The Legend of Fangren

Chapter 128 The Three-Year Term

"River Scale Dragon Meat Stew is here!"

"Wow!" Luo He's eyes lit up. "They're all mine!"

She swiftly flicked her chopsticks, slicing off the chopsticks offered by her sisters.

"Sorry~ This is Hezi's Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup." Feeling the resentful gazes around him, Fang Shi could only laugh it off.

I thought a bowl of fish soup would be enough of a bribe, but unfortunately the fish meat was too firm. It took a lot of stewing to break it apart, and yet there was still such a big pot of it.

Fortunately, the elders lent a hand. In exchange, Elder Yun secretly moved He Zi's original bowl of spicy fish soup away, and so the table war between the disciples and the elders began again.

"Junior Brother Fang, you cook so well, it would be great if you could open a shop."

"Yes, if you opened a branch in the inner sect, I would eat there every day and never even leave the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shi asked, "Has Senior Sister already decided to go down the mountain?"

This senior sister doesn't have a family background like Qu Mei, so I didn't expect her to come down the mountain anyway.

"Of course." The senior sister nodded. "Every year, many disciples choose to go down the mountain."

"But why is that?"

"It's naturally because of my abilities. Before, when I wasn't capable, I thought the great rivers and mountains were extremely dangerous, but now that I have some skills, I've become fascinated with the joy of exploring the wilderness."

It seems that the several days of marching have had a significant impact on the disciples. Strength is always the greatest source of confidence, and Fang Shi couldn't say anything. He simply asked Luo He, "He Zi, what about you? Do you want to stay on the mountain forever?"

He had expected Luohe to answer immediately as usual, but today she hesitated.

Fang Shi's gaze flickered slightly, but he still said softly, "It's alright, it's your own choice, and I won't interfere if you tell me."

Luo He nodded and said, "Fangzi, I want to find my parents after I've mastered my skills."

"Are they all still there?" Fang Shi leaned over the edge of the table, getting closer to her as if to whisper.

"I don't know, whether she's dead or alive, I'm not sure." Luo He pursed her lips, the memory in her mind was already somewhat blurred, but she couldn't forget it.

"Then go look for them. What's wrong with a child wanting to find their parents?" Fang Shi didn't object at all, and even put a piece of meat in her bowl. "I support you."

What's wrong with having family to think about in this world? Does everyone have to be like him, a rootless duckweed in another world?

"Come on, eat more. You need to grow up healthy before you can go to see your parents. I'll make sure you eat well in the future, so that when we meet them together, I can have something to show for it."

Upon hearing this, Luo He lowered her head: "The prescription—"

"What?"

"I don't want you to come—it's too dangerous." Luo He's voice grew softer and softer, so much so that Fang Shi didn't even hear the last few words.

He only heard what was coming from ahead, and stopped eating with his chopsticks, asking, "Why—"

"It's too dangerous," Luo He had to say again.

Fang Shi took a deep breath and calmed down, then asked, "Back then, did your family make some enemies?"

"Um----

"Is this a big enemy?" Fang Shi asked, testing how much of her childhood she still remembered.

Luo He didn't want to tell the whole story, but she eventually said, "It's very, very big, bigger than this soup bowl."

"Won't it be dangerous for you to go alone?" Fang Shi didn't mean to object, but he was worried about her safety.

"So I want to hone my skills before—"

"So, do you feel like you've mastered the skills now? Just like your senior sisters?"

"Huh?" The senior sister next to her was taken aback, sensing that the atmosphere at the table was becoming increasingly unpleasant. Before she was completely drawn in, she resolutely resisted the temptation of the food, stood up, and said, "I'm full. I'm going to practice my skills now."

"Oh, I'm full too, I'm off!"

"Me too, senior sisters, wait for me."

The bunch of cowards had all run away, and the number one gossip prize had escaped. How could the others stay still? In the end, all the senior and junior sisters ran away, and even Elder Yun, who was still drinking soup, was dragged away by Elder Qian.

"My soup!" Elder Yun was dragged away but still couldn't stop thinking about his spoils.

In the end, only Fang Shi and Luo He remained.

Now, Luo He had no way out. She shook her head several times, but couldn't decide whether to nod or shake her head. Fang Zi's eyes were staring at her, making her feel extremely confused.

Finally, Fang Shi said nothing, but silently patted her head and said, "If you really decide to go by yourself, at least tell me when you're leaving so I can prepare some things for you on the road."

Luohe remained silent.

"Ha, when did you become so coy?"

Fang Shi smiled, patted her shoulder, and raised his voice as if to say it for her: "I think you don't plan to go back to Canglong Peak this time, do you?"

"Hmm." Having her thoughts exposed, Luo He admitted it.

"No wonder, no wonder—"

In a short time, countless memories flashed through Fang Shi's mind, including many details he hadn't noticed before. But he never opposed Luo He's idea. Even Luo He herself hoped that Fang Zi would stubbornly oppose her this once.

But Fang Shi ultimately followed her wishes, seemingly even more determined than she was.

"Fangzi, what are you thinking?" That was all she could ask.

"I—have no idea." Fang Shi lowered his eyes and only touched a strand of hair by her ear.

After no longer hiding her gender, He Zi's hair grew quite a bit, and she looked more and more like a young woman. It's just a pity that a girl's hair will not stay at home once she grows up, and one day he actually encountered this saying.

"Hezi, just listen to me."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Send me a letter every month, and tell me the longest you'll be gone."

"Probably one or two years, or maybe three years at most."

"Okay, if you don't come back in three years, I'll come looking for you."

Upon hearing that Fang Shi was still going to come, Luo He hurriedly said, "Fang Zi, you don't need to—"

But Fang Shi pressed a finger to her mouth and said with a smile, "I didn't object to you just now, so you're not allowed to object to me now either."

"Ugh—Fangzi, you're so cunning."

The atmosphere immediately relaxed.

"How can we not cheat? Hezi, you better remember this: bad men are all cheaters. Don't get fooled after we set off."

"Okay, okay." Luo He puffed out her cheeks as she ate the meat, and continued puffing out her cheeks after she finished. "You've fooled me the most in my life."

"Yay!" The guy upstairs, who was still gossiping through the crack in the stairs, cheered, celebrating that the young couple hadn't started arguing.

Unfortunately, there might not be much to gossip about in the future. After all, if Junior Sister Luo isn't around, the gossip triangle of Fang Shi, Luo He, and Qu Mei won't exist anymore.

Three years is neither long nor short. In the grand scheme of cultivation, it's but a fleeting moment. But if one were to enter the world, who knows how many things one would encounter?