Red Heart Patrols the Sky
Chapter 62 - 62 58 Today is Jiang Anan's Birthday_1

62: Chapter 58: Today is Jiang Anan’s Birthday_1 62: Chapter 58: Today is Jiang Anan’s Birthday_1 Almost no one could understand why Jiang Wang transferred the Daoist merits he earned from the three-city debate to someone else, apart from Ling He.

But no one would interfere.

Jiang Wang didn’t owe anyone anything, and aside from Jiang Anan, he didn’t need to be responsible to anyone.

However, during a casual chat with Zhao Rucheng, Jiang Wang still expressed his regret, “Rucheng, originally, I should have helped you gather a Channel-opening Pill first, but…”

Zhao Rucheng laughed, “There are plenty of difficult people and hard things in the world; can you really help them all?”

“I don’t have any grand ambitions to save the world or rescue all living beings.

But some things, when they come my way, I just can’t ignore them.

You didn’t see the way they looked with their eyes all red.

Those people, they don’t even furrow their brows when they bleed and fight for their lives…” Jiang Wang sighed, “It reminds me of those senior brothers who locked themselves in their rooms and secretly cried after we returned from Xiaolin Town.”

“My dear third brother!

I rather wish you did have some grand ambition,” Zhao Rucheng said jokingly, half serious, half teasing.

“We already have one overly kind person like our oldest brother; that’s enough.”

Jiang Wang was silent for a while, then said, “I just want you to know, third brother cares about your future.

I really did go soft then.

The few of us brothers working on missions together can accumulate Daoist merits quickly.

The common people of Fenglin City may not have that much time to wait.”

Zhao Rucheng looked at him, “I just want to tell you.

I really don’t need it.”

“You have great talent; it shouldn’t be wasted.”

“Who says fun things are always related to ‘wasting’?” Zhao Rucheng said with a grin, “Is spending a fortune to buy a smile considered wasting?

But it makes me happy.

Is idling away time wasting?

But it makes me happy.

I have money, I have talent, but what of it?

Wasting them just so happens to make me happy!”

“…” Jiang Wang said, “The eldest brother hasn’t heard this, or he’d lecture you to no end with the best of intentions.”

“Hahahaha,” Zhao Rucheng laughed loudly, “So whenever he starts lecturing, I immediately tell him, I’m going home to work hard!

Right after that, I run off.”

The two chatted and laughed as they walked past the entrance gate of the Daoist institute.

Only then did they notice that there was a bare-chested man hanging in mid-air above the jade lion to the left of the gate.

His arms were bound over a horizontal branch, which belonged to a strange tree growing on the wall of the courtyard — undoubtedly formed by a Dao Technique.

The man hung his head low, his long hair disheveled.

His bare skin was pale, it was just thin and without much muscle.

A wooden plank was hung around his neck, inscribed with “For deceiving the master and destroying the forefathers, the crime is unforgivable.

Hung to dry for three days as a warning to others.”

The more Jiang Wang looked, the more he felt he recognized the man.

After focusing his gaze, he finally confirmed the man was Huang Azhan.

“What’s going on here?” he asked Zhao Rucheng.

Zhao Rucheng, holding back laughter, said, “Last night, he went to smash Xiao Tiemian’s door with a covered face and got caught red-handed.

Now, he is personally demonstrating the consequences of deceiving the master and destroying the forefathers.”

“Why would he do that?” Jiang Wang was puzzled, “Of all people, why provoke Xiao Tiemian?”

There are three people in Fenglin City’s Daoist institute you do not provoke: Xiao Tiemian of the technique institute, the cook in the cafeteria, and Director Dong Ah in the early morning.

It’s said that Dong Ah has a particularly bad temper when he gets up, and mornings are when he is most prone to anger.

During this time, everyone does their best to avoid him.

The cafeteria of the city’s Daoist institute actually offers a variety of dishes, rivaling ordinary restaurants.

The only problem is you can’t be picky about what to eat; it all depends on the mood of the person in charge of cooking.

So it’s only natural that he’s considered unapproachable.

Ranking first is Xiao Tiemian of the technique institute, which reflects the depth of the shadow he casts over the institute’s disciples…

Yet Huang Azhan dared to touch the tiger’s butt.

You can’t help but say he has the audacity of the heavens.

“Hahahaha,” Zhao Rucheng laughed again, “Remember when we were responsible for welcoming the cultivators from the Three Mountains?

A teaching and training officer said he didn’t look presentable, so they didn’t let him lead the team and had Ling the oldest take over as the leader.

That officer was Xiao Tiemian.

After the three-city debate concluded, Huang Azhan kept stewing over it until last night when he drank a little and decided to give Xiao Tiemian a piece of his mind.”

