I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 528 A drop of kindness deserves a spring of gratitude

"Old Huang, wake up! He's gone!"

The next morning, Xu Fengnian woke up and found that Zhou Chengan was not in the dilapidated temple, so he woke up Lao Huang.

"Could it be that the immortals have gone back to heaven?" Old Huang rubbed his sleepy eyes, looking surprised.

In fact, he knew very well that Zhou Chengan had gone to practice his boxing outside the dilapidated temple early in the morning.

"They went back to heaven, huh? Well, that's fine too." Xu Fengnian looked disappointed, feeling a void in his heart for no apparent reason.

Looking at him, Old Huang cautiously asked, "Young Master, you don't actually like men, do you? Think about all those beautiful young ladies in the family, you can't possibly be thinking about..."

"Get out!" Xu Fengnian shouted angrily.

Old Huang smiled weakly, about to speak, when he saw Zhou Chengan walk in, covered in sweat.

"Thank you both for saving my life," Zhou Cheng'an said, clasping his hands in thanks.

"A deity?" Xu Fengnian exclaimed excitedly, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

“No.” Zhou Cheng’an shook his head and introduced himself: “My name is Zhou Cheng’an.”

"Mr.Zhou?"

Xu Fengnian glanced at him in surprise, pointed at Lao Huang, and said with a smile, "This is Lao Huang, and my name is Xu Xiaonian."

Xu Xiaonian?!

Upon hearing this name, Zhou Chengan smiled meaningfully.

"Hello, Lao Huang, this is Xu Xiaonian."

Zhou Cheng'an was well aware of their identities, but he was in a very bad state.

Taking Yuanlong and Tianlei body-refining pills has damaged his dantian and rendered all his meridians useless, leaving him with no internal energy at all.

To cultivate oneself, one must first resolve the issues related to the dantian and meridians.

However, it wasn't without its benefits. His recovery ability is now much stronger than before, and his bones are noticeably harder than they used to be.

After exchanging pleasantries and getting to know each other, the three left the dilapidated temple.

On the way, Xu Fengnian asked, "Master Zhou, are you a Taoist priest?"

Zhou Cheng'an was speechless. Everyone called him a Taoist priest; what else could he be but a Taoist?

Therefore, he simply nodded, not even bothering to say a word.

Old Huang looked him up and down several times and found that Zhou Chengan probably didn't even have the strength of a lower third-grade master. He was really curious about how Zhou Chengan had killed a second-grade minor grandmaster with a single punch.

But he didn't ask any more questions, and didn't even utter a single word the whole way.

Even so, Zhou Chengan could sense that Lao Huang was quite wary of him.

Seeing that Zhou Chengan seemed unwilling to discuss his identity, Xu Fengnian didn't press the issue and simply changed the subject.

Where are you planning to go next?

"And you?" Zhou Chengan asked in return.

"We, of course, roam the world, upholding justice and chivalry." Xu Fengnian patted his chest with great pride, which was completely out of place with his beggar's clothes, giving people a comical feeling.

Zhou Cheng'an didn't laugh, but simply said, "Would you mind if I came along?"

"Of course I don't mind."

Xu Fengnian was very outgoing and immediately put his arm around Zhou Chengan's shoulder.

Old Huang, watching from the side, could only smile wryly, and for some reason, he became even more worried.

"Then shall we embark on a journey through the martial world together?"

"Great! I've been needing someone to chat with, Old Huang is so boring." Xu Fengnian grinned and continued, "Master Zhou, tell me the truth, are you a martial arts master?"

“It used to be, but it isn’t now,” Zhou Chengan replied.

"Really?" Xu Fengnian asked with a look of doubt.

"real."

"Well, it doesn't matter if it's not. We're just chivalrous people; if we can win, we fight; if we can't, we run..."

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

To be honest, Old Huang had never seen his young master so close to anyone before, and he was quite surprised.

Xu Fengnian didn't think there was anything wrong with his behavior, because in his mind, Zhou Chengan was his half-brother.

There are two reasons for this judgment.

One is that inexplicable sense of familiarity in my heart.

Another point is that they share some similarities.

In Xu Fengnian's view, his younger brother should have been a pampered young master in the royal palace, but now he has become a Taoist priest at a young age. He must have suffered a lot, so as the older brother, he should make it up to him.

As for Zhou Chengan being Xu Xiao's illegitimate son, that's not Zhou Chengan's fault, it's that damned Xu Xiao's fault.

Just wait, when he returns to the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion, he'll definitely settle accounts with that Xu fellow.

During these few days, although Zhou Cheng'an acted rather aloof, Xu Fengnian didn't mind and remained very enthusiastic, boasting about his adventures in the martial arts world.

It was noon again when Old Huang, who was leading the Akhal-Teke horse Red Rabbit from behind, suddenly spoke up: "Young Master, we still haven't decided on lunch."

