For that very reason, with Chu Mingyue following at his side, Xu Jie had no way to harvest many demons and monsters to plunder usable lifespan from them.
Along the way, most of the demons and monsters they encountered had been killed by Chu Mingyue before he could make a move.
Fucking pain in the ass!
Beside a patch of bushes in the wilderness, Xu Jie crouched there, gathering plant roots and stems.
Chu Mingyue stood behind him with her blade in hand, vigilantly sweeping her gaze over the surroundings like a mother hen guarding her chicks.
As the day drew to a close and darkness was about to fall, Xu Jie rose slowly with a plant root clamped between his teeth and said to Chu Mingyue.
"Let's go. We'll head to that village from before and rest for the night first!"
That afternoon, the two of them had cleared out a group of scattered demons and monsters that had attacked the village, so Xu Jie planned to spend the night there.
He had also noticed that demons and monsters were exceedingly scarce in this area. Even if they kept searching, they probably would not find more than a few.
Rather than waste time like this, they might as well rest for now and make new plans tomorrow.
"Alright!"
Chu Mingyue nodded indifferently. Her mission outside the city was to protect Xu Jie, so it made no difference where they went.
Thus, the two traveled together and returned to the little village from before before nightfall.
The village was not large, with at most a hundred households, all of them ordinary people.
The farmers here made their living by tilling the land, and they were among the poorest people in Jincheng City.
Otherwise, anyone with even a little family wealth would never choose to farm and survive so close to the outer defensive line.
There had been ten demons and monsters invading the village earlier, but Xu Jie and Chu Mingyue, who had happened to pass by and notice something amiss, had slaughtered them all together.
Therefore, when the villagers saw Xu Jie and Chu Mingyue return, they showed neither hostility nor fear.
Instead, their gazes held obvious gratitude.
After all, if Xu Jie and Chu Mingyue had not acted, ten First-Rank Demons would have been enough to kill everyone here.
Xu Jie showed no reaction to the villagers' enthusiasm, his face expressionless.
He merely found an empty house with a cold expression, preparing to make do there for the night.
Xu Jie had always treated the weak with disdain. Not bullying the weak with his strength was already the greatest mercy he could offer.
The little courtyard of the empty house was filthy and disorderly, with broken tiles, cracked walls, and weeds growing thickly everywhere.
Its former owner had clearly been desperately poor. There was nothing of value to be found inside, aside from a crude wooden bed.
Not long after Xu Jie and Chu Mingyue entered, a light knock suddenly sounded outside the courtyard gate.
Xu Jie, who was resting in the courtyard with his eyes closed, did not move at all, as though he had not heard it.
Chu Mingyue hurried out from the room, glanced at the silent Xu Jie in confusion, then quickly went to open the gate.
As the courtyard gate opened, they saw a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl holding the hand of a little girl of seven or eight.
The two held a basin of paste whose contents could not be identified, standing timidly outside.
"B-Big Sister, hello. Thank you for saving our family today. Mother said that when treating benefactors, we must bring out the best things in our home. This is the food Mother made. It's for you to eat!"
"Thank you, thank you!"
The two little girls wore filthy clothes covered in patches. Their faces were yellow and their bodies thin from hunger; one look showed that they normally did not get enough to eat.
A gentle, warm smile immediately appeared on Chu Mingyue's face. With pity in her eyes, she welcomed the two little girls inside.
Xu Jie merely lifted his eyes and swept a cold glance over them before closing them again.
The older little girl led her younger sister inside and placed the paste on the stone table.
The little girl's small hands twisted uncertainly, not knowing where to put themselves, while her face bore a sickly pallor.
She was clearly weak from hunger. A flicker of timidity passed through her eyes when she looked at the unmoved Xu Jie.
As for the seven- or eight-year-old little girl, she swallowed as she stared at the paste on the table, drooling with desire yet not daring to eat it.
Seeing this, Chu Mingyue's maternal instincts overflowed. She took several pieces of chocolate from her pocket and stuffed them into the two little girls' hands.
"Take these and eat them."
"N-No! Big Sister, Mother said we can't just take other people's things!"
"It's fine. These are nothing to us. Be good!"
"But..."
"If I'm giving them to you, then take them!"
The noise gave Xu Jie a headache. He opened his eyes and coldly glanced at the two helpless little girls, speaking in an indifferent tone.
"And take this away too! I'm not hungry!"
"Xu Jie!"
Chu Mingyue shot Xu Jie a reproachful glare. She hurriedly crouched down and gently comforted the two frightened little girls, making Xu Jie sigh inwardly.
How bitterly difficult it was for ordinary people to survive in this world!
If the paste before him had been put in his previous life, even pigs would have turned up their noses at it.
Yet this was probably the rations of the little girls' family, and the only thing they could bring out.
At that moment, Xu Jie's hardened heart stirred slightly, but he still maintained his cold demeanor.
He had no ability to care about this world, nor did he want to!
Xu Jie had always been a desperado. There was so much suffering in the world—what could he possibly do?
In the end, the two little girls tightly clutched the exquisite chocolates Chu Mingyue had given them and carried the large bowl out of the courtyard.
After only Xu Jie and Chu Mingyue remained in the courtyard, and a long silence had fallen, Chu Mingyue finally spoke first in dissatisfaction.
"Xu Jie, why did you act like that just now?"
"..."
"Do you really not have even a shred of compassion?"
"..."
"Hmph, I'm going to sleep!"
Xu Jie said nothing, with no intention of explaining himself. He simply remained coldly silent.
Angered by Xu Jie's attitude, Chu Mingyue turned and walked away. Just as she was about to storm into the room, the courtyard gate was pushed open again.
By the moonlight, a small figure cautiously walked in. It was the little girl from before!
The little girl now carried a small basket in her hand as she timidly came before Xu Jie.
Like a child who had done something wrong, she spoke softly in a childish voice.
"Big Brother... this... this is an egg laid by the only old hen in our family! I secretly hid one away and could never bear to eat it. This is my most precious thing. It's for Big Brother to eat!"
Xu Jie: "..."
Looking at the little girl before him, at her helplessness, her filthy little hands not knowing where to go, and her large eyes full of fear, yet still mustering the courage to look at him with sparkling eyes, Xu Jie's heart heaved violently.
"Xu..."
"Alright! Thank you!"
Meeting the pitiful little girl's gaze, Xu Jie tried his best to force a kind smile onto his face.
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