"I... I'm fine... It's my own fault. I shouldn't have run around like that and ended up bumping into those guys. They always make fun of me because I can't see, they always trip me up, and they even steal my things... Thank goodness my older brother came, otherwise I really wouldn't know what to do."
"I gave those brats a little talking-to. From now on, they won't dare to bully you, and they probably won't even dare to come near this whole area."
"Did big brother make a move? The uncles and aunties from the Cloud Knights will come knocking on our door..."
"Of course not, I'm a law-abiding citizen, I just glared at them. It's their fault for being cowards. They talk about punching the Abundance fiend and kicking the Annihilation Legion, but if they actually encountered those inferior demons, they'd probably wet their pants in fear."
"Whee."
Hua Yi's brief description of the scene made the little girl laugh.
With tears still on her face, she was able to recount the events clearly and coherently, displaying strength that made her all the more heartbreaking.
"Logically, I should take you home first, but you're just a kid, what if you get bored staying at home all day? How about we continue to explore the places you're familiar with? If any other unruly kids show up, I'll discipline them too."
Hua Yi did not stop holding onto the blind girl's hand and taking her to an unfamiliar place just because he had chased away the annoying child and helped her.
Unable to see the vibrant colors of the world and isolated by peers, one is destined to have a sensitive heart.
If you just drag her along, it will make her feel flustered and scared.
The little girl wasn't a mature adult and couldn't grasp the thoughtfulness in Hua Yi's words, but she could vaguely sense that kindness.
It's warm and cozy.
"I often come to this area... Big brother, you're not from Xianzhou Luofu, are you? You're from another star, then... then I can show you around here."
"Oh? Is there some other story surrounding this place?"
"There..."
The girl, feeling lost, tried to find her way with her feet. After touching a red wall, she reached out and touched it, using the texture of the bricks to determine her direction.
"There's a food stall over there. The stall owner is a very nice woman, and her Jade Bird Skewers are delicious."
"I understand, I'll buy it for you right away."
"No! I wanted my older brother to try it... I... I don't have any money on me, otherwise I should have bought it for him. Thank you for saving me, older brother."
"Good girl, I have to buy you something delicious this time. Actually, it's not my money, so eat as much as you want, it's free."
The expenses were paid by the Shipyacht Department.
Accompanying the little girl to the stall she mentioned, the stall owner indeed recognized her and greeted her with a smile. Noticing the tear stains on the girl's face, she quickly asked what had happened.
After understanding the situation, the stall owner didn't say much. He took the Jade Bird Skewers, packed a few snacks for Hua Yi, and insisted on stuffing them into his hand, refusing to accept any money.
Just kidding, that's underestimating my wealth!
Hua Yi certainly couldn't stand it. Even if Shipyacht Department's payment method didn't allow him to transfer money proactively, he still had his own wallet account.
He casually transferred a sum of Credits to the stall owner, which was worth at least as much as the pastries she had given him.
"Consider the rest as my savings for the little girl's snacks."
"That's way too much!"
"Don't mention it. The good feeling I got from this far outweighs the value of the Credits themselves. I imagine the stall owner must have taken good care of her. The people of Xianzhou Luofu are so kind and honest, it makes me happy too."
The blind girl couldn't see Hua Yi's actions, but she could still sense something from the conversation.
"Big brother."
She reached out to grab the hem of the clothes of the kind and handsome older brother, but instead grabbed Jade Bird Skewers.
Here, eat it.
"Hmm..."
The little girl placed the Jade Bird Skewers in her other hand, and stubbornly, yet expectantly, continued to raise her little hand.
This time, I don't want to hold onto the older brother's clothes anymore; I want to hold his hand.
"Alright, I'll hold your hand so you don't accidentally bump into something and fall."
"I'm not afraid of pain."
So you used to fall down a lot?
"Big brother probably doesn't understand the people of Xianzhou Luofu. We can heal ourselves if we get hurt, so it's okay."
"People often say that poor children learn to be independent early. A little girl like you, who is invisible, is more mature and stronger than her peers. Have Jade Bird Skewers to soothe your wounded heart."
"I'm not injured now, big brother, you can eat too!"
"I have some, you just focus on eating your own skewer, you don't need to share with me."
"Really?"
She was quite meticulous; she lied to me to comfort me.
Hua Yi smiled and gently patted the girl's head.
