Imperial Crown.

Chapter 645 Rich people have distant relatives in the mountains

"Third brother..."

A soft, weak voice came from behind, "Could I not go to see the Viscount this time?"

"what happened?"

Tang San smiled and then instructed, "Don't call him Viscount, address him as Godfather or Teacher." "Don't worry, the rumors that he's a cannibalistic demon are all nonsense. Teacher is a very nice person." "Didn't you see Little Rabbit last time?"

Nord Province, Snowmaple County, Snowmaple Territory, Eagle City.

Eagle Castle, Two Rivers Street (Nuns' Walk).

A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman were holding hands as they headed towards Eagle Fortress.

The man had black hair and black eyes, and looked somewhat strange. The woman was even stranger; although she had a round face, big eyes, and was bright, generous, and very beautiful, she wore a long, realistic rabbit ear hair clip on her head. Her slender, graceful legs were clad in milky-white stockings, and on her feet were a pair of shiny, black, kidney-shaped leather shoes under the angel's feathers.

That's right. She is the girl named Little Rabbit that Tang San mentioned.

"It's because of that last meeting that I'm afraid." "Do you know?" "The Viscount's eyes glow with golden light..." "I saw it with my own eyes!" "He glanced at me indifferently, his eyes glowing with golden light!" "I have a feeling he's already seen through my identity!" "You also know that humans have always discriminated against orcs." "And they're even more eager to kill magical beasts." "What if..." "What if he tries to kill me?"

The little rabbit said worriedly, "And I also heard that Viscount Raven is buying up magic cores everywhere..." "Although my rank is not high, I am still a real magical beast." "I just ingested a transformation potion."

Tang San smiled upon hearing this and stroked the little rabbit's hair. "Don't worry, little rabbit!" "It's really nothing!" "Do you know?" "I've been forced to move around with my father since I was little." "My father always said that the Elf Empress has been sending people to strangle us!" "And she has reached an agreement with the human nobles."

“When I was little, I did see my father fight with those bounty hunters and elf killers.”

"But since we moved to Eagle Territory, this kind of thing has never happened again!" "I remember when I was 15 or 16, I exposed my other martial soul—the Clear Sky Hammer—while catching bad guys." "My father reacted just like you!" "He insisted on moving!" "He even said that Lord Raven would definitely arrest us and send us to the Elf Empire!"

"I threatened to kill myself before my father stayed!"

"Now you see, I'm perfectly fine!" Tang San spread his hands, speaking with great arrogance. "Lord Raven isn't a bad person at all." He added at the end, "The real bad guy is Baron Judela!"

"OK then"

The little rabbit couldn't persuade Tang San otherwise. Stroking her long, scorpion-tail-like braided hair, she raised her left foot and wiggled it slightly on the ground with her toes. "If he tries to kill me, you'll protect me, right?"

"meeting!"

Tang San solemnly said, "If my teacher really wanted to kill you, I would protect you with my own life!" "But that will definitely not happen." "I only have a chance to see him this time because of the New Year!" "Normally, there's no chance like this, okay?" "Don't worry."

The little rabbit stared with her beautiful eyes and nodded. However, it was clear that an indescribable tremor lingered in her expression.

The two revealed their identities and entered the towering castle.

They walked for at least 20 minutes before reaching the main part of the castle, then took the magic elevator to the seventh floor. However, upon arriving on the seventh floor, the two were shocked to find it packed with people, all jostling and pushing each other.

"Tang San!" "Here he is!"

"Holmes shouted."

However, the next moment, someone grabbed his chin and said, "You fucking skip the line and get out!" "If you dare let him cut in line here, do you believe I'll throw you off this cliff?" Judela said viciously.

Holmes turned away dejectedly, not daring to utter another word. Oh well, serves him right for waiting in that long line! Who told Tang San to be so fickle and forget his principles! They agreed to go together, but he insisted on going to find Little Rabbit, making them wait for so long. Holmes then went ahead on his own.

