Chapter 57: Taking Ding Hao as a Hound

“It’s actually... black.”

Ding Hao stared in astonishment at the radiance flowing over Zheng Fan’s body.

“Is black especially unusual? Very rare?” Zheng Fan asked.

“Actually... it’s fairly common.”

“Then why are you so shocked?”

“You jest. You’ve already entered the grades, which means my time as your teacher has come to an end. From now on, there’s no teacher-student relationship between us. Naturally I ought to be a little more polite to you, so that a cripple like me can continue freeloading here.”

“Oh. If you hadn’t reminded me, I’d have forgotten. You’re useless now. Siniang!”

“This servant is here.”

“Drag him away. Use him as fertilizer for the flowers.”

“...” Ding Hao.

Shouldn’t you be saying something like, “A teacher for a day, a father for life”?

“This... this...”

Ding Hao was plainly caught off guard. This time, his shock was genuine rather than feigned.

If someone else had said it, he might have laughed heartily and treated it as a joke. But with this group, Ding Hao genuinely had no confidence whatsoever.

“Just joking. Just joking.”

Zheng Fan reached out and patted Ding Hao on the shoulder.

At that moment, Ding Hao actually let out a long breath of relief.

Even a man forged from iron could change after everything he had endured. He had been abducted just before his execution and spent nearly a month serving as a teacher, attended every day with good food and drink never lacking.

A month ago, Ding Hao truly could have gone calmly to his death.

Now, however, he suddenly felt that staying alive was considerably more attractive.

Most importantly, he remembered the promise this group had once made him: the day the “Master” before him entered the grades would be the day he recovered!

No matter how many times he told himself that such a thing was basically impossible, how could there not be the slightest trace of hope buried in his subconscious?

“Siniang, you do it.”

Zheng Fan turned around, sat in the armchair behind him, picked up the nearby teacup, and began drinking.

Feng Siniang walked before Ding Hao, bringing a wave of fragrance with her.

Ding Hao was a worldly man. Naturally, he understood that the woman before him was a genuine peerless beauty.

But he had absolutely no thoughts of profaning her.

He had not forgotten her description of a torture where both the “upper brain” and “lower brain” received the same treatment.

“Old Ding, our Master values benevolence above all else. He also values democra—well, ‘people choosing for themselves.’

“So now, you have two roads to choose from.”

“Please tell me.”

“The first road is being taken away and turned into fertilizer.”

“Gulp...”

Ding Hao involuntarily swallowed.

Weren’t there supposed to be two choices?

“As for the second road, acknowledge my Master as your lord. From now on, you’ll be a servant of the Zheng household. Tsk, ‘servant’ doesn’t sound very nice. Let’s call you a hound.”

“...” Ding Hao.

“A retainer,” Zheng Fan corrected.

“Master, this servant still thinks ‘hound’ sounds more imposing.”

Feng Siniang coquettishly protested to Zheng Fan.

It was the same principle by which a handsome man who spoke directly was called frank and straightforward, while an ugly man doing the same thing was called an insufferable straight-man stereotype.

When a beautiful woman acted spoiled toward you, you enjoyed it.

You might even instinctively want to pull out your wallet and buy her a handbag.

Especially after that incident involving her hand, Zheng Fan had become considerably more tolerant toward Feng Siniang.

“Fine. Whatever you like.”

Feng Siniang was satisfied.

No matter how old a woman was, she could still enjoy the feeling of being indulged.

Siniang was no exception.

“Old Ding, your turn. Two choices. Which one?”

Ding Hao’s lips tasted bitter.

What kind of damned choice was this?

“I’m already a cripple. Even if I become a running dog beneath your household, what can I do besides waste food?”

“Heh. You don’t need to worry about that. The Zheng household’s dogs are naturally different from other people’s dogs.

“For example, if someone else’s dog breaks its legs, they’ll probably kill it and make dog-meat hotpot.

“But the Zheng household will reconnect its legs.”

At those words, Ding Hao’s face flushed with excitement.

He immediately asked, “I... I can recover?”

Feng Siniang spread both hands.

Ten silver needles rapidly circled her fingertips.

At that instant, her entire aura changed.

“I couldn’t do it before.

“Now?

“I can.”

“I’m willing! I’m willing!”

As he spoke, Ding Hao did not hesitate.

He deliberately threw himself down from the chair.

Because the tendons in his hands and feet had been severed, he could neither stand nor properly cup his hands in salute.

Yet even so, he used this method to face Zheng Fan and shout, “Master! Master! Master!”

It looked shameless.

But in Ding Hao’s circumstances, he truly had no other choice.

Zheng Fan set down his teacup, rose, walked to Ding Hao, and bent down to look at his face.

“Actually, I’m not particularly good at winning people’s loyalty.”

Because I started the game with seven dogs already included.

“Once you’re healed, just work properly.

“When you want revenge on the Beifeng Liu Clan someday, tell us first.

“If circumstances permit, we’ll help you take revenge.”

If Zheng Fan wanted to establish himself firmly in Beifeng Commandery, conflict with the Beifeng Liu Clan was almost inevitable sooner or later.

So this did not really count as an empty promise.

Ding Hao drew a deep breath.

This time, his response was clearly far more sincere.

“This subordinate obeys!”

“All right. Siniang, begin.”

With that, Zheng Fan walked outside.

Sewing severed tendons back together was delicate work.

Watching needles pass in and out through flesh still made a person profoundly uncomfortable.

Feng Siniang was much faster than expected, however.

Zheng Fan had only crouched outside long enough to smoke three cigarettes before she emerged.

