Chapter 24: On the Road.
Bibo City, Guardian Hall.
Study room.
Chen Ruohai and Fan Tiantiao sat facing each other.
Chen Ruohai took off his shoes and rubbed them against each other under the table, looking very content.
Especially when he saw the helplessness in Fan Tiantiao's eyes, he felt even more content. So he rubbed harder, rubbing them down one by one, piling them up on the ground.
Fan Tiantiao looked extremely distressed.
He always felt that his parents must have had foresight to give him such a troubled face from birth, knowing that he would grow up to work with Chen Ruohai.
Being with this guy is simply too torturous, yet he can't get away from him, causing him headaches every day.
Could it be that I really committed some heinous crime in my past life, hence being punished like this?
"Do you have any intelligence?" Fan Tiantiao sighed.
"Fang Che has already left Bibo City with Shadow. It seems he really treats Shadow as his close maid," Chen Ruohai said.
"Isn't that just perfect?"
"Yes, we finally seized this opportunity to successfully infiltrate Fang Che, and Shadow is talented enough. There will definitely be more intelligence in the future. So, we must ensure Fang Che's safety along the way," Chen Ruohai said.
Now the two of them have abandoned their original plan to 'experience and then use Fang Che'.
And they have also resisted the pressure from the Dark Department.
This part is crucial!
We can't leave!
This caused the high-level officials of the Dark Department to curse angrily: It was you who said she would come back after a few months of experience! Now she just left and changed your mind, it's simply unfilial.
"Yes, Fang Che's safety is paramount. I will personally follow him in secret."
Fan Tiantiao immediately stood up.
In this hall, facing Chen Ruohai every day was almost driving him to collapse. He quickly found a reason to leave.
"You're going personally?"
Chen Ruohai was surprised, "Isn't that a bit much?"
"It's fine."
"Fang Che is involved with the huge wealth of the Su family. In Bibo City, he can naturally be safe. Once he goes out alone, there will definitely be constant trouble. After all, the interests involved are large enough to tempt people to take risks."
"That's for sure. When Fang Che sets off alone to Baiyun Island, he will definitely be carrying a large amount of wealth. It's normal for someone to have designs on it, but does it really require you, the deputy hall master of Guardian Hall, to personally intervene?"
"Hehe..."
Fan Tiantiao said with extreme disdain, "When you get rid of this problem, I'll come back."
Chen Ruohai raised his feet, emitting a hot, stinky odor, "You mean this?"
"Ugh!"
Taken by surprise, Fan Tiantiao took a breath and quickly left with a changed expression.
With a bang, the door closed.
Chen Ruohai laughed heartily, then his laughter stopped as he looked at his own feet and sighed.
...
On the other side.
In the One Heart Sect.
"Night Devil has set out for Baiyun Island with his maid, leaving Bibo City."
"The journey is not very long, less than two thousand miles. But there are many mountains to cross and numerous dangerous places along the way."
"Night Devil's safety must not be compromised!"
Yin Shen Gong decisively made the decision.
If he dies, where will I find someone to intercept those geniuses?
"How about I fund your trip?"
"Okay."
Qian Sanjiang immediately agreed.
He was very willing to take on this task. Since his last baptism into the sect, Qian Sanjiang realized that the name of Fang Che, the Night Devil, had already been registered with the sect leader.
As soon as his cultivation reached a certain level, his future prospects would definitely extend beyond just the One Heart Sect!
Building good relationships now, and in the future... hehe...
"I'll leave immediately."
"Okay."
...
Two days later.
Fang Che leisurely traveled three hundred miles.
Under Fang Che's guidance, Ye Meng has successfully evolved from 'an ordinary person' to a 'Martial Apprentice'; and now has reached the cultivation level of 'Martial Apprentice Triple'!
The progress is significant!
It can already be considered genius-level speed.
Mainly due to eating two Tianmai Zhuguo fruits, progress was necessary. And it had to be fast to avoid arousing Fang Che's suspicion.
So Chen Ruohai and Fan Tiantiao made a decision: to advance!
The faster, the better. Since Fang Che wants to cultivate assistants, they can only be of greater use to Fang Che if their cultivation is higher.
So Yen Meng is very diligent.
Making great progress.
But Fang Che is still not satisfied: "Why are you so slow? Why is your brain so dumb?"
"You're too useless!"
"Get off the carriage and walk! Practice while walking!"
"A young girl like you, if you don't endure hardships, how can you grow into a qualified vase?"
"In the future, you not only have to warm the bed but also act as a bodyguard, fight for me, take care of all my daily needs, and you have to be beautiful... In short, I have high expectations for you!"
