Beggar

The verdant green mountains and streams, the long and winding ancient road.

Beside the dusty ancient road, the tea house was bustling with activity.

The waiter, with his feet practically flying, served tea and water to the merchants and wandering heroes traveling to and fro.

During a lull in the busyness, the shopkeeper glanced towards the entrance of the tea house. He saw a beggar in tattered clothes, curled up in a ball, leaning against the steps and sleeping with a bamboo stick.

Beside him lay a chipped bowl, currently empty.

"In times of chaos, human lives are cheap. They're all unfortunate souls."

The shopkeeper sighed, beckoned a waiter over, and gestured towards the door with his chin.

The waiter immediately understood and rolled up his sleeves.

"Just watch, boss, I'll chase him away right now."

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

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

The waiter blinked in surprise, then sheepishly went off. A moment later, he returned with two flatbreads and a bowl of water, approaching the beggar. He squatted down and placed the water bowl beside him.

"Wake up, wake up."

He nudged the beggar with his foot.

The beggar opened his eyes, his gaze slightly clouded. He looked at the waiter in surprise and quickly said, "I'm leaving, I'm leaving..."

"Don't go. My shopkeeper is kind-hearted and can't stand to see others suffer. Here are two flatbreads for you. If you need more water, just ask. Eat until you're full before you leave."

The waiter tossed the two flatbreads into the bowl and went back into the tea house without looking back.

The beggar was overwhelmed with gratitude, repeatedly expressing his thanks.

However, as he looked down again, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He carefully put one of the flatbreads away and began to devour the other.

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

But if he was going to play the part of a beggar, he had to act like one.

Chu Qing was actually quite confident in his acting skills.

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

To be a skilled assassin, acting and disguise were essential components.

To play a woodcutter, one had to look like a woodcutter; to play a doctor, one had to have the demeanor of a doctor.

A top assassin not only had to control their killing intent at will but also possess the ability to change their appearance and demeanor like a thousand faces, moving like a phantom.

With proper disguise, one could achieve the element of surprise during an assassination, increasing the success rate.

Moreover, if one honed these skills, even if an assassination failed, they wouldn't be easily defeated and killed.

There's a saying: "If the strike misses, flee a thousand miles."

The word 'flee' here holds great significance. It's not just about running fast, but also about hiding quickly.

If you can't kill the target, you'll inevitably face retaliation. If the target is surrounded by many powerful individuals and you're being pursued, how can you escape easily?

Therefore, you must hide.

Hiding in obscure corners is a form of hiding, but it's a lower-tier strategy. The superior strategy is to blend into a crowd and remain unrecognized.

Hiding while fleeing means no one can catch you.

This is the true meaning of 'fleeing' – appearing without a shadow, disappearing without a trace.

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

Of course, Chu Qing's disguise wasn't for assassinating anyone. Although he had obtained an assassin system, there were no commissions at the moment.

After escaping half a month ago, he didn't have time to wallow in self-pity about his transmigration. Instead, he began to consider what to do next.

Actually, Chu Qing's original plan was to flee a thousand miles, find a place no one knew, and use the system to develop himself.

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

But that secret letter had made him change his plans...

Chu Yunfei had already been publicly marked, his name added to the Sin Mirror Platform's list.

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

However, carrying the memories of the original owner made his feelings towards Chu Yunfei complicated.

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

There were also some small desires to gain his approval... These thoughts, along with the memories, had all fallen into Chu Qing's heart. While they didn't make him restless because of the secret letter, they inevitably caused some distractions and constant worry.

He figured that if Chu Yunfei were truly killed by people from the Sin Mirror Platform, it might become a deep-seated regret.

That would be a loss outweighing any gain.

He made up his mind then and there, deciding to sneak back to Heavenly Dance City to warn Chu Yunfei.

With Chu Yunfei's reputation as Iron Palm Crossing Calamity, coupled with the influence of Heavenly Dance City, if he was prepared in advance, even the Sin Mirror Platform would have a hard time dealing with him in their territory.

As for himself... he had no intention of showing his face.

Putting aside whether Chu Yunfei still remembered their engagement from years ago, his own System wasn't suited for attachments.

The rain half a month ago had washed away his tracks, and his stealthy journey had been peaceful so far. Now, he was nearing the borders of Heavenly Dance City.

As he thought this, he heard the sound of hooves approaching from afar.

This place was a transportation hub. If the Great Gan Dynasty still existed three hundred years ago, there would have been an official post station here.

Although it was a bit desolate now, there were still quite a few people coming and going.

Chu Qing hadn't paid much attention to the sound of hooves at first, only knowing there were two horses. In the blink of an eye, they arrived. The people on the horses dismounted and exchanged a few casual words, addressing each other as "senior brother" and "junior sister," clearly from the same sect.

It wasn't until a 'ding-dong' sound came from his bowl that Chu Qing "startled" and looked up.

Before him stood a young man and woman. The man was around twenty, dressed in a green robe cinched at the waist, with arm guards on his wrists and large, prominent knuckles on his palms.

He was clearly skilled in fist and palm techniques.

The woman looked slightly younger than the man. Her clothing was similar, just a women's cut.

Her features were delicate, but her expression was blank.

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

For some reason, upon seeing the man's face, Chu Qing inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity...

But he quickly composed himself and spoke in a changed voice:

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

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

Upon hearing his voice, the young man's complex expression faded. He looked somewhat disappointed, yet also somewhat relieved, and shook his head slightly:

"It's nothing."

"Senior brother... you've been giving silver to every beggar you've encountered on your journey. What is the reason for this?"

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 still have no news of him.

"For the past half month, in my dreams at night, I often see him begging by the roadside in rags, starving and poorly clothed, emaciated... Every time I dream of him, I wake up with a start.

"Then, when I see beggars by the roadside, I always worry it might be him, yet I also hope it's not..."

Chu Qing's mind buzzed as he listened to him speak.

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

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

ps: Thanks to 'A Madman's Father', 'No Talent', and 'Sunfish' for their generous donations~~~

Also, as per the usual rule during the new book period, updates will be at 11 AM and 6 PM, two chapters a day~ Please collect!