Joy of Life - V1C7
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- One Year Later...
9- Grandmasters and Divine Temple
10- Overpowering Bàdào Zhenqi
11- The Sea Salt Merchant
12- Farewell for now, Master Fei Jie
13- Mail Order and Newspapers
14- It Hurts Like Hell!
15- Housekeeper Zhou
16- Ay-ya-ya-yaaa
17- The Three Goals
18- The Attempted Poisoning
19- The Assassin
20- Clean Up After Yourself!
Chapter 7
Master Fei Jie
Later that day, a strange middle-aged man came to the Count’s villa. Giving his name and the name of his master, he received an audience with the Old Mistress. He gained her trust and was invited to serve as the second tutor for the young master of the Fan family.
The servant girls quickly spread this strange news. How could this roguish-looking old man, his head covered in bandages, be qualified to tutor the adorable young master?
Fan Xian kneaded his new tutor’s back in the library, massaging it with his fists. Considering the ugly business with the porcelain pillow that had transpired the night before, he felt that he had best get back in Master Fei’s good books as soon as possible.
“It wasn’t my fault, sir!” He said in a voice so sweet and childish that even he felt repulsed. “You had a knife, and I’m just a little boy, so I was scared…”
I had the knife because I had to pry open the door, thought Fei Jie. I just wanted to take a peep at what the fabled bastard child had grown up to look like. How was I to know you suffered from insomnia?
It was an inevitable misunderstanding, and unfortunately, it had left him with an aching head.
“I thought you were going to teach me something in secret,” said Fan Xian.
“That’s right,” Master Fei replied. “In many folk tales, a young child encounters a strange traveler and learns a mystical art, often without anyone around them realizing what’s happening. This type of story occurs quite frequently,” he said with a touch of irony.
Fan Xian fixed his gaze on Master Fei as he spoke.
"But there are more than just foolish people in this world," Fei Jie replied sternly, returning the boy's intense stare. "Since I've taken on the role of your teacher, I might as well use this as a chance to educate you."
Fan Xian giggled and climbed onto his lap. "Teacher, do you know my father? What's he like?"
Fei Jie felt his face flush. Deep down, he understood the boy was cunning, no matter how innocent he seemed, and he felt utterly powerless. Contemplating the question for a moment, he said, “The Count is a friend of my superior, and that's why I was asked to come teach you. You can just call me ‘teacher’.”
Jumping off his lap, Xian cupped his hands and bowed slightly. “Teacher, what will you teach me?”
Fei Jie chuckled, his brown-flecked eyes glinting with an unusual light. “I’m an expert in poisons. I’m here to teach you how to use poison to kill and how to avoid being poisoned.”
He expected his words would frighten the young boy, but he quickly realized that Fan Xian was no ordinary child, rendering any attempts at intimidation pointless.
As anticipated, Fan Xian's large eyes sparkled with excitement, and he blinked enthusiastically. “What are we waiting for? Should I catch some rabbits for experiments? Or maybe some frogs?”
Fei Jie turned away in disbelief. Was this child really only seven years old?
Weeks later, as dawn broke faintly in the pale eastern sky near a burial mound a dozen miles from Danzhou, the gloomy cemetery appeared even more eerie.
With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Fei Jie stood outside the cemetery, watching the young master lean over an open grave with a quivering brow.
Fei Jie had taken Fan Xian away from the Old Mistress for several days under the pretense of an outing. They had come to the cemetery to exhume bodies for the study of human anatomy.
Knowing that Young Master Fan was an extraordinary child, he felt a wave of horror as he observed how quickly the boy acclimatized to the graveyard’s somberness, steadying himself and dissecting the corpses as he had learned over the past month.
Fei Jie was a professional accustomed to dealing with corpses, but he had never before encountered a seven-year-old who remained so composed in the presence of death.
The handsome boy, amidst the foul odor of decay, wore a face mask as he pulled the entrails from a half-rotted corpse.
