Chapter 39: The Ghost-Talented Second Young Master
Chapter 39: The Ghost-Talented Second Young Master
Early the next morning, on the small path connecting Willow Lake City and the Academy, Xiao Qingliu had set up his stall.
“Selling Dispatches! Selling Dispatches!”
He waved his hand, making the few Demon-Subduing Dispatches he held rustle loudly.
Among the Academy’s three hundred Disciples, quite a number traveled between Willow Lake City and the Academy. Morning was precisely when these Disciples hurried towards the Academy. Suddenly spotting this peculiar stall on the usually quiet path sparked a spark of curiosity in many of them. Quite a few people either reined in their horses or stopped their carriages, leaning down to ask Xiao Qingliu.
“What kind of Dispatches?”
“You little servant boy, you’re from the Fang Family, right?”
“This is a place of quiet learning for the Academy. How dare you make noise here?”
Xiao Qingliu, however, wasn’t afraid of the Academy Disciples. He just laughed, “I’m here selling at my Young Master’s order. It was him who insisted I shout these particular words too. Everyone, just take a look! The chance to strike it rich is right here…”
“A haunted ancient well a hundred li west of the city. Anyone heading over – five thousand taels…”
“Celestial Grass at Barbarian Mountain’s cliff edge. Covers the ground. Anyone cutting two jin – three hundred taels…”
“Thirty Healing Pills. You provide the herbs. Ten taels per pill…”
“Cripple Ridge forty li east of the city. Squire Zhu invites a Minor Qi Practitioner to exorcist evils for his daughter. One hundred taels…”
“…”
“…”
The Disciples listened with great curiosity. Many casually took the dispatches to examine them and immediately found them very new. “Bah! Isn’t this just an Academy Demon-Subduing Dispatch?”
“And these all bear the official seal?”
“Aren’t Demon-Subduing Dispatches supposed to be collected yourself? How are they being handed out now?”
“What did you just say? Five hundred taels?”
“…”
“…”
All sorts of comments came from the Academy Disciples. Some were disdainful, some thought it absurd, but quite a few were tempted.
The sort who could study at the White Xiang Academy likely didn’t come from poor families. But even if their families weren’t poor, it didn’t mean they had bottomless coffers of silver. For most Disciples, after their families sent them to the Academy and continuously supplied them with expensive pills, Talismans, tools, and all the incredibly costly materials needed for cultivation for over two years straight, things often started to feel rather tight.
They were all Qi Refiners, sure, but how much silver could they truly carry personally?
More than a thousand taels was already considered extravagant.
Most Disciples only had tens of taels worth of small silver pieces on them. It really was shabby!
Cultivation was simply too expensive!
Because of this, while some found this strange scene utterly absurd, many secretly swallowed hard. “A haunted ancient well? Five hundred taels for just going? Seriously? What threat could such a petty, vengeful spirit possibly pose? It would only take two or three Evil-Warding Talismans to handle. One such Talisman costs about a hundred taels… two are enough, three provide insurance… meaning this job…” Their eyes widened. “…was worth two hundred taels?”
An entire month’s spending money, right there, wasn’t it?
“So this Second Young Master Fang had the seal stamped on them in advance… just so we could earn merits for him?”
“Don’t put it like that. It’s Second Young Master Fang paying for merits…”
“This… wouldn’t the Academy object?”
“But the Academy hasn’t said they object, have they?”
“…”
“…”
Gradually, some minds became active. Among them, quite a few saw through Second Young Master Fang’s “sinister” intentions and left disdainfully. But many stayed, quietly asking Xiao Qingliu for more details. And then there were those who did see through the “sinister” intent, dismissed it and walked away, only to sneak back later when the crowd thinned to ask Xiao Qingliu quietly…
The first day went smoothly. Over a dozen Dispatches were sold.
