050 Wen Xin was stolen and replaced (Part 2)

"Is this kind of thing... very common?"

Although both Qu Shan and Chu Yao had said that the rank of literary hearts didn't represent everything, having a high-ranking literary heart undoubtedly had its advantages. Especially a second-ranked upper-middle grade literary heart, just below the highest grade! Who would be willing to settle for a middle or lower grade when they could have an upper-middle grade literary heart? 

Swapping literary hearts was like stealing someone's future, ruining their life!

"It's neither common nor rare. Moreover, not everyone possesses the ability to steal others' literary hearts, and not just anyone's literary heart can be 'swapped.' It just happened to fit my case... This kind of behavior would warrant the death penalty in any country," Chu Yao chuckled self-deprecatingly, "but if it's 'voluntary,' then it's no problem."

Shen Tang felt incredulous, "The rank of literary hearts affects one's future prospects. How could anyone 'volunteer' to swap literary hearts? Instead, it's more like... they were 'forced' to."

Chu Yao responded, "Yes, they were 'forced.'"

Shen Tang said, "..."

Chu Yao continued, "I came from a poor family since I was young. I was sold by my parents as a child and became the eldest son's book boy in the Chu family, studying alongside him. That eldest son wasn't cut out for studying; he was unruly and often made me do his schoolwork for him."

While the eldest son enjoyed practicing martial arts, Chu Yao was fascinated by political strategies and discussions, and he seized every opportunity to learn diligently.

"Before long, my role in doing someone else's homework was discovered. I thought I would be kicked out of the family or beaten and sold off somewhere, but to my surprise, the master of the family took pity on me. Not only did he accept me as a student, but he also granted me the surname 'Chu.'"

Shen Tang asked, "Was it your teacher who swapped the literary hearts?"

Chu Yao shook his head, "No, it wasn't him."

Shen Tang said, "Oh, then I wrongly accused a good person."

Chu Yao smiled bitterly, "But he's not entirely innocent either."

That teacher indeed treated Chu Yao with utmost care, providing him with all the privileges enjoyed by the legitimate son of the family. At one point, the good-natured eldest son even felt jealous, and even the teacher's wife secretly suspected that Chu Yao might be the teacher's illegitimate child from outside. Otherwise, how could everything be so favorable to him!

The teacher's family all thought this way. How could Chu Yao, as the party involved, not see the teacher's favoritism and care?

It wasn't until the year before the teacher's ennoblement...

Chu Yao accompanied his teacher to a palace banquet, where he had a couple of extra drinks. When he woke up, he found himself in a dungeon. He was faced with an unreasonable demand from the man he had revered as his own father for over ten years, a request that still felt like a nightmare to him even now.

[Wu Hui, give your literary heart to His Highness!]

As he watched his teacher's mouth move, every word seemed to come from afar, as distant and blurry as something heard from the heavens. The final sentence echoed in his ears like the collapse of the world, revealing the truth that made his blood run cold.

It was all part of a carefully planned deception from the beginning.

"My teacher had some genuine intentions in taking me as his disciple," Chu Yao said, "but the remaining ninety-seven percent were all calculated for his own benefit. He targeted my literary heart, keeping me as a backup for the so-called heir. Being betrayed by the person you trust the most, how could that feel anything but unbearable?"

Chu Yao continued, "But others wouldn't see it that way."

For example, the beneficiary heir.

He promised Chu Yao that once the literary heart exchange was complete, he would never forget Chu Yao's contribution. Even if Chu Yao lost his upper-grade literary heart, he would still be given an important position in the future. Moreover, when Chu Yao was sold by his parents, he had already fallen into the lowly class. Without the teacher's kindness and nurturing, even if Chu Yao had good talent, he would at most be a smart servant, how could he enjoy the present glory?

Thinking this way, wouldn't it be easier on his heart?

Therefore, he should be grateful rather than resentful.

"...My teacher also comforted me, saying that the 'literary heart swap' wasn't about stealing my literary heart but exchanging two literary hearts..."

He only lost the second-grade upper-middle literary heart, not his literary heart.

As long as the literary heart remained, even if it was only a low-grade one, it was something he, as a low-born, wasn't qualified to expect.

What else did he have to complain about?

Shen Tang scolded, "This is the language of a thief! Why didn't he give his own literary heart to that laborer's heir? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Has he forgotten everything he learned after years of studying?"

Who didn't know that a high-ranking literary heart was better than a low-ranking one? 

A thief was still a thief, but they had the audacity to cloak it in the noble excuse of "loyalty," which was truly disgusting and despicable! 

Perhaps the teacher still had a trace of conscience and guilt, coupled with Chu Yao's usefulness, so he agreed to whatever Chu Yao wanted to learn or study. Even if Chu Yao felt resentment, he dared not show it and could only silently work hard, trying to salvage something.

Not long after, another ridiculous incident occurred.

Shen Tang pressed, "What happened?"

Chu Yao looked peculiar as he said, "The heir, in a power struggle with his brothers, was involved in the 'tragedy of the collapsing well.' While imprisoned, he fell into a pit and drowned while relieving himself at night. His followers were also uprooted, including my teacher, who ended up having his assets seized and being exiled."

Shen Tang was speechless.

While the teacher had treated Chu Yao as his own son, he never allowed him to regain his noble status, so when the teacher's assets were seized, Chu Yao was implicated as well.

As a former member of the disgraced prince's faction, Chu Yao naturally suffered, losing his mansion and being sold off. Relying on some connections he had previously built, he managed to avoid the worst and became a servant in the Chu family with the help of friends, accompanying Chu Ji to Xin Country.

But it didn't take long for Chu Ji to fall.

Chu Yao, along with the rest of Chu Ji's assets, was sold off and ended up wandering to Xiaocheng, where he washed dishes at the Moon Blossom Pavilion for five years.

After hearing the whole tragic story, Shen Tang remarked, "..."

It wasn't uncommon for someone to have a stroke of bad luck, but it was rare for someone to have a continuous streak of bad luck from the moment they reached adulthood.

But—

"You still haven't explained about the 'three taels'," Shen Tang reminded.

"I didn't?" Chu Yao's expression was blank.

"You didn't," Shen Tang said expressionlessly.

"Oh, I forgot to mention my 'literary path,'" Chu Yao said.

"... Can you even say that?" Shen Tang looked incredulous.

Chu Yao shrugged, "Why can't I? Since my literary heart is lost and my literary path is defunct, what's the harm in saying it?"

"...That makes sense," Shen Tang conceded.

Chu Yao sighed helplessly. "My 'literary path' is 'emerging from darkness into light,' which means 'when the road ahead is dark and uncertain, another village appears in the distance.' It can only be used when in dire straits, and it's beyond my control. As for whether it's effective or not, I have no idea. All I know is that on the night my literary heart was swapped, I had a long and vivid dream, in which I went to the pharmacy and wrote a prescription."

Shen Tang was speechless.

So it was an uncontrollable passive skill.

Whether it could be activated or whether it was effective, nobody knew.

Adding insult to injury.

Shen Tang asked, "What was the prescription?"

"Ginseng, rhubarb, Aconitum, Rehmannia, five grams each, supplemented with three taels of moon blossoms, capable of understanding destiny and curing stubborn illnesses."

Shen Tang's lips twitched, speechless.

"This was just a dream prescription. Did the old master also believe it?"

It was probably something concocted by a quack doctor.

Chu Yao's 'literary path' gave off an unreliable feeling, akin to the disclaimer in advertisements: "Images are for reference only."