NOVEL WEB Chapter 206 - A Sudden Change Occurred
“Young sir, are you taking the young master out for a stroll again? These are a pair of tiger-headed shoes made by my daughter. I'm giving them to the young master.”
“Young sir, these vegetables were grown in my family's garden. Take them home and enjoy…”
“Young sir, these eggs were laid by the hens in my family's coop. Let the young master savor them…”
All the vendors along the street recognized Tang Yue. They observed him taking a little child shopping and occasionally offering snacks.
On this street, Tang Yue had alleviated the rheumatic legs of three elderly gentlemen and relieved an aunt's lower back pain. He had even addressed a young boss's posture issue.
Initially, everyone would respectfully greet him upon seeing him. Later, they would exchange stiff greetings once they became more familiar. Now, whenever Tang Yue walked down this street, people would offer him items they were selling.
Of course, Tang Yue couldn't accept every gift. Apart from the first time when he graciously accepted, he would either decline or arrange for someone to pay for it.
The people in this era endured a challenging life. Tang Yue accepted an egg from an elderly man with one hand and glanced at the patched pants he was wearing, his family's only pair.
Tang Yue smiled at the elderly man and placed the egg in Little Luoyuan's hand. “This egg is a gift from the old uncle to Little Luoyuan. Luoyuan wants to say thank you.”
Little Luoyuan was over a year old now, and his speech was becoming clearer. “Thank you.” Tang Yue had taught him this word repeatedly, and he said it quite well.
The elderly man hastily waved his hand. “I cannot accept it, sir.”
Tang Yue didn't argue with him. Instead, he crouched down and asked Little Luoyuan, “The uncle has given Luoyuan their most precious egg. Has Luoyuan returned the favor?”
Little Luoyuan, with a reluctant expression, held his belt which had his favorite stone attached to it. The large red stone had been given to him by a servant in the crown prince's residence when he turned one. It might have appeared unassuming among all the lavish gifts, but it was his most cherished possession.
He removed the stone and handed it to the elderly man, his big eyes filled with reluctance. “Here, take it.”
“This… I can't, really, I can't…” The elderly man was startled, and his complexion turned almost ashen.
Tang Yue patted Little Luoyuan's head and reassured the elderly man, “Please accept it. It's just an ordinary stone; it's not of much value.”
If it had been something genuinely valuable, Tang Yue would not have allowed Little Luoyuan to part with it. In addition to teaching gratitude, he believed in maintaining fair exchanges.
When he lacked the means to earn money, excessive generosity was not advisable; it was imprudent.
Tang Yue noticed that the street was bustling with activity, and the guards were carrying items, so he instructed them to return home first. He was familiar with everyone on this street, so there was no imminent danger.
Although the guards were reluctant, they eventually split into two groups. One group returned with the items, while the other continued to accompany Tang Yue.
Following a stroll through the streets, Tang Yue had initially intended to return home with Little Luoyuan. However, at that moment, a commotion erupted from a nearby street, attracting a gathering of people.
“What's happening over there?” Tang Yue couldn't help but be curious.
The two guards, natives of Ye City, recognized the situation. One of them explained, “It's likely the performers from various parts of the city. Every year, towards the year's end, these entertainers come to Ye City to showcase their talents and earn money for their journey back home.”
“Oh?” Tang Yue had heard of this tradition before but had never witnessed it firsthand. He lifted Little Luoyuan and inquired, “Would Little Luoyuan like to watch a circus?”
“What's a circus?”
“Well… it's a collection of various performances. Come, I'll show you.” Tang Yue had always been intrigued by circuses from his previous life's television experiences. Now that he was close to one, he wanted to see it for himself.
The two guards attempted to dissuade him hastily. “Young master, there's a sizable crowd up ahead. Perhaps we should invite them to the manor instead?”
In recent years, it had become trendy to invite renowned performers to the residence. If they came across any exceptional talents, it usually required significant effort to secure their performances.
Satisfying the host's family often led to generous rewards for these performers, which was a favorable outcome for them.
“No need. I'm aware Crown Prince prefers to keep things simple. Let's just take a look and head back.”
The guards still felt uncertain, but considering that the Son of Heaven was standing on the street, they believed there shouldn't be any issues.
The performers had already assembled. They positioned themselves in the open space at the street's entrance and began drumming energetically.
Tang Yue carried Little Luoyuan into the crowd, taking extra care to shield the child's head from the bustling crowd. Eventually, he found a spot in the center and stood there.
Two guards flanked him, their hands resting on their sword hilts, remaining vigilant and observant.
The first performer to enter the arena placed a massive rock on his chest. With a mighty hammer blow, the surrounding audience gasped, expecting a gruesome display of bloodshed. Yet, to their astonishment, the rock shattered into pieces, and the performer underneath remained unharmed, without a single drop of blood or a scratch on his body.
Tang Yue was familiar with the principles of this acrobatic skill. Still, as he saw the massive rock descending towards him, he couldn't help but admire the courage of the person beneath him.
Little Luoyuan was so scared that he shielded his eyes with his two claws. He couldn't resist peeking through a small gap. When he witnessed the person standing up unharmed, he dropped his claws in astonishment and let out a scream of surprise.
Tang Yue leaned close to Little Luoyuan's ear and inquired, “Isn't this peculiar?”
Frowning in deep thought for a moment, Little Luoyuan replied with just two words, “It hurts!” In the eyes of such a young child, getting hit by the hammer would undoubtedly be excruciating.
