The Filth of the Mortal World

Ye Fu paused and looked at the list, only then realizing that he had written it in the script he used to use, out of habit. He waved a hand. "Never mind. Go and order the clothes first. Use the measurements for an adult man for mine, and have the tailor's assistant measure you. When you come back, I'll give you another list."

Qin Sanyue was a quick-witted girl. She committed Ye Fu's instructions to memory and went out.

Ye Fu found some fresh paper and a brush, intending to write another list in the script commonly known in this world. But as soon as he dipped the brush into the inkstone, the courtyard gate opened.

Qin Sanyue opened the gate a crack and poked her little head through. Her face was panicked as she said, "Teacher Ye, there are a few beggars I know outside. I'm afraid to go out."

Chapter 13: The Filth of the Mortal World

Ye Fu frowned and sat up straight. "Didn't I give you a copper coin?"

Qin Sanyue knitted her brows. Her voice was timid. "But... but I'm scared..."

"Alas."

Ye Fu sighed.

Qin Sanyue was, after all, only a young girl of fifteen or sixteen. Those beggars had already set their sights on her, and clever as she was, she knew full well what they wanted to do to her. She still felt unsafe, and the thought frightened her.

Ye Fu was very understanding and tolerant of Qin Sanyue, and said nothing more about it. He stood up and walked straight over to her, hands behind his back and face calm. In a cold voice, he said, "I'd like to see just what manner of ox-demons and snake-spirits have frightened my little housekeeper."

He pulled the gate open and stepped out ahead of her. With his back to Qin Sanyue, he said, "Come on. With me here, no one can bully you."

Ye Fu found that he felt especially confident saying those words now.

Qin Sanyue froze for a moment behind him, then hurried to catch up. She remembered clearly that no one else in her life had ever said anything like that to her. This was also the first time she had experienced what it felt like to have someone backing her up.

Ye Fu strode ahead, following the winding path out.

Qin Sanyue followed close behind him, taking quick little steps.

Beyond the winding path, which was lined with green bamboo on both sides, lay an alley. Around a corner stood the parasol tree where Ye Fu had posted his help-wanted notice earlier.

Now that he had Qin Sanyue, he no longer needed to hire anyone else, so he took the notice down from the parasol tree as he passed.

Standing at the mouth of the alley, he saw at a glance three men crouching at the base of a wall across the flagstone street. They wore tattered clothes and had disheveled hair and filthy faces, but all their limbs were perfectly sound.

Ye Fu frowned at the sight. He was not a native of Black Stone City, but he knew full well that the place had nothing whatsoever to do with famine or war. It was a harmonious town.

And yet those three able-bodied men made their living by begging.

If Ye Fu had seen people like this in the past, he might have suspected that they had some other illness or the like. But now, he could easily tell that there was nothing at all wrong with the three beggars.

Ye Fu loathed people who were clearly not pitiable yet insisted on acting as though they were. He looked back and saw Qin Sanyue hiding around the corner, with only her fearful eyes peeking out.

The thought that they had frightened a young girl so badly made him dislike them even more.

The three beggars across the street had been glancing over in Ye Fu's direction on and off. The moment he came out, they fixed their eyes on him.

Thanks to his strength, Ye Fu had excellent hearing and could easily make out the conversation between the three beggars.

"Second Brother, are you sure you didn't see wrong? Girl Qin really went in there?"

"That's right. She left the temple alone in a panic this morning, and I thought something was off. I followed her and saw her look at the paper in front of that parasol tree before going in."

"But it's been a while. Why haven't we seen her come out? Third Brother, what did you say was written on that paper again?"

"I only know a few characters, but I think it was saying they wanted to hire someone. You don't think Girl Qin went looking for work, do you?"

"Hahaha." The other two laughed mockingly. "Her? Look at her build. What could she possibly do? Even if she wanted to be a maid, people would think that scar of hers was ugly."

"True, true. But what does that strangely dressed young man do? Why did he tear the paper down? Could he be the one hiring?"

"I reckon it's him. From the look of it, there should be a residence down that alley, with no second household living there."

"What if someone really has taken a fancy to Girl Qin? That scar on her eye might be an eyesore, but cleaned up, the girl's still quite pretty. She might just do as a bed-warming maid."

"No way..." The words sounded somewhat forced.

"What if it's true? What do we do?"

"Like hell we can allow that! The three of us brothers set our sights on Girl Qin. How can we let someone else have her? That damned Old Man Huang kept such a fine thing all to himself before, but he never used her. Now he's kicked the bucket without a drop of maiden blood to show for it. There aren't many women among the beggars around the temple as it is, and they're all crooked melons and split dates. Now that we've finally got a pretty one who's growing into her figure, how can we just let her go?"

"Right, that's what I think too. We waited two years for Old Man Huang to finally die. We can't have waited for nothing. Besides, the way I see it, Girl Qin's sure to bear sons. She might even carry on our family line. If we lose her, where are we going to find another good one?"

"Big Brother and Second Brother are right. Girl Qin was our property to begin with."

The three quickly reached an agreement: Qin Sanyue was the property of the three of them.

Ye Fu heard them clearly, very clearly. They had called Qin Sanyue "property." All manner of vulgar, possessive filth came pouring unrestrained from their mouths. To Ye Fu, it stank. He was disgusted not only in spirit but in body as well.

He looked back at Qin Sanyue, who was hiding behind the corner of the wall. She was so meek and gentle, even somewhat pitiable. Thank goodness she didn't hear that conversation, Ye Fu thought.