Chapter Nine: Penniless, Yet Surrounded by Kindness

With Wang Sheng's sudden departure, the cultivators who had either come to watch the spectacle or had just arrived outside the city also began to leave one after another, some with regretful sighs and curses, others choosing to enter the city instead...

Perhaps it was because Pei Xu and the others were not well-known, but the crowd had no interest in lingering any longer.

"Brother Pei Xu, I won’t disturb you any further. Farewell."

With Senior Wang Sheng gone, Tian Ming had no reason to continue the conversation. He cupped his hands toward Pei Xu and his companions.

Han Kai waved with a broad smile.

"Take care on your journey. I hope we meet again," Pei Xu replied, glancing at the others before turning to Tian Ming with a gentle nod.

Hearing this, Tian Ming turned, smiled, and waved as he walked away.

"What do you think?" Though willing to continue chatting, Pei Xu could see the impatience on the faces of the two behind him, so he let it be, making no effort to persuade Tian Ming to stay.

Watching Tian Ming head into the city, even the cold faces of Lian Zimin and Xie Xin softened a little. At least that man knew his place.

"Senior Brother Han, why bother flattering him? He’s merely a first-rank martial artist. How could he possibly be worthy of entering our Heavenly Sword Sect? Wouldn’t that make all the sects in the world a laughingstock?" With a frown, Lian Zimin fixed Han Kai with an icy stare.

"Exactly, Senior Brother Han," Xie Yan agreed.

"Enough! How dare you?" Han Kai rebuked at once.

"Are you two questioning Senior Wang Sheng’s judgment, or that person’s?" Han Kai’s smile faded. He knew exactly who Lian Zimin was referring to. He snorted coldly, his voice as sharp and biting as a blade, his aura chillingly intense and directed at Lian Zimin.

Rarely did Han Kai lose his temper, but now his face was grave.

"Han Kai, you... don’t go too far! Berating us for an outsider?" Lian Zimin paled, stepping back several times. When Xie Xin tried to support her, Zimin brushed his hand away.

That unfamiliar look in Han Kai's eyes—she had seldom seen it.

"Enough, Han Kai. And Lian Zimin, don’t be so stubborn. If that person has powerful backers, that’s his own ability. If word gets out, tongues will wag, but Han Kai was just thinking of your own good. Let's go into the city." Standing between them, Pei Xu radiated a deep violet spiritual energy, his voice brooking no argument.

Though they were all inner disciples, Pei Xu rarely meddled in their affairs. But now was not the time for indifference, so he took on the role of peacemaker.

"Sorry, Senior Brother. I was reckless," Lian Zimin said softly, her expression returning to normal. Perhaps realizing her own impulsiveness, or perhaps out of respect for Pei Xu, she even bowed slightly as she apologized.

"Hmph," Xie Xin snorted, turning away.

Seeing Lian Zimin yield to Han Kai, Xie Xin was visibly displeased, though he said nothing, instead committing Tian Ming’s name to memory.

He would never bow his head.

Pei Xu noticed Xie Xin’s mood but said nothing. After all, it was none of his business.

"Thank you for stepping in, Senior Brother Pei. As long as Zimin understands, that’s enough," Han Kai said, grateful, before turning to Zimin with a look of satisfaction.

Han Kai didn’t enjoy being harsh, but as a senior disciple, he sometimes had to be strict, or his words would carry no weight.

...

"The Way of Heaven is clear, and human bonds abound—Heaven on Earth welcomes all of you!"

"Esteemed guests, please come inside!"

"Once just a common cultivator, tomorrow you may turn your fate—come and see all manner of treasures!"

"Fellow Daoists, are you hungry? Try our ancestral roast chicken, perfected over a hundred years..."

"Have pity, friends—I lost my parents early, was betrayed by my brother, and was cuckolded this year. I only ask for a hundred gold coins for this sole ancestral heirloom..."

"Silks and satin! Ladies, come see! The city’s best designer’s creations, only 15,523 gold coins..."

How bustling Chang’an was! Towering buildings, the clamor of crowds, all kinds of street cries echoing. The main roads and alleys were orderly and interconnected, cultivators from far and wide coming and going. In the shops and stalls, all sorts of rare curiosities were displayed openly—elixirs, weapons, precious manuals, fine clothes—laid out without the slightest hint of caution or concealment, a testament to the high standards and excellent security among the cultivators. Truly worthy of its reputation for lasting peace.

"Gurgle!"

The aromas of all kinds of food made Tian Ming hesitate, his stomach rumbling. But, alas, his purse was light...

"One gold coin. What can a single gold coin buy?" Tian Ming looked at the inconspicuous coin in his hand with a rueful shake of his head. He even began to doubt whether it was real.

At that moment, he regretted not sticking with Pei Xu—at least he would have had a good meal. As for any idle gossip, let people talk; he had no control over their tongues, now or ever.

"Come and see! Treasures risked for and found in secret realms—useful or not, why not try your luck... Brother, care to take a look?"

Drawn by the shouting, Tian Ming was attracted to the third stall ahead.

"Big brother, how much for this bowl?" He approached the booth with a calm expression, pointing at an item.

He really had no choice—perhaps he truly was at the end of his rope. Struck by Dora's words, Tian Ming could only quietly play the part of a beggar.

The stall owner...

Looking at the well-dressed young man before him, the stall keeper was puzzled. A first-rank martial artist? Why would someone dressed so finely want a plain bowl, and with such a strange aura at that?

Was he perhaps here to cause trouble?

He recalled a past incident where a misjudged customer, feigning weakness, called in dozens of men and smashed the entire stall, leaving the owner with nothing but loss and a ruined reputation.

"No charge. If you need it, little brother, just take it," the stall owner said hurriedly with a beaming smile.

"Isn’t that improper?" Tian Ming’s face was full of question marks and surprise. Were the people of this city always so courteous?

Seeing his astonishment, the stall keeper quickly stepped forward, pressed the bowl into Tian Ming's hands, and slipped a hundred gold coins into them as well.

"Brother, please spare me. I have elders above and children below..." the stall owner pleaded with a bitter smile in a low voice.

"Well, alright then. Thank you, big brother. I’ll be sure to repay you one day..." Tian Ming, clutching the bowl, wandered off in a daze under the stall owner’s anxious gaze.

"No need! Take care, little brother!" The stall owner, relieved, quickly waved him on.

Tian Ming...

He nodded and bowed slightly—a good man indeed.

But since the man had practically begged him to accept, any more feigned reluctance would only embarrass them both. So Tian Ming made no further protest.

He took the bowl and the coins and left quickly, afraid the stall owner might try to thrust more things upon him.

"So many good people today—and another hundred gold coins, haha!"

He examined the red note in his hand, the bold golden letters spelling "One Hundred Gold." Perhaps for convenience, they no longer used individual coins.

But Tian Ming didn’t dwell on it. Money in hand was all that mattered. Grinning, he continued to meander through the bustling crowds.