Chapter 36: I'm No Hero, but I Just Can't Stand This
Unfazed by the dirt covering Qian Qian, Ye Wen gently picked her up and softly patted her back, whispering,
"It's alright now. It's alright. Big brother won't send you back to the orphanage."
After soothing her, Ye Wen settled the bill with the shopkeeper and left with Qian Qian in his arms.
Back at the hotel, Ye Wen cleaned the grime from Qian Qian's body and thoughtfully bought her several new outfits. The previously grimy, smelly little girl who had repelled others was transformed into an adorable, refined figure.
Her slightly curled golden hair was reminiscent of the legendary Golden Fleece from ancient Greek myths, soft and fluffy. She was no taller than an average six or seven year old girl, barely reaching Ye Wen's thigh. Her small face, though thin from years of malnutrition, carried an elegant charm.
While Ye Wen wasn't a psychology or child development expert, he prided himself on understanding little girls like Qian Qian. After all, he had once been the "big brother" at his own orphanage.
With his gentle words and actions, Qian Qian gradually let down her guard and fell asleep peacefully in Ye Wen's arms. Through this encounter, Ye Wen uncovered the darker, hidden side of David City.
The city's orphanage was managed by a relative of the city lord. Outwardly, the man appeared to be a kind and gentle figure. However, it seemed he was secretly involved in human trafficking, an act strictly prohibited by the empire.
The repulsive man would secretly sell off the more attractive orphans after their martial spirits awakened. Unfortunately, Qian Qian had witnessed such an act. Knowing she was considered "cute" and catching the man's vile glances, she fled the orphanage at just five years old.
Qian Qian had even tried persuading some of her fellow orphans to escape with her, unwilling to become slaves to nobles. However, most children were too fearful of hunger and hardship to leave, choosing to stay in what was, at best, a tolerable orphanage.
From Qian Qian's descriptions, Ye Wen gleaned an intriguing detail her background likely wasn't that of a commoner. Few children from ordinary families possessed such a deep understanding of nobility.
Yet Ye Wen wasn't particularly surprised. A child as clever as Qian Qian was unlikely to come from an ordinary background.
Now, Ye Wen found himself troubled over what to do about the orphanage. He wasn't a righteous hero, but seeing human trafficking happening under his nose clashed with the values instilled in him as someone raised under a red banner.
"Slavery, huh? What a disgusting word. Reporting that orphanage director seems pointless; corruption between officials and merchants is a timeless game. And let's not forget that fat pig is connected to David City's lord.
A noble with enough power to govern a mid sized city must at least be a Spirit Emperor and have ties to the central government of the Heaven Dou Empire. Uprooting them would undoubtedly create a mess.
Killing the fat pig by faking a natural death is simple enough. But would replacing the orphanage director solve the problem? Clearly not.
Human greed is a sickness I know all too well. Even I can't resist the allure of gold spirit coins after all, even a hero can be stumped by a single penny."
Suddenly, an idea crossed Ye Wen's mind, and a sly smile curled his lips.
Over the next few days, Ye Wen maintained his usual routine of wandering the city. He also introduced Qian Qian to the siblings Huo Rui and Huo Feng.
The two siblings were initially surprised by the sudden appearance of this pitiful little girl. But Qian Qian's soft, adorable cries of "big brother" and "big sister" melted their hearts almost instantly. Before long, they were utterly smitten, spending every waking moment doting on her.
To snap them out of it, Ye Wen flicked their foreheads, scolding, "Calm down, you weirdos. Lolicons are the worst hetui!"
Time passed quickly. The siblings successfully completed their tenth consecutive victory in the Spirit Arena, earning Ye Wen a substantial 100,000 gold spirit coins. They were also promoted to Bronze Spirit Fighters.
Ye Wen decided not to push their luck by fighting further. It wasn't that he didn't want more gold, but earning excessive sums in a city like David City was a surefire way to court disaster.
This wasn't the Heaven Dou capital, where nobles casually threw around millions. A profit of 100,000 gold spirit coins was already enough to make the Spirit Arena feel the sting. Any more losses might provoke retaliation or attract the attention of the city's high ranking nobles.
Knowing when to quit was key to survival.
If he were a Title Douluo, it would be a different story entirely.
While Ye Wen seemed idle on the surface, he was secretly gathering evidence of the orphanage director's slave trade. Though the fat man had carefully distanced himself from the city lord, Ye Wen had collected enough evidence to incriminate him alone. That would suffice.
Ye Wen discreetly handed the information over to the Spirit Hall's main branch in David City. Given the mounting tensions between the Spirit Hall and the two empires, he was confident the Spirit Hall would seize this opportunity to undermine the city and bolster their reputation among commoners.
As for the fat orphanage director, Ye Wen laced his tea leaves with a slow acting, colorless, tasteless poison. In a few days, the man would suffer a sudden and fatal heart attack, leaving no trace of foul play.
Even if someone suspected poisoning, Ye Wen would be long gone by then.
In an era like this, tracking down a poisoner from weeks ago was as futile as finding a needle in a haystack.
By the time Ye Wen returned to Tiangxing Academy, rumors of the David City orphanage scandal had already reached him during a routine supply trip.
The city lord and his family had been stripped of their noble status and reportedly met violent ends soon after. The incident sparked widespread fear among Heaven Dou's nobility, silencing any open discussion of slavery.
"I didn't expect the Spirit Hall to move against the two empires this early. I thought they wouldn't escalate things until Bibi Dong's era," Ye Wen mused.
"Well, it saves me the trouble. I had been planning to assassinate David City's lord myself if he went unpunished."
Ye Wen quickly put the matter behind him. His current trip to Nuoding City was for a shipment of metals he had ordered from a merchant guild.
Having mastered the basics of crafting first tier soul tool storage rings, it was time to put his knowledge into practice.
Relying on the Spirit Arena for income, while lucrative, wasn't sustainable. Ye Wen planned to sell storage rings for a steady, long term source of gold.
(End of Chapter)
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