“You old thief! Next ti you see , get the hell away!”
Sun Sheng put on a fierce gangster-like expression, trying to intimidate the old beggar.
As he spoke, his gaze swept over and caught sight of a wine gourd hanging from the beggar’s waist.
Without hesitation, he grabbed it and gave it a shake.
A sloshing sound ca from inside—about half a gourd’s worth of liquid remained.
A thought flashed through Sun Sheng’s mind as he pulled out the stopper.
Imdiately, a strong, spicy aroma of liquor wafted out.
Catching the scent, Sun Sheng instinctively swallowed.
Back when he used to “mix” with the gang, he had tasted cheap liquor before.
But the watery swill that sold for a few copper coins a bowl was nothing compared to what was in this gourd.
Just the sll of this liquor alone was enough to make one feel light-headed.
“Wow! Where’d you steal such fine wine from?” Sun Sheng couldn’t help exclaiming.
Even though he had never drunk good wine, he could tell this was no ordinary stuff.
“You can’t drink that!” The old beggar grew anxious, staring at Sun Sheng with wide eyes.
Sun Sheng cast him a sidelong glance and sneered. “You ate my chicken. Why can’t I drink your wine?”
With that, he lifted the gourd high and tilted his head back.
A clear, jade-green liquid flowed out.
A rich fragrance filled the air.
The wine trickled into Sun Sheng’s mouth, so spilling onto the collar of his robe.
There wasn’t much in the gourd—within a few breaths, he had drained it dry.
Seeing that nothing more ca out, he casually tossed the gourd aside and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“Refreshing!”
“Hahahahaha!”
He burst into hearty laughter, his face tinged with a faint flush.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting dappled shadows on his damp face.
Fair-skinned and strikingly handso.
Without sparing the old beggar another glance, Sun Sheng strode away.
The beggar stared dazedly at the gourd now drifting in the river, a bitter smile creeping onto his lips.
Lifting his head, he watched Sun Sheng’s retreating figure, his expression gradually turning peculiar.
Suddenly, he called out in a booming voice, “Kid!”
“I’m not a beggar!”
“In ten days, I’ll show you what I an!”
Beneath the shade of the trees, Sun Sheng paused and turned back with a smirk, spitting on the ground.
“Damn fool.”
Then, his figure faded into the distance.
By the riverbank, the old beggar sat in silence, watching Sun Sheng disappear, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.
“That little bastard… reminds of my younger self.”
With that, Nan Yiyun couldn’t help but laugh aloud.
But after just a few chuckles, his face suddenly turned deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead.
His body collapsed onto the riverbank, his lips rapidly losing color.
Frost ford on his eyebrows and beard.
He curled up, shivering violently, his teeth chattering uncontrollably.
Despite the blazing sun overhead, he seed trapped in the dead of winter.
Soon, his patched clothing stiffened, encased in ice.
A chilling aura spread from his body, freezing a thin layer of ice over the water at the river’s edge.
No one knew how much ti passed before Nan Yiyun’s body slowly relaxed.
The frost on him lted under the sun, turning into cold water.
“Hu… hu…”
He gasped for breath, his complexion shifting from ashen to red.
Using his sleeve, he wiped the moisture from his forehead, then sat up and cast a deep look at the wine gourd floating in the river.
“Could this… be fate?”
He sat motionless by the river, staring blankly at the water.
His scruffy, unkempt face carried a trace of bitter amusent.
After a long while, he leaned toward the river, pushing back his hair to get a good look at his reflection.
A weathered, tiworn face stared back at him.
Yet, beneath the years, the remnants of a once-handso youth were still visible.
Nan Yiyun studied his reflection for a mont before bursting into laughter.
“That brat… almost as handso as I was!”
“And he dares call a beggar?”
“In ten days, I’ll open his eyes!”
With a stroke of his beard, a sharp glint flickered in his eyes. Pursing his lips, he took a deep breath.
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose.
Waves rippled across the hundred-ter-wide river, sending schools of fish darting away.
On the riverbank, trees swayed wildly, and birds scattered in alarm.
Then, a figure appeared above the water.
With a few flickering movents, it swiftly disappeared into the distance.
Only the restless ripples on the water remained.
…
The Orphanage
Chen Ye, dressed in pristine white robes, appeared outside the courtyard in a flash, moving as if shrinking the ground beneath his feet.
“Huh?”
As soon as he stepped through the gate, he saw a young man dressed like a fortune teller collapsed in front of Daming.
Blood trickled from the young man’s lips, his eyes rolled back, and his body convulsed violently.
“Daming, what’s going on?”
Chen Ye frowned slightly as he stepped into the courtyard.
Hearing the gentle voice, Daming’s face instantly lit up with a smile.
“Dad!”
He turned his head and called out loudly.
Chen Ye walked up to Daming, patted his head, then glanced at the fortune teller on the ground. His gaze shifted to the bloodstains on Daming’s chest.
In an instant, his expression darkened.
“Bandits?”
“A fortune teller.” Daming responded honestly, his face simple and sincere.
A fortune teller?
Chen Ye blinked.
That much blood—did he actually predict sothing?
Chen Ye rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
anwhile, the convulsing Miao Fengyun slowly regained consciousness. His blurred vision barely registered the figure standing before him.
Before he could even make out Chen Ye’s features, an ominous feeling surged within him.
This man… can calculate fate! Hurry, calculate!
His mind hadn’t caught up yet, but his body reacted instinctively. A shiver ran down his spine, and a deep chill spread through his limbs.
A terrifying thought took hold—If I calculate this, I might die.
Suddenly, Miao Fengyun flipped over and bolted upright. He didn’t even bother wiping the blood off his lips.
Using all four limbs, he scrambled desperately toward the courtyard entrance.
I’ll die… I’ll really die!!!
An overwhelming sense of life-threatening danger engulfed him.
Without a second thought, he dropped onto all fours and shot off like a dog, fleeing at a speed that would put real dogs to sha.
Chen Ye: “???”
Daming: “???”
Chen Ye’s teeth ached just watching. Clicking his tongue, he muttered, “Stop letting just anyone in here.”
“Mm!” Daming nodded firmly, smiling with honest enthusiasm.
Chen Ye swept his gaze around. “Where’s Xiao Sheng?”
Just as he spoke, a cold chanical voice rang in his ears.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host! Mission completed: Help an orphan establish a future career path (1/1).]
[Rewards: 1000 points, 500 taels of silver, one orphan-specific trait draw, one special building draw.]
[Current points: 5077.]
Chen Ye froze at the sudden notification.
Wait…
He hadn’t even arranged for Sun Sheng to apprentice under a fisherman yet.
How was the mission already complete?
Yuyu: this is the current situation of the Challenge goals
1) 10 votes on NU for a bonus chapter.
Initial votes: 2
Current count: 5
2) 400 people on reading list ( NU reading list) for 2 chapters
Current count: 278
3) 2 reviews on NU for a Bonus chapter till 10 reviews.
Initial reviews: 1
Current count: 0
Here's the link /series/raising-orphans-not-assassins/
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