Shang Shaoyang's face froze, his hand holding the noodle soup paused, just about to say something when the beggar woman continued, "But don't worry, sir, if I eat two bowls of your noodles, I'll surely sleep with you twice as well..."
The noodle soup splashed out, and Shang Shaoyang's hand, accustomed to wielding a sword for years, couldn't help but tremble.
Seeing the sincerity in her eyes, Shang Shaoyang quickly averted his gaze, avoiding the beggar woman's gaze.
At the neighboring table, the shopkeeper took away Xu Qing's bowl of noodles and sighed.
After finishing her meal, the beggar woman got up and earnestly said, "Please come with me, sir."
At this moment, the silent shopkeeper suddenly spoke, warning, "Sir, please don't go. This woman looks decent, and there's a pattern on her neck, clearly showing she escaped from human traffickers."
"If you go and get caught by traffickers, extorting money is minor. But if this woman has some disease on her..."
Upon hearing this, the beggar woman couldn't hold back any longer, covering her face and crying, "Even if I were starving, I would never harm my benefactor. It's true I was sold by traffickers, and it's true I escaped, but I have no intention of harming anyone. If you do not disdain me, I naturally have the skills of a lady to serve you well, so you can be at ease without being tainted by my damaged body."
Beside them, Xu Qing listened with a furrowed brow.
Since when did human traffickers come to Linjiang? Did Master Li Si and the broker know about this?
Having left Linjiang for a few months, why did it feel like the matters of Linjiang's underworld were no longer under Xu's control?
Shang Shaoyang was silent for a moment, then took out ten taels of silver from his purse and said, "I believe you. Take this silver to start a business, or spend it as you like. Just don't degrade yourself anymore."
The beggar woman refused to take it, but Shang Shaoyang forced it into her hands.
"If you don't take this money, I'll throw it on the street for anyone to pick up. But after this, even if you starve to death on the street, I won't look at you again!"
The beggar woman accepted the silver, crying, "I am just a worthless life. Why should you treat me this way, sir?"
Shang Shaoyang squinted his eyes, his tone inexplicable, "Consider it as something I owe you, and also what the world owes you."
"What is your name, sir? I will surely remember it in my heart, and even if I cannot repay you, I will often pray and recite scriptures for your well-being in the future."
"I..."
Just as Shang Shaoyang was about to respond, four or five fierce hoodlums rushed in from the street, led by a merchant wearing a high-brimmed hat and a long robe.
"You wretched girl, even after falling into my Jia Shigui's hands, you dare to escape! Take her back for me, and today send her on the boat to travel along the river. If she doesn't get enough patrons, don't let her off the boat!"
Accompanying prostitutes on boats or carriages were the most common roving prostitutes in the market, often called 'traveling courtesans' or 'courtesan heads', traded by brokers engaged in trafficking.
If a suitable buyer couldn't be found, the person would be sent to temporarily work as a traveling courtesan, as they couldn't eat for free and had to profit the brokers every moment.
Those official prostitutes were somewhat better off, often being female relatives of convicted officials. Besides being sent to the Bureau of Music and never being able to leave their registered status, they didn't face other hardships.
The next ones were private prostitutes, either willing or kidnapped; they were skilled in the arts and often served as 'cultured courtesans', choosing their patrons and their work. Though not as good as official prostitutes, their living conditions were decent.
Below them were market prostitutes and traveling courtesans, the lowest class, taking clients at any time. When a trafficker asked them to serve a client, they had to do so, even if sick, they weren't likely to be treated.
Such individuals often fell into poverty and disease, with their fates tied to others' hands, dying alone and unsupported, their life and death controlled by others.
Xu Qing, having been in the funeral business for so long, had taken orders for prostitutes and artists, including private and official prostitutes, but never for market or traveling prostitutes.
This was because the brokers would just dump the market prostitutes who died from illness or abuse at the Chaotic Burial Mound for dogs to eat, never bothering to prepare a coffin for them.
Carriage and boat shop brokers deserved to be killed, and it wasn't without reason.
Xu Qing sat by the table, his Fetal Obscurity Pearl already out in his hand.
But before he could act in the dark, the man in white stood out brandishing his long sword, shielding the beggar woman.
"Are you brokers?"
"Who's a broker, mind your words? This person was bought by us and there's a contract of sale. Even in the Government Office, we have the right. Mind your own business!"
Shang Shaoyang squinted and said, "Government Office? Do you know who I am?"
"The merchant family of Qianxi is my clan; I am from the direct line. Who do you think the Government Office is meant for?"