The scene was utterly horrifying. Fan Xian couldn’t help but think that this second life felt just as wretched as the first.
After pulling down his face mask and washing his hands with clean water, Fan Xian began to document the characteristics of the corpses before him. He examined the potential diseases the deceased may have suffered from, meticulously jotting down notes in the black, leather-bound notebook gifted to him by Fei Jie.
Once he completed his task, he stood up, his complexion pale and his long eyelashes fluttering nervously. “Is there anything else you need, sir?” he asked.
Fei Jie frowned at him, surprised to see the child display such courage. Before he could respond, Fan Xian’s nausea caught up with him. He rushed to the edge of the graveyard and erupted into violent retching. When the wave of sickness finally subsided, he straightened himself once more.
A look of pity crossed Fei Jie’s face. Had he been too harsh in making a seven-year-old boy confront such gruesome sights? Watching Fan Xian struggle, he realized this was the first moment he truly seemed like a child rather than an old soul trapped in a young body.
“It’s alright. You’ve gained some direct knowledge now. We can talk about it later,” Fei Jie said.
Before he could continue, Fan Xian’s young voice chimed in. “It’s a pity Danzhou is such a small town. If there were more dead people, we might find fresher corpses.”
Fei Jie’s heart skipped, and he slowly turned to meet Fan Xian’s innocent gaze, unsure of what he expected to see there. After a long pause, he asked, “Why…”
“Huh?”
“Why aren’t you frightened? Why aren’t you upset with me for making you do this?” He fixed Fan Xian with a puzzled look.
Fan Xian lowered his head respectfully. “Teacher,” he replied, “You said I needed to observe how to poison someone, and I understand the necessity of digging up corpses, even if it scares me.”
“Are there things in this world that truly frighten you?”
“Yes,” Fan Xian said, his eyes full of sadness as he looked at his teacher. “I’m only seven years old.”
“Age is merely a number,” Fei Jie said, nodding before shaking his head. “Though you’re young, there are things you might not grasp now, but that you will have to learn in time. As the illegitimate child of a nobleman, you will face many schemes and dangers. Sometimes, misplaced compassion can lead to one's downfall.”
Fei Jie had a strange feeling that the child comprehended everything he had said. At that moment, sunlight illuminated Fan Xian’s eyes, giving them a shimmering golden gleam.
Fei Jie was momentarily taken aback. There was something almost otherworldly about the boy’s gaze. Over the years, his poisons had claimed the lives of countless individuals. During the late Emperor’s northern campaigns, his actions resulted in the deaths of thousands from the Northern Wei Empire. Those crimes were bound to send him to hell, so why did the sight of this innocent child fill him with such profound unease?
After putting right the nameless grave they had disturbed, the odd master and student pair walked eastward toward the dawn. “You must have many questions,” said Fei Jie as they descended the road.
“Mm,” Fan Xian grunted in affirmation, a sweet smile spreading shyly across his face. “You’re very good to me, Teacher.”
Fei Jie hadn’t expected the child to answer so tactfully. “If you can smile about something like this,” he said, laughing bitterly, “I wonder how mature you are.”
“Better to laugh than to cry.”
“That’s true.” Fei Jie stared at the city walls in the distance, furrowing his brow. “Your father owns a great estate in the capital. Many people will struggle to take it from you, so you’ll have to become strong and learn as much as possible.”
Fan Xian remained silent, deep in thought. He had always heard that his father, Count Sinan, was well-trusted by the Emperor and lived in the capital.
The year before last, a significant political upheaval occurred in the capital, resulting in the deaths of many nobles during a coup. In the end, His Majesty regained control of the situation, purging the aristocratic houses of countless individuals. However, Fan Xian’s father maintained the Emperor's trust and enhanced his standing.
Yet, Fan Xian still couldn’t comprehend what kind of estate could put his life at risk. Why would this lead his father to recruit such a formidable intermediary from the Overwatch Council to become his teacher?
“I understand. One day, someone will try to kill me, so you’re teaching me to use poison. Truly, I’m scared someone will try to poison me.”
