Chapter Three: I'm Investing in This Project!

Returning to the royal mansion was certainly out of the question, so Xue Yuan decided to wander the streets first!

He would stroll around while brainstorming a plan.

Noticing he was leaving, Qi Shannan, the commander of the mansion’s guards, immediately followed him. This Qi Shannan was a man of few words, always keeping a stony face and clutching a sword in his hand. However, like the man called Uncle Zhong, a "poker-faced man" was not necessarily a good guy. This fellow was Qian Zhongxian’s most loyal dog. Xue Yuan knew that Qi Shannan was following him to find a secluded spot to drag him back. But there was nothing he could do; as a guard, protecting the Prince was a perfectly legitimate duty.

Xue Yuan stared at Qi Shannan and saw the tags hovering above his head. The first tag read: "Eighth-Rank Lower-Tier Rookie."

According to his memories, Xue Yuan knew this was a world of martial cultivation. However, it seemed no one could wipe out an entire army with a single strike of a sword. The most powerful feat was perhaps breaking through a thousand armored soldiers with one blow, and even that was limited by true energy; once the energy was exhausted, one would still be slaughtered by a massive army. Thus, the world likely fell somewhere between mid-tier and high-tier martial arts. Martial artists were divided into nine ranks, with the first being the highest and the ninth the lowest. Within each rank, there were three sub-tiers: lower, middle, and upper. Being an eighth-rank lower-tier, Qi Shannan was actually not too bad.

In the memories of this foolish Prince, his childhood sweetheart, who was currently an upper-tier fourth-rank, was already ranked among the top ten experts in the empire. That sweetheart was currently serving as an official in the remote Chu Province, guarding the northern frontier... well, never mind that; it was uncertain if they would ever meet again.

Xue Yuan continued looking at the tags behind Qi Shannan. They were: [A mere commoner], [Mr. Qian is a man of great talent], [Must repay the kindness of being recognized], [The Princess is beautiful], [Nanny Wang is still charming].

Judging by these tags, Qi Shannan’s loyalty to Qian Zhongxian was even higher than he had imagined. Turning him was impossible; he would have to find an opportunity to take him out.

"But seriously, Nanny Wang? Is that really necessary? Why does that keep popping up on the screen..."

Xue Yuan continued walking. Ning’an City lived up to its reputation as the premier city of the Jiangnan region. The streets were bustling with crowds, and the roadside was lined with vendors and shops. Aside from the locals, most people here were merchants. Ning’an’s tea and silk were unique, high-end goods, and its various pastries and handicrafts were exquisite and highly sought after.

Among the crowd were scholars, mostly drawn here by the Bailu Academy. The academy was located in the north of the city, and its dean, Chu Yanxiu, was a great Confucian scholar and tutor to two emperors. He was the leader of the Ningzhou school of thought and was said to be looked up to by at least half of the world’s scholars. His influence was so vast that even the Prime Minister had to show him respect.

As he walked, Xue Yuan suddenly noticed a row of red tags appearing at the corner of his vision without him even focusing on anyone! He was immediately drawn to them. Below the tags sat a man dressed in rags, looking like a beggar. The man appeared to be in his twenties, his eyes covered by a black strip of cloth. He held a long sword in his arms and sat upright under the eaves of a corner shop. Despite his disheveled state, his posture was as straight as a spear.

"This is interesting!"

He looked closely at the red tags: [Fifth-Rank Mid-Tier Expert], [Potential of a Sword Saint], [Unparalleled Loyalty and Righteousness], [Not actually blind], [Searching for his sister], [Out of money], [Too arrogant to work], [Too much of a 'hero' to rob people], [Confused by poverty], [His sister is stunningly beautiful!].

Xue Yuan’s pupils constricted! "Holy crap, a fifth-rank mid-tier expert with the potential of a Sword Saint?!"

Even though Xue Yuan wasn't fully versed in the martial arts of this world, he knew what the term "Sword Saint" implied. Setting that aside, with a fifth-rank mid-tier cultivation, this guy could be a formidable overlord anywhere else. Why had he fallen to such a state? Furthermore, if he wasn't blind, why wear a blindfold? And did the tags really have to mention that his sister was stunning? He was just a "fool," and whether the guy's sister was pretty or not had nothing to do with him... right?

