"I know, I know!"
Fang Che stifled the thank you that almost blurted out, turning it into a sneer, "Such a small favor tsk tsk tsk... there's no poison in this elixir, right?"
Fang Qingyun took a deep breath, gripping the fist that almost smashed into his cousin's face.
I must hold back.
His face turned iron blue with the effort.
Finally unable to hold back any longer, he swept his sleeve, turned, and walked to the door, ultimately unable to restrain himself, he said heavily and earnestly, "Cousin! Work hard and be sensible, alright?"
"Big Cousin!"
Fang Qingyun turned back in surprise.
This was the first time in recent years that Fang Che had called him 'Big Cousin,' and Fang Qingyun looked at him expectantly, "Hmm?"
"Big Cousin, if the rankings of the Martial Arts Academy were from last to first, your rank would actually be quite close to the front. Actually, this is not a bad thing."
Fang Che said with a smirk on his face, "It means... you have tremendous room for improvement."
"!!"
Fang Qingyun's face blackened like the bottom of a pot, clenching his fists tighter. Creak, creak...
But then he thought about his father's whip and immediately let go of his hands.
He glared at Fang Che hatefully.
He decided to beat him up later when he became sensible!
He left with big strides.
Then Fang Che sat in the chair, pondering whether there were any flaws in his response.
He then descended into deep self-doubt.
This mouth of mine...
He looked up at the newly hung plaque on the wall that read "Cherish Words."
His lips couldn't help but twitch violently.
Dad seems to understand why I was so obsessed in my previous life.
But this time, I have maintained the persona from before; I can't do this in the future.
...
Fang Qingyun returned to the Fang Family Courtyard and went straight to his father's study.
"How's Archer doing?"
Fang Zhenghang asked his son.
"He seems to be recovering well, cursing me out with quite the strength,"
"Ah..."
Fang Zhenghang showed an exasperated expression, "Still the same?"
"It seems even more poisonous now."
Fang Zhenghang sighed deeply from the heart, his beard trembling as he said, "You should return to the Martial Arts Academy tomorrow. When your aunt comes back, I will explain it to her."
"Yes."
Fang Qingyun was clearly not lightly angered, but he still couldn't help saying, "Dad, if it were my brother talking and behaving senselessly like this, I would have already..."
"You would have already what?"
Fang Zhenghang glanced at his son and said in a stern voice, "As the heir of the Fang Family, is that all the leniency you have? Can't even tolerate a teenager who talked back to you a few times? He's still young! And with self-esteem issues due to his own background, if even his cousin can't give him a break, what hope does he have to change for the better?"
"Yes! Father is right."
"The matter of face for your aunt matters too. Not just for Archer's sake, but also for your aunt's feelings."
"Yes, I understand."
A trace of gravity appeared on Fang Zhenghang's cultured face as he said, "Qingyun, he's your cousin! The child grew up in our house. Can't our Fang Family raise a child properly? Besides, for your aunt's sake, isn't it worth a little forbearance?"
Fang Qingyun showed a smile, "I understand, so before I left, I left him two bottles of the Qi xue Pills awarded to me by the Martial Arts Academy."
Hearing that pained Fang Zhenghang.
"This... This is the Qi xue Pill from the Martial Arts Academy, the most authentic... You, you've saved them up for so long, and you just give away two bottles?!"
The Qi xue Pills were indeed available on the market, but the most authentic ones were naturally from the Martial Arts Academy and Sects. The Sects' pills had higher efficacy, but they were tailored for the Sect's own cultivation techniques; eating other Sects' Qi xue Pills while practicing a particular Sect's cultivation technique would only yield average results.
Only the ones from the Martial Arts Academy were universally acceptable for all martial artists!
The most authentic, with the least side effects and the fewest impurities in the pills!
Moreover, it was only used as a reward within the Martial Arts Academy and was not supplied to the outside world, showing its preciousness.
Fang Qingyun said with a warm smile, "You said before, he's my cousin, and even if it's just for Aunt to be happy for a moment, these two bottles of pills are worth it."
Fang Zhenghang smiled with relief, stood up to pat his son on the shoulder, about to say something when he realized his son's broad shoulders and towering height, now taller than himself.
Raising his hand felt somewhat strenuous.
"...You're already taller than me."
Fang Zhenghang swallowed the words he was about to say, replaced by a sigh of emotion.
