Chapter 4: It’s Lonely At The Top  

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"Possessed?!"

Some fear still lingered in Fang Zhengzhi’s heart. After a herculean effort, he finally managed to pin this "crime" onto Mr Youfang, who passed by Southern Mountain Village several days ago. That’s how he managed to escape from the house.

However, this raised some alarms in his heart. He was only six years old, there were times where he should keep a low profile. If he was really deemed as possessed....

Thinking back on what he saw long ago: drinking talisman water; crucified; burned and buried alive....Fang Zhengzhi heart felt an icy chill. Though he was not sure whether this world had such "torture".

The smart move was to be cautious.

After strolling around within the flow of the crowd, he somehow ended up in the village square. Gazing upon the compact crowd, Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback.

The square, which was normally used to distribute the hunted quarry, was currently surrounded by lively villagers. On the west side, there was a one meter high stage made from lumber. The large stage was carpeted with bright red cloths.

In the middle of the carpet, three wooden chairs covered with premium hide and pelts were in a triangular arrangement.

The one in the centre was a redwood chair with a carved beast head. On top of the chair was a fur pelt with silvery fine hair on the sides and fiery red fur in the middle.

This pelt was the first thing Fang Zhengzhi focused on. He was immediately entranced by it. Those pitch black eyes shone with brilliance. He had never seen such a skin before. Not only did he not see this before, he was quite sure, from the quality, that this did not belong to the Southern Mountain Village.

"That is an amazing thing. If I had this pelt, my family will turn rich overnight. Should I take it and run?" When this thought flashed across in his mind, he quickly rejected it.

With his short legs, it was possible that he would be caught even before he had a chance to run. At that moment, his little bottom would definitely split open from the spanking.

As he was thinking about this, a shadow veiled his face.

"Fang Zhengzhi!" A stocky kid wearing a pair of open-crotch pants was glaring straight at him. The kid was holding a chicken drumstick with one hand and wiping his oily mouth with the other.

Blocked by a six year old little brat. Furthermore, he looked as reckless as a bull. Fang Zhengzhi had a hard time accepting this situation .

Adults are hard to deal with but same aged brats was definitely no problem. He could easily outsmart the kid.

"What’s up?" Fang Zhengzhi lazily replied.

"Heard from my mom that you were not happy that I qualified for the kid’s test? Saying that you want to test me? This Little Lord would like to ask you, do you dare to go head to head with me!" The little brat waved his sturdy arm as he yelled, showcasing his strength to Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi lips twitched. This Li Huer was his neighbour Aunt Li’s precious baby boy. Although not as smart, he did not had the same amount of meat intake. The brat’s physical strength would definitely overpower him.

"Aren’t you preparing for the kid’s test? Aren’t you scared that any injuries might affect your results?" Fang Zhengzhi advised with concern

Li Huer paused. His mind wobbling as he inwardly agreed. It would be real bad if he was injured. Hence, he heeded Fang Zhengzhi’s advice.

"Instead of fighting, we can compete in something else!

"You definitely won’t beat me in running..." Fang Zhengzhi lead on with a mask of worry.

"Who said I can’t outrun you. Let’s race now if you dare!" Lin Huer was obviously not convinced.

"Alright. Can you see that piece of hide on the stage over there? Let’s see who can steal it first," Fang Zhengzhi pointed at the brightly coloured hide in the middle of the stage.

"Fine!" Li Huer instantly started nodding his head like chicken pecking on rice, turning towards the stage.

He was truly a ignorant until the point of bravery. Fang Zhengzhi’s heart went out to him. After that, just as Li Huer was prepared to charge like a madman, he opened his mouth once again.

"Wait a minute!"

"What’s the matter? Chickening out so early?" Li Huer stopped his feet and looked back at Fang Zhengzhi with a face of doubt.

"Nope. Hand over the drumstick before you go, in case you have difficulty climbing up later," Fang Zhengzhi once again advised.

Li Huer’s eyeball tumbled in their sockets as he thought that by giving the drumstick to Fang Zhengzhi, he would definitely lose later on!

"Oh, okay!" Li Huer unhesitantly agreed. He never thought of the much serious problem of whether he would still get his drumstick back after giving it to Fang Zhengzhi.

After that, the drumstick reached Fang Zhengzhi’s hands. Right after this, Li Huer was hysterical like a little piglet released from its cage, making a mad dash for the stage.

Those movements, madness, boldness had absolutely no trace of hesitation...

Let it be known that Li Huer’s speed was surprisingly fast. Those villagers that surrounded the stage did not even had time to react before he slid past and went up the stage. Without even a gasp for air, he straight away grabbed the pelt on the chair and open it up to show Fang Zhengzhi with a victorious grin.

However, it’s self-evident what was going to happen next.

Just as Li Huer was draping the pelt and laughing out loud, a few of the villagers were starting to react.

An open-crotch pants offered no protection against a harsh palm.

Those few villagers had the same movements, madness and boldness that showed absolutely no hesitation...

The crisp slap connected with Li Huer’s small bottom.

"Ouch! Oh...Ah..." The continuous shrill of his voice clearly translated his current mood.

"Aih, it’s lonely at the top." Fang Zhengzhi raised his head to soak in the rays from the sun and started munching on the drumstick in hisbhands...

...

The official tests had started among the cries of Li Huer’s cries of agony.

The sounds of gongs and drums signaled the arrival of a few hundred soldiers clad in shiny armor. They were riding on large creatures with fine black fur covering their entire bodies and their four limbs wrapped in white scales, appearing in the square smoothly and orderly.

Almost half of the square was instantly occupied.

Those thunderous steps shocked the villagers so much that they unconsciously stepped back.

"Aren’t they riding on Snow Tredding Dragon Stallions?!"

"Tsk tsk...they definitely are! Only the Divine Constabulary are capable of raising Snow Tredding Dragon Stallions. Rumour has it that they can eat several kilograms of meat in a single meal."

"So much? Won’t my pockets be eaten dry with just a few meals?"

"You? Haha...You are not even worth one Snow Tredding Dragon Stallion!"

Groups of villagers in shabby clothes gathered on either sides of the army, whispering and pointing at those soldiers. There were much discussion.

"Quick, look. They are carrying something. What could it be?"

"God knows. Since this is cargo from the Divine Constabulary, it must be something priceless!"

There were some noise and all of the villagers’ attention shifted the front of the troops. There was a mysterious object being carried by eight burly soldiers.

A satin-like gold cloth material that was placed on the top that concealed the mysterious object. It was shimmering under the sun.

Fang Zhengzhi naturally noticed this as well. From his perspective, his eyes could see that the object carried by the eight soldiers was about two meters high but he could not estimate it’s width.