Chapter 336: A Huge Plot Reversal
Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
"Fang Zhengzhi? You are Fang Zhengzhi?!"
Princess Shan Yu, who was initially lying on the animal skin, suddenly shot up. An immense shock was clearly evident on her small wheat-coloured face.
"That’s right, ever since young, I was called this name." Fang Zhengzhi said calmly. A man never hides his name, do you have any opinions?
"Ha ha ha… Fang Zhengzhi? Ha ha ha… you say you are Fang Zhengzhi?" When Princess Shan Yu heard this, she suddenly laughed out, so hard that her entire body trembled slightly. "Then, you are the Sword Envoy Fang Zhengzhi from the Great Xia?"
"That’s right." Fang Zhengzhi nodded. He had never thought that his reputation would be so great. Even the princess of the Southern Mountain Range knew about him?
"You are also the double roll champion of the Imperial Law of Dao Examination, and attained joint first with Nangong Hao in this court theory examination, is that right?" Princess Shan Yu continued to ask with laughter.
"That’s right." When Fang Zhengzhi heard this, he nodded again.
"Ha ha ha… you are really shameless enough!" Princess Shan Yu laughed so hard that the muscles in her face began to cramp, her long legs kicking furiously on the golden animal hide.
"Thank you princess for your praise." Fang Zhengzhi’s face didn’t flush the slightest bit red.
"Alright, enough jokes. Tell me your real name." At this moment, Princess Shan Yu withdrew her laughter, her expression indicating a trace of coldness.
"I am really called Fang Zhengzhi!"
"Do you think I look like an idiot?"
"Princess is smart and wise, unparalleled in this world." Fang Zhengzhi instantly began to praise her unceremoniously. This person in front of him was his real roof over his head, he didn’t dare to offend her.
"Since you know that, why don’t you report your name?"
"Fang Zhengzhi!"
"Do you believe I’ll cut off your head right now?" Princess Shan Yu was slightly triggered.
"I believe!"
"Then, I will ask you one last time. What is your name?"
"Fang Zhengzhi!"
"Somebody come, drag this liar out and execute him!" Princess Shan Yu didn’t bother bickering with Fang Zhengzhi any further and immediately shouted out towards the outside of the tent.
"Roger!" In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the curtain of the tent was pulled open. Four guards wearing rattan armour rushed in.
"Wait a moment!" Fang Zhengzhi immediately shouted out.
"What’s the matter?" A faint smile formed on Princess Shan Yu’s lips.
"I’ve changed my name. I am called Fang Zhengzheng!" Fang Zhengzhi tossed out the great principle that a man never hides his name without the slightest bit of hesitation.
"Fang Zhengzheng?"
"Yes, Fang as in Fang Zhengzheng, Zheng as in Fang Zhengzheng." Fang Zhengzhi said gloomily.
"This name sounds very weird. Are you toying with me?"
"Princess, what do you want? I told you I am Fang Zhengzhi, but you wanted to cut off my head. Now that I changed my name to Fang Zhengzheng, you say that I am toying with you?" Fang Zhengzhi wanted to cry.
"I am asking for your real name." When Princess Shan Yu said this, her voice was evidently raised.
"Fang Zhengzhi."
"You are really called Fang Zhengzhi?"
"If it is fake, I will definitely change it."
"The same Fang Zhengzhi that attained joint first with Nangong Hao in the theory examination?" The edges of Princess Shan Yu’s mouth curved into a faint cold smile.
"Should I say yes, or should I say no?" When Fang Zhengzhi saw Princess Shan Yu’s cold smile, a chill instinctively ran down his back.
"Tell me the truth."
"No!"
"That’s better, at least you are honest. From what I know, that Fang Zhengzhi didn’t even participate in this combat examination. Furthermore, if he really came, he should be rotating among the four main settlements. Why would he run into the perimeter of my military camp alone?" Princess Shan Yu nodded her head in satisfaction, then waved her towards towards the four guards that rushed in.
The four guards instantly retreated out of the tent.
"Princess is smart and wise, unparalleled in this world. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to lie to you successfully." Fang Zhengzhi instantly began to praise. However, in his heart, he swore silently. You are really damn blind.
"Alright, I see that your archery skills aren’t too bad. Even though the power and aura is lacking, your accuracy is at least passable. I’ll fulfill your wish of becoming my personal bodyguard. Furthermore, I’ll appoint you as the trainer of archers, in charge of the archery training of the Soaring Feather Thirteenth Regiment."
"Thank you Princess! May I ask how many people are there in total in this Soaring Feather Thirteenth Battalion?" When Fang Zhengzhi heard this, he quickly asked.
"Three thousand!"
"Princess is truly wise and insightful, giving me such an important responsibility. I will definitely not let princess down. Then, let me ask, am I now the Battalion Chief of the Soaring Feather Thirteenth Regiment?"
