A Handsome Face Was a Crime

Great Yong, Baiyun County.

The golden crow had just risen.

The air was growing steadily hotter.

The leaves along the road had barely unfurled before drooping, shrouded in a gray-white haze of weariness.

In a cramped alley in the southern outer city, four bearers struggled to carry a sedan chair through.

The sun had not yet reached its zenith, but beads of sweat were already gathering on the bearers' foreheads, rolling down one by one onto their feet.

Their backs were drenched, too, their short shirts soaked through by waterfalls of sweat.

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

Chen Zhuo was having the hardest time.

His chest heaved violently as he panted in great, labored breaths.

But the sedan chair couldn't stop, and it couldn't jolt, either.

If they disturbed the noble, the consequences would be hard to predict.

Chen Zhuo could only grit his teeth and endure.

Fortunately, after passing through two narrow alleys, they would reach the broad main street.

They had barely gone a few steps when they arrived at a residence.

The thin old Chief Clerk Wang, with his narrow eyes and thin lips, had been waiting at the gate for some time.

"My lord, all is ready."

"Mm."

A deep voice came from inside the sedan chair. Chief Clerk Wang hurried forward to lift the curtain and welcome his superior out.

Chief Clerk Wang glanced sideways.

The four bearers, Chen Zhuo among them, immediately dropped to their knees and bowed their heads, chanting in unison, "Greetings, Lord Liu."

Magistrate Liu turned his back to them. Without even looking, he raised a hand and waved.

"Reward them."

With that, he strode into the residence.

Chief Clerk Wang chuckled and tossed out a few bits of silver, which landed neatly in front of the four bearers.

"Just be grateful and keep your mouths shut."

Chen Zhuo picked up the bits of silver from the ground. He should have been thrilled at the unexpected windfall.

But at that moment,

he felt nothing at all—if anything, he was disgusted.

The name Skin-Peeler Wang rang throughout the county.

Chief Clerk Wang held out his hand in front of the four, his smile growing wider.

The four weren't surprised in the least. They naturally returned the silver.

But when it was Chen Zhuo's turn to hand his over, whether by design or not, Skin-Peeler Wang seemed to give his hand a squeeze.

He quickly pulled his hand back.

"Good."

Chief Clerk Wang gave Chen Zhuo a long look, then contentedly pocketed the silver. He brought it close, sniffed it, and a strange look of satisfaction spread across his face.

"Go rest."

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

Chen Zhuo couldn't understand what kind of perversion that was.

But he could only grumble to himself.

He was a lowly White-Uniform Runner. How could he pass judgment on a Chief Clerk with official status?

In this strictly hierarchical society, careless words could get you killed.

"How many jin of fatty pork could one qian of silver buy?"

Heart aching, Chen Zhuo walked to the side, found a corner, and sat down with his back against a stone wall. His exhausted body slowly began to recover.

Even in the sweltering summer heat, the outer city's streets remained packed with people, a world apart from the inner city.

Peddlers and laborers, cart drivers and itinerant vendors.

The real ancient world wasn't full of young masters and young ladies strolling about the streets. It was filled with poor folk rushing around to make a living.

Chen Zhuo stared blankly at the street as memories surged through him.

He shouldn't have listened to his friend egging him on to speed-hike the Aotai Trail with a light pack.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have died and transmigrated into such a rotten world.

"I really want an ice-cold Eight Plus One."

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

His first priority now was to survive.

Someone who had died once wanted to live even more.

Chen Zhuo took a deep breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he happened to glance ahead.

He discovered Skin-Peeler Wang staring straight at him, with a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

Chen Zhuo's scalp prickled. He quickly looked away.

He knew that look all too well.

In his previous life in Shu Capital, people had given him that look from time to time.

Back then, he could at least answer them with a "get lost," but now...

Calm down!

Chen Zhuo forcibly suppressed the agitation inside him.

The gap between him and the other man wasn't just a matter of status. There was also the difference in their raw strength.