"Hmm? Have you finished eating the sweet potatoes?" Xu Fengnian asked, turning around.

Old Huang nodded, looking at him without saying anything.

Zhou Chengan glanced at the river not far away and said, "If there's no food, let's go fishing."

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian immediately became excited: "You know how to fish?"

"Never caught one."

Zhou Chengan shook his head, then changed the subject: "But it shouldn't be difficult. Let's go, together!"

Half an hour later.

Old Huang yawned incessantly on the shore.

The two of them hadn't caught a single fish yet, and Xu Fengnian had already thrown the harpoon he was using into the river.

Zhou Cheng'an remained calm, standing quietly in the river, holding a sharpened branch, waiting for passing fish.

"Cheng'an, why don't we look for something else to eat? If we can't find anything else, we can go somewhere else. The water is quite cold," Xu Fengnian advised, his address changing from the previous Daoist Zhou to the more affectionate Cheng'an.

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Chengan, holding a harpoon, suddenly plunged it into the water, which made Lao Huang, who was still drowsy, suddenly open his eyes.

"When fishing, one must not be impatient."

Zhou Chengan picked up a tree branch, from which was stuck a large, still-struggling fish, enough for the three of them to have a good meal.

He took the fish off the plate and threw it to Old Huang. Then he said to Xu Fengnian, "Come on, I'll teach you, so you won't starve to death by the roadside later."

"Don't you know how?"

"I know how now."

After Zhou Chengan shared his fishing experience with Xu Fengnian, he went ashore to help Lao Huang process the fish. Xu Fengnian, however, was quite determined and stayed in the water until he caught a fish before going ashore.

An hour later, he held up a small fish weighing about two ounces and showed it off to the two men.

Zhou Chengan didn't even glance at him, sitting to the side with his eyes closed, resting.

Xu Fengnian found it rather pointless that only Lao Huang offered such enthusiastic praise.

Zhou Cheng'an was certain he was finished; he couldn't use any internal energy at all. However, he wasn't worried. The power of the Heaven and Earth Furnace Scripture and the Dragon Essence was constantly repairing his meridians and strengthening his physique. Returning to his peak was only a matter of time.

More importantly, with his current physical strength, even without using internal energy, most experts are no match for him.

After Xu Fengnian ate the fish he had caught and rested for half an hour, the three of them set off again.

It's worth mentioning that he even brought along the tree branch from which he caught the fish.

As evening approached, they finally found a proper place to rest.

It is a very ordinary, remote mountain village.

Xu Fengnian suggested spending the night in the village, and Lao Huang and Zhou Chengan naturally had no objections.

Perhaps because no outsiders have come here for many years, the three attracted a lot of attention as soon as they entered the village.

To be precise, it was the incomparably handsome Taoist priest, who seemed like an immortal descended to earth, that attracted a lot of onlookers. After all, the women and girls in the village had no interest in beggars and old grooms.

Zhou Cheng'an had clearly underestimated the enthusiasm of the village women. Before he could even speak, one of the women said with a smile, "Young Taoist priest, do you know how to tell fortunes and read faces? Why don't you come to my house and have your fortune told?"

"No," Zhou Chengan shook his head and laughed, "I only know how to beat people up!"

It's unclear what special meaning the term "hammering people" has in their village, but it made several girls present blush with embarrassment.

Xu Fengnian raised an eyebrow at Zhou Chengan and said with a sly smile, "Chengan, they've probably misunderstood."

"How about I beat you up and teach them a lesson?"

As Zhou Chengan spoke, he glanced sideways at Xu Fengnian, who immediately suppressed his lewd grin.

The reason is simple: in the days after Zhou Cheng'an woke up, he always practiced a slow and leisurely set of boxing techniques, which made Xu Fengnian feel that his own clumsy boxing was more powerful than his. So he overestimated himself and mocked him.

Zhou Cheng'an then challenged him to a battle, and Xu Da Shizi, the reincarnation of Zhenwu, was beaten up by Zhou Cheng'an with one hand.

Although Zhou Cheng'an couldn't use his internal energy, his physical strength alone was far beyond what Xu Fengnian, the young master who always presented himself as a playboy, could match. He could exert a force of a thousand pounds with a casual gesture, causing Zhou Cheng'an excruciating pain.

Finally, the old village chief stepped in and rescued the three people and the horse from a group of women and girls, settling them in an abandoned village house.

Even so, it was only because of the presence of the Taoist priest Zhou Cheng'an. If it were just Xu Fengnian and Lao Huang, they probably wouldn't have received this treatment.

Watching the old village chief's departing figure, Xu Fengnian grinned mischievously and said, "Cheng'an, go find those aunties and get us some food."

Zhou Chengan didn't say anything, but just grabbed his arm.

After becoming acquainted with Zhou Cheng'an, Xu Fengnian would provoke him every day, and each time he would not get the better of him.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Zhou Cheng'an, is this how you treat your savior?!"