“Right. Killers have many methods, but poison is the easiest and least likely to arouse suspicion.” Fei Jie rubbed the crown of his head. “My job is to teach you about such matters so that no one can kill you by poisoning one of your meals.”
“But why only now? Surely, you’ve been worried that somebody might poison me for the past few years.” Fan Xian needed clarification, so he continued asking questions; all the while, he couldn’t help but worry that his teacher would sense a maturity beyond his years.
Fei Jie smiled, but his words were grim. “Because Count Sinan’s concubine gave birth to a son last month. In other words, you already have a rival for Count Sinan’s estate. And that concubine has connections within the Overwatch Council. Your father was worried something might happen to you, and it wouldn’t be convenient to dispatch someone to guard you for a long time because that would arouse suspicion. So, he sent me to teach you.”
Fan Xian noted that Fei Jie said, “Count Sinan” and “Your father.”
“I’m a bastard,” said Fan Xian, smiling. “By law, I have no right to inherit my father’s title. So, the concubine shouldn’t worry about me.”
“One can never be too certain of anything in this world,” Fei Jie responded sharply. “Even though you have Master Wu looking out for you, he can't always act as your guardian. Poison in your food might not affect him, but it could still be fatal for you. And if you were to die, you have no idea how many others might perish alongside you.”
Fan Xian's doubts intensified. What kind of power did his father possess, a man he had never met? It seemed far greater than what someone of his status should normally have.
The morning sun was bright, and as Fei Jie led his charge toward the walls of Danzhou, their shadows—one tall, one short—stretched out upon the ground. Fei Jie observed Fan Xian’s face, still rather pale. “Truth is that dead people are nothing to fear.”
“Alright.”
“And don’t use Zhenqi to control your emotions. If human emotions aren’t given the proper outlet, even if your powers of Zhenqi control are at their peak, you’ll become a murderous monster.”
“I understand.” Obediently, Fan Xian scattered the Zhenqi within his body and stopped suppressing the disgust and smell he felt at handling corpses.
At that moment, Fei Jie suddenly spoke. “There are still some rotten entrails in your sleeve. You take them home for breakfast?”
“Yuck!” The child’s disgusting shriek and his teacher's sinister laugh pierced the rustic dawn's quietude.
Danzhou City had begun to wake up, but the unremarkable shop showed no signs of being open.
Hidden in a secluded room within the shop, Wu Zhu eyed Fei Jie coolly. “What is that old cripple up to?”
Fei Jie could be considered a great expert in more ways than one, but he was nervous when faced with the rumored cold-blooded viciousness of the blind youngster. “The young master will one day be a grown man,” he replied, “and he’ll face many problems in the capital. The earlier he is prepared for them, the better his chance of success.”
Wu Zhu lifted his head to face him.
Fei Jie made a startled expression. Although he always saw Wu Zhu with a black cloth covering his eyes, Fei Jie felt as if Wu Zhu was glaring at him with murderous intent. "If you object, Master Wu," he said, "I will return to the capital. I'm sure the master will take your complaint seriously."
Wu Zhu shook his head. “I think the old cripple sent you for more than that. It’s not that simple.”
“Correct.” Wu Zhu was the only one who dared to speak about the master that way, thought Fei Jie. “The master has never found the black chest that her Ladyship left behind,” he said, bowing his head as he spoke. “He is very worried that someone may find it, so he has asked that you advise him on the matter, Master Wu.”
“It’s no use looking,” said Wu Zhu flatly. “Her Ladyship destroyed it before she passed away.”
Fei Jie nodded and turned to leave. Stopping, he frowned. “There’s something odd about the young master. He’s only seven years old, yet you’ve let him study such a powerful form of Zhenqi cultivation. Are you not worried something might happen?”
“What’s odd about it? " Wu Zhu replied as he stared at the man who was soon to be the young master’s teacher. “I never taught him any Zhenqi.”
