Do Not Offend the Reborn Wicked Wife

The young beggar lay for a while, then suddenly burped from the wine, staggered up, and left, seemingly looking for a place to sleep, without even settling the bill, and the shopkeeper didn’t ask him for it either.

This was indeed strange, a beggar could drink in a restaurant without paying? Could it be that the people of Yunzhou City were so honest?

Li Qingmu curiously said, "Could it be that the shopkeeper knows this young man and feels pity for him, thus waiving his wine bill?"

Qi Jingyu had a similar thought but delved a bit deeper: "The Imperial Uncle might think the same as I do; perhaps the shopkeeper knows he once became a Jinshi and thinks he might have a chance to succeed in the future."

Long Yue’s ideas differed from the two men: "Why couldn’t it be that someone helped him pay the bill?"

Li Qingmu smiled and asked her, "Yue’er, why would you think that? Who would pay for such a stinky beggar’s wine?"

Qi Jingyu also shook his head, thinking this possibility was unlikely.

If the beggar still had a family, his elders wouldn’t watch him despairing like this without trying to help him regain his spirit.

Besides, the beggar was of an age where he could have gotten married and started a career. Even if his elders still managed him, would he not have married? It’s unlikely he would abandon his wife and children to drink in the streets every day.

Li Qingmu straightforwardly said, "What use is there in us three guessing here? Why not call the shopkeeper and ask; won’t we know then?"

Upon his summons, the waiter hurried over with a smiling face and asked, "Honorable guests, what instructions do you have?"

Long Yue was the first to ask, "That beggar just now, why did he leave without paying for the wine? Does your restaurant serve liquor for free?"

"Uh... no, that’s not the case. Miss Fu Xiang from the Zuihua Building across the street covers his bill. Every time the beggar drinks, we settle the account with her across the street."

"Zuihua Building?" Qi Jingyu looked across the railing and was surprised to find that the Wanhua Building was actually a brothel.

A brothel is a refined term; in simple words, it’s a pleasure house for men.

A courtesan would pay for a beggar’s wine? Could there be a connection between them?

This made the three of them even more curious, and they couldn’t help but inquire further, but the waiter didn’t know the inside story and couldn’t clarify it for them.

Long Yue giggled and said, "Did I guess correctly? Someone is indeed paying for his wine."

Li Qingmu puzzledly asked, "Yue’er, how did you guess that?"

"It’s actually quite simple. He may be a beggar in distress now, but he definitely wasn’t before. He said he had passed the Jinshi exam, indicating he had a glorious period. He must have made some friends along the way."

This is why they say men and women think differently; Li Qingmu and Qi Jingyu both thought others saw him as a potential asset with a chance of resurgence one day.

However, Long Yue thought it was friends he had made in the past helping him now.

But what puzzled the three of them was that everyone says brothel women are heartless, so why would Miss Fu Xiang consistently pay his wine bill? Could there be feelings between them?

While the three of them ate and chatted, they suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, so they looked down from the railing and were stunned to find the young beggar blocking a wedding procession.

His steps were unsteady, stumbling every three steps but never falling.

A few burly men walked out from the wedding procession opposite and cursed, "Smelly beggar, get out of the way! If you delay our master’s auspicious time, we’ll kill you!"

"Let go of that young lady, and I’ll spare your lives!"

The young beggar unsheathed a longsword and looked expressionlessly at the wedding procession opposite.

"How dare you! Don’t blame us if you’re courting death!"

Several burly men charged forward with greatswords, intending to kill the young beggar on the spot. However, unexpectedly, with just two moves, the young beggar subdued the burly men, though he got several sword wounds.

The burly men dared not advance anymore. Just then, an old country squire with a goatee emerged from the sedan chair, frowned, and asked, "What’s happening up ahead? Why aren’t we moving?"

A burly man went up to the sedan chair to report: "Reporting, Mr. Li, a beggar is blocking the way ahead and asks us to release Miss Liu. His swordsmanship is extraordinary; we brothers are no match."

"Useless! All of you are useless; just give him some money to make him go away, wouldn’t that settle it?"

Seeing it’s nothing serious, Mr. Li returned into the sedan chair.

The sedan chair resonated with a young woman’s cries: "Don’t touch me! Stay away! Boo hoo hoo..."

"Hahaha, young lady, after today, you’ll be my sixth concubine. Sooner or later, you’ll be mine. What’s wrong with a little touch? Just comply with me, haha..."

"Let go! Let go of me..."

The quarrel in the sedan piqued Long Yue’s attention upstairs; she understood that Mr. Li was forcefully taking a young woman, who clearly didn’t agree.

She was about to go down to help but was pulled back by Li Qingmu: "Yue’er, don’t rush. Let’s see what the beggar will do first."

Qi Jingyu agreed, thinking that if this person, with his good skills and having passed the Jinshi exam before, had good character, then perhaps they could promote him exceptionally. He might achieve something in the future.

Seeing the two men remain indifferent to test the beggar, Long Yue angrily huffed and returned to her seat to continue eating, ignoring them.

Downstairs, a man dressed as a steward pulled a silver ingot from his sleeve, tossed it to the young beggar, and dismissed him: "Take this silver to drink; no need to trouble yourself with the Li family’s matters. Move along!"

Who would have thought the silver ingot, tracing an arc through the air, would fall before the young beggar, who split it in half with a single sword strike, sending the halves flying to either side. He snorted coldly: "A gentleman values wealth but earns it righteously. Release the young lady!"

"Hey! You’re refusing wine only to drink penal wine!" The Li family’s steward was furious, stepping back several paces to beckon: "A few of you hold him off while the rest take another route and return to the mansion!"

Auspicious rituals like weddings are particular about their timing; missing an auspicious moment is considered bad luck, so wasting time on this smelly beggar was unacceptable.

Left to block the young beggar were about ten hired thugs. Armed with cudgels, they blocked his way without advancing, as they’d seen the beggar’s skills earlier and knew they couldn’t win.

"Anyone who blocks me will die!" The young beggar raised his three-foot-long blade high and charged forward with unstoppable momentum, scaring the thugs into retreating.

Though they moved back, they still held their cudgels horizontally in front, blocking the young beggar’s path.

Seeing this, the young beggar was enraged, stomped his right foot, leaped high, and, turning mid-air, swung his sword forward. A swish of sword energy flashed, instantly leaving a slender bloodline on the throats of those before him.

Clutching their bleeding necks in fear, the thugs dropped their cudgels and fled.

Though the young beggar said those who blocked him would die, he hadn’t struck lethally, sparing them.

Seeing this scene, Qi Jingyu nodded with satisfaction: "The lad’s character is quite commendable."