Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 37
>Chapter Title: Nine Flows
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Some time had passed since leaving Wuli Gang. The narrow path through the woods gradually widened, and now there were more than just two groups of people—carriages, ox carts, and farmers shouldering burdens all hurrying forward together.
The increasingly dense footprints on the ground, along with piles of animal dung, made Li Huowang realize that Jianye Town was probably close.
“Zhao Wu, are people like Troupe Leader Lv, who perform plays, really of such low status?”
Li Huowang asked Zhao Wu, who was intently practicing writing.
Zhao Wu, holding a tree branch to copy characters, looked up in surprise at Li Huowang, then glanced toward the Lv Troupe ahead.
“Yeah, even though they get cheers from the audience during a performance, they’re just like the women in a pleasure house. Liking them is one thing, but status is another. Actors are the lowest of the nine flows.”
“Really? What are the nine flows?”
Li Huowang asked in surprise. If it weren’t for that earlier incident, he really wouldn’t have noticed.
“First flow: emperors, kings, and ministers. Second flow: officials, soldiers, and generals. Third flow: gentry and merchants. Fourth flow: sect leaders and gang bosses. Fifth flow: artisans and craftsmen. Sixth flow: doctors, diviners, and farmers. Seventh flow: sorcerers, beggars, and slaves. Eighth flow: thieves, swindlers, and robbers. Ninth flow: actors, jugglers, and prostitutes.”
“And it’s not just disdain for their status—there are differences in treatment too. For instance, the lower three flows can’t marry into good families. There are restrictions on their clothing and transport too—no riding horses or sedans, no wearing brocade, silk, or satin. Even when reporting to officials, they start off at a disadvantage.”
Hearing Zhao Wu rattle it off as smoothly as a tongue twister, Li Huowang was quite surprised.
“Didn’t expect you to know so much.”
“You’re too kind, Senior Brother Li. My family’s in town after all, so we know these things. And most folks probably do too. Where are you from, Senior Brother Li? How come you don’t even know this?”
Zhao Wu had long noticed that Senior Brother Li was different, and today he finally found a chance to ask.
“Heh, a very far, very far away place.”
Li Huowang didn’t bother explaining his origins. It was too much trouble, and these people might not even understand.
Seeing Li Huowang not answer, Zhao Wu didn’t press and continued.
“It’s better here, though. No matter the flow, the emperor still lets them take the imperial exams. They might not pass, but at least there’s hope. I hear in other places, the lower three flows aren’t even allowed to take the exams—generation after generation, they can never rise. Actors stay actors forever.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Li Huowang gained a new understanding of this world.
“Then what about someone like me, a Daoist? What’s my status here?”
Li Huowang asked again.
“Daoists are one of the three teachings, not part of the nine flows. Most people respect them when they meet one. Even if they don’t, they’ll steer clear—after all, who can really say for sure about gods, ghosts, and such?”
Zhao Wu’s words made Li Huowang drop the idea of taking off his Daoist robes.
Since they’d be traveling far and wide next, wearing these robes would clearly be far more convenient than plain cloth.
“Right, Zhao Wu—what about existences like Danyangzi? Their status must be high, right?”
Li Huowang immediately raised the key question.
“To be honest, Senior Brother Li, I don’t know. Before he grabbed me, I didn’t even know people like that really existed in the world. I thought it was all just storytellers making things up.”
“Is that so…”
Li Huowang mused. These places seemed very isolated from news. Logically, there should be plenty of people like Danyangzi, yet even a local like Zhao Wu had no idea.
Still, he figured people like Danyangzi must have their counters. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to hide away in the deep mountains to cultivate immortality in secret.
“Little Daoist master! Little Daoist master! Quick, look at that city gate—we’re here!”
Hearing Lv Zhuangyuan’s shout, Li Huowang looked up and gazed ahead.
At the end of this road they’d traveled for so many days stood a row of low, moss-covered city walls. Inside those walls lay their destination: Jianye Town.
The Lv Troupe entered smoothly, but Li Huowang and the others weren’t so lucky. Their appearances were just too striking. They hadn’t been there long before the town bailiff showed up with his men to make trouble.
“Clang!”
The bailiff held his blade in both hands, his expression full of wariness as he demanded of Li Huowang,
“Hold it! What’s this about? What’s going on with you?!”
“Bailiff Yan, it’s me. These are all people I know—they mean no harm. They specially escorted me home.”
Zhao Wu called out a greeting from the donkey cart.
Seeing Zhao Wu’s face, the bailiff’s hostility dropped sharply, and he sheathed his blade.
“Oh, it’s Old Fifth of the Zhao family. Where’ve you been lately? Keep these folks like you in line. Buy some veiled bamboo hats to cover up—don’t scare the neighbors.”
“Thanks, Bailiff Yan. How’s my family been?”
“Good, of course good. Oh, right—your second sister got married, to a fine family. Hurry back and see.”
To avoid further trouble, Li Huowang followed Zhao Wu’s lead to a stall selling bamboo hats and bought several with black veils.
Once the medicine primers donned them, they were still eye-catching, but at least they wouldn’t frighten people anymore.
After confirming the next departure time with Lv Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang said to Zhao Wu,
“Where’s your home? Let’s head there first.”
Looking at all the familiar sights around him, Zhao Wu grew emotional. He hadn’t put on a hat—everyone in town knew him.
The limbless Zhao Wu braced his hands effortfully against the cart and hopped down.
Gouwa, beside him, reached out to help, but Li Huowang blocked him and drew the longsword from his back, handing it to Zhao Wu.
He then reached into his robes and pulled out sheets of last words, starting to sort through them.
Propped on the longsword with both hands, Zhao Wu staggered toward home.
Jianye Town looked bustling, with people coming and going on the streets, but it wasn’t large. Zhao Wu soon found his home.
It was a small rice shop. Seeing his busy family inside, Zhao Wu’s eyes welled with tears.
“Dad! I’m back!”
His trembling shout made everyone in the rice shop look up.
“Fifth Brother!”
A sturdy young man, naked from the waist up and shouldering a sack of rice, dropped it to the ground and rushed out, hugging him tightly.
Next, a little girl with ox-horn braids on her head came charging out too, circling excitedly around Zhao Wu.
As Zhao Wu lost himself in the joy, Li Huowang, watching coldly from the side, noticed something off.
Aside from the two who rushed out, everyone else in the house had utterly flat expressions. That wasn’t how a normal family should look.
“Senior Brother Li, what’s wrong?”
Bai Lingmiao, keenly sensing the shift in mood, gently tugged at Li Huowang’s robe.
Li Huowang patted the back of her hand but said nothing.
(End of chapter)