Dual wielding volcanoes, killing through the west

In the story, she is a student at St. Freya Academy, studying performing arts. Because her family is heavily in debt and she has nowhere else to turn, she gets the opportunity to work as a sommelier there through the introduction of her tutor, Henderson, whom she met during her studies.

She had already spoken with Henderson, and the vast majority of people who came here did so for this reason.

One word: money.

As long as you link your story to money, it will be convincing enough.

----

She talked on and on, and Lu Aniu didn't interrupt her. He just walked forward with his hands behind his back. Evelyn was even a little unsure whether he was listening or just using her voice as background music while he was thinking about his own things.

……

"Not bad, it has a beginning and an end." After listening, Lu Aniu nodded and gave a somewhat amused evaluation, "Very neat and tidy."

Evelyn's heart skipped a beat, but she pretended not to understand. "Where are we going?"

“We’re not going anywhere, just wandering around. You’ve been here for so long, don’t you want to see this city?” Lu Aniu looked around, a somewhat complicated smile on his face. “Think about it, a shoemaker’s son… how many shoemakers are there in the whole country?”

"Born into humble circumstances, he ventured out into the world without any help except his own intellect... yet he managed to build such a splendid empire from scratch."

"Even if he died right now, so what? He has already seen everything he was meant to enjoy and everything he was meant to see in his life."

……

Evelyn detected a hint of envy and a desire to confide in someone else in his tone.

He suppressed his emotions very deeply, so this "feeling" was fleeting and quickly disappeared. But she had always been very confident in her sixth sense, which was considered one of the talents of her family.

Since Lu Aniu called her out of the house and took her for a walk, whatever his purpose, she must have subconsciously hoped that she could interact with him.

Now is the best time!

Evelyn seized the opportunity and asked in the softest of tones, "And what about you?"

……

Lu Aniu turned around, stared at her expressionlessly for a while, and finally, his dark eyes were stirred by memories. "My story is like this..."

Chapter 825: Cannibalism

"Father! Father—!!"

The boy struggled desperately like a live fish on a chopping board, grabbed one of the boys by the throat, and slammed him against the wall, screaming in pain.

The small, cramped, musty room was turned into a chaotic mess by him alone.

Someone complained, "Damn it...wasn't this kid a refugee? He's skin and bones, how come he's so strong? It's unbelievable!"

"Alright, shut up." The bearded man wiped the sweat from his brow and waved his hand. "Two more people, quick!"

Two more apprentices rushed over, one on each side, and it took their full weight to barely hold down the boy's elbows.

The scene was quite comical: a rather thin boy, like a pig about to be slaughtered for the Lunar New Year, was pinned to the table, struggling desperately. Five or six adults were lying around him, needing to press their weight down on him to barely restrain him.

What astonishing power!

The bearded man wiped his sweat. A white turban hung on his chest, reminding the boy of the butcher from his hometown, making him tremble even more with fear.

"Alright, brat, stop yelling. We have a few jobs to do today, we don't have time to deal with you." He said impatiently. "Your father sold you to us for a fixed price of six qian and six li, a clear price, we didn't charge you a single penny more."

"If you get into the palace, you'll have plenty to eat and wear. What else could you possibly be upset about? Let me tell you, countless people want to be cut like that, but they haven't even had the chance yet!"

……

His father sold him to these people.

The shock of this fact was so great that the boy felt as if he had been shot, and gradually stopped struggling. He just stared blankly at the moldy ceiling, his eyes vacant. The shadow that fell into his eyes seemed to move, forming different patterns every now and then. His hands were outstretched, as if he were dead, letting them do as they pleased.

That blade finally fell.

Now, Lu Aniu no longer remembers how much pain he felt, because at that time, "pain" seemed to be merely a byproduct of numbness. Compared to the numbness in his heart, the physical pain he suffered seemed insignificant.

Therefore, while other children were crying and screaming because of the knife wound, he remained unusually quiet.

His recovery was much faster than that of ordinary children, leaving those who helped him with the "surgery" completely baffled. Logically, it should have taken at least half a month for him to get out of bed, but after only three days, Lu Aniu's wound had healed completely, and after five days, he could walk freely.

Perhaps because of this special status, while the other children were still lying in bed, unable to move, he was taken away by a slender, richly dressed eunuch with a somewhat shrill voice.

