Progress in Three Worlds and the New Ancient-Costumed Chu Yang – Please Vote, Keep Reading

Chapter 85: Progress in Three Worlds and the New Ancient-Costumed Chu Yang — Please Vote, Keep Reading

"Don’t tell me you’ve really gone stupid from all that research?"

Shanks rolled his eyes at him.

"Captain, I want to save that Fish-Man."

Chu Yang spoke solemnly.

"Mr. Tom? Why…" Shanks trailed off, then suddenly understood. "I forgot—you were saved by the Fish-Men."

"Mr. Tom? You know him too…" Chu Yang also came to a realization. "He built the Pirate King’s ship. It’d be strange if you didn’t know him."

Shanks nodded.

At that moment, Beckman suddenly appeared, draped an arm around Chu Yang’s shoulders, and said quietly, "Actually, we learned about this a long time ago. But the captain said Mr. Tom could complete the sea train, so we didn’t make an unnecessary move."

Shanks sighed. "If Chu Yang hadn’t needed to leave for a while, I wouldn’t have thought to come to Water 7 at this time to refit the Red Force. I’d originally planned to secretly celebrate with Mr. Tom after it was finished, but I didn’t expect this to happen today…"

Looking at the injured Mr. Tom, Chu Yang asked, "Do we save him now?"

Shanks shook his head. "No. The reason I haven’t acted until now is because I’m afraid Mr. Tom’s disciples will get dragged into this."

Chu Yang looked around but didn’t spot Franky.

He only saw Spandam, wrapped head to toe in bandages.

Apparently, Franky had already beaten his face in.

Beckman chuckled. "Don’t rush. We’ll talk once we’re out at sea. There are too many warships watching us—we can’t make a move here."

Chu Yang nodded.

Mr. Tom was escorted aboard the sea train he had built with his own hands, the Puffing Tom.

Spandam, the culprit behind it all, was also carried inside by his subordinates.

The Red Hair Pirates’ crew members gradually returned to the ship as well, preparing to set sail.

The patrolling warships were a beat too slow. Only after the Red Force followed the Puffing Tom out of Water 7 did they react.

All parties headed toward Enies Lobby at the same time.

The news quickly reached Marine Headquarters. Sengoku, who was still a Marine Admiral at the time, took the call. After hearing the report, his expression immediately changed drastically.

Without stopping for a moment, Sengoku led a group of vice admirals and rear admirals aboard warships and rushed toward Enies Lobby.

They believed the Red Hair Pirates’ target was Enies Lobby.

Meanwhile, the Red Force drew closer and closer to the Puffing Tom, and Spandam aboard the train also noticed something was wrong.

"Damn it, those pirates are coming for us!"

"Red Hair?"

"Why the hell is he sticking his nose into this?"

Spandam was terrified.

Aside from Whitebeard Edward Newgate, Kaido of the Beasts, and Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, who had already firmly claimed their seats as Pirate Emperors, Shanks was unquestionably the strongest man beneath the Pirate Emperors!

How could Spandam not be afraid when an enemy like that had set his sights on him?

Aboard the Red Force.

"How do we stop this sea train?"

"If we use brute force, Mr. Tom will get hurt!"

"If worse comes to worst, we can only destroy the tracks!"

"But Mr. Tom built these. If we damage them, he’ll get really angry, won’t he?"

Everyone chimed in at once, discussing how to save Mr. Tom.

Shanks’ head started to ache from listening.

The surrounding warships were closing in. If they waited any longer, it would probably become difficult to act.

Just then, Chu Yang saw a young man standing on the tracks in the distance.

He knew he couldn’t delay any longer.

"I have a way." Chu Yang jumped onto the railing, crouched halfway, and looked back. "Leave the Marines around us to you!"

Shanks reached out, intending to stop Chu Yang. "What are you going to do…"

Before he could finish, he saw Chu Yang fly away.

Yes.

Chu Yang had flown away.

Using Earth Release: Super-Lightened Boulder Technique.

Shanks stood frozen in place, dumbfounded.

The crew members, Beckman included, were frozen as well.

"Captain, I think I’m a little seasick today. I saw that brat Yang flying."

"Shanks, I’m a little seasick too. He’s flying pretty fast."

"Captain… blegh… I’m really seasick…"

Without any warning, the warships opened fire, battering the Red Force from side to side. Standing on the deck felt like riding a seesaw.

