Standing at the edge of the cliff, Lei Tianyue wore ordinary clothes and appeared slender, yet viewed from behind, he stood tall and straight like a stone pillar, carrying the imposing air of someone supporting the heavens and earth.
At this moment, with his hands behind his back, he raised his head to gaze at the sky. Above him, the vault of heaven was as dark as ink, blanketing the earth, while in the center, purple tribulation clouds churned endlessly, a world-shaking phenomenon.
These sights were visible to Lei Tianyue alone.
In the eyes of the three beggars behind him, Lei Tianyue was simply someone who had attempted suicide by jumping off a cliff—and as for why he failed, it was naturally out of fear of death.
At this moment, the might of the thunder in his eyes faded. The heavy thunderclouds condensing across the sky dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye, revealing a sky full of stars and a silvery-white bright moon.
The dullness previously in his eyes had vanished completely, leaving only a few residual flashes of golden lightning. Just as he prepared to make sense of the divided soul's memories, an endless stream of chattering washed over him like a tide, shattering his train of thought.
"Young brother, the bright moon endures, but mortals do not. What cannot be mended in the past, heaven will arrange for the future. On this desolate hilltop, the dilapidated temple behind us is the warmest place. On the path of begging, we trade sincerity for a sliver of hope. Even when surrounded by vicious dogs and cruel masters, as long as our hearts keep moving forward, we can earn enough to fill our bellies. Come... join us, and right behind you is your forever home."
The middle-aged beggar hesitated for a long time behind the man who had tried to jump, carefully recalling the earnest teachings of the Old Beggar Leader, before finally piecing these words together after a long while.
Lei Tianyue turned around in astonishment to see the man lifting a ragged sleeve, pointing a dark finger toward the dilapidated temple, his face filled with expectation and his eyes brimming with concern.
Observing the middle-aged beggar's actions, Lei Tianyue's expression instantly turned peculiar. After looking him up and down for a good while, he finally remembered that he had come up the mountain with a trio of beggars.
Seeing that the handsome young man in front of him remained silent, the middle-aged beggar slowly lowered his outstretched finger. Imitating the Old Beggar Leader, he rubbed his rough, stubbled chin a few times, cleared his throat twice, and tried to counsel him once more:
"Young brother is still young; a temporary setback is nothing to speak of. Let's start from the very bottom and build our way up step by step. One day, we will shine upon this world just like the bright moon in the sky."
Just as Lei Tianyue wanted to ask what was going on, the memories of his divided soul, following their fusion, rushed into his mind even more fiercely than the middle-aged beggar's endless chatter. A surge of information forced its way into his brain, making him dizzy and leaving him massaging his temples instinctively.
From his early childhood at the Prince of Chiyang's estate, the strict discipline imposed upon him by the Prince of Chiyang, Lei Haocang...
Striving diligently to establish "Impermanence" to prove himself worthy of being one of Dongfan's Four Great Military Gods...
The battle of the quicksand waters, Zhilan...
Lei Tianning, Lei Tianning, Tuoba Yu...
Falling Moon Mountain, Drifting Snow Temple, drinking and making merry with Mr. Xi, discussing the ways of the world...
Elder Sister Da-lan, Elder Sister Xiao-lan...
The sixth year of Nanhong, the Battle of Xiaogu Mountain, facing the siege of five hundred thousand troops...
From childhood to adulthood, various crucial memories flashed past like pictures.
Wait...
Why was there no memory of his mother, Wu Yue, whatsoever? What was going on here?
Seeing Lei Tianyue's expression, the middle-aged beggar once again used the moonlight to look the cliff-jumping man up and down.
Noticing that his build was well-proportioned, his appearance imposing, his sword-like brows slanted upward, and his eyes bright and full of spirit, he looked precisely like the legendary pretty boy—just like the sort people called a parasite who lived off women.
Then, seeing him massaging his temples with a look of deep regret, the middle-aged beggar slapped his hands together:
*Slap...*
The middle-aged beggar's realization struck him like morning mist clearing away, though his gaze carried a hint of pity.
"I understand. Could it be, young brother, that you hail from some pleasure quarter or theatrical troupe, and unfortunately fell into the clutches of some wealthy noblewoman?" The middle-aged beggar tilted his head back and sighed, assuming an earnest, contemplative posture. "Your starting point is indeed a bit lower than mine..."
Since Lei Tianyue was searching in vain for memories of his mother, he had no mind to listen to the man's endless chatter. He hastily mobilized his Soul Power to reorganize his memories and check if anything had been omitted.
