Ding Hao looked at the light swirling around Zheng Fan’s body with surprise.
"Is black very special, very rare?" Zheng Fan asked.
"Actually... it’s quite common."
"Then why are you so shocked?"
"You’re joking. You’ve already progressed, and I, as your teacher, have reached the end of my road. From now on, our teacher-student relationship no longer exists. Naturally, I need to be more polite to you to ensure my continued existence and sustenance."
"Oh, I forgot about that. Now that you’re useless, Siniang!"
"Take him away and use him as fertilizer to plant flowers."
He should say, ’once a teacher, always a father,’ or something like that, shouldn’t he?
Ding Hao was clearly caught off guard. This time, his shock was genuine, not feigned.
If it were anyone else, he might have laughed it off, considering it a joke. But with this group, Ding Hao had no idea what to expect.
"Just kidding, just kidding."
Zheng Fan patted Ding Hao’s shoulder.
At this moment, Ding Hao actually breathed out a sigh of relief.
Even though he was a tough man, after enduring so much and being saved right before death, he had been a teacher for almost a month, well-cared for each day with no shortage of food or drink.
A month ago, Ding Hao would have willingly faced death. But now, he found the allure of life much stronger.
Most importantly, he remembered their promise: when their "master" progressed, it would be the day of his recovery!
No matter how many times he told himself this was almost impossible, how could there not be a sliver of anticipation in his subconscious?
"Siniang, it’s your turn."
Zheng Fan turned, sat on the chair behind him, picked up the teacup beside him, and began to drink.
Siniang stepped before Ding Hao, bringing a gust of fragrance with her.
Ding Hao, being a man of experience, naturally knew the woman before him was a rare beauty.
But not the slightest blasphemous thought crossed his mind. He hadn’t forgotten that threat of torture, described as being the "same for the upper and lower brains."
"Old Ding, our master is most benevolent and also values civility the most.
Now, you have two paths to choose."
"The first path is to be turned into fertilizer."
"GULP..." Ding Hao involuntarily swallowed. Weren’t there two paths?
"The second is to pledge allegiance to our master. From now on, you will be a menial servant of our Zheng Family. Tsk, ’menial servant’ doesn’t sound very good. Let’s call you a servant."
"Family retainer," Zheng Fan corrected.
"My lord, I still think the term ’servant’ sounds more domineering," Siniang cooed to Zheng Fan.
It’s like how a handsome man speaking bluntly is called straightforward, while an ugly man speaking bluntly is called a male chauvinist. When a beautiful woman coos at you, you enjoy it and instinctively want to buy her handbags.
Especially after that experience with her hand, Zheng Fan had become more tolerant of Siniang.
Siniang was pleased. No matter her age, a woman enjoys being pampered, and Siniang was no exception.
"Old Ding, it’s your turn to choose. One of two, which do you pick?"
Ding Hao’s lips curled bitterly. What kind of choice is this?
"I’m a cripple. Even if I become your family’s... dog, what can I do besides waste food?"
"Heh heh, you don’t need to worry about that. Our Zheng Family’s dogs are naturally different from others’. For example, if another family’s dog broke its leg, it would probably be killed for a dog meat hotpot. But our Zheng Family, we’d help it get its leg reattached."
Hearing this, Ding Hao’s face flushed with excitement. He immediately asked, "Can... can I recover?"
Siniang spread her hands. Ten silver needles whirled around her fingertips. At this moment, her demeanor underwent a massive change.
"I couldn’t before. But now, I can."
"I’m willing! I’m willing!"
Saying this, Ding Hao unhesitatingly threw himself from the chair. Because the tendons in his hands and feet were severed, he couldn’t stand up, nor could he easily cup his hands in a salute. Nevertheless, he used this prostrate manner to cry out to Zheng Fan, "Master! Master! Master!"
It seemed demeaning, but in Ding Hao’s current predicament, he truly had no other choice.
Zheng Fan put down his teacup, stood up, and walked over to Ding Hao. He bent down, looked at his face, and said, "Actually, I’m not very good at winning people’s hearts."
It’s because I started out with seven dogs.
"Once you’re healed, just work diligently. In the future, when you want revenge against the Liu Clan of Beifeng, tell us first. If it’s convenient, we’ll help you."
To gain a foothold in Beifeng Prefecture, it would be almost impossible to avoid conflict with the Liu Clan of Beifeng in the future. So, Zheng Fan wasn’t exactly making an empty promise.
Ding Hao took a deep breath. This time, he was clearly more sincere than before. "Your subordinate obeys!"
"Good. Siniang, you can begin."
After speaking, Zheng Fan walked out.
Reattaching severed tendons was delicate work. Watching those needles weave in and out of flesh and muscle would make anyone uneasy.
However, Siniang worked faster than expected. Zheng Fan had only been squatting by the door long enough to smoke three cigarettes when Siniang came out.
"Reporting to my lord, it’s done."
