Joy of Life - V1C3
Prologue: Nice Guys Finish Last
1- A Child of the Tanmai
2- The Truman Show
3- The Legacy Book
4- Studies and Ghost Stories
5- The Noctural Visitor
6- Master Wu Zhu
7- Master Fei Jie
8- Grandmasters and Divine Temple
9- Overpowering Bàdào Zhenqi
10- The Sea Salt Merchant
11- Farewell for now, Master Fei Jie
12- Mail Order and Newspapers
13- Radish Strands
14- Housekeeper Zhou
15- Ay-ya-ya-yaaa
Chapter 3
The Legacy Book
The one good thing about being reborn was probably having four limbs that allowed for an active life. Fan Xian was grateful for this; it would be difficult for those who had never experienced the kind of disease he had to understand his happiness. He found comfort in the thought that this was perhaps God’s gift to him.
It took him seven years to finally figure it out: since he had the opportunity to live again, why not make the most of it? If God had blessed him with this new life and he wasted it, wouldn’t that dishonor God? Since he could move now, why not move even more?
All the servants in the Count’s villa knew this Young Master[i] was an extremely active child.
“Young Master, we’re begging you! Please, calm down!”
At that moment, Fan Xian sat at the very top of the fake hill in the courtyard, smiling as he looked out toward the distant sea. To the maids, it was clear that a seven-year-old boy who climbed such heights and smiled with such stillness was unusual.
As more people gradually gathered around the fake hill, a few servants formed a circle at its base. His grandmother’s estate was isolated, far from the capital, and she didn’t often have visitors. She told her son that she didn’t require many servants at the Count’s villa and preferred to spend her retirement in peace and tranquility.
Fan Xian looked down from the fake hill at the panicking servants and couldn’t help but sigh. He obediently climbed down. “It was just a bit of exercise. Why all the fuss?”
The servants were used to the peculiar maturity with which the Young Master spoke and ignored his quirk as they led him away to his bath.
After washing Fan Xian until his lips were bright red, his teeth sparkling white, and his body smooth and smelling delightful, the maid held him up, smiling as she rubbed his cheeks. She laughed and said, “Young Master looks exactly like a little girl; I wonder what lucky lady will be blessed with you in the future.”
Fan Xian did not reply. For a seven-year-old to flirt with a maid in her teens was completely inappropriate; he refused to engage in something so tasteless… He would wait until he was seven to take on such a challenging task. Meanwhile, he would silently enjoy all the hands and attention on him when they bathed him.
“Time to sleep, Young Master.”
The maid patted the little boy’s bottom. All the servants found it strange that, despite the young master’s age, he was already developing an unruly attitude. Yet, at the same time, he maintained the self-discipline and diligence of a grown man.
This was especially evident during his naptimes. Those with a typical childhood would remember having to battle “demons” trying to force them to sleep on a sunny afternoon—demons that often took the form of Mom, Dad, or even their nannies and teachers.
But Young Master Xian never needed anyone to force him to sleep. Every day at noon, he would put on his cutest, most innocent smile and return to his bedroom obediently to sleep without making a single sound.
Initially, the Old Mistress didn’t believe it and often scolded the maids to keep an eye on him. She thought the boy was using sleep as an excuse to escape and play around. However, after keeping watch for half a year, she realized that the boy was indeed sleeping, dead to the world, and often difficult to wake up, even with shouting.
From then on, the maids paid little attention and kept guard outside his room. It was summer, so naturally, the maids were tired, their bodies tilting to the side. The small fans in their hands moved softly, and occasionally a firefly would dance in the breeze they created.
It took him seven years to finally figure it out: since he had the opportunity to live again, why not make the most of it? If God had blessed him with this new life and he wasted it, wouldn’t that dishonor God? Since he could move now, why not move even more?
All the servants in the Count’s villa knew this Young Master[i] was an extremely active child.
“Young Master, we’re begging you! Please, calm down!”
At that moment, Fan Xian sat at the very top of the fake hill in the courtyard, smiling as he looked out toward the distant sea. To the maids, it was clear that a seven-year-old boy who climbed such heights and smiled with such stillness was unusual.
As more people gradually gathered around the fake hill, a few servants formed a circle at its base. His grandmother’s estate was isolated, far from the capital, and she didn’t often have visitors. She told her son that she didn’t require many servants at the Count’s villa and preferred to spend her retirement in peace and tranquility.
Fan Xian looked down from the fake hill at the panicking servants and couldn’t help but sigh. He obediently climbed down. “It was just a bit of exercise. Why all the fuss?”
The servants were used to the peculiar maturity with which the Young Master spoke and ignored his quirk as they led him away to his bath.
After washing Fan Xian until his lips were bright red, his teeth sparkling white, and his body smooth and smelling delightful, the maid held him up, smiling as she rubbed his cheeks. She laughed and said, “Young Master looks exactly like a little girl; I wonder what lucky lady will be blessed with you in the future.”
Fan Xian did not reply. For a seven-year-old to flirt with a maid in her teens was completely inappropriate; he refused to engage in something so tasteless… He would wait until he was seven to take on such a challenging task. Meanwhile, he would silently enjoy all the hands and attention on him when they bathed him.
