The front of the token recorded Fang Ming's personal information, and the back listed the participation notes and venue for the Yunxian Poetry Gathering.
The notes were unremarkable, consisting of standard rules like no fighting and no violations of competition regulations.
"Yunxian Poetry Gathering Venue: Yunxian Lake Linglong Painted Boat, Time: The sixth day of the eighth month in the fifth year of Guangzhen."
Fang Ming fell into thought as he read the information...
Where is this? And what time is it now?
He knew nothing!
He was unfamiliar with this place and had no idea what the token was referring to.
Perhaps he should find someone to ask?
Fang Ming stood on the street, contemplating. However, asking people one by one wasn't a good solution. It would be ideal if he could find a local to guide him to this Yunxian Poetry Gathering.
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As the thought crossed his mind, Fang Ming suddenly remembered that ancient times also had something like a "talent market," where poor people would gather with a straw marker to find work, or even sell themselves.
Fang Ming took out his diary, his thoughts stirring. He flipped through it a couple of times, and indeed, the location of a "talent market" had appeared.
"I asked a passerby, mentioning I wanted to find a helper to assist me in living locally. The person was very helpful and told me to walk straight down this street, turn right at the second intersection, and there was a small alley where I could find the person I needed. I indeed found a suitable helper there and then left the alley."
The diary had finally been reliable. Fang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. This wasn't a vague description anymore. However, the predicted time...
Fang Ming felt the need to test it. If it took less than half an hour, it meant the ominous entity behind this might be even stronger than the Blood Royal. He would have to be extremely cautious.
Nannan's current strength appeared formidable, capable of easily crushing top-tier ominous entities. But if a true Nether Fiend appeared, their entire group would be doomed.
However, Fang Ming didn't think it was likely. After all, in his estimation, Changsheng, the leader of the resentment fiends, was only at the Nether Fiend level. A world like this, which seemed to be a memory from a white mist world, shouldn't harbor such terrifying beings.
But Fang Ming hadn't considered whether Changsheng's strength was truly just that of a Nether Fiend.
Following the diary's guidance, Fang Ming soon arrived at the alley entrance mentioned in the diary.
There wasn't much foot traffic here. Occasionally, a few arrogant individuals would stride in with swagger, only to emerge later with several subservient men following behind them.
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These men shared a common characteristic: they wore tattered clothes, were gaunt, and looked unkempt.
"This must be the place."
Fang Ming entered the alley, and the sour stench of sweat assaulted his nostrils. It was the height of summer in this world, and these lower-class people paid little attention to hygiene, making it understandable.
Fang Ming endured the smell, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the alley. Thin, emaciated men lay scattered on the ground. The moment they saw Fang Ming's luxurious attire (he had, after all, stolen from a wealthy person's home), they immediately got up and swarmed towards him.
"Master, choose me! I am strong and robust. I can pull a cart for three hundred miles on just three steamed buns!" a young man, thin and frail, quickly pushed forward to hawk his services.
"Nonsense! You call that physique capable of pulling a cart?" several others scoffed.
"Master, choose me, choose me! I only eat half a steamed bun for a meal, and I can do all sorts of housework!"
"Master, Master, choose me! My ancestors were Liu Xuande, and my grandmother said I would bring prosperity to my master!"
...
The chaotic scene made Fang Ming frown. Looking at these people, as a product of modern society, he knew all too well that these individuals were seasoned scoundrels.
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"I need a pageboy. Does anyone here know about qin, qi, shu, hua?" Fang Ming asked in a deep voice.
The crowd fell silent. If they were literate, they wouldn't be languishing in this "Alley of the Poor." However, a few cunning individuals still tried their luck.
"Master, I can recite a few poems. Do you think that would suffice?" a man ventured cautiously.
"Oh? Recite them for me," Fang Ming said, intrigued.
"Frost on the floor by the bed, under the moon... the moon... watching a maiden!" the man exclaimed excitedly. He had actually recited it! "Master, how did I do?"
Fang Ming: "..." Wouldn't you be beaten to death for altering ancient poetry like that?
Fang Ming shook his head, rejecting the man. The man slumped in disappointment. He at least knew a couple of lines, while the others couldn't even recite that much.
Seeing that there was no hope, the others shook their heads and returned to their positions, lying down again.
Fang Ming was somewhat disappointed, but logically, the diary shouldn't be wrong. Yet, none of the people here satisfied him.
It seemed he would have to add a tag of suspicion to the diary from now on.
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With that thought, Fang Ming scanned the alley again, then shook his head in resignation and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, a small figure stood up from within the alley.
"Master, how about me... how do I look?" The voice sounded somewhat delicate and childish.
"A woman?" Fang Ming was surprised. There was a woman in this alley, and he hadn't noticed her.
But as Fang Ming's gaze fell upon her, he understood why he had overlooked her.
She was wearing a tattered outfit full of patches, which looked too large for her. Her hair was disheveled, her face smudged with black and gray, and her hair was matted. She exuded a scent of sweat, which, while not as strong as others, was still heavier than usual.
However, her eyes were bright, as if they held stars, though they were dulled by the hardships of life.