Jiang Wang: “…”

Though you were born a living being, why seek death?

Huang Azhan had his head down and hair covering his face because he wanted to hide his identity as much as possible.

But he couldn’t withstand Zhao Rucheng’s enthusiastic explanation, and the sound of his hearty laughter.

Hearing all this, Huang Azhan felt a surge of frustration in his heart.

“Rucheng brother,” he struggled to make an impact while hanging, but still tossed his hair and revealed a very approachable smile, “Help a brother out.”

“Eh!” Zhao Rucheng happily agreed, then suddenly turned around, “Oh no, I forgot something important!”

He hurried off at a brisk pace.

Huang Azhan gritted his teeth and slowly turned to look at Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang pointed in the direction Zhao Rucheng had gone, “I’ll go see what he’s up to.”

And he too quickly ran off.

There was no need to guess what kind of mischief Huang Azhan was up to.

But even if they had the courage, they wouldn’t dare let down the man Xiao Tiemian had hung.

Huang Azhan had many fair-weather friends, but where was even a single one now?

They had even decided not to use the front door these days and were planning to take the back door instead.

…

When it came to important matters, Zhao Rucheng really hadn’t lied.

Today was October 12th, the day after the tri-city Dao Technique debate and also Jiang Anan’s birthday.

Jiang Wang had prepared for this day well in advance.

He had placed early orders for the Cai Ji mutton shop’s sliced mutton and mutton soup, pastries from Guixiang Zhai, Du Dewang’s charcoal pot…

All would be delivered directly to the house when the time came.

He had also gone to the market early in the morning to buy plenty of fresh ingredients, planning to show off his culinary skills for his dear sister—because it was still a secret, he had not been intercepted by Zhao Rucheng at the risk of his life.

Ling He had left the city last night, shrouded in secrecy, saying he was preparing a surprise for Jiang Anan.

Meanwhile, Zhao Rucheng had someone buy new clothes for him from Yunxiang Zhai and was just about to go pick them up.

Jiang Wang hadn’t informed other people lest they suspect he wanted them to go to the trouble of preparing gifts.

As for Huang Azhan, it was possible to invite him over to join the gathering, as Anan was also very familiar with him…

but having him dangling from a tree was in itself a rather amusing event.

It could be said that everything was in place, except for Anan finishing school.

Jiang Wang estimated the time, temporarily parted ways with Zhao Rucheng, and headed alone to Mingde Hall.

He went to pick up Jiang Anan from school and, by the way, if Anan had any friends with whom she played well, like the little girl named Qingzhi, he was prepared to invite them over to play as well.

Today was Jiang Anan’s birthday, the first birthday without her mother by her side.

It was also, in a way, a culmination of the time he and Anan had spent living together.

He was determined to give Anan a happy and carefree birthday, without a hint of sorrow.

This was the most important arrangement for Jiang Wang in recent times.

…

Zhao Rucheng arrived with his left hand carrying a box of tailor-made clothes from Yunxiang Zhai, and his right hand cradling an ornately decorated brocade box.

Inside was a piece of smoky jade, which was top-quality material for magic artifacts and had the effect of nurturing one’s vitality when worn.

The clothes from Yunxiang Zhai were already expensive, and the smoky jade was priceless.

But for the young master Zhao, money was no object.

When he arrived at the Jiang Family residence in Feima Alley, the door was tightly closed.

Zhao Rucheng didn’t mind, he leaped over the wall, placed the gifts down, and found himself a lounge chair in the courtyard, settling into it quite contentedly.

Some time later, Ling He arrived outside the courtyard, breathless, with his clothes still muddy and not yet cleaned.

In his hands, he carried a gigantic tortoise, which seemed to be at least three hundred years old.

This big tortoise had been roaming free in the Green Willow River for a long time, and Ling He had already spotted it before, but only now had he gone through great efforts to capture it.

He planned to give it to Anan to keep for longevity benefits.

If one didn’t believe in that, boiling it into soup would also be incredibly nourishing.

He was much more honest—seeing that the door was locked, he decided to wait outside.

Zhao Rucheng heard the noise and shattered the lock from the inside, letting him in.

Then, the people delivering the mutton arrived, as did those with the charcoal pot, and those with the pastries.

Time trickled by, bit by bit.

Finally, Jiang Anan returned home and discovered the broken lock.

She pushed open the courtyard door and saw a table full of delicious food and Ling He and Zhao Rucheng with gifts.

“Where’s your brother?” asked Ling He.

“Where’s my brother?” Jiang Anan asked.

In unison.

…

Today was Jiang Anan’s birthday.

Ling He and Zhao Rucheng had both arrived with gifts.

Jiang Anan had come home by herself.

But Jiang Wang had not returned.

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