Chapter 1: Your Friend Wang Ergou Has Died

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Your Friend Wang Ergou Has Died

Tilan Mountain was a massive mountain range that stretched across Huangzhou Prefecture for nearly ten thousand miles. The mountains were lush with forests, teeming with herbs, ores, and rare wild game.

Fenglin Town was adjacent to Tilan Mountain. It was famous for a thousand-year-old Ancient Maple Tree in the center of the town. The Ancient Maple Tree’s canopy was as lush and green as an emperor’s royal canopy.

Many Feng Shui Masters passing through Fenglin Town had once remarked that this small town at the foot of Tilan Mountain would definitely produce an incredible figure in the future.

In an early spring morning, as the sun just rose, a villager named Wang Ergou walked into a small courtyard on the west side of Fenglin Town. Dressed in coarse clothes, with a sallow complexion and a slightly hunched back, he struggled to carry a worn-out plow through the gate.

"Fang! Come give me a hand!"

Inside the courtyard, a young man who was nearing his coming of age heard the shout. He wore his hair in a bun, a short shirt, and rolled-up trouser legs. He had been earnestly tilling a ridge of the vegetable garden barefoot, but he hurriedly dropped his hoe to greet the visitor.

"Ergou, what happened?" Fang Xu asked as he helped Wang Ergou carry the dilapidated plow into the yard.

Wang Ergou hunched over, resting his hands on his knees as he panted heavily before replying. "I found a piece of unowned wasteland at the foot of the mountain before the new year. I figured I’d take advantage of the early spring to reclaim it and plant some millet... But wouldn’t you know it, this old buddy of mine gave up the ghost at the most crucial moment.

"Fang, can you take a look? Is my old buddy here still fixable?"

Fang Xu glanced at the plow in front of him. Perhaps because it had been used for too long, there were already cracks on the plow shaft, and the plowshare had become blunt.

"It’s not a big problem. It’s easy to handle," he said, bringing over a nearby wooden box. He took out his tools and began to repair the plow.

The cracked plow shaft didn’t need to be replaced. It only required a suitable iron plate wrapped around it and secured with iron nails. The blunted plowshare simply needed to be sharpened so it could still make do for a while.

While Fang Xu skillfully repaired the plow, Wang Ergou squatted in front of him and chuckled. "Fang, you should be coming of age this year, right?"

Fang Xu’s hands paused slightly in their work before he nodded. It was true; he was about to come of age.

It had been twenty years since he crossed over into this world. His parents had died early, leaving a young Fang Xu to rely on his grandfather for survival. The old man knew a bit of carpentry and made a living by helping villagers repair everyday tools to subsidize their household expenses. However, he passed away from an illness last winter, leaving Fang Xu all alone in the town.

"It’s good to come of age. Once you’re of age, it’s time to find a wife," Wang Ergou said with a sly chuckle. Wearing the expression of an experienced man, he leaned in closer. "Do you have any girls in mind? How about your older brother here helps you put in a good word?"

Fang Xu smiled but said nothing.

Wang Ergou pressed on. "Butcher Wang’s eldest daughter in town has reached a marriageable age... I have some history with Butcher Wang, so why don’t I..."

Butcher Wang’s daughter?

Hearing those words, Fang Xu was slightly startled. The image of a tank-like figure with a face full of fierce flesh couldn’t help but surface in his mind. He repeatedly waved his hands. "I wouldn’t dare trouble you, Ergou."

Seeing his expression, Wang Ergou gave an awkward smile. "Ah, Fang, you’re still young. You don’t know what kind of woman makes a good wife.

"Take my wife, for example. Marrying her was just like bringing home a delicate vase. She never lifts a finger to do housework, and I have to take care of every little thing in the house all by myself..."

"Ergou." Fang Xu glanced at him, interrupting his complaint.

He had seen Wang Ergou’s wife before. By modern aesthetic standards, although that woman from the Wang Family didn’t possess peerless beauty, she was still a charming wife full of allure. If it weren’t for the fact that Wang Ergou had a brother serving among the Government Soldiers in Huangzhou Prefecture, his wife would have been snatched away by the town’s local tyrants long ago. Fang Xu couldn’t help but feel that Wang Ergou was simply showing off.

"All right, this should still last you a few more years," Fang Xu said, clapping the dirt from his hands after quickly finishing the repairs on the plow. He had no intention of chatting about women with him.

