The Air of Freedom Wasn't So Sweet

"Farewell, esteemed seniors!"

Seeing that Zou Feng was truly about to leave this time, Yang Wu could not shake the unpleasant feeling in his heart.

If he had not witnessed the entire sparring match between Zou Feng and Yang Chen, he would never have felt this way...

But even if he tried to keep him now, even by greatly increasing his monthly pay, it would likely be pointless.

This boy had already made up his mind to leave.

"Wait!"

As if possessed, Yang Wu called out to Zou Feng once more.

Zou Feng turned back again, confusion in his eyes.

"You are, after all, someone who came from my Yang Estate. You have worked diligently for the Yang Family all these years. How could I let you leave empty-handed?"

With that, Yang Wu turned to the steward beside him. "Go fetch twenty taels of silver!"

Yang Wu's sudden change in attitude caught even Zou Feng by surprise.

After all, Yang Wu had clearly been displeased with him before. After making a token attempt to persuade him to stay, he had practically been wishing for Zou Feng to get lost as quickly as possible.

Naturally, this change stemmed from the earlier sparring match.

That was why Yang Wu wanted to preserve this bit of goodwill.

To him, this was merely an effortless investment that neither pained nor itched. What if Zou Feng truly made something of himself?

Having been the Yang Family head for so long, Yang Wu naturally understood better than anyone the benefits that might come from forming more good ties.

"Senior, this..."

"No need to refuse. This is merely a small token of my regard."

Zou Feng did not stand on ceremony any longer. "Then many thanks, Family Head!"

By calling him Family Head again, Zou Feng made his meaning plain: he accepted this goodwill.

Hearing Zou Feng say that, the vexation in Yang Wu's heart finally eased considerably.

"Oh, and fetch three Blood Qi Pills as well—pure ones!" Yang Wu called out again to the steward, who had not yet gone far.

Since the other party appreciated the gesture, Yang Wu naturally raised the stakes at once.

Thus, what had seemed likely to end on rather bad terms instead concluded amicably after Zou Feng put on his painstaking performance and displayed his "talent."

It had, more or less, become a situation where everyone was pleased.

Watching Zou Feng take the "farewell gift" Yang Wu had prepared and walk out of the hall, Yang Qianqian found her father's actions rather difficult to understand.

Though the family did not lack such things, they could not simply toss them around whenever they pleased.

"Father, why go to such lengths..."

"That boy has clearly gotten carried away after entering the ranks. Once he goes outside, it will be far too easy for him to offend people."

"Perhaps in a few days, he will get dragged into some conflicts of the martial world and come crawling back like a stray dog, begging us for protection."

Yang Wu glared at his daughter irritably, thinking, You have the nerve to say someone else is likely to offend people!?

Yet in the end, he could not bring himself to say it aloud.

Letting out a faint sigh, Yang Wu finally said earnestly, "Qianqian, listen to your father. Never despise a poor young man!"

Yang Qianqian rolled her eyes toward the sky.

Meanwhile, after Zou Feng walked out of the hall, he was met with another round of congratulations from the people outside.

Those who had still harbored their own little schemes lost all interest after seeing that Zou Feng could actually fight Yang Chen to a draw.

Jealousy existed only within one's field of vision.

Once one could not even see the other person's back, there was no longer any room for jealousy.

"What are your plans after leaving the estate?" Zhao Tianhu stepped forward and asked.

Zou Feng said, "I'll go to the yamen first and take care of removing my registration."

"And then?"

"Then... I'll go to Jade-Cross Tower to listen to some music and celebrate." Zou Feng joked casually.

Zhao Tianhu laughed along for a few moments, then grew serious. "Actually, you do not need to do anything at all."

"What happened just now... once word gets out, the various powers in Yuan Guang County will, barring anything unexpected, all take the initiative to recruit you!"

Zou Feng naturally had a rough idea of what he would face after leaving Yang Estate.

No matter what, in a small place like Yuan Guang County, a rank martial artist with a clean background and no affiliation was still highly sought after.

In gangs like the Black Flood Dragon Gang, rank martial artists could basically become incense masters directly.

However, Zou Feng had also made inquiries in many places. Martial artists who entered the ranks through stance training saw their market value greatly discounted.

Especially since he had begun practicing martial arts at such a late age.

That was why he had originally wanted to find an opportunity to reveal a little more of his "talent."

Through his sparring match with Yang Chen just now, although it appeared on the surface to be merely a draw, its true significance had immediately raised his value by a great deal.

The forces seeking to recruit him would offer more sincere terms as well.

Yet what Zou Feng valued most was not silver.

It was a place where he could obtain all sorts of wicked arts, and where the corresponding cultivation resources were easy to acquire.

Preferably, it would also be a place where it was easy to offend people...

Of course, the prerequisite was that those people could not be the sort he could not afford to offend.

He had figured it out now. Since the next stage of cultivating the Five Poisons Skill would very likely require raising human gu, breaking through to the next realm in a short time was no longer realistic.

So, if he wanted to maintain his momentum of soaring strength, he would need more wicked arts.

As long as he piled up enough wicked arts, quantitative change could naturally trigger qualitative change. He could advance to the eighth rank as soon as possible!

When he had been lying low as a household servant in Yang Estate, entering the ranks had given Zou Feng the exhilarating feeling that he was a hidden great expert.

But once he went outside, ninth rank truly could not provide him with enough of a sense of security.

He had to advance to the eighth rank quickly before discussing anything else...

After leaving Yang Estate, Zhao Tianhu still followed beside him, clearly intending to accompany him to the yamen to handle the removal of his registration.

"Little Zou, when you make it big someday, don't forget to lend your big brother a hand!" Zhao Tianhu was a straightforward man who never hid what was on his mind.

He was not actually that old, and in the future, he truly did not want to spend his years merely serving as a guard at Yang Estate.

Zou Feng nodded. "Brother Hu, rest assured. Once I get settled and need more people, just do not refuse me."

Zhao Tianhu laughed heartily twice. "I wasn't wrong about you. You'll accomplish great things!"

As they praised each other in such fashion, they soon arrived at the entrance to the yamen.

Since notice had already been given, someone was waiting outside.

Logically speaking, at the moment Zou Feng removed his registration, he would have had an opportunity to meet the county magistrate.

But Magistrate Huang had important official business and was not at the yamen at all.

Thus, Zou Feng only met Master Sun of the yamen.

Master Sun looked equally busy. After casually offering a few words of encouragement, he hurried away.

Only after Master Sun had left did Zhao Tianhu explain, "Do not be fooled by Master Sun's appearance as a frail scholar. He is an eighth-rank expert!"

Uh, even a yamen adviser was an eighth-rank expert?

It was not that Zou Feng had poor judgment. He could tell that Master Sun practiced martial arts, but without using internal qi, it was truly difficult to determine precisely what rank the other party was.

When it came to actually handling the paperwork, it was a minor clerk who took charge.

The entire process took no more than the time needed for a meal.

When Zou Feng stepped out of the yamen again, he had finally become a free man in name and in truth.

He took a deep breath.

Uh, the air of freedom did not seem to have become any sweeter...

Just as Zou Feng was about to invite Zhao Tianhu for drinks to celebrate, someone came briskly over from across the street with a beaming smile.

"May I ask, are you Zou Feng of Yang Estate?"