----

"So, you are..."

“Yes.” Lu Aniu nodded, speaking in a calm yet sorrowful tone, “I am a eunuch.”

"..."

Evelyn didn't know how to answer him.

Physical disability inevitably leads to mental disability. Most people with disabilities suffer from severe psychological trauma, let alone someone with such a sensitive body. Although Lu Aniu behaved like a normal person, Evelyn could still see his madness in his eyes through his tough exterior.

Such a person has reached the point where nothing they do is surprising.

“I’ve looked into it, and it seems that this country has never had a position called ‘eunuch’ in its history. Do you know what that is?” Lu Aniu continued to explain, “Simply put, it’s a monster that is neither male nor female.”

“I have lost all male characteristics, including my Adam's apple, beard, and…”

"In short, that's how I entered the palace. I was lucky enough to be assigned to the Imperial Household Department to do servant work."

Evelyn couldn't understand this. They were all going to be servants, serving others, so why say it was "good luck"?

It's hard to understand this kind of thing without putting yourself in Lu Aniu's shoes and seeing things from his perspective.

With so many people, a social hierarchy emerges. The eunuchs and palace maids in the imperial palace constituted a rather large, invisible group. They were similar to the service staff in Oak City, only with a lower status, a larger number of people, and many different types of jobs.

Among these, a considerable number of the eunuchs did work that would go completely unnoticed. They might have been cleaning, tending horses in the Imperial Stables, washing clothes in the Laundry Bureau, and so on. The work was varied and the pay was meager. Even if they did it their whole lives, they might still be low-ranking eunuchs. They were exhausted and had little chance of promotion.

As for serving others, it might involve things like serving tea and water, which would at least involve contact with some high-ranking and powerful people within the palace, both in terms of time and space.

Of course, making contact is one thing, but whether one can get a lowly eunuch to "notice" them and be promoted depends entirely on their abilities. For cunning people, this job is the best stepping stone; if they jump well, they can rise in rank and make a fortune. But if they choose the wrong side or jump poorly, they might fall to their deaths. After all, what the palace and its surroundings have in abundance is clever, resourceful, and capable eunuchs.

Lu Aniu gained some fame because of the "miracle" that he could get out of bed and walk five days after being cut up. The eunuch who came to pick him up thought that he must be an extraordinary person, so he gave him the treatment equivalent to a novice protection period from the beginning.

But he himself was completely unaware of this. After entering the palace, he was no different from a dead man; he did whatever others told him to do. Anyway, he had plenty of strength, so what difference did it make where he used it?

At least here, he actually has a meal to eat.

----

"Here is your autumn salary and wedding bonus. Keep them safe."

A seemingly kind-faced senior eunuch, with a smile playing at the corners of his eyes, sat regally on his high seat. Holding a jade-inlaid back scratcher, he meticulously distributed silver coins from the table to the junior eunuchs who came to collect their salaries. On average, each person received three coins; however, some who had committed offenses had their wages deducted and received only two.

Everyone's faces were beaming with joy as they chatted quietly about something—a rare sight of merriment within the palace.

This was the first time Lu Aniu had received his salary from the palace. Looking at the pile of silver, he felt somewhat dazed.

Back in my hometown, this was a quantity I wouldn't even dare to imagine.

Have I finally secured a stable job?

"..."

The core of this self-deprecating joke is so cruel that even he himself couldn't laugh when he said it.

Lu Aniu stepped forward as if in a trance and put all three silver coins into his pocket.

"Hey?!" The little eunuch behind him grabbed his sleeve and shouted, "Don't you know any rules?"

"..." Lu Aniu frowned, but did not make a move; he simply pulled his arm back.

He was so strong that with just one movement, the little eunuch lost his balance and stumbled.

"you……"

Just as everyone was about to erupt, Steward Wu, who was sitting there with a kind face, raised his hand with a smile and asked, "You're new here, aren't you?"

"Yes." Only then did Lu Aniu notice that next to Steward Wu, there was a basin filled with pieces of silver, which aroused his suspicion.

"In which month did you enter the palace?"

“Just a month and a half ago,” Lu Aniu answered honestly.

"Oh...the one who was able to get out of bed after five days, right?" Manager Wu squinted and waved his hand. "It's alright, you can go now."

