kvmb Chapter 283 Protection
Chapter 283 Protection
It's not worth arguing with someone who's not thinking straight. Xu Sheng simply crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and sat in meditation.
After watching for a while, the man got up, moved a single straw mat to Xu Sheng's side, and opened it: "If you want to sleep, lie down. It's more comfortable than sleeping sitting up."
How annoying! Xu Sheng ignored him.
The man thought Xu Sheng hadn't heard him and nudged Xu Sheng's arm: "You lie down and sleep..."
When Xu Sheng opened his eyes and saw his clear and pure gaze, his anger vanished automatically, and his voice softened involuntarily: "What's your name? How old are you?"
The man shook his head: "I don't have a name. I don't know how old I am."
Xu Sheng asked, "Where are your parents?"
The man continued to shake his head: "I don't have parents?"
Xu Sheng asked, "What do you have?"
The man thought for a moment and said, "I have this temple."
Xu Sheng asked, "What else is there besides the temple?"
The man was puzzled: "What else do you need if you already have a temple?"
Xu Sheng changed his questioning style: "Where do you come from? How many years have you lived in the temple? How do you make a living? Where do you get your food, clothes, and firewood? Where are your pots and pans? Are you cold sleeping on a straw mat? Haven't any bad people bullied you while you live here alone? Have you been to school? Can you read and write?"
Xu asked a barrage of questions, and the man listened attentively, answering each one in turn:
"I don't know where I came from."
"I've lived here as long as I can remember, and I still live here now."
“I go to the sea every day to make a living.”
“I eat the offerings from the fishermen, and the food from the sea.”
"The clothes we wear also come from the sea."
"The firewood was also offered by the fishermen."
I don't have any pots, pans, or utensils.
"I'm not cold sleeping on a straw mat."
"No one bullies me."
"I have never been to school."
"I can't read or write."
……
Xu Sheng stared in disbelief: "Did I ask that many questions?"
The man exclaimed in surprise, "Don't you remember asking that yourself?"
Xu Sheng asked whatever came to mind, but to his surprise, the man could remember everything and answer in order: "You're quite smart, you have a good memory."
The man was pleased with the praise and got up to drag a basket over from the corner: "These are all my things."
A large basket was covered with a huge cattail leaf. Xu Sheng removed the cattail leaf and took out a set of clothes, probably for a three-year-old child. The clothes were bright red with embroidered dragons and auspicious clouds, and had a belt on each side.
Even though it's old, the clothes still feel smooth and comfortable to the touch, and the coiled dragon is embroidered with gold thread. The materials and embroidery seem to be even better than the clothes Xu Sheng is wearing.
Xu Sheng put the clothes aside and took out a small quilt. The quilt was embroidered with fish that looked like koi but had two wings. Xu Sheng shook it gently, and the fish seemed to fly in the air.
Xu Sheng stroked them carefully: "Your things are all quite high-class. Could you be a prince of the Bohai Kingdom who has been living among the common people?"
The man asked, "What is the Bohai Kingdom?"
“It was a small country in history, and it was later destroyed. But if you really are a prince of the Bohai Kingdom, then you are a remnant of the previous dynasty.” Xu Sheng made a throat-slitting gesture: “You deserve to be executed.”
The man blinked, as if he hadn't understood.
Xu Sheng continued, "But it's quite remarkable that you were abandoned at such a young age and managed to grow up safely in the temple all by yourself."
The man didn't think so: "It's quite easy. Day by day, year by year, I've grown this big."
There was a conch shell left in the basket, with six crystal-white spiral segments from top to bottom. From the belly to the tail, there were three flowing, ribbon-like decorative edges, and the hanging rope at the tail was crystal-white and supple.
Xu Sheng held the conch upright in his palm and spun it around. The conch looked like a beautiful, fair-skinned girl dancing in a silk dress.
Xu Sheng praised, "Beautiful. Your things are all of high quality. If I were to steal your things, what could you do to me?"
"Then you'll be struck by lightning and die." The man pointed to the goddess statue: "The goddess will protect me."
Xu Sheng said, "You're quite superstitious. It's just a statue. You'd be better off believing me than her."
The man was somewhat displeased. He snatched the conch shell and put it back in the basket, then tidied up the clothes and blankets: "She just knows how to protect me."
Xu Sheng said, "You're angry already? I didn't say anything, did I?"
The man rested his chin on his hands and ignored Xu Sheng.
Xu Sheng nudged him with his elbow: "You're not that old, but you have quite the temper."
The man simply turned his face to one side.
Xu Sheng wanted to tease him, so he leaned close to his ear and said, "I was wrong, I'm sorry."
The man snorted and turned his face, bumping right into Xu Sheng's nose.
Xu Sheng immediately covered his nose: "Ouch, my nose is broken."
The man asked nervously, "What should we do? Should we...should we call a doctor?"
Xu Sheng rubbed his nose: "It's better now."
The man angrily said, "You are lying, and the goddess will punish you."
"I was just joking." Xu Sheng unexpectedly pinched his neck.
The man was startled, both surprised and angry: "What are you doing?"
Xu Sheng said, "You look dirty, but your features are nice, your neck is white, and your skin is tender. If you wash yourself clean, you should be alright. In this world, it's not just women who like pretty boys."
As Xu Sheng spoke, the man moved away. After Xu Sheng finished speaking, the man simply sat down opposite Xu Sheng, looking wary.
Xu Sheng patted the straw mat: "Don't worry, I'm not interested in pretty boys. It's getting late, come and sleep here."
The man didn't move. Xu Sheng yawned again and closed his eyes: "I'm going to sleep. Don't bother me anymore."
The man stared at Xu Sheng for a long time before leaning over and waving his hand in front of him. Only after confirming that Xu Sheng was not moving did he lie down on the straw mat.
He lay down for a while, then got up again and took out the blanket to cover himself. The small blanket, when unfolded, was just enough to cover him.
Xu Sheng only opened his eyes when he heard the child's breathing become steady. It was truly unbelievable that a three-year-old child could grow up peacefully alone in a dilapidated temple. Yet, what he said didn't seem like a lie.
Xu Sheng looked at the statue of the goddess and said softly, "If gods and Buddhas could truly protect people, why would there be so much sorrow and suffering in the world?"
The person was curled up in a ball under the thin blanket. Xu Sheng felt a little sorry for him, so he brought over some more firewood to stoke the fire. He had felt a little sleepy while chatting, but now that it was quiet, he was wide awake.
Is Luo An still alive? What if he's dead?
No, he's definitely still alive. What if he's dead?
No, no, no... He must still be alive... What if...
It felt like there were two people fighting in my head, neither willing to give in, and neither able to defeat the other.
Xu Sheng shook his head, trying to shoo the little figure away, and finally managed to quiet his mind for a while. But through the red flames, he seemed to see Luo An struggling in the sea, and a white shadow rushing towards them.
“There’s everything in the ocean. If we were really going to dump a body there, it would have been long gone by now. I’ve been around rivers, lakes and seas since I was a child. The monsters in the ocean can swallow a whole person whole.”
Nianyao's words rang out clearly: that white figure was not human, but could only be a monster from the sea!
Could it...? No...? What if it does...? No...? If...? No, no, no, there are no ifs...