Tang Yue refrained from delving into a detailed explanation and simply explained that strength was crucial, and higher quality meant less acceleration. It was a concept Little Luoyuan couldn't quite grasp.
As he continued to observe sword dances, stilts, balancing acts on plates, and sword swallowing, Tang Yue noticed the time and decided it was time to carry Little Luoyuan and depart.
In the center of the performance area, a middle-aged man emerged holding two jars and announced, “Next, I will present a fire dragon for everyone. Don't miss it as you pass by…”
Little Luoyuan shouted with excitement upon hearing the mention of a Fire Dragon, “Dragon… Dragon…” He still remembered the bedtime stories Tang Yue had told him, some of which were about dragons. The fifth one was particularly captivating and mysterious.
Witnessing Little Luoyuan's excitement, Tang Yue playfully pinched his cheek and said, “Alright, let's watch the last act.”
Tang Yue gazed up toward the middle and observed the burly man take a swig from one of the jars, which he assumed was wine. Then, the man directed his mouth in a particular direction, and in an instant, flames spurted forth from his mouth. Those close enough could feel the intense heat.
Applause erupted from the audience, including Little Luoyuan, who was thrilled by the performance. Tang Yue had granted him permission to do so, and he collected a decent amount of coins from the eager onlookers.
The burly man adjusted his angle and opened his mouth again. This time, a larger fireball formed, extending further than the previous one. It moved directly towards the nearest spectators.
The situation took a turn at this point. The audience screamed, and the flames quickly ignited a person's hair, followed by their clothing. The people around the individual panicked and rushed away.
In an instant, the once-crowded area resembled boiling water as people pushed and squeezed to escape.
Tang Yue contemplated calling the guards to help extinguish the fire and rescue the people, but as he looked around, he realized the two guards were nowhere to be found. He was surrounded by a group of anxious strangers.
He found himself swayed and unsteady as the crowd jostled him aside. Slowly, he sidestepped to regain his balance.
Witnessing this, Tang Yue shielded the child tightly against his chest, turning his back to the surging crowd. In a hushed tone, he consoled Luoyuan.
Suddenly, a voice rang out, crying, “Run, there's been a casualty…someone got trampled to death!”
Tang Yue muttered curses. Before he could ascertain the source of the commotion, the frenzied crowd shoved him aside. Amidst the chaos, his feet were trampled upon several times, causing excruciating pain.
Just then, someone collided with his knee, sending him tumbling forward, and the child he held slipped from his grasp.
Little Luoyuan teetered on the brink of falling to the ground, surrounded by the stampeding throng. Tang Yue's eyes widened with fear, and he summoned the strength to push aside the person in front of him. Lunging forward, he shielded Luoyuan with his body.
Merciless feet pressed down on his back, sending shivers of agony through Tang Yue. Despite the pain, he dared not let his body touch the ground, for the life of the child beneath him hung in the balance.
Tang Yue slowly retreated, ensuring that Little Luoyuan was protected from all directions.
Amidst the crowd, two unassuming men exchanged concerned glances, their brows furrowing.
“What should we do? Our Mistress ordered us to eliminate this child. How can we accomplish that in this chaos?”
“Perhaps we should act together? That would ensure a successful outcome, wouldn't it?”
“If we eliminate the older one, once he's gone, the little one won't survive either.”
“Isn't that the same?”
“Hurry up and attack. The crowd is about to disperse.”
“Okay, I'll go.”
Tang Yue cradled the child, skillfully dodging the multitude of passing feet. Any more trampling, and he might suffer severe injuries or worse.
Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of a pair of feet approaching. Unlike the frenzied footsteps all around, these feet moved steadily, their intention clear, heading straight toward him.
Alertness gripped Tang Yue as he discreetly gripped the scalpel concealed in his sleeve.
In an instant, the stranger had arrived at his side, raising one foot high, seemingly aiming to stomp on his waist.
Tang Yue had no doubt that this kick would shatter his waist. The fear of imminent death spurred him to immediate action.
He deftly twirled the scalpel around his wrist and swung his arm backward. The keen blade sliced through the ankle of the approaching foot, and with a swift roll, he moved aside.
“Ah…” A scream pierced the cacophony, not abrupt but quickly followed by the crowd witnessing blood pooling on the ground.
Tang Yue seized hold of a passerby's pants and used the leverage to stand up. Ignoring the crying child in his arms, he clutched the infant and laboriously moved toward a less crowded path.
Once clear of the bustling crowd, vigilant guards on perimeter duty immediately spotted them. They gracefully stepped on heads to vault over to Tang Yue's side.
“Quickly, leave! There's an assassin!” Tang Yue whispered urgently to them before dashing into a nearby street-side restaurant, the child still in his arms.
He refrained from returning directly to the Crown Prince's Palace. Instead, he planned to take quieter, less frequented routes. Who knew if an ambush awaited them along the way?
Inside the lively restaurant, Tang Yue counted on it being a safe haven until reinforcements arrived, provided nothing unforeseen occurred.
Tang Yue expended a gold coin to persuade the proprietor to personally deliver a message to the Crown Prince's Palace, requesting Crown Prince to send assistance.
The owner, recognizing the Crown Princess, declined the offered gold and hurriedly left with two attendants.
Tang Yue exhaled deeply once seated. The throbbing pain in his back served as a reminder that he had narrowly escaped death's clutches.
The sensation of surviving a near catastrophe filled his heart, leaving him breathless.
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