The Little Beggar

Hong San was speechless.

To be honest, he certainly didn't want Kang De to run around aimlessly. After all, the Viscount had ordered him to serve Master Kang De. If this distinguished guest from Cathay encountered anything bad during this time, then if the Viscount investigated, Hong San would definitely not be able to escape and would be the first to be punished.

He still has that much self-awareness.

But he couldn't change Kang De's mind.

Because he was just a servant, he had no right to interfere with the guests' itinerary.

So he forced a smile and said, "Sir, please wait a moment, I'll go prepare a carriage for you."

Kang De said, "No need, I prefer to walk."

Hong San's smile became even more strained, "That wouldn't be good. The road is dusty and dirty. Why don't you ride a horse? I'll pick one out for you; it'll definitely be a good one."

Kang De shook his head and said, "No need, I can't ride a horse, I'm afraid to."

Hong San was almost in tears.

Can't ride a horse?

My Master Kang, I saw it clearly. That Iron Halberd was practically the most ferocious warhorse in the entire Viscount's territory. With its mouth pinched shut, it didn't dare to move an inch. Is that what you call not knowing how to ride a horse?

He looked distressed, racking his brains for other reasons.

Kang De, with his hands behind his back, said, "Alright, no need for excuses. Go and report to your master."

Hong San shuddered, staring at Kang De with a look of fear and panic that his thoughts had been exposed.

Kang De said, "You're not going? Then let's go now."

"Go! Go!"

Hong San nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, then quickly backed out the door, bowing and scraping as he finished, "Sir, please wait here a moment, just a moment, I'll be right back."

Kang De watched his figure disappear, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Through the exchange just now, Hong San's nature is almost clear. This guy is born to be a dog. According to his philosophy of survival, he will definitely obey the Viscount's orders and serve him as his true master.

At least Hong San would report what he had just said to Samuel.

In other words, Kang De's deliberate entrapment scheme—to lure the Knight Glenn into the chaotic town to retaliate and then kill him—would surely reach the Viscount's ears. This nobleman certainly wouldn't want to see such a thing happen; those in power hate trouble.

Therefore, the Viscount would most likely give that foolish knight a warning and reprimand, and might even secretly send someone to protect Kang De.

So this stroll won't be dangerous, and that's not the point. Kang De wasn't trying to fish, but rather to annoy that idiot knight again, because although that guy is narrow-minded and stingy, he might not actually harm Kang De in town, and the chances are very, very small... but that's not important.

More importantly, Kang De wanted to take this opportunity to annoy this guy.

His aim was to infuriate him with impotent rage, which would then lead him to take his anger out on Hong San even more—that was Kang De's purpose... Kang De had his own ideas about how to deal with Knight Glenn and Hong San.

But this is only one part of the whole process.

In other words, of the statements Kang De made to Hong San earlier, only one statement is true.

He needs to find a way to kill Glen.

"An arrogant racist, contemptuous of strangers, narrow-minded, concerned with saving face, and making no attempt to hide his hostility and hatred towards me..."

Kang De whispered, "Whether you live or die depends on Hong San's fate..."

He sat in the chair, deep in thought, and occasionally looked up to see himself in the mirror.

His face was indifferent, but his eyes were sharp.

Kang De was horrified.

The cold, stern expression vanished without a trace, and he patted his cheeks.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

He shook his head, then gave a wry smile, "How did I become like this?"

Kang De, living on Earth, would not have acted or thought in this way.

I wouldn't think about manipulating someone, nor would I think about killing someone.

When did this change in mindset occur?

Was it when he was plotting to destroy the Wings of Wayne? Or when he pulled out his lighter while facing the Goth People?

Or perhaps... even earlier?

Kang De remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly.

I feel somewhat lost and confused.

When Hong San returned, he saw Kang De sitting in a chair, lost in thought.

He whispered, "Master?"

Kang De snapped out of his reverie, glanced at him, and asked, "Ready?"

Hong San nodded. "Yes."

So Kang De stood up. "Let's go do something good."

"Ah?"

As Kant strolled away from the manor and walked along the smooth stone path out of the Viscount's sphere of influence, the real and ordinary world beyond the noble and elegant aristocratic life came Kang De view.

The bustling town and lively marketplace brought Glittering Sand to life.

A smile appeared on Kang De's face.

It wasn't that he was particularly down-to-earth, nor that he particularly enjoyed the life of ordinary people; it was simply that compared to the neat and elegant viscount's mansion, this place undoubtedly had a more human touch.

No matter how neat and exquisite the viscount's mansion was, it was still just the residence of a minor nobleman. In terms of environment and comfort, it could not compare to the high-end hotels on Earth. In Kang De's eyes, those could only be described as novel and nice, but they could not fascinate him. Instead, they made him feel unfamiliar. For an Earthling, the vibrant exotic scenery in front of him was much more refreshing.

The shops along the street, the people passing by— Kang De found all of this very interesting.

Hong San frowned, following behind Kang De, and whispered, "Sir, what's so interesting about this place? If you want to have some fun, how about we go to a tavern or..."