Fortunately, although the line was long, it moved forward very quickly. Before long, it was Tang San and Little Rabbit's turn.

"Teacher," "Happy New Year." "Wishing you joy and peace in the new year."

Upon entering the house, Tang San, holding Little Rabbit's hand, bowed respectfully and spoke. The room was vast, but gifts alone took up more than half of it. A nearly two-meter-long fireplace roared to life, making the room unbearably hot. Even more bizarrely, however, were two skeletons adorned with angelic feathers! One wore a suit and tie, pretending to read the day's newly released newspaper. The other, dressed in overalls, was engrossed in a thick novel titled "The Pinnacle of Extraordinary Power."

"Ah," "The mistress."

When Raven saw the visitor, he stood up with a smile. "Good, good, good." "Please sit down." "What would you like to drink?" "I'll have your Aunt Petty get you something."

In the blink of an eye, time flew by, and it was already January 1st of the year 1211 in the Bright Calendar.

Originally, there was no custom of paying New Year's visits on the continent of Middlesex. It's unclear when this custom spontaneously arose. It mainly stemmed from the fact that so many people wanted to see Raven but couldn't find a reason, so they could only try their luck on New Year's Day, and this eventually became the prevailing trend!
As the saying goes, "There was no road underfoot, but as more people walked on it, a road was formed."

"Don't trouble yourself, teacher." "There are a lot of people outside. I just came to visit you."

Tang San said cautiously. Then he took out an item from his storage ring. "Teacher," he said, "this is my latest invention. It's called the Miniature Enchantment Gun. It can fire seven enchanted explosive arrows at a short distance at once."

"And these too," Tang San said, taking out several large red woolen "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) characters. "Teacher, this is a custom from my hometown. We hang them at home during festivals to wish for good fortune, happiness, and smooth sailing in everything." "Little Rabbit sewed these especially for you," Tang San said. "They are also a token of Little Rabbit's affection."

Raven: ...

Looking at the gun on the table, which was almost identical in shape to the one in his previous life, only several times larger, Raven was at a loss for words.

"Oh"

After a moment of silence, Raven nodded slightly, then took out two bottles of potions from his storage ring. "Little Three," he said, "this is the divine potion I promised you." "It's third-tier." "Also, you've done a good job maintaining order in the territory these past years." "I'll give you an extra bottle of Doumu potion as a reward." "Also third-tier!"

Although he didn't know why Tang San called him "teacher," Raven didn't care about such details. The only thing that bothered him was that Tang San seemed completely unconcerned about his transmigrator identity, constantly creating modern inventions within the territory. Sometimes, he even fell for their tricks. Recalling the time he was publicly ridiculed by the two female shop assistants for not knowing about the invoice, Raven sighed helplessly. Looking up, he saw the magical beast [Phantom Moon Rabbit] hiding behind Tang San, and Raven was even more speechless. "Am I really that scary?"

Upon hearing about the potion, Tang San turned and exchanged a glance with Xiao Tu. The two young men immediately revealed undisguised excitement and smiles. Tang San hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "I am unworthy of this, teacher." He kept saying this while opening his pocket, gesturing for Raven to quickly stuff the potion inside.

"..."

Raven had no choice but to pick up the two vials of medicine himself and stuff them into his open pockets.

Tang San then stepped back, bowed deeply again, and said excitedly, "Thank you, teacher." His smile was brighter than any flower. Then he suddenly slapped his forehead and took out two sealed black jars. "Oh, right, teacher," he said, "These are things Old Xu from Flashgold Town asked me to bring you." "A pile of aged vinegar," he said, "and a pile of chili sauce." "He's come several times, but the Eagle Army guarding the gate doesn't recognize him and he can't get up." "That's why he asked me to deliver them."

"Old Xu?" "Who is it?"

Raven was somewhat surprised.

