Chapter 66 Filthy Thief

Yang Bao sat in the bedroom, took out a white handkerchief embroidered with peach blossoms in the lower left corner from inside his robe, and brought the handkerchief close to his face. There is a faded red stain in the middle of the white handkerchief. He stared at the flame of the oil lamp and remembered Yu Lei's question. Yang Bao sighed.

Seventeen years ago, inside Dragon Inn, Yang Bao was called by a senior waiter to serve two men and one woman. The woman smiled at him, and he was happy because she was the first woman to smile at him. After delivering food to them, he rushed over to listen to the three young hunters talking about the Peach Blossom Hunters. He liked hunter stories. While listening to the three young hunters talking about the story of the Peach Blossom Hunters, the homeless man who was refused service by the senior waiter walked to the table. After talking for a while, the homeless man confirmed that people have been wrong about the Peach Blossom Hunters all along. Their real name is Guozhao Hunters.

Ah Bao said sadly, "I also really want to be their disciple. I don't know if they will accept me."

Homeless man asked, "Why not young man?"

Yang Bao smiled and said, "I know that Clan chooses their disciple carefully. Look at me. I am cripple on one leg. Do you ever see a Clan with a cripple disciple?"

One of the hunters, "Don't lose faith young waiter. I've heard they are very kind."

The homeless man smiled at him and walked back to their table, and the young man continued their conversation.

After a while, Yang Bao saw the homeless man waved at him, so he walked to the table. The homeless man asked him to pack the food and the price of the food.

The senior waiter walked over to their table with a look of disgust, "What's the problem? Can't afford the meal now?"

The homeless man whispered to the nice-looking man, "Hey, don't let me lose face here."

The woman, "How about each of us give ten coins."

The homeless man, "No, I say we as men will pay and we will pay."

The nice-looking man took out his money bag and gave the homeless man ten coins. The homeless man then handed the money to Yang Bao.

The senior waiter mocked, "What kind of men are the two of you?" He made a face. "Carrying a peach blossom embroider money bag?"

The homeless man examined his money bag, "There is nothing wrong with my money bag. My girl made it for me. You don't understand perhaps you don't have a girlfriend." He bursts out laughing. "Ah Bao come over here."

Yang Bao walked slowly back to the table, "Is there anything else?"

The homeless man, "Yes." He reached into his money bag and pulled out one small gold ingot. "Here is your tip." He handed the gold ingot to Yang Bao. "I believe this worth much more than ten coins."

Yang Bao, "Can I really have this?"

The nice-looking man, "Is yours."

The homeless man smirked at the senior waiter, and he said, "A piece of advice my dear friend. Don't judge the book by it's cover." He laughed and grabbed the packed food on the table. "Good luck Ah Bao, if the Guozhao Hunters ever establish a Clan. I am sure they will accept you as their disciple." The homeless man waved at Yang Bao and left Dragon Inn with the nice-looking man and the woman.

The homeless man taught him a very valuable lesson that day. The homeless man is right 'Never judge a book by its cover'. The people sitting in the inn that day thought the homeless man was poor, but it turned out that the homeless man was not poor, maybe he wasn't even homeless as everyone imagined.

It had been three years since the last time he had seen the homeless man, the nice-looking man, and the woman. As workers lie in bed ready to go to sleep. The owner and ten bodyguards rushed in.

Innkeeper shouted at the bodyguards, "Search."

The ten bodyguards began their search, pulling all blankets and pillows off the workers' beds. A bodyguard lifted Yang Bao's pillow, and there was a small money bag under the pillow.

Innkeeper said angrily, "You…"

Yang Bao looked around and wondered, "How did that money bag get here? I don't know how this money bag is under my pillow."

One of the senior waiters said, "You must have stolen it."

Another senior waiter said, "If you don't take it, why is this money bag under your pillow?"

Yang Bao knelt on the ground, "Please believe me, I am innocent."

The innkeeper said angrily, "Drag him out."

Yang Bao pleaded, "I didn't do it."

The innkeeper, "How dare you steal from our customers?"

Yang Bao cried and begged, "I didn't steal anything. Trust me."

The innkeeper, "Drag him out."

The bodyguards dragged Yang Bao to the backyard. The innkeeper handed the money bag to the male customer. The male customer stood with his wife and young daughter in front of Yang Bao.

The innkeeper said politely, "Childe, please count the money and make sure everything is there."

The man opens the money bag and looks at the innkeeper. He said, "The money is gone. There are only two coins in it."

The innkeeper asked Yang Bao, "Where's the rest of the money?"

Yang Bao pleaded, "I don't know, I didn't steal the money bag."

The innkeeper asked angrily, "You didn't steal it? How could the money bag be under your pillow?"

Yang Bao shook his head, "I don't know. Please believe me."

The innkeeper said, "I'll ask you again, where is the rest of the money?"

Yang Bao said, "Please believe me. Although I am poor, I have never thought of stealing. I can tell right from wrong. If I knew it was wrong to steal, I would not do it."

The innkeeper asked, "Are you going to deny?"

Yang Bao pleaded with tears, "Boss, I didn't steal anything."

The innkeeper said madly, "Very good." The innkeeper looked at the ten bodyguards. "Hit him."

The ten bodyguards started punching and kicking Yang Bao. The first few kicks Yang Bao could still feel pain, but after ten minutes of being kicked, Yang Bao really couldn't feel anymore. He decided to just lie there and wait for his death.

When Yang Bao started vomiting blood, the little girl started to cry. The little pleaded, "Father, let them stop, this big brother will die," she sobbed.

The man suddenly said, "Stop...let's forget about it."

The woman said softly, "My Tingting is the nicest person."

After the man and his family left the backyard. The innkeeper ordered two guards to drag Yang Bao out of Dragon Inn. The two guards took Yang Bao's arm and dragged him to the back street.

A guard spat at him and said, "Filthy thief." Then the two guards closed the back door of Dragon Inn.

Yang Bao managed to get to the front of the street before falling unconscious. The next thing he remembers was the sound of the hawkers' calling out to the customers. He saw a pair of black boots appear in front of him, and the person knelt down on one knee.

A gentle female voice asked him, "Young man, are you alright?"

Yang Bao opened his eyes, and his left eye could only see a little bit. The woman helped him sit down and asked him, "Are you alright?"

Yang Bao opened his mouth and took a deep breath but began to cough up blood. It was dark before his eyes, and before he passed out, he heard the woman shouting, "Baiyu."