Beggar Travels the World

Chapter 3

Jinniang's eyes darted around, and she thought to herself, "This is bad. With Xu Dade dead, the yamen will definitely suspect Jueshelou first. I'm afraid..." She frowned and glared at Bai Can, who was calm and collected.

Bai Can was listening to Cui Shenghan's zither music with his chin resting on his hand when he noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him intently. He couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What are they doing...?"

Shui Wu'er said lazily, "They suspect that you killed Xu Dade."

"What?" Bai Can shouted.

At the same time, a loud noise came from behind the bamboo curtain, as if a zither string had suddenly snapped, and the maids were thrown into chaos.

Jinniang didn't mince words, and with a gust of fragrant wind, she solemnly advised Bai Can, "Whether you killed him or not, young master, you'd better leave this place as soon as possible."

Bai Can scoffed and was about to retort when he heard a cold yet gentle admonition from behind the bamboo curtain: "Jinniang is right, young master should leave as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Bai Can's usually easygoing expression was somewhat moved, but these words only strengthened his resolve to stay.

"I, Bai Can, am a real man. If I say I'm not leaving, I won't leave!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a green shadow flashed by, nimble as a dragon and swift as lightning. Before he could react, a palm strike had already landed.

Bai Can hurriedly parried the attack, but frowned. This person's moves were fierce but had no killing intent, and even seemed to be holding back. However, the power of his palm strikes was so far-reaching that it showed his inner strength was unfathomable. He had been traveling the martial arts world for more than ten years and had never encountered such a master.

Ten moves had passed, and Bai Can was still overwhelmed by the barrage of palm strikes when the man in blue gracefully drifted away, leaping out of the battle circle. Everyone present stared in disbelief.

It took Jinniang a full half-incense stick's time to calm herself down, but her astonishment did not lessen in the slightest; on the contrary, it rapidly intensified.

The man in blue was already seated inside the Peerless Beauty Pavilion, making no attempt to hide himself. However, Jinniang was completely unaware of his presence. Yet, the moment he appeared, he immediately and naturally captured the attention of everyone present.

The reason is simply because... simply because this person's appearance can only be described with one word, which is the name of this building:

Absolutely stunning!

For a fleeting moment, Jinniang even had the desire to take him for herself. She immediately dismissed the thought, inwardly grumbling: This is a man, after all!

Indeed, the young man was dressed in a blue scholar's robe, standing tall and straight. His black hair, as black as silk, was neatly tied up with a blue ribbon. His face was exquisitely beautiful, like a jade carving. However, there was neither femininity nor masculinity between his brows. Instead, he exuded a gentle and warm breeze, like the fresh and moist new buds of trees in the warmth of spring, spreading out lightly and blowing gently.

This scene can only be described in one sentence: untouched by worldly dust, untouched by human affairs.

At this moment, the stunningly handsome man, with a gentle smile on his lips, said, "Master Thief Zhi Xiaoyao, please forgive me."

Bai Can's expression hardened: "You are... a government official?"

The man in blue laughed loudly: "Not so. Last night, a wealthy family in the north of the city died at the hands of the assassination organization 'Traceless.' I investigated 'Traceless' all the way here and just heard what the proprietress said, so I decided to test you."

"Try me?" Bai Can glared at him unhappily. "And what did you find out?"

"I can say with certainty that Brother Bai is not one of the 'Traceless' sect, and Xu Dade did not die at Brother Bai's hands. I apologize for my previous disrespect."

Bai Can's face turned slightly pale. This man's actions treated him like a piece of meat on a chopping board, at his mercy. However, the man was polite in his words and actions, and his martial arts skills had reached a high level, making it difficult for him to retaliate. After holding back for a long time, he finally gave a cold "humph" and gave up.

"Brother Bai..."

"Don't call me that so affectionately!" Bai Can interrupted him impatiently. "You've already exposed all my secrets, why are you still being polite with me? Let me tell you, I'm currently recuperating and not doing business. You can't find anything on me unless..."