By the second day, Xiao Qingliu brought another pile of Demon-Subduing Dispatches to sell. After the previous day’s buzz, even more people came to buy. Hearing talk spread since yesterday, and seeing those who had earned silver showing off, resulted in the hard sale of more than thirty dispatches…
The third day: over fifty…
The fourth day: it was a rest day. Nearly a hundred were sold…
…
…
It was around this time that Instructor Zhang Shixian, usually found lazing around in Xingzhi Courtyard like a salted fish, suddenly became busy. He took a blank piece of paper and kept writing the name “Fang Cun” over and over, until his hand ached…
“As an Academy Instructor, I shouldn’t be encouraging such an unhealthy trend… but he…” Zhang Shixian glanced at the banknotes beside him, his expression turning stern. “No. This isn’t an unhealthy trend!”
…
…
Second Young Master Fang soon became famous.
The former First Young Master Fang had earned a huge reputation doing large amounts of demon-slaying and evil-purging for the Academy. But times were different now; there weren’t so many demons around Willow Lake City to slay, nor were there as many Demonic Cultivators wreaking havoc. So everyone assumed that even if someone like the First Young Master Fang appeared again, there just wouldn’t be enough demons for him to kill…
Until Second Young Master Fang showed up!
Who could imagine someone completing hundreds of Demon-Subduing Dispatches in just seven or eight days?
Granted, the tasks on these Dispatches were mostly trivial or downright ridiculous. But once they appeared at the Academy as official Demon-Subduing Dispatches, they needed someone to undertake them. Previously, however, very few Disciples bothered with such absurd tasks, leading to a massive backlog. Once Second Young Master Fang appeared, it was like a miracle – with a wave of his hand, he single-handedly cleared this large stack of Dispatches…
And especially amazing – while completing these Dispatches, he just… continued cultivating properly in the Study Pavilion. How unreasonable was that?
In no time at all, Second Young Master Fang’s name spread throughout White Xiang Academy.
Some called him the “God of Wealth.” Others called him a “Fool with Money to Burn.” Privately, some even dubbed him the “Dispatch Peddler”…
One undeniable fact was that Second Young Master Fang’s entries in White Xiang Academy’s Ledger of Merits kept growing thicker and thicker. Naturally, the Academy had a system for counting merit points from various Dispatches. Most Disciples had fewer than a hundred points, usually scattered between tens. Only those who had completed perilous and significant missions could possibly surpass a thousand points and rank among the top spots in the Ledger of Merits…
And Second Young Master Fang, having been at the Academy for less than two months, saw his name rapidly climb the list!
He hadn’t done any particularly dangerous tasks, but he made up for it in sheer volume. Piece by piece, he accumulated enough to force his way into the Ledger’s top ten…
…
…
“This is intolerable!”
Upon hearing about it, an Instructor in the Academy was furious. He slammed the table and stood up. “That Fang the Second is utterly absurd! What does he take our White Xiang Academy for? This is a sacred place seeking the Dao! Those Demon-Subduing Dispatches were gathered to train the Disciples! Now the stench he alone created has repeatedly filled the stench of profit! I say, all his merits should be wiped out, and he should be severely punished! Only then can we eliminate this evil influence!”
Another Instructor sighed helplessly. “The Academy rules don’t say it’s forbidden. What grounds do you have to punish him?”
“Then the rules need to be written! Or are we to truly let him keep causing mischief like this?”
“If that’s how you see it, esteemed teacher, why not approach the Academy Head?”
The first Instructor choked on his words and retorted angrily, “I won’t bother the Academy Head! I’ll go to Xingzhi Courtyard!”
True to his word, several Instructors went to Xingzhi Courtyard during this time, sternly yelling at Zhang Shixian to erase Fang the Second’s merit points, punish him severely, or at the very least, deduct most of his merit points, plus ban him from taking any more Demon-Subduing Dispatches…
But Instructor Zhang Shixian appeared very troubled. “The rules of Xingzhi Courtyard have been set since White Xiang Academy was founded here. Its principle has always been to exterminate demons, help spirits pass on, and serve the common folk. Look at all these Dispatches Second Young Master Fang took on. Did he not complete each and every one excellently? See this exorcism job? Not only did he exorcise the evil, he ended up marrying the man’s daughter! Isn’t that a wonderful thing…”
“Nonsense!”