Shanks snapped back to his senses and immediately commanded the crew to return fire and cover Chu Yang.

Chu Yang quickly flew above the train, dropped into the driver’s cabin, kicked the driver into the sea, and then slammed on the brakes.

The high-speed sea train nearly derailed. After rushing forward a short distance, it slowly came to a stop.

The young man stood before the train with vacant eyes, arms spread wide in a daze.

At that moment, barely an arm’s length separated him from the train.

On the other side, Chu Yang was attacked the moment he stepped out of the driver’s cabin. A squad of Enies Lobby Marine soldiers and Cipher Pol No. 9 agents opened fire at the same time.

Facing a bunch of small fry, Chu Yang raised an arm and summoned thick tree trunks.

After one sweeping strike, the carriage became exceptionally clean.

Spandam was trembling in the corner.

I hate this.

Why hadn’t they blasted me away with everyone else just now?

Spandam cursed inwardly.

Chu Yang walked up to Spandam and grabbed the bandages wrapped around his wounds.

Spandam let out a miserable wail.

Chu Yang unleashed Conqueror’s Haki and knocked him unconscious, then tossed him straight out of the carriage.

Killing someone like this would only dirty his hands. Better to throw him into the sea to feed the fish—maintaining the ecological balance, in a way.

Environmental protection was important.

Only upon reaching the second carriage did Chu Yang find Tom. He was slumped in the corner, drenched in blood and barely breathing.

Chu Yang hurried over and poured a massive amount of life force into Tom’s body.

Franky, who had been scared senseless, finally came back to himself and rushed into the carriage, just in time to see Chu Yang treating Tom.

Franky’s eyes filled with tears, and he was extremely tense.

Chu Yang ignored him and focused on transferring life force to Tom.

Franky slowly approached, wanting to check on Tom’s condition, but Chu Yang suddenly stood up and kicked him away.

Franky spat out a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying into the sea. His blood quickly dyed the surrounding waters red.

The young Franky couldn’t be connected to the Red Hair Pirates yet. Otherwise, once they left, he would be the first to suffer.

Chu Yang understood that clearly, which was why he had kicked him so ruthlessly.

Afterward, he left the sea train with Tom, whose breathing had gradually stabilized.

The Marine artillery barrage was incredibly fierce.

But the newly modified Red Force was not afraid in the slightest, answering with an equally dense barrage of cannon fire.

Both sides remained restrained, and no close-quarters battle broke out.

However, the Marine formation was steadily closing in, showing signs of encirclement.

Just then, Chu Yang returned to the ship with Tom.

Shanks stood at the bow and shouted.

"Raise the sails! Set sail!"

Sengoku, who had arrived too late, could only watch as the Red Force broke through the Marine encirclement and headed toward unknown seas.

In truth, he was relieved as well.

He was the only admiral stationed at headquarters. If a conflict with the Red Hair Pirates broke out at Water 7, Marine Headquarters would be left dangerously undermanned, and serious trouble could easily arise.

Sengoku had come under considerable pressure this time. Fortunately, Shanks had no designs on Enies Lobby.

"Speaking of which, why did this guy cause such a huge commotion?"

On the return voyage, Sengoku turned to ask the Marine officers around him.

A rear admiral replied, "I heard that the Red Hair Pirates rescued the shipwright Tom, who was supposed to be executed."

Sengoku thought for a moment, then asked, "Tom, the man who built the Oro Jackson and is known as the world’s greatest shipwright?"

The rear admiral nodded. "Yes, Admiral Sengoku."

"Then it’s no surprise." Sengoku let out a long breath. "Red-Hair used to serve on Roger’s ship. This operation was probably to repay a debt."

The rear admiral asked in surprise, "Red-Haired Shanks was actually a crew member of Pirate King Roger?"

"You didn’t know?" Sengoku looked around and found quite a few people wearing shocked expressions.

"Admiral Sengoku, please don’t casually drop such huge pieces of information. You’ll scare people, just like Mr. Garp."

Kuzan, then a vice admiral known as "Aokiji," leaned against the rail with a helpless expression.

"Don’t compare me to that old fool." The mention of Garp immediately irritated Sengoku. "The New World is in crisis everywhere, yet he ran back to the East Blue. Who knows what he’s doing!"

"No idea, but Mr. Garp said he’d kill Red-Hair the next time he saw him…" Kuzan shrugged and teased, "Looks like the two of them have quite a serious grudge."