Kang De shook his head and said, "No, let's just walk around and take a look."

Hong San muttered, "Master's interests are truly unique. These barbarian peasants work themselves to the bone every day, barely having time to catch their breath. What's so interesting about that?"

Just as Kang De was about to speak, a ragged, filthy child approached, seemingly having planned this all along, and stretched out his hand. "Sir, please have mercy, give me some money..."

Hong San stepped past Kang De and kicked him, yelling, "Get out of here!"

With a thud, the little beggar was kicked and fell to the ground. He didn't cry or shout, but instinctively covered his head and curled up.

The passersby glanced at it briefly, then went about their business indifferently.

Kang De was startled and shouted sharply, "What are you doing!"

Hong San was startled, then laughed and explained, "Sir, I've seen plenty of these little beggars. They're all very cunning. They saw you were dressed so well, so they tried to come up and beg. They're quite shrewd..."

He wanted to say more, but seeing Kang De's sharp gaze, his heart skipped a beat. He instantly bent down and helped the little beggar to his feet with practiced ease. Ignoring the dirt on the boy's clothes, he brushed the dust off, pulled a few coins from his pocket, and stuffed them into the boy's hand, saying with a smile, "Little one, don't be afraid. I was just joking with you. Take this money and buy some food..."

Kang De stepped forward, squatted down, and examined the little beggar.

He was filthy, his hair hadn't been washed in ages, and he reeked of an unpleasant odor. He instinctively avoided Kang De's gaze, looking like a pitiful little mouse.

Kang De asked softly, "Are you alright?"

The little beggar nodded gently.

Kang De pulled out a few silver coins from his pocket. After capturing the Wings of Wayne, he received a lot of spoils. Tina, who was meticulous and thoughtful, had also prepared some money for him in advance.

He stuffed the money into the little beggar's hand. "Take it, use it to do some small business, or..."

Seeing this, Hong San said, "Sir, you are kind and righteous, but giving him so much money will only harm him."

"I know," Kang De said, "But isn't Samuel the one in charge here? Hong San, this matter is entrusted to you. I only care about the outcome."

Hong San hesitated for a moment, then said, "That's easy, it just requires a trip."

Kang De nodded and said, "Okay."

So I went on that trip.

Arriving at the little beggar's home, in a corner of the town, the dilapidated house was in disrepair. Besides the little beggar, there was also his grandmother, who was blind and unable to do anything.

"One trip is all it takes; everyone in town knows I'm a big shot under the Viscount."

Hong San said, "This trip will serve as a warning to these peasants around us not to have any improper thoughts. As for this little beggar, that's easy to handle. I don't even need Your Excellency, I just need to say the word, and a shopkeeper will be willing to take him on as an apprentice so he can learn a skill and won't have to worry about food and clothing in the future."

"That's good."

Kang De nodded, then asked the little beggar, "What's your name?"

The other person hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Li... Lister..."

Kang De smiled and said, "Well then, Lister, goodbye. I hope your life will improve, and I'll come to see you again... Everything will be alright."

The little guy was timid and introverted, didn't like to talk, and was afraid to speak. His grandmother was also extremely timid, and after asking for a long time, she still couldn't learn anything about the family's story... but it didn't matter anymore.

What matters is the future.

He said, "Goodbye."

Kang De and Hong San left, and before they had gone far, a shout came from behind, "Sir!"

Kang De turned around, and the little beggar Lister rushed in, raised his small face, looked at Kang De, and solemnly asked, "May I know your name?"

Kang De smiled and said, "Kang De, my name is Kang De."

"Mr. Kang De, thank you," the little boy said solemnly. "I will repay you; I will definitely repay you when I become a knight!"

Hong San was taken aback, then burst into laughter. "A knight? What kind of daydream are you having..."

Kang De glanced at him, making the boy swallow his laughter, and looked at the child before him with a smile, "More than your repayment, I hope that after you become a knight, you will be able to help more people in need."

After bidding farewell to Lister, the two left the area. Hong San couldn't help but say, "Master, this little beggar is simply daydreaming. He wants to become a knight? What a joke! I've been around here for so many years, and a tiger's son is a tiger, and a mouse's son is a mouse. How could he possibly have a mixed lineage? A knight? He probably doesn't even know how good a father one needs to become a knight..."

He glanced at Kang De's expression and couldn't help but say, "You didn't actually take his repayment seriously, did you? Let me tell you, don't take it to heart. These lowly bastards who wallow in the mud are all talk; they'll say whatever you want to hear. If you ask me, doing good deeds is fine, but please, don't..."

Kang De said calmly, "It's better to have good intentions in life. People are watching what you do; perhaps the cause you sow today will become the fruit tomorrow... I just think that if you have the ability, why not do it? That's all."

Upon hearing this, Hong San smacked his lips.

"I don't really understand these principles. I'm just naturally slow-witted, and even my master thinks I'm stupid." He scratched his head. "I just feel that if you can articulate these principles, you must be a high-ranking person. People who are just struggling to make a living down here wouldn't understand these things."

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PS1: Second update! Over 3,000 words! There's going to be a third update! You guys should all show your support!