Enraged, Song Anping realized that his studies had been neglected since he entered the gambling den, and he was now penniless, which was why he thought of seeking help from his now-wealthy second uncle.
When I first arrived in Xianyuan Town, I saw my cousin alone on the street with a four or five-year-old child. I thought of using public opinion to smear my second uncle's family, but I didn't expect that my cousin was no longer as easy to bully as before.
As the crowd grew increasingly agitated, Song Anping was at a loss for what to do when someone shouted, "Isn't this Song Anping, the eldest grandson of the Song family? Haven't you been studying at the school in town? What are you doing gambling? I heard you're planning to take the exam this year. Old Man Song has been saying in the village every day that you're the future scholar."
When someone asked, he briefly explained the situation of Song Anping's family.
Song Anping was so brazen in pressuring his cousin because he was certain no one here knew him, but he never expected to be recognized. He had always considered himself a scholar, and being talked about like this filled him with shame.
Song Anping glared at Song Ankang and fled as if he were running away.
As the crowd dispersed after watching the spectacle, they all left. Soon, only Song Ankang and Shenwa remained.
Emperor Fengzhao had always valued scholars, but he never expected someone to have fallen so low. "Have someone keep an eye on this Song Anping. My Great Ye Kingdom doesn't need officials like this." With one sentence, Emperor Fengzhao decided Song Anping's fate.
Emperor Fengzhao had a good impression of Song Ankang. Despite his young age, the boy was quite shrewd. "He's rather clever," he said.
Feng Jinghan smiled and said, "My son heard from Shen Qingshuang, the magistrate of Yang County, that he has discovered a promising student. It seems that this is the one."
"Oh, you mean that third-place scholar who refused marriage?"
"It's him. He is indeed quite capable. Yang County has developed rapidly under his governance."
Emperor Fengzhao looked at Song Ankang, seemingly lost in thought. "It's too unsafe for two teenagers to be out alone. Call them up here."
The servants quickly approached Song Ankang and his companion, said something, and soon the two followed them to the restaurant.
Song Ankang led Shenwa into the room. Upon seeing Feng Jinghan, he immediately bowed and said, "Song Ankang greets His Highness Prince Duan."
"No need for formalities. Why didn't you two have your parents accompany you?"
Song Ankang noticed the old man in the room. Judging from his position and the attitude of Prince Duan and the others, he had a guess in his mind. He was nervous for a while, but quickly calmed down.
"Xianyuan Town is adjacent to Cangshan Mountain, and many people here work at the inn. If someone were to cheat or shirk their duties, they would lose their job. Over time, the town has become exceptionally safe."
From the moment he entered, Shenwa's eyes never left Emperor Fengzhao. He sucked on his hand; this man had such a powerful aura, yet he was clearly just a mortal, so why did he feel the same pressure as his brother Lu?
Emperor Fengzhao was listening to Song Ankang speak when he noticed a strong gaze. Turning his head, he saw the chubby little boy next to Song Ankang. Emperor Fengzhao took a liking to the ginseng child at first sight. After all, the ginseng child had a pure aura and an exceptionally cheerful appearance, which was most pleasing to the elderly.
"Why are you staring at me like that, you little brat?"
Upon hearing Emperor Feng Zhao's question, Song Ankang felt a chill run down his spine. "My brother is still young and usually stays at the Xianyuan Inn. He rarely interacts with outsiders and has offended many people. I hope this gentleman will forgive him."
Emperor Fengzhao wasn't angry to begin with, but upon hearing Song Ankang's words, he became even more serious. "Little brat, are you from the Immortal Fate Inn?"
Ginseng scratched his head. "Yes, I've been with Uncle Rong the whole time. Uncle, your aura is so strong, almost as strong as Brother Lu's. Of course, it's still a little bit weaker than Brother Hu Jiu's." Ginseng raised his little finger, trying to prove that it was really just a little bit.
Emperor Feng Zhao didn't know who the two people were. He thought he had been as kind as possible, but he still managed to frighten the little child. Emperor Feng Zhao felt somewhat frustrated. Was he really not liked by children?
Feng Jinghan gasped. The fact that this little kid could address Hu Jiu and Lu Yan in such a way meant that he must be someone extraordinary.
Just as they were about to speak, Shenwa, taking advantage of the moment before everyone could react, suddenly hugged Emperor Fengzhao's leg and said in a childish voice, "But Shenwa likes you too."
Although the shopkeeper told me not to easily flatter others, I really liked this uncle's aura, so I thought it would be okay to just hug him once.
The guard was startled and was about to reprimand him when Emperor Fengzhao raised his hand to stop him. For some reason, when the little child was close to him, he immediately felt refreshed and energetic. His previously weak body was filled with strength, as if he had become several years younger.
Emperor Feng Zhao looked in surprise at the little guy who had already gone far away and was hiding behind Song Ankang. Before he could speak, he heard Feng Jinghan whisper, "Father, if I'm not mistaken, this person is not an ordinary person. The Hu Jiu and Brother Lu he mentioned are the core employees around the shop manager."
Emperor Feng Zhao gasped. Having heard Feng Jinghan's explanation, he naturally knew the difference between core employees and ordinary employees. "The people around an immortal are indeed extraordinary. Could this one be an immortal's attendant?"
Ginseng wanted to argue that he wasn't a fairy child. But remembering everyone's instructions, he decided not to reveal his identity.
Seeing that he didn't refute, Emperor Fengzhao became even more certain of his guess, and his fondness for Ginseng Child increased even further. No wonder he looked so spiritual; he wasn't an ordinary person after all.
Does being favored by a celestial being mean he has a destiny with the immortals?
Thinking of this, Emperor Fengzhao was even more eager to see the immortal. "Let's set off immediately once we've rested. I wonder if the immortal child would be willing to come along?"
"Uncle, just call me Ginseng. I've only just arrived at Brother Kang's house and haven't had a proper time to play yet, so I won't stay with you, Uncle."
Emperor Fengzhao was somewhat disappointed. "Then shall I send someone to protect the immortal child?"
Ginseng shook its head, proudly puffing out its little chest. "I'm not afraid at all. The shopkeeper and the others gave me lots of good things. If I encounter a Grandmaster, I'll smash him to death with these treasures."
Everyone fell silent. What kind of treasure could be capable of killing a grandmaster so easily? Although they coveted it, no one dared to snatch the treasure from the fairy child.
Emperor Fengzhao no longer insisted, but secretly ordered people to protect the fairy boy from a distance. The ginseng boy's appearance was simply too deceptive; Emperor Fengzhao couldn't help but treat him like a child.
The group left the restaurant and continued their journey towards Cangshan Mountain.
The road leading to the inn is now fully paved, and horse-drawn carriages can be seen coming and going everywhere. Villages cluster along both sides of the road from time to time, and they are quite large, some of them almost becoming small towns.
Although the people's clothes were not very fancy, they were almost without patches, which shows that they had no worries about food and clothing.
Even though Emperor Fengzhao had never been to Cangshan, he knew that it had once been a desolate place where even a small path was hard to find.
The dramatic changes we've witnessed make it feel like we're still in the heart of the city.
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