On the night they left Water 7, Tom woke up. When he learned that he was aboard the Red Force, he remained silent for a long time.

"If you go back now, everyone in Water 7 connected to you will be punished by the World Government. In the worst-case scenario, they’ll all be sentenced to death."

Chu Yang reminded him from the side.

Tom let out a deep sigh. "Why did you save me? You must have some other purpose too, right?"

Shanks smiled. "Our only purpose is to repay your kindness. Without the Oro Jackson you painstakingly built, Captain Roger would have found it difficult to fulfill his dream. And naturally, there would have been no Pirate King afterward."

Tom abruptly looked up, staring at Shanks in astonishment.

"I was once an apprentice crewman of the Roger Pirates." Shanks scratched his head.

Only then did Tom remember that there had indeed been two little kids aboard Roger’s pirate ship back then. One of them seemed to have red hair.

The two chatted for a long while before Shanks invited Tom to join that night’s banquet.

There was nothing more worth celebrating than successfully saving a companion’s life.

At least, that was how the Red Hair Pirates saw it.

The dining hall, now four or five times larger than before, had been turned into a banquet hall and remained brightly lit throughout the night.

All the pirates sang and danced, and the cups in their hands were never empty.

Tom slowly blended in. Before long, he was drunk. When he woke up the next day, he accepted the fact that he had become a member of the crew.

Chu Yang threw himself back into his research.

Perhaps because he was in such a good mood, the research into Lineage Factor technology progressed remarkably smoothly.

Five days later, Chu Yang successfully extracted a Lineage Factor with the effects of Wood Release.

Naruto world.

After training in Shikkotsu Forest for many days, Chu Yang successfully comprehended Sage Mode, though he still could not enter the state instantly like Hashirama Senju.

Entering Sage Mode instantly was no easy task.

Even Jiraiya, who would later become one of the Three Ninja, could not do it.

It required balancing three types of energy within the body.

Physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy.

Chakra was the product of physical energy and spiritual energy reaching equilibrium. To add natural energy into it, one had to break that already-established balance.

But inertia was terrifying.

Especially when the body had already grown accustomed to producing Chakra in a certain way, that inertia had long since developed into instinct.

That was the fundamental reason Sage Mode was so difficult to cultivate.

When one was highly focused, entering Sage Mode was not difficult.

The hard part was maintaining Sage Mode while moving, or even fighting.

On his first day of training in Shikkotsu Forest, Chu Yang successfully made the markings appear on his face.

Moving freely took three days.

Fighting normally took five days.

To the Slug Sage, that speed was unprecedented, but Chu Yang was still dissatisfied.

If he could not guarantee entering Sage Mode at any moment during battle, then it was meaningless.

For that reason, Chu Yang specifically sought advice from Hashirama Senju.

Hashirama Senju: "Like this… then this… and finally that."

Chu Yang: "???"

As Hashirama Senju gestured, the words coming from his mouth felt both familiar and unfamiliar to Chu Yang.

He seemed to think that he had explained things very clearly, even vividly.

Until Chu Yang stared at him with a completely baffled expression.

"Tobirama always said I’m not suited to be a teacher…" Hashirama Senju laughed awkwardly as he scratched his head. "I think actual combat will make it easier for you to understand."

Chu Yang let out a long sigh. So this was basically setting him up to get beaten up.

But in order to enter Sage Mode faster, Chu Yang could only nod in agreement.

Other than Sage Mode, neither Ninjutsu nor Sage Arts could be used in actual combat. In other words, Hashirama Senju’s greatest advantage, Wood Release, was off-limits.

If they were relying solely on Taijutsu, the gap between Chu Yang and Hashirama Senju was not actually that great anymore.

The problem was that Hashirama Senju would never give Chu Yang the chance to enter Sage Mode in actual combat. From the very start, he had been suppressing Chu Yang.

With Hashirama Senju in Sage Mode fighting Chu Yang, who was not in Sage Mode and could only use Taijutsu, the outcome was obvious.

Chu Yang was beaten senseless.

Forget entering Sage Mode—he had to give it everything he had just to barely defend against Hashirama Senju’s attacks.

More often than not, he was nothing more than a human punching bag.

The two fought from morning until dusk.

Chu Yang’s entire body had swollen up a size.