Chapter 826: The Invisible Ancestor

"Brother Aniu, Brother Aniu."

A young eunuch with drooping eyebrows, seeing that no one was around, secretly beckoned Lu Aniu over.

Ironically, even the worst food in the palace was far better than what they had during their escape. Lu Aniu's life had already hit rock bottom; every step he took was upward. With food, clothing, and sleep, plus all sorts of physical labor, his physique gradually began to strengthen.

At that moment, Lu Aniu was carrying earthenware jars full of water in both hands, walking quickly along the path. Hearing someone call his name, he stopped abruptly and knocked the jars to the ground.

"Boom!!"

That heavy, solid sound was still a bit too frightening.

"Get to the point," Lu Aniu said in a deep voice. "I'm still waiting to get to work."

"Um... well..." The man with drooping eyebrows noticed that both earthenware jars were filled with water. Remembering how quickly he had run around earlier, he was immediately terrified and stammered, "Brother A-Niu, could you... lend me some silver...?"

"Didn't you just receive your salary?" Lu Aniu frowned. "There's not much to spend money on in the palace, so how come you've used it all up so quickly?"

With a twitch of her nose and a pitiful expression, she said, "I... I received a letter from my hometown saying that my father is unwell and needs medicine, but we are short of money. The doctor there is a quack, and we have to go to a bigger place to get treatment. Along the way, we'll have to feed the people and the horses, and once we get there, the doctor's house calls and the medicine will all cost money!"

"My meager salary is just a drop in the ocean. I've borrowed from everyone I could. Those bastards, not a single one of them has a conscience, only you, Brother Niu..."

Lu Aniu didn't say anything, but took the still-warm silver from his pocket.

"Thank you, Brother Niu, thank you..."

The joyful expression lasted only a few seconds before his drooping eyebrows instantly changed, revealing an expression of utter terror.

"What's wrong?" Lu Aniu asked, puzzled. "Take this to treat your father's illness."

"No, no, forget it, pretend I didn't say anything!" With those words drooping, she ran off without looking back.

Looking back, Chief Steward Wu of the Imperial Household Department was standing not far away, smiling at them.

Then, he waved to Lu Aniu, signaling him to come over.

……

Lu Aniu carried two vats of water and ran over.

"...You really are something else." Steward Wu poked Lu Aniu's arm with a jade-inlaid back scratcher and laughed, "How did you manage to lift those two heavy vats?"

"It's alright." Lu Aniu scratched his head. "I don't think it's too heavy, it's quite light."

"It's a pity you're rootless," Steward Wu suddenly said. "Otherwise, with your strength, you could easily become a martial arts champion."

Lu Aniu's expression immediately darkened.

Manager Wu looked into the distance and said with a half-smile, "Those brats are up to no good. They've given you all the hardest and most tiring work. Meanwhile, they're all enjoying themselves, hiding in corners playing cards."

“…It’s alright.” Lu Aniu shook his head. “I don’t mind doing more.”

"Haha, good lad." Manager Wu patted him on the shoulder. "It's a good thing that you're capable."

“But… you alone can do the work of ten people, or even more. How am I supposed to keep my Imperial Household Department running? And what are the others supposed to do? Won’t they all become idle people?”

Manager Wu changed his tone and said with a smile, "We have plenty of time, why work so recklessly?"

He took out two silver coins from his pocket and handed them to Lu Aniu.

"……This is?"

“I’ve gotten all the money you lent to Ah Si and Gou’er back from them,” said Steward Wu. “They were all lying to you; don’t believe them again.”

"Liar me?!" Lu Aniu was shocked. "But...but...why would they lie to me? They said they would pay me back later."

"What future is there? Life in the palace is very long. How do you know when the future is?"

Steward Wu pushed the silver into Lu Aniu's chest and laughed, "Don't take these lightly... Right now, we don't have anywhere to spend them, but what about later?"

"Sooner or later, you will all have to leave the palace. When that happens, this will be your lifeline."

"After leaving the palace, you find yourself all alone. You can't carry anything, and everyone avoids you like the plague. At this point, who can you rely on? Who is your closest relative? Ha... it's just the little bit of silver you have in your pocket."

"Remember what I said, kid. Don't be fooled by how hard and cold this thing looks; it's our own mother."

……