Clad in tattered, patchwork clothes, disheveled hair covering his grime-smeared face, with a bamboo stick by his side and a pitch-black chipped bowl on the ground, one could tell at a glance—this was a beggar, and a complete one at that. He had all the classic beggar gear, only missing a crowded street to shout out and start panhandling.
At that moment, however, a song began drifting from the beggar's lips:
Out at dawn 'til dusk I roam, oh Not a bite to eat, my head feels hollow, yoKind uncles and aunties, oh dear meSpare a silver coin or two, maybe
Out at dawn 'til dusk I roam, ohNot a bite to eat, my head feels hollow, yoKind uncles and aunties, oh dear meSpare a silver coin or two, maybe
The beggar's voice conveyed the sorrow and hardship of a life on the streets, a helplessness born of survival that stirred strong sympathy in those who heard it. A wave of compassion rose instinctively in the heart, along with an urge to help.
"He's really pitiful. Starving to the point of fainting… In a ruined temple like this, food must be almost impossible to come by. Alone in the wilderness, he could die at any moment. I wonder how he's even survived until now," said Wang Dahu, shaking his head.
"Give him one of the military rations," Yi Tianxing ordered with a slight frown.
He didn't like beggars—not because they were dirty, but because they had limbs and yet chose not to be self-reliant. He'd always believed that the people of the human race should follow the path of Heaven moves with strength; a gentleman should strive unceasingly. One should use their own hands to shape their future, not lie on the ground holding a bowl, lazily waiting for others' charity. In that moment of begging, even personal dignity was lost.
Such behavior, he couldn't approve of.
Humans, if they're going to live, should live with dignity. Without it, how were they any different from walking corpses?
"Yes, my lord."
Wang Dahu quickly retrieved a military meal box and brought it to the old beggar. He placed it down and said, "There's food in here—our lord has given it to you. Surviving out here isn't easy. If you're willing, when we leave tomorrow, you can come with us. I'll ask the lord to take you in. Once you reach Xuanhuang City, you won't need to beg to survive anymore. You can live a real life."
As he looked at the beggar, Wang Dahu couldn't help but feel a tinge of compassion. Though, truth be told, he also disliked beggars. There were none in Xuanhuang City. Even if someone had once been a beggar, within the city they could cultivate, walk the path of cultivation, and live through their own effort. Even without any skills, they could find odd jobs or hunt beasts. Or simply run errands. No one would starve.
Beggars were looked down upon.
Even those who had lost limbs fighting ferocious beasts wouldn't turn to begging.
The old beggar grinned. "Thank you, kind soul."
He eagerly opened the meal box, and the sight of steaming hot rice and fragrant beast meat made his appetite soar. Without hesitation, he began devouring the food, eating carefully, not letting a single grain go to waste.
"We'll set up camp here. Keep alert tonight—we might face all kinds of ambushes and assassins," Jia Xu ordered after scanning the area. This was the best campsite in the vicinity, and there was no better location nearby.
The soldiers of the army were well-practiced. They sat on the ground, opened their meal boxes, and began to eat.
"That damn Green Emperor, still not back yet. I hope he hasn't been knocked out by some foreign race and thrown into a stew pot," muttered Ye Zhiqiu, glancing around while eating. "Honestly, not seeing him around feels weird."
The Green Emperor had disappeared into the wilderness after a bizarre fight with the kobolds. Yi Tianxing knew about it but wasn't too concerned—he understood how weird that dog was. Anyone trying to deal with it might end up worse off. Having it around also meant risking sudden howls that ignored friend or foe alike.
As for when it might return, Yi Tianxing didn't really mind. Their contract ensured it would come back eventually.
"I hope I don't see it," muttered Wang Dahu, body stiffening.
That thing was a walking time bomb—bound to explode at any moment.
The army was mostly silent, focusing on eating. Afterward, they packed up and sat cross-legged, cultivating. Iron-blooded killing intent was absorbed and refined into true qi, or used to condense runes. Every second was used to enhance strength.
Night fell.
Fires were lit all around, casting a faint glow into the darkness and warding off fear.
In the abandoned temple, the roars and howls of wild beasts echoed through the night. For ordinary people, the sheer terror would be enough to make them faint. The wind howled through the air like ghosts. Temples were often said to be favored haunts of spirits—and this place certainly lived up to the rumors.
Before anyone realized it, midnight had arrived.
This was the hour when vigilance waned, and fatigue peaked.
Ding ding ding!!
Suddenly, a sharp clinking rang through the dark—so loud and jarring it instantly woke all the soldiers. They sprang to attention, eyes locking onto the sound, energy surging in case of an attack.
"It's that old beggar."
The sound came from him, tapping his broken bowl with chopsticks.
"You gave me food, young man. In return, I offer you a drink. Do you dare drink water from a beggar?" the old beggar grinned, revealing yellowed teeth as he looked at Yi Tianxing.
"What's there to fear?"
Yi Tianxing's eyes flashed with a strange light. He stood up and replied decisively.
"My lord, be careful—it could be a trap," said Jia Xu with a dark look.
"No matter. He's human, not an alien," Yi Tianxing said with calm confidence and walked toward the beggar.
"Dragon's stride, tiger's gait. A monarch's air clings to his body. His fate is vast as the sea, his killing intent as thick as blood, his will like iron. This is the aura of a Path-Paving Lord... but his fate is too strange, shrouded in mist, hard to see through. If I'm not wrong… this one's a Heaven's Favored. Their destiny is beyond comprehension,"
The old beggar leaned against the wall, looking at Yi Tianxing with eyes that seemed to see through everything. Even Master Lu's Gaze of Fate might not match this beggar's ability to observe.
This beggar… is no ordinary man.
Yi Tianxing had already suspected that. For someone to survive alone in such a place was strange enough. A real beggar wouldn't have lasted a day. This one had to be a recluse—perhaps even a great master in disguise.
"Young man, I see a beam of spiritual light erupting from your celestial crown. Your muscles and bones are of fine quality—you walk the body refining path. You're destined for swift progress. But what truly sets you apart is your monarch's aura. You're fated to be a lord, with concubines by the thousands. The pressure on a man like that… it's enormous. Many an emperor has died in a woman's embrace,"
The beggar's eyes gleamed as he babbled on.
"But don't worry! This old beggar has a solution. Look here!"
He grinned and lifted his clothes.
Underneath were dozens of jade scrolls and ancient tomes.
Hiss—!
Jia Xu, Wang Dahu, Ye Zhiqiu—all sucked in a breath. Those scrolls radiated clear auras—these were all cultivation manuals. In today's world, nothing was more precious.
A beggar carrying dozens of them?
That alone was shocking.
"No way! How'd I never find stuff like this?"
"Damn, he's like a walking bookstore!"
"What the hell kind of manuals are these?"
"This is huge. The guy's a walking miracle!"
Even with Xuanhuang City's vast Scripture Library, those manuals were restricted—sworn to secrecy by heart demon oaths. They couldn't be passed on. Many cultivators dreamed of unique skills that couldn't be easily countered.
So, seeing this treasure trove now… the heat in their chests was hard to contain.
"Heh heh! What I have here are the bestdual cultivation manuals. Master these, and you'll bed a thousand women a night without ever going soft. Power and cultivation will soar! Want sons? Have sons. Want daughters? Have daughters. With these, not only will you be a real man—you'll be the manliest man alive!"
The beggar's spittle flew as he passionately delivered his pitch.