"It's authentic, and there are other snacks too. After you finish what you have, I'll get you something else."
Chapter 328 The Sky-Deficient One
"Big brother, do you know? The Jade Bird Skewers aren't meat skewers. These birds have fruit hanging from their tails. You can pick the fruit by following their tails without harming any of the birds."
Normally, no one talks to the blind girl, but after confirming that Hua Yi was a good person and there was good food, she started talking non-stop, from Jade Bird Skewers to Refu Goat Milk, then to Mo Mo Rolls and Singing Lotus Cake.
Even if a child is born blind and matures a little earlier than their peers, the world they know is always simple.
With a childlike charm.
Hua Yi listened patiently until the girl tilted her head and caught the familiar footsteps.
"It's Sister Dan Shu!"
Looking up, I saw a woman with lifeless eyes carrying a medicine bag, walking slowly towards me.
Since the little girl and the woman knew each other, Hua Yi took her hand and went to greet them.
"Hello."
After exchanging greetings, without Hua Yi needing to introduce her, the girl began to recount the events in a soft, chattering voice, still brimming with excitement and more lively than before.
"Thanks to my older brother for saving me, otherwise I might still be standing on the pond railing, unable to get down."
"Are you just happy?"
"I'm also very grateful to my older brother."
"Yes, you also need to learn to be strong and not cry easily. You'd better get used to it first, because in the next few hundred years, people like us who can't see will encounter many difficulties."
The blind woman had a gentle demeanor and spoke softly and gently, but the content of her words was hardly comforting; it leaned towards seriousness, causing the cheerful little girl to shrink back.
"Walking alone in the dark, fearing sudden obstacles, unable to understand what others describe as they see and hear. Everyone and everything is like being shrouded in black coals, unseen yet capable of burning you."
"I... I..."
"Here, take this medicine and go home. Be careful not to fall."
"Thank you, Sister Dan Shu. Thank you, Big Brother."
The girl obediently left, reluctant to go, groping her way forward.
The blind woman couldn't see her expression, but she knew she had ruined the No Worries atmosphere. She could also guess that Hua Yi, who had kindly offered help and bought the little girl a lot of food and drinks, probably didn't approve of this way of sharing life experiences.
"That child said you're a foreigner who recently arrived in Xianzhou Luofu?"
"Yes, I'm new here and there are still many things I don't understand about the Luofu Xianzhou. But there's one thing I want to tell Miss Dan Shu: there's no need to rush to emphasize reality to the joyful children, and the description is too cruel."
"Reality is inherently cruel."
"Miss Dan Shu can't see, but I can tell you—just as that little girl left, a Cloud-to-Cloud Cavalry happened to be passing by, and then the guards changed their patrol direction and silently escorted her home."
"..."
"The unseen embers may not necessarily harm people; they may also provide warmth."
Hua Yi did not see any emotion on Dan Shu's face.
normal.
Unable to see, living in darkness for countless years, the life of Long-Life Species has proven a certain reality to her, one that cannot be changed by a few words from others.
"Outsider, I understand your kind heart, and I am grateful for your help in saving her from some tears. However, please allow me to speak frankly: the inhabitants of the Xianzhou generally have a lifespan of a thousand years. You can help her for a while, but not forever. Even if you are willing to do good deeds in Xianzhou Luofu and spend your whole life doing so, what kind of feelings will the dead leave behind for the living?"
"It is indeed full of profound meaning, but unfortunately I am just an ordinary person and cannot remain unmoved when I see a girl shedding small pearls."
"Have you ever considered why, with Xianzhou Luofu's medical expertise and the prosthetic eyes manufactured by the Interastral Peace Corporation, they cannot cure blindness?"
"I've thought about it. I also want to be a miracle doctor and heal the sick."
"Most short-lived species, arriving in Xianzhou Luofu for the first time, hear that Foxian can live for three or four hundred years, that the Vidyadhara can reincarnate and live forever, and that ordinary Xianzhou people also have a lifespan of a thousand years. They inevitably seek immortality. Yet you've taken notice of those with Sky-Deficient One and even want to become a healer. This is truly..."
The blind woman was clearly more accustomed to being blind than the little girl, and she knew the terrain of Xianzhou Luofu like the back of her hand. She walked to a deserted pavilion.
"The physical condition of Long-Life Species is determined from birth. Whether one is beautiful or ugly, wise or foolish, tall or short, all of these are permanently fixed in one's flesh and genes at the moment of birth, thus determining the direction of one's growth."
