The people waiting in line nearby couldn’t hold back and all covered their noses, saying to the hunchbacked man carrying firewood, "Big brother, why does your son stink so much?"
"Exactly, why does this little kid stink like that?"
The man carrying the firewood turned his head and forced a smile. "Everyone, my apologies. My son has developed pustules on his body, and since I don’t have enough silver to treat him, many places on his skin have ulcerated, so he occasionally emits an unpleasant sll. I’m just carrying firewood into the Capital to sell, hoping to earn so silver to have him see a doctor. I’m really sorry for troubling everyone."
Such a humble and courteous father.
Although the crowd felt quite annoyed, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything. Life is hard for everyone when you’re away from ho, so they decided to endure the sll and let the matter pass.
The line moved quickly, and soon it was the hunchbacked man and his son’s turn.
"What stinks so badly?" The governnt soldier preparing to search them sniffed hard, the stench hitting him squarely in the nose. He imdiately covered his mouth with his hand.
The hunchbacked man quickly responded with a forced smile, "Masters, my sincerest apologies. It’s because my son has pustules on his body, many places are ulcerated. I hope you officials can bear with us."
The soldier guarding the city gate waved them away in disgust, covering his nose. "What’s wrong with you? Your son is sick, and you won’t get him treated? Move along, move along; get out of here quickly."
"It’s all because poverty brought this misfortune! My poor son is so unlucky. Thank you, Masters—you are good people and will surely be rewarded for your kindness!" The hunchbacked man spoke flattering words as he pulled the little kid beside him and quickly slipped into the city.
They arrived in a secluded area.
The dwarf shook off Zhang San’s hand. "Let go of ! Do you really take for so little kid?"
"Heh heh... There’s no other choice, is there? Don’t take offense, my little brother," Zhang San said with a sheepish chuckle.
Now, Zhang San no longer treated the dwarf as casually as before. There was a growing sense of apprehension in his heart—this man was soone who could kill without batting an eye. He knew he had to tread carefully in serving him.
It turned out these two were indeed the dwarf and Zhang San.
They had disguised themselves as father and son to sneak into the city. Because the dwarf’s appearance was too grotesque and conspicuous, they feared they might get caught during inspection. As a last resort, they sared a foul-slling ointnt on their bodies to deceive the governnt soldiers and gain entry into the Capital.
"You’re smarter than I thought."
The dwarf was very pleased with Zhang San’s performance during their city entry. A fool that could be taught—who would have thought he’d play his role so well?
Zhang San asked, "Where should we go now?"
"First, let’s find an inn to stay at. We’ll assess the situation before deciding our next move," the dwarf instructed.
"Alright, I’ll follow you, little brother. Let’s do as you say."
The dwarf had beco the decision-maker, while Zhang San had clearly taken the role of a follower.
The streets of the Capital were bustling with activity—crowds coming and going, a constant stream of carriages and pedestrians.
Suddenly, a luxurious carriage drove toward them. A gentle wind blew by, occasionally lifting the curtain of the carriage...
The dwarf glanced up unintentionally as the carriage passed by. The mont his eyes caught sight of the person inside, they widened in shock. He froze in place, staring at the carriage retreating into the distance.
"Little brother, what’s wrong with you?"
The dwarf seed not to hear him. He grabbed a passerby and asked urgently, "That carriage that just passed—whose residence is it from?"
The passerby, out on a leisurely stroll, was startled by being suddenly grabbed. Annoyance flashed on his face, and he was about to berate the person holding onto him when he looked up—only to see the dwarf’s grotesque face. He scread in terror, "Ah! A ghost!"
The dwarf pulled out a small dagger and pressed it against the man’s throat. With a chilling tone, he hissed, "Scream again, and I’ll take your damn life."
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