"Dream on, how can it be so easy to become a Battalion Chief in my army? You are only in charge of their archery training. The rest of the matters are completely unrelated to you." Princess Shan Yu looked at Fang Zhengzhi with contempt.
"Damn." Fang Zhengzhi silently raised his middle finger.
"What did you say?"
"I said, Princess truly knows how to use people, and is a born commander!"
"At least you know how to talk. Go help me get a plate of fruits. I want fresh ones. If there is a single rotten one, I will break off one of your teeth!" Princess Shan Yu nodded, satisfied.
"Isn’t one plate too little?"
"Why? Don’t tell me you, a small bodyguard, wants to eat fruits as well?" Princess Shan Yu looked at Fang Zhengzhi with disdain.
"I am thinking for you, Princess. As the saying goes, good things come in pairs. Princess, imagine how boring it would be for you to eat your fruits here. If there was someone who could sit beside you and tell you stories while eating fruits together with you, it would naturally be a lot more interesting." Fang Zhengzhi suggested in a well-intentioned manner.
"Oh? You can tell stories?" Princess Shan Yu was somewhat surprised.
"Of course, I can tell a lot of stories. For example, Journey to the West, Nine Immortals Crossing the Sea, those must-hear stories between Sun Wukong and the White Bone Demon…" Fang Zhengzhi said proudly.
"Alright, permission granted!" Princess Shan Yu didn’t wait for Fang Zhengzhi to finish speaking before replying swiftly.
"Thank you Princess."
…
As the saying goes, with an order in my hand, the world is mine.
Since he had already decided to mix himself into the military camp and become a small personal bodyguard for Princess Shan Yu, he had to be a good, "faithful" and "dedicated" bodyguard.
As the saying went, being a monk for a day meant banging the gong for a day.
A monk who didn’t bang the gong wasn’t a good monk.
Fang Zhengzhi walked out of the princess’s tent in a dignified and impressive manner, his face filled with unparalleled vigour. Now, he was carrying out Princess Shan Yu’s order of wanting to eat fruits. Who dared to oppose him in the entire camp?
"Hmph, little kid, you haven’t died?" A cold huff instantly rang out. Then, he saw General Tai with his bearded face and disdainful look, carrying a huge axe in his hand and leading a group of soldiers patrolling towards his direction from afar.
In his heart, the main reason Princess Shan Yu didn’t kill Fang Zhengzhi was because she wanted something fresh and interesting. After she got tired of him, Fang Zhengzhi wouldn’t even be able to live another three seconds.
Then…
His death was just a matter of time.
"The one called Old Tai, yes, I am talking about you! Princess said that she is hungry and ordered for two plates of fruits. Go quickly!" Fang Zhengzhi casually picked up a blade of grass and held it between his lips, shouting towards General Tai with a leisurely expression.
"I am the great Tiger General…"
"Princess ordered this, do you have any opinion?" Fang Zhengzhi simply didn’t bother paying any attention to him and immediately waved his heads, retorting with an impatient look.
"You little kid…" General Tai’s eyes instantly turned round.
"Looks like you really have an opinion. Then, I’m going to tell princess." After Fang Zhengzhi finished speaking, he prepared to turn around and go back into the princess’s tent.
"Wait a moment! You… go get two plates of fruits and deliver it to the princess’s tent!"
"Roger!" A soldier beside him instantly acknowledged.
"This doesn’t seem very right. The princess ordered for the great Tiger General to deliver it himself. I’m not sure whether your actions count as disobeying a military order." Fang Zhengzhi looked at the soldier beside him and commented casually.
"Little kid, you… are indeed vicious!" General Tai’s expression filled with rage. However, he had no other choice.
"Remember to open your eyes widely and be careful with your actions. If you pick a single rotten one, one of your teeth will be broken!" Fang Zhengzhi instructed General Tai who walked away towards the distance.
"What the hell, if I don’t kill you myself today, my surname isn’t Tai! Nobody is allowed to stop me!" General Tai finally stopped in his tracks. His dark face instantly flushed red, as if a bunch of dry wood had suddenly been lighted up completely by a raging fire.
At this moment, there was no doubt about the valiance of the Southern Mountain Range.
As the great Tiger General, how could he bear being bullied like this in front of the soldiers?
His immediately raised his huge, black axe over his axe, which gave off a faint glow. At the same time, General Tai’s muscular arms instantly puffed up, almost doubling in size. The strands of beard on his face straightened suddenly, just like steel needles.
"There is no cloud pattern?" Fang Zhengzhi was rather disappointed at General Tai’s performance. Because, the situation he imagined in which the cloud pattern would cover General Tai’s body didn’t occur.
What was this about?
Wait a moment.
Seems like it is time to run.
"Princess, come out and save me quickly!" Fang Zhengzhi didn’t even think before he shouted out loudly.
