Little Beggar

After dealing with the immediate matters, Zhou Yi changed out of his blood-stained clothes and into clean ones. He then returned to the tiger's corpse, skinned it with his knife, and took a large chunk of meat to roast over the fire the two sisters had made.

Once the roast was secured, Zhou Yi began to process the tiger hide. By the time he finished, the meat was ready. As he ate the fragrant roast, Zhou Yi thought, This tiger is truly a "fierce" benefactor, giving me both its hide and its meat.

After eating his fill, Zhou Yi remembered the two foxes. He skinned them as well before finally leaving the dilapidated temple.

Because of the delay, he wasn't sure if he could reach the post station before dark. Zhou Yi decided to stay in a nearby village for the night.

He took out his map and searched for a while until he found the closest village.

Looking up at the sky, the rain hadn't stopped, though it had lessened slightly. Zhou Yi sighed helplessly and walked out into the rain, leading his horse. Once he reached the main road, he mounted his horse and headed towards the village.

Due to the heavy rain, Zhou Yi's visibility was poor, forcing him to walk intermittently. He kept checking his map as he went. By dusk, Zhou Yi finally saw the outline of the village and spurred his horse on.

The village before him had a massive stone wall, with a small gate that looked like it could only accommodate three people at a time. Before entering, Zhou Yi was searched. Only after confirming he wasn't a creature of Weirdness was he allowed in.

Upon entering the village, Zhou Yi realized it wasn't much smaller than Green Bamboo Village, but it lacked the protection of a sacred aura.

It seems small villages don't exist in this world, otherwise, the Weirdness alone would be too much to handle, Zhou Yi thought to himself.

He then found a two-story inn in the village and checked in. After settling down, Zhou Yi looked out the window, observing the village. Because of the rain, there weren't many pedestrians on the street, and those who were hurried along with numb expressions on their faces.

This confused Zhou Yi. It was different from what he had seen in Green Bamboo Village. Although the people in Green Bamboo Village were tired, they at least showed a hint of a smile when their work was done. But the people in this village looked like walking corpses.

There were no children on the street. The few he saw were wearing tattered clothes and begging in the rain, their faces devoid of life. Zhou Yi felt a pang of pity and took out some loose silver from his person, accurately tossing it into a small beggar's bowl.

Clang~

Hearing the sound of silver hitting the bowl, the little beggar's face first showed surprise, then joy. He then showed the silver in his bowl to his companions, who also became happy. After the children put the silver away, they looked around.

They then spotted Zhou Yi peering out the window. After bowing to him, the little beggar led his companions towards the steamed bun shop.

Clutching their buns, the children ran back to the dilapidated temple where they lived, eating happily in the pouring rain.

Zhou Yi, watching from the window, had a blank expression. Even when the little beggar bowed to him, his expression didn't change.

Perhaps this is the reality of this world. I can only look after myself; I don't have the power to save them. I just helped because I saw them.

Zhou Yi comforted himself, then looked at the sky. Night was gradually falling. Zhou Yi sighed, closed the window, and began setting up the Three Talents Formation in his room. He had forgotten to set it up last night and had slept too soundly to notice the female ghost slipping in. Or perhaps the ghost was too weak, and his body hadn't bothered to alert him.

Watching the faint glow of the completed Three Talents Formation, Zhou Yi lay down on the bed with peace of mind and began to rest.

Knock, knock, knock~

There was a knock on Zhou Yi's door. Hearing the sound, Zhou Yi instantly woke up, grabbed the New Moon he kept beside him, and looked at the Three Powers Talisman in the room. Seeing that the Three Powers Talisman was intact, Zhou Yi finally relaxed and went to open the door.

However, just as he reached the door, a commotion erupted outside.

"How did you filthy beggar get in here! Get out! If you disturb the honored guest's rest, you'll regret it!"

Zhou Yi opened his room door and stepped out. He saw the inn's waiter grabbing a small beggar and trying to drag him downstairs. The beggar's face was so dirty that the tear streaks were clearly visible.

Upon seeing Zhou Yi, the little girl struggled in the waiter's grasp and made babbling sounds.

"So she's mute!" the waiter said.

At this moment, the waiter also saw Zhou Yi coming out and repeatedly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, for disturbing your rest, sir. I'll throw this beggar out right now!"

Zhou Yi waved his hand at the waiter, signaling him to let the beggar go. Seeing Zhou Yi's gesture, the waiter released his grip, and the beggar was set down.

As soon as she was let go, the beggar rushed towards Zhou Yi. Before Zhou Yi could ask anything, she tried to pull his hand and lead him outside.

However, the beggar's frail body couldn't move Zhou Yi at all. With a strong tug, she stumbled and fell to the ground.

Zhou Yi helped the beggar up, wiped the tears from her face, and asked, "Is there something you need my help with? If so, please nod."

Hearing Zhou Yi's question, the beggar immediately nodded vigorously.