C7 I Went to the Street to Do Good Deeds

On the street, Labino was hurriedly carrying a roast chicken and goose in her left hand and several bags of healing medicine in her right, rushing back to Liu Manor. Upon her arrival, she sensed trouble.

"What's happened here? Why is the door in such disrepair? Oh no, could the Young Master be in danger?"

Clutching her items, Labino sprinted to Liu Xiaobao's room. As she reached the threshold, she witnessed Zhong Tingyue knocking Liu Xiaobao unconscious with a single palm strike.

Fueled by rage, Labino discarded her belongings and charged into the room, snatching Liu Xiaobao from Zhong Tingyue's grasp. Labino was now beyond Zhong Tingyue's ability to contend with. As a dual-element Feng Shui mage with limited mana, she could only cast basic Level 1 and Level 2 spells, none of which were offensive in nature.

Xijun's light magic was similarly non-aggressive. Thankfully, as a Level 4 advanced mage, Xijun's defensive capabilities were commendable. Seeing the animosity in Labino's eyes, Xijun remained vigilant against the young woman's wrath.

Cradling Liu Xiaobao, Labino confronted the two Zhong Tingyues, "You again, you wicked woman! We've already brought the Young Master home, and yet you still won't leave us be. Waaah, waaah, waaah, you're too cruel!"

Mid-sentence, Labino carried Liu Xiaobao back to the bed, breaking into tears, "Labino doesn't welcome you here. Please, leave my home."

Moved by Labino's distress, Xijun gently said, "Miss Labino, please calm down. We've come to heal your Young Master. If you doubt us, check his injuries. Aren't they completely healed?"

Sniffling, Labino pulled back Liu Xiaobao's clothes and, to her relief, found his wounds had vanished. With her mood slightly lifted, she asked tearfully, "Then, why... why did you knock the Young Master unconscious?"

Zhong Tingyue, still irate from the earlier incident, replied, "After your Young Master was healed, he clung to me, shouting and babbling like a madman. I had to knock him out. What else was I supposed to do, let him keep holding me?"

"Little miss, I'm about to wake your young master. Make sure you keep him under control and prevent him from charging over here," Zhong Tingyue said as she summoned a modest amount of her magical power to create a water orb above Liu Xiaobao's head. The orb splashed down, rousing the unconscious Xiaobao.

"Yueting, Yueting!" Xiaobao exclaimed upon waking and seeing Zhong Tingyue, attempting to rush toward her. Fortunately, Labino was present. The Level 2 Black Iron Knight managed to restrain the impulsive Wild Wolf.

Labino embraced Xiaobao, nestling into his arms. "Young Master, I'm so relieved you're alright. That lady said she healed you, and Labino is overjoyed."

Zhong Tingyue reprimanded the man on the bed, "Liu Xiaobao, take a good look. I am not the Yueting you're calling for. My name is Zhong Tingyue. You've mistaken me for someone else."

Having said that, Tingyue tossed a few more water balls at Xiaobao's head, hoping to fully snap him out of his confusion.

Xiaobao did come to his senses, quietly reflecting to himself, "Yes, you're not Yueting. Yueting passed away two years ago, right before my eyes. This is the Three Pure Ones World, not the cycle of Earthly reincarnation."

"Young Master, who is Yueting? I don't recall you ever mentioning her. And what is Earth? Is it some kind of toy?" Labino inquired, lying in Xiaobao's embrace, her face speckled with droplets and her clothes damp from the water balls.

With Xiaobao's lucidity restored, Zhong Tingyue announced, "Well, since you're alright, Xijun and I will take our leave."

Xiaobao implored, "Please wait, Miss. You saved my life, and I haven't had the chance to thank you. Why not stay for dinner?"

"Eat on your own. I have no time to dine with you. Farewell!" Zhong Tingyue replied, visibly irked at the sight of Xiaobao. Ever since she was young, Xiaobao had been the first to cross a line with her.

As Tingyue strode toward the door with a look of displeasure, Xijun quickly followed, both departing from Liu Manor.

After the two ladies had left, Labino suddenly remembered something. "Oh no, Young Master!"

"What's the matter, my Labino?"

"The others have damaged our front door, and they haven't compensated us yet."

"Well, if it's damaged, it's damaged. They did save my life, after all. Let's consider it payment for medical expenses."

"But Young Master, replacing the door will cost a pretty penny. I've heard that the people on this street are all nobles, and a door could cost dozens of taels of silver." Labino felt a pang of distress at the thought of spending so much silver for no good reason. When will the Young Master ever learn to stop wasting money? If I had run after those sisters to ask for compensation, Labino would surely have sprinted.

Labino gestured towards the bed. "Look, Young Master, the bed is wet too. They've really caused us a lot of trouble."

"Labino, we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. In the future, the Young Master is going to be someone who does great things. You can't afford to make me look bad, understand?" Liu Xiaobao thought Labino was being too petty. He knew he would be spending a lot of money on charitable acts in the future, and if Labino didn't adjust her attitude, it would be a real problem. She would likely end up giving him resentful looks every day, bemoaning his spendthrift ways.

