They had left Wuligang some time ago. The slender woodland path was gradually widening, and there were now more than just two groups on it; horse-drawn carts, oxcarts, and farmers carrying loads on shoulder poles were all hurrying forward together.
The increasingly dense footprints and animal dung on the ground told Li Huowang that Jianye Town must be close.
"Zhao Wu, do itinerant actors like Band Leader Lv and his troupe really have such low status?" Li Huowang asked, turning to Zhao Wu, who was intently practicing his handwriting.
Zhao Wu, who was copying strokes with a twig, looked up at Li Huowang in surprise, then glanced ahead at Lv's Troupe.
"Yeah. Even though people cheer for them when they perform, they're like the women in the brothels—liking them is one thing, but their status is another. Actors are at the very bottom of the nine social strata."
"Is that so? What are the nine strata?" Li asked in surprise. If not for that earlier incident, he never would have noticed.
"First stratum: emperors and ministers; second: officials and soldiers; third: gentry and merchants; fourth: sects and guilds; fifth: artisans and craftsmen; sixth: doctors, geomancers, and farmers; seventh: witches, beggars, and slaves; eighth: thieves and conmen; and ninth: actors and prostitutes."
"And it's not just a matter of being looked down upon—the treatment is different, too. For example, those in the lower three strata can't marry into respectable families. Their clothing and modes of travel are restricted; they can't ride horses or sit in sedan chairs, nor can they wear brocade, damask, or silk. Even when they file a lawsuit, their word is given less weight."
Hearing Zhao Wu recite the list so fluently, as if it were a tongue-twister, Li Huowang was amazed. "I didn't expect you to know so much."
"You flatter me, Brother Li. My family is from the town, so I know these things. In fact, most people are aware of this. Brother Li, where are you from? How is it you don't even know this?" Zhao Wu had already noticed something odd about this Senior Brother Li, but only today had he found an opportunity to ask.
"Heh, a very, very distant place." Li Huowang couldn't be bothered to explain his origins. Not only would it be exhausting, but these people likely wouldn't understand anyway.
When Li Huowang didn't answer, Zhao Wu didn't press further and simply continued.
"It's actually not too bad here. Regardless of your stratum, the Emperor still lets you take the imperial examinations. You might not succeed, but at least there's a sliver of hope. I've heard that in other places, people in the lower three strata aren't even allowed to take the exams. They're stuck for generations; an actor's descendant can only be an actor."
So that's how it is, Li Huowang thought, gaining a new understanding of this world.
"Then what about people like me, Taoists? What's our status here?" Li Huowang asked again.
"Taoists are one of the Three Teachings, so they aren't part of the nine strata. Most people respect Taoists, or at least keep their distance. When it comes to all those ghostly and spiritual matters, who can say what's real and what isn't?"
This statement from Zhao Wu made Li Huowang abandon his plan to take off the Daoist Robe.
Since I'll be traveling all over from now on, this Daoist Robe is clearly far more convenient than plain clothes.
"By the way, Zhao Wu, what about beings like Master Danyang? Their status must be very high, right?" Li Huowang immediately got to the crucial question.
"Brother Li, to be honest, I really don't know. Before he captured me, I had no idea people that powerful even existed. I thought those were just stories made up by storytellers."
Is that so…? Li Huowang mused. News travels slowly in these parts, apparently. Logically, there should be quite a few people like Master Danyang, yet a local like Zhao Wu knows nothing.
But there must be people who keep someone like Master Danyang in check, he figured. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to hide away in the deep mountains to secretly practice Immortal Cultivation.
"Little Daoist Master! Little Daoist Master! Look at that city gate—we're here!" Hearing Top Scholar Lv's shout, Li Huowang raised his head and looked forward.
At the end of the road they had traveled for so many days, a row of low, moss-covered city walls appeared. Inside those walls lay their destination: Jianye Town.
Lv's Troupe entered without any trouble, but Li Huowang and his group weren't so lucky. Their appearances were simply too striking. They had barely set foot inside when the town's arrest officer, flanked by his men, came over to make trouble.
CLANG! The arrest officer raised his blade with both hands, his expression wary as he barked at Li Huowang, "Stop right there! What's going on here? What are you people!"
"Head Officer Yan, it's me," Zhao Wu called out from the donkey cart. "These are people I know. They don't mean any harm; they specifically brought me home."
Upon seeing Zhao Wu's face, the arrest officer's hostility immediately diminished, and he sheathed his blade.
"Oh, it's the Zhao family's fifth son! Where have you been all this time? Keep these folks of yours in check. Buy them some veiled, wide-brimmed hats so they don't scare the neighbors."
"Thank you, Head Officer Yan. Is my family doing all right?"
"They're fine, of course they're fine! Oh, by the way, your second sister got married to a good family. Hurry on home and see for yourself."
To avoid any more trouble, Li Huowang followed Zhao Wu's lead to a stall selling straw hats and bought several with black cloth veils.
After the Medicinal Guides put them on, they were still conspicuous, but at least they weren't frightening people anymore.
After setting the departure time for their next journey with Top Scholar Lv, Li Huowang said to Zhao Wu, "Where is your house? Let's go to your place first."
Gazing at the familiar sights around him, Zhao Wu grew emotional. He didn't wear a hat; everyone in town knew him.
Using what little strength he had in his limbs, Zhao Wu pushed himself up on the donkey cart and clumsily jumped down.
Gouwa started to reach out to steady him, but Li Huowang held him back. He drew his longsword from his back and handed it to Zhao Wu.
Then, he reached into his robes and began to sort through the collected last words.
Leaning on the longsword with both hands, Zhao Wu staggered toward his home.
Jianye Town seemed lively, with people coming and going on the streets, but it wasn't very large. Zhao Wu soon found his family's home.
It was a small rice shop. Seeing his family busily at work inside, Zhao Wu's eyes instantly welled up with tears. "Father! I'm home!"
At Zhao Wu's trembling cry, everyone in the rice shop looked up.
"Fifth Brother!" A sturdy, shirtless young man who was shouldering a bag of rice tossed the sack to the ground and rushed out, hugging him tightly.
A moment later, a little girl with her hair in ox-horn braids also darted out, circling Zhao Wu in excitement.
As Zhao Wu was lost in his ecstatic reunion, Li Huowang, watching coolly from the side, noticed something was wrong.
Apart from the two who had rushed out of the shop, the others inside wore completely flat, indifferent expressions. That wasn't how a normal family should react.
"Brother Li, what's wrong?" Bai Lingmiao, sensing the strange atmosphere, gently tugged on Li Huowang's sleeve.
Li Huowang patted the back of her hand reassuringly but said nothing.