"How have things been at the Martial Arts Academy recently?"
Fang Qingyun's face showed an uncomfortable expression as he said, "Child is ashamed, in this year's grade level competition, I am still within the last hundred names. Compared to last time, I've only advanced two spots. Out of seven thousand five hundred people, I rank at seven thousand four hundred seventy-six..."
Fang Zhenghang smiled and said, "If it were before today, I would have had a few words for you, but today, the words you've spoken have made your father very satisfied. Go on with ease, just practice with a normal heart. Whatever rank you get is fine, do not feel pressured. The way you are able to speak today shows the character of your heart. Being able to say these words means you will be more than capable of taking charge of our Fang Family in the future. Martial Arts Cultivation comes second."
He smiled again, "Dad is very satisfied!"
Fang Qingyun's face flushed red, feeling somewhat embarrassed by his father's praise: "Then then then... I'll go get ready to leave."
"Mhm, go ahead."
Just as his son was about to leave, Fang Zhenghang called out to him again, "Being kind-hearted is good, but that's for our own people. If it's an enemy..."
Fang Qingyun interjected, "Naturally, it's cutting weeds and rooting them out, without a shred of mercy!"
"Exactly!"
Father and son smiled at each other.
Speaking of enemies, the son still did not understand, "That matter from the past..."
"Cough!"
Fang Zhenghang said, "Go back and concentrate on your Cultivation!"
With that, he interrupted the topic directly.
"Yes."
"Our Fang Family is about to face demotion, and everyone is fighting hard. I hope you can hold up."
Watching his son leave, Fang Zhenghang collapsed into his chair.
His complexion turned ashen.
He seemed to have lost all his vitality.
"That matter from the past... Although there is no evidence, it's clear who was scheming behind the scenes. But without evidence, and considering that the other party now has soaring power, it would be a disaster if it were exposed..."
"Sigh..."
Fang Zhenghang let out a deep sigh, "How can over five hundred years of family heritage and the lives of over four hundred people accommodate any impulsive actions?!"
...
Fang Che focused on practicing without distractions.
Initially, it seemed like he had been killed, his existence extinguished.
Then a flash of white light passed, and his shattered soul was brought into this body.
Now, that white light lingered in his mind, transformed into a Token, spinning effortlessly.
Within the Token was an inheritance Jade Pendant.
Beyond that, nothing could be made out clearly.
Fang Che simply had no interest in researching where this thing came from.
Fate is fate.
One day, he would find out.
Previously, it took him a full three days to assimilate the inheritance from the Jade Pendant, and Fang Che felt like he had won a great prize.
A Cultivation Technique and four types of Weapon Lists.
Sword, Spear, Saber, Halberd.
"These four types of Weapons were chosen well!" Fang Che sincerely admired.
For, they were also ranked in the top four on the entire continent's Cloud Weapon List!
Their fame had lasted for thousands of years.
Emotion Cutting Saber.
White Bone Shattering Dream Spear.
Ningxue Sword.
Kuangren Halberd.
Fang Che could not help but yearn for them.
Because, those were the true legends, the tales of the clouds!
Cloud Weapon List, first place Emotion Cutting Saber.
In the dream lies worldly life, outside it the saber, one cannot wander freely with emotions cut and intentions severed; in the wind, tears fall, who suffers woe, atop the cloud's peak, heartlessly the snow soothes the Flute.—Emotion Cutting Saber, Xue Fuxiao.
This was the person Fang Che in his past life had respected the most and admired above all others, the number one expert among the Guardians!
Cloud Weapon List, the White Bone Shattering Dream Spear ranked second!
Alone on the Blood Spirit Boat with the White Bone Spear, bitter winds and harsh rain sever the remnant sun; piercing through thousands of worldly dreams, shattering upon the spear's tip an aromatic petal.—White Bone Shattering Dream Spear, Duan Xiyang.
This was the person Fang Che in his previous life had hated the most and feared encountering. For an encounter with this person meant certain death without injury, instant shattering of earthly dreams, and life's impermanence.
Under the fearsome reputation of the White Bone Shattering Dream Spear, even when Duan Xiyang's Blood Spirit Boat appeared, no one dared use a spear.
Because once Duan Xiyang took notice, death was certain!
And in his previous life, Fang Che himself had died under that spear.
"This grudge, with this one spear... Duan Xiyang!"