The enraged Instructor shouted. “Was any single one of these Demon-Subduing Dispatches actually completed by himself?!”
Zhang Shixian looked sideways at the visitor. “Did you witness every single task?”
“I…”
“Since you didn’t witness it, how do you know he didn’t finish them himself? I reckon he might have done at least two of them!”
“You are shameless! Utterly shameless! All of this is only happening in White Xiang Academy because you deliberately cover for him…”
Zhang Shixian grew annoyed after listening for a while. He slammed the table—neither too lightly nor too heavily—and shouted, “Make yourself clear! What do you mean ‘shameful’? Those Demon-Subduing Dispatches piled up in Xingzhi Courtyard, coated in dust with no one even touching them—isn’t that shameful? Seeing the haunted well cause trouble for three or four years, killing at least three people, while no one went to put an end to it—isn’t that shameful? Manager Zhu’s daughter reaching thirty-seven or thirty-eight unmarried… well, that isn’t shameful. That’s mostly because she’s not really…”
“You… how dare you twist words like…”
“Twist your mother’s stupid head! You haven’t even been at the academy as long as I have! Daring to lecture me?”
“Open your stupid eyes wide and look! Just these last few days, our academy has completed more Demon-Subduing Dispatches than we did in the previous two or three years combined! Everyone around Willow Lake City sings our praises, spreading the reputation of White Xiang Academy! Poor students who couldn’t afford Qi-Refining Pills now have money. Students seeking experience have gained it. People troubled by evil entities got their problems solved. And that Second Young Master Fang… Right? Isn’t this a win-win for everyone?”
“Well… that actually makes sense…”
“But still… you ought to know when to stop…”
“…”
“…”
Fang Cun had originally estimated that it would take at most five or six days before the academy would step in to stop his “selling dispatches for merit points scheme.” To his surprise, the stubborn Zhang Shixian had managed to cover for him for over ten days straight. Consequently, he had forcefully climbed from the top ten on the Ledger of Merits all the way to fifth place, shoving aside one named Nie Quan from the Five Disciples of Nanshan Alliance…
“Second Young Master Fang, isn’t that about enough?”
“Whether it’s enough… isn’t still entirely up to you, Teacher?”
Fang Cun also wore a pained expression. “I really do want to get to Lan Shuang Pavilion sooner…”
During this time, staying at Yuanzhi Pavilion—or rather, the Yuanzhi Pavilion temporarily managed by Instructor Lingxiu—had genuinely become unbearable.
If he didn’t leave soon, he might accidentally end up becoming an expert in witchcraft…
The main issue, though? His allowance was almost gone…
…
…
“Logically speaking, it should be about enough. You’re even ranked in the academy now…”
Zhang Shixian sucked his teeth and murmured, “But there is a bit of trouble. A bunch of meddling old fools with too much time and too full stomachs insist on making a fuss about this. They’ve come to me several times protesting, and some even complained to the Elder Mentor. Although the Elder Mentor didn’t say anything explicit about it… I think it would be better to play it safe before you go to the Teaching Pavilion…”
Fang Cun felt helpless. He wished all academy instructors were as understanding as Zhang Shixian.
He asked helplessly, “We’ve done so many of these Demon-Subduing Dispatches already, so how exactly do we play it safe?”
Zhang Shixian thought seriously for a moment, then lowered his voice. “The best way is to truly complete one yourself. Not just any task, but one that carries weight… impressively. Only then can we silence those critics and ensure you smoothly enter Lan Shuang Study Pavilion…”
“Hmm?” Fang Cun grew slightly wary. “But something like that probably isn’t easy, is it?”
