Follow Your Heart

"I wonder if they are from the north or the south?"

Hong San asked this question.

Northerner.

Southerner.

This kind of division is very interesting.

Generally speaking, even when meeting an old friend in a foreign land, people will only ask where you are from and whether you eat salty or sweet food, rather than going to the extra trouble of asking whether you are from the north or the south.

Unless... in present-day Cathay, there is some degree of antagonism between Southerners and Northerners.

Moreover, it must be a fierce political confrontation.

But that's not important.

The important question is... why would Hong San ask that?

Kang De's mind raced, and he quickly came up with the most correct answer.

He said calmly, "Southerners? Northerners? What's this distinction between North and South?"

Since it is a political division between North and South, both regimes must also seek unification and regard each other as illegitimate regimes. Therefore, claiming that North and South are unified and without division is naturally the most politically correct answer.

Hong San was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "You must be a very important person like my master."

Kang De glanced at him. "You have a master too?"

Hong San still smiled and said, "Of course I do, otherwise where would all these skills come from?"

Kang De sat down to one side, gazing at the scenery outside the window, and said calmly, "Did your master teach you skills, and also how to make a living in this Glittering Sand Viscounty?"

These two sentences are already extremely sarcastic.

But Hong San wasn't offended at all, and didn't even show the slightest sign of anger. He laughed and said, "Master didn't teach us that. He only taught us skills, and then told us old stories about our hometown. Occasionally, he would get drunk, point to the sky and curse the earth, beat his chest and stamp his feet, and cry out loud, grieving for the collapse of the nation and the loss of our land..."

Kang De nodded and said, "If he still thinks of his homeland, didn't he teach you the principles of being a person and a subject?"

Hong San shook his head and said, "I didn't teach that. My master said, 'Without a country and a home, wandering in foreign lands, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? In the end, the collapse of the world and the ruin of the nation are all because a bunch of parasites and traitors have misinterpreted the teachings of the sages, turning the grand and illustrious doctrines into something as foul as dog excrement. These followers of doctrines should all die a horrible death...'"

He spoke of his master, a look of reminiscence and longing flashing in his eyes. The fact that he could remember his master's words shows that he still respected his teacher who imparted knowledge and taught him.

Hong San continued, "So Master told us that he wouldn't teach us any principles. He would just tell us stories, stories of our family and country, stories of the rise and fall of dynasties, stories of sages, and stories of everyday life. He said he wouldn't teach us principles, nor would he ask us to do anything. His only hope was that we could do as we pleased, act according to our hearts, and do what we wanted to do most."

Kang De paused for a moment. "And then you went to work as a servant in the Glittering Sand Viscounty?"

Hong San said smugly, "It's not that easy. I've done many jobs. Being a mercenary is tough and tiring, and you have to risk your life. Being a bodyguard is something wealthy families look down on, and even the lesser-known wealthy families are stingy and miserly. You also get targeted and bullied by those barbarian knights and guards who think you're stealing their thunder. Being a soldier is even tougher, and farming is tiring too. After going around in circles, I found that doing the work of serving others is both comfortable and easy."

He recounted his business acumen. "I started out as a guard at a grand theater. Later, the theater manager hired me as a waiter, specifically to serve the important figures in the VIP rooms on the second floor. At first, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle it, but then I discovered, tsk tsk, you wouldn't believe it, those nobles just love it when we Eastern Lands serve them. It makes them feel good. All I had to do was dress neatly, fawn over them, and flatter them wholeheartedly, and they'd be overjoyed, giving me double the tips..."

"At the time, I wondered why my barbarian colleagues, who were also servants, didn't earn as much as I did. Then I realized it was because of my Eastern Lands identity, which was rare on the mainland. Rare people were even rarer, and Eastern Lands willing to serve others were even rarer, so they should earn more. Once I understood this, I casually revealed that I knew martial arts. Good heavens, all those nobles wanted to take me as their servant..."

At this point, he seemed to be talking about his most successful deal. "But isn't this just like doing business? Since so many people want to buy, I'm not in a hurry to sell. I have to sell myself for a good price. I can't sell to a wealthy family because there are too many complicated matters. I've heard my master say that small families won't work either; they're stingy and don't have much money. After considering all options, Lord Samuel is the most suitable..."