“Time to sleep, Young Master.”
The maid patted the little boy’s bottom. All the servants found it strange that, despite the young master’s age, he was already developing an unruly attitude. Yet, at the same time, he maintained the self-discipline and diligence of a grown man.
This was especially evident during his naptimes. Those with a typical childhood would remember having to battle “demons” trying to force them to sleep on a sunny afternoon—demons that often took the form of Mom, Dad, or even their nannies and teachers.
But Young Master Xian never needed anyone to force him to sleep. Every day at noon, he would put on his cutest, most innocent smile and return to his bedroom obediently to sleep without making a single sound.
Initially, the Old Mistress didn’t believe it and often scolded the maids to keep an eye on him. She thought the boy was using sleep as an excuse to escape and play around. However, after keeping watch for half a year, she realized that the boy was indeed sleeping, dead to the world, and often difficult to wake up, even with shouting.
From then on, the maids paid little attention and kept guard outside his room. It was summer, so naturally, the maids were tired, their bodies tilting to the side. The small fans in their hands moved softly, and occasionally a firefly would dance in the breeze they created.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Back in the bedroom, Fan Xian climbed onto his bed and uncovered the mat, carefully retrieving a book that he had hidden.
The book's cover was light yellow, showing its age. No word was on the cover, but the borders were embroidered using unknown motifs. These motifs curled on their final stroke, like clouds or the wide sleeves of ancient clothing.
He carefully flipped open the book to page seven, where an illustration of a man appeared. Red lines obscured parts of the figure, and even though the boy couldn't identify the paint used for the lines, they created a mesmerizing illusion that seemed to shift slowly in a certain direction.
Fan Xian let out a sigh. While he outwardly appeared to be just seven-years-old, he had to be cautious about revealing his true self. Thankfully, he had a book to keep him occupied.
This book was given to him by a blind youth named Wu Zhu upon their arrival in Danzhou. Fan Xian often pondered the identity of the young blind man, who was his mother’s servant. Throughout their journey from the capital to the port, Fan Xian had been cradled in the arms of the blind youth. Even though he seemed like an ordinary baby, he was not one at all; he could sense how much the young man cherished him.
For reasons unknown, the servant declined to stay in the mansion after leaving it, despite the Old Mistress's insistence. Before departing, he placed the book beside the baby.
Fan Xian had always harbored doubts about the situation. Did the servant genuinely have no issues with him learning independently? After reflecting on it, he understood that as a baby, it was impossible for him to recognize the writing, so there was no reason for concern.
However, Fan Xian could read the words of this world, and after the extraordinary change he had undergone, he firmly believed in the existence of gods and devils. He was even more convinced that the book resembled a prop from a Hong Kong television drama, some form of spiritual training for Zhenqi[ii].
It was unfortunate that the book lacked a title; otherwise, he would have gone out to ask the neighborhood children if this Zhenqi training method was worthwhile.
Thinking about this made Fan Xian chuckle. Given that God had granted him a second chance at life, he intended to make the most of it. Neigong[iii] was something wonderful that didn’t exist in his previous world, and even if this nameless Zhenqi spiritual training method turned out to be nonsense, it wouldn’t deter him from starting to practice it at the age of one.
In fact, Fan Xian was close to beginning his Zhenqi training even before birth; there was no earlier starting point. No one in the world, not even the revered Grandmasters or the so-called demi-gods, could equal Fan Xian's prowess, given that he commenced his training at such a young age.
What was it they say? The early bird catches the worm? More like the foolish bird that flies too soon. Surely, I wouldn’t be as naïve as the kids who were just beginning to glimpse the world of martial arts, right?
As Fan Xian reflected on this, he began to feel the Zhenqi flowing within him. It slowly circulated along the lines of the illustrations in his book, eventually filling his body. This sensation was deeply soothing, like warm water bathing every part of his being. Gradually, he slipped into a meditative state and comfortably drifted off to sleep in his bed.
[i] 少爺 young master is a form of address formerly used by a servant to address his or her master's son. Young man (often pampered) from a wealthy or noble family.
The author took some creative liberties, referring to Fan Xian as Young Master (since illegitimate sons could not hold that title), Mister Fan, or Master Fan before he reached 20, even though he never underwent a traditional 'passage to adulthood.' He got married at 17 and concurrently began his career as an official. Typically, men would become officials after passing the Imperial Examination at a much older age.
[ii] Zhenqi (真气), or "True Qi," is a core concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Daoist internal cultivation, referring to the most refined, vital life-force energy that flows through meridians and sustains bodily functions. It is formed by combining refined qi from food and air, acting as the foundation for immunity and overall health.
[iii] Neigong (internal work/skill) is a, 3,000-year-old Chinese practice focused on cultivating, storing, and circulating internal energy (Qi) and transforming the body's internal structure. It is the foundational "inner work" of Taoist arts, often preceding or deepening Qigong and internal martial arts like Tai Chi, by focusing on 16 specific internal components rather than just external movement.
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