The man in blue saw through his thoughts and explained, "Brother Bai, you misunderstand. I never intended to target you. I am here today only because I have obtained reliable evidence that 'Misty Dream,' the third-ranked assassin in 'Traceless,' is in this Peerless Beauty Pavilion. Xu Dade should have died at his hands as well."

Bai Can, however, did not appreciate his kindness: "Why tell me about such an important matter?"

"If I wish to find the 'Dream of the Lost Soul' today, I will need Brother Bai's assistance."

Bai Can rolled his eyes, about to ask him how he would help, when he saw the man in blue flick his wrist and shoot out a hidden arrow, the tip of which was aimed at the western pavilion.

"No!" Bai Can cried out in alarm, leaping forward to intercept the hidden arrow.

The man in blue robes moved slightly, seemingly about to attack the people in the elegant room. Everyone was shocked by this change when, in the blink of an eye, a red figure swept from the east side toward the door.

The red-clad figure moved with graceful agility, about to disappear from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye, when suddenly she froze, falling straight to the ground. Upon closer inspection, everyone realized that the man in blue had struck her knee's pressure point with a sharp, long-range finger strike.

This series of unexpected events was so fast that it took everyone a while to react. Before they could react, the man in green was already standing in front of the woman in red—the beautiful and radiant Miss Fangyan from the Jueshelou Pavilion—and said gently, “I’ve heard so much about the third assassin, Mi Meng.”

Fang Yanzui raised her contorted face in hatred, her voice no longer soft and sweet: "You cheated!"

The man in blue smiled without speaking, but his expression seemed to say, "So what if I cheated?"

On the other side, Bai Can used his palm to lift the bamboo curtain of the elegant pavilion, rolling the sleeve arrow to the other side and nailing it into the wall. Behind the bamboo curtain, Cui Shenghan's jade-like face turned deathly pale as she fell off the zither.

The atmosphere was as cold as ice.

"Hahaha..." One of the people in the room suddenly burst into loud laughter, while banging on the table.

"Brilliant! Brilliant! What a brilliant move to lure the snake out of its hole, a classic case of turning the tables on them!"

It turned out to be that lewd old man from that day.

The man in blue showed no surprise. He cupped his hands and said, "You flatter me, Master Zhang."

After laughing, Old Master Zhang asked again, "Did you really come here specifically to investigate this matter?"

The man in blue blushed slightly: "Seven days from now, my sworn brother will marry Miss Yuwen at Chuxiu Manor..."

"So it was just a side thing," Old Master Zhang interrupted him mercilessly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "How come no one informed me of such a big event as Master Qin getting married?"

"The invitation has been sent to the Zhang family in Sichuan, but the whereabouts of Old Master Zhang are uncertain..." The man in blue remained respectful.

"Oh, I forgot, it was my fault. What are we waiting for? Let's hurry to the banquet!"

"Once I have finished dealing with this matter, I will be waiting for your arrival at Chuxiu Manor." The man in blue nodded slightly, then said to Fang Yanzui, "Miss Fang, please."

Fang Yan Zui was both angry and resentful, yet also extremely wary, so she had no choice but to swallow her anger and walk out of the Jue Se Lou with a slight limp, followed closely by the man in blue.

Old Master Zhang laughed again, then suddenly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to those around him: "Then I, Old Master Zhang, will take my leave!"

He strode out the door, passing by the two Shui brothers, and patted Shui Wu'er on the shoulder, laughing in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Little brother, you're not simple!"

Shui Wu'er trembled, her face showing a mixture of emotions.

That man in blue robes acted so casually, but his scheming was terrifyingly deep!