"If you don't work harder, I'll sell you to a brothel!"
"Get off, get off!"
Fang Che drove Yen Meng off the carriage.
Even the coachman couldn't bear to watch this kind of treatment.
"Your cultivation hasn't improved, yet you still want to ride in the carriage! You only think about enjoying yourself. When will you be useful?"
Feeling indignant in her heart.
"Rich young masters are indeed mostly not good people! Such a delicate beauty, actually not allowed to ride in the carriage, forced to get off and walk..."
"Is there any humanity left?"
Little did they know, being driven off the carriage was exactly what Yen Meng wanted.
Inside the carriage, facing Fang Che was uncomfortable for her. She didn't even dare to mobilize her spiritual power for fear of being discovered.
Getting off the carriage meant freedom.
Moreover, getting off the carriage allows her to exercise the correct posture for walking. She can always recall the correct postures Fang Che taught her, thus correcting her long-standing problems.
So, with a puffed-up face and big, innocent eyes, she began to walk with a look of 'being driven off the carriage, I'm very unhappy,' walking sulkily.
She strives to practice and correct herself.
Inside the carriage, Fang Che's face showed a slight smile.
[This girl Yen Meng's talent is indeed good. As long as I continue to train her, she will definitely become a master in the future.]
[She doesn't even dare to practice on the carriage. I have to consider this aspect for her as well. I hope she won't let me down in the future, and will kill more people for our sect.]
[Looking at myself in my previous life after learning the Boundless Sutra and various martial arts, my standing, sitting, walking, wielding a sword, attacking, fist techniques, and body movements... are all full of loopholes. The gap is really too far.]
[Although Yen Meng has only learned less than ten percent, just some superficial knowledge, it is enough to improve her combat power. She is different from me. I can practice multiple martial arts because the Boundless Sutra can absorb spiritual energy quickly enough. But in this life, Yen Meng can only practice one weapon to maximize her combat power.]
[Judging from this girl's habitual movements, her talent should be in swords. I must let her touch swords in advance, start practicing, to avoid being found out in the future.]
[The Su family's property is in my hands, and many in the city are eyeing it. They didn't have much opportunity in Bibo City, but now that I am out, they should show their heads.]
Fang Che's body swayed in the carriage, his thoughts like the surging sea, one wave after another.
He wasn't in a hurry on the road.
The distance to Baiyun Island was not very far.
But there were indeed many dangers in the remote mountains and the evil waters.
Fang Che was not in a hurry for the test at the martial arts academy either. Right now, martial arts students from all directions were desperately trying to earn points for the academy.
Earning points is very simple.
A martial arts academy's badge is bound with the blood of the owner, then one must kill demonic beasts, obtain their cores, and drip the fresh blood of the beasts onto the badge. The points will automatically appear. The more beasts killed, the more points earned.
Along the way, countless academy instructors are secretly following. If there are cheaters, even geniuses won't be admitted.
Those with less than thirty points do not qualify for admission to the martial arts academy.
With thirty points or more but less than one hundred, one must pay a fee, undergo a simple test of martial cultivation, and then enter the academy. With one hundred points or more, there is no need for the test. In other words, if you want to break the rule that "only warriors can enroll," you must earn over one hundred points, and even martial disciples can pay to enroll because they have combat talent and intuition.
Those with over two hundred points can enroll for free without a test and participate in martial combat.
From the top martial scholar to the top one hundred, there are corresponding rewards.
This reward is the common goal of all freshmen. It's not just about benefits but also about honor and qualifications.
...
As a top martial arts academy, those who graduate from Baiyun Martial Arts Academy have a different future compared to other martial arts academies.
However, the scope of employment after graduation is also determined by the martial arts academy credits, honors, and qualifications.
So, the honor and qualifications of the martial arts academy are very important.
Generally speaking, after graduating from the martial arts academy, there are three paths for students. Firstly, they can enter various levels of government, be included in the list of national officials, punish evil and eliminate villains, and govern a place, such as constables, chief constables, or the criminal department. They can also hold various levels of official positions, depending on their abilities.
The second choice is to join the military, enter the national military departments, local military forces, or border troops. After that, they can rise step by step based on military merit.
However, after choosing the first two paths, one basically spends their entire life within the framework.
The third path is to join the garrison, starting from a low-ranking position and seeking promotion. This is the queue of garrison commanders, such as those in charge of various garrison main halls.
This is different from normal national official and military positions; it belongs to a special category. [For those who don't understand, you can refer to the Guoan Bureau; or the Bureau of Abnormal Affairs, etc.].
From then on, one would endlessly battle various demonic sects.