“How did it go?”

“Reporting to Master, it’s finished.”

“What about him?”

“He passed out from the pain. But he truly is a tough man. He endured the whole thing without making a sound.”

“How much of his strength can he recover?”

“You don’t trust this servant’s craftsmanship?”

As she spoke, Feng Siniang wiggled her fingers at Zheng Fan.

“His strength can recover?”

“After resting two days, he should be able to return to being a Ninth Grade Martial Artist.

“In fact, after suffering disaster after disaster, it’s possible he may even advance another step along the Martial Path.”

“I see.

“Wait, no.

“Siniang, I remember you saying before that you temporarily didn’t have the ability to restore him.”

Feng Siniang’s beautiful eyes shifted.

She immediately replied, “Haven’t I been practicing again lately? I’ve basically recovered the feel for the fundamentals.”

With the Blind Man and the others away, Siniang did not dare casually tell Zheng Fan that her own strength had recovered considerably.

“Oh. So that’s it.”

“Master, this servant wants to practice with her hands again tonight.

“If they grow rusty again, that would be terrible.

“So I’ll have to trouble Master.

“Please agree to this servant’s presumptuous request.”

“Of course. Of course.”

Just as Zheng Fan’s face began turning slightly red beneath Siniang’s gaze, Fangcao approached from behind and to the side.

Zheng Fan immediately coughed dryly and turned toward her.

“What is it?”

“Master, someone has come to the front hall. He’s from the yamen and says he needs to see you.”

“All right. I’ll go take a look.”

Zheng Fan nodded to Siniang.

Siniang dipped into a slight curtsy.

...

Zheng Fan had not gone to the yamen for almost a month.

Ever since putting on that performance outside the hall with Comrade Deep Sea, he had remained comfortably at home practicing martial arts.

He could not even be bothered with making a token daily appearance.

He had assumed the yamen merely had some matter to notify him about.

But when Zheng Fan entered the reception hall, he discovered that the visitor was the secretary who served beside Pacification Commissioner Xu Wenzu.

This secretary’s status was naturally not ordinary.

He was probably one of Xu Wenzu’s trusted confidants.

For him to come personally meant he was certainly carrying a message from Xu Wenzu.

“Lieutenant Commander Zheng, this residence of yours is truly impressive. Must have cost quite a bit?”

“Not at all, not at all. Haunted house. Cheap.”

“...” the secretary.

The two sat again.

By tacit agreement, they skipped the empty pleasantries normally required at the beginning of a conversation.

“Lieutenant Commander Zheng, my master sent me to find you this time.”

“What does the Pacification Commissioner require of me?”

“It’s like this. The day after tomorrow, Tiger Head City has a convoy of birthday tribute gifts that must be sent to the Marquis’s residence.

“My master intends for Lieutenant Commander Zheng to serve as the officer in charge of escorting them.”

“Birthday tribute?”

Seeing the confusion on Zheng Fan’s face, the secretary immediately asked curiously, “The day after tomorrow is the fiftieth birthday of the Marchioness of Zhenbei. Lieutenant Commander Zheng, surely you haven’t forgotten?”

Zheng Fan’s expression immediately became solemn.

“The Marchioness has shown my household immense kindness. How could I possibly forget!”

“Of course. Then we’ll leave this escort mission to Lieutenant Commander Zheng.”

“It is my duty.”

A birthday tribute convoy consisted of gifts transported together in an organized column.

When a major figure celebrated a birthday, officials large and small from across the region generally prepared gifts.

Naturally, not everyone could personally attend the celebration.

Indeed, not everyone even possessed the qualifications to attend.

But while the person might not arrive, the gift absolutely had to.

So this batch of birthday tribute should consist of gifts from Tiger Head City and the surrounding powers for the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

Escorting it there did not sound like anything particularly serious.

Zheng Fan did not think much of it.

Comrade Deep Sea knew perfectly well that Zheng Fan was a commander without troops of his own.

When the time came, soldiers would certainly be assigned to escort the convoy.

“For something like this, sir, you could simply have sent someone from the yamen to notify me.

“Why trouble yourself to make the trip personally?”

“There is another matter,” the secretary said.

“What matter?”

“My master will leave Tiger Head City tomorrow to inspect the frontier.

“Publicly, the explanation will be that the day after tomorrow, officials, merchants, and great clans in Tiger Head City will follow custom by hiring theatrical troupes and holding banquets.

“My master is unwilling to join them in such behavior, so he has chosen this time to leave Tiger Head City and inspect the border.”

These celebrations were somewhat like later generations holding a commemorative gala.

The residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei probably did not care much how people here celebrated.

But those below still had to make a show of it.

After all, so long as the Marquis’s residence remained standing, it was still the foremost power in Beifeng Commandery.

For every day it remained there, everyone had to lick its boots for another day.

And since the Pacification Commissioner was an office responsible for the defense of an entire region rather than a post permanently tied to Tiger Head City, choosing this moment to inspect the border also served to publicly reaffirm Xu Wenzu’s consistent political stance in favor of weakening the feudal lords.

Hearing this much, Zheng Fan still saw nothing wrong.

Then the secretary continued:

“When the time comes, I will disguise myself as my master and go inspect the frontier in his place.

“My master himself will secretly join Lieutenant Commander Zheng’s escort convoy.

“After reaching the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei, he hopes to rely on Lieutenant Commander Zheng’s established connections there to secretly meet the Princess and the Old Marchioness without alerting outsiders.”

“...” Zheng Fan!

(End of Chapter)