After visiting Hu Che's house, I would often sneak out of my house to Flowing Soul Street with money and food. Tong Jun would follow him most of the time, and he would occasionally bring Ye Yi or Bai Zai along.
However, Tong Jun forbade me from going to areas with slightly larger numbers, and with my younger siblings, I could only stroll around the streets in the single-digit areas with better security. I had never seen a truly poor and chaotic area. On this day, when I was alone, I chose a direction and ran down in one breath, wanting to go to the edge of Liuhun Street to take a look.
When I was about to set foot in the most chaotic area of the legends, I fought with a man named Gengmu in a place called Grass Deer, who dreamed of becoming the Eighth Swordsman. A man like him who persistently pursued strength was very much to my liking, and he clearly realized that we were the same kind. With the friendship that he had gained from playing, he laughed and said that he would take me around the 79th server.
It was a scene that I would never forget in my life.
The narrow dirt road was littered with rotten vegetables, domestic garbage, and animal feces. People who had never taken a bath since they were born wore clothes that had never been washed before. They were drinking inferior wine with one hand and talking to each other rudely with their mouths that had never brushed their teeth since they were born. On the roads that were filled with all kinds of body odors, sometimes black substances fell from the sky and splashed everywhere. It was the contents of the garbage buckets that fell from the windows of the people's houses.
" Tsk…" Gengmu laughed and teased me,""How does it feel for a young lady like you to see such a place? It must be fresh!"
" No, I..." His eyes that had lost focus swept around before focusing again at the corner of the wall. I saw a silver-haired old woman in ragged clothes holding an empty stomach with one hand, shivering in the cold December atmosphere. She would cough from time to time. Hearing that weak and heart-rending cough, I felt a rusty aura coming from the depths of my lungs.
I also started coughing heavily. "Hey, can't you stand the smell?" Gengmu raised his eyebrows and glared at him. Tsk, what a noble lady…"
I shook my head and walked up to the old woman. After giving her all the money I had on me, I carefully helped her find a place to hide. After I finally found her a place to stay tonight, I wandered the streets. At this moment, I heard a gruff sneer beside me."Foolish fellow. You really don't know anything."
I was completely absent-minded and did not notice that Geng Muyuan had not left.
"You gave her the money just like that. Do you think you'll let her have it easy? No, she will die even faster."
I immediately came to my senses and frantically rushed back to the dilapidated house, but all I saw was an empty room. The ground was covered in thick dust, and there were many more messy scratches than when I left. The air was filled with the stench of blood. I didn't see that old woman. She might have escaped, but it was more likely that she had melted into this dust.
" Why…" Why did you only tell me now? Is it to teach me a lesson…
"That kind of weak existence has no meaning to exist.”"In a place like this, the faster you die, the better." You've done a good deed."
He was too extreme. But growing up in that place, he could only survive like this. I understand, because like him, I can only survive in battle. However, this was the first time I had doubts about the golden words "Protect the Tranquil Palace" that I had been taught since I was young.
"What happened to Onesie?"
When I pulled the door open, my father asked my maid in a low voice. She quietly replied to him that I didn't eat a single bite of today's food.
I knew that I was getting paler and thinner day by day, and I knew that my father was worried about me, but when I saw such exquisite food, I just wanted to cry. The old woman with deep wrinkles on her face kept flashing in front of my eyes. She smiled weakly at me in the cold wind. I saw the little baby girl that Geng Mu had adopted reach out her soft little hand to me.
I went to Liuhun Street even more frequently. At first, Hitomi thought that it was useless for me to save one or two people. However, when he saw that I arranged for people who couldn't fill their stomachs because they had spiritual power to work in the shops opened by the Four Maple Court or the Xiu Mu family in exchange for a living, he no longer laughed at me and silently began to help me.
"Although Zhibo's family isn't as rich as you guys…"
My family and the Xiu Mu family are not only noble families, but also financial groups with considerable capital. Xiu Mu's family focuses on real estate, and almost all the operations of the weapon shops in the entire Corpse Soul World are under my family's monopoly. The interweaving and infiltration of deep financial resources and power is probably the real reason why our two families have stood at the top of the great nobles for a thousand years.
The Shiba family had always been a commoner. Although they had excellent fireworks, no family head had ever thought of making money from them. " However, the young master of the Aspirational Bo family will provide you with a hundred men's labor." As he said that, Tong Jun bent his arms and winked at me while showing off his muscles. Sigh…Although my heart was still heavy, I was indeed slightly healed by his smile.
Tian Tong-Jun was with me too. Because it was already late, we stopped at a village we passed by to rest. The elders of the village asked people to clean up the best room to entertain us in fear and trepidation.
" There's no need to prepare rice," Tong Jun said with a smile,""Um, just give us two bowls of noodles.”
" No." I looked at the empty and small house, the rotten rafters, and whispered,""You don't have to prepare my portion."
However," My Lords…" The elder was on the verge of tears.
"That, that…our village has been out of food for a long time. We only have potatoes left. Can I cook potatoes for you?”As he spoke in a trembling voice, he took out a paper bag from his pocket."Can I add some salt to your food? My grandson has typhoid fever, and this salt is supposed to supplement his nutrition. The taste of this amount added to your food may be too bland. Please forgive me…"
In the end, Tong Jun and I left without anything to eat.
Hundreds of thousands of people died every day, and many new lives were born every day. Among those children, too many died before they could become adults. Even if they struggled to become adults, what awaited them was eternal cold or hunger, or the endless burden of living.