Fei Jie rubbed the aching wound on his head. He had a bad feeling about all this. Forcing a smile, he took his leave.
After he had left, Wu Zhu entered a secret room within the shop. In the corner stood a dusty black chest. Although a length of black cloth obscured his eyes, his actions suggested he could see everything perfectly.
Hidden in a secluded room within the shop, Wu Zhu eyed Fei Jie coolly. “What is that old cripple up to?”
Fei Jie could be considered a great expert in more ways than one, but he was nervous when faced with the rumored cold-blooded viciousness of the blind youngster. “The young master will one day be a grown man,” he replied, “and he’ll face many problems in the capital. The earlier he is prepared for them, the better his chance of success.”
Wu Zhu lifted his head to face him.
Fei Jie made a startled expression. Although he always saw Wu Zhu with a black cloth covering his eyes, Fei Jie felt as if Wu Zhu was glaring at him with murderous intent. "If you object, Master Wu," he said, "I will return to the capital. I'm sure the master will take your complaint seriously."
Wu Zhu shook his head. “I think the old cripple sent you for more than that. It’s not that simple.”
“Correct.” Wu Zhu was the only one who dared to speak about the master that way, thought Fei Jie. “The master has never found the black chest that her Ladyship left behind,” he said, bowing his head as he spoke. “He is very worried that someone may find it, so he has asked that you advise him on the matter, Master Wu.”
“It’s no use looking,” said Wu Zhu flatly. “Her Ladyship destroyed it before she passed away.”
Fei Jie nodded and turned to leave. Stopping, he frowned. “There’s something odd about the young master. He’s only seven years old, yet you’ve let him study such a powerful form of Zhenqi cultivation. Are you not worried something might happen?”
“What’s odd about it? " Wu Zhu replied as he stared at the man who was soon to be the young master’s teacher. “I never taught him any Zhenqi.”
Fei Jie rubbed the aching wound on his head. He had a bad feeling about all this. Forcing a smile, he took his leave.
After he had left, Wu Zhu entered a secret room within the shop. In the corner stood a dusty black chest. Although a length of black cloth obscured his eyes, his actions suggested he could see everything perfectly.
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Later that day, a strange middle-aged man came to the Count’s villa. Giving his name and the name of his master, he received an audience with the Old Mistress. He gained her trust and was invited to serve as the second tutor for the young master of the Fan family.
The servant girls quickly spread this strange news. How could this roguish-looking old man, his head covered in bandages, be qualified to tutor the adorable young master?
Fan Xian kneaded his new tutor’s back in the library, massaging it with his fists. Considering the ugly business with the porcelain pillow that had transpired the night before, he felt that he had best get back in Master Fei’s good books as soon as possible.
“It wasn’t my fault, sir!” He said in a voice so sweet and childish that even he felt repulsed. “You had a knife, and I’m just a little boy, so I was scared…”
I had the knife because I had to pry open the door, thought Fei Jie. I just wanted to take a peep at what the fabled bastard child had grown up to look like. How was I to know you suffered from insomnia?
It was an inevitable misunderstanding, and unfortunately, it had left him with an aching head.
“I thought you were going to teach me something in secret,” said Fan Xian.
“That’s right,” Master Fei replied. “In many folk tales, a young child encounters a strange traveler and learns a mystical art, often without anyone around them realizing what’s happening. This type of story occurs quite frequently,” he said with a touch of irony.
Fan Xian fixed his gaze on Master Fei as he spoke.
"But there are more than just foolish people in this world," Fei Jie replied sternly, returning the boy's intense stare. "Since I've taken on the role of your teacher, I might as well use this as a chance to educate you."
Fan Xian giggled and climbed onto his lap. "Teacher, do you know my father? What's he like?"
Fei Jie felt his face flush. Deep down, he understood the boy was cunning, no matter how innocent he seemed, and he felt utterly powerless. Contemplating the question for a moment, he said, “The Count is a friend of my superior, and that's why I was asked to come teach you. You can just call me ‘teacher’.”
