“You are right, father. I have committed your teachings to mind. I hope you can forgive my stubbornness and lend me the Gold Medallion, such that I can cultivate the virtue of frugality,” Wun Fan smiled shamelessly. An eleven-year-old boy was behaving like an experienced and seedy salesman. He rubbed his hands together and acted very respectfully, all the while looking at Wun Ching Yeung with a big smile on his face.
“Tsk, and I thought you had a backbone,” the great elder yawned and scooped a few peanuts into his palms, shelling and snacking on them as he watched Wun Fan put on a show.
“Clan master, here’s the tea,” Siu Ha passed a hot cup of tea over. She also couldn’t help but smile when she heard Wun Fan’s words. Even a servant was laughing at him. Wun Fan blushed and cursed in his own mind, “Hmph! Stupid dad! Just you wait, see what kind of a show I’ll put on for you once I get my hands on that Gold Medallion.”
Wun Ching Yeung took the teacup in his hand, pulled his sleeve back, and took a leisurely sip of tea. He smiled as he looked at Wun Fan, “So, are you cursing me out in your mind right now?”
Wun Ching Yeung saw right through him. Wun Fan laughed sheepishly and suddenly switched to a pained expression, “My father has worked tirelessly for the past ten years to provide for me, ten years of debt I will never be able to repay. How could I ever do such a thing and bite the hand that feeds me?! Father, you are a wise and brilliant mind, you willingly bear the burden of supporting the nation on your back, you wish for peace amongst all corners of the world, you love all people as if they were your own children, you see vanquishing evil as your personal duty, you…”
“Alright, alright, shut up. I’m not dead yet, so spare me the eulogy speech. I feel like my ears are going to fall off from hearing all that nonsense,” the more Wun Ching Yeung heard, the more annoyed he got. Why did it sound like a eunuch flattering an emperor? More importantly, he wasn’t dead yet and the brat was talking about him like he was.
He shook his head and smiled bitterly. He took out the Gold Medallion and tossed it lightly across the air. It flew in an arc and landed in Wun Fan’s hand. He then said, “There are stalls and shops in the market. Try not to use the medallion at the stalls. It’s not easy making a living with just a stall these days.”
Wun Fan hastily nodded when he heard this, but he was impressed by his father. It was a small reminder that he gave Wun Fan, but that alone showed his character. Martial prowess alone did not explain how Wun Ching Yeung had managed to make the Wun Clan so prosperous.
“Do you have enough money, Fan?” Wun Ching Yeung was a little curious now. He knew Wun Fan well enough. He would never resort to such flattery, or endure so much mockery unless the Gold Medallion was very important. He was a father and he knew his son very well.
The best the Gold Medallion could do was make the merchant offer a slight discount, probably no more than ten percent. You wouldn’t save too much money with small discounts like that, not unless you were planning to spend a lot.
“That’s right, what are you planning to buy, kid?” even the great elder was a little curious now. This kid had been a complete shut-in back when his power was stuck at sixth-level Martial Disciple. He hardly ever went out. Now that he had improved a little and reached the ninth level, he was constantly going out, even when he was still covered in injuries. This kid had never even been to the Wun Clan’s market before this.
“Nothing. I just wanna go have some fun. It would be such a shame if I didn’t know the touch of a woman. Thank god I am the young master of a big clan. I’m sure…” Wun Fan got swept up in his little speech and even made a groping motion with his hands. Even Siu Ha had to look away in embarrassment,
“Crash.”
Wun Ching Yeung threw a teacup at Wun Fan’s head, then kicked him out of the meeting room. The great elder shouted out loud as he left, “Brat, Siu Lan’s awake already, but I grounded her. She kept saying that she wanted to go out for a walk this morning. Bring her along, will you, so she won’t be moping at home the whole day.”
Heh. This was exactly what Wun Fan planned to do. She was Mrs. Moneybags after all.345Please respect copyright.PENANAoj0h4UmKjS
Wun Fan left the Wun Mansion with Wun Siu Lan in tow. He hummed as he strutted down the main street. He was in a good mood. On the other hand, Wun Siu Lan didn’t seem to be in good spirits. She looked a little exhausted sometimes. It seemed like the mayor’s martial technique from yesterday was still affecting her a little bit.
“You are ok, right, Siu Lan?” There was concern in Wun Fan’s eyes as he looked at Wun Siu Lan’s tired eyes under her mask. He couldn’t help but feel worried. He even started to blame himself a little. After all, Wun Ping and his lackeys had been out to get him. He was the one who dragged Wun Siu Lan into this mess. If she hadn’t had to fight, her emotions wouldn’t have gone out of control.
“I’m okay, Wun Fan. I probably just can’t use my soul energy for the next few days,” Wun Siu Lan’s voice was weak and exhausted. However, judging from her steps, she should have no problem going on a simple walk. Given the Wun Clan’s status in Green Sea Town, no one would dare to lay a hand on them
Even if something similar to what happened three years ago were to occur, Wun Fan was here to keep her safe.
Wun Fan suddenly remembered that he had a living encyclopedia inside of him. He popped into his own mind and asked, “Old Lei, about the girl beside me, my elders say that she loses control of her emotions and her power whenever she draws on her martial soul. Can you tell what’s the reason for that?”
