Yefutidaolu

Chapter 449 Sigh
"How so?" Gao Jian asked.

"Leave it to me," Fei Xiang said.

Gao Jian then conceded.

I really want to go outside the temple.
Fei Xiang nodded slightly to Qin Long, indicating that he did not need to do anything, and then walked steadily towards the temple gate alone.

He pushed open the old wooden door, and the moonlight stretched his shadow long, casting it onto the bluestone slab in front of the door.

The scene outside the door sent a chill down one's spine.

Several thugs surrounded the boy, one of whom, a burly man with a fierce face, held a boy of about ten years old in his hand like a chick. The boy was dressed in rags, covered in dirt and bruises, his face bruised and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, clearly having been brutally beaten. He hung his head, silent, but his clenched fists and slightly trembling body revealed the immense pain and humiliation he was enduring.

A few steps behind them followed a younger, thin little girl who was crying so hard she could barely breathe. Her dirty little face was streaked with tears. She wanted to go forward but didn't dare, and could only look at the boy who had been grabbed with fear.

These two children clearly look like kids struggling to survive at the bottom of the capital.

The thug carrying the ghost-head knife, clearly the leader, became even more arrogant upon seeing Fei Xiang emerge. He brandished the gleaming knife, pointed it at the little boy, and yelled at Fei Xiang, "Monk! You fucking said you'd give us clean water if you gave us these two! Now that you've brought the boys, hurry up and bring out the water! Stop dawdling!"

The "pure water" he spoke of was water that had been blessed by Buddhist teachings or divine powers, possessing healing and exorcising effects. In the eyes of these low-level thugs, it was a rare "good thing".

Fei Xiang walked steadily to the temple gate, his azure face appearing even more serene in the moonlight. He did not open the temple gate immediately, but spoke calmly through the door: "Esteemed benefactors, this humble monk has indeed made a promise that if you bring an innocent victim to this temple, you will receive a bowl of clean water to cleanse your impurities. However, please put that child down first."

The thug outside, the burly man wielding a ghost-head knife, grinned upon hearing this, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, becoming even more arrogant. Not only did he not release the person, but he also kicked the little boy who was slumped on the ground, covered in bruises, causing the little girl following behind to let out a suppressed sob.

"Release them? What if you, you bald monk, deny everything after we release them?" the leader sneered. "Bring some clean water first! My brothers and I have come all this way in the middle of the night, we can't let it go to waste! Who knows if these two brats are the people you're looking for?"

The thugs behind him also started to jeer:

"That's right! Quick, bring me some water!"

"Stop dawdling!"

"I heard that your purified water can detoxify all poisons and also strengthen the body? Hurry up and bring me a few more bowls!"

Fei Xiang's voice remained calm and still, like a deep pool: "Benefactor, this humble monk always keeps his word. The clean water is ready, but we must first confirm that the child is safe and sound and that he is willing to enter the temple. Please release him."

"Voluntary? Hahaha!" The leader seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He stomped hard on the little boy's back and said viciously, "You little bastard, tell me, did you come with me voluntarily? Did you want to get into this temple?"

The little boy, who had been keeping his head down and remaining silent, suddenly raised his head. His face was bruised and swollen, and there was blood at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes burned with an extreme hatred beyond his years, like that of a wounded young animal, as he stared intently at the gang leader. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something.

"Damn it! You dare glare at me!" The thug leader was enraged by the look and kicked the little boy hard in the ribs.

"Ugh!" The little boy let out a painful groan, his body curled up, and he could no longer make a sound. But the hatred in his eyes was like a poisoned nail, deeply embedded in the thug.

"Brother!" The little girl following behind cried out and tried to rush over, but was blocked by another thug who was laughing.

It's as if they can "see" everything happening outside the door, even though they're separated by a door.

He paused for a moment, not angered by the other's violence, but spoke again: "Benefactor, bullying the weak is not the act of a hero. Please let him go."

His tone remained calm, yet it carried an invisible pressure that silenced the noisy thugs for a moment.

