Chapter 3 - Before Leaving

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chen Xi looked at the surprised Chen Lan and shrugged. He didn’t have much thought about social hierarchies. And there was nothing much to say about teaching Chen Lan how he trained his psionic abilities. He was simply treating it as a way to kill time since he was quite bored anyway. He had learned what he should have learned, so he was simply treating it as revision as he taught it to others.

“Thank you, Young Master,” Chen Lan was getting excited.

In the next few months, Chen Lan then started to learn from Chen Xi. Other than awakening her Psionic potential, she also read books and learned to write. As one was willing to learn, one was willing to teach, and the subject matter was quite simple, Chen Lan had quickly begun to master the basics. At least, she could read on her own.

Looking at the warrant on the wall, Chen Xi sighed.

It was time.

‘According to certain views of time and space, this should be possible. But no matter which view I am subscribing to, at least I can stand on my own two feet,’ Chen Xi thought to himself as he looked at the Cao Mengde, who was on the warrant.

“Let us go, Uncle Chen. To the Fan Residence,” Chen Xi said to his butler behind him.

After he said that, Butler Meng’s face soured. However, he still nodded. Chen Xi’s body had recovered, and the fallen Chen clan once again had a ray of hope. Then, the arranged marriage between him and Fan clan should be put on the schedule.

Chen Xi knew about the marriage as well. It had been arranged when he was very young. After Chen Xi’s father had passed away, the Fan clan had also sent someone to arrange for a marriage between him and Fan clan’s second eldest daughter to carry on the Chen clan’s legacy. However, Chen Xi had refused by using the need to observe mourning as an excuse.

Afterward, Chen Xi had fallen sick and the Fan clan had slowly gone out of sight. They hadn’t visited for a very, very long time. But Chen Xi understood. The Fan clan wouldn’t mind keeping their promise if Chen Xi was in a healthy state. But if Chen Xi was getting sicker and sicker, the Fan family probably wouldn’t want to marry their daughter to him.

If he stood from the Fan clan’s point of view, they had done everything they should for Chen Xi. They didn’t refuse the arranged marriage as soon as the Chen clan began to fall. Not only that but they also even wanted to keep their promise when Chen Xi was still healthy. The only reason that they no longer came after Chen Xi was sick, was that most likely they didn’t want to marry their daughter to someone that might die at any time.

However, this was unforgivable to Butler Chen. Although they couldn’t follow the full tradition, the two masters of the respective clans had already agreed and arranged to give Fan clan’s second eldest daughter, who was two years younger than Chen Xi, her hand in marriage when he reached sixteen years old. Now that the master had passed away and that the young master was already seventeen years old, why did the Fan clan refuse to mention this at all?

“Young Master Chen!” When the servants of the Fan clan saw Chen Xi, they were at first stunned. Then, they bowed and went in to inform.

“I am here to look for Uncle Fan,” Chen Xi spoke calmly. By his estimation, the Fan clan basically wouldn’t back out from the marriage. Just because they didn’t mention the marriage when he was sick meant little. Their good faith was shown when they were willing to go through with the marriage after Chen Xi’s father passed away.

“Young Master Chen, this way, please. The master is waiting in the great hall,” Very quickly, the butler from the Fan clan ran over.

“Alright,” Chen Xi nodded. He was having a headache. If she didn’t want to marry him, that would be best. But it seemed like the Fan clan didn’t want to back out from the marriage at all.

“Xi, come! Sit here! I have been worried about your physical condition lately. If something happened to you, I could not bear to explain to the Chen clan,” Fan Jian’s father sat on the main seat with a smile of joy.

Originally, Fan Liang wanted to send his daughter to take care of Chen Xi when he was still in mourning. As for the observation of mourning, it would be all for nothing if there was no one left to inherit the Chen clan.

Chen Xi rejected Fan Liang’s proposal, however, and he was drowned in sorrow to the point that he fell sick and couldn’t recover. Fan Liang was completely stupefied by the turn of events. He was completely confused about what to do and was stuck between giving priority to his daughter’s happiness and his promise to his good friend. In the end, he had no choice but to observe it quietly. As for his daughter’s marriage, he agreed to Chen Xi’s proposal and he would delay it for three years.

If Chen Xi was still sick after three years, Fan Liang would be out of options. As long as Chen Xi was willing, he would have to marry off her daughter despite his unwillingness.

Luckily, he had received news that Chen Xi had recovered half a year ago. It was extremely good news for him and he no longer had to worry about it. But after so many delays, Fan Liang didn’t have the dignity to talk about it again. So he was waiting for Chen Xi to come over and talk about it. Then, all he needed to do was to double the dowry, since what he did wasn’t quite sincere.

“Go, tell Fan Jian to come over,” Fan Liang said to his butler.

“Uncle, no need to call Little Jian over. I am here to say my farewell to you. I want to explore the known world. After my illness, I have begun to understand many things. It would be so tragic if a person did not know the world beyond where he lived. I wish to go out and see the world,” Chen Xi said politely.

Fan Liang was stunned, then said to him after a slight hesitation, “Xi, I know that what I did was insincere. But I hope that you would reconsider. The world is not safe. Your father had asked me to take care of you before he passed away. If something were to happen to you, I will not be able to explain it to your father.”

“Worry not, uncle. While I am not that talented, I do have some ways to protect myself,” he said as his Psionic energy slightly shaken.

“It seems that I cannot stop you then,” Fan Liang sighed as he looked at Chen Xi, and there was satisfaction in his eyes. “If you wish to leave, that is fine. However, you must complete the marriage. Fan Jian is no longer young, you know?”

Chen Xi was speechless as he slightly curled his lips, and thought to himself, ‘Even if you give her hand in marriage to me, I wouldn’t dare touch me! She is two years younger than me, alright? Asking me to marry a fifteen-year-old loli…’

However, Chen Xi knew that fifteen years old was already considered quite old in the Han Dynasty. And he remembered that they even had to pay double the taxes. Of course, they no longer had to pay that doubled taxes if they married…

“Uncle, we can forge the marriage agreement first. Once I have returned from my studies, we can complete the marriage. How does that sound?” Chen Xi said. He knew that he couldn’t evade that little girl that kept calling him big brother when they were younger. If he were to refuse the marriage, the Fan clan would certainly become his enemy. Not to mention that the marriage wouldn’t affect him much anyways.

Alright. The marriage agreement in this era was just writing down his birthday. After that, it was considered complete. Originally, their birthdays were already matched. And now, it was only Chen Xi writing one for himself so that it would become legally binding.

After he had done everything, Chen Xi then took a ride on a caravan and headed West where the righteous man Cao Cao was calling for soldiers to join his banner. It was obvious that Chen Xi was only trying to hitchhike since the army was probably safer at this age. As for whether he would meet up with Liu Bei in this version of history, he could not say.