The Ascension of Contracted Spirits

Chapter 79 - 77: Fat Tiger Kneels to You_1

The setting sun gradually leaned to the west.

An old horse-drawn carriage traveled along the street dyed orange by the sunset. The carriage moved briskly, its four wheels squeaking lightly.

On both sides of the street, shops were starting to close in succession.

The shop owners were talking and laughing merrily, discussing various matters. It seemed like they were preparing to go home for dinner with their Contracted Fond Spirits.

Of course, the shops that only open at night were already brightly lit at this time.

The waves of intoxicating aroma of wine, hearty or boisterous laughter, drifted along with the wind...

Time had already arrived at the evening of the second day.

This is Ye Hanjun’s seventh day at Canghai Pavilion, and unexpectedly, he was about to head to the wilderness for a special trial before he could even settle down.

Although he was not a participant in the trial, this didn’t affect him from preparing as much as possible.

Compared to the strictly guarded academy, the outside world is full of unknowns, warranting respect at all times.

Upon careful consideration, a few curious glances occasionally brushed past him.

No particular concern registered on Ye Hanjun’s dignified face.

He very well knew that when he carefully dressed up, he somewhat looked the part, regardless of his appearance or bearing.

His dark combat boots were tightly wrapped around his feet, with smoky gray soft long pants and a stretchy shirt underneath.

A retro wooden belt, tied just right around his waist.

The pure black Night Walker’s Cloak without any patterns, hung like a shadow at his back, its hem just touching his ankles.

Such clothes didn’t stand out, and weren’t out of place in crowds.

But looking upwards, his skin was as pale as jade, his features were sharp and clear.

His eyes were deep like ink, emanating a faint light, just like the silent sea where one can’t see their own hand in front of them. Looking for a long time, it could give one the creeps.

Hair slightly wild and medium-length, standing up like it had been electrically charged, giving off a somewhat unruly and wandering charm.

...

All the way here, without intentionally hiding, Ye Hanjun managed to attract quite a lot of attention.

He could occasionally overhear strangers discussing him in soft voices.

However, the so-called "frail young master" would probably soon be a thing of the past.

His current physical condition, though still weak, was much better as compared to half of his previous strength.

At least, he now looked like a living person.

His pallid, near-death appearance could soon be buried in his memories, slowly fading with time.

"Squeak-"

The carriage stopped.

Ye Hanjun got up, lifted the curtain, and stepped down the steps.

The sky began to darken, and the sunset was bloody.

The burning clouds stretched across the sky, the bright sky resembled colorful silk, and the scene was stunningly beautiful.

The red light from the sunset washed over the earth as if it filled a giant basin, leaving the shadow of the setting sun everywhere, and pieces of red clouds scattered around.

Ye Hanjun’s face was also covered with a layer of this red light.

He squinted slightly, and his calm gaze fell straight ahead.

Three hundred meters away, right next to the wide city gate, boys and girls wearing colorful clothes were scattered around.

They were too young, and their wrinkle-free skin witnessed their golden times.

Their frosty armor, fluttering long gowns, and sharp weapons emphasized their vigorous charm.

"Miss Xinfei, you took us by surprise. You signed up for the trial without a word. We were caught unprepared..."

A few young men wearing elaborate clothes gathered together, looking rather disgruntled.

The object of their attention was leaning against the corner of a wall in her shiny silver armor, which caught everyone’s attention.

At this moment, on her beautiful face, a cold smile emerged, showing no intention to hide her icy demeanor.

"Do I... need to report to you what I do?"

"No, no, that’s not what we meant..."

The group of nobles hastily shook their heads, denials tumbling out.

"Miss Xinfei, you’re so strong, but there are so many unknowns in the wilderness!"

"If you’d given us notice, we would have joined you. There’s strength in numbers, we could easily deal with any crisis."

"Do you know what ’trial’ means?"

Wang Xinfei’s expression was cold, her eyes like swords as they fell on the speaker:

"If there’s no risk, and I’m as leisurely as strolling in the backyard, then how am I different from the flowers cultured in a greenhouse?"

"Uh... That’s true, but..."

"Enough!" Wang Xinfei, unconcerned, abruptly cut them off, her face showing her displeasure:

"My armored horse has already achieved full growth in the Clay Body, how many of the people in the same realm have ventured into wilderness multiple times?"

"I’ve been preparing for a long time to participate in this trial."

"I didn’t suddenly sign up, I didn’t want to get mixed up with you lot. I appreciate your kind intentions, but now, please leave!"

The area where more than 20 people were scattered became silent for a moment.

The young nobles laughed awkwardly, looking at Xinfei who suddenly seemed somewhat unfamiliar. Their feet seemed to be stuck to the ground, and they didn’t seem to want to leave.

"Hey, Miss Wang has further insights, and you guys are blocking her way... It’s hard not to think that you have some ill intentions~~~"

A hearty laughter rang out as a strong, burly man, standing a tall two meters and three, strode forward.