Within the garrison sequence, those who make outstanding contributions and reach a certain level of cultivation can, under their own willingness, apply to join the Guardian sequence.
Once becoming a Guardian, the responsibilities, pressures, enemies, and dangers faced are at another level.
The title of Guardian generally represents the strongest fighting force on the continent.
In his previous life, Fang Che was a Guardian, albeit a low-ranking one in the Guardian sequence.
There is no right or wrong choice in how to choose, but the path of the Guardian allows one to continuously advance toward the pinnacle of martial arts.
Although the level of danger is many times higher than the other paths.
Fang Che's goal in this life is to become a Guardian—a pinnacle Guardian who can completely eradicate the Only Me Orthodox Sect from the world.
The starting point for the three choices is closely related to the honor, performance, and qualifications of the martial arts academy.
Everyone must do their best to seize any opportunity.
So many freshmen start searching for various demonic beasts from the beginning, searching like madmen.
...
Fang Che had his own plan.
Starting to hunt demonic beasts now would be unwise because he had just left home, which meant he was still near densely populated areas.
Even though such places had mountains and forests, how many demonic beasts could actually exist there?
It's a typical case of working hard but not gaining much, achieving only half the result with double the effort.
[A journey of 1,500 miles, ahead lies the vast Wanling Mountain Range, stretching for 30,000 miles. Crossing it will only take seven to eight hundred miles, and the opportunity to earn points should be here.]
Fang Che took out his martial arts academy badge, calmly cut his finger with a small knife, and smeared the blood on it.
The badge glowed faintly.
Revealing a line of words: Bibo City, Fang Che.
Originally intact, the badge now had a small hole in it, below which was a blank box.
"The blood and crystal cores of demonic beasts are placed here, and then, the points will be revealed."
Fang Che was somewhat amazed.
Six hundred years later, indeed, there had been much development. This kind of system was almost unimaginable six hundred years ago.
I really don't know how they did it.
Outside, there came the sound of Ye Meng's grumbling and whimpering in his sleep.
Evidently, the little girl was deliberately showing that she was very tired, practicing diligently, using her actions to tell Fang Che: "I really have low cultivation."
Fang Che stuck his head out of the window, "What are you whimpering about? How many breakthroughs have you made as a Martial Disciple?"
"I'm still...still at the third breakthrough," Ye Meng said, startled, stuttering.
"Useless! You're only good for making manure! If you don't break through to the fifth breakthrough as a Martial Disciple before we reach Baiyun Island, I'll sell you to a brothel!"
Fang Che angrily declared.
"Wu wu..."
Ye Meng sobbed, "Master, have mercy... I-I'll do my best..."
Fang Che snorted, "Your best is not enough, you must achieve it!"
Even the coachman couldn't bear it anymore, "Young master, aren't you too harsh on your servant?"
"What do you know?"
Fang Che said, "This is my bodyguard. Have you ever seen a bodyguard weaker than their employer?"
The coachman was dumbfounded, "I've never seen that before."
A bodyguard? This delicate and stunning beauty is actually a bodyguard?
She really doesn't look like one...
This rich young master is really not a good person, not even a word of truth in his mouth.
"Did you hear that? Fifth breakthrough! Martial Disciple, fifth breakthrough! Otherwise, sold to a brothel!"
"Yes..."
Tears were about to fall from Ye Meng's eyes.
Happily.
The more you urge me, the more quickly I will recover my strength, and the more there will be!
But she also felt a bit regretful.
Fang Che is such a genius, but he actually joined the Only Me Orthodox Sect, which is really a pity.
Continuing on the road, there were constantly martial students passing by, either in groups of three to five, in pairs, or traveling alone, quickly overtaking them.
At most, they were shocked by Ye Meng's beauty, took a few more glances, and then hurried past.
Surprisingly, no one came up to chat or flirt.
This puzzled Fang Che.
Are people's moral standards so high now?
With more people passing by, Fang Che stuck his head out and said, "You're so ugly, yet no one bothers you on the road. I bet you wouldn't even fetch a good price at a brothel. If you don't hurry up and progress in your cultivation, what else can you hope for?"
Ye Meng was so angry her chest swelled.
She pouted, puffing her cheeks, refusing to speak out of spite. She stomped her feet vigorously as she walked.
Is it my fault that no one bothers me?
If it weren't for intelligence and undercover work, I'd smack you back to Bibo City with one slap!
Just then, two people suddenly emerged from the woods ahead, and the one in front rolled his eyes and said, "Stop!"
He held a knife, the blade gleaming.
Pointing the knife at the carriage, he smiled insincerely, "Fang Gongzi, come down?"
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