The Lay Flat Life: My Wife's Cultivation Makes Me Stronger - Chapter 26

“Early in the morning, picking up manure~ Come back home, and my woman is gone~”

Under the bright morning sun, Han Feng hummed a terrible tune as he worked in the herb garden, hoe in hand. The little fox lounged lazily on the roof, watching him with a critical eye.

“Your singing is awful. Can you please stop?” the little fox complained.

Han Feng chuckled. “Well, why don’t you sing something better for me?”

The little fox was about to respond when its expression suddenly changed. “Oh no, there’s malice nearby!”

Han Feng’s heart skipped a beat. *Already? They were just here last night, and they’re back again in the morning?*

Just then, a voice called out from beyond the gate.

“Junior Brother Han, are you home?”

“Who’s there?”

“I’m the new overseer for the servant disciples in this area. Today is the fifteenth of April, and it’s time to collect the herbs. I’m here to gather them.”

“I see, I’ll be right there.”

Han Feng put down his hoe and walked over to the gate.

Although he knew this person was likely here with ill intent, he couldn’t just ignore him. After all, the man was technically doing his job. Han Feng would just have to stay on high alert.

When he opened the door, he saw a young disciple dressed in servant robes, smiling politely.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before, Senior Brother,” Han Feng said with a frown.

“Oh, I was transferred here from Danxia Peak to replace the missing overseer, Ma. The elders thought I’d be a good fit for this area,” the man explained with a friendly smile. “From now on, we’ll be working together, so I hope you’ll look after me, Junior Brother Han.”

The man looked so sincere that Han Feng almost believed he was harmless.

“Alright, Senior Brother… What’s your name?”

“My name is Zhang Xiang.”

“Okay, Senior Brother Zhang, please come in.”

Both men entered the courtyard. Zhang Xiang looked around at Han Feng’s herb garden and smiled. “Junior Brother Han, your herbs are growing wonderfully! Each one looks so healthy and energetic. You must really take good care of them.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother, but these herbs aren’t mature yet. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back next month to collect them.”

Han Feng didn’t want to hand over any herbs, especially since he had no idea what Zhang Xiang might do with them.

Besides, by next month, Han Feng would be an outer disciple and wouldn’t need to worry about such things.

“No problem! Even if the herbs aren’t fully mature, it’s alright. I just need to take a few to show the elders that I’m doing my job. If I return empty-handed on my first day, I’ll be in trouble,” Zhang Xiang said, walking toward the herb garden.

Han Feng quickly stepped in front of him. “Let me handle it.”

He pulled out his Ice Dagger and carefully cut a few stalks of Four-Leaf Orchid, handing them to Zhang Xiang.

The prized White Lingluo Flower that had absorbed over thirty years’ worth of blood essence had already been harvested and hidden away. That was something no one could see.

Zhang Xiang accepted the cut herbs and pulled out a notebook, jotting down a record.

“April 15th—collected five stalks of Four-Leaf Orchid from Han Feng. Does that look right, Junior Brother? If so, I’ll need you to sign it.”

Han Feng knew the rules. Whoever collected the herbs had to sign for them, holding them accountable for their quality.

However, Han Feng smiled and said, “Senior Brother, you’re new to Luoxia Peak, so you might not be familiar with our procedures here. Allow me to explain. In this area, whoever collects the herbs must personally inspect their potency. Only after verifying their quality and signing off can the herbs be taken.”

“Really? That sounds like a hassle,” Zhang Xiang said, feigning surprise.

“Yes, well, it’s to ensure everyone’s safety. After all, you wouldn’t want to take herbs without checking them first, would you? What if they don’t meet the standard? You’d have to return them to me and swap them for better ones.”

“I see. That makes sense. We don’t have that rule on Danxia Peak, haha,” Zhang Xiang chuckled nervously as he checked the five stalks of Four-Leaf Orchid. After a quick inspection, he added another note to the page.

“April 15th—collected five stalks of Four-Leaf Orchid from Han Feng. Potency confirmed.”

He tore the page from the notebook and handed it to Han Feng.

“Is that good enough now?”

“Not yet. You still need to leave your fingerprint.”

“Fingerprint? How do I do that?”

“Simple. Just bite your finger and leave a print,” Han Feng said, smiling brightly.

“That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?” Zhang Xiang asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, you didn’t bring any ink for the stamp, and I don’t have any either,” Han Feng pointed out, still smiling.

Zhang Xiang chuckled awkwardly but didn’t argue. He bit his finger and pressed it onto the paper, leaving a bloody fingerprint next to his name.

“Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be off. I still have more herbs to collect from the others.”

“Take care, Senior Brother. And don’t forget to bring ink next time!” Han Feng called out, waving a friendly goodbye.

After Zhang Xiang left, Han Feng sat down and looked at the piece of paper, mulling over the encounter. He turned to the little fox and said, “Now I’m certain that guy was here for me. He didn’t go to anyone else to collect herbs.”

“How do you know that?” the little fox asked, her eyes wide.

“Because in this area, there’s no rule about leaving fingerprints when collecting herbs. If he had visited anyone else before, he would’ve mentioned that none of the others required it.”

The little fox gasped. “So that guy’s a fake? He was trying to steal your herbs! Those five stalks could be sold for a few spirit stones. What a shame—you’re so stupid for letting them go.”

Han Feng shot the fox a look, as if she were the idiot. “First of all, his identification badge wasn’t fake. He really is a servant overseer. Second, if he were just here to steal herbs, I’d be relieved.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that he might use my herbs to stir up trouble.”

“Like what?”

“For example, he could use my herbs to make pills and then claim that they were defective or poisonous, framing me for causing serious harm. The only one I’ve offended is the Ye family. If someone’s targeting me, it has to be them.”

“That’s why I had him sign the paper, verifying the herb quality. If he’s not really an overseer, then the document he signed is invalid, and I can claim that the herbs weren’t mine. But if he is a genuine overseer sent by the Ye family, I can use the paper to prove that he tampered with the herbs. After all, he personally confirmed their quality.”

The little fox’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Wow! You’re pretty smart for a… well, what do you humans call it again? Oh right, a ‘simp.’”

“I’m not a simp,” Han Feng grumbled.

Suddenly, an idea struck him. “But just the paper might not be enough. I don’t know much about alchemy, so I need someone who does to back me up.

If anyone tries to take me away, you need to go find Jiang Surou. Tell her I’m being framed and that the Ye family is behind it. Ask her to vouch for me.”

“Got it! Little fox on duty!”

The little fox immediately straightened up and saluted, taking her mission very seriously.