Six-Bag Disciple

Huang Xiao had not gone far. Once Zhao Xin'er left, he returned.

He stood before the collapsed Taoist temple for several hours. Only when the eastern sky began to pale did he sigh and leave.

Half a month later, Huang Xiao emerged from the mountain forests. He believed that since the Huaqing Sect had failed to find him after all these days, he should probably be safe for the time being. Besides, he had been crossing mountains and ridges all this time and had more or less left the Huaqing Sect's sphere of influence. Outside their territory, finding him would be much harder. Moreover, the Huaqing Sect styled itself a righteous martial sect in the martial world. Even if they discovered him, they could not kill him openly.

By now, Huang Xiao's hair hung loose and disheveled, and his Taoist robes were in tatters. He had spent more than half a month in the mountain forests without properly washing or grooming himself. Besides, with the threat of the Huaqing Sect constantly hanging over him, he had not been in the mood.

Now, as Huang Xiao walked through the city, he looked like a beggar. Rather than merely looking like one, he could be called a beggar outright. He did not have a penny to his name and had gone days without food. Back in the mountain forests, he could occasionally catch wild beasts or fill his stomach with wild fruit. But here in the city, without money, there was nothing to eat. Of course, there was one other way: begging.

Naturally, Huang Xiao could not bring himself to beg. Quite apart from being a Scholar, more importantly, he now possessed internal power. Surely he could find some work in the city and at least support himself first.

But Huang Xiao had thought too simply. Work was not so easy to find. Although he now had some cultivation in internal power and could endure a day or two without eating, he had already gone many days without food, and hunger had left him dizzy and bleary-eyed.

"Ah, I escaped being killed by those villains from the Huaqing Sect, only to starve to death." Huang Xiao found a corner by a wall and sat down. After he caught his breath, his dizziness eased a little, but his stomach remained utterly empty.

After sitting for a while, he suddenly noticed a commotion in the street ahead. Before long, a large crowd of beggars came running toward him.

In moments, the crowd of several dozen beggars raced past Huang Xiao, heading for the other end of the street.

"Hey, brother, why are you still sitting there? Hurry up and run, or you won't even get a steamed bun!" Just as Huang Xiao was wondering what was going on, a beggar suddenly stopped beside him and pulled him to his feet.

"I... I'm not..." Huang Xiao had meant to say he was not a beggar, but before he could finish, the man dragged him along at a run.

As he pulled Huang Xiao along, the man said, "What's all this bloody nonsense? If there's food and you don't go get it, wouldn't that make you a fool?"

Huang Xiao was a little surprised, not because he had been mistaken for a beggar, but because the beggar pulling him had considerable strength in his grip. He could also sense that this man's martial power was unfathomable; he was certainly no match for him. Although the beggar's clothes and face were filthy, Huang Xiao could still tell that he was about his own age. He might be older, of course, but even if he was, it could not be by more than a few years.

"Today is Princess Yunya's regular day for giving alms. It's a fine day for us!" By the time Huang Xiao reached a great residence, several hundred beggars had already gathered outside its main entrance.

"That's right! Last month, I even got a chicken drumstick."

"What's a drumstick compared to this? The month before last, Princess Yunya personally gave me a flask of fine wine. Heh, who knows how many mouths that set watering..."

"Prince Jin's Manor!" Huang Xiao read aloud as he looked at the three large gilded characters on the plaque above the entrance.

Only then did Huang Xiao realize that this was Prince Jin's Manor. Prince Jin, Zhao Shuo, was the current emperor's younger brother, had been granted the title of Prince Jin, and was highly esteemed by the emperor. Huang Xiao had heard this before, but had never visited. Now that he thought about it, was Jin City not Prince Jin's fief?

Princess Yunya must be Prince Jin's daughter, Huang Xiao thought.

"Brother, what are you standing around for? Come on, let's get our buns. If we're lucky, we might even get wine and meat," said the beggar who had just pulled Chen Feng over.

"I'm not a beggar!" This time, Huang Xiao finally managed to get the words out.

"You're not a beggar?" The beggar gave Huang Xiao a surprised look, circled him once, then said, "Brother, looking like that, what are you if not a beggar? All right, enough nonsense. Whether you are or not, there's free food to be had. Why pass it up? Oh, and let me tell you, Princess Yunya might come out to give alms in person. Do you know that Princess Yunya is a first-rate-no, a peerless beauty? Getting even one look at her is a blessing you'd have to cultivate for ten lifetimes."

"A peerless beauty?" Hearing this, Huang Xiao could not help remembering that night in the ruined Taoist temple. His hand unconsciously pressed against his chest. There, inside his robes, was the white silk kerchief he had carefully treasured-Zhao Xin'er's kerchief, which he had kept close to his body all this time.

"A princess's noble status doesn't necessarily make her a beauty, does it?" Huang Xiao said with a smile.

"Look at you. You clearly haven't seen much of the world. Let me put it this way: I, Hong Yi, have roamed Jianghu for many years, traveled to countless places, and seen plenty of women, including more beauties than I could count. But the only ones who could compare with the princess are probably the great beauties on the Beauty Ranking," Hong Yi said.

"Your name is Hong Yi?" Huang Xiao asked. "My name is Huang Xiao."

Naturally, Huang Xiao would no longer use his Taoist name, Qingxiao. The Huaqing Sect knew that name, so he could not use it now. As for the Beauty Ranking Hong Yi had mentioned, he knew nothing about it.

"Well met. I, Hong Yi, never change my name, whether walking or sitting. I am Hong Yi, a Six-Bag Disciple of the Beggar Gang." As he spoke, Hong Yi pointed to the six bags hanging from his clothes.

"A Six-Bag Disciple of the Beggar Gang?" Huang Xiao looked at Hong Yi in surprise. Of course he knew of the Beggar Gang. Since Huang Xiao had joined the Green Ox Gate, Qinghe had naturally told him a few things about Jianghu, including the Beggar Gang, the largest gang in the land. Thus, Huang Xiao knew a little about it.

Within the Beggar Gang, the gang chief held supreme authority. Beneath him, members were ranked from one bag to nine bags, from lowest to highest, according to martial skill and seniority.

Among them were eight Nine-Bag Elders:

One Elder of Martial Instruction, responsible for the disciples' martial training.

One Elder of Discipline, responsible for enforcing the gang's internal laws.

One Staff-Wielding Dragon Head, responsible for the gang's daily affairs.

One Bowl-Wielding Dragon Head, responsible for assisting the Staff-Wielding Dragon Head.

The other four were Guardian Elders, who served as the gang chief's personal guards.

The Eight-Bag Envoys had no fixed number. They traveled throughout the land, overseeing local branches and conveying the gang chief's orders.

Then came the Seven-Bag Helmsmen and Six-Bag Altar Masters. Those below six bags were ordinary disciples, though their relative status still depended on the number of bags they carried.

Yet Hong Yi, standing before him, was already a Six-Bag Disciple at such a young age. That meant he was the altar master of a locality and held a high position within the Beggar Gang. More importantly, there was his age. The Beggar Gang's rules were strict, and at Hong Yi's age, he could hardly have any seniority to speak of. The only possibility, then, was that his martial skill was sufficient to command everyone's respect. Otherwise, he could not have risen to six bags and become an altar master in charge of a locality.