In this world, martial arts could reach the divine.

Chen Zhuo had once seen Skin-Peeler Wang strike.

Not long ago, an eight-foot-tall brute had tried to assassinate Magistrate Liu, but Skin-Peeler Wang, a skinny old man, had grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up like a chick.

The sight had nearly made Chen Zhuo's eyes pop out of his head.

For now, Chen Zhuo could only choose silence.

As he sat in silence, a claw like an old eagle's suddenly settled on his shoulder, then began to creep downward.

Chen Zhuo stood and shifted to the side, but the claw clung to him like a bone parasite, staying on his shoulder no matter what he did.

He was a plaything in that claw's grasp, there for it to fondle as it pleased.

"Not bad."

Chief Clerk Wang's sinister voice sounded beside Chen Zhuo's ear as the talons roamed over his body.

"Brows like swords, eyes like stars, a nose like a gallbladder. What a handsome face."

"Mm, your bones aren't anything special, and your body's a little depleted. But thankfully, it isn't too serious. A good period of nourishment will set you right."

"For a country bumpkin from the outer city, you've got a body like this. That's truly rare."

"How long have you been at the Yamen? How come I've never seen you before?"

Chief Clerk Wang asked, sounding a little surprised.

"This humble one has been at the Yamen for over a month."

Chen Zhuo lowered his head.

Even though he tried with all his might to control himself, his body still trembled like a sieve.

"Don't be afraid."

Chief Clerk Wang mistook his trembling for fear. Not only did he release the claw gripping Chen Zhuo's shoulder, he also patted his chest to soothe him.

"Life's been hard, hasn't it?"

"Come to my residence tonight. I'll teach you martial arts. After that, I guarantee you'll be able to make a place for yourself in Baiyun County."

Chen Zhuo heard the excitement in Skin-Peeler Wang's voice and instinctively clenched his buttocks. "This humble one is lowborn and knows only how to work. I'm not meant for martial arts."

"I fear I'm not worthy of the Chief Clerk's kindness."

At this,

Chief Clerk Wang's expression immediately fell. "You don't know what's good for you."

Chen Zhuo said nothing, answering with silence.

"I don't much care for forcing anyone."

Chief Clerk Wang's gaze turned cold. "But don't keep me waiting too long."

As he spoke, he took a silver ingot from his robes and waved it before Chen Zhuo's eyes.

"If you've thought it over, come find me as soon as possible."

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

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

Unconsciously, he curled his five long, knobby fingers into his palm, his nails nearly digging into his flesh.

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

At that moment, a voice came out of nowhere beside Chen Zhuo's ear.

Chen Zhuo turned and saw the other three bearers eyeing him up and down with teasing smiles.

Their attention was particularly focused on his backside.

"If you're so keen, you go."

Chen Zhuo answered coldly.

"Too bad we're ugly. Unlike you, looking like a little lady, you're just everyone's darling."

"Idiot. A hopeless idiot. What a blessing to earn Lord Wang's favor! You're just a country bumpkin, and you're still turning your nose up at it? Offend Lord Wang, and you'll be sorry."

"We've shared the road, at least. Why not tell us where your family's ancestral grave is?"

Chen Zhuo's gaze swept indifferently across their faces. He found that none of them seemed to object to this sort of thing at all. Instead, they were brimming with jealousy.

People actually fought over the chance to offer up their asses?

How had he never noticed before that the people of this world were so perverted?

There was definitely something strange about this place.

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

Rest.

Save his strength.

When he returned to the Yamen in the afternoon, he'd have an hour to practice martial arts.

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

[Realm: None]

[Training Method: Iron Cloth Shirt (47/50) (Not Yet Initiated)]

[Fighting Method: None]

[Technique: Vegetable Chopping Technique (35/40) (Minor Achievement)]

"Almost there."

In the shadows,

Chen Zhuo raised his hands, spread his long fingers, and stared fixedly at the lines of blood across his palms.