Immortal of the Nine Realms

At the tofu workshop, Li Meiyan saw Fang Chen approaching and handed him the tender tofu she had set aside. ”Little Brother Fang, here is your tofu. I kept it specifically for you.”

Fang Chen scanned the area but didn’t see Wang Yu anywhere. ”Sister-in-law, where is Little Yu? Is she out causing mischief again?”

”She probably went to the river to catch fish. Don’t worry about her. That girl has been wild since she was little. She’ll come back naturally once she’s tired of playing.”

Li Meiyan smiled and turned to attend to other customers.

Fang Chen carried the tofu into the tavern.

”Ah, Sir Fang! You truly must have your two drinks every single day to be satisfied,” greeted Big Mouth Li warmly.

With practiced ease, he signaled the waiter to warm a pot of wine for Fang Chen and brought over a dish of broad beans.

Fang Chen asked for some vinegar and soy sauce, borrowed a bowl, slid the tender tofu inside, and drizzled the condiments over it. He began his daily routine of sipping wine, snacking on beans, and eating tofu.

There weren’t many people in the tavern at this hour. Seeing the opening, Big Mouth Li sat down directly across from Fang Chen and curiously observed him.

In his memory, Fang Chen had arrived five years ago. His speech and manners were impeccably polite. At first, he had assumed he was a nobleman visiting for the peach blossoms, but to his surprise, the man had stayed in Peach Blossom Village for five years straight. Furthermore, he came here every day for a pot of wine.

While the wine and beans didn’t cost much or bring in a massive profit, over time, they added up to a decent sum. Moreover, this guest never caused trouble and often shared novel, interesting stories. Big Mouth Li naturally liked him and felt a sense of kinship.

Fang Chen took a sip of wine and glanced at Big Mouth Li. ”Shopkeeper Li, is there a reason you’re staring at me?”

He asked for another cup and poured one for Big Mouth Li.

”You’re too kind,” said Big Mouth Li with a smile as he drained the cup in one gulp.

Then, casting a subtle, meaningful glance toward the tofu workshop across the street, he lowered his voice, ”Sir Fang, you buy tofu over there every single time. Is it possible... you’ve taken a liking to the widow?”

Before Fang Chen could respond, he continued, ”You look to be only in your early twenties, but she is already over thirty. She’s more than ten years older than you! A man should look for a woman who is young and fertile. You can’t go looking for someone older than yourself.”

Fang Chen glanced at Li Meiyan in the distance, then turned a playful, knowing look toward Shopkeeper Li. ”Your mouth is as big as ever. I buy a bit of tofu, and suddenly I’m lusting after her? If word of this spreads, how am I supposed to keep living in Peach Blossom Village?”

”I didn’t mean it like that, didn’t mean it like that! Just a friendly reminder, a reminder, haha!”

Big Mouth Li waved his hands with a sheepish laugh. In his heart, however, he remained convinced of Fang Chen’s intentions.

A few more customers entered the tavern. Seeing the manager and Fang Chen chatting, they bought their drinks and food and pulled up chairs.

”Sir Fang, Shopkeeper Li! I just saw Wang Sanpao getting thrashed half to death by that tigress of his. Even his mother got a beating, her old teeth getting knocked out all over the ground. She’s lying right at the front door wailing. How is that tigress so fierce? She’s a woman, but she looks like she could kill an ox with one punch.”

”Tell me about it! Probably grew up eating meat every day. Her strength is beyond unreasonable. Wang Sanpao thought marrying her would finally get him a son, but who knew? Three more girls in a row! Hahaha!”

Fang Chen couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Is that so?”

At that moment, a sudden commotion erupted outside.

”Murder! Murder!”

Shopkeeper Li immediately told the waiter to watch the shop and sprinted out the door. The drinking buddies at the table followed suit, carrying their food and drinks with them. Fang Chen was no exception. He balanced the small dishes in one hand and held his wine pot in the other. He then rose from his seat and drifted toward the source of the noise.

In front of the Wang residence, the old woman sat with her hair disheveled, screaming at the top of her lungs. Sitting atop her was a woman with shoulders as broad as a barn door, raining punch after punch down onto her face. As for Wang Sanpao, he sat slumped to the side like an idiot, not uttering a single word.

”You old shriveled hag! I’ll teach you to hit me with that cane! Die!”

”I’ll teach you to give me attitude! Take another punch!”

”I’ll teach you to despise my daughters! Go to Hell!”

The brawny woman shouted with every blow. The old woman could only shriek miserably, hoping for someone to intervene. However, the woman’s sheer mass scared off anyone who even thought about lifting a finger.

Fang Chen tossed a broad bean into his mouth, chased it with a sip of wine, and glanced at the three stout little girls standing by the door. The eldest was four or five, the youngest two or three.

Just then, a five-year-old girl, carrying a foot-long fish in one hand and walking barefoot, pushed her way through the crowd to watch the spectacle. As she watched, she began to clap and cheer, ”Good! Good hits!”

Wang Sanpao’s eyes finally regained some focus. Seeing the girl, his anger flared instantly, and he roared, ”Get lost!”

Still fuming, he ripped off his shoe and charged forward to strike her. However, the girl was incredibly nimble. Making a cheeky face, she slipped back into the crowd and disappeared.

Big Mouth Li mocked with a laugh. ”Wang Sanpao, your old mother is getting thrashed, and you do nothing about it. But you’ve got plenty of nerve to take it out on a child?”

Someone else shouted, ”Wang Sanpao, go handle your wife! Your mother is going to be beaten to death!”

Wang Sanpao trembled. He looked at his tigress of a wife with pure terror. He didn’t dare take a single step toward her. Fortunately, the woman didn’t keep it up for long. She spat on the old woman’s face, stood up leisurely, and barked at the onlookers, ”What are you all looking at!”

She then swayed her hips and led her three daughters back into the house.

Only then did Wang Sanpao dare to run over and check the old woman’s injuries.

”Mother... are you alright?”

The old woman grabbed Wang Sanpao’s arm, her voice weak and trembling. ”Call... call Meiyan back... You can’t keep this wife, let Meiyan come back...”

Wang Sanpao lowered his head in silence and carried her into the house.

The crowd of onlookers, still buzzing with excitement, began to disperse.

Someone tugged at Fang Chen’s sleeve and said, ”Uncle Fang, give me a broad bean.”

Wang Yu looked up, her large eyes fixed intently on the bowl in his hand.

”These are fried; they’re not healthy. I’ll give you just one, but don’t tell your mother.”

Fang Chen pinched a bean and dropped it into Wang Yu’s mouth.

Wang Yu crunched it loudly and swallowed it down. She looked at the dish of beans longingly. ”One more! Just one more!”

”No. Hurry on home,” said Fang Chen as he shook his head with a smile.

Wang Yu looked disappointed, but she quickly forgot about it. Holding her fish, she ran back to the tofu workshop, full of joy. ”Mother! I caught a fish! Stew it for our soup tonight!”

”I told you, stay out of the water, but you never listen,” Li Meiyan scolded lovingly, though she didn’t say much else.

Fang Chen returned to the tavern and finished the rest of his wine. In her previous life, Little Yu’s childhood had been miserable. In this life, while she didn’t have a good father, she at least had a good mother. He was quite happy about that.

Suddenly, a wave of feedback surged from the void. A few breaths later, Fang Chen’s aura reached a state of perfection.

”Fang Tianzun has refined all the ancient spiritual energy? He has already reached the fourth transformation. Not bad,” murmured Fang Chen. ”It’s time for me to go retrieve the third transformation immortal herb.”