My cultivation disguise has been exposed by Xiao Sizi.

The broken silver pieces traced a glittering arc in mid-air.

It landed steadily in the old farmer's calloused hands, which resembled withered tree bark.

The old farmer looked down and was so frightened that he shuddered.

This piece of silver is of excellent quality; it could easily cover the cost of hiring his dilapidated oxcart.

Even if you go to the livestock market in the city, you could easily buy ten of the strongest yellow cattle!

"No! No, young master!"

The old farmer's hands trembled as he held the silver and tried to hand it back.

"Old man, your cart is made of hard planks, and the ox is old and slow. It's hardly worth such a high fare!"

Li Chen did not answer.

He led the ox and nimbly leaped onto the oxcart, which was covered with a layer of dry hay.

He casually found a comfortable position and leaned against the carriage shaft.

"Old man, take it."

Li Chen's tone was languid, carrying a hint of nonchalance that left no room for refusal.

"We're not in a hurry. We'll just keep going west along this road, and see where it takes us."

"Consider it payment for the peace and quiet you provided on the way."

Seeing the handsome young man's resolute attitude, the old farmer dared not refuse any longer.

He thanked them profusely and carefully put the silver away, as if afraid it would be blown away by the passing wind.

"Alright! Young master, young lady, hold on tight!"

The old farmer raised his worn-out whip, cracking it in mid-air with a crisp sound.

"drive!"

The old ox slowly began to walk.

Accompanied by the creaking sound of the wooden wheels turning.

The oxcart wobbled and swayed as it drove away from this ancient border town that had just experienced a bloody battle.

On both sides of the official road were lush and green trees.

Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the dirt road.

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of earth and the sweet scent of wildflowers.

The deafening chanting of Buddhist hymns was gone, as was the pungent smell of blood.

This leisurely rural scenery brings a long-lost sense of tranquility.

Sizi sat on a pile of hay, its two short legs dangling from the edge of the cart.

The little girl was clearly in a very good mood.

In her arms, she was holding the guardian beast named Fatty Four.

At this moment, it was lying sprawled on the leader's lap, its soft white belly exposed.

As the oxcart swayed, it made a "grumbling" sound in its throat, so comfortable that even its beard trembled slightly.

while walking.

Fatty Four, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his amber cat-like eyes.

Its furry ears perked up alertly.

She twitched her pink nose and sniffed the air.

"Meow."

Fatty Si rolled over and got up, walking with elegant cat-like steps to the edge of the oxcart.

It stretched out a black and white claw and pointed to the weeds in front of the official road.

"What's wrong, Fourth Brother?"

Sizi looked in the direction of the cat's paw.

Beside the ditch ahead, amidst the waist-high weeds, a glimpse of gray fabric could be vaguely seen.

"Sixteenth Brother, there looks like someone is lying in the mud over there!"

Sizi tugged at Li Chen's sleeve, her big eyes full of curiosity.

Li Chen slightly opened his eyes and casually probed forward with his divine sense.

"parking."

The old farmer quickly pulled on the reins, and the old ox snorted and stopped.

Li Chen jumped off the oxcart, led the ox, and parted the dense weeds.

The muddy ditch.

A young monk lay sprawled out on his back.

The monk was wearing a tattered gray robe, which was covered with mud and bits of grass.

His eyes were closed, and his face was as pale as paper.

My lips were so dry and cracked that a thick layer of white skin had formed, and even a few drops of blood were seeping out.

His chest rose and fell only very faintly, his breath was barely a whisper, as if he might take his last breath at any moment.

"Oh dear, this bald guy looks like he's about to die."

Sizi squatted down, stretched out her fair little hand, and poked the monk's thin cheek.

It was ice-cold to the touch, with no warmth whatsoever.

Li Chen glanced at it.

"I wasn't injured or poisoned; I was just starving."

"Judging from this pulse, he hasn't eaten a single grain of rice for at least seven or eight days. His vital energy has also been completely depleted; he's starved to the extreme."

Upon hearing that he had fainted from hunger, Si Zi, who was also a "freeloader," was instantly filled with a strong sense of empathy.

Starvation is the most painful thing in the world!

"How pitiful..."

Without hesitation, Sizi opened the pink storage bag at her waist.

The little hands were rummaging around inside.

Soon, she pulled out an oil paper package.

I opened it and took a look.

Inside was half a large, plump, white meat bun, about the size of an adult's fist.

This was something Sizi specially saved as a snack when we had breakfast at the inn yesterday.

Even after a day, the buns remained steaming hot and emitted a rich aroma of pork and scallions, thanks to the nurturing effect of the spatial artifact.

"Bald brother, wake up, time to eat steamed buns."

Sizi generously broke off a piece of dough soaked in meat juice.

They pried open the young monk's chapped lips and forcefully stuffed the meat bun inside.

When a person is extremely hungry and facing the threat of death.

The body's survival instinct often overrides rational control.

Even though the monk was already unconscious.

But stimulated by the rich aroma of meat, his stiff throat involuntarily twitched.

Then.

"Gulp."

He swallowed the meat bun whole.

A faint warmth traveled down my esophagus into my stomach.

For someone who had been starving for seven or eight days, this was like rain after a long drought.

The monk's eyelids trembled violently.

Like a dying fish starving for air, he suddenly opened his mouth and let out a greedy gasp.

"It's working!"

Sizi clapped her little hands happily.

In order to save the person, she simply crushed the remaining half of the meat bun.

Little by little, it was all stuffed into the monk's mouth.

"Mmm...delicious..."

The monk closed his eyes, and two lines of tears of emotion even streamed down his face.

He chewed frantically, like a starving ghost reincarnated.

Rich meat juices flowed down the corners of his mouth, which he greedily licked clean.

Until the very last bite was swallowed.

The young monk finally mustered a bit of strength and slowly opened his weak eyes.

The vision gradually became clearer from blurry.

That's what he saw first.

She is an adorable little girl wearing a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with two small buns on her head and a bright smile.

The girl's hand still held a faint scent that haunted his dreams.

"Amitabha……"

The monk laboriously clasped his hands together, his voice hoarse beyond recognition.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, young benefactor."

"This humble monk is Mingxin. If it weren't for the kindness of this young benefactor in providing a meal, I would probably be passing away here today."

"You're welcome, Brother Mingxin."

Si Zi waved his hand with a smile, "My mother said that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."