Looking refreshed and invigorated, Hashirama Senju said, "It’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun. The last time was when I fought Madara. Ever since becoming Hokage, there haven’t been many chances to fight. Sometimes, I really do envy Madara—at least he still gets to fight tailed beasts."

"Well? After fighting for so long, have you found even a little of the feeling?"

Chu Yang, his face bruised and swollen, looked up at Hashirama Senju and said resentfully, "Do I look like I’ve found anything?"

Hashirama Senju focused his gaze and asked solemnly, "And who might you be?"

Chu Yang let out a deep sigh. "Teacher, that joke wasn’t funny at all."

"Was it? Hahaha." Hashirama Senju scratched his head and laughed to himself.

Hashirama Senju’s teaching method was simple and brutal.

But it was incredibly effective, drawing out Chu Yang’s potential to the fullest. After being beaten for three days and three nights, Chu Yang finally learned the technique of entering Sage Mode instantly in battle.

Harry Potter world.

After fully mastering the Unforgivable Curses, Chu Yang resumed his research into spells.

As for wands, that line of research had temporarily come to a standstill.

Chu Yang’s wandmaking skill had already reached a very high level, and he had even found a substitute formula for wand cores. Yet it was still difficult to find a stable replacement core that would allow his "selves" in other worlds to make wands.

So Chu Yang decided to change his research direction and planned to learn the secrets of wandless magic from Professor Flitwick or Headmaster Dumbledore.

Wands were actually a European creation. Before the British witch Isolt Sayre founded Ilvermorny, indigenous wizards in North America had all practiced wandless magic.

African wizards had only begun coming into contact with wands in the twentieth century.

Strictly speaking, a wand was not a necessity for casting magic.

Wandless magic was extremely difficult—far more difficult than the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. examinations.

The emergence of wands lowered the requirements for casting, making it more controllable and simpler. They were a key factor in how European wizards had overwhelmed wizards from other regions throughout their history of development.

Wands and wandless magic were like internal combustion engines and steam engines; the latter had already been cast aside by the times.

For the vast majority of wizards, abandoning a wand in favor of wandless magic was as incomprehensible as a modern person giving up high-speed rail to travel by steam train.

Even someone as powerful as Dumbledore would never use wandless magic in battle.

But for Chu Yang, allowing his "selves" in other worlds to use magic was more important than the high learning threshold and drawbacks of wandless magic.

As for the shortcomings of wandless magic, Chu Yang could slowly overcome them using knowledge from the various worlds. He was not worried about that in the slightest.

Headmaster Dumbledore had been very busy lately.

Ever since Chu Yang passed along the information about Voldemort’s seven Horcruxes, he had rarely been seen at Hogwarts.

Harry’s mood had also become somewhat low, but fortunately, Ron and Hermione were often by his side.

Since Dumbledore was not at the school, Chu Yang could only ask Professor Flitwick to teach him the techniques of wandless magic.

As the champion of the dueling tournament, Professor Flitwick’s spellcasting ability was second only to Dumbledore’s in all of Hogwarts.

Snape and Professor McGonagall were also skilled at wandless magic, but they might not be able to explain it as thoroughly as Professor Flitwick.

It was not the specialty of either of them.

After class, Chu Yang did not go to the Great Hall to eat with his classmates. Instead, he headed alone to the eighth floor, passed the Room of Requirement, and continued down the corridor to an office near the West Tower.

He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Professor Flitwick’s high-pitched voice came from inside.

Chu Yang pushed open the door and saw Professor Flitwick making coffee.

"Would you like a cup?" Professor Flitwick asked with a smile. He liked students such as Chu Yang coming to see him after class.

Whenever the two discussed spells, Chu Yang’s unconstrained ideas often gave him tremendous inspiration.

"No, Professor. I came to ask you about something."

Chu Yang sat down on the sofa with practiced ease.

"Have you encountered a spell that’s difficult to understand?"

Professor Flitwick carried over a freshly brewed cup of coffee and sat opposite Chu Yang curiously.

"Not a spell…" Chu Yang smiled. "I want to learn the techniques of wandless magic from you."

"Wandless magic?" Professor Flitwick paused, then frowned. "Why are you learning that? Wandless magic is neither efficient nor easy. It’s like the stone tools in the hands of primitive people…"

It was easy to tell from Professor Flitwick’s words that he looked down on wandless magic. Like most wizards, he considered it very backward.

Seeing the topic drifting further and further away, Chu Yang quickly cut him off. "I’ve recently been studying A History of Magic, and I’m very curious about the earliest period of wizarding history. I want to know how European wizards cast spells before wands were invented."

