Chapter 171: Hemp rope breaks at its thinnest strand, and misfortune targets the miserable

A lingering drizzle fell all day. The rain washed the bluestone slabs of Haoyang Alley to a bright gleam. Water dripped from the eaves in a broken string, splashing into puddles and sending out fine, rippling rings.

Jiuyou stood outside, just reaching out to pull the half-open shop door shut when he heard hurried footsteps at the mouth of the alley. Someone was splashing through the mud with a heavy, uneven gait—as if they had run the entire way and might collapse at any second.

He looked up. A staggering figure appeared at the alley entrance, covered in mud. The man's clothes were torn in several places, the soaked coarse linen clinging tightly to his skin to outline his gaunt frame.

It was Li Daniu.

The honest man who usually carried a hoe and a wide grin now looked completely drained of strength. His eyes were red, and moisture streamed relentlessly down his cheekbones—it was impossible to tell if it was rain or tears.

He stood at the mouth of the alley, staring toward his own courtyard. After a moment, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees.

Jiuyou's heart gave a slight jolt. He stepped forward quickly, opening an oil-paper umbrella to shield Li Daniu's head.

"Brother Daniu, what's wrong?" he asked.

Li Daniu didn't seem to hear him. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white, and his shoulders heaved violently. He opened his mouth, and a low, hoarse whimper rolled from his throat. He looked as though he wanted to speak, but the words were completely choked off.

After a moment, he slowly unclenched his fists, as if forcing something down deep inside. When he raised his head to look at Jiuyou, a faint gleam flickered in his red, swollen eyes—like a drowning man spotting a dead branch on the shore.

He shuffled forward on his knees, dragging two deep furrows through the mud, and stopped directly in front of Jiuyou.

He reached out, looking at his own callused, mud-caked palms. He seemed to want to grab hold of something, but ultimately pulled his hands back. Then he prostrated himself and kowtowed heavily. Mud splashed up onto Jiuyou's shoes before sliding slowly down the edges.

"Brother Qing..." His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible. "Please, save my wife. I know you have connections with an immortal master. Could you please help me contact him? I'll do anything. I'll pay any price... My wife is dying."

He kowtowed a few more times. Rainwater dripped from the ends of his hair, mixing with the mud as it flowed over his cracked lips, but he seemed entirely oblivious.

Jiuyou reached out to help him up.

"Brother Daniu, what are you doing?" he said.

Li Daniu didn't get up. He remained kneeling in the mud. Raindrops splattered against the back of his neck and slid down his collar, but he didn't seem to feel the cold.

"Please..." he just kept repeating. "Please..."

Jiuyou was silent for a moment before he slowly withdrew his hand and sighed.

"Brother Daniu, it's not that I don't want to help you," he said. "That Foundation Establishment immortal master is incredibly elusive. He has always been the one to contact me. And even if I could reach him... I'm afraid it wouldn't do any good."

It was as if that final sentence had drained the very last drop of strength from Li Daniu's body. Swaying slightly, he stopped kowtowing and pleading. He climbed slowly to his feet. His knees were caked in mud, and his soaked clothes clung to his body, outlining the jagged protrusion of his shoulder blades.

He let out a self-deprecating laugh. His voice was very soft, as if he were only speaking to himself.

"Immortal masters... Hmph."

Yes, immortal masters.

He was nothing but a mortal. What right did he have to ask those high-and-mighty immortal masters, who viewed mortals as nothing more than ants, to lift a finger and help him?

Pitiful. Laughable.

He turned around and walked deeper into the alley, one step at a time. The rain beat down on him unhindered, washing over his downcast eyes and soaking into his already drenched clothes.

He walked very slowly, as if every step consumed the entirety of his strength. As he passed Jiuyou, his footsteps paused slightly.

"I'm sorry for bothering you," he whispered.

Leaving those words behind, he walked away without looking back.

Jiuyou stood where he was, still holding the oil-paper umbrella. The raindrops struck the canopy in a dense, muffled patter.

He watched the figure drift further and further away until Li Daniu finally disappeared into the deep rain. He didn't chase after him, nor did he say anything else. He simply closed his umbrella, stepped back into the shop, and gently pulled the door shut, his movements a bit slower than usual.

Outside the window, the rain continued to fall. Drops of water from the eaves splashed against the bluestone slabs—one drop, then another—as if they would never stop.

...

Jiuyou was walking back from the butcher's stall with a cut of pork in hand. The autumn wind already carried the biting chill of approaching winter, blowing dry and cold against his face. The butcher had only been wearing a single layer of clothing, yet his face was ruddy and his voice boomed with vigor as he patted the jade pendant on his chest.

"Shopkeeper Qing, I've got to say, this jade of yours is incredible! It keeps you cool in the summer, and now that autumn is here, it actually warms you up. I've only been wearing this one shirt for the past two days, and no matter how hard the wind blows, I don't feel cold." The butcher let out a hearty laugh, then looked down at the Green Snake Jade Pendant hanging around his neck. He seemed to grow more pleased with it the longer he looked.

Jiuyou replied casually, paid for the meat, and walked away.

When he passed by Li Daniu's house again, three or four people were gathered outside the courtyard gate, standing in small groups and whispering among themselves. The wooden door, normally left open year-round, was tightly shut. A yellowed piece of paper pasted to the doorframe bore the words "House for Sale," and the price listed at the bottom was jarringly low.

Jiuyou stopped a few steps away, catching snatches of the conversation from the crowd.

"Li Daniu has had a rough few years. He finally managed to get married and have a kid, and just when it looked like things were getting better, his wife fell ill for years on end. A couple days ago, he ran up to the Upper City to beg the immortal masters for a medical prescription, but they wouldn't even let him through the door. Said he didn't have enough spirit stones."

"His son was beaten to death by those immortal masters, too. Said he bumped into them. The immortal masters just threw down a few spirit stones as compensation and walked away like it was nothing. But what about Xiaoniu? He was always such a well-behaved boy, and just like that, he's gone. Right after that, his wife came down with a severe illness, and now I'm afraid she doesn't have many days left."

"What kind of world is this? A perfectly good family, forced to the point of ruin just like that."

"Keep your voice down. It won't end well if someone hears you," another person hurriedly whispered.

The crowd sighed a few times before scattering in different directions.

Jiuyou stood across the street, watching the people walk away. He glanced back at the piece of paper pasted to the doorframe, shook his head gently, and let out a soft sigh.

"Hemp rope breaks at its thinnest strand, and misfortune targets the miserable. Such is the fate of mortals..."

The wind funneled in from the mouth of the alley, making the hem of his robes flutter. Carrying his two jin of pork, he didn't move closer to pry. He merely paused for a moment before turning around and walking back to his shop.