatter here. Are you leaving or not? If not, I'll leave first."

  Fang Jie changed his attitude towards the old cripple, and with a smile on his face, he said: "Old master, since everyone calls you Lao Ye, I'll also call you that, let's be familiar."

  "Speak your mind and let it rip."

  Hmph

  A faint sound.

  The old cripple glared at Fang Jie with wide eyes, then exerted himself to shrink his body into the carriage: "You little brat, you're trying to get close to me just to fart?"

  "This is a coincidence, it really is a coincidence."

  He awkwardly smiled and opened a gap in the carriage curtain, letting out a fart: "I ate too much early this morning. When competing with Li Xiaozong at the general's mansion, I couldn't easily let one rip, right? I held it in all along, but once I got out the door, I just couldn't hold it in anymore. A person has to stand up for themselves, after all."

  "This is a pleasant thing to say, young people can lose anything, but they must not lose their ambition."

  The old cripple rarely saw Fang Jie laugh, and handed over his own wine gourd: "Want to take a sip?"

  Fang Jie took the wine gourd without any hesitation, lifted it with great effort and poured a large mouthful down his throat. The liquor seemed to burn like fire as soon as it entered his esophagus. He grimaced, looking somewhat pained. Old Lamey nodded, and Fang Jie's gaze also softened considerably.

  "How come this wine is so spicy?"

  Panting and puffing with each breath, it's a bit more comfortable when there's wind in your mouth.

  "The Northwestern Burnt Wine sold in Fanggu Castle isn't authentic, the flavor is a bit bland. So I added a lot of chili peppers and Fennel roots inside, only then it's enjoyable to drink. You don't know the details but just gulp it down like that, it's not bad if you didn't spit it out. However, your temperament is straightforward, suitable for my taste."

  The big dog that had been chasing the car finally caught up, panting heavily, and grabbed a canteen of water. After drinking nearly half of it in one gulp, he felt slightly better: "Lao Ye, what is this Fire Lotus Root?"

  "Blazing grass, yet it grows in the extremely cold land of Sai Bei, where the people of North Liaoning live, in the vast mountains of ten thousand. The things from this extremely cold land are actually very hot in nature, and are good for stewing and drinking with wine. Northern Liaoning men love to use this thing to soak in wine and drink, taking a sip, their body suddenly warms up. Compared to Fan Gu, the ten-thousand vast mountains of North Liaoning is truly extremely cold, the hundred-year-old trees on the mountain are only as tall as one person, thousand-year-old trees barely reach maturity, just thinking about it you can tell how cold it is."

  "This blazing grass is something indispensable for men in Northern Liaoning."

  "What about women?"

  "no need"

  "Why?"

  "The biggest advantage of this thing is not warming."

  The old cripple hehe smiled and revealed a mouthful of yellow teeth: "It's Zhuang Yang!"

  He smiled awkwardly and didn't know what to say. This old man looked like he was at least in his sixties, unexpectedly having this hobby...

  ……

  ……

  The red sleeves beckoned, but didn't dare to walk through the front door. The crowd of people in front was no less than that outside the General's mansion gate, almost all the people from Fangu City had come out, except for the elderly and children who couldn't move around, they were packed like sardines at Jinyuan Square, Red Sleeve Building, and the General's mansion gate.

  They were still far away, and the old cripple seemed to be getting impatient. He casually picked up Fang Jie's waistband and jumped out of the carriage. Fang Jie only felt a strong gust of wind coming towards him, and when he opened his eyes again, he was already in the backyard of Hong Zhaolou. This backyard wasn't big, and there was no way to plant flowers or raise grass. Instead, Xi Dainiang had specifically instructed that the snow in the yard shouldn't be touched, only the roads should be swept clean. It looked very plain because of the cold weather, and this snow might not even melt within a month.

  The old cripple walked quickly and smoothly, taking Fang Jie with him. As they passed by a room door, they heard a soft voice reciting something. The voice was very gentle and pleasant to the ear, but Fang Jie couldn't quite make out what it was saying. The old cripple chuckled and said, "This is Xi Gu Niang's boudoir, you're being too sneaky at the door, be careful not to get hit by her."

  Everyone knows that Xi Gu Niang is gentle as water, how could she possibly hit someone?

  Just as he finished speaking, a small stone flew out of the open window. Fang Jie hadn't even had time to laugh and say that the stone was too powerful, how could it possibly hit someone at the door? The stone hit the pillar in the corridor, bounced back, and hit Fang Jie right on the forehead. It's unknown whether he was unlucky or the stone was thrown with such precision.

  He was hit on the forehead and let out a pained "aiyo" as he immediately squatted down. The old cripple chuckled to himself and continued walking forward. Fang Jie didn't dare stay any longer and hastily caught up with the old cripple's pace.

  "Xīo gūniáng dào shì hǎo shǒu duàn."

  Translation: "The girl Xi is quite skilled."

  Rubbing his forehead in distress, he said: "Not biased, not leaning, right between the eyebrows."

  The old cripple laughed and said, "Ever since Hong Xiu arrived at Fan Gu Cheng, I don't know how many thieves have planned to sneak a peek at Xi Gu Niang's appearance. Wall climbers, if the old cripple were to take action, one would naturally be beaten half to death, but Xi Gu Niang is kind and only uses this method of throwing stones to chase them away."