The local thug seemed to sense something, snorted, and stopped kicking and hitting the boy, but still held him down, urging him on:

"Stop talking nonsense! Get me some water! If you utter another word, believe me, I'll cripple this little bastard's arm right now!"

Inside the courtyard, Qin Long remained expressionless, rubbing his fingers on the hilt of his short blade. Gao Jian frowned, but made no other move.

Faced with the thugs holding a knife to the boy's neck and that blatant threat, Fei Xiang's azure eyes remained completely calm, as if the sharp blade was nothing but an illusion.

He did not get angry, nor did he display any supernatural power or pressure. He simply raised his hand slowly, and a simple pottery jar appeared in his hand without anyone noticing.

“Benefactor, it is not the act of a hero to use weapons against a child.” Fei Xiang’s voice remained calm, yet it carried a strange penetrating power that reached straight to the heart. “What this humble monk has said will naturally stand. Jing Shui is here, so release this child and let him come over with that girl.”

The local thug's eyes were fixed on the earthenware jar, his greed evident in his gaze. But he didn't let go immediately; instead, he grinned maliciously and said, "Give me water first! Who knows if you'll back out!"

Fei Xiang didn't argue with him, but gently opened the seal of the pottery jar. In an instant, a clear and pure fragrance with a faint lotus scent spread out. Just a wisp of fragrance was enough to cleanse the surrounding filth and violence. Even the local thug leader felt a moment of inexplicable peace in his mind, and the knife in his hand unconsciously loosened its grip slightly.

“This water is blessed by Buddhist teachings; it can cleanse impurities, soothe the mind, and heal hidden wounds,” Fei Xiang said slowly. “If you harbor evil intentions and try to seize it by force, this water will be no different from ordinary water to you, and may even trigger a backlash from the malevolent energy within you. If you are willing to lay down your weapons now and let these two children find peace, this water will be a good deed, and may help you to repent and avoid committing more killings in the future.”

His words seemed to possess a certain magic, addressed not only to the gang leader but also to the restless thugs behind him. The tall, thin strategist's eyes flickered, as if weighing the pros and cons, and he whispered, "Boss, this monk is a bit strange, and this water... seems to be really good stuff. For two punks, there's no need to really fight to the death with someone we can't see through..."

Looking at Fei Xiang's calm and composed face, and feeling the comforting aura emanating from the clean water, the thug leader recalled some vague rumors about the blue-skinned monk. Ultimately, the ferocity in his heart was suppressed by greed and a trace of barely perceptible fear.

"Hmph! You're smart enough to know what's good for you!" he grumbled, shoving the little boy aside and snatching the earthenware jar from Fei Xiang's hands, clutching it tightly to his chest. "Let's go! If this water doesn't work, I'll burn down this dilapidated temple!" With a wave of his hand, the group of thugs, carrying the stolen "pure water," quickly disappeared into the night, cursing and swearing.

Not wanting to watch them leave, he bent down and gently helped up the injured little boy. He then waved to the little girl who was still crying in the distance and said gently, "It's alright now, come in with me."

He led his two still-shaken children back to the temple courtyard.

However, the moment he stepped into the courtyard, the little boy, who had been silently enduring the pain and covered in bruises, suddenly broke free from Fei Xiang's grasp! He looked up, his eyes, which had been filled with resentment, now burning with rage and confusion, staring directly at Fei Xiang, his voice trembling with agitation and pain:
"You...you're so powerful! Why did you just watch them beat us! You clearly have power, why didn't you use it!? Didn't you want to save us? I listened to you, believed you would protect us, and that's why I risked my life to escape from that hellhole with my sister! Do you know that we ran together as a group of five, and only two of us made it out!? The other three...the other three..."

His words were choked with sobs, filled with desperate questioning, as if he wanted to vent all his grievances and anger on the blue-clad monk he had once regarded as a source of hope.

Before he could finish speaking, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

That's a brilliant idea.

Without any warning, Gao Jian raised his hand and, with a sharp "slap," landed a crisp slap on the little boy's face.

The blow wasn't too hard, but it was enough to interrupt the boy's excited words, leaving him stunned on the spot, covering his face, and staring incredulously at the unfamiliar man in front of him.

