Upon hearing that gentle voice directly in front of him, Shu-ming slowly raised his eyes and saw a beautiful girl with long blue hair and luxurious embroidered robes standing before him. Behind her walked three guards, swords hanging at their waists, each radiating a strange, powerful aura.
The moment he noticed the words "Luo Clan" embroidered on their fiery red uniforms, he recognized them instantly. They belonged to one of the four great clans of Yancheng City.
He rose to his feet and cupped his hands respectfully. "Young miss, some of these books contain fantasy stories, others are simple poems, and a few offer educational knowledge. As for the author… I wrote them all myself."
Luo Xia was visibly surprised. In this world, commoners rarely had the chance to learn reading and writing—only a handful ever did. Composing poems or stories was nearly impossible unless one came from a government official's clan or a martial clan. "Oh? Then how much for all of them?"
Shu-ming was taken aback by the question but answered calmly, still cupping his hands. "The price is five silver coins."
Luo Xia glanced at the guard beside her. He produced a pouch heavy with silver coins—at least twenty inside. She took it and extended her hand toward Shu-ming with a soft smile. "Take this money. I cannot possibly buy all these books at such a cheap price."
Shu-ming did not refuse. He calmly reached out and accepted the pouch. "Thank you, my lady."
She nodded quietly. The guards began collecting the books—more than fifteen in total. Their true value far exceeded five silver coins; it might even surpass twenty. Yet if Shu-ming did not sell them now, they might be stolen or ruined by the irregular rain. That was why he had rushed to sell them quickly.
Before climbing back into the carriage, Luo Xia turned and looked at him calmly. "What is your name, sir?"
Shu-ming replied, "My name is Shu-ming."
From his earlier speech, Luo Xia sensed he was no ordinary vagrant. He knew proper etiquette and spoke with a refined dignity far beyond that of an uneducated street dweller.
After receiving the answer, she boarded the carriage gracefully. "Return to the clan." She opened one of the books containing a poem Shu-ming had written himself. His writing astonished her—the depth of meaning, the perfect rhythm of the words, and so much more. She opened another and found a fantasy story about a vagrant who built a mighty empire. The tale was gripping, without a single dull moment. She continued reading, completely absorbed.
Meanwhile, Shu-ming took the money and went to buy food to satisfy his hunger. He purchased a chicken leg and a piece of fresh bread. He had not tasted chicken in over two months, so he decided to enjoy it and reward himself for the day's success.
After finishing his meal, he set the bowl aside, lay down on his mat, and thought quietly, "I'll rest tonight. Tomorrow I'll write more." Then he slowly closed his eyes.
At the Luo Clan, the carriage arrived before the clan gate on the side of the street. The word "Luo" was carved into the wooden gate, which opened quietly.
Inside the carriage, Luo Xia was still quietly reading and pondering Shu-ming's books, unaware they had reached the clan until a guard outside reminded her, "My lady, we have arrived at the clan."
Upon hearing that, she closed the book in her hands. She could hardly wait to sit alone in her room and read these books in peace. Shu-ming's writing had deeply impressed her—whether the poems, the fantasy stories, or the few pieces of general knowledge he had written.
She ordered the guards, "Take the books to my room. Handle them with care so they are not damaged. I will study them later."
The guards bowed slightly and began collecting the books scattered inside the carriage. A young maid stepped forward. "Welcome back, my lady! I have wonderful news!"
It was her personal maid. Luo Xia looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Yanxi? What news could be so important?"
The maid smiled and replied, "The relationship between the clan master and the young master has improved greatly. It turns out the young master has been training under a powerful mentor! However, he refused to reveal his master's name."
"But the young master's strength is truly astonishing. He nearly defeated the clan master in a spar. If it had been a real fight, he might have won!" A foolishly happy smile spread across Yanxi's face as she explained the clan's situation during Luo Xia's absence.
Luo Xia paused for a moment. Her elder brother had suffered from blocked energy channels since childhood, preventing him from practicing martial arts. This had disappointed their father and the clan elders, who had treated him like any low-status disciple within the clan. He had never been regarded as the young master of the Luo Clan!
Yet now he was being treated as the young master, his relationship with their father had improved, and his strength had reached the same level as the clan master himself. "Yanxi, how was my brother's illness cured?"
Yanxi answered, "The young master said his mentor helped him, but he wouldn't say anything more… I will lead you inside, my lady. You will see for yourself!"
Yanxi quickened her steps toward a small building in the center of the clan. Inside the hall, the first young master of the Luo Clan—Luo Feng—sat on a raised chair. Beside him sat the clan master—Luo Xin—with blue hair streaked with a few white strands indicating his age.
Luo Feng had red hair like his mother's, golden eyes, and sharp features. He possessed the true bearing of a young master, deep inner energy radiating from him.
