Chapter 2
Ah Heng trudged along behind Old Wen, his steps uneven as they made their way out of Xiaoyan Town. Old Wen moved slowly, but Ah Heng wasn’t exactly quick either. The two of them strolled along at a leisurely pace, looking quite harmonious as they went.
By the time they crossed a small stone bridge, dusk had fallen. Beyond the bridge, lush grasses grew thick and green, and a winding dirt path led into the woods outside the town.
Before long, a small, dilapidated temple appeared by the roadside. The roof was overgrown with tangled, yellowed grass, swaying haphazardly in the early autumn breeze.
The temple was drafty on all sides, with only the two door panels appearing somewhat intact—though even these had several gaps at the bottom. In the twilight, faint flickers of light seeped through the weathered door panels.
Before they could approach, the gap-ridden door swung open. A sallow-faced, freckled youth peered out, grinning broadly: You’re back! I’ve been waiting for you! What happened to Ah Heng? Why is he soaking wet? Did someone beat him?”
Old Wen waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. Quickly start a fire so Ah Heng can warm up. We can’t have him getting sick.”
Dejected, Ah Heng walked into the dilapidated temple. The broken door closed behind him.
Inside the dilapidated shrine stood only a crumbling statue. Its faded, mottled paint had long since peeled away, revealing a dusty gray core. As soon as Ah Heng entered, he stared at the ruined deity. Who was this statue even meant to represent?
Who cares? No one worships it anyway.
Huddled around the fire, Er Gouzi fished a meager duck carcass from a filthy bowl, its bones still coated in sticky, unidentifiable liquid.
Old Wen grinned the moment he saw the carcass. “You’re something else, Gouzi. Where’d you get this?”
Er Gou motioned for Ah Heng to sit. “Stop standing there like a fool. Come eat. Once we’re done, we’ll have to put out the fire. Otherwise, the demon beasts will come to devour us in the light.” He moved aside from the hottest spot and gestured, “Come warm yourself. It’s rare we get a fire going.”
Ah Heng walked over and sat stiffly. He placed his begging staff beside him and asked hoarsely, “Demon beasts?”
“Demon beasts are terrifying. Our shabby temple couldn’t withstand a single claw swipe.” Er Gou pulled a neck off the duck rack and placed it in Ah Heng’s bowl—the neck had the most meat.
“Ah Heng, here…” Old Wen picked out the whitest steamed bun and handed it to Ah Heng. “Eat up, eat ba.”
Er Gou chewed on a smooth, meatless duck bone. “Tasty, huh? Got this when Xinghua Pavilion opened today. Snatched it when San Hu and the others weren’t looking.”
Ah Heng held a cracked bowl containing a stale steamed bun and a small, skin-covered piece of duck neck emitting a peculiar odor. This was already the best meal among the three.
Er Gou chewed the duck bone to bits, even picking up tiny scraps from the ground and chewing them carefully. Old Wen was too old to manage the bone; he could barely eat the stale bun, soaking it in water until it softened.
Ah Heng looked down at his bowl. He placed the duck neck into Er Gou’s bowl, then broke off half a steamed bun and put it into Lao Wen Tou’s bowl. “This is enough for me…”
“You’re so big, how can this little bit be enough?” Er Gou and Lao Wen Tou grumbled, pushing it back and forth between themselves, but they couldn’t persuade Ah Heng.
The stale steamed bun soaked in lukewarm water didn’t taste great, but Ah Heng detected a faint sweetness. He drank two large bowls of water, leaving them so clean they didn’t need washing.
Not a single drop of oil remained on their plates. While there was still a faint light outside, Er Gou extinguished the campfire and used a dilapidated cart from the small, broken temple to bar the gaping door.
A meter-wide gap stretched between the broken statue and the wall, the floor strewn with tattered clothes. Lying down inside, shielded by the statue, offered a measure of security. This was where the three beggars slept.
Ah Heng was tall, and when he lay down, he took up most of the space. Feeling awkward, he curled up, his head pressed against the wall, with Er Gou’s feet stretched out behind him. Old Wen lay diagonally, the three of them crammed together, filling the space behind the statue.
