Pain Rather Than Numbness

Li Xian froze, his movements stiffening in place. Li Xiaofan asked, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Li Xian smiled and patted Li Xiaofan's head. "It's nothing, little brother. We have to work hard and stop letting others bully us."

It seemed that his transmigration had not come without a golden finger.

He practiced his punches again and again. With a will as tough as iron, even gold and stone could be opened in the end.

"Brother, don't worry! The Winter Examination will be here in a little over a month. I definitely won't let you down." Li Xiaofan spoke with determination.

"Good brother. Let's eat. We haven't had meat in a long time."

Li Xian's eyes grew moist. Since their father's death, the two brothers had depended on one another. The elder brother bore responsibility, while the younger had awakened early to the ways of the world. Yet the times were harsh; tightly shut gates were impossible to pry open even a fraction.

Now... at last, there was a glimmer of dawn.

The two brothers owned only one set of clothes each, so naturally they had no pot in which to boil water or cook meat. Every blade of grass and tree beyond the mountain forest was controlled by landlords, aristocratic families, and powerful clans.

The moment they lit a fire and smoke rose from the stove, manor guards would come looking. At the very least, they would receive a vicious beating.

They could only go next door and borrow Auntie Liu's stove. Auntie Liu's family was slightly better off; at least they had clothes to wear and barely resembled a proper household.

That night.

Li Xian changed into servant's clothes and returned to One Accord Manor.

From this day onward, he was no longer free. He was now the lowliest sort of servant in One Accord Manor.

But when one could not even eat one's fill or dress warmly, what freedom was there to speak of?

"I seek neither fame nor profit now. I only wish to find a place to shelter in these chaotic times, somewhere I can settle my body."

Li Xian sighed inwardly. Separated from his younger brother by high walls and great courtyards, he wondered how Li Xiaofan was doing.

"You lot know what's good for you. None of you ran off. Since everyone is here, I'll teach you the rules of this place."

The one who had come to receive the new servants was not Luo Fang from the daytime, but his cousin-nephew, Bi Hao.

"This entire manor, along with the twenty thousand mu of fields and twenty-nine mountain peaks outside it, belongs to Madam Zhuang."

At that, Bi Hao puffed out his chest proudly, as if sharing in her glory.

"Madam Zhuang has recently gone out and will return in a few days. Don't say I didn't warn you: you lowly beasts had better keep your eyes in check. Don't look around carelessly. If you offend Madam Zhuang, be careful she doesn't cripple you."

"Madam Zhuang's beauty is heaven-shaking. She is a Grade-One beauty. A servant once lost himself staring at her. His eyes were gouged out, and he was thrown into the river."

The crowd felt a chill in their hearts.

"Enough. From now on, you'll work in this area. Put your backs into it, or when the whip comes down and your skin splits open, hehe... you may not keep your little lives."

The manor covered a vast area, with mountains and waters within it. Though it housed more than a thousand servants, it still seemed remarkably spacious, as though it were short on hands.

Li Xian had memories from two lives and could be said to have seen the world. Even so, his eyes had been opened.

"This is the Servant Quarters. You will live here from now on. Tomorrow, you must rise and work at the fifth watch. Whoever oversleeps, don't blame me for stripping him naked," Bi Hao said coldly.

The Servant Quarters were not large, yet they crammed in more than a hundred people. The smell was beyond unpleasant: stinking feet, body odor, and sweat all mingled together, along with teeth grinding, farting, and sleep talk.

Snores rose and fell one after another. It was "lively" indeed.

The beds were pressed tightly together without a sliver of space between them. Words like clean and comfortable were separated from this place by ten thousand miles.

"For such a large manor, they are excessively harsh on the servants."

There were eleven such servant quarters, arranged side by side. Yet there were only five latrine pits for relieving oneself.

Since he had come, he would make peace with it.

The next day.

Li Xian was assigned to clean abandoned rooms. There were twenty towers and seventy-two elegant residences within the manor; the work could be said to be endless.

Li Xian and two other new servants were led by two old servants to a house that had been abandoned for a long time.

One old servant ordered, "You, sweep over there. You, pull the weeds. You, scoop out the cesspit."