On the right and left, the Luo Clan elders sat on chairs lower than those of Luo Feng and Luo Xin.
A herald announced, "The young miss, Luo Xia, has entered!"
Following the announcement, Luo Xia walked in wearing the same clothes as before, her personal maid Yanxi following with her head slightly bowed. Luo Xia moved quickly, eager to see the changes that had taken place in the clan.
The moment she entered and stood before her father's and Luo Feng's seats, she spoke. "Father? What happened here? And—Luo Feng… have you recovered?"
Luo Xin looked at her with joyful eyes. "Hahaha, it's fine, Xia'er. Your brother has fully recovered. Soon our clan will be the number one clan in the entire city! Hahahaha!"
Luo Feng remained silent as always, calm and composed. He was not cold; he simply preferred to stay quiet. Luo Xia continued, "Luo Feng!"
Luo Feng raised his eyes and looked at her deeply. His sister was not afraid—only worried. "Sister… there is no need to worry. I have truly recovered," he answered with a warm, sincere smile.
Upon hearing the news, Luo Xia's eyes filled with tears of joy that fell uncontrollably. Luo Feng stood up and tried to comfort her. It was a scene that warmed the hearts of the entire clan.
Two days passed quietly after that.
In the alley, Shu-ming was happily writing more books. In the past two days he had not gone hungry, thanks to the money Luo Xia had given him. He secretly hoped she had liked his writing and would return to buy more…
At the end of the street, a Luo Clan guard was walking as if searching for something. He stopped people and asked them questions until someone pointed toward Shu-ming from afar.
Shu-ming did not notice; he was focused on his writing. The guard approached quietly and stopped in front of him, asking in an arrogant tone, "Are you the vagrant from whom our lady bought books?"
Shu-ming looked at him without standing. "Yes, but I am a writer, not a vagrant. What do you want?" His words were cold. He had seen the man's uniform—he was clearly from the Luo Clan. Despite the clan's prestige, the guard had spoken to him with arrogance, and Shu-ming had his own pride.
The guard narrowed his eyes slightly. "You! Shut up. If the lady had not ordered me to bring you, I would tear you apart right now. Get up and follow me."
Hearing this, Shu-ming set down his brush and looked the guard straight in the eyes. "If your lady wants me to come, let her come here herself. I am not a beast to be herded like a donkey."
Clang! (The sound of a sword being drawn)
The guard could not tolerate being insulted by what he saw as a mere vagrant. He drew his sword without hesitation, ready to cut off Shu-ming's head. Some people nearby turned to watch the Luo Clan guard.
"My God, does the Luo Clan want to kill someone?"
"Who dared to insult a Luo Clan guard?"
Such conversations began around them. The guard did not back down because of the onlookers, but just as he raised his sword to strike, Shu-ming spoke. "Think carefully. Do you want to kill me in front of all these eyes? What will happen to the great Luo Clan's reputation after killing a lowly vagrant who sells books on the street? The clan master might cut off your head himself the moment he hears about it."
The guard thought for a moment. Shu-ming's words were convincing. He quickly sheathed his sword before any strange rumors could spread about the clan. "You… will regret this."
After speaking, the guard turned and left, leaving Shu-ming without another word.
Shu-ming breathed a sigh of relief. His heart was pounding fiercely. He decided he needed to change this temperament of his. Although his dignity and pride were important, he had momentarily forgotten that this world was built on the edge of the sword.
Without strength, one was nothing more than an insect to be slaughtered and thrown by the roadside with no one to bury them. Now that he had offended the Luo Clan, he no longer had a place in Yancheng City. "Damn it!"
He gritted his teeth in suppressed rage, but quickly composed himself. He hurriedly gathered the paper and ink he had bought the day before. He had only five silver coins left—barely enough to reach another city.
After collecting his few belongings, he prepared to leave. Even if the entire Luo Clan would not chase him, the guard from earlier might return with his companions to beat or even kill him in some dark corner where no one would notice… Such was the nature of martial artists. There was no such thing as virtue or honor.
What people called "self-defense martial arts" was nothing but a big lie. It was designed only for killing—nothing more. That was the truth that virtuous-looking martial artists denied…
Demonic martial artist or righteous one? Those were merely labels used by power-hungry people to attract the young, drawn only by their thirst for power. It was an absolute truth he had understood after a few years living here. He had witnessed countless murders… Even he himself had killed someone before… But that person had been scum who kidnapped small children and fully deserved what happened to him…
After gathering all his belongings and preparing to depart, he heard a familiar voice from behind: "Sir! Wait!"
He turned to see who it was and found it was the customer from two days ago—the second young miss of the Luo Clan, Luo Xia.