Chapter Seventeen: The Bread House

Unnoticed, time slipped away, and night fell, enveloping the world in darkness.

“Whew, all done!” When Luo Chen placed the last two wooden crates in the warehouse, he wiped the sweat from his brow. His work for the evening was finally finished. At this moment, excitement stirred within him; he hadn't expected that moving two crates at a time would enable him to last until the end. It seemed that the extra two hundred pounds gained in the strength test were not in vain, and his endurance had improved considerably.

All the refined iron ore had been transported from the warehouse, and now it was time to settle the wages.

Getting paid is always one of life's happiest moments. The laborers wore smiles on their faces as they lined up for today's earnings, ready to buy a cheap mug of barley beer in Slo City and enjoy a taste of life.

Greli picked up the ledger and read, “Terry, forty-eight!”

The laborer whose name was called walked up, beaming, and received his pay.

Greli continued, “Felton, fifty-five.”

Another laborer stepped forward to collect fifty-five copper coins.

Because each person's strength, speed, and rest periods varied, their pay differed as well—some less than forty, some close to sixty.

The laborers who had received their wages didn't leave immediately; they awaited Luo Chen’s result, for all had noticed that he had been moving two crates at a time throughout the evening, never stopping for a moment.

After all the other wages had been distributed, it was finally Luo Chen’s turn. Greli glanced at the ledger.

“Luo Chen, one hundred and thirty-six!”

At the announcement, astonishment rippled through the crowd. Though they had seen Luo Chen move many crates, none had expected such a number.

Compared to the highest-paid professional laborer that day, Luo Chen had more than doubled his haul!

Luo Chen himself had not kept count, so he too was slightly surprised. Usually, he moved about ninety crates, but this time the increase was substantial.

One hundred and thirty-six crates, calculated at the part-time wage rate, amounted to a little over one hundred and twenty-two copper coins. Greli handed him one silver coin and thirty copper coins, smiling broadly. “Young man, looks like you’ve been working hard at the academy. This is your reward. Keep it up!”

With Luo Chen’s current performance, he could very well become an outstanding Arcane Warrior in the future. It was wise to pay him a bit more and earn his favor; perhaps one day he would return the kindness.

Luo Chen replied joyfully, “Thank you, Uncle Greli.”

One laborer groaned, “Luo Chen, you move so much, are you trying to steal all our jobs?”

Another chimed in, “Exactly! If you keep this up, we’ll all be out of work!”

Luo Chen stuck out his tongue. “Sorry, uncles, I’m in urgent need of money, so please forgive me!”

His weapons and hidden blades had been lost during his internship mission against the beast; he needed to buy replacements for self-defense. And that “Thunderbolt Invincible Super Ferocious Ruthless Life-Taking Soul-Chasing Powder”—pepper wasn’t cheap, after all. A large bag of pepper powder cost nearly as much as two inferior throwing knives.

Of course, the laborers were only joking. They sympathized with Luo Chen, the orphaned, destitute child. Besides, Luo Chen always moved crates from the deepest part of the warehouse—the longest route, the hardest job—making it easier for the others.

A laborer shouted, “Luo Chen, with all that pay, you ought to treat us to drinks!”

All the laborers agreed uproariously. Luo Chen put on a wry face. “Please, uncles, have mercy—I really need the money!”

He was joking, of course. With so many laborers, if each had a mug of barley beer, his entire wage would vanish, leaving him without even enough for underclothes. Luo Chen dared not host such a feast.

Another laborer pointed to the rings on Luo Chen’s middle fingers. “I told you, this kid has a girlfriend! Look at those rings, right? With a girlfriend, he’s bound to spend more.”

“It’s not what you think…” Luo Chen’s explanation was drowned out by the laborers’ laughter.

“Don’t deny it, lad. We may be rough men, but we’ve known love. We know what it means to wear a ring on that finger.”

“Our little Luo Chen is finally dating! Hurry home, don’t keep her waiting, ha ha ha…”

Luo Chen nearly fled the docks amid the laughter, sighing at how troublesome these uncles were.

After a night of hauling cargo, Luo Chen’s body was exhausted, but his spirits soared.

Moving cargo was a form of endurance training, and he earned a living at the same time—a double benefit.

As the lights of Slo City illuminated a thousand homes, the scene was breathtaking from afar. Feeling the newly minted silver coin and thirty copper coins in his palm, Luo Chen was filled with a sense of satisfaction. This money, earned through sweat and toil, was not much, but Luo Chen believed that one day his dreams would come true.

Bread would come, and so would a house!

Returning to the attic dormitory at the academy, Luo Chen was surprised to find Shi Feng back already. He exclaimed, “Well, well, changed your ways today? Why are you back so early? That’s hardly the style of Shi the great romantic, the top stud of Canglan!”

Unlike Luo Chen, who devoted himself to study and wished to squeeze every minute dry, Shi Feng was astonishingly lazy. According to Shi Feng himself, he attended the academy to enjoy its vibrant life; if he studied just for the sake of study, his life would be dull and tedious.

Shi Feng’s main method of enjoying life was, of course, chasing girls, and nighttime was the best time for dates. Rarely would he return to the dorm so soon after nightfall.

“Come on, you’re the one who’s changed! I’m as manly as they come, damn it…” Shi Feng corrected Luo Chen’s slip, then sighed, “Don’t ask. My fragile heart suffered a heavy blow today. Chased girls all day, and not one agreed to a date!”

Suddenly remembering something, Shi Feng counted on his fingers. His expression changed. “I lack the Wood element. Today, besides Five Ghosts Mid-Heaven, it’s the White Tiger blocking the path. Those lacking Wood shouldn’t go out—otherwise, nothing goes right. No wonder, no wonder!”

He beat his chest in mock regret. “Ah, too careless! Looks like my magic isn’t up to scratch. Today’s misfortune is my own fault!”

Luo Chen was both amused and helpless. His roommate, besides loving the pursuit of girls, was obsessed with divination and fortune-telling—a pastime dating back to ancient civilizations. Luo Chen found it quite boring and wondered where Shi Feng had learned it.

Shi Feng never focused on study, spending his days chasing girls or immersed in divination, neglecting his duties. Yet, he was a genius; even without much effort, he had reached Arcane Level Five, making him an outstanding student at Weston Academy—a fact that made Luo Chen envious.

“All right, I won’t go out tonight. I’ll keep you company, you perennial bachelor!” Shi Feng spoke in a way that made Luo Chen shudder. He cleared his throat and declared, “Brother, let me be clear. Though I don’t have a girlfriend yet, my orientation is perfectly normal. I have absolutely no interest in Brokeback Mountain or any romantic chrysanthemum nonsense.”

【When I woke up this morning, I saw that Hidden Brother from ‘Transcending the Peak’ had caught up by several thousand popularity points. If he continues, the thief’s chrysanthemum will be in danger. As a master picker of chrysanthemums, being picked myself would be humiliating, so brothers, please support the thief. And see if we can touch Firebird Brother from ‘Hidden Demons’ at the top of the list―_―】