One of the new servants asked, "What about you two?"

"Bullshit. We naturally have our own business. Hurry up and stop talking nonsense. It's your first day here, and you already want to slack off?"

The old servant's face was filled with contempt.

Li Xian frowned slightly but said nothing. He obediently followed the order and went to clear the weeds in the rear courtyard behind the building.

There were many weeds here, their roots buried deep in the soil, making them difficult to pull out. After doing such work for two or three quarters of an hour, one's waist would ache painfully.

Li Xian patiently pulled them out bit by bit.

[Skill: Weeding]

[Proficiency: 12/500 Initiation]

[Description: Pull weeds, pull weeds—a minor skill, a minor skill. Three-year-old children and eighty-year-old old men, who cannot do it? Initiation is easy, but Proficiency depends on heaven's will.]

His golden finger appeared. Every time Li Xian bent down to pull a weed, he gained something and gradually found the trick to it.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

His speed also grew faster and faster. Pulling weeds no longer seemed so tiring.

[Proficiency full.]

[Skill: Weed Pulling]

[Proficiency: 0/1000 Proficiency]

[Description: Back against the sky, feet upon the earth. Though this path is small, it conceals a different charm. Young man... have you gained any insight?]

Whether skills or martial arts, all things in this world could be divided into six stages: Initiation, Proficiency, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, Perfection, and Peak Mastery.

At this moment, Li Xian's ability in weed pulling was already comparable to that of a servant who had practiced bitterly for years.

"A servant's life is not his own. How could he have leisure? If I work too quickly and finish early, they will certainly order me to do other chores."

"Better to deliberately slow down and use this spare time to improve my own abilities."

Thus.

During breaks from pulling weeds, Li Xian occasionally stopped and threw a few punches at the air, practicing the Wild Bull Fist. The Wild Bull Fist had only three forms; a complete set took just a few seconds.

[Proficiency +1]

[Proficiency +1]

Li Xian became increasingly adept. With every punch, he could tangibly feel his gains.

He worked until evening, eating one meal at noon along the way. There was little oil in it, but it filled his stomach.

[Proficiency full]

[Wild Ox Fist — Remnant Form]

[Proficiency: 0/1000 Proficiency]

[Description: The fist may be incomplete, but its intent is not. The wild ox is fierce; when the fist is unleashed, it startles all.]

Li Xian felt a warm current slowly flow toward his lower abdomen.

"This is... Internal Force?"

"This world has Internal Force?"

Li Xian sensed the warm current. He could not say what it was, because he had never encountered the path of martial artists.

But he knew clearly that this thing brought benefit and no harm!

"Not bad, not bad. This feeling is truly strange. It's as though my whole body has become more alert."

He tried controlling the warm current with his mind and attaching it to his fist, then punched again. The force of his fist surged, rubbing against the air and faintly producing the moo of a wild ox.

"Good heavens."

Li Xian was overjoyed, but he did not dare become carried away. He hurriedly lowered his head and continued pulling weeds.

The sky darkened somewhat.

Bi Hao came to the abandoned building and inspected the servants' work one by one.

"Damn it, what kind of sweeping is this?" He lightly ran a finger across the corner of a wardrobe and picked up a trace of dust. He immediately burst into curses, punching and kicking.

The servant was beaten until his face was swollen and bruised, yet he did not dare make a sound.

Selling oneself to another could at least secure food and warmth, but the hardship and humiliation within could only be swallowed alone.

"You. Your work does not meet the standard. Forget about resting tonight. The laundry is short on hands, so go help there."

Bi Hao flung his hand and continued inspecting elsewhere.

"Who did this to the latrine pit?" When Bi Hao reached the privy, his face became frighteningly dark.

"I... I did." A newly arrived servant answered in a trembling voice.

Judging by his age, he was about the same as Li Xiaofan, only eleven or twelve.

"What is this?"

Bi Hao pointed at a patch of filth, glaring down at the servant from above.

"F-feces." The servant did not understand.

"Lick it clean," Bi Hao said coldly.

"Ah... ah?" The servant froze. Bi Hao sneered, grabbed the servant's hair, and pressed him against the filth. "What are you ah-ing for? Lick it clean for me!"

