Chapter 9, Asking without Shame

Fei Jie seemed reluctant to discuss the matter and casually asked, "Since the concubine has already given birth to a son, it is naturally impossible for you to inherit everything from the Earl's estate in the future. What do you plan to do?"

Teacher. Fan Xian shifted his buttocks, somewhat awkwardly moving to the bench, "I really want to know what kind of people my parents are"

One can easily imagine how terrifying the power of Count Sinan is in Kyoto, whether this power is official or hidden in the shadows remains unknown

Fei Jie believed that he was unmatched in the art of poison, yet he was always reluctant to teach Fan Xian any other skills, for he constantly told Fan Xian:

However, today was the first time Fan Xian took the initiative to ask a question in the past year. Fei Jie couldn't help but feel a bit curious, extending two fingers to gently touch his pulse point, and his expression involuntarily changed.

This year, Fan Xian is five years old

Upon just awakening, he set a goal for himself: "Live well and strive for improvement every day"

Such a terrifying master of poison was unexpectedly exiled to the distant city of Danzhou by Count Sinan with just a single sentence to teach his illegitimate son

Fan Xian pushed open the door, stepped over the high threshold, touched his little head, and with a chuckle, leaned over to ask: "What is the teacher writing?"

In Teacher Fei's eyes, the most formidable method of killing is, of course, poisoning

It is quite strange that after Fei Jie arrived at Danzhou Port, Wuzhu, who had been living in the grocery store, no longer deliberately avoided Fan Xian. At least whenever Fan Xian quietly slipped into the grocery store to drink the kind of alcohol that children definitely cannot have, Wuzhu would always prepare a few small dishes for him to enjoy.

Fei Jie stroked his long beard beneath his chin and proudly declared, "That is only natural. Even the imperial physicians in the palace cannot necessarily claim to be more skilled than I am. As my only student, you will surely have more than enough ability to become a doctor in the future"

In the following year, the young Fan Xian began to study everything about poisons under the tutelage of Master Fei, who had come from the capital. Occasionally, he would take time off to venture out of the city, traversing mountains and ridges to seek out plant-based poisons such as Strychnine and Barbados nut. He also sampled various fungi, suffering from stomach pains countless times. Had it not been for the presence of a master of poisons by his side, he would likely have already descended to the underworld.

Certainly, in order to delve deeper into all of this, under the guidance of Teacher Fei Jie, the illegitimate son of Count Si Nan has already committed numerous bloody crimes. Countless small and *illustrated* white rabbits, with short tails, and the souls of toads that scurry about have thus been buried beneath his delicate and frail hands

... ...

For reasons unknown, without realizing it, Fan Xian had gradually become accustomed to having Wu Zhu guarding him from a distance, accustomed to the black cloth that covered Wu Zhu's eyes occasionally appearing in some corner, such as under the bamboo at the alley's corner, or beside the tofu stall on the street, and so on

Fan Xian is sometimes quite strange; Wu Zhu is his mother's servant, so why does he not even care about his own drinking?

Moreover, due to suffering from myasthenia gravis in a previous life, he was unable to move for a long time. Therefore, in this life, being suddenly able to walk freely made Fan Xian cherish this ability even more. Every morning, he would get up early to exercise, climbing up and down, to the point of diligence that even Fei Jie found quite terrifying.

Fan Xian suddenly spoke up and asked, "Teacher, the type of true energy technique I am practicing seems to have some issues. In fact, I came here quietly tonight to seek your guidance."

In fact, regarding the past of Count Si Nan and his own mother, this was the fourth time Fan Xian had inquired within a year, but during the previous inquiries, Fei Jie had always remained silent.

Moreover, the most crucial point is that Fan Xian is very intelligent and has a deep understanding of matters related to *maps* and *books*, to the extent that he sometimes does not even seem like a five-year-old child

Fan Xian knew that his mother was certainly not an ordinary person, which is why he had a loyal and incredibly powerful servant like Wu Zhu. However, Fan Xian was also uncertain whether this blind master would always remain by his side to protect him

Saying it is equivalent to saying nothing. The Supervisory Yuan is a terrifying place responsible for investigating major cases and significant crimes committed by officials throughout the nation. Fei Jie, an early member of the institution, later served as the head of the Third Division, holding a high position and wielding considerable power. Even in the capital, a place teeming with hidden talents, he remains a figure that everyone fears.

In fact, no one knows that he is not simply able to endure hardship; he merely has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. After lying down for over ten years, even the laziest person would no longer wish to remain idle.

Now that Fan Xian has the best poison master, what is there left to cultivate true energy? As for the spells that Fan Xian is constantly thinking about, Fei Jie, like most people from the Qing Kingdom, believes that they are merely a supplementary and trivial pursuit in combat.

Fan Xian smiled sweetly: "The teacher taught me how to use poison, and also how to detoxify. In fact, I have learned a great deal of medical knowledge. If things do not go well in the future, I can always become a doctor."

Having spent a year with the illegitimate son of Count Sinan, for some reason, this toxicology expert from the Supervisory Court, who had instilled fear in countless officials and thieves, unexpectedly felt a sense of warmth in his heart. Looking at this young lad brought genuine joy from the depths of his being. Although the little fellow was quite young, he was hardworking, eager to learn, and did not possess the pretentious aversion to poisons that most people had. This aspect greatly pleased Fei Jie.

Throughout this year, Fan Xian's internal true energy progressed slowly yet exceptionally steadily, subtly approaching a certain threshold. However, the domineering true energy that could be accumulated even in sleep became somewhat unstable, causing his emotions to feel a hint of restlessness.

"Your father ... ... is a remarkable person," Fei Jie said. "Of course, your mother is an even more remarkable person"

As night fell, within the solitary dwelling of Mr. Fei Jie, the glow of the oil lamp had yet to fade. Leaning against the table, his grizzled hair appeared even darker than when he first arrived at Danzhou Port. At this moment, he was holding a goose quill, writing something on a sheet of white stationery.

Fei Jie did not avoid him much, casually pushing the letter paper aside, turning around to ask in a gentle voice: "What is the matter?"

The master and apprentice spoke in this manner, yet deep down, both were fully aware that this was merely a kind of mhetushu .com .com wish

As for the mother who passed away on the day of her own "birth," Fan Xian, although unaware of what kind of woman she was, had an instinctive feeling that she must have been extraordinary. Moreover, whether it was due to the connection of blood or some other reason, he always felt a vague longing for that nameless woman he had never seen before.

It is a pity that there is currently no method for practicing spells. If diligence were to be considered, he is undoubtedly much more industrious than any child. However, he often reassures himself that as a twenty-year-old young man, it is only reasonable to be more diligent than those little snot-nosed kids.

A knock was heard at the door, but Fei Jie did not turn his head and softly said, "Come in"

Human life is finite, while the methods of killing are infinite; therefore, we should devote our limited lives to the infinite pursuit of the most effective methods of killing

Just because of this "great" goal, in order to preserve his life for the future execution of his even more "great" three major tasks, he is very dedicated to his practice

He is aware that in this still unfamiliar world, there are many unknown dangers, and at the very least, there are certainly many issues within the Earl's residence in Kyoto that he does not fully understand

... ...