CG Chapter 140: The Lowly, the Unseen
"So, what kind of drinks would you guys like?"
Chuckling, Aretius asked while shifting his sight back to Qi Hao.
That single glance was enough to freeze Qi Hao's soul, as if the chill whispers of death had returned once more.
He started to fumble his words, unable to form a single sentence despite how eloquent he had been just a moment earlier.
"No, I… no need. I was just joking. I think we're all too drunk anyway, and it's good to have some company.
"In fact, let me treat you guys to some pickled garlic and radishes while I finish the news," he continued as he started to regain his composure.
He added, "Oh, and sir, please sit with us. After all, the more, the merrier."
Fortunately for Qi Hao, he had enough skill to recover from his fear without stirring any more trouble.
After all, who knew what might happen to him if he angered this senior who was playing the pig to eat the tiger? But then again, they weren't even tigers to begin with.
He wondered why such an expert would bother hiding himself, but the moment he recalled his own identity, he nearly facepalmed.
Aretius wasn't shy as he took a seat in front of Qi Hao.
Smiling at the other guests, he carefully listened to everything Qi Hao was saying while enjoying the radishes and some hot peach-fermented wine.
Some might wonder why and when Aretius suddenly started drinking despite refusing to drink with many people before.
This matter was simple and showed his true character.
For one, he didn't drink because he wanted to maintain a clear state of mind at all times.
However, at present, drinking was the most beneficial option.
Thus, he simply picked up the wine cup to complete his role as an old and humble man, to avoid drawing any unnecessary eyes toward him, especially at this moment of weakness.
Ultimately, it would be a dumb idea for you to play a pig if you were going to play it only halfway.
When one has enough strength, one shouldn't hide oneself for no good reason, as that might cause a chain of problems, and by showing one's true powers, people will naturally know to show them respect.
But when you don't have any power to speak of, you should understand that the wise know when to submit to circumstances and lay low for a while.
There's no point in placing your pride up high while having no strength to back it up, as kneeling down a couple of times might give you the chance to crush the heads of those who caused you to kneel.
As for the second reason, it was because such weak mortal wine couldn't get him drunk anyway; he had the power to "resist all poison."
Of course, resisting all poison was relative; if you brought some heaven-defying brew, he could still die.
A while passed as the men drank, laughed, and cried over their worries and pains from daily life.
And Aretius drank their mortal wine, laughed with them, and even shed a tear here and there.
These mortals would usually work from sunrise until sunset and would only have this small window of release, drinking in inns and taverns to let go before returning to another monotonous day.
As time passed, the oil-lamp lights flickered against the inn's walls and slowly began to dim as more and more people started to leave.
A couple more hours passed, and the only people remaining were a few drunkards lying on the ground completely blacked out.
And even they would leave soon, as they would be kicked out unless they paid for a room.
Aside from them, Aretius and his new friend were sitting across from each other.
Aretius remained silent as he held his cup, slowly drinking, the same warm smile on his face.
Meanwhile, Qi Hao was sweating his head off as he held a wet napkin, trying to stop his sweat from drenching his clothes.
As they kept staring at each other, Qi Hao thought that his end had come; otherwise, why wouldn't this senior say anything if he wanted something from him?
However, Qi Hao's thoughts didn't matter to Aretius. He wasn't wasting his time with a lowly storyteller.
From the moment he entered the inn, he knew what kind of man Qi Hao was.
You might wonder how he knew.
This was because he had more than once taken the same job; no, calling it the same job would put his title as the "Heaven's Outcast and Saint of the Hundred Alleys" to shame.
This Qi Hao was a member of the Beggar Sect.
The Beggar Sect is one of the many major sects under the Three Schools of Thought.
But unlike the major three, they aren't specialized, don't have any grand palaces, and aren't the most liked, let's say.
Nevertheless, despite all the hate they receive, they remain a force to be reckoned with, as they operate in all three great empires and most of the surrounding kingdoms.
They do that simply by gathering the lowest of society, the scum that people don't want to look at.
When you reach that point, you become less than, sometimes even lower than, an animal, as they don't view you as a person of the same species.
Many slaves feel this when they see their masters having sex with their women in front of them, the same way the masters wouldn't mind mating in front of a cat or dog.
These beggars also know that the worth that the people assign to them is like that, but instead of hating their lowly backgrounds as bastards and scum of society, they use it, because they have nothing else to use...
The Beggar Sect was able to turn even their inferiority and low birth into something many highly trained assassins couldn't achieve.
They were hidden, but not in the shadows; they hid in plain sight, yet no one saw them, not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to, the same way they would turn their heads when they saw dog shit on the ground.
To survive in this world, you can either turn yourself into an iron plate that crushes the hands of anyone who tries to go against you, or debase yourself to something lower than an insect so revolting that no one dares come near.
Finally, Aretius started to speak…