“Mm,” Old Lei always started with a simple ‘mm’ before he explained himself properly.
“Typically, loss of control over a martial soul has something to do with the cultivation technique practiced by the individual. Martial souls can be shaped by the cultivation technique you practice, but if the innate power of the martial soul is too powerful, it cannot be changed by external forces. The girl beside you seems to be one such case. I will help you think of some way to deal with it. Just focus on buying the herbs for today,” Old Lei was unexpectedly helpful today. Wun Fan had expected Old Lei to be more sarcastic or passive-aggressive. Could the Spiritstartler Ring have some hidden function that could change someone’s personality that even Old Lei didn’t know about?
Truly a miracle.
Wun Fan broke the news to Wun Siu Lan as they walked. He told her that he had finally made it past sixth-level Martial Disciple and was now a ninth-level Martial Disciple. The young girl cheered excitedly and exclaimed that she was going to bring him somewhere to celebrate. A little color returned to her pale face because of this and Wun Fan couldn’t help but feel relieved to see this.
This stupid girl was the one person who was always the most concerned about him.
Wun Fan and Wun Siu Lan walked side by side as they looked all around them. Wun Fan even bought a candied apple for Siu Lan. The two of them didn’t talk about much else after Wun Fan confessed his sudden improvement, but they both felt close to each other as they shared the candied apple between themselves. There were many people and carts in the street, but to the two of them, they seemed to be the only people in the world. After all, the two of them rarely had time to spend alone with each other like this. A scary thought even popped up in Wun Fan’s mind, “Are we dating?”
Wun Fan shook his head and shook the thought off. He was a gentleman, not a scoundrel.
Of course, if he was a scoundrel, he would be an extremely charming rogue.
The two of them walked at a brisk pace. They arrived at the market soon enough, where the crowd was swarming and bustling. People were constantly going in and out like buzzing mosquitos. The entrance was wide enough to fit thirty people walking through side-by-side. A wooden sign stood at the entrance, simple but of elegant design. The woodcarving work was detailed and exquisite. It exuded an aura of grandeur and importance despite its simple appearance. The words ‘The Wun Market’ was carved into the sign. Meanwhile, Wun Ching Yeung’s calligraphy was etched onto the two pillars, “Wealth comes at no rush; look left and look right.”
The two phrases revealed Wun Ching Yeung’s personal philosophy. One step at a time with all things, more haste, less speed. Always considering every variable, keeping the big picture in mind without compromising anything else.
Two Wun Clan disciples stood underneath the wooden sign. They had swords by their waists. They recognized Wun Fan and Wun Siu Lan when they arrived and quickly walked over, bowing and greeting, “Wun Bo/Wun Ming, at your service, Young Master Fan, Young Mistress Lan.”
“At ease,” Wun Fan waved his hand, behaving like a young master would. A random thought popped into his head. No wonder so many people want to be young masters. It feels great to be one.
The two disciples were very courteous as they asked Wun Fan, “May we know if we can help the young master and young mistress?”
Wun Fan immediately took out Wun Ching Yeung’s Gold Medallion. The two disciples became even more respectful when they saw the character ‘Yeung’ inscribed on the medallion. Wun Fan then said, “The clan master has instructed us to collect a few materials for him.”
Even Wun Siu Lan couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Wun Fan lying through his teeth. He knew what Wun Fan’s intentions were. This little brat was probably planning to abuse his father’s reputation to rob the whole market. She did not expose him immediately and instead just stared at him unamusedly.
She didn’t expect Wun Fan to then lean by her ear and whisper, “Speaking of, Siu Lan, did you bring money? I don’t think I brought enough. Could you lend me a little cash later? Hehe.”
Wun Siu Lan rolled her eyes so hard, they almost ended up in the back of her head. This bastard! To think he dared to come out shopping without bringing any money. Even ‘shameless’ wasn’t enough to describe him.
“I have two gold coins,” Wun Siu Lan held her head. Where did that sudden headache come from, exactly?
“Damn, why do you have so much money?” Wun Fan was stunned for a second when he heard this, before suddenly swearing. Wun Siu Lan immediately slapped him.
“Getting bold, are you? How dare you swear in front of me? You tired of living?” Wun Siu Lan’s domineering princess energy came out and Wun Fan had no choice but to beg for mercy. Wun Siu Lan lifted her chin and explained, “Dad gave me the money. He said something about the right way of parenting being to starve the boys and spoil the girls.”
Wun Fan sighed. He never thought that his father would be such an expert with such excellent opinions on parenting as well.
Some people say you should starve the boys when raising kids. The point was to make the boys suffer so that they learn to endure hardship and grow to become dependable people. On the other hand, you spoil the girls, give them all the luxury in the world, so they grow up fulfilled and smart, avoiding any sort of material temptation and walking down the wrong path.
“Being smart…” Wun Fan suddenly started whistling. It was a lullaby his adoptive father from his past life had taught him. It was a simple tune. He remembered what his father had said on the topic of parenting, “Everyone raises their children, hoping them to be smart. Being smart has ruined my whole life. I only hope my child is both stupid and rash, so that he will grow old knowing no pain and no loss.”
It’s true. Being smart has ruined two lives for me now. Heheh.345Please respect copyright.PENANAjzWDuq8pYM