  He couldn't help but give a loud round of applause: "Indeed, it's the heart of a Bodhisattva."

  As soon as the sentence was finished, another stone flew out from the window of Xi Chu Xian's room. This time it didn't use a slingshot and directly hit Fang Jie's calf. Fang Jie let out an "ah" and couldn't help but kneel down in pain. The old cripple reached out to pull him up, sighed and said: "I was just about to remind you, but I'm too slow. If Xi Gu hadn't recognized you, I'm afraid this stone would have hit somewhere else... She hates the Western Snow Mountain Buddhist sect the most. What Bodhisattva heart does she have? This isn't asking for a beating?"

  He hobbled along with a limp, muttering to himself: "Remember, remember."

  The old cripple smiled and shook his head, saying as he walked: "Actually, there's no need to remember much about the Red Sleeve Invitation, just two things will do."

  "What?"

  "First, it's best not to mention Buddhism in front of Master Xi and Miss Xi. Second, Mistress Xi is the leader of the Red Sleeve Society, what she says goes, no one can disobey her. But everyone knows that Mistress Xi loves Miss Xi the most, so this second rule needs an additional clause... except for Miss Xi."

  "Why do I feel like I'm selling myself into slavery?"

  Fang Jie smiled and said sarcastically.

  "No, no, no..."

  The old cripple explained seriously: "Selling oneself into slavery is when one cannot afford to redeem oneself. You are different, you have cleared the debt of ten thousand gold and no one can stop you. It's just that you don't want to leave, and I'm afraid even if everyone else wants you to stay, someone will still come to drive you out with a stick."

  "Why do I feel so wronged?"

  He furrowed his brow and said, "It's as if someone stuffed a silver note into my bosom and then became my creditor? This money wasn't something I wanted to borrow, so how did it become a debt?"

  He walked in front, Fang Jie walked behind.

  One old and one young, two cripples.

  ……

  ……

  "Since you've already decided to leave, don't delay... Although we're not in a hurry, since Fang Jie is going to take the exam at the Martial Arts Academy, he can't miss the exam time. It's been decades since Fan Guicheng produced someone qualified to take the exam, it's rare. In the past few days, people below have been packing their things, and they will be able to set off in two days at the latest. After all, there are many women in the Hongxiu Pavilion, and Fang Jie can't let Master Luo bear the responsibility of guarding alone... Fang Jie, since you're staying behind, you should take some responsibility."

  Even if she sits quietly in a chair, she still exudes an air of wealth and nobility.

  "It's not necessarily going to be a pass... but along the way I will naturally do my best, and do what I can."

  He politely declined with a smile.

  "Really?"

  When she heard this, Xi Dainiang's face changed slightly. She put down the teacup in her hand and said with displeasure: "Since you want to take the exam, how can you be so lacking in confidence? If you don't even have the confidence to get into the Martial Arts Academy, why bother taking the exam? As a man, one must have courage. You're saying this because you're afraid in your heart and are already timid before the battle, it's infuriating!"

  "Uh..."

  He smiled awkwardly and said: "The lesson for everyone is that I will try my best."

  "You may not want to listen, but I still have to say that although the Wuyuan Institute has a tightly closed gate, since Emperor Taizu of the Great Sui ordered its construction, many people with humble backgrounds like yours have entered and become outstanding figures after graduation. In the 11th year of Taizong's reign, a talented individual emerged from the institute who excelled in all nine subjects and was directly appointed as a Langjiang by Emperor Taizong to lead troops in the northwest. From the day he took command, he won over 300 battles big and small without ever suffering defeat. This person also came from a poor family and was an orphan, but he built a legacy for his own family!"

  "Is it Li Xiao you're talking about?"

  "That's right, the Li family of Longyou is different from other aristocratic families in the imperial court because this family was formed too recently. Fortunately, the Li family later produced a few more stunning figures, otherwise it would have been suppressed by other aristocratic families and disappeared into thin air. The father of General Li Yuanshan of the Right Valiant Guard made the Li family officially become a first-class aristocratic family. In less than a hundred years, the Li family has achieved such success... After all, it's because of the existence of the Imperial Martial Arts Academy."

  "Without the Martial Arts Institute, Li Xiao would have been a frozen corpse on the side of the road! I know you're very clever and should understand what I mean."

  The old cripple sitting on one side drinking wine slightly frowned and couldn't help but glance at Xi Dainiang. Xi Dainiang seemed to have sensed it, and slightly nodded at the old cripple.

  After Fang Jie left, Lao Que couldn't help but ask: "You seem to care about Fang Jie exceptionally?"

  "He wasn't an ordinary person to begin with, it's hard to look down on him... So I'll just say a few more words, recently or maybe too bored... It's been a long time since I've done this kind of thing for young people, thinking about it is also interesting."

  "Not an ordinary person, indeed, with no potential for cultivation, even a small Golden Elixir cannot change this cultivation waste, and even among wastes, it stands out."

  The old cripple smiled and got up to leave.

  The old woman watched the old cripple's back as he walked away, a faint smile on her face. Her fingers tapped lightly on her knee. There was a hint of self-satisfaction between her eyebrows, as if she had discovered something that others hadn't.