Nine Classes

Having left Wu Li Gang for some time, the slender Forest Path gradually widened, and now there were more than just two groups of people. Carriages, ox carts, and farmers carrying loads on shoulder poles were all heading forward.

The increasingly dense footprints and animal droppings on the ground made Li Huowang realize that Jianye Town must be near.

"Zhao Wu, are the people like Lu Ban Master and his troupe very low in status?" Li Huowang asked Zhao Wu, who was intently learning to write.

Zhao Wu, who was tracing characters with a twig, looked up, glancing at Li Huowang with surprise, then looked ahead at the Lu Family Troupe again.

"Yes, although they receive applause from the audience when they perform, they are like the women in the brothels. Liking them is one thing, but their status is another. Performers are the lowest of the Nine Classes."

"Really? What Nine Classes?" Li asked in surprise. If it weren't for what happened before, he really wouldn't have noticed it.

"First-Class Emperor, Second-Class Official General, Third-Class Gentry Merchant, Fourth-Class Sectarian Gang, Fifth-Class Artisan, Sixth-Class Doctor Farmer, Seventh-Class Witch Beggar Slave, Eighth-Class Thief Swindler Robber, Ninth-Class Performer Prostitute."

"Moreover, it's not just about looking down on their status, but also different treatment. For example, people from the lower three classes cannot marry into respectable families, and there are restrictions on their clothing and transportation. They cannot ride horses or sit in sedan chairs, nor can they wear brocade, silk, or satin. Even when they file a lawsuit, they are at a disadvantage."

Hearing Zhao Wu rattle off the list as if reciting a tongue twister, Li Huowang was very surprised. "I didn't expect you to know so much."

"Senior Brother Li is too kind. After all, my family is in town, so I know these things. Besides, most people should know about these things. Where are you from, Senior Brother Li? Why don't you even know this?"

Zhao Wu had long noticed the differences in this Senior Brother Li, but only found an opportunity to ask today.

"Hehe, a very, very far away place." Li Huowang was too lazy to explain his origins. It was troublesome, and these people might not understand anyway.

Seeing that Li Huowang didn't answer, Zhao Wu didn't ask further and continued, "We're still better off here. No matter which class, the emperor still allows people to take the imperial examinations. Although it's not certain they'll succeed, at least there's a chance. I heard that in other places, people from the lower three classes aren't even allowed to take the imperial examinations. They can't turn their lives around for generations. A performer can only be a performer for life."

"So that's how it is." Li Huowang had a new understanding of this world.

"Then what about Daoists like me? What's their status here?" Li Huowang asked again.

"Daoists are one of the three religions and not in the Nine Classes. Most people are quite respectful when they encounter Daoists, and even if they're not respectful, they'll avoid them. After all, who can say for sure about gods and ghosts?"

Zhao Wu's words made Li Huowang, who was planning to take off his Daoist Robe, give up the idea.

Since he was going to travel around, wearing this Daoist Robe would obviously be much more convenient than wearing plain clothes.

"By the way, Zhao Wu, what about people like Danyangzi? Their status should be very high, right?" Li Huowang immediately asked the key question.

"Senior Brother Li, to be honest, I don't know. Before I was captured by him, I really didn't know that there were people in the world who could be so powerful. I thought those were just made up by storytellers."

"Is that so...…" Li Huowang was thoughtful. It seemed that news was very limited in these places. Logically speaking, there should be quite a few people like Danyangzi, but Zhao Wu, a local, didn't even know.

However, he guessed that there should be people who restrained people like Danyangzi, otherwise he wouldn't have had to run to the deep mountains and forests to secretly cultivate immortality.

"Little Daoist priest! Little Daoist priest! Look at that city gate, we're here!" Hearing Lu Zhuangyuan's shout, Li Huowang looked up and looked forward.

At the end of the road they had been traveling for so many days, a row of low city walls covered with moss appeared, and inside the city walls was their destination: Jianye Town.

The Lu Family Troupe entered smoothly, but Li Huowang and the others were not so lucky, because their appearance was too special. Before they had been in for a while, the town's Yán Constable came with people to make trouble.

"Clang!" The constable held his knife with both hands, looking at Li Huowang with great apprehension, and asked, "Stop, stop! What's going on here! What are you!"

"Yán Constable, it's me, these are all people I know, they don't have bad intentions, they're just sending me home." Zhao Wu on the Donkey Cart greeted him.

Seeing Zhao Wu's face, the constable's hostility immediately decreased, and he put away his knife.

"Oh, it's Zhao Wu, the fifth child of the Zhao family. Where have you been all this time? Tell these people who are like you to be honest, buy a few hanging cloth hats to cover themselves, don't scare the neighbors."

"Thank you, Yán Constable. How is my family doing lately?"

"Good, of course, they're good. Oh, right, your second sister got married, to a good family. Go back and see her soon."

To avoid further trouble, Li Huowang, led by Zhao Wu, went to a stall selling bamboo hats and bought several bamboo hats with black cloth attached.

After the Medicinal Guides put them on, they were still very conspicuous, but at least they wouldn't scare people.

After reconfirming the next departure time with Lu Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang said to Zhao Wu, "Where is your home? Let's go there first."

Looking at everything familiar around him, Zhao Wu became a little emotional. He wasn't wearing a bamboo hat because everyone in town knew him.

Zhao Wu, his limbs weak, laboriously pushed himself off the cart with his hands and jumped down.

Gouwa, who was about to reach out to help, was stopped by Li Huowang, who drew the Longsword from his back and handed it to Zhao Wu.

Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the suicide notes, starting to sort through them.

Zhao Wu, supporting himself with the Longsword, stumbled towards his home.

Jianye Town seemed lively, with people coming and going, but it wasn't very big. Zhao Wu quickly found his home.

It was a small rice shop. Seeing his busy family inside, Zhao Wu's eyes filled with tears. "Dad! I'm back!"

Zhao Wu's trembling shout made everyone in the rice shop look up.

"Fifth Brother!" A sturdy young man with a bare upper body, who was carrying a bag of rice, threw the bag on his shoulder to the ground and rushed out excitedly, hugging him tightly.

Then a little girl with ox horn braids on her head also rushed out, excitedly circling around Zhao Wu.

Just as Zhao Wu was excitedly losing himself in the moment, Li Huowang, who was watching coldly from the side, noticed something was wrong.

Apart from the two people who rushed out of the house, the expressions of the others inside were very calm, which didn't seem like a normal family.

"Senior Brother Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao, keenly sensing the strange atmosphere, gently tugged at Li Huowang's sleeve.

Li Huowang patted the back of her hand and said nothing.