"Oh!" Professor Flitwick suddenly understood and smiled knowingly. "I used to be just like you, filled with curiosity about everything in the magical world."

"Since you want to understand wandless magic, I must first explain the relationship between Magic Power, wands, and spells."

"Each person’s Magic Power is like the water in a large bucket, while the Magic Power needed to cast a spell is like the water in a small bottle."

"If we want to pour the water from the large bucket precisely into the small bottle, we need a funnel. A spell acts as that funnel, helping us regulate the output of Magic Power."

"Even if we pour in a little too much water sometimes, the funnel can help adjust it and keep the water from overflowing."

"Without a wand, it is like pouring water from a large bucket into a small bottle without a funnel. If you use too much force, spilling the water is the least of it. Sometimes, you might even knock the bottle over."

"When that happens, the entire spell will fail. In serious cases, it can even cause magical backlash. For wizards, that is a very frightening thing."

At this point, Professor Flitwick’s expression became extremely serious. "Yang, you should have read in books about the consequences of a wizard losing control of their Magic Power."

"And most cases of Magic Power going out of control during wandless magic are even more severe. The Magic Power runs wild inside the body, like a balloon being inflated without end. I don’t need to tell you what happens next, do I?"

Chu Yang immediately nodded. "I understand, Professor Flitwick."

"Mm, very good." A smile returned to Professor Flitwick’s face, and he began teaching Chu Yang the finer points of wandless magic.

"Without a wand, our bodies take on the role of the wand. Without a wand acting as a regulator, you must use mental strength to strictly control your Magic Power output."

"Mental strength is the natural barrier to wandless magic. If your mental strength is not strong enough, you cannot precisely pour water from the large bucket into the small bottle."

"And as a person grows older and meditates continuously, their mental strength becomes stronger and stronger. That is why Headmaster Dumbledore’s wandless magic appears more effortless than anyone else’s."

Professor Flitwick spoke at length, telling Chu Yang every key point of wandless magic.

That very night, Chu Yang sneaked out of the school and headed into the Forbidden Forest to practice wandless magic.

The entire process was indeed far from easy.

If an ordinary person’s total Magic Power could fill a large bucket, then Chu Yang’s Magic Power could nearly fill an entire Black Lake.

That terrifying amount of Magic Power made it extremely difficult for Chu Yang to control. He simply could not do as Professor Flitwick had said and pour water into a small bottle.

If he poured in an entire lake’s worth of water, forget the bottle—even buckets, tanks, and reservoirs would be smashed apart!

Chu Yang could only begin by training himself to control his Magic Power with precision.

Chu Yang’s advantage was that he possessed knowledge from other worlds.

He tried borrowing the methods of cultivating Chakra in the Naruto world to train his ability to control Magic Power.

"Waiter, bring the wine!"

"Coming right up, sir!"

The waiter, dressed in coarse linen clothes, cheerfully carried a jar of Autumn White Dew out from the back courtyard.

Following the voice, he walked over to a dining table by the window, poured a cup for the guest there, and left the wine jar on the table.

"Mr. Chu, please wait a moment. Your food and wine will be here shortly."

"Alright, thank you."

"Haha, Mr. Chu is always so polite."

The waiter’s face glowed with pride. For a scholar like Mr. Chu to thank someone like him was undoubtedly something that brought him great honor.

The waiter had wanted to exchange a few more pleasantries, but another impatient call immediately reached his ears.

"Waiter!"

He sighed and could only give Mr. Chu a helpless smile before heading over to attend another table.

Chu Yang nodded in return. As someone who had once lived in modern times, he was simply used to saying "thank you" to people. There was no special meaning behind it.

Having come to this world nearly a year ago, Chu Yang had grown accustomed to his identity as a teacher, and his manner of speaking and conduct had undergone earth-shaking changes compared to when he had first arrived.

Chu Yang was a genuine university student. Teaching a group of little brats their basics was more than within his abilities, and he had done an excellent job. He had become somewhat well-known not only in this town, but throughout the surrounding villages as well.

Yet the smoothness of his work could not heal Chu Yang’s increasingly desiccated soul.

Entertainment in ancient times was truly scarce!

No television, no movies, no computers—nothing at all!

Other than visiting the pleasure houses to listen to music, there was practically nothing to do!