"Many defects that can be remedied by ingenuity or surgery in short-lived species are beyond the reach of the Xianzhou people."
"Because no matter what methods are used or what kind of ingenuity is involved, our bodies will be restored to their correct form."
In the vast universe, past, present, and future, countless beings have always boarded the Xianzhou, seeking immortality.
If the Xianzhou Alliance hadn't been so powerful, the mystery of immortality would have been enough to make the short-lived races envious, thus sparking a great war.
"[ Abundance ], right?"
"That's right. Ironically... Many Abundance followers, the so-called wicked creatures, will not suffer this torment. As for the Heavenly Deficiency, it is probably a curse prepared by the Plague of Abundance for traitors—what I am saying is the misfortune of the Sky-Deficient One. I suppose in the eyes of many short-lived species, even if they cannot see, it is good to enjoy a thousand years of life before falling into the demonic darkness."
We met by chance, there was no need to say these things.
Dan Shu only caught a glimpse of the blind girl's earlier joy, which reminded him of his own childhood. This made him feel sentimental, and he said some unnecessary words to Hua Yi, who was full of goodwill.
" Dragon Tiger Reciprocation their original state, the Xuanhuang Rebirth. The Loufu Pill Cauldron Department is helpless against various Sky-Deficient affliction, but if you feel unwell, you may still go there for treatment."
"You don't look very old, yet you're calling me 'little friend'? My voice sounds so childish."
"The way short-lived species judge age by appearance does not apply in Xianzhou Luofu. Not to mention me, even that child just now has lived a longer life than you, young friend."
The blind woman smiled at Hua Yi's attempt to compare their ages, said nothing more, turned around, and slowly walked away.
Alone and unable to see, I was fortunate to be used to the darkness, so I didn't bump into anything.
Was that blind little girl older than me?
It's okay, we should judge people by their appearance and let her call me "big brother".
As for the Alchemy Division mentioned by Dan Shu, Hua Yi did not think there was anything wrong with his body.
Even though Asta, Hoshino, Serval and others were exceptionally strong in night battles, his body was not weak at all.
However, the analysis of [ Abundance ], like that of [Hunt], actually began as early as when we arrived at Xianzhou Luofu.
Chapter 329 Mara-struck
Just as there are storytellers in the Nightless Lord Teahouse, Hua Yi has multiple channels for obtaining information on the Luofu Xianzhou.
Those Sky-Deficient One Realm are not the only problem the Xianzhou people need to face. A chronic illness called the Mara-struck, or rather, signs of aging, limits the lifespan of most people to around a thousand years.
In the beginning, the Xianzhou pursued [ Abundance ] and yearned for immortality. Finally, it was favored by the Aeon and bestowed with divine objects such as the Ambrosial Arbor, and the Xianzhou people were transformed into Long-Life Species.
That golden age was known as the Age of Divine Descent. The Xianzhou Alliance believed in [ Abundance ], and the path of [Hunt] never even appeared.
Later, things gradually took a turn for the worse.
Even the Abundance Immortal Relics could not satisfy human greed. No matter how many grotto-heavens were opened, they could not keep up with the growth in the number of Long-Life Species. The Xianzhou became an overburdened fleet on the verge of sinking.
The elders at the top decided to exile the lower-class Brownies to pioneering planets to relieve their stress, but this was only a drop in the ocean, and those worlds soon fell into the same miserable state.
Hua Yi sensed that the Abundance followers were aggressive in the universe, waging wars and expanding their territory, and that they must have encountered a problem similar to that of the Xianzhou back then.
Later, a great war broke out within the Xianzhou, with three hundred billion Brownies attacking the incompetent elders. Another Xianzhou crashed into a red giant star and was destroyed. It was also at that time that the Mara-struck appeared.
In that era when nobility still existed, a Lord of the Grotto-heaven held a birthday banquet, completely ignoring the chaos on the Xianzhou. He only cared about satisfying his own appetite, consuming food dozens of times his own weight, yet his eyes remained lifeless, like a walking corpse.
When the people broke down the palace gates and rushed into the hall, they found it filled with wriggling fleshy tendrils, countless eyes, ears, tongues, teeth, limbs, hair, fat... growing and falling off wildly, making it impossible to imagine that all this flesh and blood came from a human body.