Chapter 121: What Constitutes a Hero

"You aren't wearing any clothes."

"We are tracing the spiritual world of the ancients."

"But you have no clothes on."

"Pear wood cannot be carved. Fellow students, let us find another place; this little book boy is truly a dampener on the mood."

Someone spoke in frustration, picked up his robes, and stumbled away.

"Put your clothes on! You are bringing such shame to your parents." Cai Cong said loudly. This group of second-generation officials was consuming Five Minerals Powder—a true display of the Wei and Jin spirit, though that generation eventually drugged themselves to death.

"Mind your tongue, or you won't even know how you died." Someone rushed back to strike Cai Cong, but was held back by others. There was no helping it; seeing the boy's calm demeanor, they feared they might end up being beaten by a child, so they decided it was better not to approach.

"Little brother, who is your young master? You should leave the academy quickly. Once these people sober up, they won't let you off."

A young man reading in a pavilion put down his book and spoke softly to Cai Cong.

"Are they not to be criticized for their indecency? I won't leave. Let's see what they can do to me. Thank you for your kind warning, brother." Cai Cong turned over, intending to go back to sleep.

"You should really go and hide! They feel they've lost face and will surely return to beat you. A little money means nothing to them. Don't think everyone in the academy is polite; many will resort to violence at the slightest disagreement. 'The young hero is reckless and free, carrying a sword and riding a horse past the West Gate.'"

Cai Cong realized the situation: a group of drug-addled, second-generation officials influenced by the romanticized image of wandering knights, acting like Tang Dynasty gangsters.

"With their scrawny builds, who could they possibly beat? They can't even beat the children in the beginner's class, and they call themselves heroes? Bah!"

Cai Cong turned to continue his nap. There was nothing to do in the academy anyway—what else could he do but sleep? The young man in the pavilion shook his head; it was the first time he had ever seen a book boy with such a temper.

When noon arrived, Tang Yi finally found him and gently shook Cai Cong awake.

The two returned to the classroom, where the aroma of various dishes wafted through the air. Cai Cong, feeling hungry, opened their food containers, which were filled with his favorite dishes.

"Young Master, time to eat."

Cai Cong handed the chopsticks to the stunned Tang Yi. *Good heavens, a Marquis is personally handing me chopsticks and serving me food—I can hardly bear it.*

"Goodness! Dishes from the Taibai Tower? How much must this cost?" The "Snot-nosed Kid" sitting next to Tang Yi sniffled and exclaimed loudly.

"I don't know, the family cook made them," Tang Yi replied casually while digging into the meal. They were at an age of rapid growth, and having gone all morning without food, he was starving.

"Your family is so rich! I've only eaten there once, when my father took me after the teacher praised my calligraphy. It broke his heart—it cost half a month's salary!"

"Here, have a chicken leg. Let's eat together." Cai Cong couldn't stand having someone drooling over his food while he was trying to eat, so he grabbed a fried chicken leg and handed it over.

"Oh, how can I accept this? Wuwu... this is so delicious!" The Snot-nosed Kid muttered a polite refusal while snatching the leg and stuffing it directly into his mouth.

"Tang Yi, your book boy is a keeper; he’s very sharp. Here, I’ll share some tea with you both. I snuck this out, and it’s very good."

The Snot-nosed Kid pulled a small bag from his robe, containing a dozen tea leaves, and generously divided them into three portions.

"Is this tea expensive?" Cai Cong smiled. Unknowingly, he had already influenced and changed the lifestyle habits of the Tang people.

"It's incredibly expensive. The main thing is, even if you have money, you can't buy it. It was a gift to my father from his superior. I've only managed to sneak a taste twice; he usually keeps it hidden."

"Try ours instead." Cai Cong pulled out a tea set, a charcoal stove, and a canister of tea from behind his back. The Snot-nosed Kid’s eyes widened, and other children gathered around. When had Class C ever seen such a wealthy person? They were all children of minor officials or commoners.

"I'll go fetch water! The Master has spring water from the mountains." Someone clever snatched Cai Cong's tin kettle and ran off. *If I help them fetch water, we're friends, right? I should get a share of the tea.*

There were only about twenty people in the class, forming a large circle, watching intently as Cai Cong brewed the tea. They didn't know how it tasted, but since the adults said it was good, it must be.

After a few rounds, when the leaves had lost their color, the children finally dispersed, satisfied. It was indeed a fine treasure. Through their chatter, Cai Cong gained a simple, honest look at the reality of the world.

The things he had introduced mostly changed the lives of the upper class. Even the goods brought by trade caravans were luxuries for ordinary people, bought only on the rarest of occasions.

"Snot-nose, stop stealing your father's tea. You can have this canister," Tang Yi said with a laugh. The boy had pleased the Marquis, and he deserved a reward.

"Look at you, eating and taking things. I'll treat you next time! From now on, we're good friends, and I will protect you." The Snot-nosed Kid patted his chest heroically, acting as if he were a true friend.

"There he is! That's the book boy!" Just then, someone outside the window pointed at Cai Cong. A dozen young men immediately blocked the door, cracking their knuckles and grinning menacingly at him.

"What do you want? I... I'm going to tell the Master!" the Snot-nosed Kid stammered. He was shaking like a leaf in the wind, but he still stood in front of Cai Cong.

"Tell the Master? Do you think you can get out?" The leader looked around; the doors and windows were all blocked by his people. Who could leave?

"Don't do anything reckless! My father is a registrar in the Ministry of Personnel; he won't let you get away with this!"

"An official smaller than a dog—who do you think you can intimidate?" The leading scholar had eyebrows like sharp peaks and a long sword at his waist. He reached out with a large hand toward the Snot-nosed Kid.

The boy closed his eyes in fear, but a small hand reached out from behind him, slick with grease from the meal, and slapped against the scholar's arm. The grease caused the man to lose his footing, and he stumbled forward, nearly crashing into a table.

"You scoundrel! You, a mere book boy, dare to strike a nobleman? You're asking for death." The scholar was furious, raising his fist to strike Cai Cong.

Cai Cong didn't retreat; instead, he lunged forward, his fingers striking heavily into the gap between the man's ribs. He was no longer the malnourished boy he had been when he first arrived; his fingers held real strength. The nobleman let out a strangled, wheezing sound, unable to draw a single breath, his face turning bright red instantly.

The others watched the scholar rolling on the floor, terrified and unsure of what to do. The scholar’s name was Zhang Kai, and his father was a Count.

Cai Cong didn't want to cause a death; it was only the first day of school, and if someone died, Li Shimin would surely strangle him.

He performed a massage to restore the scholar's circulation, and soon Zhang Kai felt the long-awaited air return to his lungs. In that brief moment, he had felt as though he were dying.

"I heard you are not only scholars but also wandering knights. Yet, you bully a defenseless child? And you have the gall to recite, 'The young hero is reckless and free, carrying a sword and riding a horse past the West Gate'? Is this what you call chivalry?"

"My swordsmanship is peerless! I once rode through Shandong to hunt down mountain bandits. I am certainly worthy of the title of hero!" Zhang Kai said proudly—it was the moment he was most proud of in his life.

Cai Cong looked at him with disdain. "The true hero serves the country and the people. Do you want to know what a hero is? Have some patience, sit down, and listen to a story."

"I'll listen. Let's see what you have to say." Zhang Kai, stung by the blow, was now a bit afraid and took the opportunity to back down gracefully.