Right as he was sorting through his memories, the rambling behind him started up again, the advice to join their ranks ceaseless:
"Though people have different stations, occupations are all equal—it is merely to scrape by for a meager livelihood. Young brother, do not fret, just listen to me explain slowly..."
Lei Tianyue wore a helpless expression, stopping just short of shouting "Get lost!" and nearly reacting by backhanding the man across the face.
"Sigh... Seeing that young brother has an extraordinary appearance and merely stumbled for a moment... Women are hard to please, and men even harder; it's all a flesh trade anyway. It's just hateful how those high-ranking officials and nobles use people for their own amusement. If reincarnation has any justice, in the next life we'll have them become beggars and taste what it's like when: *The cold wind blows desolate and no one asks, a beggar's life is bitter and words fail.*"
After searching once more and still finding no trace of his mother's memory, Lei Tianyue furrowed his brows deeply, his expression revealing profound helplessness.
Raising his gaze once again, he could not help but be stunned. Could this middle-aged beggar moonlight as a storyteller while begging?
"Young brother, do not hesitate; a low starting point doesn't prove anything." The man pointed a finger toward the dilapidated temple from afar, speaking with earnest sincerity: "Slots are limited, so hurry and come with me to get registered, otherwise the Old Beggar Leader will certainly be displeased when he finds out you're hesitating."
Faced with this middle-aged beggar, a helpless Lei Tianyue could only massage his aching temples. Figuring there was no point in arguing with a destitute person, he decided to ask for clarification: "Registered? Beggar Leader?"
"The Beggar Leader is the very first person to arrive at this temple. I am the Second Beggar, and there is also a Third Beggar. Real estate around here is tight, and within a radius of a hundred miles, there is no place more comfortable than this." As he spoke, he turned around and waved at the two figures inside the temple, wanting them to come over and welcome the newcomer.
Because they were some distance away, the Old Beggar Leader watched the middle-aged beggar gesticulating wildly, spitting as he spoke with high passion. Wearing a puzzled expression, the old man stroked his beard and fell into deep thought once more.
A moment later, he cried out in alarm: "Oh no..."
The Little Beggar looked confused and tilted his head. "Oh no? Could it be you regret it?"
"Hmph, am I that kind of person? The Second Beggar is definitely winning people over to build his own faction, trying to usurp my position as Beggar Leader."
"Huh?"
The Little Beggar thought about it. Usually, although the Second Beggar talked too much, he was the backbone of this temple and the top dog of the begging world in the nearby hills.
As for the Old Beggar Leader, he spent every day hanging around theatrical tea houses, coming back at night to tell a few stories or occasionally gossip about widows in the streets, having truly accomplished nothing. Come to think of it, it was about time for him to step down and let someone more capable take over.
Thinking of this, the Little Beggar rolled his eyes and said dismissively, "How do you know?"
With a solemn expression, the Old Beggar Leader replied, "The storytellers in the teahouses and pleasure quarters always tell it this way."
Dark lines instantly covered the Little Beggar's forehead.
A moment later, seeing that the "reinforcements" from the dilapidated temple had yet to arrive, the Second Beggar could not help but feel a trace of anxiety.
He couldn't resist turning his head again, casting his gaze back toward the cliff-jumping man, baring his yellow teeth, and squeezing out a full face of smiles.
It seemed as though Lei Tianyue had remembered something, and he spoke up to ask, "Besides the three of you, has anyone else arrived here?"
The middle-aged beggar shook his head and looked at Lei Tianyue. "Only you came."
Lei Tianyue was momentarily stunned, his tone softening a fraction. "How long did I stand by the cliff?"
"Not even half an hour."
"What?"
Lei Tianyue had not expected it to be mere half an hour. Inside the ocean of golden lightning, it had felt as though a thousand or ten thousand years had passed.
"Sigh... Forget it, we can't be picky at a time like this. So what if he's a bit slow? An extra person means an extra bit of strength. Who knows, with your good looks, it might even be an asset for begging." Patting his chest, the middle-aged beggar declared, "From now on, brother's got your back around these hills and fields."
Naturally ignoring the Second Beggar, Lei Tianyue muttered to himself, "I need to think this through slowly; some memories need to be savored bit by bit..."
Hearing this, the middle-aged beggar was stunned at first, but then came to an understanding. "Why don't we go over and ask the Beggar Leader? He's the most 'cultured' person among us; maybe that will help you think it through and savor it slowly."
Lei Tianyue looked toward the distant dilapidated temple and nodded.
Seeing that the other party had finally agreed, the middle-aged beggar beamed and hurriedly took the lead.