Northern Wilderness State lay in the north of Qing State, not far from the border. War often flared up there. Although Qing State had a powerful army and strong horses, the people living there could never feel at ease. After all, ordinary folk remained vulnerable when faced with ruthless enemy troops.
"True love, true love. Where in this world can you find true love? This so-called true love—is it the kind I feel, or the kind someone feels for me...?"
A man wandered aimlessly down the street, his hollow gaze sweeping over his surroundings. He focused mostly on the young women and wives passing by. He never stared for long—just one glance, then he looked away. No one came running over to shout at him or call him a lecher.
The man's hair looked like a chicken coop, and who knew how long it had been since he'd last combed it? His clothes were ragged, even worse than a beggar's, though at least he didn't reek too badly.
If you ignored his disheveled clothes and the dust on his face, he would have been a very handsome man.
Perhaps he was tired from walking. The scruffy man simply flopped down by a street corner and stared ahead with a numb expression, his gaze unfocused.
He had spent years searching for true love. But where could he find it?
His heart was heavy. Why was it so hard to find a wife he liked?
The scruffy man sat there, his thoughts drifting as he questioned his existence. He didn't know how long he'd been there when a pair of shoes appeared in front of him.
Perhaps the light had shifted. The scruffy man expressionlessly looked up.
They were a clean pair of cloth shoes, though they must have been old. They