Chapter 21: Hypocrisy Versus True Villainy

The baby gurgled happily at Matron Xu, looking incredibly well-behaved. Seeing this, the woman broke into a cold sweat that dripped into the dirt; in her heart, she wished she could kill the little girl on the spot.

Jiang Haohao, smiling, caught sight of the grandmother inside the palanquin, as well as the beautiful young lady who had visited their home before. Overjoyed, she thought to herself, "I might be saved!"

She babbled and cooed, and sure enough, she saw the beautiful lady say to her, "What a well-cared-for baby!"

The peddler hurried over, holding Jiang Haohao in his arms while pulling his wife along to kneel and reply, "The child is too small, and there's no one to look after her at home, so I have to bring her with me. If the young lady fancies her, it would be her good fortune to serve you as a maid!"

As he spoke, he wept, pulling his wife down to kowtow while carefully shielding the crate behind them. Jiang Mo looked at the scene, somewhat at a loss, until the old woman beside her finally spoke: "Enough. We have plenty of maids; we don't need another. Give them some spirit stones and send them away."

Jiang Mo nodded, took out a spirit stone, and tossed it onto the ground. Looking down at the pitiable people by the roadside, she said, "Children are dearest when raised by their own kin. Your life is not easy; hurry along now."

With that, she returned to the palanquin, and the group slowly continued their journey toward Wanfo Temple. Matron Xu, recalling the baby of the Jiang family's eldest son who had just been sent away, acted as if she had seen nothing. They were just unfilial offspring who had been cast out; there was no need to cause trouble with those boorish peddlers. Today, nothing must delay the old woman’s pilgrimage.

Inside the palanquin, Jiang Mo felt a flicker of emotion. Although she didn't recognize the baby, she had a strange feeling she had seen her somewhere before...

Once the palanquin was far away, the couple stood up. The woman couldn't wait to pick up the spirit stone from the ground, exclaiming gleefully, "That old woman is clearly a kind soul. I thought the brat would ruin things, but hey, we even got a spirit stone out of it! She’s a lucky charm!"

The peddler, his heart finally settling, looked at the injuries on his hands and the pain on his face. He felt hatred, but there was nothing he could do. He pulled his wife along, packed up quickly, and fled that cursed place. He still had a foreboding feeling; things usually went smoothly for him, but today, one bad thing after another had happened. He needed to get into the city immediately. Though the bloody scratches on his face were excruciating, he endured it all willingly, hoping to buy medicinal pills for his own child soon.

Little did Jiang Haohao know that besides the three of them, the crate also held several other children.

...

The "boss" that Huazi had been talking about finally arrived, accompanied by three others. Each of them carried a blade, and one was a one-eyed man with a ferocious, ghastly expression. Seeing the boss arrive, Huazi hurried to greet him with a sycophantic smile, calling him "Boss" with every breath.

Jiang Lin also stepped out, loudly greeting the group with a broad smile. He guessed that these men were likely rogue cultivators—the kind who took lives for profit. To others, boys like them were nothing but good-for-nothing hoodlums—without qualifications, talent, or background. They were just poor children with no future.

The rogue cultivators sneered at these clueless rookies; many years ago, they had been just as naive. But there was no turning back; once you stepped onto this path, you were committed forever. The youths looked at the imposing, formidable cultivators with a mix of fear and nervousness, yet a hint of envy stirred within them.

The boss smiled at the youths and said, "Work hard, and one day you’ll be well-fed and able to buy secret manuals."

Hearing the mention of being well-fed and buying secret manuals, Huazi was electrified. Secret manuals were usually the unique techniques kept in the hidden chambers of wealthy households; ordinary poor families never had access to them. "Boss, just give the order! If you tell us to go east, we’ll never go west!"

The boss stroked his blade and told the youths, "It will be your turn soon. For now, we must wait."

The youths looked at the sharp weapons, their hearts burning with fervor. Jiang Lin cautiously ingratiated himself: "Boss, could you give us some suitable weapons? Otherwise, if a fight breaks out, I’m afraid we’ll just get in your way. With blades, we can fight more fiercely!"

The boss looked at this handsome, sharp-witted boy who knew how to handle himself. He thought that if the boy survived, he might be worth taking under his wing. "Go, give them each a blade!"

The youth followed the one-eyed cultivator to a rock and carefully dug into the dirt. To his surprise, there were over a dozen long blades buried there. Jiang Lin picked out a sturdy, sharp one. Although he had never handled such things before, he had touched his mother’s spirit sword a few times. While this was different, the principles and techniques were similar enough.

The youths, accustomed to their usual idle ways, felt their blood boil at the sight of real weapons. It was as if they had transformed from naive boys into invincible swordsmen. They played around, practicing their clumsy moves, while the rogue cultivators simply watched without saying a word.

Jiang Lin also moved his body, pretending to be as ignorant of blade-work as the others. Suddenly, he heard movement on the small path in the woods. The rogue cultivators stopped talking and swiftly leaped into the trees to hide. The youths followed suit, quietly sheathing their blades and lying in ambush.

A palanquin passed by on the road, surrounded by a group of matrons, bodyguards, and maids protecting the occupant. The youths’ eyes lit up at the sight of the luxurious carriage; it was clearly from a wealthy household!

Jiang Lin realized it was the Jiang family's carriage; he recognized the matrons and guards. His heart pounded, and his hand trembled as he gripped his blade, wishing he could rush down and slaughter everyone inside. But then he remembered what his father had told him: it was harder to be a good person than a bad one, and only by being a good person could one truly survive. No one would know what happened in the dark, and no one would blame a good person.

He held back. Huazi looked at the boss and whispered, "Boss, should we attack?"

The boss’s face darkened as he watched the group of guards, frowning. "Not yet. Let's wait and see."

The palanquin moved slowly along the small path and disappeared. A moment later, the youths heard another sound. It was a couple, rushing along in a panic. Their cart was filled with cheap trinkets; they were clearly peddlers.

Jiang Lin recognized them too. His younger sister often liked to buy fruit candies from this short peddler, claiming his were the best. Thinking of his sister, Jiang Lin couldn't help but smile. He wondered what his sister and the youngest were doing at home right now. Was the little one crying?