WebNovels

Chapter 4 - Token of Thanks

Chapter 4: Token of Thanks

As the last bit of sunlight disappeared behind the massive walls of the Inner City, the Outer District shifted from its busy daytime buzz to a louder, more dangerous kind of noise.

Nie Lianfeng rolled up his mat and picked up his small clay sign. Auntie Li was already shutting her windows, her face hidden in the growing shadows.

"Heading home, fortune-teller?" she called out. Her voice still sounded suspicious, but not as unfriendly as before.

"Just returning to my corner," Nie Lianfeng replied softly, offering a faint, tired nod.

Auntie Li lingered for a moment, her hand resting on the shutter. "Take care of yourself, fortune-teller," she said quietly. "Nights like this... they don't always pass gently."

Nie Lianfeng gave a faint, tired smile.

"I will," he said quietly.

He went back to his small, worn clay room at the inn, the single copper coin safely tucked into the knot of his tunic.

For dinner, he had only the stale, hard bread the innkeeper gave him and a cup of lukewarm water. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as the bun he bought earlier, but it was enough to keep him going.

He lay down on the rough straw mat, careful not to use his Eyes. The thought of seeing the confusing threads of fate in the dark was tiring.

Instead, he let himself listen to the city the sharp cries far away, the steady rumble of heavy carts, and the lingering smell of damp earth and charcoal.

He fell asleep quickly, finding a calm rest that helped his mind relax.

The next morning, Nie Lianfeng woke up feeling a little better. The heavy tiredness had turned into a dull ache behind his eyes. He followed his usual routine, splashed cold water on his face, take a deep breath, and walk back to his corner near Auntie Li's stall.

"Morning, Auntie," he said as he laid out his mat and clay sign.

Auntie Li smiled and said, "Good morning, boy. Did you sleep well?"

Nie Lianfeng nodded quietly. "A little better."

Auntie Li gave a small, understanding smile. "Good. Take it slow today."

The morning passed slowly. A few people stopped, curious about the pale boy who said he could see fate for just one copper coin.

But after the thief's strange death and Ming's warning the day before, no one was willing to spend their money. Nie Lianfeng stayed still, careful to save his energy. He refused to use his Eyes unless someone put a coin in his hand.

Then, just as the sun was at its highest, casting a sharp shadow over his mat, Ming, the apprentice, came back.

He wasn't shaking or nervous anymore like yesterday. His pale face looked wide-eyed, showing deep shock and thankfulness.

Without paying attention to the people around, he rushed straight to Nie Lianfeng.

"Sir… fortune-teller," Ming said quietly, his voice rough. He pulled a shiny object from his pouch. "You were right. You saved me."

Nie Lianfeng looked up and used his Eyes just a little to check on Ming. His Silver Strand was bright, intact, and showed no sign of recent danger.

"Tell me what happened," Nie Lianfeng said calmly after a nod.

Ming swallowed hard and looked toward the main road.

"I waited the ten minutes, just like you said. While I was waiting, everything seemed calm. But then, right where I would have been standing to meet the supplier, a fight broke out. Not just a small argument, the Iron Hook gang started a riot with the Yellow River Guild."

Nie Lianfeng listened carefully, piecing everything together. The "deadly danger tied to the movement of the skies" and the "falling iron" wasn't a roof collapsing, it was a fight over territory.

Iron blades clashed, and violence broke out at a certain time. The danger wasn't from the heavens, it was from people. But it was just as deadly.

"Iron blades were flying," Ming said, shivering. "They had axes and crude spears. People ran, shouting in panic. Two were killed right away, trampled in the chaos. If I had been there, I'd have been caught in the middle. My master called it a massacre."

He opened his hand, revealing the shiny object. "This is for you, Sir. It's not much, but it's all I have."

Nie Lianfeng looked down at the coin in Ming's hand. It was a Silver Coin worth ten times his usual copper fee, enough to buy food for several days and cover his rent for a whole week.

Nie Lianfeng looked at the apprentice with a calm, serious gaze. "You already paid your fee yesterday, Ming. Are you sure you want to give me this much?"

Ming nodded quickly, tears filling his eyes for a moment.

"My mother heard what happened. She said a silver coin means nothing compared to a life. Please, take it. Think of it as a down payment for the next time I need to cross the road."

Nie Lianfeng gave a faint, tired smile. He needed the coin. He needed the reputation. And even if Ming's thanks came from fear, it was still genuine.

"Alright," Nie Lianfeng said, gripping the cold, heavy silver coin. "Go home safely, and don't come back needing me too soon. Dealing with danger wears you down."

Ming bowed deeply showing respect to the young, tired fortuneteller.

Then he walked away, leaving Nie Lianfeng with the silver coin, proof that people believed in him, and a new understanding of how quickly danger could appear in the Outer District.

Nie Lianfeng watched Ming disappear into the crowd.

A small, satisfied smile crept onto his lips.

'I'm pretty happy with this little "cheat." If I had one of those fancy systems like in the novels, it would probably force me to refuse this silver coin saying something about rules and integrity.

But thankfully, reality doesn't work like that. Sometimes, you just have to take what's offered and keep going'.

Nie Lianfeng pocketed the silver coin and glanced around the busy street.

The Outer District was alive with movement, danger and opportunity mixed in every corner. He took a deep breath, steadying himself against the noise and chaos.

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