"Here's a letter from him to you." "I haven't read it." "It's from an old man, a friend of mine from my hometown." "He heard I could meet you, so he asked me to deliver it."

Tang San explained everything in detail.

"hold head high"

Raven nodded, then opened the letter in front of Tang San. It was clear that Old Xu was a down-on-his-luck fellow; there was no envelope, perhaps he was reluctant to part with it. The parchment also gave off a cheap smell.

"Your Majesty the Godfather:"
My family was poor when I was young, but I still did not strive for improvement. I was playful and pleasure-seeking, and lacked ambition.

I occasionally indulge in fantasies and fantasies, wasting over thirty years of my life.

Now that my parents have passed away and my sisters have died young, I realize how hard life is and how difficult it is to make money!
After years of working in various places and traveling around, I have no savings... Looking back, I am now in my forties, but I have not yet married or had children, nor do I have any female companions.

Every night, when I lie in bed and get into the quiet, my mind is forced to recall my youthful folly, when I spent money like water and didn't care about my parents' hard-earned money!
Whenever I think about it, a sense of sorrow arises spontaneously, and my heart is filled with guilt, remorse, and regret.

I couldn't help but burst into tears...

I still remember that although my birth mother could not understand me, she doted on me to the extreme. Even on her deathbed, she still gave me earnest advice and could not put her mind at ease.

Overwhelmed with grief, tears streamed down my face like an avalanche of snow...

As soon as Lei Wen opened the book, he smelled the rich scent of ink. One by one, black, square, and delicate small regular script Chinese characters leaped onto the paper. Upon reading this part, he noticed blurred marks. Clearly, these were the result of Old Xu's tears staining the ink.

"Flowers may bloom again, but youth never returns..."

I only hate how those rubbish novels and trashy movies poisoned me so deeply, making me unable to distinguish between reality and illusion. I deeply regret my past actions! Now, at thirty, having lost all my loved ones, I finally realize—in the real world, lazy and indolent people have no protagonist's halo. Only by being down-to-earth and ceasing to fantasize about living each day can one live a fulfilling life.

But life is like a game of chess; once a move is made, there's no going back!
My current predicament is a result of my own incompetence. I do not wish to blame others, but only myself.

I know that the reason I am in such a difficult situation is because of the unforgivable sins I committed when I was young.

Our clan has always judged heroes by success or failure. Success means being farsighted and eloquent, while failure means being unrealistic and glib!

But Godfather,
Even if a person has the ambition to explore the heavens, they cannot achieve it without good fortune.

Just as birds have wings and can soar to the heavens, and fish have fins and can roam the four seas, it is difficult for a bird to have the heart to explore the four seas, and it is also difficult for a fish to have the ambition to reach the heavens.

Besides, heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river; even someone as exceptional as you struggles to move forward, let alone someone as insignificant as me.

By this point, Raven's expression had become serious. The further he wrote in the letter, the more his tears fell like molten wax. He was already overwhelmed with emotion! At least 30% of the letter's contents were blurred; without seriousness and piecing things together, he simply couldn't understand it.

It's clear that Lao Xu didn't really expect him to understand it, so he was too lazy to trace it again since it was blurry.

However, there is always a way out.

In the past few years, Lao Xu encountered a beastman named Bu Ruo, a member of the wild boar tribe.

Although she was born ugly, she was kind and warm-hearted. She took great care of me.

Even when the weather was bitterly cold, the roads were icy and hard, and fingers were stiff and unable to bend... he never slacked off, accompanying Old Xu to buy goods at night, pull carts, chop bones, cut meat, and put it in the cellar... Whenever there was work to be done, he would be the first to take it on. He was tireless, did not mind the dirt and lowliness, and was not afraid of hardship... Whenever he made a mistake, I would scold him, but he was neither ashamed nor angry, and would just laugh it off.

At night, I would wash Old Xu's feet, massage his back, and shower him with care and concern. Whenever I reflected on my mistakes and felt guilty, I would constantly encourage and comfort him.

