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CH 37

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It had been a while since they left Wuli Hillock. The long and narrow woods path gradually widened. There were carriages, carts, and farmers carrying loads, all moving forward together.

The increasingly dense footprints on the ground and animal dung made Li Huowang realize that Jianye Town should be near.

“Zhao Fifth, are people like Troupe Master Lv who sing operas considered low-status?” Li Huowang asked Zhao Fifth who was fully focused on learning how to write.

Zhao Fifth was writing with a stick, he looked up in surprise at Li Huowang, then turned his gaze towards the Lv Family Troupe ahead of them.

“Well, even though they can be praised by the audience when they perform, they are like women in the brothel. Although they are liked, their social status is very low. Actors are the lowest of the Nine Classes.” Zhao Fifth replied.

“Really? Which Nine Classes? “Li Huowang asked in surprise. If it weren’t for the previous incident, he really wouldn’t have felt that the social status of actors was so low.

“Emperors are the first class,

officials and soldiers are the second class,

landlords and merchants are the third class,

sects and guilds are the fourth class,

craftsmen and teachers are the fifth class,

farmers and doctors are the sixth class,

witches, beggars, and slaves are the seventh class,

thieves and swindlers are the eighth class,

actors, singers, and prostitutes are the ninth class.

“Not only are their social statuses low, but their treatment is also different. For example, people in the last three classes cannot marry into respectable families, and their clothing and transportation are also restricted. They cannot ride horses or sit in sedan chairs, nor wear silk or satin. Even when they file lawsuits, they are weaker than others.”

Li Huowang was surprised to hear Zhao Fifth speak so fluently about these things. “I didn’t expect you to know so much,” he said.

“After all, my family is in town, so I know these things. And most people should also be aware of them. Where are you from, Senior Brother Li? Why don’t you know about this?”

Zhao Fifth had already noticed that Li Huowang was different from others for long time, but only found the opportunity to ask today.

“Hehe, a very far away place,” Li Huowang didn’t bother to explain his background. It was too tiring, and these people wouldn’t understand anyway.

Seeing that Li Huowang didn’t answer, Zhao Fifth stopped asking and continued speaking.

“Nanpin State is not bad, regardless of which class, the emperor allows them to participate in the imperial examination, although not everyone can pass it. I heard that in other places, people from the last three classes are not even allowed to take the exam. They can never change their fate, and actors will always be actors.”

“I see,” Li Huowang gained a new understanding of this world.

“What about people like me, Taoist? What is our social status in this world?” Li Huowang asked again.

“Taoism is one of the three major religions and is not part of the Nine Classes. Most people still have respect for Taoists, and even if they don’t respect them, they would deliberately keep their distance because it involves things related to gods and ghosts.”

Zhao Fifth’s words made Li Huowang abandon the idea of taking off his Taoist robe.

Since they were going to travel far and wide, wearing a Taoist robe would be more convenient than other clothes.

“By the way, Zhao Fifth, what about people like Dan Yang Tzu? Their status should be very high, right?” Li Huowang asked the key question.

“To be honest, Senior Brother Li, I don’t know. Before he captured me, I didn’t know that there could really be someone so powerful in this world, I thought it was all made up by storytellers.”

“Is that so…” Li Huowang pondered.

It seemed that the news in these areas was quite closed off. In theory, there should be many people like Dan Yang Tzu, but Zhao Fifth and others didn’t know about them.

However, he guessed that someone should try to restrain people like Dan Yang Tzu, otherwise, he wouldn’t have run away to the deep mountains and forests to secretly cultivate.

“Little Taoist Master, Little Taoist Master! Look at that city gate, we have arrived!” Li Huowang looked up at the call of Lv Zhuangyuan and saw a row of low city walls covered in moss at the end of this road they had been traveling for so many days. And inside the city walls was their destination, Jianye Town.

The Lv Family Troupe smoothly entered the town, but Li Huowang and others were not so lucky. Their appearance was too distinctive, and before long, the town’s head constable came with constables to find them.

Head constable held up his knife with both hands and cautiously asked Li Huowang, “Stop right there! What’s going on? Who are you?!”

“Head Constable Yan, it’s me. These are all people I know. They are not bad people. They specifically came to help me back home,” Zhao Fifth on the cart greeted him.

“Oh, you’re Zhao Fifth from the Zhao Family? Where have you been during this time? Anyway,tell these strange looking people like you to be honest and not cause trouble. Go buy some hanging cloth bamboo hats to cover your faces so you don’t scare other residents.”

“Thank you, Head Constable Yan. Is my family doing well recently?”

“Yes, of course. By the way, your second sister got married to a good family. You should go back and take a look,” Head Constable Yan replied.

To avoid trouble, Li Huowang followed Zhao Fifth to a stall and bought several bamboo hats with black cloth hanging from them. With the hats on, although these medicinal herbs still stood out, at least they wouldn’t scare anyone anymore.

After confirming the next departure time with Lv Zhuangyuan, Li Huowang said to Zhao Fifth, “Where is your home? Let’s go there first.”

Looking at everything familiar around him, Zhao Fifth became a bit emotional. He didn’t wear a bamboo hat because everyone here knew him.

With his limbs weak, Zhao Fifth struggled to prop himself up on the cart with his hands and jumped down.

Doggie next to him was about to reach out and help, but Li Huowang stopped him and pulled out his long sword from behind and handed it to Zhao Fifth.

Then Li Huowang reached into his pocket and pulled out several notes with written last words on them and started to organize them.

Zhao Fifth, leaning on his long sword, stumbled towards his home.

Jianye Town looked lively, with people coming and going on the streets, but it was not large. Zhao Fifth soon found his home.

It was a small rice shop, and seeing the busy family members inside, Zhao Fifth was overwhelmed with tears. 

“Dad! I’m back!” he shouted, his voice trembling, causing everyone in the rice shop to look up.

“Fifth brother!” A young man with a strong, bare upper body who was carrying a sack of rice on his shoulder dropped the rice bag on the ground, then rushed out excitedly, tightly embracing him.

Then a little girl with braids tied on her head also rushed out and excitedly circled around Zhao Fifth. 

Seeing this, Li Huowang, who was watching nearby, noticed that something was not right while Zhao Fifth was in emotion.

Except for the two people rushing out of the house, everyone else inside had very plain expressions, which was not quite normal.

“Senior Brother Li, what’s wrong?” Bai Lingmiao felt keenly that something was off and gently pulled on Li Huowang’s clothes.

Li Huowang patted her hand with his own and didn’t say anything.

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