"He fainted from the pain. But he’s truly a tough man; he endured it all without uttering a single sound."
"How much of his strength can he recover?"
"Do you still doubt my skills?" Siniang wiggled her fingers at Zheng Fan.
"Will his strength fully recover?"
"After resting for a couple of days, he should be able to recover to the level of a Ninth Rank Martial Cultivator. In fact, because he has endured such great calamities, it’s not impossible for him to advance further in his martial path."
"I see... Wait, Siniang, I remember you said before that you weren’t able to help him recover for now."
Siniang’s beautiful eyes darted. She immediately said, "Isn’t it just that I’ve been practicing my basic skills recently and got the hang of it again?"
With the Blind One and the others not around, Siniang dared not tell Zheng Fan on her own that her strength had significantly recovered.
"My lord, tonight, I wish to practice my skills some more. It wouldn’t do if my hands were to get rusty again, you know. So, I must trouble my lord. Please grant Siniang’s impertinent request."
"Of course, of course."
Just as Zheng Fan’s face was turning slightly red under Siniang’s gaze, Fangcao approached from diagonally behind them.
Zheng Fan immediately cleared his throat, turned to Fangcao, and asked, "What is it?"
"Master, someone from the government office is in the front hall. They’re looking for you, Master."
"Alright, I’ll go take a look."
Zheng Fan nodded at Siniang, and Siniang curtsied slightly to him.
Zheng Fan hadn’t been to the government office in almost a month. After putting on that act with Comrade Deep Sea outside the main hall, he had comfortably stayed home practicing martial arts, too lazy to even go through the motions of routine check-ins.
He initially thought someone from the government office had come to notify him of something. But when he entered the living room, he found the visitor was the scrivener of Recruitment Envoy Xu Wenzu.
This scrivener’s status was clearly not ordinary; he had to be Xu Wenzu’s confidant. His personal visit surely meant he was carrying a message from Xu Wenzu.
"Zheng Colonel, your residence is quite imposing. It must have cost a fair bit, eh?"
"Not at all, not at all. It’s a haunted house, so it was cheap."
The scrivener was momentarily speechless.
The two sat down again, both tacitly skipping the initial hollow pleasantries.
"Zheng Colonel, this time, my Ah Lang sent me to find you."
"What matter does Recruitment Envoy Xu require of me?"
"It’s : the day after tomorrow, a batch of birthday goods from Hutou City is to be sent to the Earl’s manor. Ah Lang’s intention is for you, Zheng Colonel, to be in charge of escorting these birthday goods."
"Birthday goods?" Zheng Fan looked puzzled.
The scrivener immediately asked with curiosity, "The day after tomorrow is the Marquise’s fiftieth birthday. Don’t you remember, Zheng Colonel?"
Zheng Fan immediately adopted a solemn expression. "The Marquise has shown great kindness to my family. How could I possibly forget!"
"Indeed. Then, this escort mission is entrusted to you, Zheng Colonel."
The term "birthday goods" referred to large, convoyed shipments of gifts. When a prominent figure had a birthday, officials of all ranks throughout the land were generally expected to prepare presents. Of course, not everyone could personally attend the celebrations, nor was everyone qualified to do so. But even if the person couldn’t be there, the gift certainly had to arrive.
So, this batch of birthday goods was likely the tribute from the various powers in and around Hutou City for the Earl of North Border’s manor.
Escorting it didn’t seem like a major task, and Zheng Fan didn’t think much of it. Comrade Deep Sea knew he was a commander without an army, so he would surely assign troops for the escort.
"For this matter, sir, you could have just sent someone from the government office to inform me. Why did you need to come personally?"
"There’s one more thing," the scrivener said.
"My Ah Lang is leaving Hutou City tomorrow to patrol the borders. The official story is that because officials, merchants, and major clans in Hutou City will be holding celebrations with theater troupes and banquets the day after tomorrow, as is customary, my Ah Lang is unwilling to associate with them and has chosen this time to leave for the border patrol."
These festivities were somewhat like celebratory galas of later eras. The Earl of North Border’s manor probably didn’t much care how the celebrations here were conducted. However, the people below had to make the effort. After all, as long as the Earl of North Border’s manor hadn’t fallen, it held the top position in Beifeng Prefecture. And as long as it stood, everyone had to keep bootlicking.
The Recruitment Envoy was a position tied to regional defense, not permanently stationed in Hutou City. Choosing to patrol the borders at this time also served to demonstrate his consistent political stance in favor of weakening the feudatories.
Hearing this, Zheng Fan still felt it wasn’t anything significant.
But the scrivener continued, "At that time, I will disguise myself as Ah Lang and patrol the border in his stead. Ah Lang himself will secretly join your escort team. Once you reach the Earl of North Border’s manor, he will rely on your connections within the manor to arrange a secret meeting with the Princess and the Old Marquise, without alerting any outsiders."
Zheng Fan was stunned.