With effortless ease, he anticipated the actions of everyone present, and with just a few words, he lured them into a trap. Normally, it would have been difficult for him alone to force Fang Yanzui out, but after only listening to Jinniang and the others, he immediately saw through the budding feelings between Bai Can and Cui Shenghan, and skillfully manipulated them. He made Fang Yanzui, hiding behind the scenes, mistakenly believe that his attention was focused on Cui Shenghan, while Bai Can kept her in check, thus leading her to seek an opportunity to break free. Everything was so natural and impeccable.

Everything was under his control.

And what's even more terrifying is—

If I'm not mistaken, the third assassin, Dream, should be two people!

Given the man in blue's exceptional intelligence, there was no way he wouldn't know this, yet he simply let the other one go!

Inside the Peerless Pavilion, the hustle and bustle of life gradually returned. Jinniang, still shaken, cleared her throat and murmured, "Who...who is he?"

Bai Can slowly straightened up: "Besides one person, who else in the martial world can possess such elegance?"

“You mean…” Jinniang stared at him blankly.

"The young master in blue from Baili Prefecture."

Bai Canxu revealed his thoughts, then suddenly regained his usual jubilant expression and exclaimed, "If I, Bai Canxu, were to not have the chance to meet such a person, wouldn't I be known as the master thief Zhi Xiaoyao!" He lightly touched the ground with his toes and, overjoyed, rushed out the door to chase after him.

"I want to go too!" Shui You'er had spent several days with him and picked up many of his habits, so she ran out as well.

Shui Wu'er lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then slowly walked into the west pavilion. She glanced at Cui Shenghan, whose expression was somewhat calm, and gently lowered the bamboo curtain.

"The third assassin, Dream, is actually two people, isn't it?" The voice echoed faintly, but he did not miss the fleeting murderous intent on Cui Shenghan's face.

“Sister is actually kind-hearted by nature, otherwise why would that young man in blue have spared her life? Sister had no choice, did she?” Seeing Cui Shenghan’s expression harden again, he quickly said.

"Who...are you?" Cui Shenghan asked hesitantly and defensively.

Shui Wu'er smiled slightly, but what she said had nothing to do with the previous topic.

"Sister's music is a bit too cold and aloof, not very pleasing. This little beggar presents a song to you today, firstly to thank you for your kind gift, and secondly to thank you for your affection for Brother Bai."

After saying this, he took the initiative and sat down in front of the zither, completely ignoring the fact that one of the strings was broken.

Cui Shenghan was stunned. The ragged beggar before her had clear eyes. He reached out and gently plucked and strummed the melody, and a tune she had never heard before rippled out. It was like a whisper, or a chuckle, or like a small leaf drifting down onto the mirror-like surface of a lake after a warhorse had trampled the mountains and lakes and the water gradually calmed down, reflecting in the heart of the water.

Yu Zheng

Chuxiu Mountain Villa, Hebei Province.

Chuxiu Manor was celebrating a joyous occasion as its head of the Smoking Master, Qin Qiyun, was about to marry Yuwen Cuiyu, the eldest daughter of the Yuwen family. The manor was adorned with lanterns and decorations, brimming with happiness. Master Qin sent out invitations to all martial arts practitioners, and even Elder Zhang Baitong of the Zhang family from Sichuan traveled a great distance to offer his congratulations. The newlyweds were truly honored.

If half of the martial arts world came because of the Yuwen family's prestige, then what merit or ability did Qin Qiyun, the Flowing Smoke Palm Master, possess to invite the other half? Everyone knew that Qin Qiyun himself was merely a minor manor lord, while his sworn brothers were the renowned Four Young Masters of Baili Prefecture. Qin Qiyun was overjoyed today; with the four young masters of Baili Prefecture all present, how could the other martial arts world dare to fail to attend?

