The Beggar

Lush green mountains and valleys, long winding ancient roads.

Beside the dusty ancient road, the teahouse was unusually lively at this moment.

The waiter's feet were smoking as he bustled about, pouring tea and water for merchants and wandering heroes from all directions.

In a brief lull in his busy work, the shopkeeper turned his head to look at the entrance of the teahouse and saw a ragged beggar curled up, leaning against the steps and sleeping with a bamboo stick in his arms.

Beside him was a chipped bowl, which was empty at the moment.

"In troubled times, human lives are cheap. Everyone suffers."

The shopkeeper sighed, reached out and beckoned a waiter over, and gestured towards the entrance.

The waiter immediately understood and rolled up his sleeves:

"Leave it to me, boss. I'll chase him away."

Before he could leave, the shopkeeper slapped him on the head:

"Go to the back and get two flatbreads and a bowl of clean water for him."

The waiter was stunned for a moment, then reluctantly went. A moment later, he returned with two flatbreads in his hand and a bowl of clean water. He came up to the beggar, squatted down, and placed the water bowl beside him:

"Wake up, wake up."

He kicked the beggar with his foot.

The beggar opened his eyes, which were a little cloudy, and looked at the waiter in surprise. He immediately said quickly:

"I'll leave now, I'll leave now..."

"Don't leave. Our boss is kind-hearted and can't stand to see others in such a state. These two flatbreads are for you, and you can ask for more water if it's not enough. Eat and drink your fill before you go."

The waiter threw the two flatbreads into the bowl, then turned and went back into the teahouse without looking back.

The beggar was moved to tears and thanked him repeatedly.

But when he lowered his head again, a sharp glint quietly flashed in his eyes.

He put away one of the two flatbreads and then gobbled up the other one.

He wasn't actually very hungry... He had just eaten a wild duck that morning, and he still had a duck leg hidden in his arms.

But since he was playing a beggar, he naturally had to look like one.

Chu Qing was actually quite confident in his acting skills.

This wasn't because Chu Qing had studied acting in his previous life, but because the original host himself had learned such things from a master.

To be a good assassin, acting and disguise were necessary skills.

Playing a woodcutter required looking like a woodcutter, and playing a doctor required having the demeanor of a doctor.

A top assassin not only had to be able to control their killing intent freely but also needed the ability to be a thousand faces and change constantly to be elusive.

Proper disguise allowed for surprise during assassination, increasing the success rate.

Moreover, if these skills were well-practiced, even if the assassination failed, they wouldn't easily be defeated and killed.

It is often said, "If one strike fails, flee a thousand miles."

There is a lot of skill in the word 'flee'. It's not just about running fast, but also about hiding quickly.

If you can't kill the target, you will inevitably face retaliation. If the other party has many forces around them, surrounding and intercepting you, how can it be so easy to run?

So you have to hide.

Hiding in corners is hiding, but it's a last resort. Standing in a crowd without being recognized is the best strategy.

If you hide and run, no one can catch you.

This is the true 'flee', coming without a trace, going without a shadow.

Therefore, disguise and acting skills are sometimes even more important than martial arts for an assassin.

Of course, Chu Qing's disguise wasn't for assassinating anyone. Although he had obtained an Assassin System, he didn't have any missions at the moment.

After escaping half a month ago, he didn't have time to feel sorry for himself about his transmigration. Instead, he started to consider what to do next.

Actually, according to Chu Qing's original plan, he wanted to flee a thousand miles first, find a place where no one knew him, and use the system to develop himself.

Once he was invincible, he would tear down the foundations of the Mirror of Sin and leave nothing behind.

But that secret letter made him change his plan...

Chu Yunfei had been publicly priced and put on the Mirror of Sin's list.

Although as a transmigrator, he didn't have any father-son affection for Chu Yunfei.

However, carrying the original host's memories made his feelings for Chu Yunfei complicated.

On one hand, he disliked the fate he had arranged, and on the other hand, he couldn't bear to see him in danger.

There were also some small thoughts of hoping to gain his approval... These thoughts, along with the memories, had all fallen into Chu Qing's heart. Although they didn't make him restless because of that secret letter, it was inevitable that he had some distracting thoughts and was always worried.

He figured that if Chu Yunfei was really killed by someone from the Mirror of Sin, this matter would likely become a lingering concern.

That would be a loss.

Only then did he make up his mind to secretly return to Heavenly Dance City and give Chu Yunfei a heads-up.

With Chu Yunfei's reputation as the Iron Palm of Deliverance, plus the power of Heavenly Dance City, if they were prepared in advance, even the Mirror of Sin would likely find it difficult to do anything to him in Heavenly Dance City, their home turf.

As for himself... he didn't intend to show his face.

Leaving aside whether Chu Yunfei still remembered that marriage contract from back then, just the fact that he had this system meant he wasn't suited to having attachments.

The rain half a month ago had washed away his tracks, and his journey of stealth and concealment had been peaceful. Now, he was almost at the border of Heavenly Dance City.

As he was thinking this, he heard the 'clip-clop' of hooves approaching from a distance.

This place was a transportation hub. Three hundred years ago, if the Great Qian Dynasty were still around, there would have been a post station here.

Although it was a bit desolate now, there were still quite a few people traveling north and south.

Chu Qing hadn't initially paid attention to the sound of the hooves. He just knew it was two horses. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of him. The people on the horses dismounted and chatted casually for a couple of sentences, using terms like 'senior brother' and 'junior sister', clearly indicating they were fellow disciples from the same sect.

It wasn't until he heard a 'clink' sound in his bowl that Chu Qing looked up in 'surprise'.

He saw a pair of young people standing before him, a man and a woman. The man was around twenty years old, wearing a blue robe cinched at the waist. He had wrist guards on his forearms, and his hands were broad with prominent knuckles.

One look told you he was skilled in fist and palm techniques.

The woman looked a little younger than the man. Her clothing was similar to his, just tailored for a woman.

She had delicate features but a blank expression.

In contrast, the man's expression was somewhat complicated.

For some reason, after seeing the man's face, Chu Qing felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity...

But he quickly reacted, changing his voice and speaking:

"Thank you, thank you, young master and young lady."

His face was covered in black mud, making his true appearance indistinguishable, and his voice was hoarse and rough, sounding like a middle-aged beggar.

When the young man heard his voice, the complex look on his face disappeared. He seemed a little disappointed, but also somewhat relieved, and shook his head slightly:

"It's nothing."

"Senior Brother... why do you always give silver whenever you encounter a beggar on your travels?"

Chu Qing heard the woman speak. Her voice wasn't cold, but it wasn't particularly warm either, as if their relationship wasn't very close.

The man sighed:

"Junior Sister, you don't know. My younger brother left home when he was young and hasn't returned for years. I haven't heard from him at all.

"For the past half a month, when I wake up in the middle of the night, I often dream of him ragged and begging by the roadside, starving and freezing, gaunt and emaciated... Every time I dream of him, it jolts me awake.

"After that, when I see beggars by the roadside, I always worry it's him, but at the same time, I hope it is..."

As Chu Qing listened to him speak, his mind buzzed for a moment.

Seven years had passed, so his appearance had naturally changed, but they were still connected by blood.

No wonder he had felt a sense of familiarity when he saw him just now... This person was actually his cheap second brother, Chu Fan!

PS: Thanks to the three alliance masters '某疯の父', '非才', and '翻车鱼' for their rewards~~~

Also, during the new book period, the old rule applies: updates at 11 am and 6 pm, two updates a day~ Please collect!!