"Done already?" Wang Ergou carefully inspected the plow in front of him and nodded, highly satisfied with Fang Xu’s craftsmanship. He quickly pulled a coin pouch from his waist. "How much is it?"

Fang Xu smiled and waved him off. "We’re neighbors. It’s just a trifling matter; talking about money hurts our friendship."

However, Wang Ergou stiffened his neck and said earnestly, "How could I do that? Friends are friends, but your materials aren’t just picked up from the side of the road. Besides, you still need to save money to marry a wife."

Seeing his persistence, Fang Xu no longer declined and said with a smile, "Then I’ll just charge you for the materials. Let’s make it three coins."

Helping the villagers repair their agricultural tools was currently part of his income. Not accepting money was just him being polite; at the very least, he had to recoup the cost of materials.

"Deal. Take the three coins." Wang Ergou dug out three copper plates from his pouch and stuffed them directly into Fang Xu’s hands. He then hoisted the plow onto his shoulder and prepared to leave. "Fang, are you sure you won’t consider Butcher Wang’s daughter? He’d definitely give your old brother here a little face."

Fang Xu waved his hands repeatedly and laughed. "I appreciate your good intentions, Ergou, but please don’t worry yourself over it."

After seeing Wang Ergou out, Fang Xu stood by the courtyard gate, lost in thought.

This was a Low Martial World. Its social system was similar to the ancient feudal societies of Huaxia, but it was far more cruel than any dynasty in history. The imperial court, Noble Families, and local tyrants controlled all resources. From the mountains, forests, and lakes to the daily necessities of firewood, rice, oil, and salt, every single avenue for making money had been completely monopolized.

Having crossed over into this world for over twenty years without a cheat ability, he had always lived cautiously.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t considered entering society and pursuing a career in politics. However, under this strictly stratified social system, the paths to success were few and far between. One could either join the army or become a retainer for a Noble Family.

In the Martial World, those who enlisted in the army were mostly Martial Artists who had tempered their bodies to reach the Martial Disciple realm. Ordinary mortals like him would simply be pure cannon fodder in the military.

On the other hand, becoming a retainer for a Noble Family or walking the path of an official required the recommendation of highly respected scholars. Being as poor as he was, he couldn’t even afford the tuition fees to acknowledge a master, let alone find someone willing to recommend him. Furthermore, living as a lapdog for a wealthy family wasn’t the life Fang Xu desired.

Because of all this, Fang Xu had ended up spending twenty years in Fenglin Town.

"SIGH!"

Shaking his head slightly, Fang Xu closed the courtyard gate. He planned to continue turning the soil in the vegetable patch. Once he scattered some seeds in a few days and took good care of them, it would ensure he wouldn’t have to worry about having vegetables to eat in the near future.

Time flew by.

As the sun gradually shifted westward and evening approached, Fang Xu was just preparing to wash his face and make some dinner to fill his stomach when a virtual screen suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Conditions met. The Inheriting Friends’ Legacies System has been successfully activated!]

[Your friend, Wang Ergou, has died. As his friend, you may randomly inherit one of Wang Ergou’s three legacies!]

Legacy One: [Red Legacy (A two-courtyard residence in Fenglin Town, including the deed)]. Inheriting this poses great danger. Wang Ergou’s brother, Wang Erhu, serves as one of the Government Soldiers in Huangzhou Prefecture and will certainly not let his brother’s death go uninvestigated. Rashly occupying his residence, even with legal procedures, will invite immense trouble.

Legacy Two: [Grey Legacy (Wang Ergou’s charming wife, a woman from the Wang Family. With system enhancement, the woman from the Wang Family will definitely be willing)]. Inheriting this brings trouble. The beauty of the woman from the Wang Family is coveted by various parties in Fenglin Town. Without Wang Erhu’s status to suppress them, it will be very difficult for the host to protect the beauty.

Legacy Three: [White Legacy (Wang Ergou’s private savings, one hundred taels of silver)]. Inheriting this carries no risk. This money consists of the salary silver occasionally sent back by his younger brother, Wang Erhu. Other than Wang Ergou himself, no one else knows about it.

Fang Xu rubbed his eyes and found that the virtual screen in front of him was still there. Only then did he realize his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him!

It was the standard equipment of a transmigrator; his cheat ability had finally arrived!