Chapter Thirty-Five: Each Person’s Shift Toward Stability

Wrapped in rags over a frail, thin frame, this was Su Mu.

Su Mu possessed a pair of exceptionally beautiful hands. However, he neither practiced the sword nor played the zither; instead, he was a thief—and a highly skilled one at that. At least, that was how things used to be.

One cannot walk by the river forever without getting one’s shoes wet. During one of his heists, Su Mu was caught. The victim was an old man, much like the elders one might see cooling themselves under a great tree in any village. The old man did not scold him; he simply smiled gently and said, "You must not do this again."

From that day on, Su Mu began to suffer from relentless nightmares. Sometimes he dreamed of being captured and having his limbs broken; other times, he dreamed that the items he had stolen transformed into monsters; and often, he dreamed of being cursed by others. Every time he jolted awake, Su Mu would find himself drenched in cold sweat. For no reason, his thoughts would drift back to that old man, that gentle smile, and those words: "You must not do this again." Su Mu decided he would never be a thief again. That night, he slept soundly.

Once his master finally died, he no longer had to fear being beaten or kicked. He could finally stop being a thief and live a happy life. Being an ordinary person, working as a shop assistant or a waiter, or even wandering the world—these were all good options.

Unfortunately, fate did not always go as planned. The inheritance his master left behind—a house in the Black Curtain City—was razed to the ground during the city’s fervent urban renewal project, and Su Mu never saw a single coin of the compensation money. On the other hand, his own heart’s desires were met: Su Mu found four or five young beggars—he himself being only fifteen or sixteen—and out of empathy and a desire for companionship, he decided to take them in.

Thus, Su Mu became the leader of a small band of beggars. The carefree days passed quickly, but soon the group was absorbed by a larger gang under a boss named Chen Dazai. Their task was to beg and surrender all their earnings to him; if the take was too small, they were beaten. The standard for "too small" was entirely dependent on Chen Dazai’s mood. Su Mu could withstand neither the cold and hunger nor Chen Dazai’s fists. The new policies of Black Curtain City never reached this group of beggars.

Under normal circumstances, Su Mu’s fate would have been to return to a life of crime or die on the streets. But perhaps there is always a way out; one day, another person joined their little group. She was someone quite special, or so Su Mu felt.

She looked even younger than him, yet he always found himself compelled to listen to her. Her name was Su Su, and from her came the names Su Mu, Su Zhe, and Su Yin—everyone finally had a pleasant name. She was also very resourceful. After she arrived, Chen Dazai ceased his savage behavior and stopped exploiting them entirely; he even stepped forward to rent a small courtyard for them. The neighborhood ruffians rarely bullied them anymore, occasionally greeting them or even standing up for them when outsiders caused trouble.

Su Su was clever. She could sew, cook, and tell stories. Although her stitches were always crooked and her cooking tasted terrible, the stories she told were truly wonderful. Life was good; Su Mu was content, and he even thought it would stay this way forever.

Then came that night. Everyone was sitting in the courtyard, eating hot pot, singing, and laughing as they shared stories. But then a heavy rain fell, and this joyful group’s misfortune began. The youngest, Su Yin, caught a chill and fell ill. Soon after, while begging, Su Zhe had his leg bitten off by a vicious dog. The omnipotent Su Su knitted her brows, and Su Mu followed suit. He could sense that Su Su was becoming anxious, helpless, and yearning to leave. Long ago, Su Mu had heard her mention, quite by accident, that she had a very good home, though she did not want to be there. Was she going home now? Su Mu clenched his fists.

Su Mu washed his hands carefully, then smeared them with dirt once more; a little beggar should not have such clean hands. His gaze was firm, his target clear: "Monkey Brother" of the South City, and the man in the blue shirt standing before him. The target was two people. Stealing from two people with one hand was Su Mu's signature skill; his claim to fame was once stealing from two cultivators, though he had been terrified for days after discovering their identity. Su Mu did not believe a gang leader was a high-and-mighty cultivator, nor did he believe a thug's friend could be one. Besides, at this hour, he could not find another target. He had no choice.

Behind them stood the Treasure Pavilion, just opening its doors. The timing was poor—it was early morning and few people were around—but seeing Su Su diligently tidying up the house, Su Mu knew he could not hesitate. What if he broke his oath? Even if he had nightmares, he wouldn't care. Su Mu told himself firmly.

Su Mu grabbed a handful of pebbles and hurled them into the Treasure Pavilion. The shop assistants inside cursed and gave chase. Su Mu counted to three in his heart and bolted. As he ran past the three men—Monkey and his companions—he threw a handful of lime powder. The air became choking. He reached out, pulled his hand back—the weight was good; it should be silver. The other item felt like a jade pendant. He turned to run, but he could not move; a massive force was pulling him back.

*Oh no, I've been caught.* The thought flashed through Su Mu's mind. Sure enough, the third person, whom he had always assumed was all brawn and no brain, roared, "This man is a thief!" Hou Baiyu was quite pleased. The Eternal Armor Dragon Technique was not only amazing for defense and vitality; it had other uses, too. "Look at my spiritual perception, and then look at you. I've helped you again; I suppose we're even now."

Wu Yue didn't care much, being a man with barely five taels of silver in his pocket. But Monkey was shocked. Ignoring the lime all over his face, he reached out and rummaged through Su Mu, finding a small pouch and a white jade pendant in the shape of nine dragons. Wu Yue’s expression turned sour instantly. As for Monkey, his eyes rolled, and he began to wail.

"Master Wu, save me!" Tears carved tracks through the lime on his face. Hou Baiyu found it amusing and glared at the two pursuing shop assistants, driving them back. Seeing the little beggar in the hands of such fierce men, the assistants left, disgruntled.

"That Boss Dao is no human; he drinks human blood! Now he’s given me these pills—he clearly has ill intentions. I just want to serve you honestly, run your errands, and work like a beast of burden for you!" Monkey cried, tears and snot flowing, as he held up the small pouch containing several red and black pills. "I just want you to cure me of this poison first, so I can properly find the key for you."

Hou Baiyu first wore a look of schadenfreude, then sniffed the air a few times, his face showing a hint of suspicion. Suddenly, he snatched the red pill. Before Monkey could even feel angry, Hou Baiyu’s face was filled with terror—the expression of a man who had seen a ghost, for the second time. His face turned from green to white as he muttered over and over, "How is it that not a single one has died? How can I possibly survive this?"