Jumping off his lap, Xian cupped his hands and bowed slightly. “Teacher, what will you teach me?”
Fei Jie chuckled, his brown-flecked eyes glinting with an unusual light. “I’m an expert in poisons. I’m here to teach you how to use poison to kill and how to avoid being poisoned.”
He expected his words would frighten the young boy, but he quickly realized that Fan Xian was no ordinary child, rendering any attempts at intimidation pointless.
As anticipated, Fan Xian's large eyes sparkled with excitement, and he blinked enthusiastically. “What are we waiting for? Should I catch some rabbits for experiments? Or maybe some frogs?”
Fei Jie turned away in disbelief. Was this child really only seven years old?
•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••
Weeks later, as dawn broke faintly in the pale eastern sky near a burial mound a dozen miles from Danzhou, the gloomy cemetery appeared even more eerie.
With his hands tucked into his sleeves, Fei Jie stood outside the cemetery, watching the young master lean over an open grave with a quivering brow.
Fei Jie had taken Fan Xian away from the Old Mistress for several days under the pretense of an outing. They had come to the cemetery to exhume bodies for the study of human anatomy.
Knowing that Young Master Fan was an extraordinary child, he felt a wave of horror as he observed how quickly the boy acclimatized to the graveyard’s somberness, steadying himself and dissecting the corpses as he had learned over the past month.
Fei Jie was a professional accustomed to dealing with corpses, but he had never before encountered a seven-year-old who remained so composed in the presence of death.
The handsome boy, amidst the foul odor of decay, wore a face mask as he pulled the entrails from a half-rotted corpse.
The scene was utterly horrifying. Fan Xian couldn’t help but think that this second life felt just as wretched as the first.
After pulling down his face mask and washing his hands with clean water, Fan Xian began to document the characteristics of the corpses before him. He examined the potential diseases the deceased may have suffered from, meticulously jotting down notes in the black, leather-bound notebook gifted to him by Fei Jie.
Once he completed his task, he stood up, his complexion pale and his long eyelashes fluttering nervously. “Is there anything else you need, sir?” he asked.
Fei Jie frowned at him, surprised to see the child display such courage. Before he could respond, Fan Xian’s nausea caught up with him. He rushed to the edge of the graveyard and erupted into violent retching. When the wave of sickness finally subsided, he straightened himself once more.
A look of pity crossed Fei Jie’s face. Had he been too harsh in making a seven-year-old boy confront such gruesome sights? Watching Fan Xian struggle, he realized this was the first moment he truly seemed like a child rather than an old soul trapped in a young body.
“It’s alright. You’ve gained some direct knowledge now. We can talk about it later,” Fei Jie said.
Before he could continue, Fan Xian’s young voice chimed in. “It’s a pity Danzhou is such a small town. If there were more dead people, we might find fresher corpses.”
Fei Jie’s heart skipped, and he slowly turned to meet Fan Xian’s innocent gaze, unsure of what he expected to see there. After a long pause, he asked, “Why…”
“Huh?”
“Why aren’t you frightened? Why aren’t you upset with me for making you do this?” He fixed Fan Xian with a puzzled look.
Fan Xian lowered his head respectfully. “Teacher,” he replied, “You said I needed to observe how to poison someone, and I understand the necessity of digging up corpses, even if it scares me.”
“Are there things in this world that truly frighten you?”
“Yes,” Fan Xian said, his eyes full of sadness as he looked at his teacher. “I’m only seven years old.”
“Age is merely a number,” Fei Jie said, nodding before shaking his head. “Though you’re young, there are things you might not grasp now, but that you will have to learn in time. As the illegitimate child of a nobleman, you will face many schemes and dangers. Sometimes, misplaced compassion can lead to one's downfall.”
Fei Jie had a strange feeling that the child comprehended everything he had said. At that moment, sunlight illuminated Fan Xian’s eyes, giving them a shimmering golden gleam.
