Huang Wufeng

Managing the books was a major matter for any manor or faction.

If you couldn't keep track of the people or the money, problems were bound to arise.

Ordinary people who wanted to become a bookkeeper at Three Talents Manor—even if they were exceptionally capable—wouldn't be entrusted with the ledgers. Not unless their family background was clean and the manor knew them inside out.

It was thanks to Hua Xiaomei's recommendation that Zhan Ming brought Shi Feizhe to the accounting office at Three Talents Manor, where Accountant Wang could put him to the test.

Mr. Wang was a rather lean, middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties or sixties. He was clacking away at an abacus with the other bookkeepers, checking the accounts.

His brow was furrowed. When Zhan Ming suddenly interrupted him, he was already quite annoyed and about to lose his temper. But when he saw Hua Xiaomei, he smiled and greeted him.

"So it's Young Master Hua! This old man failed to welcome you from afar. My apologies, my apologies!" Accountant Wang said, clasping his hands toward Hua Xiaomei.

Hua Xiaomei returned the greeting with graceful courtesy, then explained Shi Feizhe's situation to Accountant Wang.

"Oh? This young brother really is skilled at arithmetic?" A curious light flashed through Accountant Wang's eyes.

Young Master Hua had already checked the accounts. Why send someone to the accounting office now? Could it be that he didn't trust this old man?

"I know a thing or two!" Shi Feizhe said confidently.

He had just taken a look around the room. Once he saw the abacuses, he was at ease.

Ancient bookkeeping was nothing more than addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, loans and credit, daily journals, detailed ledgers, and the like. It couldn't be any harder than solving a system of two linear equations!

That was nothing for a wage slave like him!

Accountant Wang casually asked him some questions about daily and general ledgers and how to calculate interest. Shi Feizhe answered without hesitation; all of it was far too simple for him.

"I never expected you to be so skilled at arithmetic, young brother!" Seeing how smoothly Shi Feizhe answered, and how clearly he explained his solutions, Accountant Wang couldn't help but think much more highly of him. He was far better than the useless men around him!

This was perfect. Having this man in the accounting office would put Young Master Hua's doubts to rest!

"Since Young Master Hua recommended you, and given your abilities, your salary for the first few months will be twenty taels a month," Accountant Wang said after a moment's thought, clasping his hands toward Young Master Hua.

"Who knew you had such a talent, young brother? I truly underestimated you!" Hua Xiaomei said as he looked at Shi Feizhe. He hadn't expected Shi Feizhe to really know arithmetic.

Arithmetic wasn't something just anyone could learn!

I hope my arithmetic improves too after I take that powerful medicine someday! Hua Xiaomei thought to himself.

Shi Feizhe, meanwhile, was astonished at the thought of twenty taels a month! But considering the cost of living in Three Talents Town and Hua Xiaomei's influence, that salary from Three Talents Manor seemed reasonable enough.

"Take some time to get familiar with the place. I still have a few minor matters to attend to," Hua Xiaomei said to everyone present, glancing at the sky.

"Many thanks, Brother Hua!" Shi Feizhe said, clasping his hands. He was sincerely grateful to Hua Xiaomei. Without his help, Shi Feizhe would have neither martial arts manuals nor any way to make a living. He would be no more than a blade of grass trampled underfoot in the martial world!

"Please, Young Master Hua," Zhan Ming and Accountant Wang said, bowing to Hua Xiaomei.

Hua Xiaomei returned their bows, then sauntered out of the accounting courtyard, fanning himself. After passing through several courtyards, he arrived at the main hall of Three Talents Manor.

The main hall of Three Talents Manor was imposing. Its eaves swept slightly upward, and beneath the black tiles and dark eaves stood several nanmu pillars wide enough for a man to wrap his arms around. The two pillars closest to the main entrance bore a couplet.

The first line read, "Flowers perfume the garden; Three Talents flourish." The second read, "Bamboo shadows sway at the windows; the four quarters shine bright." The horizontal inscription read, "Flowers Bloom, Moon Shines."