But even if his body could handle visiting pleasure houses every day, Chu Yang’s purse could not.

Being a teacher could keep Chu Yang clothed and fed, but it could not save those young ladies living in misery.

Chu Yang found that deeply regrettable.

So, whenever he had nothing to do, coming to the tavern to listen to a storyteller became one of Chu Yang’s few hobbies.

Just as the dishes on his table were all served and Chu Yang had only taken one sip of wine, the storyteller in the center of the hall—a man past forty—lightly brought the wooden clapper in his hand down onto the table!

Smack!

"Last time, we told of how Zhao Kuangyin, Great Ancestor of the Northern Song Dynasty, and Zhao Guangyi, Great Ancestor of the Southern Song Dynasty, turned against each other. Their feud split the vast Great Song Dynasty into two nations: the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty."

"Hehehe…"

Chu Yang could not help laughing out loud.

Everyone in the tavern turned their eyes toward him, but the storyteller was already used to it.

Whenever the tale reached this point, this rather eccentric Mister Chu would laugh, with a hint of mockery in it.

Seeing the guests staring at him, Chu Yang had no choice but to stand and cup his hands in apology to everyone around him. Only then did the crowd’s anger subside.

The storyteller cleared his throat and continued, "As the Great Song Dynasty split in two, the greatest sect under heaven, the Beggars’ Sect, also split into two, becoming the Northern Beggars’ Sect and the Southern Beggars’ Sect."

"Qiao Feng, chief of the Northern Beggars’ Sect, and Hong Qigong, chief of the Southern Beggars’ Sect, were both peerless Gouketsu of the realm. Seven days ago, they arranged a duel at Yanmen Pass, wishing to determine the stronger of the northern and southern Beggars’ Sects."

"At first, they fought with the Beggars’ Sect’s supreme arts. Their Dragon-Subduing Palms came from the same source, making it impossible to tell who held the upper hand. Dragon roars rang endlessly above Yanmen Pass, and the aftershocks of their palm force could even snap towering trees a hundred paces away."

"Halfway through their duel, the Liao Kingdom’s army invaded Yanmen Pass. Relying on the natural defenses of the pass, the two men held back the army by themselves for an entire day."

"Sect Leader Qiao of the Northern Beggars’ Sect was younger and full of vigorous vitality. He held out three hours longer than Elder Sect Leader Hong, until the border troops and many Beggars’ Sect disciples arrived."

"Seeing that things could not be done, the Liao army left behind a field of corpses and retreated in panic…"

As soon as the storyteller finished, cheers erupted throughout the tavern.

"Good! Kill them all!"

"The two chiefs’ heroism reaches the heavens!"

"Kill every one of those Khitan dogs!"

"Waiter! Bring another jar of Shao Daozi to keep the mood going!"

Successfully repelling the foreign invaders had put everyone present in high spirits.

Everyone was laughing and celebrating!

Chu Yang was hehehe-ing too.

Being transported through time was one thing, but ending up in something this absurd was another!

Zhao Kuangyin and Zhao Guangyi turning against each other?

Qiao Feng fighting Hong Qigong?

"Big Brother Chu Yang, laugh a little quieter. If you keep laughing like that, people will take you for a fool again." A little beggar who had appeared from who knew where plopped down across from Chu Yang and casually picked up his chopsticks to help himself to the food.

"Little Yellow, isn’t Guan Yu fighting Qin Qiong funny?" Chu Yang asked.

"I told you not to call me Little Yellow! Only dogs are called Little Yellow!" The little beggar bared his teeth at Chu Yang in anger, then frowned. "Lord Guan and Lord Qin aren’t even from the same dynasty. How could they possibly fight?"

"Big Brother Chu Yang, your brain is getting worse and worse!"

"Ah, forget it. Your brain was never much use to begin with. What normal person invites beggars to eat every day?"

Chu Yang clicked his tongue. "I didn’t invite you. You were the one who sat down and started eating."

The little beggar gave an "oh" and smiled slyly. "Then why do you always prepare two sets of bowls and chopsticks when you eat alone?"

Chu Yang suddenly became sorrowful and said with heartbroken grief, "When I was young, my family had a little yellow dog. It grew up with me. I treated it like a brother, so I always prepared bowls and chopsticks for it at mealtimes…"

"Ever since it left home, I’ve kept up the habit."

The little beggar froze, then instinctively asked, "Left home? Where did it go?"

