171: Chapter 171 He still has to thank us

Chu Sheng sat in the inn for an entire day.

He wasn't spacing out; he was thinking.

He took the ring off his finger and wrapped it in a piece of black cloth.

"What are you doing?"

The Old Grandfather's voice came from the Storage Pouch, sounding muffled.

"Ye Wuhen is no ordinary person," Chu Sheng said. "What if he can sense you?"

The Old Grandfather fell silent for a moment. "That makes sense. It's better to be cautious."

Chu Sheng changed his clothes.

He put on a moon-white Daoist robe; the material was good, but not the kind of eye-catching expensive.

He tied his hair back again and inserted a jade hairpin, making his whole person look much more spirited.

"You look like a wealthy but poor scholar," the Old Grandfather commented.

Chu Sheng ignored him.

By the time he stepped out, it was already dark, and the capital's nightlife was just beginning.

In the distance, he saw Ye Wuhen.

That man was still sweeping the streets.

It wasn't the same street as during the day, but another one.

The streets of the capital were cleaned by specific people, with each area being done in rotation—today the East Street, tomorrow the West Street.

Chu Sheng had inquired; Ye Wuhen was responsible for cleaning thirty-two alleys in the east of the city, changing alleys every day and completing a rotation once a month.

Ye Wuhen was bent over, his broom scratching against the ground stroke by stroke.

Chu Sheng stood at the entrance of the alley for a while, then stepped forward.

"Still sweeping this late?" Chu Sheng spoke up, his tone casual, as if greeting an acquaintance.

Ye Wuhen looked up and glanced at him.

"It's my turn," he said. Three words, neither more nor less.

"What is your name?" Chu Sheng asked, knowing the answer full well.

"Ye Wuhen."

"Which 'Leaf'?"

"The 'Leaf' of a leaf. The 'Without Trace' of without trace."

Chu Sheng nodded and produced a flask of wine from his sleeve; the fragrance of the wine drifted through the alley.

He took a sip and then handed it toward Ye Wuhen.

"Not drinking?" Chu Sheng asked.

"I'm working."

"Drink after you're done then."

Ye Wuhen was silent for a moment, took the wine flask and sniffed it, then tilted his head back for a gulp.

"Good wine."

"Are you a Cultivator?" Ye Wuhen asked.

Chu Sheng nodded. "A Loose Cultivator. Just traveling around to see the sights."

Ye Wuhen didn't ask further.

"You don't want to be a Cultivator?" Chu Sheng suddenly asked.

Ye Wuhen's movements didn't stop. "I do."

"Then why not join a Sect?"

"No money."

Chu Sheng was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

He thought about it and pulled a Mid-Grade Spirit Stone from his sleeve.

He placed the Spirit Stone at the base of a wall and weighed it down with a small pebble.

Ye Wuhen's sweeping motion paused for a second, but he didn't look back.

"I don't give things away for nothing," Chu Sheng said. "You accompanied me for a drink; this is the wine money."

Ye Wuhen remained silent for a long time. "Thank you."

"What do you think?" Chu Sheng asked.

After snatching countless Opportunities from him, he still had to thank him.

The Old Grandfather stroked his beard. "This kid is not simple."

"How so?"

"When he said he had no money, his tone was too calm."

Chu Sheng nodded.

"He's also hiding his cultivation," Chu Sheng said.

The Old Grandfather frowned. "A Restriction?"

"Possibly. Or perhaps he's suppressing it himself."

The two were silent for a while.

"Going again?" the Old Grandfather asked.

"Yes."

"How do you plan to get close to him? A trick like giving Spirit Stones is good for one use; if you do it again, it'll seem intentional."

Chu Sheng thought for a moment. "We wait."

Chu Sheng had only been in the capital for a few days and hadn't yet recognized all the princes and nobles here.

But a grand display of power was something one could understand without needing to recognize anyone.

In the early morning, a group of Cultivators in brocade robes surrounded a young man riding a tall horse, adorned in gold and silver and flanked by attendants. Who could it be but a prince?

Hiding behind a large tree, he watched as Prince Jiang Yan's horsewhip pointed at Ye Wuhen, and his heart actually felt at ease.

Originally, he was thinking about how to manufacture a conflict, but as it turned out, Prince Jiang Yan sought him out on his own.

This natural conflict was much more realistic than anything he could have deliberately arranged.

Chu Sheng took note of the way Ye Wuhen stepped aside.

Neither servile nor overbearing, neither hurried nor flustered—that was not the posture a servant should have when facing a prince.

As expected, Prince Jiang Yan became suspicious.

When Prince Jiang Yan struck out with that palm, Chu Sheng almost couldn't stop himself from intervening.

A strike from a Peak True Solidity expert would mean death for an ordinary person.

But the moment the palm wind dissipated at Ye Wuhen's chest, Chu Sheng's pupils constricted.

It wasn't Ye Wuhen who blocked it himself; something on his person had blocked it for him.

At least an Earth Rank protective Magic Treasure, or an extremely profound Restriction.

Chu Sheng stepped out from behind the large tree.

He walked at a moderate pace, a smile on his face.

He walked between Prince Jiang Yan and Ye Wuhen, first glancing at Prince Jiang Yan and cupping his hands. "Greetings, Your Highness."

He didn't use a name because he truly didn't know what this prince was called.

But the words 'Your Highness' were enough; it was neither impolite nor would it expose the embarrassment of not recognizing the other party.

Prince Jiang Yan frowned as he looked at him, sizing him up. "Who are you?"

Chu Sheng smiled. "Just a passing Loose Cultivator, not worth mentioning."

He turned to glance at Ye Wuhen, then turned back.

"This person is my friend. He's not very bright and doesn't know how to speak properly. Your Highness is a person of great stature; please don't lower yourself to his level."

Friend.

Ye Wuhen's hand gripping the broom tightened slightly, but his face remained expressionless.

Prince Jiang Yan stared at Chu Sheng for a long while.

The aura of Qi Induction, wearing an ordinary gray-blue Daoist robe—he truly looked like an unremarkable Loose Cultivator.

But Prince Jiang Yan always felt something was off.

"Your friend?"

Prince Jiang Yan's tone softened slightly, but his vigilance did not diminish. "You, a Loose Cultivator, are friends with a street sweeper?"

Chu Sheng laughed. "It's fate; it's hard to explain."

Prince Jiang Yan was silent for a moment.

He looked at Ye Wuhen, then at Chu Sheng, and finally let out a cold snort as he mounted his horse.

He didn't care to get tangled up with a sweeper and a Loose Cultivator; he had important business to attend to, and it would be embarrassing if word of this got out.

He squeezed the horse's flanks and galloped away with his followers.

Ye Wuhen didn't look at Chu Sheng and continued sweeping his ground.

"Thank you," Ye Wuhen said. His voice wasn't loud, but it was heard clearly in the empty alley.

"You're welcome," Chu Sheng said. "Like I said, we are friends."