This was the main hall of Three Talents Manor: Hua Hao Hall!

Whenever Hua Xiaomei saw the name "Hua Hao Hall" and that couplet, he couldn't help thinking that Zhan Yunfan was one hell of a brown-noser.

The moment he stepped into Hua Hao Hall, a fragrant breeze swept toward him. He immediately spun around and kicked!

"Ah!" A coquettish cry rang out as a stunning woman in flashy clothes was kicked to the ground. She pouted and complained, "Brother Hua, what are you doing?"

Bright yellow silk covered only a small portion of her body, revealing her shapely figure and fair skin. With her fresh, dewy beauty, bright eyes, white teeth, and coy tone, she exuded endless allure.

"Little brother Huang, what brings you here?" Hua Xiaomei said darkly.

"Oh, don't call me Little Brother Huang! I'm clearly your Little Sister Huang, Brother Hua!" The beauty on the ground wrinkled her nose and said cutely.

"..."

Hua Xiaomei's face darkened further.

The Central Plains' demonic sects were divided into four houses: Hua, Huang, Xiong, and Jiang. The Huang Family possessed an evil scripture called the Celestial Transformation Secret Record.

Celestials were beings from the legends of the Nine Provinces Buddhist Sect. Neither male nor female, they were beyond sex. Those who practiced the Celestial Transformation Secret Record had to be men with women's hearts, and during cultivation they visualized an image of a celestial. As their practice deepened, they developed more feminine traits while retaining their masculine ones.

They then had to absorb the yin and yang essence of all living beings and endure love, hate, and every other passion. Ultimately, they would reach the perfected state of having no form, no man's appearance, no woman's appearance, and no appearance of any living being.

Those who practiced the Celestial Transformation Secret Record throughout the ages all ended up transforming themselves into androgynous people who gathered yin to nourish yang and yang to nourish yin. In the end, they were beaten to death. No one had ever cultivated the art to its perfected state.

When he was young, Hua Xiaomei had met a Huang boy. Back then, the boy had been a little chubby and Hua Xiaomei had bullied him every day! If not for the steward keeping an eye on them, Hua Xiaomei might have shoved that little fatty into a cesspit and left him there to die.

Who would have thought that people could change so much as they grew up? The little fatty of old had turned into a delicate beauty—and worse still...

"Brother Hua, I'm so lonely. Why don't we cultivate together~~" The beauty sat slumped on the ground, gazing up at Hua Xiaomei with wide eyes and a sweet, coquettish voice.

"Huang Wufeng! You'd better show some restraint!" Hua Xiaomei said.

He was already looking for an opportunity to dunk this pest in a cesspit!

But the Celestial Transformation Secret Record was quite strange. He had fought this pest before and gained only a slight advantage; killing him would be difficult.

Sigh! When he traveled abroad, he had to put up with seductive witches from the martial world pestering him. Back on demonic-sect territory, he had to put up with the sect's own she-demons!

His life was so hard!

He couldn't help it. He was just too handsome!

"Oh, Brother Hua, I've told you so many times! I'm Huang Wufeng now—the Feng in Phoenix!" Huang Wufeng said.

Among phoenixes, the male was the feng and the female was the huang. No feng, no feng—the meaning was plain enough!

"Bah! For all I know, if you whip out your treasure, it'll be bigger than mine. What are you putting on airs for?" Fed up with Huang Wufeng, Hua Xiaomei tossed out those words and went into the main hall.

Inside, a woman in green sat in the seat of honor, her head propped on one arm as she tilted it to watch Hua Xiaomei and Huang Wufeng with interest. She couldn't help letting out a laugh as clear as silver bells.

"Hahaha! This is too funny. It's rare to see Brother Hua get the tables turned on him!"

Hua Xiaomei knew that this woman was the real troublemaker!

Hua Xiaomei: There's nothing I can do. I'm just too handsome!