“Well… that depends on who you are…” Zhang Shixian suddenly smiled at him. “Any significant Demon-Subduing Dispatch isn’t simple: capturing dangerous criminals, venturing into mountains to slay beasts, investigating strange and perilous events… Forget a Disciple of your current cultivation level, even a student at the peak Breath Refining Realm could lose their life in a careless moment…”
Fang Cun was taken aback. “Then why did you suggest I do one?”
Zhang Shixian winked slyly. “Oh, I didn’t mean for you to do it alone. We might be able to… piggyback on someone else’s effort…”
Fang Cun was even more astonished. “You can ‘piggyback’ that kind of thing?”
“As long as it follows the rules, why not?”
As he spoke, Zhang Shixian produced a Demon-Subduing Dispatch he had prepared in advance. “This is the biggest thing happening this year that I picked out for you. And it’s safe. Just run around following others and come back—it’s smooth sailing!”
“Disappearances in Elm Coin Town?”
Fang Cun frowned slightly at the contents of the dispatch.
This dispatch was brand new, clearly just sent over by the City Governor. The task itself was straightforward: it merely stated that numerous refugees had vanished near the southwest city outskirts recently. Crucially, a few days prior, an entire village of two to three hundred people had disappeared overnight. With no trace of the people or their bodies for days, there was an urgent need to investigate whether it was the work of demons.
This dispatch didn’t demand that Academy Disciples solve anything. Simply conducting an investigation would count as a major merit.
Involving hundreds of lives, its impact was huge—genuinely a major incident, even rare for White Xiang Academy. It could never compare to those small-time errands for practice, like healing, gathering herbs, refining pills, warding off demons, or placating haunted sites…
Completing this one task probably equated to more merit than ten, or even a hundred, of his previous minor ones.
“Indeed it carries weight… but already so many people…”
Fang Cun saw numerous stamps at the bottom of the dispatch. Looking at the names, the top ones were precisely Meng Zhixue, Nie Renwang, Yu Qingli, He Zhenzhang, and Meng Qing’er. Having been at the Academy this long, Fang Cun knew these five were the so-called Five Disciples of the Nanshan Alliance. Frankly, they were essentially his elder brother’s fan club from the White Xiang Academy days.
During his elder brother’s time at the academy, he had performed many righteous deeds. However, his most renowned act was breaking up an incident involving devil-tiger cannibalism outside the city in the Southern Mountains. What shocked everyone even more was that the tiger demon was linked to the former Academy Head. This affair shook society, and the reputation of the “Little Immortal Master of Willow Lake City,” Immortal Master Fang Chi, truly began then.
Meng Zhixue and the others formed the Nanshan Alliance specifically to emulate his elder brother and eradicate demonic evil and injustice.
As for these people…
Fang Cun shook his head internally. He wasn’t quite sure what to say.
Based on his worldly experience, anyone who formed groups like “Nine Dragons,” “Seven Wolves,” or “Thirteen Sisters” as kids ended up regretting it deeply as adults—so much so that they’d overreact if anyone mentioned it. In future memoirs, it would be pure black history, a source of profound embarrassment…
“Esteemed Nephew Fang, this is an excellent chance! These Nanshan Alliance youths, though young, are righteous, honest, and bright. They vow to follow in your elder brother’s footsteps and cleanse demonic evil. They actually handle over half the Demon-Subduing Dispatches left in Xingzhi Courtyard these days. They’ve accepted this dispatch and are gathering people, hence it’s still with me. I’ll just add your name directly…”
Zhang Shixian grinned cunningly. “Following them on this trip settles everything perfectly, doesn’t it?”
Go along with them on this trip… piggyback for merits smoothly…
Fang Cun thought it over carefully and made a decision quickly.
Piggyback!
Why not?
They were the ones piggybacking on his elder brother’s legacy first!
Also…
A thought flickered silently in Fang Cun’s mind: This is also a good chance to see the true character of these people parading around using my elder brother’s name!