Being Handsome is a Crime

Great Yong, Baiyun County.

The golden crow began its ascent.

The air grew increasingly stifling.

The leaves along the roadside had barely unfurled before their edges began to wilt, coated in a layer of greyish, weary dust.

In a cramped alleyway in the outer southern city, four sedan chair bearers were struggling to maneuver a sedan chair through the narrow passage.

Though the sun had yet to reach its zenith, beads of sweat were already seeping from the bearers' foreheads, rolling down one by one onto the tops of their feet.

Their backs were drenched, their short shirts soaked through as if by a waterfall.

The four bearers had carried this "noble" all the way from the inner city without a moment's rest.

Chen Zhuo was struggling the most.

His chest heaved violently as he wheezed for air.

Yet the sedan could not stop, nor could it be jostled.

If the noble were disturbed, the consequences would be unpredictable.

Chen Zhuo could only grit his teeth and endure.

Fortunately, after passing through two narrow alleys, they reached the wide main street.

They had taken only a few steps when the group arrived at a residence.

Registrar Wang, a thin old man with narrow eyes and thin lips, had been waiting at the entrance for some time.

"My lord, it is settled."

"Mm."

A low voice emanated from the sedan. Registrar Wang hurried forward to lift the curtain, welcoming his superior out.

Registrar Wang cast a sidelong glance.

The four bearers, including Chen Zhuo, immediately knelt on the ground and chanted in unison, "Greetings, Magistrate Liu."

Magistrate Liu stood with his back to them, not even sparing them a glance as he waved a hand.

"Reward them."

With that, he stepped into the residence.

Registrar Wang tossed out a few pieces of broken silver with a grin, which landed precisely in front of the four bearers.

"Consider yourselves lucky."

Chen Zhuo picked up the silver from the ground; his heart should have been racing from the windfall.

But at this moment.

He felt nothing, and was even somewhat disgusted.

The nickname "Skin-Peeler Wang" was known throughout the county.

Registrar Wang held his hand out before the four of them, his smile widening.

The four men felt no surprise at all and naturally handed the silver back.

When it was Chen Zhuo's turn to hand over the silver, whether intentional or not, his hand was pinched by Skin-Peeler Wang.

He quickly pulled his hand back.

"Not bad."

Registrar Wang gave Chen Zhuo a deep look, satisfied as he tucked the silver away, leaned in to sniff it, and a look of strange satisfaction appeared on his face.

"Go rest."

Does silver really smell better after passing through someone else's hands?

Chen Zhuo could not understand this perverted behavior.

But he could only complain in his heart.

As a lowly runner, how could he dare to judge a Registrar who held an official position?

In this society with its strict hierarchy, speaking out of turn could get you killed.

"One mace of silver—how many catties of fatty meat could that buy?"

Chen Zhuo walked to the side, heart aching, and found a corner to sit on the ground with his back against a stone wall, his exhausted body gradually finding relief.

In the sweltering summer, the streets of the outer city were still bustling with people, a stark contrast to the inner city.

Peddlers and porters, merchants and laborers.

In the real ancient world, there were no young masters and misses strolling the streets; it was all poor folk rushing about to make a living.

Chen Zhuo stared blankly at the street, memories surging.

He shouldn't have listened to his friend's encouragement to go light and fast on the Aotai Trail.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have transmigrated into such a rotten world after death.

"I really want a glass of iced eight-plus-one."

Chen Zhuo licked his dry lips, then shook his head, forcing these delusions deep into his heart.

His primary goal now was to survive.

Those who have died once want to live even more.

Chen Zhuo took a deep, ragged breath, his peripheral vision inadvertently glancing forward.

He discovered that Skin-Peeler Wang was staring straight at him, his eyes filled with a hint of fervor.

Chen Zhuo's scalp went numb instantly, and he hurriedly shifted his gaze away.

He was all too familiar with this kind of look.

Back in his past life, when he was in the Shu Capital, people would occasionally give him this look.

In the past, he could have just told them to "get lost," but right now...

Calm down!

Chen Zhuo forcibly suppressed the manic agitation in his heart.

The gap between him and the other party was not just status, but raw strength.

In this world, martial arts could reach the divine.

Chen Zhuo had seen Skin-Peeler Wang make a move once before.