Xu Fengnian couldn't help but cry out as Zhou Chengan bent his arm over.

Old Huang watched with a smile, showing no intention of helping his young master.

When it was time to eat, the old village chief brought out a few coarse grain steamed buns and some pickled vegetables.

"Master, the food is simple and unrefined, please don't find it offensive."

Zhou Chengan bowed and said with a smile, "When you're traveling, it's already a blessing to have a hot meal. Thank you, Village Chief!"

If it were half a month ago, Xu Fengnian wouldn't have even glanced at these dark, coarse grain steamed buns, but now... he still thanked them along with Zhou Chengan.

Even though he knew perfectly well that they were mainly after Zhou Cheng'an.

After the old village chief left, Zhou Chengan distributed the coarse grain steamed buns.

Xu Fengnian choked on the coarse grain steamed bun, but he still ate it with relish. While eating, he said with great emotion, "I used to think that eating was a very simple thing. Even delicacies didn't taste good."

Now I understand that eating is the hardest thing; if it weren't for the fact that my family had some money, I would have been starving and freezing.

Zhou Chengan looked at him with some surprise, and while taking small bites of his steamed bun, he said, "After we finish eating, let's go and see the village chief. We can't just eat his food for nothing."

"Well, but I don't know how to do any farm work."

Xu Fengnian seemed a little embarrassed, and his voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how, as long as you’re willing to learn.” Zhou Cheng’an smiled and said to Xu Fengnian, “In fact, even emperors and princes should learn some farming skills.”

"Why do you say that?"

Xu Fengnian imitated Zhou Chengan, eating in small bites. Sure enough, it wasn't so dry. Occasionally, he would eat it with a piece of pickled vegetable, which seemed to make it taste much better.

"Only by experiencing it firsthand can one make the emperor and princes on high know how much the common people suffer. In this way, perhaps when dealing with political affairs, they can treat the people kindly and will not say ridiculous things like 'Why don't they eat meat porridge?' You must know that the people of the world are living, breathing lives, not just numbers."

After saying the last word, Zhou Chengan also finished eating the last steamed bun.

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Lao Huang, who seemed oblivious and continued eating his pickled vegetables.

Clearly, Lao Huang had no intention of helping.

Xu Fengnian didn't eat much, but stood up while chewing on a steamed bun and said, "Let's go find the village chief."

They didn't return until late at night.

As soon as Xu Fengnian returned, he collapsed onto the bed, which drew a disdainful look from Zhou Cheng'an, but he didn't say anything and simply closed his eyes to meditate.

It was very late at night, and although Xu Fengnian was very tired, he couldn't fall asleep.

"Old Huang?"

"Master?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I suddenly realized this trip wasn't as bad as I thought," Xu Fengnian said in a low voice.

After saying that, he glanced at Zhou Cheng'an, who was meditating, by the moonlight and couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing this, Old Huang became worried again and said cautiously, "Young Master, why don't you think more about the girls at home?"

"roll!"

Undeniably, Zhou Cheng'an is handsome. At least in all his years, Xu Fengnian has never met anyone as good-looking as Zhou Cheng'an, including women.

However, Xu Fengnian likes women.

If... he meant if Zhou Cheng'an were a woman, he would definitely snatch her back to be his younger brother's wife, after all, he had promised Huang Man'er that he would find him the most beautiful wife in the world.

Unfortunately, Zhou Cheng'an was a man.

I have no idea what Lao Huang is thinking all day long. How could Xu Fengnian possibly fall in love with a man, let alone his half-brother?

Sigh, I wonder what kind of hardship this younger brother went through in his early years, that he can do everything and even thinks that having a hot meal is a blessing...

With his mind wandering to all sorts of random thoughts, Xu Fengnian gradually drifted off to sleep.

Xu Fengnian slept until late the next day before waking up.

And it wasn't that I woke up naturally; I was woken up by cheers from the village.

"Old Huang, what happy event has happened in the village? Why is it so lively?"

Upon hearing this, Old Huang, who was standing at the door, laughed and said, "Master Zhou went out early this morning to hunt some game and distributed it to the villagers. They are outside sharing the meat and expressing their gratitude."

"what?!"

Xu Fengnian was startled and quickly got up, taking Lao Huang to see the excitement.

He had never seen such a rural custom of distributing meat before.

"I didn't expect him to actually go and deal with those wild boars that were ruining the grain." Xu Fengnian chuckled as he circled around, then suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen Zhou Cheng'an for a while, and asked, "By the way, where is my brother Cheng'an?"

"They said they went to teach the villagers some ways to make a living."

Xu Fengnian was taken aback, then laughed and said, "He's helping me hunt and teaching me how to make a living. Old Huang, don't you think my brother Cheng'an is the kind of person who repays a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude, just like they say in the books?!"

(End of this chapter)