Stone Heart

"Bad men! Don't touch our silver...!"

His filthy little hands clutched the wooden chest and refused to let go. The bandits flew into a rage, cursing as they kicked and beat him, but Little Stone cried at the top of his lungs like a child throwing a tantrum. He endured every blow and insult while clinging to the silver. It was not the money he loved, but that little Dilapidated Temple.

Bamboo Spring Temple was an important part of Little Stone's life. The others were his master and the snake demon.

He had climbed onto the roof to patch leaks and replace tiles, painstakingly grown vegetables, held up the nearly collapsed gate, and repaired things alongside his master. Bamboo Spring Temple held all his memories and happiness. His master had wanted to restore the Dilapidated Temple, and it had taken many years of hard work to save up this much silver.

If it was taken away, his master would be heartbroken...

"Fuck, you're asking to die!"

The bandit leader viciously stomped on Little Stone's fingers as he clung to the chest. The chest fell to the ground with a clatter, and silver ingots scattered everywhere. Little Stone's hands were a bloody mess, yet he lay in the dirty snow, gathering the silver into his arms.

Li Da Niu and Xu Jiaorong were frantic.

"Young Monk, hurry over here! Forget the silver!"

Little Stone ignored them. He lay on the ground, refusing to loosen his grip no matter how others kicked and cursed at him. He sobbed uncontrollably, his hands full of silver, snot running into his mouth without him noticing, his entire body covered in footprints.

"The silver is ours... You're not allowed to take it... sob..."

The scattered silver enraged the bandit leader. He should have known better than