"What happened?" Just as Fang Zhengzhi’s voice rang out, the curtains of the tent were pulled open. Princess Shan Yu, dressed in a snow white animal leather, walked out from the tent and swept her gaze across the surrounding soldiers with her jet-black eyes.
"Princess!"
All of the soldiers knelt down onto the ground at this moment.
General Tai’s beard instantly softened. After a moment of hesitation, he finally lowered the huge black axe raised highly on top of his head gradually.
"General Tai, what is this about?" Princess Shan Yu looked at General Tai with a confused expression.
"I deserve to die for disturbing princess’s rest. But… but this little kid is really too much. I, Old Tai, had been following princess for so many years, but have never experienced such bully that I have to bottle up!" When General Tai reached the end of his sentence, his expression turned grieved, tears almost flowing out of his eyes.
"Bully? Who bullied you?" Princess Shan Yu glanced at Fang Zhengzhi who was standing by the side and returned her gaze back onto General Tai.
"This kid obviously!" General Tai immediately pointed towards Fang Zhengzhi.
Fang Zhengzhi completely disregarded General Tai with a casual expression on his face. He was the personal bodyguard of the princess. In the ancient past, this represented the trusted follower and confidant of the princess. Assuming her authority as my own, what can you do to me?
"I see! Based on the laws of the Southern Mountain Range, what should one do when bullied in front of people?" Princess Shan Yu nodded.
"Kill!" General Tai’s expression was savageous.
"Yes, however, he is ultimately my personal bodyguard. There is no need to kill, you just have to give him a good beating. Even if he cannot leave the bed for three days, that isn’t a problem. However, you cannot kill him, is that clear?" When Princess Shan Yu heard this, a trace of a smile appeared on the edges of her mouth as she spoke casually.
"Clear!" When General Tai heard this, his tiger eyes flashed with a delightful glint, just like a ravenous lion seeing a small mountain goat waiting to be killed.
When Fang Zhengzhi heard this, his body trembled slightly.
Huh?
This didn’t seem to be very right.
Wasn’t a personal bodyguard the confidant and trusted follower of the princess? What happened to assuming her authority, bossing people around and barging anywhere he wanted? No matter how he looked at the situation, the outcome didn’t seem logical!
What was this huge plot reversal?
Fang Zhengzhi felt that he should run. However, the camp was huge. Where was he going to run to? There was simply nowhere to run and hide himself in.
It’s over!
I miscalculated something very simple. I am from the Great Xia, and this princess in front of me is from the Southern Mountain Range. Offending the Tiger General of the Southern Mountain Range for a small personal bodyguard from the Great Xia.
This was clearly an inappropriate comparison.
"Princess… don’t I still have to tell you stories? If I was beaten and become bedridden, how do I tell them to you?" Fang Zhengzhi looked towards Princess Shan Yu with a pitiful expression.
"Not a problem. Anyway, you don’t die. You can come and tell me stories after the fight ends." An enchanting smile formed on the edges of Princess Shan Yu’s lips.
She looked at Fang Zhengzhi with laughter in her eyes.
"Tell you stories after the fight ends?" Fang Zhengzhi wondered why this world could be so heartless. Could there at least be a trace of kindness and innocence left?
"Little kid, choose your weapon. I never fight somebody without a weapon in his hand. Just now, you wanted to knock off one of my teeth. Today, I won’t hit you anywhere else. All I want is the teeth in your mouth!" General Tai’s face turned slightly red.
That was evidently caused by delight and excitement.
The huge black axe in his hand flashed with a faint glow.
"Woosh woosh!"
As he waved the axe, the two lines of inch-deep cracks appeared in the space in front of General Tai. Very evidently, the great Tiger General of the Southern Mountain Range really wasn’t too weak.
"Then… can I first ask, what is General Tai’s power?" Fang Zhengzhi glanced at the black cracks and was somewhat afraid. He could achieve this as well, however, he couldn’t make cuts as smooth as General Tai’s
"Not very high, using the enlightenment states of your Great Xia, I am only of the Supernatural Advanced State!" General Tai spoke with a cold smile.
"Supernatural Advanced State?!" A cold bead of sweat instantly fell from Fang Zhengzhi’s forehead.
What the hell, this was considered not very high?
A forty to fifty year old person bullying a youth not exceeding twenty years of age, did he really have the nerve to do this?
Fang Zhengzhi instinctively took a step back.
On the other hand, General Tai took two steps forward. The aura from his body grew as the huge black axe in his hand shook slightly, giving off a low buzz.
Fang Zhengzhi’s forehead was filled with sweat. Under the gust of the cold wind, he instinctively raised his head slightly.
He looked towards the white clouds floating in the air, then looked around at the soldiers around him, creating a chilly atmosphere with their cold attitudes, and then looked at General Tai who was advancing towards him step by step.
"Is this the infamous outcome of being burned by himself?"