After Becoming the Pope’s Disciple - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Another World

It had been three days since he arrived in this strange world.

Worse than being homeless, he was penniless.

Ye Shaoqing walked aimlessly down the street, his gaze sweeping over the rows of shops and eateries lining both sides. The breeze carried the hot, fresh aroma of delicious food, persistently tempting his sense of smell.

Garlic vermicelli shrimp, sweet and sour pork ribs, and pickled vegetable fish soup? He carefully discerned the scents in the wind. With every new dish identified, the gnawing in his empty stomach grew worse. He had forgotten the power of hunger for many years; it was not a pleasant memory.

Ye Shaoqing withdrew his gaze, frowning as he turned his pockets inside out. Aside from a mini fountain pen kept close to his body, he didn’t have a single cent.

The black pen looked old, as if it had been used for many years. A line of small characters was engraved on the end: A gift for my dear third brother, Shaoqing.

However, what caught Ye Shaoqing’s attention wasn’t the text, but the metal ring inlaid around the middle—it was pure gold, if he hadn’t miscalculated.

Ye Shaoqing raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: I hope this thing can at least fill my belly for a few days.

There happened to be a pawn and consignment shop across the street. He set off toward it.

After carefully confirming the sign indicating it was open for business, Ye Shaoqing was about to push the door open when he heard a clatter. The shop door opened inward on its own, and a smiling face appeared on the door itself, chirping cheerfully: “Welcome! Boss, wake up! We have a customer!”

Ye Shaoqing: “…” This door is alive!

His footsteps faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. Clearly, he had been startled by similar things more than once.

A cold, metallic fence separated the interior. Behind it, a fat man was slumped over a desk, snoring loudly. Upon hearing the call, he woke up instantly. His small, sleepy eyes focused on Ye Shaoqing. After a long pause, the boss widened his eyes and asked with a peculiar expression, “Sir, do you… want to pawn something?”

Ye Shaoqing nodded and handed him the fountain pen. “See how much this is worth.”

The boss took the pen, his gaze lingering on Ye Shaoqing for a moment. However, he wasn’t interested in the man’s looks, but rather the clothing that appeared expensive at a glance.

With his practiced eye, he could tell the fabric of the coat was high-quality “Black Rose,” and the buttons were made of Starry Sky Stone. Judging by the style, it was clearly a gentleman’s formal suit that only nobility could afford. Had a big client arrived?

The appraisal results came back quickly. Because the pen itself wasn’t a valuable item—only the gold ring was worth anything—the boss was greatly disappointed. He grumbled inwardly: Coming here in that getup just to pawn a broken fountain pen, are you making sport of me!

“This much.” The boss lazily handed him two circular coins. Made of a metallic material that was neither gold nor silver, they felt heavy in the hand. The front was engraved with the hexagram symbol of the Imperial Family, while the back featured the Sacred Scepter of the Holy See. This was the “Star Coin,” the universal currency of this world.

“Only 200?” Ye Shaoqing knit his brows. It was lower than his conservative estimate.

The boss waved his hand impatiently. “That’s the number. If you think it’s too little, don’t pawn it.”

Ye Shaoqing knew that people in this business always suppressed prices. After haggling for a long while, the boss finally gave him an extra coin with a face value of 50 Star Coins, then immediately signaled the “living door” to see the guest out.

Looking at the three coins—two large and one small—in his palm, Ye Shaoqing sighed. Even at his most destitute as a child, it probably wasn’t much worse than this. Regardless, he had to eat first!

A fast-food meal of two dishes and a soup cost 25 Star Coins; a bowl of herring noodles was 15; plain noodles were 8. The cheapest was white bread at 3 Star Coins apiece, though it wasn’t very filling.

Ye Shaoqing carefully calculated the local cost of living in his mind while chewing the white bread mouthful by mouthful. It was hard as a rock and tasted as bland as a steamed bun. However, with his stomach constantly protesting and the coins in his pocket needing to be split in half to survive, he was in no position to be picky.