Fei Jie was momentarily taken aback. There was something almost otherworldly about the boy’s gaze. Over the years, his poisons had claimed the lives of countless individuals. During the late Emperor’s northern campaigns, his actions resulted in the deaths of thousands from the Northern Wei Empire. Those crimes were bound to send him to hell, so why did the sight of this innocent child fill him with such profound unease?
After putting right the nameless grave they had disturbed, the odd master and student pair walked eastward toward the dawn. “You must have many questions,” said Fei Jie as they descended the road.
“Mm,” Fan Xian grunted in affirmation, a sweet smile spreading shyly across his face. “You’re very good to me, Teacher.”
Fei Jie hadn’t expected the child to answer so tactfully. “If you can smile about something like this,” he said, laughing bitterly, “I wonder how mature you are.”
“Better to laugh than to cry.”
“That’s true.” Fei Jie stared at the city walls in the distance, furrowing his brow. “Your father owns a great estate in the capital. Many people will struggle to take it from you, so you’ll have to become strong and learn as much as possible.”
Fan Xian remained silent, deep in thought. He had always heard that his father, Count Sinan, was well-trusted by the Emperor and lived in the capital.
The year before last, a significant political upheaval occurred in the capital, resulting in the deaths of many nobles during a coup. In the end, His Majesty regained control of the situation, purging the aristocratic houses of countless individuals. However, Fan Xian’s father maintained the Emperor's trust and enhanced his standing.
Yet, Fan Xian still couldn’t comprehend what kind of estate could put his life at risk. Why would this lead his father to recruit such a formidable intermediary from the Overwatch Council to become his teacher?
“I understand. One day, someone will try to kill me, so you’re teaching me to use poison. Truly, I’m scared someone will try to poison me.”
“Right. Killers have many methods, but poison is the easiest and least likely to arouse suspicion.” Fei Jie rubbed the crown of his head. “My job is to teach you about such matters so that no one can kill you by poisoning one of your meals.”
“But why only now? Surely, you’ve been worried that somebody might poison me for the past few years.” Fan Xian needed clarification, so he continued asking questions; all the while, he couldn’t help but worry that his teacher would sense a maturity beyond his years.
Fei Jie smiled, but his words were grim. “Because Count Sinan’s concubine gave birth to a son last month. In other words, you already have a rival for Count Sinan’s estate. And that concubine has connections within the Overwatch Council. Your father was worried something might happen to you, and it wouldn’t be convenient to dispatch someone to guard you for a long time because that would arouse suspicion. So, he sent me to teach you.”
Fan Xian noted that Fei Jie said, “Count Sinan” and “Your father.”
“I’m a bastard,” said Fan Xian, smiling. “By law, I have no right to inherit my father’s title. So, the concubine shouldn’t worry about me.”
“One can never be too certain of anything in this world,” Fei Jie responded sharply. “Even though you have Master Wu looking out for you, he can't always act as your guardian. Poison in your food might not affect him, but it could still be fatal for you. And if you were to die, you have no idea how many others might perish alongside you.”
Fan Xian's doubts intensified. What kind of power did his father possess, a man he had never met? It seemed far greater than what someone of his status should normally have.
The morning sun was bright, and as Fei Jie led his charge toward the walls of Danzhou, their shadows—one tall, one short—stretched out upon the ground. Fei Jie observed Fan Xian’s face, still rather pale. “Truth is that dead people are nothing to fear.”
“Alright.”
“And don’t use Zhenqi to control your emotions. If human emotions aren’t given the proper outlet, even if your powers of Zhenqi control are at their peak, you’ll become a murderous monster.”
“I understand.” Obediently, Fan Xian scattered the Zhenqi within his body and stopped suppressing the disgust and smell he felt at handling corpses.
At that moment, Fei Jie suddenly spoke. “There are still some rotten entrails in your sleeve. You take them home for breakfast?”
“Yuck!” The child’s disgusting shriek and his teacher's sinister laugh pierced the rustic dawn's quietude.
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