The Baili Manor has held a supreme position in the martial arts world for a century. No one knows why it was specifically elevated to the role of arbitrator. All that is known is that for a hundred years, whenever disputes or entanglements arose in the martial arts world, people would inevitably go to the Baili Manor to seek justice, as if in court. The Baili Manor would always handle matters impartially and without bias. If anyone disagreed with the Baili Manor's ruling, not only would the Baili Manor possess the absolute power to subdue them, but the entire martial arts world would also resolutely uphold the Baili Manor's judgment. The reason the Baili Manor is trusted by the entire martial arts world is probably because each generation of its head sons, like Baili Qingyi, possesses noble character, upright integrity, yet is also kind and adept at diplomacy. By the time of Baili Qingyi, the reputation of the Qingyi Gentleman had spread far and wide, not only for his virtuous character but also for his flawless appearance, which astonished all who beheld him. Furthermore, at only twenty-eight years old, the Qingyi Gentleman possessed unfathomable martial arts skills; the purity and depth of his internal energy even surpassed that of many veteran martial artists. With such a figure as Baili Qingyi, who in the martial world would dare disobey his commands?

Baili Qingyi is truly the most perfect man in the world.

Therefore, many martial arts practitioners went to Chuxiu Manor for a banquet, just to catch a glimpse of the true face of the young master in blue from Baili Prefecture.

The gates of Chuxiu Manor stood wide open. The manor lord, Qin Qiyun, appeared to be around twenty-five years old. Tall and slender, with a gentle and refined air, unlike most people, he had a striking feature: half his face was abruptly covered by a black cloth. Several knife scars marred the right side of his face, making it impossible to discern his original features, a truly regrettable sight. Yet, dressed in a bright red python robe, he beamed with joy, seemingly unconcerned about making his wedding a grand event for the entire martial arts world.

Outside the manor gate, besides the endless stream of carriages and horses from various martial arts families, there were also crowds of onlookers. Ordinary people, whose lives were usually uneventful, also wanted to take this opportunity to see if the so-called martial arts figures were all three-headed and six-armed.

Amidst the crowd, a gray figure, panting, struggled to squeeze to the front.

No, they were two figures!

The two young beggars, who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, were covered in filth but didn't seem to care as they weaved through the crowd. Anyone they touched hurriedly moved away, making way for them.

One of them, slightly taller, pulled another aside and whispered, "Wu'er, this is it! Today is a wedding for a wealthy family; we get to eat the same things the emperor eats!"

"So you know what the emperor eats..." Shui Wu'er murmured.

"I don't know, do you? Humph, I shouldn't have separated from Brother Bai, he made me go hungry for days." He paused, "So, it turns out he's the real master thief!"

"I..." Shui Wu'er was about to argue, but then softened. "Yes, I didn't know, it was my fault. Then tell me again, how are we supposed to get in? We're beggars, what wealthy family would let beggars sit at their wedding?"

"You didn't know that, did you?" he said smugly. "Let me tell you, today is the wedding of the master of Chuxiu Manor, a grand event in the martial arts world. Even the young master in blue from Baili Prefecture has come. How could the Beggar Clan not be here?"

"Young Master in Green..." Shui Wu'er murmured softly.

“Yes,” he called in Shui Wu’er’s ear when he saw that Shui Wu’er was distracted, “Wu’er, Wu’er? What are you thinking about?”

Shui Wu'er snapped back to reality in an instant: "No, nothing. You'er, although we are beggars, we are lowly beggars, how could we be qualified to join the Beggars' Sect? You wouldn't be thinking of..."

Shui You'er grinned: "That's right. We'll sneak into the Beggars' Sect's ranks during the chaos. With so many beggars, they won't be able to tell we're imposters."

“But…” Shui Wu’er still hesitated. This kind of martial arts gathering was not like petty theft. If she were discovered, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"But what? Don't you want to eat roast chicken anymore? Don't worry, at worst you'll get caught and beaten up again. I'm tough as nails, I'll definitely stand in front of you and not let you suffer." Shui You'er patted her chest with great courage.

“You…sigh…” Shui Wu’er sighed helplessly; this wasn’t the first time this had happened.