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墨書 Inktalez
Zhao Yang led Li Yunshan and a group of little beggars into the back courtyard of the tavern, then ascended the stairs to a Private Room on the upper floor. Li Yunshan instructed the Beggar and the little beggars to sit in order, leaving the seat of honor opposite him for Zhao Yang. The little beggars, having never been in such a clean and beautiful tavern, were excited at the thought that this big bad guy who usually bullied them was treating them to a meal. They obediently called him "big brother" as if they were little puppies.
Zhao Yang was not polite either; after settling down, he turned to Li Yunshan and said, "Matters in this world, like those in the Cultivation realm, have their own rules. These rules can be clear or hidden, depending on what you excel at. Just now, if I had insisted on my rights or forced my way in at the tavern entrance, I certainly wouldn't have been arranged in this Private Room. In fact, they might have spat in our food. The waiter was right; when a beggar enters a tavern to eat, you can be strong inside and disregard others' feelings, but finding a way to eat comfortably without being looked down upon is one of the best approaches. The waiter benefits without being scolded, the guests are unaffected, and we get to enjoy our meal—everyone gains something."
Li Yunshan nodded quickly, realizing that there were indeed such principles in this world.
Zhao Yang had intended to add, "Provided you have money," but thinking about discussing money with beggars would surely hurt their feelings, he decided against it. This time he left home with eighty taels of silver given by his parents; considering the consumption level in this world, it was equivalent to eighty thousand yuan in his previous world. He considered himself a small landowner. This money came from hunting during his three years of Cultivation when he sold or cheaply gave away the excess meat his mother had made into jerky for sale on the streets or to villagers. His parents must have taken out most of their savings to give him eighty taels.
Zhao Yang ordered thirty signature dishes from the tavern. When the food was served, the little beggars stared wide-eyed and drooling; they had only ever known themselves as beggars destined to beg for life and had never tasted such delicious food. A few little beggars stuffed themselves until their bellies bulged like watermelons while still shoving more food into their mouths. Two slightly older beggars began to cry mid-meal because they understood that happiness could come suddenly but also fleetingly; after all, this big brother was just treating them to one meal out of whimsy—afterward, they would return to their hard lives.
Li Yunshan's face darkened as he saw his subordinates embarrass themselves before their benefactor. Just as he was about to explode with anger, Zhao Yang stopped him and told him not to speak.
After finishing their meal, Zhao Yang asked Li Yunshan to take him to find another beggar leader who had bullied them—Guo Dong. Half an hour later, they found Guo Dong at a gambling den. Zhao Yang looked at Guo Dong's flashy attire and asked Li Yunshan, "Isn't he supposed to be a beggar leader?"
Zhao Yang's implication was how could a beggar leader dress so well? A clever Beggar stepped forward and explained for Li Yunshan: "Our boss thinks of us well. Although Guo Dong is also a beggar leader, every time he collects money, he uses it all for his own indulgences—eating, drinking, and gambling. For those who disobey him, he gouges out their eyes so they can only beg on the streets."
Zhao Yang nodded and then asked the smug Guo Dong beside him: "I've heard that you gouge out people's eyes and force them to beg for you; is that true?"
Upon hearing Zhao Yang's words, Guo Dong's eyes widened in fury as if he wanted to devour Zhao Yang whole. He had been losing since entering the gambling den that morning and was filled with pent-up frustration looking for an outlet. Zhao Yang's question ignited his rage as he shouted, "You uneducated brat! Buzzing around my ear like a mosquito! If I don't kill you today, I won't be surnamed Guo! My methods are not limited to gouging out eyes; I've also chopped off hands and feet—I've done plenty of things that ensure no descendants remain! I've killed so many people I can't even remember them all! Now I'm going to take your worthless life!"
With a roar, Guo Dong lunged forward with a punch fueled by all his strength. The wind from his punch stung the faces of those watching nearby; he was a Qi Refinement Stage cultivator at level two—any ordinary person struck by his full-force punch would surely die without question. Seeing Zhao Yang stand firm without dodging or avoiding it, Li Yunshan was about to step forward when Zhao Yang raised a hand to stop him while using his other hand to firmly catch Guo Dong's fist. The crowd gasped in shock; they didn't know Guo Dong was a Cultivator but were aware that he was known far and wide as a formidable fighter—few martial artists could match him. Yet here stood this young man casually catching his punch with one hand.
Guo Dong was even more astonished; he knew how powerful his punch was—he had used all his True Qi—and had expected it would smash this young man’s head into pieces. He never anticipated that it would be caught by just one hand.
"Don't you want to ask why I came to find you and just went straight to killing me?" Zhao Yang squinted and asked.
"I don't need to ask; I already know that brat Li Yunshan brought you here. I could just kill you without a second thought. Don't think that just because you can throw a few punches, I won't..."
Guo Dong's words were abruptly cut off. The onlookers gasped in shock, including Li Yunshan and Beggar behind Zhao Yang, who had never witnessed such a scene before. The little beggars with them were also stunned, for Guo Dong was dead; Zhao Yang had simply yanked his head off as if plucking a watermelon.
He calmly turned around and said to Li Yunshan, "How far is it to City Lord's Mansion Square? We should hurry; otherwise, it will be troublesome if we're late."
Li Yunshan nodded, still shaken. He seemed to have gained some understanding of this demon king before him. It appeared that Zhao Yang had no interest in arguing with anyone. There were no warnings or signs; killing was as easy as chopping vegetables. Before Guo Dong could finish his sentence, his head was already gone, and after the act, Zhao Yang acted as if nothing had happened, completely indifferent.
Zhao Yang seemed to sense Li Yunshan's thoughts and said lightly, "Since I've already decided to kill him, and he has sworn to kill me, why would I waste time debating with him? A gentleman acts with courtesy before violence. Besides, in a situation where both sides are prepared, the outcome is uncertain. Don't risk your life over trivial matters with an enemy."
Li Yunshan nodded. Although he was still struggling to adapt to the sudden change in circumstances, he found himself unable to disregard Zhao Yang's words. Following Zhao Yang's instructions, he sent Beggar back with the others and secretly handed over the martial arts manual he had learned from Old Beggar before hurriedly following Zhao Yang to City Lord's Mansion Square.
On their way, Zhao Yang seemed to remember something and asked Li Yunshan, "Do you know if there's a place nearby that sells paintings and calligraphy?"
Li Yunshan thought for a moment and replied, "Although I haven't seen many books myself, I heard from the beggar that there's a bookstore on Yushui Street, just a short distance ahead."
Zhao Yang nodded; this was precisely why he needed a helper—to act as a guide and save him a lot of trouble.
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