A dog the size of a lion or tiger walked beside him, sending forth a powerful smell of blood and stink merely by moving forward.

"Hiss... A Fighting Dog at the Rainbow Light level..."

"I remember! This is Assistant Wu Chong! In small trials involving the wilderness, he is often seen taking an active role!"

From afar, the surrounding students murmured to each other.

As the fighting dog sluggishly moved forward, sniffing around a few young masters, their scalps tingled and their lower bodies trembled incessantly.

"We’re leaving! We’re leaving!"

Suppressing the immediate urge to flee, they feared being pursued by the malevolent dog.

With forced smiles on their faces, the young masters left after giving Wang Xinfei a few polite blessings, taking their Contracted Spirits with them.

"Humph, noisy!"

Wang Xinfei curled her lips; a fleeting look of disgust flashed across her face.

Wu Chong gave her a smile, but all he received in return was a faint nod.

Wang Xinfei had no intention of continuing the conversation; she was still leaning against the wall alone, lost in thought.

Against the fading light of the setting sun, her heavy-hearted look was wildly different from the radiant figure that had attracted all eyes during the knight’s intense race yesterday.

The curious students were whispering and discussing the cause, many of them apparently having never seen such a scene before.

"Tch."

After observing for a while, Ye Hanjun was startlingly intrigued.

This girl, known as the "Spoiled Miss", seemed to have a side unknown to others.

This trial seemed to be getting more and more interesting.

"Huh? Isn’t that Master Han?"

Among the crowd, a young man dressed in rugged clothes sat astride a pink piglet.

With a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, he rested his hands on the back of his head out of boredom, not particularly interested in Wang Xinfei’s affairs.

A random glance revealed a man with black hair approaching slowly.

He suddenly widened his eyes and quickly jumped off the pig, greeting the man with a big smile on his face.

"Master Han! It really is Master Han!"

"I can’t thank you enough for last time! If it wasn’t for your help, Fat Tiger would have met his end; knocked on hell’s door!"

"Come! Fat Tiger! Quickly thank Master Han! He is your lifesaver! Kneel! Kneel a few more times!"

"Hoof...hoof..."

The piglet, dutifully following its master, seemed to be in a good mood as it trotted along.

Just as it caught up, its master’s hand landed just above its forehead, pressing its head down onto the ground.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Even Ye Hanjun, who had seen so much, was taken aback by the overly unexpected gesture. He was afraid this "grand ceremony" would go amiss.

"Hoof?"

The piglet, having completed the move, started to blink its eyes in confusion.

Before it could react, it had already made three kowtows; its head was buzzing slightly from the impact.

"Hey, Fat Tiger, well done!!"

"In the future, if Master Han needs any help and we can lend a hand, we definitely will!"

Chest thumping, Piao Chenlong swore with conviction.

The dazed piglet finally realized, this man...is that "poison pharmacist" from the other day?

Who the hell used such bizarre tricks, causing it to poop all over the ground, and lose weight forcefully?

By the time it arrived at the medical center, the people there were on the verge of retching. No one let it go through the door, everyone looked at it with disgust while covering their noses...

The piglet was a wild beast - a primary practitioner of the Dao of the body.

But such spirit creatures, especially among wild beasts with higher intelligence, roughly equivalent to a human child of five or six years old, cannot be viewed with conventional tags.

It failed to recognize the face last time and didn’t really take note of who it was.

This time...Fat Tiger would remember!

"Hoof! Hoof!"

The piglet advanced its head, sniffing around, trying to remember the poison pharmacist’s scent.

Ye Hanjun retreated a step silently, showing some caution.

Did this little guy take a bath?

Pigs were indeed fond of keeping themselves clean.

But this guy...unless he’s rubbed off a layer of skin, wouldn’t there still be some bacteria lingering?

"Master Han! He is cleaned up! You can trust me!"

Piao Chenlong laughed heartily, "Don’t forget, I am a painter! Great at refurbishment!"

"..."

Ye Hanjun remained unconvinced and took another step back.

"Hey ya!"

The enthusiastic Piao Chenlong tried his best to get Ye Hanjun to touch the piglet, to let him feel the soft and fragrant pig meat, to prove that he was not lying.

Ye Hanjun, who had a hundred refusals in his heart, gritted his teeth and felt an urge to punch him.

However, as the crowd suddenly made a commotion, a handsome young man dressed in blue silk slowly approached.

He had long hair twisted and tied at the back of his head.

His face had the aura of a scholar, with curled eyelashes, light pink lips, a high nose, and bright eyes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, nice to see you all again."

The man gestured with a light smile, his voice was clear like a young boy, but he also spoke in a soft, feminine tone.

The crowd looked at him and responded mostly with welcoming smiles.

Even the Wang Xinfei leaning against the corner projected her gaze, lingering on his face for a few seconds.