Having slightly appeased his stomach, he finally had the mental space to contemplate his current situation.

Three days ago, he had been following his mentor on an archaeological dig at a ruin, studying a well-preserved mural. He remembered a magnificent and solemn scepter depicted in the center of the mural, with countless people and beasts prostrating in worship before it…

Wait, a scepter?

Ye Shaoqing quickly pulled out a Star Coin and lightly rubbed his finger over the Sacred Scepter engraved on the back. It was indeed identical to the one in the mural. Could it be the same object? Had that scepter brought his consciousness here?

Yes, his consciousness—because the body he inhabited now was no longer his original self.

During his long period of contemplation, he had finished most of the white bread. Ye Shaoqing politely asked the female clerk at the bread shop for a cup of water and sipped it slowly.

Perhaps there was some fated connection; the original owner of this body shared his name and was roughly the same age. Three days ago, while standing before the mural, he had suddenly felt the ground shake. He lost consciousness immediately, and when he woke up, the whole world had changed, as absurd as a nightmare.

But the hunger in his gut told him all too real that this was no dream; he had become the Ye Shaoqing of this world.

Ye Shaoqing stood silently at a busy intersection, the dark glass walls of the shops reflecting his face like a mirror.

A piece of white bread and a cup of cold water had finally restored some of his vitality. But if he didn’t find a way to survive, in a matter of days, he would become a cold corpse in some obscure corner.

He stared gloomily at the unfamiliar face for a while, his gaze gradually growing sharp.

As dusk approached, three shifty figures hid in a small alley, peeking out at Ye Shaoqing’s back.

“Boss, we’ve been blowing in the cold wind on the street all day. When is this going to end?” Tizi spat out a piece of withered grass from his mouth and complained.

The Boss glared at him fiercely and lowered his voice: “Shut up! Don’t you see that fat sheep? The outfit he’s wearing is enough to cover a month’s worth of food and drink for the three of us. He’s definitely a young master from a wealthy family. We’ll follow him and strike once we find a deserted spot. Blowing in a little cold wind is nothing!”

Zhuzi said with some concern: “But Boss, this guy might have some background. What if someone comes looking for us afterward…”

“Are you stupid? Don’t forget that neither the Holy See nor the provincial government can reach us here!” The Boss sneered. “What does it matter if one more vagrant dies every day?”

“Boss, the kid is gone!”

“Idiot! How could you lose him? Chase him!”

In a remote back alley, the sound of messy footsteps approached from a distance.

These thugs had been following him the whole way.

Ye Shaoqing held a discarded iron shovel he had picked up, his back against a high wall. Listening to the trailing footsteps, he counted silently in his heart. At the final count, he swung the shovel fiercely toward the Boss who had just peeked around the corner! He hit him hard enough to split his head open, leaving him covered in tears and snot.

The Boss shrieked as he fell to the ground, dazed by the sudden attack. Tizi and Zhuzi behind him were startled, but seeing that there was only one opponent who had merely gained the upper hand by discovering their intent, they weren’t scared off yet.

Zhuzi supported the bloody Boss and pulled out a taser, pointing it at Ye Shaoqing while shouting sternly: “You brat, you dare hit our Boss! You have a death wish?! Hand over everything valuable on you, then get on your knees and kowtow to us, and maybe we’ll let you go!”

The blue electrical arc at the tip of the taser crackled and popped in the thug’s hand, manifesting its lethality. Even an idiot knew that being hit by it would not be a pleasant experience.

Ye Shaoqing was utterly exasperated. Why did even street thugs have equipment like this?

Before he could think of a counter-strategy, the sharp taser swung down toward him!

The burnt smell of electricity flashed through the air. In a short time, Ye Shaoqing was covered in multiple wounds, his body numb with pain.

Ye Shaoqing had fallen into the greatest crisis since his transmigration.

The atmosphere was tense.

Suddenly, a steady voice spoke out of turn: “What are you doing under my building?”

