My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Chapter 134 Recollection Part 1 - First Steps into Fengyun Tower

"Isn't this just a little beggar? Why did you stop?"

Seeing his companion stop, the other person curiously walked over as well.

The child looked to be about six or seven years old.

His face was obscured because it was covered in mud and blood.

Even the clothes didn't fit properly; they were tattered and torn, and you couldn't tell what they were originally like.

Strangely, apart from the bruises and marks from being bound, his exposed limbs showed no signs of roughness.

On the contrary, her skin was fair and delicate, unlike that of an ordinary beggar.

But whether he was kicked out just now or people were talking to him now, the child still didn't react.

"What happened to this child? Is he dead? What bad luck."

Upon seeing this, the people who had come to join the fun immediately lost interest and turned to leave.

The person who kicked the boy out had kept his gaze fixed on the red mole at the corner of the boy's eye from the very beginning.

He squinted and examined the boy for a moment, then suddenly squatted down, grabbed the boy's clothes, and wiped his face.

As the person wiped, the boy's originally blurry face gradually became clear.

At the same time, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"It really is... but why is it here?"

"Han Feng, what are you muttering to yourself for? Why aren't you leaving?"

His companion, not having heard him clearly, turned around and looked at him suspiciously.

But Han Feng didn't answer him. Instead, he gave a meaningful smile, then picked up the boy and stood up.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Do you know this brat? Are you trying to take him back to the building?"

Seeing Han Feng's sudden display of kindness, his companions immediately looked as if they had seen a ghost.

“We’re short of someone to do odd jobs in the building right now, and I think this kid is pretty good.”

Han Feng only gave a selective reply, and after speaking, he disappeared into the night without even glancing at him.

His companion watched him leave, stomped his foot angrily, and cursed, "Are you crazy! Aren't there plenty of odd jobs in the building? Where would we need more people?"

But after he finished cursing, he could only helplessly follow Han Feng away.

Two years later—

"Xie Yan! You're slacking off again!"

A sound exploded like thunder, startling the sparrows in the surrounding trees into flight.

A boy dressed in linen clothes, his forehead covered in sweat, stood under a banyan tree, holding a broom and looking up at something with a resentful expression.

From his perspective, he could see a corner of a garment, just like his, hanging down from the top of the tree trunk, swaying gently in the wind.

"Get up quickly, the instructor will be here to inspect soon, do you want to get whipped again?"

Seeing that the person above did not react, the boy under the tree called out again in a hurry.

The person in the tree finally managed to straighten up with difficulty after the sound fell.

The person first lazily shook their head and then grabbed a handful of hair that had been sticking up from sleeping.

It slowly rolled over and jumped down from the tree trunk, landing right in front of the boy.

The one who jumped down was also a boy of similar age to him.

The boy was fair-skinned and, although he was somewhat thin, his features were exceptionally handsome.

Her eyes were clear and bright, seemingly always smiling, which made people feel good about her.

Unfortunately, there was a long, winding scar on the boy's face.

The scar ran across his cheek, extending from the boy's left temple to the right corner of his mouth, as if to split his entire face in two.

He was clearly a handsome young man, but this scar added a touch of ferocity to his appearance.

Faced with the boy's urging, Xie Yan simply rubbed her eyes calmly and waved her hand dismissively.

"hurry up!"

Helpless, the boy could only shout and push him forward quickly.

Xie Yan, whom he was pushing, strolled along at a leisurely pace, swaying forward step by step with his movements.

"I've told you so many times, the coach doesn't like you, and you're still acting so carefree. Who knows how much you'll get punished later."

"Are you itching for a beating again? Do you want to take a few more lashes?"

Seeing his nonchalant attitude, the boy became somewhat annoyed and scolded him while taking bigger steps.

"Okay, okay, I'll get serious now."

Xie Yan responded casually, until the boy was about to explode, at which point he finally quickened his pace and arrived at the training ground the boy had mentioned.

By this time, the training ground was already packed with people.

They were all teenagers around the same age as them.

These boys stood together, dressed in the same linen clothes, each with a numb and indifferent expression, as if they had been carved from the same mold.

They were clearly a group of young people in the prime of their lives, yet they all looked lifeless, their eyes lacking any of the liveliness that should be present in someone their age.

They stood there expressionless, making no sound except for occasionally shifting their bodies.

Except for Xie Yan, who is exceptionally unconventional.

At this moment, he grabbed a handful of his hair that was sticking up and, in full view of everyone, let out a long, extremely lazy yawn.

Before he could even finish yawning, Jiang Mu, who had been watching him closely, quickly covered his mouth.

"The coach is here!"

Jiang Mu whispered something in his ear, and then gave him a warning look before quickly withdrawing his hand.

Not far away, two figures walked towards them from a distance.

At the very front was a man in his prime.

The instructor was a burly man with a face full of fat. His small, three-white-eyed eyes swept over the numb faces before finally settling on Xie Yan.

He narrowed his eyes, snorted coldly, and was about to say something when he was interrupted by his companion behind him.

"Alright, stop wasting time."

Upon hearing this, the instructor in front glared fiercely at Xie Yan before reluctantly turning his gaze away and beginning to speak.

"Stand still, everyone. I have something to announce."

He paused, his face contorted with grime, his expression a mixture of malice and ill intent.

"Starting today, Fengyunlou will assign you some tasks to assess your abilities."

"Only those who pass the assessment and successfully complete the task can officially join Fengyunlou."

As he spoke, he scanned the crowd expressionlessly, his eyes filled with a strong sense of threat.

"However, I advise you not to even think about trying to escape along the way."

"Otherwise, there will be consequences at your own risk."

The boys all lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.

Seeing this, the instructor chuckled with satisfaction, his face twitching a few times before pulling a scroll from his sleeve.