I have the face of a great demon.

A sudden thought flashed through Liu Xingchen's mind: doing manual labor and carrying bags is a good job.

It has a low barrier to entry; anyone with strength can do it.

While he's well-fed and energetic, why not take this job and earn enough for a few days' worth of meals?

"Brother Wang, are you helping to carry bags too?"

“Yes, the Chen family pays fair wages. Last time I worked half a day and earned thirty-five coins. I can’t miss this job.”

"It's pretty good. Hey, wait a minute, let's go together."

The conversation between the two passing men reached Liu Xingchen's ears, dispelling his last bit of hesitation.

Thirty-odd coins were enough to feed us for several days.

With these few days of buffer time, he believed he would be able to find a more stable and promising job in this urban environment.

So Liu Xingchen stepped forward, ready to take on the job of carrying the bags.

"Go on, go on. Carry your bag off the boat, find someone over there to get a tag, and then come back to me with the tag to settle your bill. Pay according to the tag."

After instructing the two new laborers and sending them off to carry loads, Steward Zhao was about to catch his breath and have a cup of tea when he saw a strange person standing in front of him.

The man was dressed in a magnificent black robe, the gold threads embroidered on it shimmering in the sunlight, each thread proclaiming his extraordinary status.

What's even more impressive is that this person had a sword slung diagonally across his back, and two more at his waist, their scabbards gleaming coldly. He was clearly a seasoned swordsman who had roamed the martial world for many years.

Butler Zhao was a shrewd man. Upon seeing Liu Xingchen dressed like this, he immediately sprang up from his chair like a spring, his smile even brighter than the flowers in spring.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his voice filled with reverence and enthusiasm:

"Sir, I am Zhao Dayou, the steward of the Chen family in Lingzhou. I was unaware of your presence. Please forgive my rudeness."

"What are your orders? I will do my best to serve you."

Liu Xingchen glanced indifferently at Butler Zhao and slowly said, "I...I want to carry the bags."

"What did you say?" Butler Zhao was taken aback.

This man had a cold and aloof look on his face. You might think he was here to rob merchant ships, but you could never associate him with such a lowly job as carrying bags.

"Oh—you want to find someone to carry your bags, right?" The experienced butler Zhao immediately thought of this possibility.

"No problem, I have plenty of laborers here. Where are your goods? How much are they? I'll arrange some laborers to help you."

Steward Zhao bowed and said that carrying the bag was a small matter. As long as this gentleman was not here to cause trouble, he would rather spend a little money to help him and send him away.

You can also do someone a favor; you might need that favor later.

Liu Xingchen added, "I'm not looking for someone to carry your bags; I want to board the boat and help you carry them."

"What???"

Butler Zhao was stunned. "Help me carry my bags and do hard labor?"

He knew that these eccentric people had some strange tempers, but it seemed rather odd that they would do manual labor.

He asked cautiously, "Sir, carrying bags is a lowly job, why are you doing this?"

Liu Xingchen wasn't stupid; he just didn't understand the social customs and manners here, and his way of thinking was still stuck in the modern era.

He was used to hardship, having delivered food and worked as a bricklayer. He did any job that could earn money.

But at this moment, he noticed the surprise and confusion in Steward Zhao's eyes, and thought to himself: It seems that people here value status and face more.

His current attire, in the eyes of others, should make him appear as a martial arts figure who is not easily offended. How could someone of such status condescend to carry a bag?

Similarly, no one would probably hire him for jobs like waiter in a restaurant, blacksmith, or carpenter.

Therefore, he had to find another way to make money.

Thinking of this, Liu Xingchen's lips curled into a slightly self-deprecating smile, and he said to Butler Zhao:

"Haha, Steward Zhao, I was being presumptuous. I had only intended to experience the hardships of ordinary people, but I never expected to cause you any trouble. In that case, let's leave it at that."

So that's how it is. Butler Zhao respectfully saw Liu Xingchen off, secretly admiring him.

"A remarkable person is a remarkable person. They are unconventional, act in an unorthodox manner, and completely disregard worldly opinions. They are truly free-spirited."

With his job search ruined, Liu Xingchen wandered aimlessly through the streets of the small town, pondering how to make money.

As he turned a corner, a shop ahead caught his eye.

pawnshop!

He's got it! He can pawn his things and get some money to tide him over for a few days.

He definitely couldn't pawn the divine sword he carried, and the two precious swords at his waist weren't very useful, so he might as well pawn them for money.

Having made up his mind, Liu Xingchen stepped into the pawnshop.

Upon entering, one sees a woman negotiating with the shopkeeper behind the iron bars of the counter, her face full of worry.

The shopkeeper, his face frosty, scrutinized the hairpin the woman had brought:

"Your hairpin is too old and not in good condition; it's not worth much."

The woman's eyes were red-rimmed, and her voice was trembling with sobs.

"Shopkeeper, please have mercy! My husband is seriously ill and we're counting on this money to save his life. Please give us a higher price."

"Alright, alright, I'll make an exception for you this time, one tael of silver, how about it?"

"What? One tael of silver? This...this won't do! I bought it for fifteen taels of silver back then!"

The woman was shocked, but even more so, she felt despair.

"Hmph! This is the current market. If you're not happy, turn left and leave. Goodbye."

The woman struggled for a long time, but finally gave in. With trembling hands, she accepted the one or two taels of silver, and tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face.

Liu Xingchen watched from the sidelines with mixed feelings. This pawnshop was ruthlessly undercutting prices, even more so than the shady shops in the underworld!

It won't work to cry and whine like that woman; the pawnshop owner has absolutely no compassion.

The more pitiful you seem, the more he thinks you're easy to manipulate and bully.

We must be tougher.

He wondered to himself, would his two precious swords also end up like that, only to be exchanged for a few taels of silver?

But then I thought, I can't worry about that now, I need to solve this immediate problem first.

So he took a deep breath and walked toward the counter.

The pawnshop owner was smugly playing with the hairpin he had just bought at a low price, a satisfied smile on his lips.

At that moment, he sensed that a guest had arrived.

He looked up and saw a tall, thin man in black robes standing in front of him. Just by looking at his clothes, he knew he was no ordinary person. With his attire and demeanor, he must be a chivalrous knight-errant from the martial arts world.

The shopkeeper wore a professional smile, but his mind was already racing with plans.

The man in the black robe had fair skin and delicate flesh; he must have lived a life of luxury. He would never have stepped into a pawnshop unless he was in dire need of money.

This kind of person is definitely destined for something valuable, unlike that poor woman from before.

He's going to make a fortune today.