“Ah Heng, come with me tomorrow to grab kitchen scraps,” Er Gou whispered. “There should be more tomorrow. We’ll go early. Bring back as much as you can.”
Ah Heng remained silent, unwilling to speak. He didn’t want to beg for food, nor did he want to steal. He felt it didn’t matter whether he ate or not.
Old Wen chuckled softly. “Sleep now. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Sleep, sleep! Everyone be quiet! Don’t attract the beasts over here!” Doggie muttered before quickly drifting off.
Outside, light faded into darkness as insects began chirping in the grass. Ah Heng lay wide-eyed, listening to Er Gou and Old Wen snore like thunder.
He stroked his begging stick, utterly speechless. Wasn’t it supposed to be quiet?
The sun rose in the east, casting golden morning light through the dilapidated roof onto the worm-eaten beams.
Ah Heng opened the door of the ruined temple early, leaning on his begging staff. Now he sat on the threshold basking in the sun. Hearing Er Gou and Lao Wen Tou’s voices, he turned to look at the two men.
Er Gou roughly wiped his face with a crumpled rag, then tossed it carelessly onto a nearby wooden rack. The poor rag didn’t catch and fell back onto the filthy floor.
Er Gou paid it no mind, grabbing a broken pot with a flourish. “Ah Heng, Ah Heng! Come with me quick! Xinghua Lou opened yesterday, so there’s bound to be even more kitchen scraps this morning! Let’s go grab some!”
Ah Heng sat on the doorstep as Er Gou grabbed his hand, dragging him along. “Hurry up, hurry up! You’re so slow, you’d miss out on hot shit!”
Ah Heng’s body stiffened completely. Finally, Er Gou pointed him in a direction: “Over there! Hey, you’re slower than Old Wen’s head—what are we gonna do with you?”
With that, the scrawny teenager turned a corner and vanished down the path. Having lived in Xiaoyan Town for years, Er Gou knew that route was the quickest way to Xinghua Pavilion’s back door.
Old Wen, leaning on his cane, shuffled alongside Ah Heng. He smiled warmly at Ah Gou: “Er Gou’s a good lad. Old Li entrusted him to me on his deathbed. But all these years, it’s been Er Gou taking care of this useless old geezer.”
Ah Heng glanced at Old Li. A layer of grayish dust seemed to cover his face. “Old Wen,” Ah Heng remarked, “you didn’t wipe your face clean.”
Old Wen casually wiped his face. “Are we beggars? Being too clean is actually a bad thing.”
Ah Heng nodded. Before he could say anything else, Old Wen lectured him: “You, on the other hand, are too clean ah. Look at you—you’ve got such a good beggar’s life. If you were a bit more down-and-out, it’d be even better. Come on, come on, come on, let me smear some dirt on your face.”
Before Ah Heng could react, a handful of dust came flying straight at him. His already sallow face instantly turned gray and dusty.
Ah Heng looked at Old Wen again. He felt the dust on his own face was different from the gray on Old Wen’s. His own grime could be washed away, but the soot on Old Wen’s face seemed to seep from within, carrying an ominous aura.
Ah Heng and Old Wen strolled leisurely toward Apricot Blossom Pavilion. They’d arranged to meet Gouzi in the alley outside the building. This way, they could carry the kitchen scraps home while Gouzi distracted San Gou and his crew.
Xinghua Pavilion stood at the heart of Xiaoyan Town, its entrance graced by a massive apricot tree rumored to be centuries old. During its grand reopening yesterday, the owner had invited a powerful cultivator from the cultivation realm. With a display of his prowess, the apricot tree burst into full bloom on the spot, sending shockwaves through the entire town.
Even today, remnants of blossoms lingered on its branches.
Early that morning, a crowd had gathered beneath the tree. Ah Heng, who’d come to admire the blossoms, watched them with confusion. Their movements didn’t resemble flower-viewing—they were… fighting.
“Spare me! Spare me! I’ll never do it again! Help me ah!” Er Gou’s voice echoed from afar. Lao Wen Tou (aka Old Wen Head ) and Ah Heng froze.