They ate quite a lot.

For years, I have remained steadfast in this commitment. How could my heart, which is not made of wood or stone, be unmoved? Though I have faced criticism and ridicule from my neighbors, I am like a person drinking water, knowing only whether it is hot or cold.

I wish to marry her and we will hold our wedding during the Chinese New Year.

I dare not hope that you will attend, but I humbly request His Majesty the Godfather's blessing.

I've been running a small shop for years, working from dawn till dusk. Although I've made a meager fortune, I incurred huge debts for the funerals of my parents and sisters. Now, I'm planning to buy a wedding house, and I really can't offer you a very good gift.

I can only offer you the delicious flavors of my hometown. I wonder if they will suit your taste?
Although Old Xu was humble, he understood that the world would eventually belong to His Majesty the Godfather. Because the Western barbarians on the Middles Continent never understood one principle—"The water that capsizes a boat is the tears of the common people; you won't know until you see it in a raging torrent."

Only you, Godfather, have shown compassion for the suffering of the common people, vigorously developed the land's infrastructure, restored the freedom of serfs, and prioritized economic development.

As one of your subjects, Old Xu feels deeply honored. Today, I dare to be so bold as to shamelessly humbly request a dose of transformation potion. Though Old Xu is rather dull, he also hopes to surprise his newlywed wife and demonstrate the prowess of a true man.

I am deeply grateful and bow my head in sincere gratitude.

——————————————Xu Zhe.

When Raven finished reading the last sentence of the letter, his heart skipped a beat, and his vision went black. His previously serious expression turned even more grim. He was in a state of "daring not to open his eyes, hoping it was just a hallucination."

"Damn," "I'll have some chili sauce and aged vinegar," "And you want to add a 7000 gold coin transformation potion???" "You really dare to ask for that much." "Old Xu, Old Xu."

Given how stingy the little bee is, this is tantamount to ripping out his heart with a knife and stabbing his anus raw!
"What's wrong, teacher?"

Seeing Lei Wen's grim expression, almost bordering on rage, Tang San asked, puzzled. Knowing Lao Xu as he did, Tang San knew Lao Xu wouldn't write anything presumptuous in the letter! Tang San had never seen Lei Wen so out of control before.

"fine!!"

Raven coldly snapped, "You little brat! Don't ever give me gifts on my behalf again!" "My integrity and upright character are known throughout the entire territory! Do you think I'm the kind of person who likes to take advantage?!" "How could you accept someone else's gift on my behalf?!" "You'll remember this!"

"I am Raven!!"

"We will never take a single copper coin from the people!"

Tang San:……

Little Rabbit: ……

Ferdinand (Skull): ...

Crouch (Skull): ...

Both the human and the skeleton glanced simultaneously at the mountain of gifts piled up beside them. Tang San was completely bewildered. "What's wrong, teacher?!" "These chili sauces and aged vinegar aren't worth much." "Why are you so angry?"

Raven remained silent, leaving Tang San to guess for himself.

After letting out a long sigh, Raven took out a pen and paper and wrote a sentence—『

One cannot become a mature person without experiencing poverty, and one remains innocent forever without going through hardships.

"When poor, living in the bustling city, no one cares; when rich, living deep in the mountains, even distant relatives appear."

Then he took out a bottle of potion, carefully wrapped it in this piece of paper under the table, and handed it to Tang San. "Give this to Old Xu. Just tell him I won't be attending the wedding. My blessings are enough." Anyway, Old Xu's long-winded explanation was all for this transformation potion, wasn't it? "Whatever you do, don't open it!" Raven wrapped it up because he was afraid Tang San would see it and reach for it too. If he didn't want it, what if the little rabbit next to him did?
From mid-November to the end of December, over a period of a month and a half, Raven concocted some more potions, including a transformation potion. These were his bargaining chips for the upcoming negotiations. He had originally planned to auction them off on the Skyhawk platform after the tournament began.

