Zhang San, please behave yourself!
Chapter 105: I’m So Smart Now! Really!

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: I’m So Smart Now! Really!

The elder who entered from the main gate sized up the face of his old friend, Master Ma, briefly.

"How come it looks like I’ve thought myself into dark circles under my eyes?"

Master Ma glanced at the elder and remained silent.

Zhang San, on the other hand, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully to the elder as he came in.

Although the clothes on the elder seemed somewhat tattered.

Here, "somewhat" is a euphemism; in reality, the elder’s clothes were extremely tattered, with more patches than age spots on his face.

But clearly, as this was a friend of Master Ma, if Zhang San could curry favor with this friend, perhaps Master Ma would help Xu in consideration of his friend’s feelings.

So, Zhang San bowed deeply.

"Junior Zhang San, pays his respects to the elder."

The elder gave Zhang San a slight smile and, after returning the gesture, said, "My surname is Fa, you may call me Pharaoh."

"Pharaoh?"

Hearing Zhang San’s surprised tone, Pharaoh couldn’t help but be curious, "Is there something wrong with that title?"

"No problem, I’m just curious, do you curse people?"

Pharaoh frowned, Why would I curse people out of the blue?

"What kind of curse is it?"

Zhang San, smiling, waved his hands and said apologetically, "Nothing, I just asked casually."

Pharaoh felt this young man seemed a bit slow-witted, and turned his head to his old friend, asking quietly, "What exactly is going on here?"

As Master Ma stood up to explain to his old friend, Zhang San spoke out.

"Elder Pharaoh, it’s like this, Master Ma he asks..."

"Shut up!"

Master Ma cut Zhang San off before he could continue and then pulled Pharaoh aside. He obviously did not want Zhang San to hear what the two of them were discussing.

Zhang San obligingly stayed in place without approaching.

After all, the two elders were talking under a large tree, and if he connected with that tree using Wood Series Technique, he could hear everything crystal clear.

"They are from the Town Martial Office, someone has turned into a living dead, and they want me to help refine the wronged souls inside them."

"Then just refine them; after all, it’s the Town Martial Office asking, and besides, it’s not difficult for you. Those dark circles under your eyes aren’t from trying to refine all night without success, are they? What kind of formidable wronged souls are these?"

Master Ma winced and shook his head, already unwilling to recall the recent unpleasant memories.

"That one has already noticed me. If I interfere with the Path of Life and Death again, he will come after me directly!"

With this, Pharaoh finally understood the distress of his old friend, then suggested, "What if you teach the method of refining wronged souls to the living dead, letting them refine on their own?"

Master Ma scoffed, retorting, "Do you think that one is a fool? He wouldn’t notice such a thing?"

At that moment, Zhang San, still near the table, couldn’t resist asking, "Master Ma, what if you teach the technique of refining wronged souls to the living, and then have the other living pass it on to the living dead? Wouldn’t that absolve you of any involvement?"

Pharaoh nodded, feeling that it was also a possibility.

Master Ma suddenly turned around, glaring at Zhang San.

"Do you know how hard that technique is to learn? It’s easier for a hen to lay a chick than for you to learn it! Besides, you lack some innate conditions necessary for learning this. Don’t get your hopes up!"

Seeing that Master Ma didn’t mention him eavesdropping, Zhang San immediately grinned and shamelessly ran over.

"Master Ma, teach me, I am really smart!"

Master Ma sized up Zhang San, the more he looked, the more he disapproved.

"Looking this good, clearly all the nutrients went to his face. What could be in his brain?"

The Pharaoh standing by wasn’t very optimistic about this young man either.

He just doesn’t look very smart.

"Master Ma, you can’t sleep well every day because of this issue, so why not teach me the method and see if I can handle it, right?"

Master Ma glared fiercely, gritting his teeth, "Why can’t I sleep well? It’s all because of you!"

Zhang San pretended not to hear and continued to laugh playfully.

"I’m really smart! Truly!"

Master Ma’s face turned cold as he snapped, "Then solve this."

With that, Master Ma’s hands reached towards his own belt.

Zhang San couldn’t help but startle.

Undo the belt!?

What kind of trick is this — you’re being shameless with me, so now it’s about who can be the bigger rascal?

Then, Master Ma tapped on his belt and took out a small wooden ball and threw it to Zhang San.

Clearly, this belt, like Zhang San’s Gluttonous Bag, was a Storage Magical Treasure.

Zhang San looked at the small ball in his hand; though it was made of wood, it wasn’t just a simple wooden ball crafted by continuous polishing, but rather a ball assembled from countless square, long wooden blocks.

Inside these small wooden strips, there were some intricate structures. These structures, combined, fitted the innumerable small wooden bars tightly together.

Zhang San knew this was a Woodcraft Making item, specifically made to hide small objects.

Small but valuable things could be placed inside the wooden ball because only the designer knew how to unlock it. If you didn’t know the right unlocking method, it would take a long time to try and open it.

As for forcing it open, it wasn’t impossible, but what seemed like a wooden ball that could be easily smashed with a hammer, its structure and the runes on some of the wooden bars would cause a backlash when subjected to external forces.

Unless you had enough strength, you might be able to smash it with one strike, but usually, the contents inside would be destroyed as well.

But without using force, relying on the correct solution to open it, either you’re the designer, you already know the unlocking method, or you are a genius.

"Zhang San, don’t say I’m making it difficult for you. If you can solve this within three days, I will teach you the method of Refining Wronged Souls. The Pharaoh as my witness, how about that?"

"Three..."

Zhang San spoke this word faintly, his tone indiscernible.

Master Ma, who had tossed the wooden ball to Zhang San, had already turned and was walking towards his room. Hearing Zhang San’s tone, he probably knew this kid was finally thinking of backing down.

"You think three days is too short, isn’t it? That’s why I said you couldn’t do it. Originally, this thing took me two..."

"Two..."

Zhang San’s tone remained very faint, seemingly devoid of any emotion, just purely counting.

Master Ma felt something rapidly frictioning and sliding back and forth, producing soft sounds.

Master Ma immediately turned back.

He saw that in Zhang San’s hands, many of the small wooden bars had already been partially pulled out.

"One."

Zhang San pulled out the topmost wooden bar and then there was a clatter.

All the surrounding wooden bars fell to the ground, leaving only the one in Zhang San’s hand and a wooden carved die hanging beneath it.

Zhang San glanced at Master Ma and gave a faint, cold sneer.

"Three days... is that all?"