“He saved you, he didn’t kill you,” Gao Jian said. “If you want revenge, you need to find the right target. If you’re angry, go talk to the killer. What kind of skill is it to yell at the person who saved you?”

The little boy covered his face, his eyes still burning with resentment as he glared at Gao Jian, stubbornly refusing to bow his head, as if he wanted to devour the meddlesome man in front of him alive.

Gao Jian's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and without any hesitation, he delivered another clean and decisive slap across the face!

"Snapped!"

This blow was heavier than the last, and the crisp sound echoed in the quiet courtyard. The little boy's head lolled to the side from the blow, and he was completely stunned, his ears ringing. The resentment in his eyes was replaced by a moment of bewilderment and disbelief.

He was still a child after all, and the series of blows and this slap seemed to have dissipated some of the anger he had accumulated.

The timid little girl next to him turned pale with fright upon seeing this, but she reacted very quickly. Almost instinctively, she rushed forward and used her small body to block the little boy. At the same time, she reached out and covered the little boy's mouth tightly before he could say anything, and pressed down on his shoulder with her other hand, trying to force him to kneel down.

This set of movements was fluid and skillful, carrying a poignant sense of precocious maturity. It was clear that she had cleaned up the messes for this impulsive and stubborn boy many times. Her experience of struggling to survive at the bottom of society had taught her the principle that "bowing down and submitting" was the only way to save her life.

Gao Jian lightly tapped his toes, and a gentle force traveled through the bluestone pavement, precisely acting on the two children. That force, an upward lifting force, lifted the little boy who was about to be forced to kneel and the little girl who was being bent over, allowing them to stand firmly on the ground again.

Gao Jian ignored their astonishment and continued, "Those thugs shouldn't be the ones who killed your companions, right? They were the ones who brought you here from somewhere. Although their purpose in saving you wasn't for you, but to obtain Master Fei Xiang's pure water."

The little boy trembled slightly, biting his lip, remaining silent, but the stubbornness in his eyes began to be mixed with a hint of wavering.

"So, there's someone else behind this." Gao Jian's gaze seemed to pierce through him. "You just don't dare to get angry at those who actually killed your companions, nor do you dare to get angry at those thugs who treated you like commodities. In the end, you only dare to get angry at Master Fei Xiang, who took you in and saved you?"

He paused, then spoke each word with a sharp, penetrating force into the boy's heart:

"What a loser."

These words were even harder for the boy to bear than the two slaps. His small body trembled violently, and his face flushed with anger.

The strong shell he had been maintaining, disguised with anger, cracked under Gao Jian's merciless exposure. Feelings of grievance, fear, helplessness, and shame at having his secrets exposed surged into his heart like a flood, almost making him lose his footing.

The little girl clung tightly to his arm, looking at him with worry, then timidly glanced at Gao Jianfei, her eyes filled with pleading.

The little boy looked up, his face still streaked with tears and slap marks, and stubbornly retorted in a tearful voice, "You... what right do you have to talk to me like that? It has nothing to do with you!"

"Raise your head!" Gao Jian shouted sharply. His voice wasn't loud, but it contained an undeniable pressure, like a thunderclap in the boy's ears.

The little boy was taken aback by the sudden aura. His body stiffened, and almost instinctively, he abruptly raised his head to meet Gao Jian's eyes. Those eyes seemed to pierce through all his pretense and fear, going straight to the depths of his soul.

"Where?" Gao Jian asked again.

In the little boy's perception, everything around him seemed to have disappeared. His lips trembled, and almost subconsciously, he uttered a place name: "Jingsu... Jishi".

Before he could finish speaking, Gao Jian had already made his move.

He grabbed the little boy's arm, the force not rough, but incredibly firm. The next instant, their figures blurred as if erased by an eraser, then vanished completely from the spot! Only the slightly rippled air in the courtyard remained, proof that they had once existed.

Fei Xiang clasped his hands together, his azure face devoid of joy or sorrow, and simply let out a soft, long sigh.

But this sigh wasn't one of helplessness or dissatisfaction with Gao Jian's reckless actions. It carried a deeper, more profound compassion.

(End of this chapter)