Chapter 4: Begging for Survival—There Are Still Good People in This World

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"The Cloud Ascending Pavilion is just over a thousand miles from our Xuantian Sect's sacred ground. If I travel fifty miles a day, it'll only take me twenty days. Beg for a meal each day..."

This was Qian Jin's first time leaving the "sacred ground" of the Xuantian Sect on his own, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"You're an utter disgrace to the Xuantian Sect," Shangguan Lingxi almost lost her temper when she heard that Qian Jin planned to beg for food.

"And you! How dare you insult the words 'sacred ground' like that!" The sight of the desolate, overgrown graveyard before her shattered her worldview.

The juniors of the Xuantian Sect had chosen to hide the Egg of Dang Kang in this forsaken graveyard. Though it showed some cunning, it was a shame to their ancestors.

"You said there’s a city called Bluewind not far from here, didn’t you? Why not go there and earn some travel money before setting out?"

Shangguan Lingxi felt her temper had been running short lately—perhaps because she’d slept for so long.

"The Ancestor is right! Why didn’t I think of that? It must be that living symbiotically with this pig has dulled my wits," Qian Jin slapped his forehead. "Ow—"

"It hurts! Oww—"

He’d been beaten by the Ancestor the day before and his head was still swollen. His excitement made him hit himself harder than he meant to.

"Move it! I really want to slap you dead right now, just to clean up the sect's name!" Shangguan Lingxi stamped her feet in anger, glared fiercely at Qian Jin, and turned into a wisp of blue smoke that slipped into the book he carried in his arms.

...

"Little handsome boy, carrying a little pig, off to find his master’s wife—"

"Not afraid of sun or stormy rain—"

"Just afraid she’ll scold me for being lazy, with no spirit stones—"

"No way to cultivate—"

At the city gate, Qian Jin hugged the little pig, singing as he walked, happy as could be.

"Oink, oink—"

The little pig seemed to sense Qian Jin’s joy, snorting along with each step.

"Second Brother, your snorting is unbearable! Stop it," Qian Jin pinched the little pig’s mouth shut to keep it from making that awful noise.

"Oink—"

"What did you say? I sing worse than you? What taste do you have? This is the voice of heaven, and you’re just a pig—"

Because of their symbiotic contract, he could communicate with the little pig without barriers.

"A monster! There's a monster entering the city!"

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"Hurry! Catch him!"

Someone shouted, alerting the city gate soldiers, and a dozen spear-wielding guards charged at Qian Jin.

"A monster! Brave soldiers, save me!" Qian Jin hadn’t seen any monster, but noticing the soldiers running his way, he guessed the monster must be right behind him and dashed toward them for protection.

"He’s trying to run! Flank him, both sides!" A man who looked like an officer commanded the soldiers to surround Qian Jin in a tight circle.

"Safe at last! These soldiers are so kind, protecting me in a ring," Qian Jin sighed in relief, nodding and grinning at the soldiers all around.

"This monster dares to mock us! Kill him!" The soldiers saw Qian Jin grinning with squinted eyes and shouted in anger, thrusting their spears at him from all sides.

"Wrong target! You’ve got the wrong target!" Qian Jin, seeing the spears coming at him, dodged frantically.

"This monster can talk! If we catch him and sell him to a noble family, he’ll fetch a good price," several soldiers’ eyes lit up as they charged at Qian Jin with renewed fervor.

"I’m not a monster! I’m human! I just got beaten up this badly, that’s all, wuwuwu—"

Qian Jin finally realized the soldiers thought he was the monster and hurried to plead for his life.

"Stop! He does look human," the officer called for a halt, walked around Qian Jin twice, then nodded, "He really does look like a person."

"I am a person!" Qian Jin was on the verge of tears.

"Bet you’ve milked that injury for plenty of medical compensation! Share some with the brothers," said the officer, reaching into Qian Jin’s clothes, but after searching for a while, he found not a single coin.

"Disgusting! Just a penniless wretch, wasting my time!"

The officer cursed, waved his men back, then said to Qian Jin:

"You can’t enter the city. It’s not your fault you’re ugly, but scaring people in the city is your fault!"

Qian Jin felt aggrieved—if he couldn’t enter the city, where would he earn travel funds? Then, casting about, he noticed a group of beggars at the gate and his eyes lit up.

"Dear auntie, kind uncle, have mercy on a poor soul like me!"

"Spare a coin, a sip of soup, and may you live long and healthy!"

Seven or eight beggars chanted their rhymes as they begged, kowtowing furiously whenever someone passed, though few gave alms.

"Sir, spare a penny or two!" The beggars saw Qian Jin approach and scrambled to beg from him.

Qian Jin glanced around, found an empty spot, squatted down, and pulled a battered bowl from his coat to set before him.

"Damn it! Another competitor!" The beggars groaned at the sight.

...

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"What a pitiful child, beaten so badly."

"Here, take a few coins and buy something to eat."

"Take this and get some medicine—who could be so heartless?"

...

Qian Jin had barely squatted down before passersby began dropping coins into his bowl, offering words of comfort, while the other beggars were ignored and shot him resentful glances.

"So many kind people!" Qian Jin, seeing his bowl nearly full, scooped up the coins and stuffed them into his coat. In less than half an hour, he’d collected several hundred coins, and two young ladies had even tossed him a silver ingot.

"This is almost too easy! If I ever run out of money again, I’ll just let the Ancestor beat me up—what a moneymaker!"

Qian Jin stuffed another handful of coins into his coat. Seeing dusk was falling, he stood up and made for the city.

"I told you, you can’t go in," the officer, who had been watching all along, immediately blocked his path and rubbed his right hand meaningfully in front of Qian Jin.

"For a drink! For a drink!" Qian Jin wasn’t stupid—he instantly grabbed a handful of coins and handed them over.

"Oh my, look how badly you’re hurt! Quickly, go into the city and find a doctor—my conscience just can’t bear to see suffering," the officer beamed as he pocketed the coins, then put on a righteous expression and pushed Qian Jin toward the city.

"There really are kind people in this world! Thank you so much," Qian Jin thanked the officer profusely.

Once inside, Qian Jin found a restaurant and, feeling flush, bought ten steamed buns and devoured them in one sitting.

"You’ve eaten six already and you still want more! Are you a pig?" Qian Jin scolded the little pig in his arms as he walked along an empty street.

"What? You are a pig!"

"I…"

"Well, you’re not wrong…"

Qian Jin gazed at the pig in his hands, silently cursing its bottomless appetite. Suddenly, he sensed someone ahead. Looking up, he saw a dozen beggars blocking his way.

"Kid, hand over all your money!"