Chu Yang grinned. "It went begging."

The little beggar immediately realized that Chu Yang was making fun of him. His dirty little face flushed with anger, and he rose to hit him.

"Relax…" Chu Yang hurriedly raised a hand to block him. "I know you’re in a hurry, but don’t be in such a hurry. Why are you taking it personally?"

"You’re saying strange things nobody understands again!" the little beggar cried out in a girlishly coquettish voice. Yet he did not actually hit Chu Yang, merely glaring at him with clear, lake-like eyes.

"What are you doing~~~" Goosebumps rose all over Chu Yang’s body. Leaning against the railing, he dry-heaved before turning back to complain, "If I’d known you were this kind of person, I wouldn’t have pitied you in the first place."

Amusement flashed through the little beggar’s eyes, but his face took on a teary, pitiful expression. Lowering his head in shame, he said, "Big Brother Chu Yang, would you look down on me? I was born a little different from ordinary men, and the things I like are different too…"

Chu Yang scratched his head awkwardly. He had only meant to joke around; he had not expected Little Yellow to be so upset.

Come to think of it, even in his original era, matters of orientation were sensitive. In ancient times, it would be even worse. Being different from others would only bring greater pressure.

Looking at the little beggar’s reddened eyes, Chu Yang inexplicably found him pitiful and could only comfort him. "I was just joking earlier. I don’t have any intention of discriminating against you, really!"

The little beggar still looked as though he were about to cry, tears shimmering in his eyes.

Left with no other choice, Chu Yang leaned close to the little beggar’s ear.

The sudden closeness made the little beggar’s cheeks flush red. He was about to pull back when he heard Chu Yang’s voice.

"I’ll sing you a song. Once you hear it, don’t be mad anymore, okay?"

The little beggar had originally wanted to move away.

But Chu Yang’s soft singing made him stop.

Chu Yang’s singing voice was ordinary—not especially pleasant, but at least mostly on key.

Yet the straightforward lyrics and moving melody still drew the little beggar deep into the song.

The little beggar had been well-versed in music since childhood. In this world, fewer than ten people could surpass him.

Yet this was the first time he had heard a song in this style.

It was direct, yet deeply moving.

The longer one listened, the more stunning it became.

So the little beggar could understand, Chu Yang had removed all the English lyrics and replaced them with humming. Before long, he reached the chorus.

"What rose has no thorns?"

The emotionally charged lyrics struck the little beggar’s heart again and again.

The way the little beggar looked at Chu Yang changed, carrying a hint of surprise and admiration.

In his eyes, every scholar was pedantic.

But the man before him was different from every scholar he had met since running away from home.

He was somewhat like his father.

He had his own moral principles, stood apart from the crowd, and was regarded by the world as rebellious and unconventional.

Thinking of his father, and of the days since he had run away from home, the grievance in the little beggar’s heart could no longer be contained. Tears began to stream down his face.

This time, he truly wanted to cry.

Chu Yang stopped after singing the chorus only once, because the people around them kept staring at him and the little beggar.

"Who knows what that man said to make a little beggar cry like that?"

"He must have said something vicious. He even leaned in and whispered it in his ear. How awful."

"Huh? Isn’t that Mr. Chu? The one who teaches young children."

"It really does seem to be him…"

"Morals are declining with every passing day!"

Cold sweat streamed down Chu Yang’s forehead. He said quietly, "Little Yellow… uh, how about this? As long as you stop crying, you can call me Little Chu from now on, and I’ll call you Brother Huang."

The little beggar laughed through his tears. "It’s settled, then. From now on, you have to call me Brother Huang whenever we meet!"

"Fine, fine, fine." Chu Yang nodded hastily. Before leaving, he did not forget to ask, "Are you full? If you are, let’s hurry and go."

The little beggar snorted disdainfully. "If it weren’t for your sake, I wouldn’t even have bothered picking up my chopsticks. The food here is awful. I don’t know why you come here every day…"

"Stop bragging." Chu Yang rolled his eyes, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him outside. More and more people in the restaurant had gathered to watch the spectacle.

For some reason, the little beggar kept his head lowered the whole way, obedient beyond belief. When Chu Yang held his hand, it was like gripping a cat by the scruff of its neck.

"Hey, Brother Huang, I don’t discriminate against you or anything, but could you stop acting like this? You’re scaring me."

After leaving the restaurant, they walked on for a while.

