Unfettered Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Shopping

Read chapter 24 of Unfettered by driftwoodblossom on NovelPedia.

The youth brought his sleeve up to his nose and gave it a sniff. His nose wrinkled at the smell and he let out an exasperated sigh. A middle-aged man stood close to the door wrapping his hands with cloth strips. Tightening his hand wraps with his mouth, the older man spoke up through his teeth. “Wash de matter, yung mashter?” “We’re going to have to get a change of clothes…” Ye Fan seemed strangely reluctant as he softly spoke and lay down on the bed with his arms outstretched. The old servant raised an eyebrow at the youth’s words. The larger man’s face was covered with a doubtful expression. Leisurely, he spun his metal staff before nodding to himself. “When were you averse to spending money, little Fan?” Embarrassed, Ye Fan sat up quickly and smiled awkwardly at the staff-wielding figure. He lightly coughed twice into his fist before responding to the old servant. “I’ve always been a frugal person, Uncle Hu…“ The youth’s eyes lingered on the mattress as he let out another sigh. Seeing his young master’s actions, the older man smiled understandingly. He put on an expression of achieving enlightenment and revealed a bright smile. Holding his staff in the crook of his right arm, Bai Hu formed his left hand into his fist and lightly tapped it against his open right palm facing upwards. With an understanding voice, the boatman nodded as he directly stated his thoughts. “Oh, so you’re feeling lazy, young master?” Smiling wryly, the youth rolled his eyes at his old servant. “It’s called ‘conserving strength’ not laziness!” Ye Fan corrected the middle-aged figure righteously. Bai Hu held back his laughter and opened the door. Standing to the side, he gestured toward the youth. “Well, since you're feeling tired we better get this over quickly, no?" The youth stood up from his bed and began walking to the door. Just as he reached the doorframe, he stopped and looked at the old servant with a wide mischievous smile. The fatigue that had previously plagued his appearance and gait magically disappeared. The middle-aged figure immediately had a bad feeling about his young master's actions. "No, no. Since I'm a lazy person we need to spend some more time shopping! I'll show you my diligence." Thumping his chest twice to his promise, he joyfully dashed out the door before Bai Hu could say a word. "Wait, wait. Young Master! Aishhh!" Bai Hu's face turned ugly as he was about to dash after the boy but quickly stopped himself. By the time the old servant finished locking the door, Ye Fan was nowhere to be seen. Shaking his head, the man chuckled to himself. "I'm getting too old for this. Yuerong, you better pay me a hefty severance fee when I retire." * * * Ye Fan made his way past the rows of inns following the crowds toward the center of the city. Seeing such a young boy weaving in between foot traffic, some cultivators kept an eye on him believing he was a pickpocket but looked away when he passed by without touching them. A few people cast nasty looks at his actions but no one was willing to lower themselves to rebuke the boy. Soon, the sounds of hawkers and performers came into earshot. Ye Fan's eyes lit up as he rushed in the direction of the lively noises. It wasn't long before the street he was looking for came into view. There were all kinds of shops lining both sides of the street. Antique shops, street food, and other miscellaneous sellers attracted buyers with their own methods. Some people didn't even have a proper stall and just placed their wares on top of a cloth. "Fresh soymilk! Sweet or salty! Best in Great Divide, only three copper coins!" "Curios for sale! Try your luck with treasure maps! Everything found in ancient ruins! Reasonable prices guaranteed!" Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Martial Arts Manuals! Heirlooms from Martial Arts Families! If you don't attract Qi within 5 Years, your money back!" The young boy stared curiously at the different stalls, going quic