With that, Shang Shaoyang placed the hand holding the sword behind his back, and with one single hand, as if leisurely strolling, he swiftly knocked down the four or five ruffians.
The cracking sound of bones and tendons snapping was crisp and clear, and Xu Qing's eyebrow lightly raised as he watched Shang Shaoyang's moves.
The skill of separating tendons and dislocating bones wasn't particularly exquisite, but it was pleasing to the eye.
After finishing all this, he even had the leisure to take out a handkerchief and wipe his hand that had injured others.
"You're bullying with power, I'll report to the officials!"
Amid the chorus of cries of pain, the leading broker yelled angrily.
"Bullying with power, reporting to the officials?"
Shang Shaoyang seemed to have heard something extremely amusing.
"Have you ever committed a crime?" Shang Shaoyang laughed, "Regardless of whether you have or not, even if you haven't committed a crime, someone from my household will still pin a crime on you. Even if I take your lives today, the official won't blame me; he'll praise me for eliminating a notorious bandit and reward me with silver coins, enhancing my reputation."
"Do you believe it or not?"
The broker said angrily, "I don't believe it! We refuse to believe you have the power to manipulate everything!"
"Don't believe it? Then let's test it."
Shang Shaoyang grinned, and the next moment he stepped forward and broke the broker's neck!
The rest of the henchmen, who were groaning in agony, fell silent upon seeing this.
However, Shang Shaoyang clearly had no intention of stopping there. He stepped up to another person and repeated his words.
"What about you, do you believe it or not?"
The thug nodded frantically, "I believe, I believe!"
"You believe? Then shouldn't I feel free to take your life?"
With that said, another corpse was added in front of the noodle stall.
Approaching the third person, the ruffian begged frantically for mercy, but it had no effect.
"When you commit injustice, do you let others go when they beg for mercy?"
As soon as the words fell, a third corpse appeared at the noodle stall.
Then came the fourth, fifth...
Xu Qing watched Shang Shaoyang's killing spree, his eyes glowing brightly.
This fellow is quite something. If the world had more people like him, his Funeral Shop wouldn't worry about not receiving corpses, would it?
Observing the competent Shang Shaoyang conducting his business, Xu Qing couldn't help but have a fondness for talent.
If the Funeral Shop could have a long-term partner like him, wouldn't that be great?
"What are you doing?"
Even after killing people, Shang Shaoyang remained calm and didn't flee, he just sat leisurely at the dining table and started to meditate.
However, before he was fully seated, he saw the young man who seemed to have been reincarnated as a starving ghost approaching the corpses and checking their pulses.
Facing the inquiry, Xu Qing responded while feeling for the pulse, "I have a basic understanding of medicine, I want to see if there are any survivors among them."
"These wicked ruffians, do you perhaps intend to treat them?"
Shang Shaoyang glared, appearing as if he was ready to curse if Xu Qing's answer was incorrect.
Xu Qing pondered, "If there are survivors, that would be your issue, what does it have to do with me? Why should I treat them?"
Shang Shaoyang raised his eyebrows, "What do you mean by that? How is it suddenly my issue?"
"Your goal is to kill, if there are survivors, of course, it's your problem, how could it be mine?"
"..."
Shang Shaoyang widened his eyes, speechless for a while.
After Xu Qing finished examining all the corpses, Shang Shaoyang couldn't help but ask, "Well?"
"It's alright, but if you can kill the Holy Master of the Celestial Heart Sect, I'll definitely give you a thumbs up!"
"..."
Shang Shaoyang snorted coldly, not responding.
Xu Qing sat beside him, chuckling, "Are you really not afraid of the Officials arresting you?"
"Not afraid!"
Seeing Shang Shaoyang's confident demeanor, Xu Qing truly believed he had strong backing.
Unfortunately, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he was escorted back to the Government Office by a Government Official.
When Zhao Zhonghe arrived at the scene and saw Xu Qing, they chatted for a bit, leading Shang Shaoyang to ask before leaving, "Are you with the officials?"
"I am the Shopkeeper of the Funeral Shop on Underground Street, just returning from my educational travels today."
After Xu Qing replied, he looked at the crowd again, cupped his hands, and said, "Should anyone have any needs, feel free to visit my Funeral Shop. Whether it's coffin arrangement, spirit transfer, or burial, everything comes with a fifty percent discount!"
"If referred by friends or relatives, it comes with everlasting post-sale service, whether it's tomb disruption or grave exposure, or even tombstone collapsing or cracking, we provide repairs!"