Xue Yuan’s gaze eventually fixed on the third tag: "Unparalleled Loyalty and Righteousness!"

That was the key! A top-tier expert who was also loyal and righteous—could there be a more reliable helper?

"I’m betting on this project!" Xue Yuan thought. However, he was clear-headed enough to realize that this hero would rather starve than work or rob, which meant he had immense integrity. Trying to make him a subordinate was impossible. The only way was to become friends. But how could a future Sword Saint be friends with a fool?

Xue Yuan smiled slightly; this required some acting.

Having made up his mind, he went to a steaming bun stall nearby. Since he had no money, he took out his personal jade pendant and handed it to the owner. He giggled foolishly, "Hehe, boss, I want to eat some buns. How many can I buy with this?"

The owner recognized the foolish Prince and was so terrified his hands trembled. He quickly pushed the pendant back, saying, "Your Highness, please, take whatever you want. I dare not accept this jade!"

Xue Yuan didn't stand on ceremony, taking two meat buns. He thought to himself that he could always come back to pay later, then skipped over to the "future Sword Saint" and sat down. He held out one of the buns.

"Are you very hungry? I'll give you a big meat bun, okay?"

The "future Sword Saint" remained unmoved, not even bothering to look at him. Xue Yuan was delighted—this felt right. How could a proud Sword Saint accept charity? To a hero with such backbone, even if you offered him mountains of gold, he wouldn't spare you a glance. The only thing that could move him was sympathy.

With that in mind, he quickly adjusted his expression. A look of disappointment crossed his face, and he lowered his head, slowly pulling the bun back. He giggled foolishly, "Hehehe, I know I'm a fool. Nobody likes to play with me... They say playing with a fool is embarrassing."

He had to smile, but the smile had to gradually stiffen and fade. He lowered his head even further, one hand repeatedly kneading one of the buns.

The sorrow and loneliness of a fool were instantly conveyed! How many young actors could match this performance of body, expression, and soul? When he had worked as an extra at Hengdian, many casting directors had fought to keep him when he decided to leave.

Sure enough, the "future Sword Saint" finally turned his head and glanced at him from behind the black cloth.

Xue Yuan knew he had bet correctly! But he shouldn't rush—what came next was crucial. It was like chasing a beauty; once she looked at you, your appearance was already set. The only thing you could increase was your emotional value. In other words, success depended on whether his next sentence could resonate with the other person’s emotions.

Xue Yuan quickly put on a foolish grin again and said, "My name is Xue Yuan. Everyone calls me Prince, but I don't know why nobody wants to play with me. They hit me every day. I barely managed to escape the mansion today!"

After saying this, he lowered his head again, rubbing his hands. The foolish grin faded once more, his eyes unfocused, staring at the ground. Was he not the perfect, pitiful, "green tea" fool? Besides, the topics of "Prince," "being beaten," and "escaping the mansion"—who wouldn't be intrigued?

Most importantly, the "future Sword Saint" was possessed of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness! What was righteousness? It was upholding justice! Could such injustice and suffering not resonate with him?

Sure enough, the "future Sword Saint" finally opened his golden mouth! He spat out two words in a cold voice: "They hit you?"

Xue Yuan nodded vigorously and rolled up his sleeves to show him the bruises covering his arms! "They hit me yesterday. I snuck out today, and when I go back, I’ll get hit again. I might not be able to come out for days! Our butler is so, so fierce!"

He said this with a light tone, even grinning foolishly, creating a stark contrast with the bruises on his arms.

He had laughed three times, each with a different nuance. But that wasn't enough; he had to ramp up the intensity. After he finished speaking, he pushed both buns toward the man and said with absolute sincerity, "Are you hungry? You can have both buns. It must be hard for you to find work without your eyes, right? If—if I can come out again tomorrow, I’ll bring you something even better, hehe!"

Yes, highlight the kindness at this moment. This established a perfect logical narrative: a kind-hearted fool was being beaten and bullied, yet he—in this very moment—was the only one sincerely trying to help, without asking for anything in return. Of course, he wasn't asking for anything; what kind of ulterior motives could a fool possibly have? If you said he had ulterior motives, it only proved how dirty your own heart was!

So, Mr. Unparalleled Loyalty and Righteousness, are you going to let this slide?