Chapter 50: Chapter Forty-Six: Defection (Part 2)
Translator: 549690339
In an attempt to accumulate the necessary fees to take in disciples, Fang Han returned to a life of thievery.
Perhaps it was due to rusty skills, or his increasing age, but his career as a thief became quite difficult.
People on the streets became suspicious; always on the lookout for this teenage boy who curiously approached, and so he struggled to find a good opportunity to steal.
Finally, due to someone with extremely sharp senses, he was caught in action. He was thrown to the ground and stomped on by a young master whose body had been hollowed out by alcohol.
Luckily, Fang Han did not die from the injuries. Despite being covered in blood, he survived – he made it through, did he not?
Seeing Fang Han in his bloodied state, Fake Goods Zhang took out several gold coins from his money box and took him to a medical clinic.
It was then that Fang Han realized success required patience and discovered a simpler method to save money.
If he could not steal from others, couldn’t he still rob a cripple?
Fang Han targeted Fake Goods Zhang as his next victim and, from that point on, treated him respectfully.
Three full years passed as he watched Fake Goods Zhang’s money box slowly fill, until it finally reached his desired one thousand gold coins.
On New Year’s Eve, Fang Han knocked out Fake Goods Zhang, hoisted the money box onto his shoulder and ran toward the martial arts academy.
Did he regret it or feel guilty? Not in the slightest. Fang Han believed it was his greatest honor that he, a cripple, could save enough gold coins for his discipleship fee.
Wasn’t it strange that he was so weak that even a teenager like him could easily knock him unconscious? Moreover, he only took money and did not kill him. Fake Goods Zhang should be grateful.
Fang Han entered the Huo Family Martial Arts Academy. He knew that from this moment on, his past life was behind him. When he reappeared, he would be a martial artist with the power to determine the life and death of others.
He saw the academy only as a stepping stone. After mastering martial arts, he believed that he would return to the streets of Xiling not as the weak he was, but as a king among men.
But the plan did not go smoothly; he was directly recommended by the principal to join the Tang Martial Arts Hall. However, the way of life in the hall did not suit Fang Han, who preferred the law of the jungle – survival of the fittest – over loyalty and cooperation.
If it can be said, what he learned in the Tang Hall made Fang Han realize that he could only ever be a fighter. But the appearance of Tang Luo showed him the true path to becoming a strong warrior.
Are all the young masters of the large families this foolish? They give away a yellow-rank martial arts manual and murderous approach so easily, and then leave behind a precious elemental stone in the practice room for his use. Did they not consider loyalty?
Fang Han felt disdainful. Then let him, Fang Han, teach the Tang Clan a lesson.
To prepare for this rebellion, he took two full months.
Fang Han took out the sunken wood hidden under the bridge. This was the boat he crafted for himself.
The exterior of the boat was made of sunken wood, a special type of wood that sinks straight to the bottom of the water rather than floating.
A hollow layer and movable hatch had been carved out of the two-meter square piece of sunken wood. This allowed a person to hide inside the wood, but due to the large chunks of wood that had been removed, the wood wouldn’t directly sink to the bottom of the river when sealed. Instead, it would stay submerged in the deep river, moving with the current.
A buoy and a beast intestine could provide Fang Han with the necessary oxygen while inside the sunken wood. Additionally, he had learned a set of techniques to circulate spiritual energy through his body to increase vitality. Even if the beast intestine burst, he could hold his breath for up to twelve hours.
Drifting along the river for a day and night, he could escape hundreds of miles. As long as he could leave the territory of Xiling, the Tang Clan was merely a large clan from a far-off place.
And with this yellow rank martial arts manual and precious elemental stone, he could live comfortably in any city.
Fang Han was filled with confidence, feeling that fate had finally been kind to him.
Opening the hatch of the sunken wood boat, Fang Han climbed in and took one last look at the moonlit landscape of Xiling. With one hand holding the hatch, he pushed off with the other.
With a splashing sound, the sunken wooden boat submerged into the Lingjiang River.
Under the midnight moonlight, the river sparkled as if nothing had happened.
In Tang Luo’s dream world, his first disciple Fang Han had already drifted away along the river, disappearing hundreds of miles away.
Tang Mansion
Early morning of October 28th
On the second day of the holiday, Xu Shuhui took her three siblings to see the spirit beasts. In the blink of an eye, little brother Tang was at age to choose his mount.
As a wealthy family, the upbringing of their descendants was very systematic: at nine years old they would receive their first spirit beast.
From the age of fifteen, they would receive an industry each year. Whether you expand the industry or lose it all in a night at the gambling house, the family doesn’t care.
After the age of twenty, they would have to move out and start their own household. You can choose to stay at home, but considering a martial artist’s lifespan exceeds a hundred years, inheriting the family business is a fantasy unless your parents pass away. Your own industry still needs to be earned.
For this reason, Tang Luo admired his father greatly. He didn’t understand how Tang Sen, who seemingly lacked any business acumen, was able to take such an impressive family fortune in just fifteen short years.
There were more than a dozen Sitting Hall Realm masters in the Tang Mansion who were in charge of most of the industry. Three of them were even Fierce Realm martial artists who controlled the three most important businesses.
You must understand, even a small family has at most one or two Fierce Realm martial artists. Yet in Tang Sen’s mansion alone, he could bring out three martial artists of the Fierce Realm, not counting himself.
When Tang Luo was little, there were only three or five spirit beasts in the Spirit Beast Garden. This even included his mother’s Azure Cloud Tiger. However, today…
The number of spirit beasts in their garden had increased to more than a hundred ferocious beasts. The weakest among them were beasts that could compete with Transcending Realm warriors. There were even four or five wild beasts like the Lion-Tiger Beast and the Water Spirit Rhino that could fight with Fierce Realm martial artists.
Without relying on the Martial Hall and by the family’s power alone, they could easily match most of the small families in Xiling. Not to mention that Tang Sen himself was also a standout among the Fierce Realm martial artists.
Normally, the first spirit beast given by the family for the child to use would be for transportation, such as a One-Horned Horse or Land Lizard. But their family had great wealth to spare.
If it weren’t for the teenager’s spiritual power limitations to control powerful wild beasts, Xu Shuhui would want each child to take a beast that could fight a Fierce Realm warrior.
But their weak spiritual power can’t control a wild beast through a beast seal. In the end, little brother Tang could only choose an Explosive Flame Deer.
“The Explosive Flame Deer is not bad either; it’s just that its endurance is a little lacking.” Tang Luo patted the little boy’s head in reassurance.
The little boy’s face turned bright red. He had absolutely no love for this cute spirit beast and only felt ashamed.
Little Nuannuan, on the other hand, was hugging Xu Shuhui’s leg and cautiously peeking out at the bloody red little deer.
It’s clear to see that girls especially love spirit beasts with bright colors..
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