As they stepped out, they ran into Jiang Yan again.

This time, Jiang Yan had hurried and finally caught up.

“Yan Sister!” Jiang Yuanxi ran over excitedly.

Jiang Yan happily picked her up. “Let me see—Yuanxi has grown again!”

“Hello, Sister Yan,” Jiang Yuancheng greeted politely.

She was the only person in the second branch of the family they could really talk to.

“Why are you here? Didn’t Aunt come with you?” Jiang Yan looked behind them.

“No, Mother just sent us to check in,” Yuanxi replied.

Jiang Yan’s eyes dimmed with disappointment.

Recently, people had been investigating her everywhere, making it impossible for her to leave the house freely.

Jiang Yuanxi suddenly remembered something and whispered a few words into Jiang Yan’s ear.

“What?! The Duke—”

Jiang Yuanxi quickly covered her mouth.

“This is just for you to know. You must not tell anyone.”

Jiang Yan nodded repeatedly.

Jiang Yuanxi let go.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say a word!”

Jiang Yuancheng, however, was extremely curious.

What secret was his sister keeping?

After they left, Jiang Yan sat alone at the door for a long time before finally going back inside.

When she reemerged, she had changed into her best outfit and stepped out.

…

The streets were bustling with people.

“That one! That one!” Jiang Yuanxi pointed at the freshly fried persimmon fritters, drooling.

“Buy it!”

Mother had given them money—whatever little sister wanted, she could have.

Jiang Yuanxi happily took a bite. Crispy outside, soft inside—the aroma was irresistible. Even the neighboring children looked on with envy, almost crying with longing.

Suddenly—

“Ahhh!”

A terrible scream pierced through the crowd and reached Jiang Yuanxi’s ears.

Driven by curiosity, Jiang Yuancheng immediately carried her and squeezed through the crowd to see what was happening.

At the center of the commotion stood a richly dressed young man, adorned with a jade crown, stepping on a beggar’s leg.

“You dared to cheat me out of my money? Tired of living?!”

The young man pressed down harder with his foot.

The beggar writhed in agony, his face turning pale.

Jiang Yuanxi instantly recognized the person on the ground. It was the same boy who had tried to scam their grandparents that day!

Several young beggars crawled over, kneeling and pleading.

“Young master, please! Spare my brother!”

“Please, have mercy!”

The noble youth sneered. “Trying to pull a scam on me? You filthy lowlifes actually think you deserve my mercy? Keep dreaming!”

“Guards! Drag them away—execute them all!”

Jiang Yuanxi puffed up her cheeks in anger and pointed at the young man. “Bad guy!”

Jiang Yuancheng hurriedly pulled her hand down.

“That’s Wang Hanqi, the grandson of the Emperor’s brother-in-law. We can’t afford to provoke him.” Even Jiang Yuancheng felt a bit nervous.

In all of Shengjing, this guy was second only to the Emperor’s family in terms of notoriety.

Jiang Yuancheng wasn’t afraid for himself, but he worried about dragging their family into trouble.

Without the Duke’s mansion backing them, the Jiang family was like a leaf floating on water—anyone could crush them.

Once, Jiang Yuancheng had been just like this arrogant young lord. If anyone asked about him in Shengjing back then, everyone knew his name.

Now that the tables had turned, he finally realized how reckless he had been.

He also understood that in the eyes of ordinary people, power and status were unattainable forces.

Just like now—so many people were watching, yet no one dared to speak up for the beggars, no matter how much they pitied them.

Jiang Yuanxi tugged at her brother’s sleeve. Jiang Yuancheng let her down.

“Yuanxi!” he called out in alarm as he watched his little sister march up to Wang Hanqi.

“Go away! You can’t take them!”

The tiny girl stood firmly between the guards and the beggars.

Jiang Yuancheng quickly followed.

“Let them go!”

Wang Hanqi squinted at them.

“Oh? I was wondering who this was,” he scoffed. “I heard your whole family got kicked out of the Duke’s estate. Even had your names erased from the records?”

Jiang Yuancheng shielded his sister. “None of your damn business!”

“And punishing these beggars is none of your damn business!”

Jiang Yuanxi stepped forward. “They. Can’t. Die.”

On the ground, Ming Liang suddenly saw a ray of light standing in front of him.

It was a light he recognized—the little girl who had stopped her mother from giving him money that day.

Ming Liang felt his life was worth it after all.

Someone had stood up for him.

“Move aside, little dumpling. Stop interfering,” Wang Hanqi muttered. “If it weren’t for your brother, I’d drag you off too!”

Jiang Yuanxi held out her hands. “Then take me.”

“But—you must let them go.”

Wang Hanqi raised a brow. “And if I refuse?”

Jiang Yuanxi pouted. “Then I’ll draw a curse circle and hex you!”

At this, the guards burst into laughter.

This little brat really thought she was in a fairy tale?

Drawing circles to curse people?

Wang Hanqi was too lazy to argue with a kid. “Get these two out of my way!”

As the guards moved forward, Jiang Yuanxi tilted her head.

“I’ll hit you~”

The guard snorted.

The next second—

BANG!

He was sent flying backward, slamming into the city wall and coughing up blood.

The crowd froze in shock.

Wang Hanqi’s jaw dropped.

He looked back and forth between Jiang Yuanxi and his fallen guard.

A burly adult man… sent flying by a tiny girl?!

Jiang Yuancheng covered his face.

Now they were really in trouble.

Jiang Yuanxi took a step forward, her clear eyes staring straight at Wang Hanqi.

“Big Brother, do you also want to experience ‘flying’?”

Wait—

How could she say something so terrifying with such an innocent face?!

“Fine, fine! They can go!” Wang Hanqi quickly backed off.

He had only brought one guard with him today—not worth the risk.

After all, he was the only heir of his family!

Jiang Yuanxi pointed at the pouch on his waist.

Wang Hanqi got the message.

He pulled out a banknote and threw it to the ground. “For medical expenses.”

Jiang Yuanxi picked it up and handed it to Ming Liang.

“Big brother, money for your leg!”

Ming Liang’s eyes welled up with gratitude. The young beggars were overjoyed.

“From now on, Miss is our boss!”

Ming Liang nodded weakly. “Boss, name our group!”

Jiang Yuanxi blinked. Then, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

Was this… like the heroes in the storybooks, forming their own force?

She loved it!

“We’ll be… the Beggar, Beggar… Beggar Gang!” She stammered in excitement.

“Alright, Boss! We’re the Beggar Gang!”

Jiang Yuanxi: “…”

Wang Hanqi twitched. “Using my money to start a gang? Your sister is something else.”

He leaned closer to Jiang Yuancheng. “Be honest. How old is your sister?”

No child could be this strong without years of training.

Jiang Yuancheng sighed.

“One and a half.”

Wang Hanqi: “…”

As they left, Jiang Yuanxi suddenly turned back.

“Big Brother, you will have a bloody disaster tonight~”

Wang Hanqi paled.

“Ptui, ptui, ptui! Don’t jinx me!” He immediately took several steps back.

Jiang Yuanxi giggled.