Chapter 50: Rumors and Gossip

Duan Rong appeared to be falling backward while holding onto Shen Mizhi's fragrant shoulders, but the hand he pressed against her shoulder had actually slid fully and firmly across her chest before landing on her shoulder!

The two fell to the ground, Duan Rong pressing down on top of Shen Mizhi, his left hand pressed against her shoulder, their heads and necks almost touching, and the coarse, heavy breaths from Duan Rong drilling straight into the collar of Shen Mizhi's clothing...

Shen Mizhi was proud and haughty, and had always been a clean freak, so she was immediately both ashamed and furious; she swung her arm and bent her leg, kicking Duan Rong flying!

Duan Rong was kicked in the abdomen by Shen Mizhi, sliding nearly a yard across the ground, his clothes and trousers torn by the friction; he curled up like a shrimp, his internal organs churning, and as he braced his right hand against the ground, he let out a "Wah!" and vomited gastric juices and bile...

Shen Mizhi had been lying on the ground and couldn't exert much force, so that kick hadn't used her full strength, and besides, Duan Rong had already achieved the Internal Breath First Layer and had been practicing the Second Layer for over ten days.

If not for that, in her shame and rage, that kick from Shen Mizhi could have crippled Duan Rong!

After Duan Rong finished vomiting, tears and snot were choked out of him; he turned his head to look at Shen Mizhi, his eyes filled with anger!

Seeing that Duan Rong was unharmed and wanting to press the attack, Shen Mizhi suddenly caught sight of the plump woman who had fallen to the ground; she saw that the woman's eyes were full of terror, and there was a line of blood around her neck, with beads of blood seeping out.

Shen Mizhi suddenly stopped in her tracks; if this person hadn't just grabbed her shoulder and knocked her over, she would have likely pierced the woman's throat right there in the street!

To commit murder in the street over a drawing slip!

Not only would she have brought a great disaster upon herself!

If that woman's family made a scene of it, it might even bring trouble to her father!

And with a criminal record like that, she would lose her qualification for the Taiyi Sect's Registered Disciple selection next year...

It's just that this person is also too detestable; why did he have to touch there of all places! It just had to be...

At this moment, Duan Rong had already struggled to his feet, and Shen Mizhi looked at him with a flushed face; she saw that this person had a dark, sallow complexion, a square face, and greasy hair, his brown short-garb outfit had just been shredded by the friction against the ground, and his chest and mouth were covered in saliva—he was practically a beggar come to life!

Shen Mizhi thought of herself, naturally proud and aloof, yet she had been molested by such a filthy thing, and because of the circumstances, she couldn't attack him; unable to voice her grievances, she was suddenly filled with a surge of rage that rushed to her head!

The sword in her hand pointed at Duan Rong from a distance, and because of her intense anger and agitation, the Long Sword trembled incessantly...

"Young lady, I was only saving someone, I had absolutely no other intentions." Duan Rong spat out the residue in his mouth, took two steps back, and explained with a sincere look in his eyes.

He knew very well what had just happened, and if this young lady were to act recklessly, she might really do him in!

Shen Mizhi stared at Duan Rong, her pearly teeth clenched tight; after a few moments of silence, she suddenly sheathed her sword, turned around, and walked away, passing quickly in front of Qiuhun and shouting angrily: "Let's go!"

Qiuhun was so startled by Shen Mizhi's shout to leave that she shivered, her pretty face flushing red, and she immediately trotted to keep up.

Duan Rong watched Shen Mizhi's graceful back as she merged into the crowd, then looked down at his left hand; the sensation of that momentary softness still rippled in his heart...

Meanwhile, the plump woman had only just stood up, her soul still shaken; a look of lingering fear remained on her face, for she knew very well that she had just walked past the gates of hell and had nearly lost her life!

She cast a grateful look at Duan Rong's back, pulled the wild goose feather saber that had been stuck into the ground in the middle of the street, sheathed it, and left quickly...

Duan Rong had intervened earlier simply because he didn't want to see those two cause a death over a drawing slip.

Once a homicide occurred in front of the painting stall, he, the initiator who handed out the slips, would inevitably be implicated...

