Chapter 11: A Ku, Don't Suffer

The beggars' conversation reached Fang Xiu's ears word for word, and Fang Xiu's heart eased.

At least A Ku was hidden away now; she should still be in some concealed corner of Gushan County, unharmed, and not sent to Qingyu Guan.

Qingyu Guan had obtained ten boys and girls through the Beggar Sect; they were likely all homeless children, otherwise Gushan County losing so many children at once would have caused an uproar throughout the city, and the authorities would have had to intervene.

But in this world, getting a few orphans wasn't hard — just pay a human trafficker — yet Qingyu Guan would rather pay a high price to act secretly through the Beggar Sect's scum, daring not to see the light; this showed the children's purpose was most likely extremely cruel.

Fang Xiu didn't understand what a Daoist temple intended to do, but he guessed they were a bunch of heretical demons; once A Ku fell into Qingyu Guan's hands, the outcome was unthinkable.

A Ku hadn't met with mishap yet; on the surface everything still seemed in time, but Fang Xiu grew increasingly worried, completely clueless on how to break the deadlock next.

At this moment, the beggars in the City God Temple finished talking about the children and started drinking and eating meat again, though one beggar looked rather worried.

"Branch Chief, since Chief Hong has come, if he sees us eating and drinking like this, wouldn't that be improper?"

The Branch Chief laughed heartily, not caring at all: "You've only been in the Beggar Sect a few years, haven't met Chief Hong yet; he's the most gluttonous person under heaven, eats wherever he goes, doesn't care at all if his subordinates eat some good food, rest assured."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other beggars all burst into laughter, eating and drinking with even more gusto.

Fang Xiu was silent; he never felt Hong Qigong was a competent Chief — he himself had a craving for food and drink, and didn't mind his disciples eating meat and drinking wine, a bit of the jianghu chivalrous disregard for trifles.

Hong Qigong could be a knight-errant, roaming around righting wrongs, eating and drinking was nothing; but as Chief of the Number One Great Clan under heaven, he was utterly wrong.

Fang Xiu had transmigrated over; at first he ate the food Mo Laodao and A Ku begged for, later he went out begging himself; he gained a deep understanding of a beggar's life — in ancient times with underdeveloped productivity, even in the relatively prosperous Song Dynasty, what a beggar could beg for was barely enough to survive.

Aside from what he earned performing chuibao and storytelling, for over a month he had eaten nothing but slop, not a trace of meat; that was a beggar's reality.

Yet here at this Beggar Sect branch, feasting had become a habit; begging alone could never achieve this, even considering their status as martial artists — since they were an Orthodox Sect, many things written into criminal law they couldn't do; beggars don't engage in production, so where did all this fish and meat come from?

In modern terms, this is a classic case of income disproportionate to assets; how much dirty business lies in between is obvious, but Hong Qigong, due to his own habits, had far too simple a mindset, turning a blind eye to his subordinates' situation.

That beggar just said Hong Qigong had come more than once, yet never discovered the problem here, completely kept in the dark; as a manager, he was completely unqualified.

As a sect with numerous members, without strict discipline and a tight organizational structure, it could only hide filth and eventually become a motley crew.

But Fang Xiu couldn't be bothered to complain about Hong Qigong now; hearing the beggars start spouting nonsense, he could no longer glean any useful information, so he slowly slid down from the old locust tree and disappeared lightly into the night.

The floating clouds in the sky had already drifted past; a half-crescent moon added some brightness to Gushan County, but Fang Xiu felt none of it; he didn't know where to go, his mind held only A Ku, yet he couldn't think of any way to save her, walking unconsciously like this, even forgetting his painful left leg.

When he slightly regained his senses, he discovered he had actually walked to the east city — the several wealthy households where he begged every morning; he subconsciously walked to the Zhao Family Courtyard's back gate; that round-faced young miss's kindness had given him a thread of warmth; perhaps that was the reason he came here.

Fang Xiu curled up in the Zhao Family back gate's doorway, leaning against the gray wall; it was now the latter half of the night, no ruined house's broken walls and tiles, no that firewood pile; he trembled all over, unconsciously circulating inner force to ward off the cold, but inner force couldn't dispel the icy coldness in his heart.

"Damn heavens, why make me transmigrate? The world I transmigrated to isn't good at all.

A Ku, is it really true I have absolutely no way to save you, forced to watch you die?

Huang Yaoshi, damn your grandpa.

…………"

Fang Xiu muttered curses, growing angrier the more he cursed, again taking Huang Yaoshi as a venting target, and unknowingly drifted into a trance-like sleep.

The more he feared something happening to A Ku, the more his dreams were filled with A Ku.

He saw A Ku's throat poisoned mute, her bloody flesh covered in a layer of monkey skin, led onto the streets daily to perform monkey tricks; the slightest misstep earned a whipping.

He saw A Ku toiling like a slave every day, yet eating worse than when begging, enduring punches and kicks, lying on the ground barely alive.

He saw an evil Daoist grab A Ku, pour various unknown things into her mouth; after her whole body rotted, she was thrown away like garbage.

But different was, no matter what suffering A Ku endured, she seemed to know Fang Xiu was watching; she would smile sweetly toward Fang Xiu's direction, as if telling him this was nothing; the more suffering she bore, the sweeter her smile.

Fang Xiu right now couldn't bear to see A Ku's smile, yet fell into a nightmare; he knew it was a dream, but no matter what he couldn't wake up.

Mo Ku, Mo Ku, why is life so bitter.

Fifth watch, the sky just brightened; the Zhao Family back courtyard's gate opened, that round-faced young miss came out carrying a chamber pot, startling Fang Xiu curled in the doorway.

She set down the chamber pot in her hand, gently nudged Fang Xiu: "Little Fang Xiu, Little Fang Xiu, why are you sleeping here? Did something happen? Or are you hungry and couldn't find food? Wait, I still have half a flatbread there; I'll get it for you right now."

Fang Xiu finally woke from the endless nightmare; such a dream made him feel like falling into hell; waking up, he didn't feel this mortal world was much better either.

He struggled to climb up, gave a slight bow to the round-faced girl and said: "Miss, may I borrow your place to take a bath?"

The round-faced girl listened, a bit surprised; among the beggars she'd seen, Fang Xiu was the most cleanliness-conscious, much cleaner than that Mo Laotou who came with A Ku.

She looked around; at this hour, no one else in the house was up yet; only she was responsible for carrying the chamber pot to the back gate early in the morning.

"Come with me, lighten your footsteps, don't disturb others."

The round-faced girl led Fang Xiu to a side courtyard; there was a water well here, and beside it a ceramic basin filled with blackish stuff.

"This is where we usually bathe; the ceramic basin holds plant ash; using this can get you cleaner; bathe quickly, if discovered I'll be scolded."

The round-faced girl left after speaking; Fang Xiu took off his clothes, drew water from the well to rinse his body, then used plant ash to scrub every inch of his skin bit by bit, rinsed clean with water, and dried his body.

Afterward he found two relatively straight small wooden sticks in the side courtyard, bound them tightly with cloth strips at his left leg's fracture, and finally put on the set of clothes belonging to Wu Mianfeng.

Thanks to Miao Sheng, Book Friend 5546, Gourd Sister, Li Yue Shuang Xue, Da Hai Shou, Book Friend 9827, Book Friend 0470, Book Friend 0111 for their Recommendation Tickets.

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(Chapter End)