"I'll lick... I'll lick."

The servant carried out the order in humiliation. Bi Hao swept his gaze over the crowd and warned, "Let me tell you: don't think this is an abandoned house. Those who live here are all Madam Zhuang's friends from the martial world. For people like them, even their shit and piss are fragrant—golden!"

"Not just you lot. Even I, if Madam Zhuang ordered me to do it, would obey without hesitation and take pride in it!"

Then Bi Hao looked at the servant. "Is it fragrant?"

Afraid of being beaten, the servant hurriedly nodded. "Fragrant. Extremely fragrant."

"Ha ha ha!"

Bi Hao laughed several times. "That's more like it. That is what a servant is—a servant who has sold himself. If you had some special skill, you might still have some use and status. But do you?"

No one responded. Some looked numb, while others had gradually accepted it. Yet Li Xian shook his head inwardly. No matter how bitter the circumstances or how low one's status, one must never lose that last spark of spirit!

Not even in death!

Next, it was Li Xian's turn.

"You're the one pulling weeds?" Bi Hao looked at Li Xian meaningfully.

"Yes." Li Xian nodded.

"Good."

Bi Hao walked into the rear courtyard, touching the whip coiled around his waist.

Compared to sweeping or scooping cesspits, pulling weeds was the hardest task. Those who had learned their lesson only needed to be careful enough with the former jobs. But weed pulling... was the most exhausting and the hardest to bring up to standard.

Either the weeds would not be fully removed, or mud would be left all over the ground. Servants assigned to pull weeds... generally got whipped!

Yet when Bi Hao entered the rear courtyard, he was dumbfounded. "Where are the weeds?"

"I have already pulled them out and put them on the cart." Li Xian pointed at the cart to one side.

Bi Hao confirmed that it was true, then stepped on the soil with his foot. He was immediately surprised. After pulling out the weeds, Li Xian had even packed the soil down again.

This youth either had experience serving as a household servant, or he handled matters without a drop leaking through, considering everything thoroughly.

"Mm, not bad, not bad. What is your name?" Bi Hao showed a smile for once.

"My name is Li Xian," Li Xian answered truthfully.

"Li Xian?" Bi Hao shook his head. "That name is no good. It is no good for a servant."

"You did well today. Go to the accounts room and collect three copper coins as a reward. Rest well tonight. Keep it up tomorrow."

"Thank you, Master Bi, for your praise."

Li Xian addressed him as usual. Lowering his head at this moment was not the loss of his spirit, but lying low after recognizing reality.

Hearing the words "Master Bi," Bi Hao felt even more refreshed all over. He patted Li Xian's shoulder and laughed. "Hahaha, kid, you really know how to handle people."

On the way back.

A new servant ran over to strike up a conversation. "Brother Li, how did you do it? Can you teach me?"

Seeing that they were all pitiable people, Li Xian was willing to guide him. Yet he had no way to explain it, so he could only smile. "Nothing more than familiarity through repeated practice."

"He's just a bootlicker, yet he says 'familiarity through repeated practice.' Tch." An old servant beside them sneered disdainfully.

They too had once been new servants. They knew how to avoid certain traps and preserve themselves. At the same time, they were happy to watch newcomers fall into pits.

"We are all servants. Why must you be so sharply opposed? If you had given them a few pointers during the day, these two brothers would not have suffered such humiliation." Li Xian frowned.

"Pointers? Pointers my ass." The old servant could not be bothered to say more.

"Brother Li, stop talking. I felt terrible at the time, but now that I think about it, Master Bi was right. I don't even feel it was humiliating anymore." The servant who had scooped the cesspit spoke numbly.

Li Xian wanted to say something, but swallowed it back down. He sighed at how this manor truly possessed a kind of demonic power, making both oppressors and oppressed intoxicated by authority.

Numb and unfeeling, they gradually became assimilated.

Shit was shit. No matter how formidable a person was, their shit still stank.

Li Xian clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms, silently warning himself that he could be humble, but he must never become numb.

"If I want life to be a little easier, perhaps... I can secretly learn some other skills."