That's great, we just wasted a bottle.

Tang San reached out and grabbed it. "Hmm?" However, he tugged at it, but couldn't budge it. He tugged again, but still couldn't budge it. Feeling a little embarrassed, he let go. "..." "Why don't you think about it some more, Teacher?"

"You didn't secretly open it and look at it, did you?" Raven asked worriedly.

"I swear to you, teacher, I will absolutely not open it!" Tang San immediately raised his hand. "I already regret helping Old Xu deliver the gift and that letter!"

Raven nodded approvingly, finally relieved. Perhaps feeling that his previous four sentences had been a bit harsh and hurtful, Raven unfolded the paper again and added another poem—『

The Peach Blossom Spring is hidden deep within, where even spring breezes cannot reach. Letters are hard to send.

The flowing water and fallen flowers leave behind lingering sorrow; when will it end?

Water has no fixed form. Flowers have an end. We will meet again.

But life is full of separations.

The gist is that life is always full of regrets, so take it easy. Although letters between close friends are difficult to exchange, there will always be a day when they meet again. Most of our lives are spent in the midst of separation and death. This was true for Old Xu, and it was also true for Lei Wen.

This was also a way of comforting Old Xu.

However, while his previous four sentences were harsh, they weren't entirely wrong. This old Xu really wouldn't give a single copper coin; he just kept asking. Who is he? Lei Wen had only just recovered a little, and his relatives from faraway Earth had already come knocking on his door. Isn't this a true embodiment of "wealth attracts distant relatives even in remote mountains"?
Tang San finally took the potion-like object from Raven's hand and silently stuffed it back into his pocket. He mentally berated Old Xu. He'd settle the score with Old Xu when they got back. This time, he was determined to make him pay!

"Teacher," Tang San said with a grin, "Although I haven't had any divine-given potions these past few years, I've invented another cultivation system myself—the Soul Ring system for devouring magical beasts!" "But it's still not fully developed." He scratched the back of his head. "With your divine-given potion and Doumu potion this time, I'm sure I can quickly break through to the third tier." "Perhaps I can even refine my previous cultivation methods."

Raven was shocked. Was this the true protagonist destined for greatness? Even his cultivation methods could be created on the spot?!

"Oh, by the way," Tang San said, "Teacher," "Speaking of this," "I plan to perfect the cultivation system," "and then," "I'm going to start an academy."

Raven: "You're planning to start an academy?"

"Yes." "We're also planning to invite you to be our honorary principal." "The name will be Shrek Academy," Tang San added.

Raven: "Your name is Shrek?"

"Hmm." "So I'm going to ask you for a piece of land, not a big one, just enough to build an academy." Tang San laid out his plan in detail.

Raven: "You're planning to ask me for a piece of land?"

Raven: ...

"You've created your own cultivation system." "It can devour magical beast soul rings." "You also plan to found an academy called Shrek." "You're going to invite me to be your honorary principal!" "You also want me to sponsor a territory for free." Raven stood there, mechanically repeating the messages he had just received. His head was buzzing, and he couldn't process the information for a moment.

"Yes"

"Um???????????"

Tang San was startled. Suddenly, he sensed a fleeting killing intent! But this killing intent was extremely strong, sharp, and obvious. This terrified Tang San. "Teacher wants to kill me??????" he thought incredulously. Behind him, he heard the trembling of Little Rabbit.

The two skeletons on the sofa next to them also looked over at the same time.

Tang San swallowed hard. "Teacher," he said, "You...you want to kill me?!" He asked, somewhat distressed. He really couldn't understand why.

"What nonsense are you talking about?!"