But he hadn't expected that his good deed of saving someone would not only go unrewarded, but he would also get kicked, have his clothes shredded, and vomit all over the ground.

"Damn it all to hell!"

After this incident, not only did the people waiting in line to be painted not leave, but a crowd of onlookers had gathered around.

Especially under that crooked willow tree, a mass of heads was squeezed together.

Duan Rong clutched his stomach and walked to the painting stall, saying: "No more painting today, everyone disperse."

Seeing the painter clutching his stomach and his clothes shredded, those waiting in line couldn't say anything and had no choice but to disperse.

Duan Rong packed up his things and, looking quite disheveled, returned to the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

At this time, it was the dinner hour; people were gathered in teahouses and restaurants, scattered at roadside stalls, or resting in the shade under trees—it was the hour when all kinds of news flew the fastest...

Therefore, not long after Duan Rong left, various rumors and gossip began to ferment among the chatter on the street corners...

"Two young lasses started fighting in the street over waiting in line for a painting..."

"Both of them were martial artists, they almost killed someone!?"

"If a murder had happened in the middle of the street, that would have been a disaster!"

"Isn't that so? And both lasses were as beautiful as flowers..."

"I heard that painter charges ten taels of silver for one painting..."

"And I heard that person is an Escort from the Yuanshun Escort Agency?"

"Is there any way to make a living these days? An Escort not properly escorting, but painting instead..."

Duan Rong hung his head as he walked through the Martial Arts Arena of the Yuanshun Escort Agency; it was now the hour for the cafeteria to serve food, so there were few people in the arena.

But even so, Duan Rong still felt a bit ashamed; no one wants to be seen wearing tattered, filthy clothes.

Today could be considered the most wretched day since he had transmigrated into this world.

His short-garb outfit was already in tatters, half his body was covered in dust and ash, and there was vomit residue on the chest of his tunic...

In the sunset, Duan Rong walked back to his dormitory, put his things away, balled up the tattered short-garb, and threw it at the dormitory door.

Bare-chested, Duan Rong went to the well to wash himself thoroughly, then dried off with a towel and took another clean short-garb outfit from his wardrobe.

These two short-garb outfits were issued to him when he was a Miscellaneous Disciple.

In the Yuanshun Escort Agency, the rules were strict, and different positions had different clothing and accessories.

Although he had been selected as an Apprentice, he could not wear the attire of an Escort until he finished his apprenticeship and became an Intern Escort.

Duan Rong changed into the new short-garb and, having washed himself clean and fresh, immediately felt the bad luck wash away.

He picked up the bundle of tattered clothes by the door, locked the dormitory, and turned out of the dormitory courtyard toward the cafeteria.

After leaving the alley of the dormitory courtyard, there was a garbage heap built of brick walls at the corner of the courtyard, filled with withered branches and fallen leaves.

As Duan Rong passed by, he casually tossed the bundle of tattered clothes into the garbage heap.

The front, middle, and back courtyards of the Yuanshun Escort Agency all had people specifically assigned to clean them.

This job of cleaning the courtyards was considered a light and leisurely task among the Miscellaneous Servants; if you didn't have some connections, such a job wouldn't fall to you.

When Duan Rong arrived at the cafeteria, there were few people left, and the vegetable basins only had some leftovers and soup; Duan Rong ate two steamed buns with the cold side dishes and soup, but still feeling empty in his stomach, he strolled out of the Escort Agency, drank a bowl of piping hot meat soup by the roadside, and ate two sesame flatbreads.

After eating, Duan Rong wiped his mouth with satisfaction, patted his belly, and strolled back to the Martial Arts Arena of the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

Arriving at the corner where he usually practiced his stance, Duan Rong didn't waste any time; he straightened his spine, sank his waist, sat in a virtual stance, his legs like bows, his hands held out in front in a virtual embrace, and began his Hunyuan Stance training!

This ancient Stance Training has no special features, yet it has been passed down across the Jiuzhou Continent for tens of thousands of years.

Regardless of whether you are a novice or a prodigy, you start by standing in this Stance Training!

The simpler and more ancient something is, the less likely it is to have problems!

(End of chapter)