"Ah Yi." Finally, my father sat down opposite me."Can you tell me what happened?”
" Father…" I had been experiencing sickness and coldness in my dreams for the past few days. When I suddenly touched my father's warm hand, I finally couldn't help but cry. He gently wiped away my tears. I took his hand and placed it on my cheek. I rested my head on his knees and threw myself into his warm embrace.
"Father, no matter how hard some people struggle, they are unable to overcome the hunger and cold they were born with. I wanted to help them, but I knew that helping one, or two, or even a hundred, would not help. These hands can never save enough people. I…what should I do?”
Father gently stroked my long hair and said gently,"Because you feel that you don't have to worry about food and clothing, you feel guilty about those who don't have enough to eat and wear. Is that what you think?”
I raised my head. My father's gentle face was a blur in my vision.
"Why can I enjoy such a life without doing anything?! Why was it that from the moment people were born, their circumstances were so different?”
He smiled and said,"Then you're wrong, Onesie.”
I was pulled out by my father and brought to a field. This was the first time my father had brought me to Flowing Soul Street. The scenery I saw was completely different from the streets I usually walked on. This is the farmland cultivated by the farmers. So the food we eat comes from here.
"What a refreshing breeze…"
"Onesie, you've been able to understand the sound of the wind since you were young, but have you ever considered the effects of the wind?”
The effect of wind? I asked: Father, do you mean the truth of the five elements?
"Yes." His father nodded with a smile." Wind and clouds move. Clouds gather to make it rain. Trees grow when it rains. Because there is wood, there is fire. And with fire, there will be wind.”
"Everything in the world has its own role, and so do people.”A clear voice full of warmth rang clearly in my ears."I once told you that there is no difference in the value of life whether it is a noble or a commoner. However, the responsibilities of each person are different.”
My father looked at me with a smile." If civilians support the existence of our world by farming, then it is the responsibility of the nobles to protect civilians. I understand your kind heart, but is it enough to fulfill our responsibility to be on the same side as the commoners?”
"Duty?" I muttered.
He had been taught from a young age that he had to regard it as something that transcended everything and was more important than life. To me, this word is naturally extremely heavy. However, wasn't the " responsibility " that the elders had given him to become an outstanding leader?
My duty is to first support the name of Four Maple Court. After that, he would become the embodiment of the law enforcer, the guardian of the Jingling Palace. However, the responsibility that his father was talking about now seemed to be different from it.
"It's responsibility." His father nodded with certainty and his tone gradually became serious."Onesie, your name has been decided. You're called 'Shiren'. Do you know what it means?”
I replied according to the explanation recorded in the genealogy,"The only person standing at the end of time, becoming an eternal existence equivalent to the laws themselves.”
His father smiled and shook his head." No, that's what the elders want. But that's not how I interpret it."”
"Onesie, do you know what I thought when I named you Onesie? I hope that you can enjoy the 'pure and innocent' life that God has given you without being hindered by anyone. With this wish in my heart, I named you 'One'.”
It was exactly as Tong Jun had said. Only then did I realize that Tong-kun was actually very similar to my father. His gentle personality was exactly the same, so many times our thoughts coincided. This might be the reason why Tong Jun attracted me in the beginning.
"At first, the elders all wanted an eldest son who could inherit the family business, but when I heard that you were a healthy baby girl, I was very happy. You know, I've inherited my curse from you-"Father's silver hair glinted beautifully in the sun.
He touched my head, feeling a little guilty, but also said proudly,"But I don't think this is a curse. The heavens must have a reason for giving it to us. Through it I have been able to soothe the hearts of many, for which I am deeply grateful. He sighed." I thought you were a girl and didn't have to bear the burden of the family. I thought you could just let a collateral relative adopt a boy, but…"
Father's personality was too gentle and he was unable to manage the family well. My position as the next master should have been in danger. However, it was also because of this that the elders of the various sects all wanted to support their own candidates and did not buy into each other's accounts. Instead, they became the balance of power. And in the end, only my bloodline is irrefutable. Therefore, I received a strict family education since I was young.
"Shiren, to your mother and I, you are a child that was given to us by the heavens.”
His father looked at the civilians who were farming in the fields, and his face revealed a sentimental expression. His voice was like a clear spring flowing out like melted silver.
"Don't stand alone at the end of time. That kind of loneliness isn't something a human can endure. My expectations for you are to become a gentle and reliable person, to do your best to protect the happiness of others, and then to make yourself happy. This is your responsibility."
He smiled at me." Each of us has the responsibility to be happy. God sent us to this world. This must be his consideration.”
I nodded silently. The afternoon sun shone down directly. Looking at my father's back that was plated with a layer of gold in the backlight, I felt dizzy. When I pulled my sleeve, my father's face showed a worried expression. Then he suddenly smiled and called over the female servant. He took out a rice ball from the food box in her hand and handed it to me.
"As the daughter of the House of Four Maple, she has the responsibility of protecting others. How can she do it on an empty stomach?”
As I chewed the slightly hard rice, my father stroked my head."This is the rice that the commoners have grown with their heart and soul.”
"Yes." For some reason, her tears kept falling.
In the red glow of dusk, that tall figure bent down. His gaze, which was at the same level as mine, bloomed with a gentle and firm light. His loving voice was clear in my heart."Is it delicious?"
"Yes, sir!"
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]