Raven jumped up and down like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, retorting. Yes. Raven had just confirmed that Tang San was the one constantly plundering his protagonist luck. For a moment, he couldn't control his emotions and revealed a hint of killing intent. However, there was a premise here: that Raven was actually some kind of protagonist. Otherwise, it was just self-delusion like Old Xu's. Recalling his journey, how difficult it had been? He was constantly being beaten to his knees begging for mercy. He didn't seem like a protagonist at all... "I have three-white eyes," "It just looks a bit hawkish." "I absolutely did not steal the Netherworld Silk Flower that your mother gave you!"

Tang San: "You have three-white eyes?"

Tang San: "Does it just look rather hawkish?"

Tang San: "You absolutely did not conceal my mother's secret..."

Tang San couldn't continue speaking, so he looked up and asked in confusion, "Teacher, what are Netherworld Silk Flowers?"

"Idiot!" "Don't you even know that?" "That's an extremely rare fifth-tier magical plant!" Crouch, standing to the side, angrily scolded him for his lack of knowledge.

"Fifth tier??"

Tang San nodded, then suddenly realized, "What use would I have for that thing?" "I'm only at the first level of the Extraordinary Realm, and I only broke through by figuring out a method myself!" "Now that I have the divinely bestowed potion, I can finally officially awaken the life seed of my battle qi!"

Raven: ...

Crouch: ...

"How about this?" "We can discuss the territory with your Aunt Fiona after the investiture ceremony." "The territory hasn't been divided yet, so we'll need to consult with the lord then," Raven said after thinking for a moment.

"Uh-huh"

Tang San finally cheered. At the same time, he was plunged into deep self-doubt and self-blame. He must have misperceived. How could his teacher possibly kill him? His teacher's kindness to him far surpassed that of his father, Jack. These two bottles of Tier 3 potions must be worth over ten thousand gold coins. Although ordinary Tier 3 potions only cost 3000 gold coins, the Divine Gift Potion and the Doumu Potion were both extremely rare.

Even if Tang San saved for 10 years, he might not be able to accumulate enough merit. After becoming a transcendent being, Tang San plans to first participate in the competition, and then join the army to serve his teacher. He wants to accumulate as many battle merits as possible and strive to become a lord as soon as possible.

The future looks incredibly bright!
……

The two walked out of Eagle Castle hand in hand.

The little rabbit patted its chest, "Tang San!!" "You're wrong!!" "You're terribly wrong!" "You even said Viscount Raven was from your hometown! That he had special feelings for you!" "He's absolutely not!" "He's exactly like any other noble I've ever met!" "Stingy," "Sinister," "Terrible," "Suspicious," "Horror," "Mood-Changing"... "You absolutely mustn't let your guard down again!"

"Perhaps you are right, the Godfather treats you very well, like a son."

"But his killing intent was real. When that killing intent struck, I felt like my bones were melting, and I couldn't even breathe!"

"Perhaps this murderous intent isn't directed at you, but at me!"

"But I am, after all, a dignified fourth-tier magical beast!"

"Is this the Godfather's strength?" "He's probably far beyond that of an ordinary fifth-tier expert, isn't he?"

"I bet you, Raven is definitely a native of the Middles Continent!"

"If not, I'll eat my own shoes!"

The little rabbit said firmly, her expression quite serious. The reason it was said that Raven's killing intent was directed at her was because Raven had given Tang San a final warning: "Beauty is like a wolf or a tiger! It breaks a person's will! Don't even think about it, let alone touch it!" If these words weren't directed at her, then who else could they be?! Clearly, Raven didn't want Tang San to be with this demonic beast!
"maybe"

Tang San also wavered a little. He realized that his teacher's behavior was indeed unlike that of a transmigrator.

"Tang San, what exactly did the Godfather tell you to give Old Xu?" "Open it and see!"

Holmes asked curiously from the side.

"Please don't!!!"

Tang San and Little Rabbit roared in unison!
After this incident, Tang San dared not act on his own again! He decided that he must develop fewer hidden weapons for the Tang Clan in the future! Otherwise, he might really bring disaster upon himself!
……

(End of this chapter)