"Why do you think I would take you?" Fang Ming asked playfully. This girl couldn't be old, perhaps only thirteen or fourteen years old. Under Fang Ming's gaze, she didn't flinch.
The girl stared into Fang Ming's eyes and replied, "Although I don't know poetry and song, I can guess why Master is looking for people like this."
"Oh? Tell me. If you're right, I'll take you." He didn't actually need a pageboy skilled in qin, qi, shu, hua. He primarily needed a local to guide him. If this girl had good character, taking her along wouldn't be an issue.
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The other men scoffed when this short girl volunteered, but they were also surprised that she was a woman, having not noticed her after so many days together.
Thirteen or fourteen years old, already of marriageable age... a few men exchanged knowing glances. The unspoken meaning was clear only to them.
They were so destitute that they cared little about looks. Seeing a female would excite them for a long time.
Frankly, once this girl revealed her gender, she wouldn't be safe here anymore, or who knew what she would face.
"The Yunxian Poetry Gathering is about to be held soon, and I can tell from Master's accent that you are not from around here. If I'm not mistaken, Master, are you planning to participate in the Yunxian Poetry Gathering?" the girl asked expectantly, looking at Fang Ming.
Fang Ming chuckled and nodded. Interesting, this girl was quite shrewd.
Upon hearing her anticipated reply, the girl breathed a slight sigh of relief and continued, "Since Master is new here and wishes to participate in the Yunxian Poetry Gathering, and you are here looking for someone skilled in qin, qi, shu, hua, do you need a pageboy?"
Fang Ming nodded again.
The girl's heart grew more certain of her deduction, and a slight smile graced her face.
"Then, may I ask, Master, do you need a guide?" the girl asked with hopeful eyes.
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Interesting. Fang Ming was quite pleased with this girl.
This girl's mind was quick, her approach methodical. She had deduced Fang Ming's intentions step by step, without arrogance or impatience. Logically, she shouldn't be here.
"You can come with me," Fang Ming nodded, satisfied, and turned to leave the alley.
The girl suppressed her inner joy and quickly followed.
The other men were deeply disappointed. This distinguished person had actually chosen her. Their prize had slipped away, and they sighed in dejection. But not all of them were ready to give up.
A few men quietly huddled together and whispered.
"Brothers, that man is from out of town. Judging by his fair skin and tender flesh, he's probably a pampered young master. Shall we..." a scarred man made a throat-slitting gesture viciously.
"Heh heh heh. I'll be the first to have that woman later."
Another man chuckled lewdly.
"Look at you, you have no ambition. After we rob him, what kind of women can't we have? You're still coveting a flat-chested, no-ass little girl." The scarred man spat.
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...
Along the way, Fang Ming asked the girl's name. She was Liu Yun Nan. She had a mother at home, but her mother had fallen gravely ill a month ago and passed away due to lack of funds. To survive, she had no choice but to risk finding work in the Alley of the Poor.
"Let's find an inn to stay in first. You can wash up," Fang Ming said.
"Yes, Master," Liu Yun Nan replied obediently. She knew her current appearance would be a detriment to Fang Ming's image.
"You don't need to call me Master. You're making me sound old. From now on, call me Young Master Fang, and I'll call you Xiao Nan. How about that?" It was somewhat similar to Nannan's name, but Fang Ming didn't really mind.
"Whatever Fang Master arranges," Xiao Nan replied softly.
Half an hour later, Fang Ming arrived at the inn with Xiao Nan. He booked two rooms, letting Xiao Nan have one to wash and tidy herself up. He also instructed the inn's attendant to buy some women's clothes for her.
Watching Xiao Nan close her door to bathe, Fang Ming turned into his own room. He needed to consider his next plan.
He had mentally calculated the time it took to find Xiao Nan and bring her out of the alley; it was only about twenty minutes. This weighed heavily on his heart.
The diary's prediction times were becoming shorter and shorter, and its usefulness was diminishing. This meant the enemies were becoming stronger.
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When he entered the eighteenth floor, he was just an ordinary Fiend Seed. The diary's prediction was suppressed to only half an hour due to the Blood Royal. Now, his strength was comparable to a Half Fiend, yet the suppression from this ancient world only gave him twenty minutes!
The ominous entity behind this was very likely a Nether Fiend!
Fang Ming felt a sense of oppression. It made sense. The Bai Mu Village, so small, required Nannan's mother to materialize. In this ancient world, Fang Ming had yet to see its boundaries!
This was also why Fang Ming hadn't immediately entered the white mist world from the boundary upon arriving.
Fang Ming speculated that this ancient world's memory fragment might be a complete world, and Bai Mu Village might just be a piece of it.
If this world were not shattered, he couldn't enter the white mist world!
Half an hour later.
"Knock, knock, knock." The sound of a knock on the door interrupted Fang Ming's thoughts.
"Young Master, I'm finished tidying up," Xiao Nan's voice came from outside.
"Push the door open and come in."
The door was pushed open, and a graceful figure entered, moving with light steps. Her skin was as smooth as cream, her face delicate and pretty, and her eyes shimmered with starlight. Every movement exuded an air of refined upbringing.
"Xiao Nan?" Fang Ming was astonished. Was this still the same disheveled girl?