"Young Master is going to do great things? What kind of great things? Don't worry, Labino won't let you down," Labino assured him, thumping her chest with a look of fierce loyalty.

"What the Young Master is planning, you'll find out tomorrow," Liu Xiaobao replied. "Now, where's the food you bought, Labino? Bring it here quickly; I'm starving."

"Oh no, in my nervousness, I dropped all the tasty food on the floor. I'll pick it up right away," Labino said, obediently retrieving the fallen items.

Despite being tossed on the ground, the food wasn't dirty. Liu Xiaobao devoured the roast chicken and goose with gusto, while Labino stood by, her mouth watering.

"What are you doing standing there, Labino? Come sit and eat with me. There's no need to be so formal with the Young Master," Liu Xiaobao invited.

"Oh," Labino replied. Though she saw herself as a servant, she was still just a ten-year-old girl, hardly aware of the distinctions between high and low status.

"Take this and enjoy your meal. Starting tomorrow, the young master will be a changed man. Our better days are just around the corner!" Liu Xiaobao handed a pig's elbow to Labino, daydreaming about his upcoming life.

The following morning, Liu Xiaobao emerged from his room at the crack of dawn, his back aching. The night before, his bed had been soaked by Zhong Tingyue, forcing him to spend the night sprawled across a table. Labino had offered to let Liu Xiaobao sleep in her room, but he had reprimanded her, saying, "Labino, how can you, a young lady, allow a man into your room? It's improper. It could harm the man, and you could be disrespected for it."

"Labino mustn't harm the young master. I can't let others disrespect me. Young master, you should stay in your own room," Labino insisted, shaking her head emphatically.

"Labino, get up. We have important things to do," Liu Xiaobao called out, knocking on Labino's door.

Labino, still in her pajamas, opened the door with bleary eyes and asked, "Young Master, why are you up so early? Don't you usually rise when the sun is high?"

"The Young Master has decided to adopt an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine. Labino, hurry and get ready. We're heading out."

"So early? Just wait a moment, Young Master. Labino will be ready in no time."

"Do you remember what the young master told you last night? Don't forget the banknotes."

"I remember, Young Master."

Last night, Liu Xiaobao had persuaded Labino to embrace his vision of using money to help others. He explained that by doing good deeds, her health would improve, and she would grow increasingly powerful. If she helped enough people, she could become a grand master, making War Gods and Arcane Sages seem insignificant.

Labino was skeptical about Liu Xiaobao becoming a grand master, but she was somewhat convinced that altruism could improve his health. Being a young girl, she had a certain reverence for the divine and hoped that the Young Master's charitable actions would touch the gods.

Dawn was breaking as the lively marketplace in the eastern city filled with vendors. Breakfast joints flung open their doors, eagerly anticipating the day's patrons.

Liu Xiaobao and Labino had spent ten taels of silver to clear out three breakfast shops of their steamed buns and baozi. Now, with several bags in hand, they were on their way to the area where the capital's refugees—essentially beggars—were located.

Every city has its beggars, and the capital was no exception. They might steer clear of the city's more affluent areas, but the downtown district was their prime territory for panhandling. There, without the City Guard to disperse them, they could simply sit on the ground and start their day's work.

Liu Xiaobao had learned from the breakfast shop owner that the beggars congregated in an abandoned Taoist temple in the Commoner District of the eastern city.

Labino, carrying two bags nearly half her height, cautioned, "Young Master, you should stay behind me later. The shop owner warned that the beggars really dislike outsiders entering their temple."

"Don't worry, Labino," Liu Xiaobao reassured her. "We're bringing them food; we're going to take care of them. How could they possibly want to harm us?"

After a long walk, they finally reached the Commoner District. The contrast with the rest of the capital was stark; rows of wooden houses stood in neat lines, and Liu Xiaobao couldn't help but worry that a single fire could reduce the entire street to ashes. Compared to the North, South, or West City—not to mention the bustling East City—this place was far less fortunate.

They located the Taoist temple, overgrown with weeds and partially collapsed, but the buildings inside were still sound enough to provide the beggars with shelter from the elements.

Labino led the way, vigilant and ready to protect her young master should anything unexpected occur.

As they stood at the entrance of the temple, Liu Xiaobao observed dozens of beggars sprawled across the ground, using the earth itself as their bed. Some were awake but remained motionless, eyeing Liu Xiaobao and Labino with curiosity.

Raising his voice, Liu Xiaobao called out, "Fellow villagers and respected elders, I am your friend, Liu Xiaobao. Inspired by divine guidance this very morning, I realized the true essence of life: the well-being of all is the true good. So, I've brought you all delicious buns and steamed buns early today. Come, let's eat."

"Bun?"

"Steamed bun?"

"Are you here to bring us food?"

"Everyone, wake up! Someone's brought us food!" It was unclear which beggar had called out, but the shout roused all the others. Suddenly, they were in a frenzy. Dozens of beggars prepared to pounce and grab the food from Liu Xiaobao's hands.