Lio

2

Lio, a 17-year-old, hailed from the last village in the Jin Sect province, situated at its far end.

His father, Jet, a scholar, never made it to the final Imperial exam due to financial constraints. Despite this, he did his utmost to provide Lio with an education, hoping that his son would one day take the exam and possibly become an official. Thanks to his mother Fu, a renowned storyteller in their village, Lio could read and write without formal schooling. Her ability to craft engaging stories out of thin air made her beloved in their village, even though the income from storytelling couldn't lift them out of poverty. She passed down her storytelling skills to Lio as he grew up.

After his father's passing, Lio left the village. Using his storytelling and writing skills, he earned money as he traveled. However, upon reaching the capital, he found life much harsher. The money that sufficed for a night's lodging in villages couldn't even secure a spot in the inns' corridors. Moreover, the business of reading and writing letters was dominated by trained scholars, and the streets were crowded with storytellers.

After a few days of aimless wandering, considering a return to one of the villages, Lio stumbled upon a job transcribing for the local newspaper. The pay, a quarter of what a scholar earned, barely covered a room for the night. The proprietor offered him a small room at the back of the building, facing the garbage from a neighboring restaurant, with basic amenities but no bedding.

Although the conditions were far from ideal, Lio accepted the offer. He had a place to sleep, even if it meant enduring the smell of rotting garbage, and the promise of a daily bath.

Lio worked at the newspaper in the evenings, continuing until the early hours of the morning when the paper closed. During the day, he searched for additional work and eventually found a job as a storyteller at a third-class restaurant. The pay was initially meager, but as his storytelling attracted more customers, the proprietor increased his wages, making it comparable to what he earned at the newspaper.

Despite earning enough to send some money to his mother, Lio couldn't afford new clothes. Consequently, he often appeared destitute, despite his efforts to keep his current attire clean. However, his appearance occasionally garnered him goodwill, with strangers offering him a silver coin or two.