Everyone present was shocked. No one had noticed when this person had appeared.

Ye Shaoqing turned his head slightly. He saw straight black hair, a clean and calm face, and a faded blue shirt.

The newcomer’s calm gaze swept across each person’s face through the frameless glasses on his nose. Then, he frowned and said bluntly to the thugs: “Get lost. This isn’t your territory. Was the last lesson not enough?”

Tizi, naturally cowardly, shrank back in fear upon seeing the man, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories. With their Boss still unconscious and Zhuzi having no other choice, he glared resentfully at Ye Shaoqing, dropped the line “Consider yourself lucky,” and turned to leave.

Ye Shaoqing was truly surprised by this unexpected development. He studied the other man closely for a moment, unable to see how this man—who radiated a scholarly, refined aura from inside out, possessed the deterrence to chase away those difficult thugs with a single sentence.

“Can you still walk?” The man walked over to Ye Shaoqing’s side and asked in a low voice.

Ye Shaoqing nodded, barely supporting his body, and followed him upstairs as indicated.

This area was a slum in the city, a notorious zone of chaos where “fish and dragons mixed.” Old streets and alleys were spread out like a dense spiderweb. Ye Shaoqing wouldn’t have chosen to come here if it weren’t for the low rent.

After walking through a cramped corridor, the man stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. The door was covered in rust, and the oval handle hung loosely as if it might fall off at any moment.

Before the man could open the door, the handle suddenly moved on its own. Just as Ye Shaoqing thought someone was coming out, two holes abruptly appeared in the center of the handle, snuffling like a pig’s nose, seemingly distinguishing the scent of the visitor.

Ye Shaoqing: “…” A door handle spirit!

With a click, the rusted door opened. The man invited Ye Shaoqing inside, poured him a cup of tea, and said, “My name is Wen Qingze. Sit for a moment while I get you some medicine.”

“Thank you.”

Ye Shaoqing did not refuse the other man’s kindness. He looked quite pathetic now; his expensive clothes were burned with several holes and clung to his body in a crumpled mess. His bleeding wounds throbbed with a burning pain. If they weren’t treated promptly, an infection would be a serious problem.

The room was small and the furnishings quite simple. The kitchen was in the living room, and the table, chairs, and cabinets took up most of the space. With an extra grown man present, it felt even more cramped. However, though the “sparrow was small, it had all its internal organs”—the house was kept clean and orderly, showing the owner was good at managing a household.

On the table sat a small plant, the only decoration in the whole room. Emerald green leaves were stacked on the branches, surrounding a pure white bud in the center. A refreshing fragrance wafted from it. As Ye Shaoqing breathed, it felt like cool, clean spring water washing through every pore of his body, cleansing away every bit of grime.

Ye Shaoqing was intoxicated by this fresh and comfortable scent. His fatigue and pain seemed to recede significantly, and his spirit felt clearer and more relaxed than ever before.

However, the plant looked to be in poor condition. The bud was wilted and drooping, and many leaves were curled and yellowing.

He leaned closer and saw what seemed to be an extremely faint, turquoise mist swirling around the bud. But when he focused his eyes to look closer, it vanished.

Perhaps it was another type of spirit creature? He had seen many bizarre things these past few days and was no longer surprised.

I wonder what this bud looks like when it blooms?

Ye Shaoqing reached out to touch it, and something unexpected happened: the moment his finger brushed the bud, the turquoise mist—previously so thin it was almost non-existent—gathered like a hungry ghost smelling food. It feasted and swelled; the fresh scent grew stronger and stronger, finally seeping slowly into the flower and leaves. That wilted bud actually bloomed!

The petals unfolded layer by layer, like a lovely lotus flower resting on a bed of leaves. The yellowed leaves regained their tender green vitality, and the pleasant fragrance instantly filled every corner of the room.

Wen Qingze, who had just returned after finding the wound medicine, saw this scene and immediately looked shocked.

“Who exactly are you?”

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