Save Me!

The owner of the neighboring shop perked up when he heard this.

He poked his head out and "teased" the customer, his words laced with contempt: "Hey, can an old geezer like you even tell the difference between something only nobility possesses?"

Another customer, who had come to buy meat, chimed in.

"Perhaps he's seen many 'nobles' at the pavilion..."

Faced with the malicious teasing from those around him, the customer remained unfazed. His eyes, which had seen countless storms, held only peace.

The butcher, however, found it grating.

He brandished his boning knife as if to chase the man away.

"Scram, scram, get out of here and don't ruin my business. Do you want meat or not? If not, stand somewhere else."

The other onlookers, finding it no longer interesting, dispersed.

Although the butcher did dirty and strenuous work, he was the wealthiest and most well-off person on this street, and his words carried some weight. Ordinary families only afforded meat on festivals, while the butcher's family ate meat every few days, and their dishes were always rich with oil.

The neighbors didn't dare offend him lightly.

Seeing the crowd disperse, the butcher asked the customer, "Old man, what you said earlier, was it true?"

The customer smiled, "Of course, it's true."

The butcher pondered for a moment, then asked, "How did you know?"

He was quite curious how this old man, from afar, could recognize it as a Literary Heart Sigil at a glance and not just an ordinary accessory.

The customer tapped the counter of the meat stall with his finger and said with a smile, "That's not important. What's important is that you're going to lose. A bet is a bet."

"Alright, alright, if I lose, it'll be a happy occasion! I'll buy you another two taels of old wine to go with your meal..." The butcher waved his hand dismissively. He had a high-paying job and didn't care about such a small "stake." While waiting, the butcher rested his arms on the wooden counter and chatted with the customer. "Hey, old man, you talk so eloquently, have you really studied?"

The customer replied, "I know a few characters."

The butcher's spirits lifted, and he slapped the counter. "Old man, you know my child is about to start school..."

The customer asked him calmly, "Do you want your child to study?"

The butcher nodded. "It doesn't need to be much, I don't expect my child to become an official. Our family background isn't destined for nobility. Just teach the child a few characters, so they won't be cheated when calculating accounts in the future. This shop will eventually be for the child..."

"What if your child has a Literary Heart or Martial Gall? Would you support them? Literary Heart is for studying, Martial Gall is for training the body, and both require a fortune."

The butcher felt the old man was mocking him. He pouted and lowered his head, skillfully cutting the meat. "With our background? My child isn't worthy. They can just learn to butcher meat from me..."

In his memory, those with a Literary Heart Sigil or Martial Gall Tiger Tally were nobles. They were either high-ranking officials or immensely wealthy, in short, superior beings. These people could leap over eaves and walls, and create something from nothing; they possessed divine abilities.

They were just common folk, wallowing in the mud.

He was a butcher, and his child would surely be a butcher too.

Anything else?

He dared not hope for so much.

The customer looked at the butcher with eyes as calm as water. He couldn't even dare to daydream and imagine. He felt a pang in his heart.

He sighed and said, "The family business..."

The butcher didn't understand. "What's that?"

"It means inheriting your father's profession," the customer explained. "The son of a good cook must learn to make furs; the son of a good archer must learn to make winnowing baskets."

The butcher understood even less, but he was certain of one thing: This old man truly knew how to read, and probably quite a lot!

Therefore, he became even more confused.

Who in this day and age didn't respect literate people?

If the old man went out to teach children to read and write, he wouldn't be in such a state, ending up bought by the Moonlit Pavilion to be a kitchen helper.

The butcher harbored his doubts, but the customer didn't want to say more, and with business coming in, he had to put aside his extra thoughts.

He thought about taking his child to find the old man that evening, bringing two more pounds of good meat. Eating offal all day wouldn't cause illness, he figured.

Meanwhile, the ruffian had led Shen Tang far away.

He first walked along a main road. Once Shen Tang's attention was diverted and she let down her guard, he suggested taking a shortcut into an alley.

The further they walked, the more secluded and quiet it became.

Shen Tang finally felt a noticeable sense of unease.

She asked the man, "How much further to the inn?"

The man replied, "Almost there, almost there."

After another two alleyways, Shen Tang asked again.

"Are you sure you haven't gotten lost?"

The man grew impatient. They were only a few steps away from their destination, and he felt emboldened. His voice rose several decibels as he threatened Shen Tang, "I said almost there, why is the Young Lady in such a hurry?"

Shen Tang sensed something was wrong and said frantically, "I want to go back..."

The man chuckled and refused to stop. "Too late!"

He kicked open a door and shouted into the courtyard, "We have a customer."

It was a very remote and dirty courtyard, with weeds growing through the cracks in the walls. Faintly, conversations could be heard from within.

Shen Tang pretended to climb off the motorcycle's back to escape.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, before she could even steady herself, a man roughly shoved her into the courtyard. Her balance faltered, and she stumbled hard. Looking back in panic at the man and woman emerging from the courtyard, she felt uneasy.

The woman said, "What a pretty young lady! Lai Tou, where did you trick her from? Look at her soft, tender skin..."

As she spoke, she reached out to pinch Shen Tang's cheek.

Shen Tang dodged in fear and glared at the man named "Lai Tou," "You, you you you weren't called by Yuan Liang?"

Lai Tou ignored Shen Tang and replied on his own, "She obediently followed me after just a few words. She's good-looking but not very bright."

The man beside the woman leaned in to examine Shen Tang's face. Shen Tang timidly retreated, on the verge of tears from fear.

The man licked his lips and chuckled, "What does a girl need brains for? If women had brains, how could we do business? We'll take her to the Moonlit Pavilion later; they've been urging us for good merchandise."

The woman ignored her companion's sweeping generalization, "The Moonlit Pavilion? Aren't all the male courtesans there? What do they need a girl for?"

Lai Tou and the man exchanged smiles.

A lewdness flowed between them, everything unspoken.

"You don't understand. If they ask for merchandise, we just give it to them."

"Exactly, women should mind their own business."

Lai Tou pushed Shen Tang's shoulder, preparing to lock her in a dark, dirty, and foul-smelling small room.

Shen Tang sidestepped.

Filled with shame and anger, she gritted her teeth, "You dare to sell me?"

The woman sneered, her eyes suddenly sharp. She reached out to pinch Shen Tang's flesh, threatening, "Don't talk about you, a mere young lady. Even if the wife of the King of Heaven came, we could sell her. Behave yourself! Or you'll regret it!"

Shen Tang dodged around a pillar, her eyes reddening at the corners as she cursed, "Aren't you afraid of divine retribution for doing this?"

Seeing Shen Tang running with more vigor, the three prepared to work together to capture her, then beat her soundly to teach her a lesson.

"Retribution?" Lai Tou spat, "I am the heavens!"

"Qi Yuanliang, save me!"

The man said, "Scream your lungs out, no one will save you!"

This little lady runs quite well, slippery as an eel.

"I'm so scared!"

Shen Tang's voice began to crack with tears.

The courtyard was small, and Shen Tang was quickly cornered by the three. The young lady, on the verge of tears, cowered, her shoulders trembling.

The next moment, the fear on her face vanished.

"Not really!"

Using the wall for leverage, her long legs swept out in a spinning kick.