Not long ago, a burly man eight feet tall had tried to assassinate Magistrate Liu, only to be grabbed by the neck by this skinny old man, Skin-Peeler Wang, and lifted up like a little chick.

The sight at that time had been so shocking his eyeballs had nearly popped out.

Right now, Chen Zhuo could only choose silence.

While he was silent, an eagle-like claw suddenly landed on his shoulder, with a tendency to wander downward.

Chen Zhuo stood up and moved to the side, but the claw was like a maggot on a rotting bone, remaining firmly on his shoulder, impossible to shake off.

He felt like a plaything in the claw's grip, left to be kneaded at will.

"Not bad."

Registrar Wang's sinister voice rang in Chen Zhuo's ear as the sharp claw roamed over his body.

"Sword-like brows with starlit eyes, a nose like a hanging gall, a fine appearance."

"Hmm, the muscles and bones aren't top-tier, and the body is a bit depleted, but fortunately, it's not severe. As long as you nourish it well for a period, you can make up for it."

"For a mud-legged peasant from the outer city to have a body like this, it's truly rare."

"How long have you been at the yamen? Why haven't I seen you before?"

Registrar Wang asked with a hint of surprise.

"This lowly one has been at the yamen for over a month."

Chen Zhuo kept his head buried.

Even though he tried his best to control it, his body was still trembling like a sieve.

"Don't be afraid."

Mistaking his trembling for fear, Registrar Wang not only released the claw from his shoulder but patted his chest to soothe him.

"Life is hard, isn't it?"

"Come to my residence tonight. I'll teach you martial arts. In the future, I guarantee you'll be able to gain a foothold in Baiyun County."

Chen Zhuo heard the trace of excitement in Skin-Peeler Wang's tone and instinctively clenched his buttocks, saying, "This lowly one has a cheap body and only knows how to work; I don't have the fate for martial arts."

"I'm afraid I cannot enjoy the Registrar's generous favor."

Upon hearing this, Registrar Wang's face immediately fell. "You don't know what's good for you."

Chen Zhuo remained silent, responding only with stillness.

"I don't like to force things."

Registrar Wang's eyes turned cold. "But don't make me wait too long."

As he spoke, he pulled an ingot of silver from his robes and dangled it before Chen Zhuo's eyes.

"If you think it through, come find me as soon as possible."

Watching Skin-Peeler Wang turn and step into the residence, Chen Zhuo's eyelids twitched violently.

Under the sunlight, a flame seemed to be hidden deep within his eyes.

Unknowingly, he curled his bony fingers into his palms, his nails nearly digging into his flesh.

"Why not just give in to Skin-Peeler Wang?"

At this moment, a sudden voice rang in Chen Zhuo's ear.

Chen Zhuo turned his head and found the other three sedan chair bearers traveling with him eyeing him up and down with mocking, ambiguous expressions.

Their focus was fixed squarely on his backside.

"If you like it so much, go ahead."

Chen Zhuo responded coldly.

"Pity that we are ugly, unlike you, who looks like a little wench and is so pleasing to the eye."

"Stupid, hopelessly stupid. Do you know what a blessing it is to be favored by Lord Wang? A mud-legged peasant like you is actually reluctant? Offend Lord Wang, and you'll be in for a world of hurt."

"We've traveled together for a while, at least tell us where your family's ancestral grave is?"

Chen Zhuo's gaze swept indifferently across the three men's faces, only to find that they felt no resistance toward such a thing at all; instead, their expressions were filled with intense jealousy.

People were actually fighting to offer up their own rears?

How had he not noticed before that the people in this world were so perverted?

This place definitely had something wrong with it.

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath, ignored the three of them, and turned to sit back down in the shadows of the corner.

Rest.

Conserve his strength.

When he returned to the yamen in the afternoon, he would have an hour of time to practice martial arts.

Chen Zhuo held his breath and focused his mind, and a row of small characters gradually appeared before his eyes.

[Realm: None]
[Training Method: Iron Cloth Shirt (47/50) (Not yet initiated)]
[Combat Method: None]
[Technique: Vegetable Chopping Technique (35/40) (Minor Achievement)]

"Almost there."

In the shadows.

Chen Zhuo raised his hands, spread his slender fingers, and stared intently at the bloody welts on his palms.