Oh shit.

That's absolutely amazing.

Kang De was stunned.

He really wanted to give this clown a thumbs up.

Well...

He had seen countless bizarre idiots online; the internet had brought people closer to the mentally challenged. But even though he had seen all sorts of mentally challenged people, he had never seen anyone so self-degrading.

Kang De was speechless for a moment.

He said, "If your master saw you like this, he'd probably beat you to a pulp."

Hong San's face fell. "That's right, I made some money and wanted to give it to him as a token of my respect, but when he asked about my recent situation, he immediately turned hostile, tried to beat me, and without saying a word, kicked me out of the house, saying that I was no longer his apprentice and that he should get as far away as possible..."

Looking at his aggrieved expression, Kang De couldn't tell if he was truly mentally ill or what. He sighed, "You've distorted your master's teachings."

Hong San stared wide-eyed and asked, "Where did you mispronounce it?"

Kang De frowned and said, "Your master taught you to follow your heart, and you went to be a dog?"

Hong San's eyes widened. "What's wrong with being a rich man's dog? I've lived on the mainland for many years and seen all sorts of people. Most of them don't even live as well as a dog in a wealthy family. Look at me, I'm neither hungry nor cold, I please my master and get rewards. What's wrong with that?"

He couldn't help but start showing off his knowledge again. "If you ask me, if humans were dogs, there would be no role for dogs. Dogs are ignorant, they don't understand, sometimes they're stubborn, sometimes they're foolish, sometimes they're disobedient. But humans are different. Humans are clever, they know when to flatter, when to shut up, they know what they should do and what they shouldn't do..."

Kang De paused for a moment, then whispered, "... Damn."

"Your reaction is just like Master's."

Hong San looked aggrieved. "I've thought about it and I still can't understand. Master told me to live according to my heart, and I listened to him, so why is he angry with me? I just feel that living like this is very easy, with no worries about food and clothing, and comfortable. It's better than licking blood from the knife's edge, and better than toiling in the fields for a living..."

That's absolutely amazing.

Kang De could completely understand why Hong San's master would turn against him. If this were his disciple, he would beat the bastard to a pulp too. Damn it, what a piece of trash.

Looking at Hong San's self-righteous and self-righteous manner, he wanted to punch him.

But hitting someone won't solve anything, and this guy certainly won't learn his lesson. He snorted and stood up, "Shut up..."

Hong San immediately shut his mouth and asked, "Sir, do you want to rest?"

Kang De said, "Let's go for a walk."

After listening to this guy's rant, he felt a little dizzy.

Hong San immediately patted his chest and said, "I know this place well. Where do you want to go?"

Kang De paced around the room a few times.

He had originally intended to tour the manor first and familiarize himself with the terrain, just in case. However, after seeing Hong San's servile demeanor today, he could imagine what the Cathayan were like in the manor. If he were to wander around the manor with this guy, he too would be subject to subtle scrutiny. The thought of this made him extremely displeased.

He said, "Let's go for a stroll in town."

Hong San was taken aback, then advised, "Sir, there's nothing to see in town. They're all vulgar and lowly barbarians. They're an eyesore. Why don't you..."

Kang De said nonchalantly, "I prefer watching vulgar, lowly barbarians. Let's go."

Hong San further advised, "Being vulgar and lowly is one thing, but what if there are some clueless thieves or hooligans..."

Kang De turned around and laughed, "Today at the docks, I offended that Knight Glenn. He seems like a vengeful person and will definitely find a way to get revenge on me. In this manor, he doesn't have much of a chance to do it, but in this chaotic town, he'll definitely get restless. He'll either find a thug to cause trouble or instigate some random people to annoy me. To be honest..."

He smiled and said, "What a coincidence, I also need to find a way to kill him."

Hong San's eyes flickered, and he subconsciously took a step back.

Kang De said meaningfully, "Hong San, you will protect me, right?"

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PS1: First update... Ah, should I post a third update? (Gestures)