Under the apricot tree, the one being beaten was Er Gou!!
“Er Gou! Gou Zi!” Lao Wen’s legs went weak, his whole body trembling. Gou Zi was his only companion. Seeing him beaten, broke Lao Wen’s heart.
Crying out, Lao Wen ran toward the apricot tree: “Stop hitting him! Stop it!”
Running too fast, Old Wen head crashed heavily to the ground, not even noticing the precious steamed buns tumbling out of his tattered cloth bundle.
“Old Wen head…” Er Gouzi reached out, his face smeared with blood-tinged tears. He tried to speak, but a lump in his throat choked his words. San Gouzi’s foot pressed down on his chest, the pain excruciating…
“Gou Zi Ah..” Old Wen lay bleeding and bruised. He scrambled to his feet and staggered toward the tree, but his age slowed him down.
The gang of beggars attacking Gouzi was led by San Hu (Three Tiger). San Hu’s territory was around Apricot Blossom Pavilion. Gouzi had snatched food from his jaws yesterday, and now he dared to come again!
The moment Sanhu spotted Old Wen, he sneered coldly: “Hah, you’re just in time. Today I’ll send both of you bastards to West Heaven together…”
A black whirlwind swept through. The beggars beating Doggie (Gouzi) beneath the apricot tree were literally sent skyward, only to crash back down heavily.
Ah Heng gripped his black beggar’s staff as he stood beside Er Gou, his dark expression tinged with surprise. But it quickly hardened into without expression. This look carried a certain weight—at least Er Gou, sprawled on the ground, felt a twinge of fear at the sight of Ah Heng who looked like this.
Er Gou spat out blood-tinged saliva, clutched his chest, and gasped for breath. Lying on the ground, he stared at Ah Heng in disbelief, as if in a dream: “Ah Heng…”
“Can you get up?” Ah Heng slowly planted his begging stick on the ground, as if the person who had just knocked four or five men flying with a single blow wasn’t him.
Sanhu was knocked senseless, feeling like his insides had shifted out of place. By the time he struggled to his feet, his henchmen were still writhing on the ground.
“You… you just wait…” Sanhu’s eyes flashed with fear. Where did this gaunt, tall figure come from? He must be with Lao Wen Tou and his crew. Sanhu forced himself to stay calm, “I’ll find you. You just wait!”
Ah Heng frowned. With a casual flick of his beggar’s staff, he sent it crashing into the nearby apricot tree.
A deafening crash echoed as the entire tree exploded outward. Splintered wood rained down on surrounding rooftops, scattering broken branches across the street. Shards and leaves fell like a torrential downpour upon the crowd. The thunderous explosion jolted many residents from their sleep.
Sanhu trembled uncontrollably, his pants slowly soaking through.
“Get lost,” Ah Heng said flatly. If Sanhu and his crew dared cause trouble again, Ah Heng was certain he’d send each of them packing with a single blow from his stick.
Terrified, Sanhu and his men could barely stand steady. Hearing this, they fled without looking back. “Ah Heng…”
Old Wen and Er Gou stared blankly at Ah Heng standing there. As the fallen blossoms drifted down, the tall figure seemed exceptionally strong and dependable. Tears welled in Gouzi’s eyes. Old Wen collected all sorts of trash to bring home, but Ah Heng was definitely the best thing he’d ever brought back!
Look at Ah Heng—skinny as a rail, yet he snapped that apricot tree with one swing!
The apricot tree… snapped.
The apricot tree…
Gouzi’s vision went black, as if struck by a bolt of lightning.
“We’re dead!! Run!” Er Gouzi struggled to his feet, dragging Ah Heng and Old Wen along. “Ah Heng, you broke the apricot tree that’s the symbol of Apricot Blossom Pavilion! They’ll break your arms and legs!”
Ah Heng: …
Hey, you were barely hanging on a minute ago, and now you’re running like you’ve got a shot of adrenaline.
What’s up with that?
And you, Old Wen,you were barely moving a minute ago, and now you’re running like the wind.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://novels.space/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