Chu Yang looked at the bashful little beggar beside him, instantly let go in fright, and felt his scalp go numb.

The little beggar could not help bursting into laughter.

Seeing how happily he laughed, Chu Yang shook his head.

He took out a cloth bundle from his chest, filled with the dry provisions he had bought from the roadside stalls earlier. He held them out to the little beggar. "Take these back and share them with your companions."

The little beggar said with a complicated expression, "The first time I met you, you were giving food to beggars. And it wasn’t just once."

"In times like these, very few people care whether they live or die the way you do."

Chu Yang let out a deep sigh, his face full of helplessness.

As a successor of communism, born under the red flag and raised in the spring breeze, it was difficult for him to turn a blind eye to such things. It had been the same in his original world, and it was the same here.

The little beggar said, "Little Chu, although your brain doesn’t work very well, you have a kind heart. Other than occasionally eating at restaurants, you give all your money away as alms."

Hearing that, Chu Yang suddenly coughed, feeling somewhat ashamed.

He had indeed given away quite a lot in alms.

It was just that besides beggars, there were also the lovely girls at the pleasure houses.

Sigh…

Listening to music at the pleasure houses really did no one any good.

Perhaps because his conscience had been condemned, Chu Yang handed the dry provisions to the little beggar and hurried home without delay.

The little beggar’s innocent gaze was far too blinding…

The next day.

Amid the schoolchildren’s resounding recitations, Chu Yang announced the end of class. The courtyard immediately erupted into chaos, yellow dust billowing everywhere as if an army had descended upon them.

Chu Yang nodded in satisfaction.

The flowers of the motherland were so robust.

Very good.

"Each of you will get three extra sets of homework to take home."

The bratty children fell silent at once. They stared at Chu Yang in disbelief, and when they saw their teacher slowly nod, they looked as though their parents had died.

Three sets of homework!

The children with weaker nerves had already begun to cry bitterly.

Chu Yang was even more satisfied at the sight.

After school, with nothing better to do, Chu Yang planned to visit the pleasure quarters… ahem, no, he planned to go to the Land Temple in the eastern part of the city to see Little Yellow.

Then he would go listen to some music.

But halfway there, the road ahead was blocked by a group of people whose hairstyles looked like they belonged to some "Funeral Love Clan."

The leader had three huge bumps on his forehead, each the size of a green date.

Just looking at them made Chu Yang’s scalp tingle.

"Brother, your folliculitis looks pretty serious…" Chu Yang said worriedly.

The burly man with three bumps on his head glared coldly at Chu Yang… or rather, at someone behind him.

Following the man’s gaze, Chu Yang turned around.

He suddenly saw a young man in a fur coat, leading a chestnut-red horse laden with bags and bundles. His face practically screamed, "I’m filthy rich," as he followed behind Chu Yang.

The young man grinned, looking like a complete fool.

Well, damn. In times like these, you dared to flaunt your wealth so openly? If they didn’t rob you, who would they rob?

The burly man with the bumps had a vicious look in his eyes. These two probably had a grudge.

Chu Yang quietly moved to the side and said with a smile, "If you have grievances, settle them. If you have scores to settle, settle them. No need to mind me."

The burly man roared, "This little bastard ruined our plans! Take him down!"

The enemies charged aggressively. The young man set down his luggage and prepared to fight, but still remembered to turn to Chu Yang and say, "My apologies, brother. I never meant to drag you into this."

Hey, who the hell was your brother? Don’t go claiming relatives at random.

Chu Yang hurriedly told the group of red-clad delinquents, "I don’t know him. Don’t get the wrong idea—"

Before he could finish, a steel blade slashed past the top of his head. Chu Yang instinctively ducked, and his topknot was severed by the blade.

Strands of loose hair drifted down before his eyes. Overwhelmed by terror, Chu Yang’s anger flared up. He raised his head and cursed, "Fuck your mother."

The steel blade came down again. But this time, it definitely would not merely cut off Chu Yang’s topknot.

Chu Yang stared at the blade. Everything in his vision slowed, as if frozen in place.

His consciousness drifted farther and farther away.

When he came back to himself, he was already standing inside a grand and mysterious palace.

A circle of people stood around him, each examining him with curious eyes.

Chu Yang looked at them. Though he had never met them before, he felt an inexplicable familiarity from the bottom of his heart.

After a long while.

Someone finally spoke. "Oh? This time it’s actually ancient costume!"