Chapter 3: The Spirit of the Wine Cup

"What's happening?"

Lu Zheng was stunned, his hand holding the chopsticks suspended in mid-air.

He thought the jade seal only had the function of taking him through two worlds, but now, why had five strands of the light of fortune suddenly appeared?

Where did they come from?

What are they for?

The jade seal didn't provide Lu Zheng with answers, so he suppressed his confusion, mechanically eating and drinking while rapidly pondering in his mind.

However, even after finishing his meal, Lu Zheng still had no clue what was going on.

"Young master, that old beggar at the door has finished eating and wants to thank you personally."

"No need." Lu Zheng shook his head.

"Young master, the old beggar has something to say to you!" The old beggar's voice came from the door.

"Eh?" Lu Zheng's expression changed.

He had just said "no need," not loudly, but the old beggar at the door quickly responded. If it wasn't a coincidence, then he must have heard Lu Zheng's words.

At this moment, Lu Zheng was more than ten meters away from the main door, separated by a screen wall and a large door, a feat beyond the ability of ordinary people.

Thinking of the light of fortune he had just received, Lu Zheng suddenly had an idea.

Could it be a reward for his benevolence?

But shouldn't that be called merit?

However, there must be something different about this old beggar.

With suspicion aroused, Lu Zheng stood up, quickly walked through the front yard, around the screen wall, and out of his small courtyard.

At that moment, the old beggar was tilting his head back, finishing the last drop of wine in his cup.

"Good steamed chicken, good dishes, it's just that the wine is a bit lacking," the old beggar sighed.

Despite his ragged appearance, his demeanor was naturally free and easy, without a hint of desolation.

Thinking of the plot twists in various novels, Lu Zheng wondered if this old beggar could actually be a hermit expert?

Ancient times… cold weapons… could it be that this world had martial arts?

Lu Zheng's eyes brightened. It seemed he still had much to learn about the Great Jing Dynasty.

Indeed, he had only been here for eighteen days, and Tonglin County was just one of the six counties under the jurisdiction of Yizhou in the Lingbei Road of the Great Jing Dynasty. How could he know the true depths of this world?

"Do you have something to say to me, old sir?"

"I'm not worthy of the title 'sir.' I've received the kindness of a meal and a drink from you, young master, and seeing that you're about to face a minor disaster, I can't bear it and wish to relieve your worries."

"Oh?"

"What nonsense are you spouting, old beggar!" Uncle Li was unwilling to listen, scolding the old beggar before turning to Lu Zheng, "Young master, you've pitied the wrong person. This old thing is just trying to scare you with lies, aiming to swindle food and drink. I've seen many such swindlers, and you must not be fooled!"

After speaking, Uncle Li turned and waved his broom at the old beggar, "Take your things and go, go, go!"

The old beggar choked, seeing Uncle Li's broom about to sweep down, he quickly jumped up, stuffed the wine cup into Lu Zheng's hand, and while fleeing, shouted, "Place the wine cup by your side tonight, and it will resolve this calamity."

…

Lu Zheng hadn't had the chance to say anything before the old beggar ran away.

…

"Old swindler, pah!"

Uncle Li held his broom and spat in the direction of the old beggar.

"You see, young master, he's an old swindler, right?"

Lu Zheng snapped back to reality, gave Uncle Li a helpless look, and then held the wine cup up to his eyes, looking at it from all sides, but he couldn't see anything unusual.

"What are you looking at, young master? He's just an old swindler. He looks decent, but as soon as he acts, his true colors show." Uncle Li reached out to take the wine cup from Lu Zheng's hand, "I'll take it to my wife to wash it several times."

"Hold on!" Lu Zheng dodged Uncle Li's hand.

The five strands of the light of fortune couldn't be fake, and after thinking it over, aside from giving the old beggar some food, nothing else had happened. Moreover, the old beggar's hearing was indeed extraordinary…

If this old beggar wasn't a swindler, with all his mysterious talk, could it be…

"It's better to believe it exists than not. There's nothing to lose by placing this wine cup in my bedroom for one night, right?"

Lu Zheng's heart pounded wildly.

…

First, Lu Zheng sent Uncle Li and Aunt Liu to bed, and after washing up, he placed the wine cup on the table in his bedroom, lit an oil lamp, and sat back on his bed.

Then, Lu Zheng decisively returned to the modern era, put on a stab-proof vest close to his body, hid an anti-wolf electric baton in his sleeve, applied some menthol balm under his nose, and then returned to the ancient times, tucking himself into bed.

The next moment…

He took out his phone and unlocked it with his fingerprint!

He couldn't play games, but Lu Zheng had already downloaded several movies and novels, enough to pass the night.

Meanwhile, Lu Zheng kept a third of his attention on the sounds outside the door and window, communicating with the jade seal in his mind, ready for anything.

"If the old beggar is a swindler, then nothing will happen tonight."

"If the old beggar truly has abilities, then this wine cup might actually be useful."

"Even if something unexpected happens, I can return to the modern era. If there's anything strange, it should be fine during the day… right?"

"As for an excuse… I'll just say I'm young and can run fast!"

…

At midnight, all was silent.

"Puff!" A soft sound, and the oil lamp went out.

Lu Zheng quietly curled up under the covers, his phone with a privacy screen protector, showing no light from the side.

Another hour passed.

"Click!"

A glint flashed in Lu Zheng's eyes.

Because a dagger suddenly slid through the crack of the door.

"Is it a person?"

The dagger gently lifted, the latch moved slightly, and moments later, the bedroom door was quietly pushed open, and a figure dressed in night clothes silently slid in.

"It's a person!"

Lu Zheng's eyes flickered, his thumb already on the switch of the electric baton.

However…

Just as the person passed by the table, approaching the canopy bed, the wine cup on the table suddenly shone brightly.

"Buzz!"

The bedroom seemed to suddenly have a small sun.

"Ah!"

A scream, the night prowler was blinded by the bright light, instinctively covering his eyes with his hands.

The next moment, the wine cup, as if sentient, "whooshed" into the air, striking the night prowler's forehead with lightning speed.

"Bang!"

The night prowler grunted, collapsing to the ground. Although not unconscious, he was groaning and unable to get up.

"Young master!"

A cry of urgency came from the front yard, followed by hurried footsteps.

Uncle Li and Aunt Liu, both in their nightclothes, rushed over.

"Young master!"

By this time, Lu Zheng had already thrown off the covers, looking at the rolling, unbroken earthenware wine cup on the ground.

Locally produced, with a rough texture, a knock would usually chip it.

But Lu Zheng's eyes grew brighter.

"Uncle Li, get some hemp rope, tie him up, and then send him to the officials!"

"Alright!"

…

When Lu Zheng and Uncle Li delivered the night prowler to the county yamen that night, another strand of the light of fortune appeared in the jade seal in Lu Zheng's mind.